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One of the most well-known investors of the 20th Century, Benjamin Graham, said that “the investor’s chief problem—and even his worst enemy—is likely to be himself.”¹
What Graham understood—and modern research is catching up to—is the idea that we all have emotions and biases that affect our decision-making. The innate wiring built to survive pre-modern times can be counterproductive in our modern world, especially when it comes to investing.
Let’s take a quick look at a few of the human emotions and biases that can adversely impact sound investment decision-making.
Fear and Greed — These are the two most powerful emotions that move investors and investment markets. Each emotion clouds our capability for rational and dispassionate decision-making. They are the emotions that lead us to believe that prices may continue to rise (think the Tulip price bubble of 1636) or that everything has gone so wrong that prices may not recover (think Credit Crisis of 2008-2009).
Some investors have found a way to conquer these emotions, be brave when everyone else is fearful, and resist the temptations of a too-exuberant market.
Overconfidence — Peter Bernstein, a noted economic historian, argued that the riskiest moment may be when we feel that we are right.² It is at that precise moment that we tend to disregard all information that may conflict with our beliefs, setting ourselves up for investment surprise.
Selective Memory — Human nature is such that we tend to recast history in the manner that emphasizes our successes and downplays our failures. As a result, we may not benefit from the valuable lessons failure can teach. Indeed, failure may be your most valuable asset.
Prediction Fallacy — Humans have an innate desire to recognize patterns and apply these patterns to predicting the future. We erroneously believe that because “A” occurred and “B” happened that if “A” happens again, we can profit by anticipating that “B” will repeat. Market history is littered with examples of “rules of thumb” that have worked, until they no longer worked.
Financial markets are complex and unpredictable. Our endeavors to tap their opportunities to pursue our financial goals are best realized when we don’t burden the enterprise by blindness to the inherent behavioral obstacles we all share.
Quoteswise.com, 2017
Strategy in Practice, George Tovstiga. 2013, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?
$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.
Most stock market analysis falls into three broad groups: Fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a look at each.
Impact of Taxes and Inflation
Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.
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Bad Girl RiRi Firing Up Some More Beef
Posted: 09/27/13
New America Receives American Hospitality
Transgender Homecoming Queen Causes Ruckus
The “Selfie” Era: Apps That You Need!
We love fashion, culture, music, and everything in between. From politics to the runway, we're unbashful in our views, constructive in our thoughts, and glamorous in our style. Welcome!
editor@emcblue.com
@emcblue
Senior Managing Editor
Virginia “Ginny” Van de Wall
Junior Managing Editors
Megan Dawson
Jessica Passananti
Mashal Zaman
Culture Editor
Lindsay Jill Barton
Lakin Starling
Men’s Health Names ‘Hottest Women of All Time’
December 12, 2011 | by: Emily Longeretta
Jennifer Aniston in GQ
Angelina may have gotten Brad, but Jen takes this one: Men’s Health Magazine voted Jennifer Aniston #1 ”Hottest Woman of All Time” in the magazine’s Top 100 list. (And Angie fell to #10!) Does the former Friends star deserve it? We definitely think so. Who else topped the list?
Madonna, one of the largest icons ever is also named one of the hottest, coming in at #5. We can’t disagree. Hey, we’ve seen her amazing music videos, her sexy VMA performances, and everything in-between. “She’s like a flip-book of fashion, gyration, and melody bonded by a Zeitgeist-defining compunction for incessant, provocative reinvention,” as Men’s Health put it. ”It’s as impossible to imagine pop culture without Madonna as it is to guess what a light bulb would do without Benjamin Franklin.”
Britney Spears is #4 list, and it makes us extremely proud. After all the hard times Brit has seen over the years, we agree that she is still one of the hottest women ever. From “(Hit Me) Baby One More Time,” to the super sexy fan-favorite “Slave 4 U,” to the more recent ”Criminal,” hot is one word Britney knows all about. She’s performed with a snake, in a skin-colored body suit, and even with Xtina and Madonna at the VMA’s. Does it get any sexier?
Marilyn Monroe has topped many many lists, and this is just another. Landing the #3 spot on Men’s Health‘s list, Monroe is an icon for every woman, everywhere. They explain it well, saying Marilyn is ”the star who single-handedly seduced a sitting President, charmed a baseball legend, and inspired countless generations of women to stock up on peroxide.” Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, Monroe is famous for always being a sex icon, inspiring all women, and leaving some pretty great quotes behind. Two of our favorites are “Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world,” and “I don’t mind living in a man’s world, as long as I can be a woman in it.”
Raquel Welch was named Playboy’s most desirable women of the 70′s. Men’s Health also thinks she’s runner-up in the Hottest Women contest. She’s famous for posing in swimwear: “It’s one of the most iconic posters of all-time: a vulnerable Raquel Welch, clad in mankind’s first bikini,” says Men’s Health. Welch started as a weather forecaster, and ended up with a Golden Globe for her small role in Three Musketeers. Now she’s #2 on the flattering list.
Raquel Welch in "One Million Years BC"
Of their chosen hottie, Men’s Health says that Jennifer Aniston is “funny in a quiet, refreshingly human way.” They also make a good point that she’s pretty relatable with her love life: “Her all-too-human love life off-screen inspires sympathy that not even a string of bland romantic comedies can diminish. Other sex symbols drift toward one-dimensionality, becoming flat icons in the process, but throughout her career Aniston has remained sexy, funny, and unmistakably real.”
Tags: Britney Spears, jennifer aniston, Madonna, marilyn monroe, Men's Health, Men's Health Names 'Hottest Women of All Time, Raquel Welch
« “Drake” Tattooed on Girl’s Forehead; Artist Speaks Out
Burberry Rubber Boots Winter 2011-2012 »
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GOH Productions
Website | Facebook | Twitter| Tickets
info@gohproductions.org
309 East 4th Street, Suite 3-B New York, NY 10009
GOH Productions is a nonprofit arts services organization that has been creating, producing and managing performing arts projects for over 30 years. Based in New York City, our dance, theater, puppetry and youth programs reach across the City and over borders and continents.
Our primary goal is working with experimental and interdisciplinary artists to clarify their artistic vision and to make possible the production of new works in a variety of genres and in a variety of global landscapes. Our mission is embodied in our logo, GOH, the Japanese character meaning “working together under one roof.”
Key Programs and Projects
GOH provides a number of artistic and administrative services to these projects and organizations: Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre, Sherry Erskine, Bonnie Sue Stein, East Village Dance Project, Polli Talu Arts Residency Center, Absolute Ensemble, Art in Odd Places, Carrie Beehan, Sarazina Joy Stein, Remote Theater Project, and School of Hard Knocks.
Access to Space and Resources
Currently, GOH operates three spaces for developing dance, theater and music projects. Avenue C Studio, a studio at 55 Avenue C in Manhattan, former home to East Village Dance Project; and is the site for their newest partner Moving for Life. In Brooklyn’s growing DUMBO district, GOH maintains the rehearsal studios for Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre , and a sound recording studio for music projects. For more studio information and bookings, email info@gohproductions.org or Studio55C@movingforlife.org
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Forces Help To Buy
UK Solicitors specialising in conveyancing using the Armed Forces Help to Buy Scheme
FHTB Eligibility
Military Help To Buy FAQ’s
January 2020 – LATEST NEWS
The FHTB scheme was originally designed to last 3 years, from April 2014. However the latest news from the MoD is that the cheap loan scheme for serving military personnel has now been extended until “the end of 2022″.
Forces Help To Buy [or FHTB] is the new MoD interest free home loan scheme set up in April 2014 to help serving UK armed forces personnel to purchase their first home, or move house.
So if you’re serving in the UK Armed Forces, and you would like to move out of service accommodation to get your foot on the property ladder, the Forces Help to Buy Scheme could make all the difference.
How much can I borrow under the scheme?
FHTB Is a huge improvement on both the old Long Service Advance of Pay military home loan scheme and on AFHOS. This MOD backed loan allows you to borrow up to half of your salary – although borrowing is subject to a maximum of £25,000.
Hurry, the FHTB loan offer may not last forever
The latest we’ve heard from the government is that the scheme will be open for new borrowing until at least the end of December 2022, and already £280 million has been used to fund these military home loans.
Buying a new home using a Forces Help To Buy Scheme? We can help with the conveyancing
Here at solicitors Bonallack and Bishop, our property team has more than 20 years experience in assisting hundreds of serving Armed Forces personnel nationwide in buying their own homes – and we offer 10% discount on all of our legal services for all current serving and retired members of HM Armed Forces.
We are also members of Forces Law – the only national network of specialist military law solicitors. So for specialist advice from a law firm which really understands the military and this new military help to buy scheme;
• Call us directly today locally on [01722] 422300 or on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 for a FREE quote OR
• Visit our specialist military law website at http://military-lawyer.co.uk for more about the other specialist legal services we offer to our military clients OR
• E-mail our team using the contact form below
We are members of Forces Law, a nationwide organisation of specialist Military Law Solicitors.
As part of our commitment to support the Armed Forces Community, Bonallack and Bishop have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant
Forces Help To Buy - UK Solicitors specialising in conveyancing using the Armed Forces Help to Buy Scheme
Bonallack & Bishop Solicitors (76483) – regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Digital Handyman
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Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, Adventure, Reviews, Xbox 360,
Somehow, 10 years have already passed since the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas--arguably the most innovative game in the series. To coincide with the recent anniversary, Rockstar re-released the game on Xbox 360, replacing the Games on Demand version with a slightly improved version. And while the game itself remains an enjoyable experience, this may not be the best way of revisiting it.
I find myself occasionally in the mood to play one of the classic GTA III-era games (GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas), which are among my all-time favorite games. I typically ignore this compulsion or simply spend a few minutes with the iPhone version of GTA III; I get my small dose of nostalgia but invariably stop playing because, despite Rockstar's best efforts, these are not games that work well on a touchscreen.
An improved re-release of San Andreas was exciting news for me--while a release on Xbox One or PS4 would have been ideal, a cheap Xbox 360 version with improved graphics, better draw distance, and achievements sounds like a great way to revisit the game.
Click to continue reading Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is fun, but Xbox 360 HD remaster is rough
Get $20 in Xbox LIVE points with Grand Theft Auto V pre-order
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Microsoft, Video Games,
If you're a gamer, chances are, you can't wait for the arrival of Grand Theft Auto V. The release is just under two weeks away, and there's a great deal being run by the Microsoft Store right now that will hook you up with $20 in Xbox Marketplace credit when you pre-order GTA V for Xbox 360. All you need to do it head on over the GTA V Microsoft Store page and buy the game. Oh, and, bonus! Free next day shipping if you use promo code freeshipesc2012-over during checkout.
Read More | GTA V + $20 Microsoft Points Credit
Petition for Grand Theft Auto 5 PC nears 50,000 signatures
Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Action, Culture, PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360,
Mike Juliard's petition to get Rockstar to confirm the PC port of Grand Theft Auto 5 has surpassed 47,500 signatures, just 52,500 shy of his 100,000 goal.
From the petition: "GTA games have been a large part of so many peoples lives, and it’s a big shame not seeing the newest iteration of the game being released on the most powerful platform.”
One of the more pronounced reasons for a PC port is the mod community, as we've been privy to some amazing mods from GTA4 before it: “things like modifications have always been a HUGE part of PC gaming and modded GTA is some of the most insanely fun times you can have.”
According to Dan Houser of Rockstar, a PC port is "up for consideration," and this petition should do a lot to make Rockstar realize the PC audience's dedication to the franchise. Grand Theft Auto V is set for a Spring 2013 release.
Read More | PC Gamer
Tons of iPhone, iPad, iPod touch apps on sale today
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Hot Deals, Software, Video Games,
It's Memorial Day, and while we all remember those who've fought--and continue to fight--for our freedom, plenty of stores are also offering deals. For example, the Apple App Store is featuring a bunch of heavily discounted titles, some up to 90% off, for Memorial Day. We've got a list of some of the best deals below! Definitely the right time to stock up if you own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch (oh, and don't forget, you can jailbreak them all now too!):
Universal Apps (iPad, iPhone, iPad)
Grand Theft Auto 3 for iPad, iPhone, iPod, regular 99 cents, regular $4.99
Infinity Blade II, $2.99, regular $6.99
Mass Effect: Infiltrator, $2.99, regular $4.99
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, 99 cents, regular $9.99
Burnout CRASH!, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Combat Arms: Zombies, $1.99, regular, $6.99
Solar Walk 3D Solar System, $1.99, regular $2.99
NBA Jam for iPad $1.99, regular $4.99
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for iPad, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Real Racing HD for iPad $1.99, regular $4.99
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit for iPad, 99 cents, regular $4.99
FIFA Soccer 12 for iPad, $2.99, regular $9.99
Battlefield Bad Company 2 for iPad, $1.99, regular $9.99
Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition, 99 cents, regular $9.99
Skyfire Web Browser, $2.99, regular $4.99
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD, 99 cents, regular $9.99
Dead Space, $1.99, regular $9.99
Madden NFL 12, $2.99, regular $6.99
Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 12, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Flight Control HD, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Battleship for iPad, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Monopoly, 99 cents, regular $6.99
Star Walk for iPad, $2.99, regular $4.99
FIFA Soccer 12 for iPhone, $1.99, regular $4.99
Need for Speed Undercover, 99 cents, regular $2.99
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, 99 cents, regular, $4.99
Real Racing 2, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Battlefield Bad Company 2, 99 cents, regular $2.99
Dead Space, 99 cents, regular $6.99
Madden NFL 12, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Hipstamatic, 99 cents, regular $1.99
Star Walk, $1.99, regular $2.99
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, 99 cents, regular $4.99
Fight Night Champion by EA Sports, 99 cents, regular, $4.99
Grand Theft Auto V trailer [Video]
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Action, PlayStation 3, Trailers, Xbox 360,
After months of speculation, Rockstar Games on Wednesday released a trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. In a little over a minute and 20 seconds, Rockstar sets the scene for the highly anticipated game and introduces what is presumably the main character.
The trailer answers a few questions. First of all, the game seems to be returning to the fictional state of San Andreas, specifically to Los Santos, a city based on Los Angeles. The narrator of the trailer also seems to be the main character. His voiceover suggests that he is a reformed criminal who has moved back to Los Santos to pursue a life on the straight and narrow.
He said he wanted to "retire ... from that line of work. Be a good guy for once. A family man." Gamers can assume that’s probably not going to be the case, as the trailer progresses into clips of car chases and holdups.
But this is all purely speculation at this point.
Click to continue reading Grand Theft Auto V trailer [Video]
Boy Tries To Drive After Playing Video Games
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Action, Driving,
A 6 year-old boy in Virginia missed his school bus so he decided to take his parents’ car to school. During his time behind the wheel, he passed some cars, made a couple of 90º turns and ran off the road a few times. He eventually crashed after driving almost 6 miles, but suffered only minor injuries. His parents were then charged with child endangerment when it was found that his mom was asleep during the incident. The funny part of the story was that he told police he learned to drive while playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. What we want to know is why the a kid that old would want to get to school so badly, although he claims it was for breakfast and PE class.
Read More | Miami Herald
GTA IV to Become Available for PC
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Video Games,
Good news for PC Gamers. Take Two Rockstar Games has announced that it is releasing the computer version of Grand Theft Auto IV on Nov. 18 in North America as well as Nov. 21 in Europe. The version will include a newly expanded multi-player feature. Approximately 3.6 million units sold in its first day, and the company says that in its first week it generated $500 million.
Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser said, “We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV. The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC.”
We expect they are also looking forward to a greater profit.
Read More | Gamasutra
Bleeding Edge TV 282: E3 2008: Nintendo Announces Wii Sports Resort, Wii MotionPlus, WiiSpeak
Posted by Nate True Categories: High Score, Announcements, Handhelds, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos,
At E3 2008, Nintendo put on quite a show at their keynote. Among the announcements were Wii Sports Resort, a sequel to the much acclaimed Wii Sports, Wii Music, a music creator with no talent required. Also featured were Shaun White Snowboarding and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Grand Theft Auto Chinatown, Animal Crossing Cityfolk, Guitar Hero On Tour, Spore Creatures, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and a new Pokemon game.
Nintendo also announced new accessories, the Wii MotionPlus, an add-on to the Wii Remote that adds real-to-life motion sensing; and WiiSpeak, a set-top microphone that enables audio chat in online multiplayer games. Check out the video for the highlights, and don’t forget, we put up a full gallery of the event as well.
Saints Row 2 Announced
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Action, PlayStation 3, Release Dates, Third Person Shooters, THQ, Xbox 360,
THQ announced that sequel to the GTA-style next gen game Saints Row is in the works. Saints Row was an Xbox 360 exclusive that followed the criminal underworld/open world model of Rockstar‘s key franchise pretty closely but included a character generator and several minor improvements that made it a hit with early 360 adopters.
Saints Row 2 takes place years after the original in the same city (Stillwater), but things have changed with the passage of time. As described in the press release, “Saints Row 2 has a much darker and more sinister story that leads your character down a path of betrayal, revenge and redemption against the city that has left him for dead.”
Unlike the original, which was a 360 exclusive, Saints Row 2 will be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2008.
Read More | Business Wire via GamerNode
New Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer In Three Days, And New Details
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, PlayStation 3, Trailers, Xbox 360,
In three days, the Internet is set to crash once again when the newest (the second of three) GTA IV trailer sees the light of day. Hopefully we’ll be seeing something more action-oriented this time around, as opposed to the first, which was more of a showcase for Liberty City than anything else. The video is titled “Looking for that Special Someone” and a special website is being prepped by Yahoo in order to withstand the insane amount of traffic it will receive once the trailer goes live. Anyone want to place bets on how long it’ll take for the site to crash?
Expect us to pick it apart piece by piece once it goes live, and later in the week Kyle and I will be debating over the excruciating details and nuances the trailer presents us with.
As an added bonus, last week, the Turkish Official Xbox Magazine revealed several tasty nuggets about GTA IV. Everyone loves lists, so I present you a list of GTA goodness:
There’s a slight vibration with every footstep when you run (sorry PS3 players)
No more HUD (health and armor indicators are gone), and instead everything is visual – if you have armor, you’ll see the bulletproof vest and it will visually deteriorates
Flamethrowers and rocket launchers are in the game
Explosions are larger, and the game features a missions where you cause a chain reaction of car explosions
Cars don’t explode from crashes or hitting them; you need to actually blow them up
Niko doesn’t get tired, he just begins running slower over time
The game is much more time-sensitive. An example that isn’t necessarily in the game was a mission where you need to catch a train by a certain time, and if you don’t, you don’t get to do that mission.
Gore is more prevalent; bullet wounds show, blood appears as you shoot people, they limp when shot in the leg, hold their arm if it’s shot, and running people over is “disturbing”
No more eating, working out or having a girlfriend, but skills improve over time
100% completion yields secret vehicles and “plenty of goodies”
The land size is larger than the three cities (sans countryside) from San Andreas
No more girlfriends? Hooray!
Read More | Xbox Live Addicts
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Cancer Cure, Induced Remission Therapy & Cancer Vaccine
By Walter Sorochan
Posted February 05, updated June 13, 2019; Disclaimer The information presented here is for informative and educational purposes only and is not intended as curative or prescriptive advice.
Cancer in nature is often suppressed by infections
What is the magic Chachoua cure?
What is vaccine serum?
How Induced Remission Therapy [IRT] works
Basis for Chachoua's theory
Nemesis organisms
The Rational for Spontaneous Remission
Chachoua's Strange Observation about Remission
Old way of making serum vaccines
Cost of Dr Chachoua's therapy
Availability - Where to get IRT therapy
Chachoua's troubles
Evidence supporting Chachoua's observation and theory
A Second Cancer Vaccine
Can cancer be cured?
Cancer vaccine is here!
The cancer cure therapy attracted the attention of many viewers of the Bill Maher show on January 29, 2016. Maher interviewed Dr. Sam Chachoua, MD from Australia, who claimed he had a cure for cancer. Such a claim on national TV revived hope that a cure or cancer is here now! Evans: Maher time for Chachoua 2016
But is such a claim real or a hoax? The doctor's story has its ups and downs as a research issue and also as a cure. In the midst of controversy, this article examines the many issues of the claim, reviews briefly the history of spontaneous remissions of cancer, lists supporting evidence for Chachoua's claims and that a cancer vaccine has been developed .... but cancer has NOT been cured. [ Read on to find out more ]
Cancer remission controversy
The research about Chachoua's claims of natural cancer remission began in honest attempts by this independent researchrt to get at the truth. But some real concerns surfaced about Chuachoua's claims.
Exploratory research about historical remissions in cancer uncovered more recent information about current research trends in this area. Thus, the initial focus of verifying Chachoua's claims were expanded to updating the history behind cancer remission and also the current medical trend in applying viral vaccines to treating cancers.
Although mother nature's miraculous healing powers are not fully understood nor accepted at this time, many cancer researchers are starting to view vaccine induced spontaneous remissions as a real alternative to orthodoxy cancer therapy.
Needless to say, this emerging trend is causing a lot of confusion, competitive fighting among healers and controversy.
The claims by Chachoua are not new. There have been many reports that cancer patients went into remission and have survived for many years thereafter. Cases of spontaneous regression have fueled speculation that cancer may be vulnerable to sudden surges of the immune system, which can occur with a high fever, bacterial infection, blood transfusion, or major surgery or antibiotic usage. The reaction may deprive the tumor of something it needs to survive — blood, lactic acid, thyroid hormones — and thus starve it until it collapses and dies. The basic problem is inconsistency in explaining what caused the remissions.
Information explaining cancer vaccine is complicated and difficult to find. Chachoua has simplified the medical jargon by using an easy to understand approach to how a cancer vaccine is made, how it works and the theory behind it. Chachoua's explanations are supported by other medical researchers. It is for these reasons that much of the information about cancer vaccine is taken from medical doctor and researcher Samir Chachoua and other medical researchers. Researcher Sorochan has attempted to simplify the scientific explanations for the readers.
To begin with, Deardorff's brief comments about such cancer remissions are worth noting: "In few rare cases, people defy cancer without medical treatment or by using therapies that are considered inadequate, a phenomenon known as spontaneous remission. Scientists have been fascinated and baffled by these developments for as long as cancer has been recognized as a disease. Was it luck? Or did the patients do something special to harness the awesome power of the immune system? Studying these exceptional people, however, is fraught with difficulty, controversy and the dangers of promoting bad science. The potential benefits of highlighting the unusual recoveries should be balanced against the risks, experts warn, including offering patients false hope, blaming those who succumb and encouraging alternative treatments in place of conventional methods that could prolong or save lives." Deardorff: Spon Remission review 2014
Another researcher reviewing cancer remissions, Kelly Turner, PhD., concluded in her book, Radical Remission, that there were about nine factors playing a role in spontaneous remissions. She concluded that we can shift the odds of remission in our favor by focusing on healing factors [ such as making significant lifestyle changes, radically altering the diet, using herbs, supplements and embracing social support ] that are often overlooked by medical experts. Deardorff: Spon Remission review 2014
It is impossible to know how often spontaneous remission occurs because physicians often do not document or publish such cases, or the patient may simply stop showing up at the doctor's office and most cancer patients in the past century have been conveniently treated in one way or another with poor documentation.
However, lack of understanding about cancer and other shortcomings like healing bias may also suppress researchers and doctors having an open mind about remissions from cancer. This article searches for the truth! Back to top
"Spontaneous regression occurs in most types of cancer and was recorded in the medical literature as early as 1742. The standard definition of spontaneous regression as “the partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumor in the absence of treatment or in the presence of therapy considered inadequate to exert a significant influence on the disease” was composed by Dr. Tilden Everson and Dr. Warren Cole in the 1960s, with the further requirement that the original presence of cancer be proven by the microscopic examination of tissues. Spontaneous regression of cancer is not a rare occurrence as thought to be; in an average month during 2002, medical journals published more than four articles on the subject.
It is interesting to note that the current primary cancer management procedures neither harness the benefits of patients’ own immune system nor stimulate it to achieve tumor regression but actively suppress it; thus it does not run parallel to body's own defensive mechanisms but opposes its natural role. An ideal cancer management would involve the stimulation of the immune system, its complex effective and reproducible in vivo mechanisms that fight cancer. Acute infections are beneficial in the prevention and regression of tumors. In conclusion, childhood febrile infections can prevent cancer in adulthood. Asepsis, fever control, surgery, and immunosuppressive therapies are known to have an inverse relation to cancer regression, while acute infection, fever, and cancer vaccines by the virtue of immuno-stimulation induce regression of cancer even in the most advanced stage of disease and prove that cancer is not an irreversible process without a cure." Jessy: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2011 Back to top
So .... back to Chachoua and his claim of the magic bullet for cancer!
Dr. Sam Chachoua's cure for cancer is a vaccine serum. The serum had viruses that would attach to cancer cells, marking them up for identification so the immune cells can destroy them. Currently, cancer cells cannot be identified by the immune system and that is why they are not attacked and destroyed. Chachoua: Chachoua
Chachoua claims that such a vaccine serum cures cancer, HIV and heals heart disease and other disorders. Such claims are supported by Coley's experiments prior to his death in 1936. Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007
Dr. Chachoua searched for non-toxic biological agents that could duplicate the findings in spontaneous remissions. He developed a range of anti-sera, vaccines and microbiological extracts that could target the cause of the disease and remove it from the body. In cancer, AIDS, and other conditions where the body cannot recognize or adequately deal with the disease, he developed “tagging agents” that could stick to the body of the cancer cells [disease], allowing cancer cells to be seen by the immune cells and then destroyed. In short, if a cancer cell can be made to look like a cold or flu, by “tagging” it with cold or flu fragments, then the body will eliminate it as it would a common infection. Perhaps the most dramatic capacity of this technology is its ability to repair cellular damage at the genetic level; purifying infected cells from HIV, regenerating hepatitis damaged livers, scarred heart tissue and even atrophied brain tissue in Alzheimer’s patients. Back to top
How Induced Remission Therapy works:
Induced Remission Therapies [IRT] possess ever-active cancer-reversing properties. The treatment achieves its healing effects by both the use of vaccines prepared by Dr. Samir Chachoua's laboratory methods and clinical procedures. The information about remission in this section is from Dr. Chachoua. Chachoua: Chachoua Chachoua: vaccine Patent 2003
Early opportunities for cancer remission
"The greatest value of Coley's Toxins is evident in the lives of patients who received his therapy. Rather than surviving additional years with cancer, many of these patients lived the rest of their lives without cancer." Jessy: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2011
Coley’s toxin is a mixture of heat-killed Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marcescens. However, initially, many different strains of bacteria were used and a good therapeutic effect was observed with the infection of tumor patients with diphtheria, gonorrhea, hepatitis, influenza, malaria, measles, smallpox, syphilis and tuberculosis. One interesting observation is evident: efficacy is correlated with the degree of fever induced by the toxins/bacteria. Patients treated with Coley’s toxin that develops a fever between 38-40°C respond three times better than patients with a lower body temperature. Oleksyszyn: Curing Cancer by remission 2014
"After the early success of Coley’s toxins, momentum was lost when Coley died in 1936. Emergence of chemotherapy and radiotherapy overshadowed its development while aseptic techniques gradually gained acceptance. After World War II, large-scale production of antibiotics and antipyretics also allowed better suppression of infections and fevers.
Opportunities for further clinical studies using Coley’s toxins were lost when despite decades of use, it was classified as a new drug by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Tightening of regulations regarding clinical trials of new drugs after the thalidomide incidents in the 1960s meant that Coley’s toxins were highly unlikely to pass the stringent safety requirements.
With fewer infections, spontaneous regressions became less common. An estimated yearly average of over twenty cases in the 1960-80s decreased to less than ten cases in the 1990s. It was gradually believed that the body’s immune system had a negligible role in tumor regression and focus was placed on chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite initial promise, these therapies have not fulfilled their full potential and the treatment for certain cancers remains out of reach.
In a curious turn of events, advances in molecular engineering have now provided us with the tools to transform immunotherapy into a viable alternative. Coley’s toxins have provided the foundations for early immunotherapeutic approaches and may potentially contribute significantly to the success of future immunotherapy." Ho: Infections linked to cancer remission 2012
The Induced Remission Therapies [IRT] do not destroy viral mechanisms but use them to displace the virus from its genetic locus. Genetic and other fragments originating from the patients own cells and/or non-pathogenic organism are used to eliminate the virus from its nuclear and cytoplasmic habitat. Many of these vaccines, by using the viruses own reverse transcriptase, insert themselves in the vicinity of the viral DNA, resulting in the latter’s removal and expulsion.
This induced vaccine therapy represents a new age in AIDS and cancer therapeutics aimed at genetic editing and correction. These vaccines do not harbor toxic effects, are therapeutic as well as preventative and are not made from HIV or fragments thereof; thereby eliminating the theoretical risk of contagion associated with HIV based vaccines.
"The advantage of inheriting an autoimmune response -- even an adverse one -- is that it penetrates the cells, including cancer cells. The agent required to change the appearance of a cancer cell is acquired by use of Dr. Chachoua's technique, and that agent is then planted into the cancer cell nucleus [ its heart and brain ]. Then the body develops an altered immune response that goes into the cancer cell and genetically corrects the disease. In effect, IRT makes the cancer cell look like something that the body's immunity will attack and then provides that very same immune response to fight the disease."
"Patients undergoing spontaneous remission for cancer do so in response to the presence of an acute infection. In contrast, a chronic infection actually can cause cancer. That's because an aggressive and acute infection stimulates metabolic immune response [MIT] in cancer cells so that they commit preprogrammed suicide [apoptosis] and melt away."
"Cancer cells undergoing spontaneous remission survive in chaos! They arise for only short periods of time to hold and restrain a pathological invader until the body can put up an appropriate immune response. Then the cancer cells commit apoptotic suicide and leave the body as waste products."
"For example, in tetanus-injecting experiments on laboratory rats simultaneously given cancer by Dr. Chachoua, the rats did not die from tetanus when ordinarily they should have succumbed in days. The encapsulation of tetanus organisms by cancer cells protected the animals against coming down with the infection. The same thing happens in plants. Crown gall disease is a plant cancer that protects the plant against infection with Agrobacterium tumefaciens."
The immune system fails to recognize a cancer cell as a pathogen and so it's dangerous characteristics remain hidden from any immune response. But when the cancer cell is planted with a common infection such as measles, mumps, the flu or a cold virus, the antigens are expressed on the surface of the cancer cells for up to three weeks. This gives a window of opportunity for the immune cells to rush in and attack the cancer cells. Once the cancer cells have been deposed within the three weeks, then the immune system becomes blind once again to the cancer cells.
It is during this 3-week window that Dr. Chachoua's Iduced Remission Therapies [IRT] is able to correct the genetic blueprint and correct the cell damage at the same gene level. Cancers die during this 3-week period and remission takes place.
Below is a short video of how Metablic Immune response [IRT] works:
Dr. Samir Chachoua: treatment for AIDS, cancer and Heart disease; Length = Nov 3, 2009: 3 mns.
Source:chachoua: cancer vaccine
Basis for Chachoua's theory:
"Cancer seldom affects a person exhibiting an autoimmune illness." That is, a person with an autoimmune disorder will not get cancer. Here are several explanations of this observation:
"Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was one of the first viruses to be adapted to attack cancer cells selectively, because it was well understood, easy to manipulate and relatively harmless in its natural state (merely causing cold sores) so likely to pose fewer risks. The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutant 1716 lacks both copies of the ICP34.5 gene, and as a result is no longer able to replicate in terminally differentiated and non-dividing cells but will infect and cause lysis very efficiently in cancer cells, and this has proved to be an effective tumor-targeting strategy. In a wide range of in vivo cancer models, the HSV1716 virus has induced tumor regression and increased survival times." Chachoua: Promiise of cancer cure
All these observations led Chachoua to come up with something he called "nemesis theory", which states that for every disease there's an anti-disease organism which will specifically attack and destroy it. Chachoua: Promiise of cancer
cure Back to top
Nemesis organisms: Chachoua: Chachoua
Chachoua got thousands of bottles in a laboratory and placed leukemia lymph node tumor biopsies in them. Each bottle had a particular organism growing inside it. The one with affinity for the cancer actually grabbed hold of the cancer and ate it. This protein 'web' actually grew as a fungus and encapsulated the tumor. Within a few days, there was a little bit of the cancer left. A couple of weeks later, no cancer, just the fungus!
So what this procedure did was give Chachoua a new therapeutic modality. This nemesis organism gave him highly specific chemicals that could be used to kill the cancer, but which can be made so the new modality does not attack any other sort of body tissue. Second, it gave Chachoua tagging complexes which stick to the outside of the cancer cells and make the cancer cells highly visible to the immune system. And three, it can give Chachoua a complete range of digestive enzymes which are specific for digesting the cancer cells and the cancers alone. So this new form of serum not just kills the disease, it also cleans up after itself!
With use of the tagging system, if the immune system looks at this fibrillary network of protein stuck onto the outside of the cancer cell, it doesn't see cancer; it sees a bug and it wants to go after the bug. Now, you don't inject the bug; you purify the protein extract that sticks to the cancer and you inject that. That then sticks to the cancer cells in the body. The body's immune cells can then see it and recognize it because it's tagged with bacterial, fungal or viral protein.
The process of the immune system getting rid of a cough or a cold in a week or two is similar to how Chachoua's serum gets rid of cancer cells. His vaccine can get rid of cancer: make the cancer look like a cough or a cold by sticking cough or cold particles on it, and have the immune system attack the cancer, destroy it and remove it.
However, there were instances where patients had a regression several months or years after treatment of their tumors with a tagging complex. This suggested that tagging the cancer was not the be-all and end-all, that tagging the cancer cell still didn't cure cancer the disease. This suggested to Chachoua that there was another factor at work. Back to top
The Rational for Spontaneous Remission - the historical basis for Chachoua's vaccine Chachoua: Part 2
The one thing Chachoua found depressing about alternative and conventional therapy is that they both totally ignored the phenomenon of "spontaneous remission" .... which is perhaps the most natural phenomenon which repeatedly tells us how to cure terminal disease. "Spontaneous remission" is a term given to miraculous healings, where people on their death bed ’rise from the dead’ within two to three days without a trace of their disease. It’s a phenomenon that’s been reported in the literature but hardly ever investigated.
The data on spontaneous remission strongly suggest that just before a person with cancer, heart disease, arthritis or any of the other terminal diseases has a spontaneous remission or a cure of their disease, they suffer what seems to be a viral or bacterial or some form of severe infection. Here are three examples of this:
This was noticed by a Dr Didot, in France, who noted that the existence of syphilis precluded the appearance of cancer. If prostitutes had syphilis, they were very unlikely to develop cancer. This doctor actually treated 20 cancer patients with syphilis and, of those 20, 14 went into total remission. As the syphilis grew, it munched up the cancer; the cancer went away. Another three patients did pretty well, and a couple of them died of the syphilis. But this was a few hundred years ago, and given the choice between "the Big C" and "the Big S." Today we can cure syphilis with a couple of shots of penicillin but treating cancer is not the came!
Late last century, Dr William Coley had a patient who had bone cancer and developed a severe syphilis or skin infection. As the skin infection grew, it munched on the bone cancer and the bone cancer disappeared. Dr Coley went on to develop what he called "Coley’s toxins" and used them for many years as a therapy that got quite good results.
It’s been long known that in areas where malaria exists, there’s no cancer; and when you get rid of malaria, drain the swamps, kill the mosquitoes, the cancer rate rises. People who have cancer and who catch malaria have a chance of going into remission. Just recently, Dr Henry Heimlich [who developed the Heimlich maneuver for preventing choking] injected a few AIDS patients with malaria and managed to get them into some form of remission where they improved and stayed stable at the improved level.
All these observations led Chachoua to come up with something called "nemesis theory", which states that for every disease there’s an anti-disease organism which will specifically attack and destroy it.
This then led to the development of "nemesis therapy", where he made extracts of these "nemesis organisms" with which to treat specific diseases like cancer and Aids. Chachoua: Part 2 Back to top
"An interesting observation was made about 20 years ago when leukemia patients were treated by wiping out their bone marrow and then giving them somebody else's bone marrow. It was found that the leukemia would invariably recur. One cell or a few cells get loose and the disease comes back. This may account for some of the cancer recurrences, but to try to explain all cancer recurrences that way, the medical term for that is "crap"!
What we know from those leukemia trials is that they wiped out the patient's bone marrow. There was nothing left! Doctors gave that patient someone else's bone marrow. Six months later, the leukemia came back. Now, if it was a leftover cell, then when you check that leukemia cell you should find that it's the same as the leukemia you treated before the patient went into remission, true? It should be the same cell that came back. However, when they ran DNA checks, they found that not only that it was not the same cell, but that it belonged to the donor. It was the donor's bone marrow that had turned into leukemia cells!
This finding has been published in the conventional medical literature, and it means that cancer as a disease is not cancer the cell. There is something in the body of a patient which regenerates and augments cancer, the cancer cell. And if you don't address that, then you won't get rid of the disease.
In light of this information, Chachoua kept saving all these little bottles, cooking up these nemesis organisms and tagging them, but something kept showing up over and over and over again. He would incubate the cancer with another organism-say, an E. coli .... and find other organisms growing when the cancer cells died, that he had not put in there. They would usually be staphylococcal or streptococcal in appearance. Acid-fast bacilli sometimes would show up, depending on what culture medium was used and for how long he cultured them.
Now this is really interesting. What Chachoua noticed was what some people would call "pleomorphism" in progress. A couple of elements would develop these elongated rodlike structures, and you could actually see a coccal form changing into a rodlike form. Pleomorphism in action. This biological phenomenon kept reoccurring and was baffling." Chachoua: Promiise of cancer cure Chachoua: Part 2
The theory of pleomorphism suggests that a microbe could evolve through many forms from virus to bacterium to yeast to fungus to mold and could even de-evolve back to a pre-virus form [ simatid] again. This theory up to now has been rejected by the medical establishment for obvious reasons. Today's medical system is based on metamorphism.
Pleomorphism is a new-old idea that most persons may not understand and medical doctors have been schooled to reject. The inner terrain [ colon] argument against Pasteur’s germ theory [ metamorphism] gained more support with pleomorphism. Independent research determined that microbes already exist within the body, more of them than human cells, and morph according to their cellular environment. They become pathogenic as they’re forced to survive in a damaged cellular environment. The waste products of these microbes create even more damage. Further research determined that these microbes often already exist in human cells in benign states. They don’t all come from “out there”, and they’re not pathogenic in healthy environments; they simply become so in unhealthy toxic environments [ as within the colon ]. What does come from “out there” are environmental toxins and toxic foods that make it difficult for benign microbes to survive. Then they morph into those nasty little critters. [ When a grub turns into a butterfly, this is know as metamorphism, if it could turn back into a grub again that would be known as Pleomorphism. ]
Below drawings of different basic forms of pleomorphs [missing are simatids, yeasts, fungus]:
Explanation of basic basic forms in the above illustration for spores & flagellation of bacteria: A coccus; B diplococcus; C streptococcus; D staphylococcus; E sarcines ;F rods; G vibriones; H corynebacteria; I spores (1/2=central, 3=terminal, 4=subterminal; J spirilles; K peritrichous flagellation; L 1=monopolar monotrichous flagellation, 2=monopolar polytrichous flagellation. Source: Linda Charlotte Fehr
Video - - Smallest unit of life [Somatid] in the blood:Mar 23, 2012 Length = 1:02 mins.
Source: AWH
Live human blood observed through a phase contrast microscope with 3,600 times magnification.
For more information about metamorphism vs Pleomorphism go to New medicine
The video below explains this phenomenon:
Pleomorphism explained video 9:55 mns long
Source: New Biology Back to top
Dr Chachoua's sera and vaccines have been tested. They've proven to be more effective than anything else in history. His cancer serum has been proven to be 85% effective against cancers while his AIDS serum is 99% effective in putting AIDS into remission for six months to upwards of three years. EnCognitive: Chachoua
NOTE: The vaccines that he does have possession of and all the new ones that he develops are still much more effective and without the negative side effectscompared to Conventional Medicine therapy. Dreddy: blog
Old way of making serum vaccines: Chachoua: Part 2
Chachoua compares the old way of making serum to fight diseases with using antibiotics.
"One of the easiest ways to deal with the greatest plague today is to use an animal system that’s resistant to the plague, and treat and cure the people suffering from the disease. A hundred years ago, before we had antibiotics, the only therapy we had for pneumonia, smallpox and polio was horse serum.
They’d get a horse, shoot it with a disease, draw the horse serum out, shoot that into the person and cure them. That was therapy to deal with the plagues a hundred years ago.
But what happens if you do apply it now? Here’s the case of a young man with AIDS. He’s 32 years old. He’s got a pneumocystis pneumonia, he’s short of breath, he’s got a T-cell count of 80 and a T4/T8 imbalance. So, essentially, his blood, his virus, is extracted out; an animal, such as a horse, is vaccinated with his blood; the antiserum from the animal is then purified against this patient’s blood so it doesn’t cause allergic reactions; and the patient is treated with the horse’s serum.
And we see that within 24 hours, the pneumocystis pneumonia clears up. That’s pretty remarkable considering that the best that antibiotics can do, if they can clear it, is take days to weeks. This patient’s symptoms resolved; his T-cell count went up to 780 within 10 days from a low of 80, and his T4/T8 ratio became normal. Chachoua: Part 2 Back to top
Cost of Dr Chachoua's therapy: EnCognitive: Chachoua
Basic IRT vaccine for a short time is made by using measles or mumps virus or an animal virus at a cost of just a few hundred dollars. More sophisticated vaccines a for longer time may cost several thousand dollars. Dr. Sam has formed the Save-a-Life Foundation located in Boulder, Colorado, that raises funding for more IRT research and on occasion does provide financial assistance.
Dr. Sam Chachoua's therapies for HIV/AIDS, Heart Disease, and Cancer are now available. All you need is a physician willing to administer it.
The price is APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 per therapy. Each therapy is administered in seven injections over a 15 day period. People with cardiovascular disease report that they begin to feel better within minutes of the first injections. EnCognitive: Chachoua
Dr Sam is willing to work with your physician. If you wish to have Dr Sam contact you, write to: info@mnwelldir.org.
Availability - Where to get IRT therapy:
IRT is used extensively by German cancer therapies, and in the Bahamas, Central And South America, Mexico, Guatemala and Argentina. ORT os available as a vaccine in United States and Canada under the Health Freedoms Act. Dr. Chachoua does not sell this vaccine and offers free training to practicing physicians so the physicians may implement it for patients. Walker: Induced Remission Therapy
Below is a video about shattering the myth of cancer:
Dr. Sam Chachoua - Shattering the Myth of Incurable Disease Length = 2:00 hours
Chachoua's troubles:
Claims made by Chachoua having a vaccine to cure cancer have been rejected by the medical establishment, the USA Communicable Disease Center and Federal Food and Drug Administration. These rejections have persisted over the past 30 years, despite scientific proof and acceptance of his cancer cures in many parts of the world. Such rejections, especially in Canada and the United States, have made life miserable for Dr. Chachoua. You can read about his misfortunes at: Black:Victory over UCLA 2000 EnCognitive: Chachoua Dreddy: blog
Evidence supporting Chachoua's observation and theory of microbial changes occurring in cancer remissions:
This researcher found numerous articles quoting the research being done on cancer remissions linked to the immune system. Spontaneous remission therapies, like that of Chachoua, are no longer being suppressed. Agarwal: Spontaneous regression of an untreated lung cancer 2010 Cann: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2002 Deardorff: Spon Remission review 2014 Donnelly: Vaccine progress 2005 Gulley: Vaccination of cancer patients 2008 Ho: Infections linked to cancer remission 2012 Jessy: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2011 Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007 Printz: Spontaneous regression delimma 2001 Ricci: Spont Regression Review 2010 Rochlitz virus vaccine tested in cancer 2003 Walker: Induced Remission Therapy Oleksyszyn: Curing Cancer by remission 2014 Cantwell: Bacteria causing leukemia 2012 Salanti: binding malaria virus to cancer 2015
Kelly Turner's book on Radical Remission: "shows how we can shift the odds of remission in our favor. She gathered information for her PhD dissertation at UC, Berkeley, spending a year traveling around the world to meet and learn from alternative cancer healers. She also interviewed over a thousand people who had experienced “spontaneous” remissions from their advanced cancers. Turner does not ask anyone to abandon conventional therapy, but instructs them on how to add healing factors that are often overlooked.”
During the course of the study, Kelly identified more than seventy-five factors that cancer survivors said they used as a part of their healing journey. Nine of these factors were used by almost every one of them. Eight of these are as follows: Salber: Turner keys to cancer healing 2016
Radically changing your diet
Taking control of your health [My personal favorite as I have heard it described as an important element by so many empowered patients]
Following your intuition
Using herbs and supplements [Kelly is careful to state that this should be done under a doctor’s supervision]
Increasing positive emotions
Embracing social support
Deepening your spiritual connection
Having strong reasons for living
David Spiegel, a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, published a paper in 1989 in The Lancet, showed that women with terminal breast cancer who were enrolled in supportive therapy had a significant survival advantage over women who were not enrolled in support groups. Women who were in support groups experienced an improved quality of life. Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007
Wiki: virus - cancer connection: "Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was one of the first viruses to be adapted to attack cancer cells selectively, because it was well understood, easy to manipulate and relatively harmless in its natural state (merely causing cold sores) so likely to pose fewer risks. The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutant 1716 lacks both copies of the ICP34.5 gene, and as a result is no longer able to replicate in terminally differentiated and non-dividing cells but will infect and cause lysis very efficiently in cancer cells, and this has proved to be an effective tumor-targeting strategy. In a wide range of in vivo cancer models, the HSV1716 virus has induced tumor regression and increased survival times. Other oncolytic viruses based on HSV have also been developed and are in clinical trials, most notably GM-CSF, developed by Amgen, which has successfully completed a pivotal Phase III trial for advanced melanoma. This study met its primary endpoint (durable response rate) with a very high degree of statistical significance in March 2013, the first positive phase 3 study for an oncolytic virus in the western world." Wiki: virus - cancer connection
An Onocolytic Virus is one that preferentially infects and kills cancer cells. As the infected cancer cells are destroyed by lysis they release new infectious virus particles to help destroy the remaining tumor. Oncolytic viruses are thought not only to cause direct destruction of the tumor cells, but also to stimulate host anti-tumor immune responses.
Throughout the history of medicine, physicians have recorded cases of spontaneous remission. Such cases involve not just cancer but conditions like aortic aneurysm, a deadly ballooning of the heart’s major artery; Peyronie’s disease, a deformity of the penis; and childhood cataracts. Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007
Bacteria, primarily in the coccus-like form in microscopic tissue sections, are found in various forms of cancer. Parsonnet: Bacterial infection causes cancer 1995 Tontonoz: Bacteria cancer link 2014 Eng: Bacteria cause cancer 2015 In addition, similar microbes have been observed in non-cancerous diseases, such as sarcoidosis, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and others.
Cantwell reviewed the confirmations of numerous scientists about the phenomenon of pleomorphism [ microbes changing from one form to another ] occurring in cancer patients. Although such microbes are still looked upon with disbelief by many bacteriologists, this pleomorphism is consistent with bacteria cultured and studied by various cancer microbial researchers over the past century. Cantwell: Bacteria causing leukemia 2012
Bacteria seem to cause the genes to promote tumor growth rather than suppress it. On top of that, changes in the bacterial community in a tumor were associated with advanced cancers instead of early ones. Eng: Bacteria cause cancer 2015
When bacteria are threatened by the immune system or by antibiotics they may lose their cell-wall and assume a different growth form that renders them less susceptible to attack by the immune system. There is no observable inflammation or other symptoms and this mystifies most medical doctors as they have been schooled that one bacteria divides into two same bacteria form and not transforming into a different microbe.
Although the idea of a cancer microbe is medical heresy, there is ample data to show that cancer patients are highly prone to bacterial infection. Wiki: Cancer bacteria When dis-ease occurs these microbes become aggressive, giving rise to a host of diseases, some of which are cancerous, and others that are inflammatory, degenerative, or simply transitory. Another reason for physicians to doubt that a single type of germ could cause such a variety of pathologic effects.
Mostly ignored over the past century is research showing that pleomorphic bacteria, particularly unusual growth forms of mycobacteria, are implicated in Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Mycobacteria not only cause human TB and other forms of “atypical” tuberculosis, but produce various other inflammations in many different life forms. Cantwell reports many cancer researchers whose researches confirm Chachoua's claims. Cantwell: Bacteria causing leukemia 2012
Another recent classic development supporting microbes causing cancer was the discovery that stomach ulcers was caused by a bacteria: "In 2005 the Nobel Prize in medicine was given to two Australian researchers, microbiologist Barry J Marshall and pathologist J Robin Warren, who discovered that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria that millions of people carry normally in their stomach. For a century these bacteria, now identifiable in tissue with a special tissue stain, went undetected by physicians, all of whom were taught that bacteria could not live in the acid environment of the stomach. Now a curative antibiotic treatment has been designed to treat Helicobacter pylori infection. We also now recognize that chronic infection with helicobacteria can lead to stomach cancer, and also to a lymphoma cancer of the stomach, known as "MALT-lymphoma" (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma)." Cantwell: Hodgkin's disease & bacteria 2006 Tontonoz: Bacteria cancer link 2014
A new paper in The Lancet takes a look at the very best data on the prevalence of infection-caused cancers and comes up with some striking numbers. Overall, they estimate that 16% of cancer cases worldwide in 2008 had an infectious cause—2 million out of 12.7 million. And because this paper only looked at infectious agents that are clearly carcinogenic and avoided those where there was not much data on, 2 million cases total is probably something of an underestimate. Greenwood: 16% Viruses & bacteria cause cancers 2012 This very recent confession from a renown medical journal helps to vindicate Chachoua's claims and the issue about viruses and bacteria causing cancer.
In 2015, writer-reporter Bushak makes reference to the new approach of microbes and immunology to fighting cancer. There is definitely as shift from the traditional use of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to using immunology to fight cancer. Bushak: Programming bacteria to kill cancer 2015 Back to top
A final blow to the cancer industry in 2015 is a viral vaccine to fight 9 out of 10 cancers. The researchers, based at the University of Copenhagen and University of British Columbia, had originally been trying to develop a vaccine to prevent pregnant women becoming infected with malaria; because they’re particularly prone to the disease.
In the laboratory, scientists have created the protein that the malaria parasite uses to adhere to the placenta and added a toxin. The researchers modified their VAR2CSA protein so that it contained a cancer-killing toxin [now a virus vaccine], and added this to cancer cells grown in the lab. They also tested the vaccine by treating mice with prostate cancer, melanoma and a type of lymphoma. Their experiments showed that the VAR2CSA was able to stick to, and kill, the cancer cells –-- but left healthy cells alone.This combination of malaria protein and toxin seeks out the cancer cells, is absorbed, the toxin released inside, and then the cancer cells die.
In collaboration, the two university research groups have tested thousands of samples from brain tumors to leukemias and a general picture emerges to indicate that the malaria protein is able attack more than 90% of all types of tumors.
In collaboration with the scientists behind the discovery, the University of Copenhagen has created the biotech company, VAR2pharmaceuticals, which will drive the clinical development forward. The research teams working with Ali Salanti [U Copenhagen] and Mads Daugaard [UBC] are now working purposefully toward being able to conduct tests on humans.
The image below illustrates this replicated study:
A cancer vaccine is almost here!
Remission Case of: John Matzke
Medical doctors have been telling their cancer patients that if they are free from cancer detection for five years, then they are free of cancer. But how does a medical doctor keep such credibility when cancer comes back years later? This is what often happens time and time again. So what does a 5-year survival rate really mean?
Pesman interprets this 'cure' phrase as follows: "Cancer free relates to the percentage of people in research studies who were still alive five years after diagnosis. In brief, "five-year survival" is a term doctors and researchers use as a benchmark—between themselves. Five-year survival rates were introduced in the 1930s not to point patients toward notions of a cure, but because cancer specialists back then considered five-year survival a nearly unattainable goal." Pesmen: what cure means 2007
According to the most recent data collected by the National Cancer Institute [NCI], the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 63 percent. For breast cancer it’s 86 percent, while for cancer of the lung, the five-year rate is just 15 percent. National Cancer Institute
Solid tumors, such as breast, colorectal and prostate cancers, that have cellular doubling times of 100 days or longer, remain a more mysterious animal. Their microscopic cells can hide, even through apparent remission, evading screening techniques. Long-term behavior of these tumors is tougher to predict, thus the language of survival rates instead of cure. Pesmen: what cure means 2007
That a cancer patient is free of cancer symptoms for a period of time does not diminish having a sense of feeling good and healthy and being able to enjoy life as a normal person. Any length of remission is a time to celebrate!
No matter the numbers, “cancer-free” doesn’t equal “cure.” Cancer free means chances [%] of survival and not cure. Disease-free survival is a statistic that is the percentage of patients who have no signs of cancer during a certain period of time after treatment. Other names for this statistic are recurrence-free or progression-free survival. National Cancer Institute
"Cure means that there are no traces of your cancer after treatment and the cancer will never come back. Medical science now tells us this does not happen in our bodies. Remission means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer are reduced. Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment. These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day. For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But, there is a chance that cancer will come back later. For this reason, doctors cannot say for sure that you are cured. The most they can say is that there are no signs of cancer at this time." National Cancer Institute Back to top
It is the opinion of this researcher, based on the medical interpretation of cure, that we do not and will never have a cure for cancer. But as of 2016, we do have two possible cancer vaccines! Cancer vaccine is a new way to fight cancer. The human body can put cancer into remission.
Cancer vaccine is based on spontaneous regression of cancer that is a phenomenon that is not well understood. It has been discredited and suppressed for many years. While the mechanisms are not entirely clear, it has been hypothesized and validated that infections, fever and cancer are linked. Studies have shown that infections and fever are involved in tumor regression and are associated with improved clinical outcomes. So, yes, the review of research about cancer remission supports Dr. Samir Chachoua's claims that a viral vaccine injected into a cancer patient can arouse the immune system, that in turn, may very well kill cancer cells and restore life to be cancer free for extended periods of time. [ another claim is that cancer cells return to form somatic cells ] There is little agreement about such mechanisms but two observations in cancer patients are of particular interest: first, infections have been shown to halt tumor progression and second, development of fever has been associated with improved prognosis.
Based on the most recent confirmation of a cancer vaccine by two different sources, as well as other reports about infections sending cancer into remission, it can be postulated that cancer can be sent into remission for unknown periods of time. Since the human body has been programmed to live [ co-habit ] with trillions of colon bacteria, pleomorphism is as yet an unrecognized/unaccepted phenomenon that is also part of the biological system. This means that cancer cells are also a part of an evolving human process. We will never wipe out all cancer cells in the body. A person who has been treated successfully for cancer and remains cancer free for five years is often declared cancer free. But this claim of being cancer free is a misnomer as cancer cells may occur in numbers too small to be identified or measured as cancer.
We should expect to live in harmony with continuous very small number of cancer cells in a somewhat dormant state. As normal cells die and are being replaced, these have a DNA that allows them to survive by changing their chemistry, survivng in an acid environment, eating sugar food and living as a cancer cells. Such outlaw cancer cells could explode when body-cancer environment conditions are conducive, especially when the good bacteria are displaced by bad bacteria thriving on a poor or inadequate human diet. A poor diet [sugar] feeds the bad bacteria that, in turn, excrete toxins that activate cancer cells. On the other hand, eating a healthy diet keeps cancer cells under control. Thus, the new interpretation of cancer free should be managing cancer and having cancer under control. Human bodies will always have a few cancer cells.
Thus, cancer will never be cured. National Cancer Institute Pesmen: what cure means 2007 But we can prevent it and use cancer viral vaccines to control it. Furthermore, cancer cells can be prevented from increasing in dangerous numbers. New information about the importance of bad bacteria in the colon causing diseases, immune-digestive system link, leaky gut syndrome methylation and epigenetics also provide us with new ways of preventing cancer. An inexpensive way of preventing cancer is to ingest seeds like almonds and apricot seeds.
The secret mystery of sunlight and light wave energy, referred to as photons, is also part of preventing cancer. Although photons as sunlight waves, have been ignored by the medical establishment for over 50 years, there is now good scientific research that links cancer prevention to photons.
There is no longer any excuse to be ignorant of research pointing to bacteria as a possible cause of cancer, particularly when evidence of such bacteria can be found in the medical and health literature. Finding previous contents of medical journals were closed to most people who could not gain entrance to a medical library. But using the Internet search engines and the PubMed website, published medical and health literature is now easily available to everyone.
The realistic truth is that the cancer war waged by the orthodox medical establishment has been a dismal failure. The cancer establishment continues to protect its turf! Research since 2010 has been shifting from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to using the immune system to fight cancer. More oncologists are beginning to respect and accept the possibility of this shift in cancer. Ho: Infections linked to cancer remission 2012 Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007 Bushak: Programming bacteria to kill cancer 2015
Hear is one such example: “I have not given chemotherapy to a person with melanoma for the past two years,” says Dr. Antoni Ribas, a medical oncologist at UCLA who treats mainly melanoma patients. “The days of chemotherapy for these diseases are over.” Bushak: Programming bacteria to kill cancer 2015
The war on cancer is being won in 2015 - 2020 for all mankind. It is not going to be a slam dunk .... for the old die-hards will not accept this without a fight! You can expect more 'money' entities to declare their brand of cancer vaccine. The race to bring cancer vaccine to the market has begun. This is the beginning of a new health era.
Chachoua's effort will indeed be recognized in spite of been rejected and suppressed since 1985.
Your Body can beat cancer
The human body is programmed to heal and fight cancer. Many cancer patients have found their cancers going into remission and having tests confirm that their cancers had disappeared. Spontaneous remission, is a very good expample of this .
As early as recently as 2005, doctors at Dartmouth and Harvard universities concluded that Coley may have been right that some infections, particularly those caused by Streptococcus, might cause tumor regression. Currently, Coley's toxins are still available on a “compassionate use” basis in nine countries, including Germany, Bahamas and one clinic in the United States also uses a preparation based on Coley’s toxins. Coley’s legacy lives on in the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine now in use to treat some forms of bladder cancer. Doctors instill the bacillus into the bladders of patients who have been treated for superficial bladder cancer. The bacillus provokes the immune system to produce an inflammatory response that in turn prevents cancer recurrence. Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007 These few examples illustrate that there is hope for cancer patients.
Your feedback on this article is most appreciated. Thank you. E-mail author: wsorochan@gmail.com
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Agarwal Pawan & Anil Kumar Kapoor & Arif Khan & Vivek Agarwal, "Spontaneous regression of an untreated lung cancer," Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 2010, 26:173–175. Agarwal: Spontaneous regression of an untreated lung cancer 2010
Bushak Lecia, "Programming bacteria to kill cancer cells," July 20, 2015. Bushak: Programming bacteria to kill cancer 2015
Cann Hoption , van Netten JP, van Netten C, Glover DW., "Spontaneous regression: a hidden treasure buried in time," Med Hypotheses, February 2002; 58(2):115-9. Cann: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2002
"Abstract: Spontaneous tumor regression is a phenomenon that has been observed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Although the term spontaneous implies 'without apparent cause', a review of case reports over the last several hundred years demonstrates that regression generally coincides with acute infections. Observations of this non-specific effect led to the emergence of active cancer immunotherapies by the 1700s. By the 1890s, William Coley refined this approach with a bacterial vaccine which, when administered properly, could induce complete regression of extensive metastatic disease. Unfortunately, after Coley's death, his vaccine and technique fell into obscurity. Modern approaches to treatment have reduced the occurrence of spontaneous regressions. Aseptic techniques and antibiotics significantly reduce postoperative infections, while chemotherapy and radiation impair immune activation even when an infection does occur. More than a century after its inception, Coley's vaccine and aggressive approach to treatment may still be one of most effective immunotherapies for cancer."
Cantwell Alan, "Ignored Bacteria And The Cause Of Lymphoma Cancer," Rense.com, November 6, 2012. Cantwell: Bacteria causing leukemia 2012
Cantwell AR Jr. "Pleomorphic Bacteria as a Cause of Hodgkin's Disease (Hodgkin's lymphoma): A Review of the Literature," JOIMR, February 21, 2006; 4(1):1. Cantwell: Hodgkin's disease & bacteria 2006
Chachoua Samir, "Dr. Samir Chachoua." Chachoua: Chachoua
Chachoua Samir, "The Challenge, The Promise & The Cure - Effective Aids and cancer treatment," Chachoua: Promiise of cancer cure
Chachoua, Samir, "Use of disease-associated organisms US 20030103900 A1," Patent, Jun 5, 2003. Chachoua: vaccine Patent 2003
Abstract: A method for the identification, production and use of disease and condition specific diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative agents from naturally occurring microorganisms, organisms, extracts or modifications thereof, and from other chemical or physical agents. Diagnostic, screening and therapeutic devices are also disclosed.
Chachoua, Samir, " Induced remission therapy our best hope against cancer, Part 1," Chachoua: Part 1
Deardorff Julie, "Spontaneous cancer remission rare, but worth study," Chicago Tribune, September 29, 2014. Deardorff: Spon Remission review 2014
Donnelly John J., Britta Wahren and Margaret A. Liu, "DNA Vaccines: Progress and Challenges," The Journal of Immunology, July 15, 2005, vol. 175 no. 2 633-639. Donnelly: Vaccine progress 2005 [ The knowledge that is being gained in the pursuit of more effective DNA vaccines also is enriching the development of “conventional” vaccine approaches, and this understanding may well facilitate the invention of effective new vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases. ]
EnCognitive.com, "Dr Sam Chachoua." EnCognitive: Chachoua
Eng Charis, "Can Your Body’s Bacteria Cause Cancer?" Health Essentials, Cleveland Clinic, August 11, 2015, [Inside the body’s microbiome] Eng: Bacteria cause cancer 2015
Greenwood Veronique, "16% of Cancers Are Caused by Viruses or Bacteria," Discover, May 9, 2012. Greenwood: 16% Viruses & bacteria cause cancers 2012
Gulley Ames L.J., "Pilot Study of Vaccination with Recombinant CEA-MUC-1-TRICOM Poxviral-Based Vaccines in Patients with Metastatic Carcinoma," Clin Cancer Res, May 15, 2008, 14; 3060 Gulley: Vaccination of cancer patients 2008 [ We report here a pilot study of 25 patients treated with a poxviral vaccine regimen consisting of the genes for CEA and MUC-1, along with a triad of costimulatory molecules (TRICOM; composed of B7.1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and lymphocyte function–associated antigen 3) engineered into vaccinia (PANVAC-V) as a prime vaccination and into fowlpox (PANVAC-F) as a booster vaccination. This trial shows that PANVAC-VF is safe and is associated with the generation of CD8 and CD4 antigen–specific immune responses postvaccination. These immune responses were seen in more than half of patients tested. Furthermore, this trial provides early evidence of clinical benefit. ]
Hirschberg Caryle and Brendan O'Regan, "Spontaneous Remission An Annotated Bibliography," Institute of Noetic Sciences, June 1993. Hirschberg: Biography spon Remissions 1993
Ho Kok-Ho, "Spontaneous regression of cancer: A therapeutic role for pyrogenic infections?" Australian Student Medical Journal, 2012, Volume 3, Issue 2. Ho: Infections linked to cancer remission 2012
Jessy Thomas, "Immunity over inability: The spontaneous regression of cancer," J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2011 Jan-Jun; 2(1): 43–49. Jessy: Spontaneous regression of cancer 2011 [ Nature's way of fighting cancer ]
Lenzer Jeanne, "The Body Can Beat Terminal Cancer," Discover Magazine, September issue, 2007, [August 21, 2007]. Lenzer: Body can beat cancer 2007
Oleksyszyn Jozef, Joanna Wietrzyk and Mateusz Psurski, "Cancer ? Could it be Cured? A Spontaneous Regression of Cancer, Cancer Energy Metabolism, Hyperglycemia-Hypoglycemia, Metformin, Warburg and Crabtree Effects and a New Perspective in Cancer Treatment," Journal of Cancer Science & Therapy, February 24, 2014. Oleksyszyn: Curing Cancer by remission 2014
Parsonnet J., "Bacterial infection as a cause of cancer," Environ Health Perspect, November, 1995, 103(Suppl 8): 263–268. Parsonnet: Bacterial infection causes cancer 1995
Pesmen Curtis, "What Five Years Really Means [Survival statistics mean different things for different cancers]," Cure, March 16, 2007. Pesmen: what cure means 2007
Cancer cure = disease-specific survival: It is the percentage of cancer patients who have survived for a certain period of time after diagnosis compared to people who do not have cancer. National Cancer Institute
Pleomorphism: When a grub turns into a butterfly, this is know as metamorphism, if it could turn back into a grub again that would be known as Pleomorphism.
Pleo-morphismmeans many living forms; many or more (pleo-), forms or bodies (morph-), capable of changing from one type of organism to another. This is in contradistinction (distinction by contrast) to Mono-morphism which means one (mono-) body or form. Modern medicine, bacteriology, is founded on the idea of Mono-morphism, where once a germ is a particular germ it always stays that way. According to this way of thinking, a streptococcal germ is always a streptococcus. It only has one (mono-) form; it doesn't change into anything else. However, that is not true. Streptococcal germs and many other kinds of germs, bacteria and viruses can, and do, change into other forms, proven to occur by many eminent researchers since the early 1800s, including Royal Rife, Gaston Naessens, Antoine Béchamp and Dr. George Merkl.
Béchamp then went further in his argument for pleomorphism, contending that bacteria could "devolve" into smaller, unseen forms, what he called "microzymia." Béchamp developed the theory that micro-organisms could change their essential size as well as their shape, depending on the state of health of the organism in which the micro-organism lived. he microzyma changes into a bacterium or virus which immediately goes to work to rid the body of this harmful material. When the bacteria or viruses have completed their task of consuming the harmful material they automatically revert to the microzyma stage."
After death, it is essential that matter is restored to its primitive condition, for it has only been lent for a time to the living, organized being. . . . The living being, filled by microzymas, carries in himself the elements essential for life, for disease, for death, and for destruction.
Pleomorphic objects go through life cycles of various forms, depending on the state of the environment of the body or of the “soil” of the animal or human being. Such living, dynamic changes of microorganisms can only be observed in live tissues, such as a live drop of blood, water or body fluid. Unfortunately, most of the research that became established in the medical and bacteriology fields was done on dead, stained tissues. Of course, there, you will only see one form of an organism (Mono-morphism). hese microzyma are present in the tissues and blood of all living organisms where they remain normally quiescent (quiet and not acting) and harmless. When the welfare of the human body is threatened by the presence of potentially harmful material, a transmutation (change) takes place.
These tiny life forms behave like the garbage-cleaners of living tissue and they multiply and morph into a fungal-like form in a low-oxygen acid environment (as in death). If your tissues become a low-oxygen acid waste-land and they start to invade, your immune system may become activated.
Printz Carrie, "Spontaneous Regression of Melanoma May Offer Insight Into Cancer Immunology," JNCI: Jnl of National Cancer Institute, 2001, Volume 93, Issue 14Pp. 1047-1048. Printz: Spontaneous regression delimma 2001
Ricci Sante Basso and Ugo Cerchiari, "Spontaneous regression of malignant tumors: Importance of the immune system and other factors (Review)," Oncol Letters, November, 2010, 1(6): 941–945. Ricci: Spont Regression Review 2010
Rochlitz Christoph and others, "Phase I immunotherapy with a modified vaccinia virus (MVA) expressing human MUC1 as antigen-specific immunotherapy in patients with MUC1-positive advanced cancer," The Journal of Gene Medicine, August 2003, Volume 5, Issue 8, pages 690–699. Rochlitz virus vaccine tested in cancer 2003 [ "TG4010 is a viral suspension of a recombinant vaccinia vector (MVA) containing DNA sequences coding for the human MUC1 antigen and interleukin-2 (IL-2). This product was developed for use as a vaccine in cancer patients whose tumors express the MUC1 antigen. The objective of the present study was to determine the safety of the product and to define the dose of TG4010 to be used in further clinical trials. Tolerance of TG4010 was excellent, and side effects mainly consisted of injection site pain and influenza-like symptoms. There was no apparent detrimental effect of repeated injections of the vaccinia virus." ]
Salber Patricia, "Radical remission from cancer: 9 keys to healing," The Doctor Weighs In, January 27, 2016
Tontonoz Matthew, "Do Bacteria Cause Cancer?" Cancer Research Institute, March 10, 2014. Tontonoz: Bacteria cancer link 2014
Walker Morton, "Induced Remission Therapy," German Cancer Therapies: Natural and Conventional Medicines That Offer Hope, New York : Kensington, 2003, Chapter 10.pp 167-181. Walker: Induced Remission Therapy
Wikipedia, "Cancer bacteria." Wiki: Cancer bacteria
Wikipedia, "Oncolytic virus." Wiki: virus - cancer connection Back to top
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"Still Life Dances"
Simpson/Stulberg Collaborations presents
Still Life Dances
ODC Theater, San Francisco
Pictured: Lauren Simpson and Jenny Stulberg
Photo: Jenny Stulberg
Sub-divided into two sections (one large, one small), a wall structure sat mid-stage. Choreographers Lauren Simpson and Jenny Stulberg entered the space and began a collection of fluttering movements and succinct, staccato gestures. Initially they were in unison and then subsequently broke off into unique and different phrases.
With these first images, Still Life Dances was underway, an evening-length program by Simpson/Stulberg Collaborations, featuring three pieces from their Still Life series – Still Life No. 1, hold (STILL) and the newest chapter, Still Life No. 4. All are inspired by work from the de Young museum yet they do not seek to be literal interpretations of the paintings. Instead, Still Life Dances embodies their spirit, examining formal elements in composition and drawing a number of parallels between the two fields.
As Still Life No. 1 continued, its structure toggled between moments of togetherness and individuality along with some brief instances of repose. The choreography evolved from the microscopic finger twitches, nods and flexing feet to vast dives, rolls, extensions and then back again. As Simpson and Stulberg embraced in a resting pose, an image of the two in the same attitude was simultaneously projected on the larger of the two walls. They exited the stage and the film hold (STILL) started rolling. Set in an industrial-looking site against a spectacular natural background, movement from Still Life No. 1 played out in hold (STILL). Certainly a brilliant connective fiber in the program, it was the considerations of subjectiveness and viewership that awed with these first two works. Contemplating this movement in the same space, yet in two distinct formats and with a different lens of familiarity made for a deviceful opening to Still Life Dances.
Up next was the evening’s premiere work and the final piece on the program - Still Life No. 4, a thought-provoking quartet. One dancer slid on her back toward the wall. As she met the structure she placed her palm against it, touched her head and swiveled her feet. Two other dancers hovered at the top of each wall, slung over the edge, while a fourth sat against the very back of the stage, with her palm similarly pressed flat. The choreography was intriguing and the dancers performed beautifully. But it was its treatment of perspective that stood out most in Still Life No. 4, particularly the shifting and changing of perspective. Simpson and Stulberg’s movement actually altered the stationary walls. Unexpected angles and foci emerged throughout the dance. Unison footwork patterns performed against the wall made it seem like a floor. As the dancers hung from the structure, dangling their legs like a pendulum, the wall seemed freestanding. Sometimes the wall felt like a ceiling (in the opening slide sequence, for example), sometimes, depending on how the dancers sat at the seam between the wall and the stage, it felt like part of a box. Occasionally the movement made it seem short, at other times, tall. With compositional depth and complexity, Still Life No. 4 invited its audience to view an entity in a variety of contexts, contexts that were created by choreography.
Yet there was even more to uncover in Still Life No. 4. Still life paintings are often of items that we know, things that are commonplace. While certainly stylized and placed in a theatrical container, much of the movement here was also recognizable and relatable. The hand actions; the sitting positions; the pedestrianism. It was accessible vocabulary, like those in still life paintings. At the same time, the choreography was very realistic and functional. The recurring slide motif moved the dancers across the space. It didn’t appear to be representing a feeling or conveying some part of a story; it was getting them from one spot to another. And yet there was a freedom that if some emotional response was evoked by a particular movement, it was welcome. Still Life No. 4 impressed on many fronts, though this amazing (and rare) combination of egalitarianism, realism and openness may have been its crowning glory.
Posted by Heather Desaulniers at 10:41 AM
"Alla Osipenko: Beauty and Resistance in Soviet Ba...
"A Cappella - Our Bodies Sing"
San Francisco Ballet - Program 6
"All Roads Are Lined With Teeth"
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Thromboelastography
Why and When
What is Thromboelastometry
Secrets of the Technology
Advantages of TEM-A
MonoTEM-A
Disposables and Reagents
Calibration & Quality Control
Special Analysis
Thromboelastography and Thromboelastometry
The invention of Thromboelastography is due to Eng. Helmut Hartert in the 1948’s, whom conceived the principle of measuring the strength of a blood sample during its clotting process against the known resistance of a spring. The early instruments were transferring the data to thermosensitive paper in the form of graph, which originated its name, as an instrument that depicts graphically the elasticy of thrombus. When computers came to age, and the technology was rediscovered to help resolving coagulation problems during liver transplants, it was possible to measure the data and convert the digital curve into a number of different parameters, from the measuring=metering came the name Thromboelastometer. There is no graph unless there is first a “metering”, but the function is the same, irrespective of the instruments’ generic or specific name, which is that of measuring and reproducing in graphical and/or numeric format the phenomenon of clotting. What you are exploring in this website, is the new TEM-A, a Trombo-Elasto-Meter-Automated, which provides measures and graphs.
About TEM-A
TEM-A Instruments and Disposables comply with EEC Directive 98/79 for In Vitro Diagnostics and are manufactured under an ISO9000 Quality System assessed and certified yearly by authorised Auditors. Contact Us Now.
Via delle Macere 20, 00060 Formello, Italy,
info@hemologix.com
What is Thromboelastography
Copyright © Framar Hemologix s.r.l. since 1994. Powered By PRIMA DESIGNING
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2016 GRAMMY Signature Schools Selected
The GRAMMY Foundation announced today that 13 U.S. schools have been selected as GRAMMY Signature Schools for 2016 and have been awarded cash grants totaling $61,000. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that make an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
Each of the 13 GRAMMY Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its music program. The top three schools are designated Gold recipients. The best of the Gold recipients is named the National GRAMMY Signature School and will receive $5,000. The two remaining Gold schools will each receive $3,500. Two additional GRAMMY Signature Schools recipients will each receive a grant of $2,500 to benefit their music programs. Eight schools will receive the Enterprise Award grant, which recognizes the efforts made by schools that are economically underserved. Each of the Enterprise Award schools will receive a grant in the amount of $5,500. The GRAMMY Signature Schools program is made possible in part through the generous support of the Ford Motor Company Fund.
The GRAMMY Foundation also presents the GRAMMY Signature Schools Community Award, an extension of the GRAMMY Signature Schools program in partnership with Brookfield Properties, Converse, Journeys, RBC Capital Markets, Hot Topic Foundation, and the Les Paul Foundation. Through this alliance, the GRAMMY Foundation identifies financially challenged public high school music programs to receive this award and a $2,000 grant. During the current fiscal year, approximately 150 schools to date have received the GRAMMY Signature Schools Community Award, with grants totaling $300,000.
"We created the GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Signature Schools initiative to highlight the excellent work being done through music programs at public high schools across the country, and since 1999, we have provided more than $1.3 million to close to 300 schools," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. "We are proud to offer these financial resources to augment what are often limited budgets, so that teachers may continue to provide the enriching and lasting benefits of a musical education to their students."
"The Ford Motor Company Fund has been a longtime advocate for music programs in schools and our partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation has thrived because it matches financial support with excellence in music education," said Pamela Alexander, director of community development for Ford Motor Company Fund.
2016 GRAMMY Signature Schools:
2016 National GRAMMY Signature School ($5,000)
Woodbridge High School – Irvine, Calif.
2016 GRAMMY Signature Schools Gold ($3,500 each)
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts – Jacksonville, Fla.
Metea Valley High School – Aurora, Ill.
2016 GRAMMY Signature Schools ($2,500 each)
Allen High School – Allen, Texas
Orange County School of the Arts – Santa Ana, Calif.
2016 GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award ($5,500 each)
Belgrade High School – Belgrade, Mont.
Boston Arts Academy – Boston
Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy – Brighton, Mich.
Florin High School – Sacramento, Calif.
Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School – Nashville, Tenn.
Phil Campbell High School – Phil Campbell, Ala.
Portland High School – Portland, Maine
Spring High School – Spring, Texas
Hayley Corbett
GRAMMY Camp LA 2012 and 2014
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Home » Sports » Huntington High Girls Seek State Championship After Regional Victory Over St. Albans
Huntington High Girls Seek State Championship After Regional Victory Over St. Albans
Thursday, March 3, 2011 - 01:13 by Chris Spencer, HNN Photographer
HUNTINGTON,WV (HNN) The Huntington High School girl's basketball team will play George Washington in a first round game in the West Virginia High School Girl's Class AAA State Championship at the Charleston Civic Center next Thursday on March 10 at 7:15 PM.
The Highlanders ranked third in the state earned their trip to Charleston after winning the Class AAA Region IV championship at Huntington High School Tuesday out scoring St. Albans, 68-48 .
If Huntington High wins over sixth ranked George Washington they would advance to a Friday semi-final game with the championship game scheduled for Saturday night at 7:15 PM.
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Gallery Event Photos
Moved to Kirkland - November 1, 2019 La Petite Galerie
November 1, 2019 - Into the Sunset
To view more artwork from the exhibition, click on image.
After 11 fantastic years at the Bellevue Collection we have moved 4 miles up the road to a comfortable and familiar location in the heart of downtown Kirkland in the Marina District.
We have landed in an intimate and cozy retail space on Kirkland Avenue where tree lined streets, busy sidewalks and unique shops meet the sunset on the shores of Lake Washington.
It has been 11 years since we left Kirkland where time slows down, sunsets fall beautifully to the west and conversations last longer than the passing hellos of a busy Bellevue culture.
Kirkland has always been a great place to live, but honestly its a difficult business location for lots of reasons. Leaving Kirkland 11 years ago after 18 years as a looming recession was rearing its ugly head we needed to explore a more business friendly environment to survive what was expected to be a long and challenging recession.
We survived and flourished albeit at a cost and it is now time to slow down and move back "home". Small business isn't easy and the requirements of success often come with an inequity of balance and we are looking to be back in balance again. Work and play are important and neither should be challenged by the other.
Come by our La Petite Galerie, say hello, watch a sunset and view some great art!
The Art of Dr. Seuss
The Cat Behind The Hat - Thru February 2, 2020
Saturday November 23, 2019 - Sunday February 2, 2020
We are pleased to host a fantastic traveling exhibit of The Art of Dr. Seuss.
This Exhibit, "The Cat Behind the Hat" includes some of the best works we have had the opportunity to share with collectors and are excited to be able to offer them for a two month exhibit thru February 2, 2020.
Included in this exhibit, there are many of the Secret Art and Archived works, Bronze and Illustrations chronicling the evolution of the cat from illustrations to the Midnight / Secret Art that the good Dr. painted in his free time.
Special to this Exhibit are 16 - yes, sixteen works exhibited that are currently Sold Out and not available outside of this traveling exhibit.
This is truly and opportunity for those Seuss collectors (or New Collectors) to acquire a print that they might have missed or have been unable to find. We even have the very rare and desirable print "The Cat from the Wrong Side of the Tracks".
Come out as see this exhibit in person and enjoy the magical life of The Art of Dr. Seuss!
Lawrence McLaughlin
Svetlana Shalygina
Open in Kirkland
Opening our Kirkland location - "la Petite Galerie" with Svetlana Shalygina and Lawrence McLaughlin
Saturday November 9th - Wednesday November 20th
No Reception
We have finally completed the move from Bellevue to Kirkland and our new home at "la Petite Galerie".
After 11 years away from Kirkland, we are happy to be back and settling in to our new and very small space, but I believe you will find it cozy and inviting nestled in the Marina District on Kirkland Avenue with a tree lined street, and westerly sunsets over the lake. Good things continue to come in small packages!
We are pleased to open for a short period with the works by a gallery favorite, Svetlana Shalygina. We always enjoy exhibiting Shalygina's work and pairing her with International sculptor, Larry McLaughlin.
The foundation of Svetlana's unique style is the poetry and beauty she treasured as a child, and the love she still feels for her Homeland. The core of her creative expression is both personal and nostalgic�to the point she was originally reluctant to share her vision openly with others. Her maturing style has been strongly influenced by her love of nature and her interest in human behavior and emotion. Several years ago, Svetlana's intriguing and sophisticated body of work was discovered by an accomplished fellow artist and art collector who encouraged her to expand her palette and unveil her creative vision to the world.
McLaughlin's sculpture, prints and paintings have been featured in solo and group shows in France, Germany, London, Switzerland and in North American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bellevue / Kirkland, Portland, Denver, Phoenix and others. His sculpture is noted for its fluid motion and humorous and dynamic configurations. McLaughlin sculpts in concrete, bronze, aluminum and glass.
Come by and see us and our new location and keep your eyes open for our two day Open House and Special Traveling Exhibit of "The Cat Behind the Hat" and the Art of Dr. Seuss November 23rd and 24th.
Moving to Kirkland
Moving to Kirkland Sale - Gallery Owned Inventory
Wednesday September 11, 2019 - Saturday October 26, 2019
We are moving to Kirkland on November 2, 2019. To help facilitate the move to a smaller space, we are selling some gallery owned inventory at GREAT PRICES to free up storage.
There won't be any posted sale prices, so you need to come in to take advantage of this opportunity.
Dimitriy Gritsenko
Dimitriy Gritsenko will be in attendance
Shelley Stroeve
Shelley Stroeve will be in attendance
No Ryhme or Reason - Group Exhibit
Group Exhibit - Caplis, Chen, Gritshenko, Latremouille, Stroeve
Wednesday August 14 - Saturday September 7
I don't really remember why they call it the Dog Days of Summer, but in the past, August has consistently been a slow month, so we have tried to have fun with it from our "Who let the Dogs Out" exhibits of the past to a variety of other August and Summer inspired themes.
This year with "No Rhyme or Reason" we would like to include in a group exhibit, two new artists to the gallery, Dimitriy Gritshenko and Shelley Stroevie and share a couple of works by them to get your approval for future exhibits as well as a few new and past works by Brad Caplis, Jin Chen and Lori-ann Latremouille.
Shelley Stroeve isn't a new artist by any means, but still is an emerging artist and has sold a lot of work in the Northwest and across Washington State. Her abstract images have a very general appeal to a large section of the population.
Through exploration of texture, depth and color, Shelley creates art that is at once transcendental and yet almost tangible. Her work encourages revolutionary thinking, contemplation of humanity and realization of how connections both physical and spiritual manifest our identity.
Her ingenuity is inspired by the fluidity of the Post-Impressionist Romanticism Movement, the dream like quality of Surrealism and all music that evokes passion and intense emotion, resulting in a diverse visual cadence that ranges from the subtle nuances of Fredrick Chopin to the intensity of Disturbs rendition of The Sound of Silence.
Shelley works with a wide variety of textual mediums and different types of paints including; oil, acrylic and watercolor dyes on canvas or artist panel with a scale ranging from 8 'x 8" to 6' x 4'. Many of her pieces are covered in epoxy resin.
Shelley studied Art History at the University of Washington, volunteered as an art docent for the Issaquah School District, raised two beautiful children and currently resides in Issaquah with her life partner Eric Lennier. Shelley lives a multifaceted life with exuberant passion for health and her family that spans five generations. She is an adventurer who has traveled to many interesting places including Brazil, Argentina and Turkey. She loves the water and is an avid wake surfer who enjoys the irony of being a young grandmother who is still carded on occasion.
Most days you can find Shelley doing what she loves, flinging paint, at her spacious art studio where she and Eric have designed a dust free clean room for resin application.
Dimitriy Gritsenko was born in Seattle and grew up in Everett, the home town of one of Washington's most famous artists, Chuck Close.
After finishing public school, Dimitriy moved to San Francisco to study at the well-known Art Academy University of San Francisco.
It was in San Francisco that he developed his interest in the medium of oil and painting on canvas and linen. While he loves to paint the beauty of God's creation and his genres vary, he is currently focusing on the subject matter on cityscapes. San Francisco was a fantastic location to embrace his interest in cityscapes and the 24/7 life that keeps that city so electric. Seattle now provides a great backdrop for his newest works.
Working with a variety of tools to apply the paint, Dimitriy paints with passion, energy and confidence easily visible in his work and all the while finding the gritty life of the city as the perfect subject.
A local Seattle favorite subject is Pike Place Market with its often wet and reflective pavement, neon lights burning through the mist and bustling shoppers hustling to avoid the rain that embraces the Seattle lifestyle and upbeat culture.
Pat Tolle
French Impressions
Pat Tolle "French Impressions" Held Over
Wednesday July 10, 2019 - Saturday August 10, 2019
We are pleased to hold over "French Impressions" by Pat Tolle.
Tolle has been a regular gallery participant since her first exhibit with us 26 years ago in 1993 with "Cool Pools" and continues to be one of our more popular artists.
We have followed Tolle and her impressionist paintings from interiors and still life's to aerial views of landscape patterns across the globe. With her new exhibit, "French Impressions" Tolle takes us on a familiar journey of landscapes, but this time to the countryside of France.
These new works represent a consistent direction her art has taken since the aerial views of landscapes now bringing the viewer to more of an eye level perspective with a true, French Impression.
"French Impressions, is a journey through Bordeaux on brown rivers, vineyards with chateaus and scenic old cities along with iconic Paris.
Oil painting has been my medium since the 1970s.
Told to work in my own style after art school, I've had studios in California, Hawaii and Washington while using traditional methods to paint with medium in a lean to thick pigment ratio.
Color gives me visual pleasure as combinations charge the challenge of the pictorial composition.
My work is done mostly in series and informed by my environment: "women with cars" from Kauai days of co-running a repair garage; pools and reflections of swimmers from memory; landscapes from travels around PNW, including helicopters over the Palouse and Skagit tulip fields, as well as sketching trips throughout the Americas and Europe.
Paintings are based on my physical and personal reality but are not photo-realistic. They share common painterly brushstroke/marks which I compare to visual songs I am singing while witnessing life around me. My goal is a marriage of recognizable actuality to abstract wonder." Pat Tolle
Tolle's paintings are in public and private collections and she has exhibited in several states, including California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Colorado and New York.
Mark Skullerud
Mark Skullerud "Port of Call" Held over Works
http://icont.ac/4jBE1
We are pleased to again offer new paintings by a gallery favorite, Mark Skullerud.
Skullerud's stylized impressionist landscapes are loosely based on real things in real locations in the Puget Sound area. They are emotional portraits of a time of day, a weather pattern, or a season that have a familiar feel of the region. He wants viewers to know the beauty that's visible every day, and to recognize the fleeting and subtle light that is gives the region its character and identity.
The geography of Seattle and the Puget Sound is all about hills, valleys, rivers, waterways. Add to that the historic architecture of the city and you have collection of interesting subject matter. He paints the immensity, distance and space of the region's topography, as well as its light, textures and flavor of Seattle's history.
He sees mountains and urban hills as a performance stage for lighting. They are sculptural like muscles, 3D forms that serve to show off the cloud shadows and sun, the filtered light that changes from moment to moment with the seasons.
Though the town is rapidly growing and cranes are omni present, much of it, especially the hills, remain recognizable.
Born and raised in Seattle, hiking the trails and mountains that ring us on both sides and influence his artwork to this day. His earliest art training was in junior high school when his parents hired a girl down the block to instruct me in painting and drawing. He also spent many an afternoon with his art teacher pedaling a clunky one-speed bike up and down the hills of Seattle to do plein aire paintings.
His first job as a professional artist began in 1978 as an architectural illustrator for Walter Dorwin Teague, a national industrial design firm. Four years later he opened the Skullerud Studio. Since that time he has moved through several periods, painting science fiction, surrealism, impressionism and abstraction.
During these phases, the Northwest landscape never left his consciousness. Its restrained colors, atmospheric light and emotional power find expression in his paintings. Add to that the delight of loosely controlled paint, and something gets loose on the canvas.
Brad Caplis
"Visitors" Held Over Works by Brad Caplis
Brad Caplis "Visitors" Held Over Works
Wednesday June 12, 2019 - Saturday July 6, 2019
Even with many sales for Bradley Caplis' exhibit "Visitors" there are still several very nice works available and we are pleased to be able to offer them to you for another month in our Mall Window Gallery.
If you missed this exhibit, it one of the best showings that we have had with Bradley and all of his works this year are great.
A lot can be said about an individual who embraces the challenge of being an artist turned gallery owner, turned artist again. The world of art is fickle, subjective and rarely synchronized with business acumen, but when an artist temps fate and immerses themselves into the business of art, combining their creativity and collecting all the knowledge necessary to run a small business successfully when they decide to exit, they do it with a clarity not realized before. They are not only a better artist at understanding the collector or the pedestrian public, but also better at the business of art. Shannon Rasor and Bradley Caplis have done just that and success abounds.
Caplis, a native of Michigan uses remembrances of his childhood as a source of inspiration for his paintings. Growing up in rural Michigan, he was always in or around the woods. There he dreamed of spotting flying saucers in a patch of sky just above the pine trees, or stumbling upon a clearing to witness some kind of bucolic supernatural ceremony. He never did witness such events however, but was always on the lookout for the extraordinary in nature.
As his paintings continued, images began to surface that best represented these more mystical yearnings. Before adolescence He was often sick with flu and high fevers which invariably let to hallucinations, some of which were terrifying and quite bizarre. There were times when he would lash out at them or run around the house in hopes of escaping. His mother would let him stay in his brother's room during these episodes. It seemed to make him feel safer.
In his brother's room, along with all the cool stuff an older brother has, was a vintage 1940's radio. As he lay in bed in a delusional state, he would watch the radio rise up or grow and become speaking. It's voice (he assumed it was God's voice) would announce all kinds of catastrophe and miracles alike. Sometimes a crackling panicked voice like that of an on the street reporter and other times a booming great almighty voice from above, the radio belted out cryptic messages and spectacular occurrences. It was entirely hypnotic and at the time, he believed to be the most important discovery of his young life.
Age, maturity and better health eased the delusions and his education at the University of Virginia transformed many of these images of the past into whimsical and playful paintings of landscapes, seascapes and timeless memorabilia.
Brad Caplis currently resides with his wife in the Pacific Northwest where he continues to pursue his painting.
Brad Caplis will be in attendance
Bradley Caplis "Visitors"
Wednesday May 8, 2019 - Saturday June 8, 2019
We are pleased to exhibit in a one two punch, former art gallery owners Shannon Rasor in April (April 10 - May 4) and husband Bradley Caplis in May (May 8 - June 8).
Brad Caplis (May 8 - June 8) has been a regular and very well liked gallery exhibitor since 2003. This past month was the first solo exhibit by his wife and business partner Shannon Rasor. Her work was on exhibit April 10th thru May 4th with a few works held over (should there be any left) into May.
A lot can be said about an individual who embraces the challenge of being an artist turned gallery owner, turned artist again. The world of art is fickle, subjective and rarely synchronized with business acumen, but when an artist temps fate and immerses themselves into the business of art, combining their creativity and collecting all the knowledge necessary to run a small business successfully when they decide to exit, they do it with a clarity not realized before. They are not only a better artist at understanding the collector or the pedestrian public, but also better at the business of art. Shannon Rasor and Bradley Caplis have done just that and success abounds. We look forward to two consecutive months as we exhibit each of them individually.
In his brother's room, along with all the cool stuff an older brother has, was a vintage 1940's radio. As he lay in bed in a delusional state, he would watch the radio rise up or grow and become speaking. It's voice (he assumed it was God's voice) would announce all kinds of catastrophe and miracles alike. Sometimes a crackling panicked voice like that of an on the street reporter and other times a booming great almighty voice from above, the radio belted out cryptic messages and spectacular occurrences. I was entirely hypnotic and at the time, he believed to be the most important discovery of his young life.
Shannon Rasor
Shannon Rasor will be in attendance
Shannon Rasor "Surfacing" Held Over Works
We are pleased to be able to hold over several of Shannon Rasor's works from her exhibit in April.
Since May brings us her husband and long time gallery exhibitor, Brad Caplis, you can combine your trips into see both of their works.
Please come out and support this team of both fine painters and long time friends.
"Surfacing"
"Surfacing" Shannon Rasor - New Works
Wednesday - April 10, 2019 - Saturday - May 4, 2019
We are pleased to exhibit with a one two punch, former art gallery owners Shannon Rasor in April (April 10 - May 4) and husband Brad Caplis in May (May 8 - June 8).
While Brad Caplis (May 8 - June 8) has been a regular and very well liked gallery exhibitor since 2003 with us, this is the first solo exhibit by his wife and business partner Shannon Rasor. Her work will be on exhibit thru May 4th with a few works held over (should there be any left) into May.
A lot can be said about an individual who embraces the challenge of being an artist turned gallery owner, turned artist again. The world of art is fickle, subjective and rarely synchronized with business acumen, but when an artist temps fate and immerses themselves into the business of art, combining their creativity and collecting all the knowledge necessary to run a small business successfully when they decide to exit, they do it with a clarity not realized before. They are not only a better artist at understanding the collector or the pedestrian public, but also better at the business of art. Shannon Rasor and Brad Caplis have done just that and success abounds. We look forward to two consecutive months as we exhibit each of them individually.
Having exhibited Caplis' work for 16 years and always having Rasor present, the creativity, awareness and maturity of both partner's works are evidence of great past experiences as collectors embrace their works.
Rasor brings a contrast of content to Caplis' work with delicate and meditative abstracts, yet the same harmony of pleasant and reflective qualities are synonymous in their works.
Rasor's paintings are adventures. Somewhere between abstraction and depiction, her work is her own language. It is a language of appreciation and wonder for the adventure of existence. Fluid and light, her paintings bring the calmness and clarity that she expresses in her personality daily.
"In the adventure, I combine the parallel worlds of nature and emotions. They storm or flow depending upon my state of mind, memories, and the willingness of my hand. My work is about constant change and renewal. It is an attempt to convey an idea of a beauty, untamed, and beyond my understanding. The minerals and earth from which paint is derived are revived on canvas to reform their own essence. The process of making the painting is where the true journey lies. Abstraction keeps the secret". Shannon Rasor
Shannon Rasor has been a working artist for over twenty years where her experience includes in the studio creating her fine art and in the public where decorative paintings and murals flourish. You can see her work featured on billboards, buses and various venues in the Puget Sound area.
Alex Achaval
Brooke Westlund
"Spectrum"
Held Over - "Spectrum" Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval
Held Over - Saturday - May 4, 2019
We are pleased to hold over several works by Seattle artists and friends, Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval, titled "Spectrum"
Westlund has been a regular gallery exhibitor for many years with her Urban Seattle Scenes comprised of abstract paintings and her city photography and we are pleased to offer for the first time, the Mixed Media portrait works by Alex Achaval.
Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval are both unique and lucky in the fact that both of them have art studios in Seattle near each other.
Their styles and approaches are quite opposite but when exhibited together they flow and contrast beautifully. This will be the 3rd major duo exhibit the two have participated in together.
Westlund will be exhibiting her latest abstract paintings. They are a fine balance of chaos vs. simplicity, harsh vs. soft, and a bit ethereal.
Alex Achval is new to our gallery and we are excited to be exhibiting his newest works incorporating his signature style of found objects and loose pieces into his work.
His latest collection features more depth and concept behind the art, giving the viewer an interesting story line to analyze.
"My work can be described in many different categories but I would simply define it as contemporary portraiture. An added uncharacteristic element or found object can also be seen throughout my work such as the "paintbrush girl" series where I take classic wooden brushes and apply them onto the canvas or wood panel before I begin.
This series of 3d painting was adapted after seeing an old truck that someone had painted to blend in with the wall behind it in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. I like to incorporate these objects into my work to represent the obstacles we have to overcome in life. You have to either paint over it like it was never there or embrace it. Not to mention it challenges me, it works well and it's fun! You can see me at goodwill or Value Village with my hands full of the weirdest combination of objects."
"I try to develop forms that do not follow logical criteria, but are based only on subjective associations and formal parallels, which incite the viewer to make new personal associations. I believe that is what art is all about. Your own associations. "I simply love to paint and create something that will live forever, and that something is usually pretty bizarre."
Alex Achaval will be in attendance
Brooke Westlund will be in attendance
"Spectrum" Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval
Wednesday February 20, 2019 - Saturday April 6, 2019
Seattle's Snowmageddon causes our February Exhibit with Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval to be pushed back a week to Wednesday the 20th, but the good news is we will extend their exhibit thru April 6th.
It takes bodies, collectors and friends to make any exhibit successful, but we couldn't ask anyone to come out in this crazy weather, so we have postponed and prolonged the exhibit "Spectrum".
All work will be up in the gallery by February 13th for your early preview.
Please keep in mind that you can preview "Spectrum" here at www.gunnarnordstrom.com and pre-sales are always appreciated.
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is pleased to be exhibiting the works by Seattle artists and friends, Brooke Westlund and Alex Achaval, titled "Spectrum"
Svetlana Shalygina - New Works
New works by Svetlana Shalygina are just in and will be available in the Front Window Gallery.
Lori-ann Latremouille
Kim Walker
Never too late!
Never Too Late! Thom Ross, Lori-ann Latremouille and Kim Walker
Wednesday November 14 - Saturday December 8
Join us for select works by Thom Ross, Lori-ann Latremouille and Kim Walker.
Kim Walker "Revisited"
Wednesday October 10th - Saturday November 10th
http://www.icontact-archive.com/db36zz6M67Qt0mz1a2l3NgGxMFlIFvod?w=4
We wanted to take the time to review some of our inventory works by one of our favorite artists, Kim Walker.
A lot of times good works get stuck in storage after being exhibited only a month and deserve to be revisited from time to time. Walker's works are definitely worth being seen again.
Kim Walker in her own words:
When you look at my artwork, please realize you are looking at not only paint but also actual botanic elements from nature.
The process of painting and connections to nature are both great passions in my life. Painting allows me the quiet and thoughtful internal dialogue that refreshes my spirit. My compositions are intended to be a reverent reflection of the beauty, inspiration, and meaningful lessons found in the gifts of nature. I believe connections to nature are indispensable to all people.
I have learned that even if your day allows only brief moments to take in the wonder of the intricate beauty of a flower petal or leaf or to simply experience a view into nature from your window, it has the potential to touch our lives in a profound and heartening way. This belief resulted many years ago in the inclusion of botanical elements into my mixed media compositions. My art making takes me on a spiritual journey as I seek and collect natural elements, which I then press and later incorporate into my paintings and 3-d art. I trust my art to show great reverence to nature while providing viewers a personal connection to the natural world in a unique and unexpected realm. Also, because I am greatly inspired by the insights and wisdom of life's experiences, along with many metaphoric lessons found in nature, poetry is an integral part of my art. I feel that my paintings and my poetry go hand-in-hand and complement each other. Therefore, each painting includes one of my original poems that I hand-write on the back of each composition.
My art is represented by various galleries and also shown in numerous juried art competitions and invitational installations. It is part of private, corporate, and municipal collections in the United States and abroad and for this I am grateful. Most importantly, however, it is extraordinary to wake each day knowing I will spend time in my studio creating art. It brings great joy into my life as well as a treasured peacefulness. I once read in a book by Rebecca Wells, "use everything in your life to create your art". This intention is at the heart of my paintings and my poetry. Thank you for taking the time to view my art and to feel the connections to nature.
Held over works by Lori-ann Latremouille
We are pleased to hold over our September exhibit of the newest works by Canadian artist, Lori-ann Latremouille.
In this year's exhibit, "Magnolia", Latremouille says, "I have always loved the stark beauty of Magnolia trees and bushes in spring. The glorious buds sitting perched on the leafless dark branches like small pink and white birds waiting to bloom and fly. So stunning and surreal to me invoking these images."
Since the 1980's Latremouille has been creating her visual puzzels of humans, animals and vegatation intertwined on paper with charcoal and pastels. In 2010 she started painting with acrylics on wood panel. She was drawn to the natural wood grain texture and the layering effects the paint allows.
Latremouille was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is clearly influenced by the lush and synergistic ecosystems of the West Coast. This is evident in her work, where human figures, animals, sea creatures, birds, flora and fauna all intertwine. She begins each piece by doodling and sketching. The lines gradually develop into more complex shapes and forms. Positive and negative spaces shift back and forth, like in a jigsaw puzzle. The images spontaneously evolve. Velvety blacks and pure colours provide sensual tonal gradations that give the work an evocative strength and intensity. Her unique blending of emotionally charged blocks of color with brilliantly contrasting black and white hues is striking and at times psychedelic.
She is also a singer songwriter and has published 3 CDʼs of her own music. Poetry is where her songwriting began, and she is now incorporating her lyrics and poetry into her paintings.
Over the past 35 years her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and Canada, she has also exhibited in Europe. Her work hangs in many prominent private and public collections. Lori-ann Latremouille's unique striking artwork has made a lasting mark in the art world and will no doubt continue to draw acclaim and recognition.
Lori-ann Latremouille will be in attendance
Lori-ann Latremouille "Magnolia"
We are very pleased to again offer the newest works by renowned Canadian artist, Lori-ann Latremouille.
This year's exhibit, "Magnolia", Latremouille says, "I have always loved the stark beauty of Magnolia trees and bushes in spring. The glorious buds sitting perched on the leafless dark branches like small pink and white birds waiting to bloom and fly. So stunning and surreal to me invoking these images."
Held over works
Held over works in Gallery II and the Front Window Gallery
Wednesday September 12 - Saturday October 6
Don't miss some of our previously exhibited works in Gallery II and the Front window.
Charlie Barr
Jaime Ellsworth
Andre Schirmer
"Regroup" Past works by Barr, Ellsworth, Schirmer, Shalygina and Smith
Wednesday August 8th - Saturday September 8th
We are pleased to offer previously exhibited works by 5 artists that we continue to strive to support.
Charlie Barr, Jaime Ellsworth, Andre Schirmer, Svetlana Shalygina and Mike Smith.
Not everyone can get into the gallery during any given month and a lot of good works get missed, so we like to "Regroup" works from during the year that you might have missed or would like to revisit.
Jaime Ellsworth - New Works on Canvas
Jaime Ellsworth - Wednesday July 11th - Saturday August 4th
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is pleased to offer the newest works by Jaime Ellsworth.
Ellsworth is a Washington State artist living in the peaceful island community of Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.
Included in E. Ashley Rooney's book, "100 artists of the Northwest" she is not only a painter, but also active raising rescued horses and dogs which represent the bulk of her artistic subject matter.
Her Passion and commitment to her animals is translated beautifully onto her canvases in a variety of styles ranging from expressionism to illustrative narratives.
Simple forms are consistent in all of Ellsworth's artwork where she enjoys working in series offering relationships, discovery and contrasts while creating visual situations from everyday experiences and observations.
"Although I begin with a clear idea of what I am trying to achieve the paintings actually emerge from what I already know and what I learn along the way. Each new series directs the path I take and the journey is welcomed." - Jaime Ellsworth
Her paintings are built of many thin layers of oil or acrylic starting with a limited palette of bold colors on large canvases or wood panels. Subsequent layers allow the under paint to peek through and transparent glazes give the final surface a subtle tint.
With each work, Ellsworth invites the viewer to first look at the simplicity of the image and then beyond, opening the door to the imagination.
Charlie Barr - Held over works
Wednesday July 11th - Saturday August 4th
Charlie Barr is a Northwest landscape artist working with a unique mixed media blend of acrylic and cement on panel.
These contemporary landscape paintings are meant to set a mood or evoke emotion and often leave the viewer with a sense of remembrance and stimulated senses.
In this year's exhibit, Barr will introduce a few works where figures become the subject matter adding a much softer and human perspective to his landscapes.
Artists are constantly searching for ways to differentiate their work. It's important to speak to an audience in an original manner to draw their attention.
Barr's work incorporates a unique blending of the traditional canvas and stretcher bar form factor with the use of cement veneer over wood. He is occasionally asked where he gets his inspiration.
"I'm inspired by my surroundings when I walk around Seattle, travel abroad and hikes through nature. The subject matter for landscapes comes from traveling and snapping photos while I'm hiking or trail running. I like to add a heightened sense of perspective by either photographing from a low angle or from a high vantage point. With my figurative paintings I take the same approach, attempting to create powerful perspective. The figures are typically in motion with significant directional lighting."
Whether landscape or figurative, Barr is drawn to more of an open layout. He likes to have his subject matter take no more than a third of the surface of the painting.
"I believe the negative or empty space of the painting isn't empty, but adds visual "weight" to the subject matter. I ensure that there are common elements that tie all of my paintings together in a consistent body of work.
With the landscape paintings my goal is to enhance the perspective and contrast of a setting in hopes of conveying the same feeling I get when outdoors in the moment.
With the figurative paintings I focus on people in action, whether they're playing instruments, riding bikes or walking down the street. The figures are meant to have a street art stencil look to tie in with the cement background."
For years Barr worked with oil on canvas. As his style evolved it became clear that fast drying acrylics were a better fit for his new paintings.
"Around the same time that I switched from oil to acrylic I had also switched from canvas to building my own boxes with a thin veneer of cement over the top and sides. The cement finish has an acrylic binding medium which gives it more strength and flexibility."
Barr says it's difficult to know which artists have helped influence his work.
"I admire Thomas Coles' dramatic nature scenes and Banksy's graffiti stencils. My goal is to create work with enhanced elements to give the viewer the same sense of wonder that they'd feel if they were there in the moment."
Mark Skullerud - Held over works
Wednesday July 11, 2018 - Saturday August 4, 2018
We are pleased to hold over some of the new works by Northwest artist, Mark Skullerud for the month of May as we exhibit "Seattle Re-Cline".
This year Skullerud brings us new, sharp and crisp, stylized paintings of some of Seattle's known and lesser known urban scenes.
Skullerud's new and mature urban landscapes draw heavily upon his power as a trained illustrator while balancing his interest in abstraction. We can see where cubism makes a subtle appearance as a tool to establish his version of the overall concept that could be termed as "objective correlative"
With a Cubist style and evocative colors, Skullerud depicts our contemporary and pedestrian lives with bridges, boats, parks, buildings and urban streets. He doesn't romanticize the subject, but rather breaks it down to an objective correlative that allows the expression of an emotion to be translated through events, objects and color palette depicted. The visual narrative of his paintings are really very well done.
On the flip side, Skullerud has additional works that fall far more closely in line with abstraction. Using a method he describes as un-directed drawing, he creates unexpected compositions that rely on our innate tendency to find order in chaos. As with his more representational work, each piece begins with a graphite composition leading to one or more small color studies and finishing with an oil painting.
He wants viewers to know the beauty that's visible every day, and to recognize the fleeting and subtle light that is gives the region its character and identity.
The geography of Seattle and the Puget Sound are all about hills, valleys, rivers and waterways. He sees mountains and urban hills as a performance stage for lighting. They are sculptural like muscles, 3D forms that serve to show off the cloud shadows and sun, the filtered light that changes from moment to moment with the seasons. They are, from a distance, textural. As cloud shadows slip up and over peaks, the textures take on new vibrancy or subtlety that shows in the small color changes washed and rewashed by distance and atmosphere. He sees a never ending movie that makes this part of the world a place worth living in.
As with our past exhibits with Skullerud, the selection of artwork is diverse and there is really something for everyone. Small acrylic studies on canvas and the original concept drawings done in graphite are also available as support works to the larger completed paintings.
Markus Pierson
Markus Pierson - Prints - Gallery II
Wednesday April 11, 2018 - Saturday July 7, 2018
We are pleased to offer a variety of prints by Midwest artist Markus Pierson.
Pierson created his iconic brand and painting style, "The Coyote Series" back in 1986 after he heard the Joni Mitchell song, "Coyote." He loved it, played it often and memorized the words. The focus of the song, a guy referred to as "Coyote," is a reckless, footloose Casanova type fellow � Pierson aspired to be the carefree romancer described in those lyrics. Then he did something he'd never done before or since: Markus made a drawing of a song. Since then he has created and sold over 1000 paintings, 200 sculpture & print editions, and created a body of found object sculptures.
"There's no doubt in my mind that my success has more to do with luck than talent, more to do with stubbornness than vision, more to do with ignorance than insight, but the fact remains that I pursued my dream and attained it against staggering odds. I say this now to anyone who will listen: even if I had failed, it would have been worth it. Better to face a brutal truth than to grow old wondering what might have been." Markus Pierson
Group Exhibit
Gallery II - Group Exhibit
Wednesday April 11, 2018 - Saturday May 5, 2018
During the year we offer on average a 30 day exhibition for our represented artists and as you might understand, it is difficult to sell all of their work during those short periods of exposure. So once a year we revisit some of these works from storage and offer them again in a group exhibit.
Dan Larsen
Organic Divide
Gallery II - Dan Larsen
Larsen Exhibit: Wed. - March 14, 2018 - Sat. April 7, 2018
Dan Larsen's work continues to amaze the viewer and we have held over a few paintings in our Gallery II space for an additional month.
An Abstract Expressionist, his "Organic" images of the past took us to microscopic views of factious stone slabs and other of the earth's interesting elements. He also took us to the far reaches of the Solar system where in "Solar Exposure" he explored the universe and its infinite energy and limitless horizon.
Bright and bold, yet delicate in detail those works were large and powerful examples of Larsen's masterful hand.
This year with "Organic Divide, Larsen continues to explore the relationship between artist and nature by pushing the serendipitous outcomes and patterns of nature with abstract expressionism calculated by the artist to create an ergonomic bond unusual in many of his past works.
It wasn't too long ago that Larsen embarked on the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago where he walked in solitude for 500 miles on a path that dates back to the middle ages. He took this route as a spiritual path and encountered a spiritual awareness different than he perceived it would be. Always inquisitive and receptive to the multitudes of the unknowns around him in life, he gained a greater understanding and self awareness of life's harmony with man and nature.
This exhibit "Organic Divide" captures some of that harmony in these new works and is reflected in the bisection of the artist's natural awareness and his perception of the Chinese concept of 'Li '
The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection
Wednesday November 8, 2017 - Saturday January 6, 2018
Please Join us for and interesting and playful exhibit of the works of Dr. Seuss.
His artistic vision emerged as the golden thread that linked every facet of his varied career, and his artwork became the platform from which he delivered forty-four children's books, more than 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters, and humor.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, began his career as a little-known editorial cartoonist in the 1920s. His intriguing perspective and fresh concepts ignited his career, and his work evolved quickly to deft illustrations, modeled sculpture, and sophisticated oil paintings of elaborate imagination. His artistic vision emerged as the golden thread that linked every facet of his varied career, and his artwork became the platform from which he delivered forty-four children's books, more than 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters, and humor.
Geisel single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the surrealist movement of the early 20th century and the inspired nonsense of a child's classroom doodles. The Art of Dr. Seuss project offers a rare glimpse into the artistic life of this celebrated American icon and chronicles almost seven decades of work that, in every respect is uniquely, stylistically, and endearingly Seussia.
Like Norman Rockwell, Dr. Seuss created every rough sketch, preliminary drawing, final line drawing, and finished work for each page of every project he illustrated.
Despite the technical and budgetary limitations of color printing during the early and mid-twentieth century, Dr. Seuss was meticulous about color selection. He created specially numbered color charts and intricate color callouts to precisely accomplish his vision for each book. Saturated reds and blues, for example, were carefully chosen for The Cat in the Hat to attract and maintain the visual attention of a six-year-old audience.
Even before Dr. Seuss's book career took off, sharp draftsman skills were evident in his editorial works, advertisements, and cartoons. His ability to move a storyline ahead via illustrations filled with tension, movement, and color became a hallmark of his children's literature, and the surreal images that unfolded over six decades became the catalyst for a humorous and inspired learning experience.
Wednesday November 8, 2017 - Saturday December, 9 2017
We are pleased to hold over selected works by Lori-ann Latremouille for an additional month.
Our relationship with this talented artist, singer, songwritier and poet goes back to the mid 1980's when we first began selling her interesting charcoal and pastels on paper from our office/showroom on Lake Bellevue. Since then we have had enjoyed a variety of exhibits and sales from our Kirkland location and now for the third time we are pleased to exhibit her newest works in our Bellevue Gallery.
This year's exhibit, "Man in the Landscape" she explores the idea of human beings completely integrating with natural forms like trees or large stones. The figures are not just entwined with these forms but are a part of them. For example a human tree or a boulder head.
Latremouille was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is clearly influenced by the lush and synergistic ecosystems of the West Coast. This is evident in her work, where human figures, animals, sea creatures, birds, flora and fauna all intertwine.
She begins each piece by doodling and sketching. The lines gradually develop into more complex shapes and forms. Positive and negative spaces shift back and forth, like in a jigsaw puzzle. The images spontaneously evolve. Velvety blacks and pure colours provide sensual tonal gradations that give the work an evocative strength and intensity.
Her unique blending of emotionally charged blocks of color with brilliantly contrasting black and white hues is striking and at times psychedelic.
Since the 1980's, Latermouille has been using charcoal and pure pigment pastels on paper as her signature medium. In 2010 she started painting with acrylics on wood panel. She was drawn to the natural wood grain texture and the layering effects the paint allows and her new work reflects this new addition.
Latremouille has just begun to incorporate the lyrics to her songs and poetry in this recent series of paintings. She has done this by writing the lyrics to her songs on the transparent embroidered material of the dresses the figures are wearing.
"As an artist I am always revealing aspects of myself both in visual art and music. "Poet's Dress" expresses the sense of exposure I feel at times. As I have been told on many occasions;I wear my heart on my sleeve."
As a singer songwriter, Latremouille has published 3 CDʼs of her own music. Poetry is where her songwriting began, and she is now incorporating her lyrics and poetry into her paintings.
Over the past 20 years her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and Canada, she has also exhibited in Europe.
Lori-ann Latremouille's unique striking artwork has made a lasting mark in the art world and will no doubt continue to draw acclaim and recognition.
Her work hangs in many prominent private and public collections.
Carrie Vielle
Carrie Vielle "In Harmony with Solitude" Held Over Works
Wednesday October 10, 2017 - Saturday November 4, 2017
We are pleased to hold over the newest and very personal works by Washington State University Associate Professor Carrie Vielle.
Slowing down. Shutting out. Taking moments for oneself, by oneself, and welcoming silence. These are all phenomena that are new to the life of Carrie Vielle.
Italians call it "dolce far niente": The sheer enjoyment of idleness. She came to understand that taking time to be still is not indulgent, but necessary for physical and emotional well-being.
For most of Vielle's adult life, she has lived acutely and inescapably 'present.' She defined her success through a state of being highly active in as much as she could, over-achieving, and constantly contributing.
" I lost my balance, and the lack of harmony in my life was not sustainable." Vielle explains.
"Over the last year, I've learned that managing success must include moments of restorative detachment. Slowly but surely, I am learning to give myself permission to allow these pauses. By incorporating silence and solitude in my life, I am slowing finding my balance."
Vielle's new collection of figural works explores these restorative moments.
"I hope these images of stillness, vulnerability, strength, and solitude inspire you to slow down, shut out, and take moments for yourself." Carrie Vielle
Jaime Ellsworth - Held over works
Wedmesday September 13, 2017 - Saturday October 7, 2017
We are happy to hold over some of the remaining works by Jaime Ellsworth and visible in our mall window gallery.
This year we get a "Dog and Pony Show" which fits all the imagery she loves.
Her paintings are built of many thin layers of oil starting with a limited palette of bold colors on large canvases or wood panels. Subsequent layers allow the under paint to peek through and transparent glazes give the final surface a subtle tint.
Carrie Vielle "In Harmony with Solitude"
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is pleased to offer the newest and very personal works by Washington State University Associate Professor Carrie Vielle.
Kim Starr
Kim Starr- Held over Works
Wednesday September 13, 2017 - Saturday October 7, 2017
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is pleased to offer the newest works by Washington State native and well respected Hawaiian artist, Kim Starr.
This new exhibit, "A Personal Reflection" is a collection of new and past paintings and drawings that have never been exhibited before and showcase the high level of expertise that Kim Starr possesses. These are jewels on canvas spanning still life's and the romantic impressionism that she is so well known for.
Kim Starr, a native of the northwest with a natural artistic ability pursued and excelled in a career in professional illustration and advertising in her years after college.
In 1981 she and husband moved to the island of Hawaii. For five of the nine years they lived on the island of Hawaii and resided in Holualoa on the west (or Kona) side of the island. It was in April 1984 that Holualoa became the first location for Kim Starr Gallery showcasing her romantic impressionism exclusively. In January 1997 Kim and her husband opened a second Kim Starr Gallery in Hanapepe, a small historic town on the south-west corner of the island of Kauai.
The Hilton Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, The Villas at Mauna Kea, Punahou Cliffs, Commodore Club, Honolulu, are a few of the larger projects that Starr has been commissioned for featured paintings. Mr. Ian Snowden, fine art appraiser, commissioned Kim Starr to create a painting with a celebrated piece of silver from the Snowden Collection. This painting was completed and featured a "Silver Flask" from George Bernard Shaw to Howard French, New York. The painting is now in the Snowden Collection
Starr's most recently commissioned work is a pair of large oil paintings on canvas which hang in the entry of the newly remodeled Sheraton Waikiki Resort Hotel lobby.
Kim Starr is one of the preeminent painters of Romantic Impressionism bordering Realism. Her meticulous attention to the figure, combined with the artistic sensitivity of earlier masters, results in contemporary works of unparalleled beauty. Critics have said that her work elicits an immediate emotional response. Viewers are drawn into the image and surrounded by its elegance. It is obvious that they are in the presence of a modern master.
In the last 35 years, Kim Starr has created classic paintings and works on paper for corporate and private collections and her extraordinary art hangs in public spaces, world-class resorts and homes throughout the world. The success of her exhibits has been overwhelming.
While much of her life as a painter has been in Hawaii, today Kim continues to create jewel-like masterpieces in a small community in northwestern Washington State, and collectors everywhere continue to seek out and acquire her works.
My Last Coversation with Albert Ball
Thom 'von' Ross "My last conversation with Albert Ball"
Wednesday July 12th 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
We are pleased to again offer the new and inspiring works by the celebrated artist, Thom Ross. This new Exhibit explores exactly what Ross loves. History, the little known or vividly portrayed stories that he finds so fascinating. His in depth and exhausting challenge of research with an outcome painted playfully and in a style enjoyed by even those not interested in the subject matter, yet they stand back to imagine the story and enjoy the momentary ride into an unknown event in history all the while hopefully sparking a new found appreciation for the story and the art.
"My Last Conversation with Albert Ball" revolves around the Flying Aces of WWI and their stories. Some known, some unknown, but nonetheless important and historical.
Gina Holt
Debbie Tomassi
Debbie Tomassi and Gina Holt
Held Over! Front Window Gallery - Debbie Tomassi and Gina Holt
We are happy to have the room to hold over a variety of works from both Debbie Tomassi and Gina Holt in our Front Window Gallery.
It has been a number of years since we have exhibited the playful and whimsical works by the busy and nationally recognized humorous writer, Debbie Tomassi, so it is with great pleasure that we again have the opportunity to share here newest works with our collectors.
For many years Tomassi was a regular contributor of paintings to the gallery, especially around Valentine's Day with her heart felt and romantic look at the world through the eyes of a humorous writer and hopeless romantic.
With this new exhibit, "The Friendship Garden" Debbie Tomassi collaborates with her good friend and well-known ceramic artist, Gina Holt as they combine skills and artistic direction in a variety of works. These works will be both individual and collaborative works based on the floral garden.
Debbie Tomassi is a painter, writer, illustrator and surface designer. She is an artist with a tireless imagination who creates in nearly every medium there is.
Her career began at American Greetings as a humorous writer and illustrator where she spent more than 25 years not only writing and illustrating thousands of greeting cards but she also had the pleasure of designing in many other products in the social expression and gift industry.
Debbie has established an enviable track record of sales, as well as a noteworthy clientele that includes Design Design, Inc., Smilebox, Ronnie Sellers Publishing, Leap Year Publishing, Little Brown Publishing, Madison Park Greetings, Microsoft, NobleWorks, and American Greetings / Recycled Paper Greetings, Current, and Gina B.
In 2010, Debbie was awarded the highly prestigious Reuben Award for the Greeting Card Category by the National Cartoonists Society in New York City at their Annual Banquet. She is nominated again this year.
Her colorful and witty collections, adapt well to all types of products, from stationery and greeting cards, to gifts and novelty items, as well as home decor. Debbie creates art that will bring a touch of whimsy and style to the market place.
Her latest venture features her designs printed on linen tea towels, canvas pillows, and silk scarves.
She lives and works out of her home studio in a beautifully forested area of Seattle with her husband, cat, and assorted woodland creatures. She is inspired by nature, her love of gardening and the colorful world around her.
Originally from New York, Gina Holt currently resides in the Pacific Northwest where she works from her home studio.
Born in 1959, Gina says that she inherited her creativity from her father, a dancer, and her mother, an artist. As a child she loved to spend her spare time drawing, painting and making up imaginary characters for the stories she illustrated.
Gina received a BA in art from the University of Oregon, where she focused on printmaking, illustration and painting. After graduating, she augmented her creative abilities by taking classes in ceramic hand-building at Pottery Northwest.
She has since experienced an unending joy of working with clay, as this medium allows her to transform the 2-D media she is so familiar with into virtual 3-D canvases that simultaneously employ her drawing, sculpting and painting skills.
Gina's most recent works are colorful, botanical - inspired sculptures that can either stand alone or hang on the wall. Inspirations for these life-like creations begin with her study of intricate nature photos and live plants from the garden. Gina's eye-catching works emerge as she molds complexity, light and shadow into the clay. The addition of multiple layers of combined glazes and textures enhance and complete each unique work of art. Gina then signs, numbers, and writes on the back of each botanical piece a sentimental meaning that primarily derives from Victorian era- floral dictionaries, making each and every sculpture a thoughtful experience.
Gina began selling her works in 1991 through gift galleries and juried shows and now exhibits in fine art galleries.
Her devoted groupies know very well that her works in clay started as floral-themed mirrors and architectural-style clocks. A number of her followers are thrilled to have more than a handful of these collectible items gracing the walls of their homes.
There is an optimism and delightful cheerfulness to Gina's work and her art has gained attention across the United States.
Mark Skullerud - Held Over Works in the Window Gallery
- Last Chance to view: Saturday June 10, 2017
6:00 -8:00 pm
We are happy to hold over in our Window Gallery some of the newest works by Northwest painter, Mark Skullerud. This year Skullerud brings us new, sharp and crisp, stylized paintings of some of Seattle's known and lesser known urban scenes.
Skullerud's new and mature urban landscapes draw heavily upon his power as a trained illustrator while balancing his interest in abstraction. We can see where cubism makes a subtle appearance as a tool to establish his version of the overall concept that could be termed as "objective correlative".
With a Cubist style and evocative colors, Skullerud depicts our contemporary and pedestrian lives with bridges, boats, parks, buildings and urban streets. He doesn't romanticize the subject but rather breaks it down to an objective correlative that allows the expression of an emotion to be translated through the events, objects and color palette depicted. The visual narrative of his paintings are really very well done.
On the flip side, Skullerud has additional works that fall far more closely inline with traditional Impressionism. landscapes based on real things in real locations in the Puget Sound area. They are emotional portraits of a time of day, a weather pattern or a season that have a familiar feel of the region. Again, it could be somewhat object correlative as seen in his more urban images.
The geography of Seattle and the Puget Sound are all about hills, valleys, rivers and waterways. He sees mountains and hills as a performance stage for lighting. They are sculptural like muscles, 3D forms that serve to show off the cloud shadows and sun, the filtered light that changes from moment to moment with the seasons. They are, from a distance, textural. As cloud shadows slip up and over peaks, the textures take on new vibrancy or subtlety that shows in the small color changes washed and rewashed by distance and atmosphere. He sees a never ending movie that makes this part of the world a place worth living in.
As with our past exhibits with Skullerud, the selection of artwork is diverse and there is really something for everyone. Small acrylic studies on canvas and the original concept drawings done in graphite are also available as support works to the larger completed paintings. You might think about collecting a trio to complete a concept.
Ron Campbell
Ron Campbell will be in attendance
The Cartoon Characters of Ron Campbell
3 Days Only! The Beatle's "Yellow Submarine and Other Cartoon Favorites" A Pop Up Exhibit
Friday April 28, 2017 - Sunday April 30, 2017
4:00 - 8:00 Friday
Watch Margaret Larson of King 5's New Day NW interview with Ron Campbell
http://www.king5.com/entertainment/television/programs/new-day-northwest/the-creative-mind-behind-yellow-submarine-the-jetsons-flintstones-and-other-classics/434572053
In 1964 the Beatles invaded the United States, performing for 73 million people on the Ed Sullivan Show and dominating the US pop charts for years. Now over five decades later, the Fab Four continue to be the most celebrated musical group in Rock history. And Beatlemania is alive and well�.just last year, the Beatles released a live CD of their Hollywood Bowl concerts and director Ron Howard premiered a documentary on the Fab Four's touring years!
Ron Campbell, director of the 1960's Saturday Morning Beatles Cartoon series and animator of the Beatles film Yellow Submarine will make a rare personal appearance at the
Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery
800 Bellevue Way NE, Ste. 111
Bellevue, WA,
Friday, April 28th through Sunday, April 30th.
Ron will showcase his original Beatles cartoon paintings created specially for the show and create new Beatles pop art paintings at the exhibit. Ron will also feature other artwork based on his 50-year career in cartoons including Scooby Doo, Rugrats, Smurfs, Flintstones, Jetsons and more. The exhibit is free and all works are available for purchase.
THE LEGENDARY ANIMATOR/DIRECTOR WILL BE EXHIBITING HIS BEATLES CARTOON ART AS WELL AS PAINTING NEW WORKS DURING HIS APPEARANCE.
Campbell will also be exhibiting artwork featuring other beloved cartoon characters that encompass his 50-year career in Children's Television such as Scooby Doo, the Smurfs, Rugrats, Winnie the Pooh, Flintstones, Jetsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & more.
ALL WORKS ARE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE.
Friday, April 28th � 4:00 pm � 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 29th � 1:00 pm � 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 30th � 12:00 pm � 4:00 pm
Come by and meet Ron Campbell and add a fun new work of art to your collection!
Ron Campbell Interview
Ron Campbell interview: http://www.king5.com/entertainment/television/programs/new-day-northwest/the-creative-mind-behind-yellow-submarine-the-jetsons-flintstones-and-other-classics/434572053
Margaret Larson and New Day NW on King 5
Charlie Barr - North by Northwest - New Works
March 8, 2017 - April 8, 2017
We are pleased to offer new works in March by a gallery favorite, Charlie Barr.
Charlie Barr is a Northwest landscape artist working with a unique mixed media blend of acrylic and cement on panel. These contemporary paintings are meant to set a mood or evoke emotion and often leave the viewer with a sense of remembrance and stimulated senses.
This year's exhibit expands on his previous landscape works and figurative views with some new Northwest scenes that are closer to home.
Barr's goal is to create paintings ranging from representational to abstract with a focus on color, contrast, and balance. He doesn't want the quality of the painting to diminish whether viewed from ten feet or eight inches and believes it is crucial to use texture and creative brush techniques to hold a viewer's attention up close and have a strong composition to hold the viewer's interest at a greater distance. Every inch of the painted surface has movement without sacrificing the overall composition.
Gary Grant "Expressionist-Perfectionist
Wednesday February 8, 2017 - Saturday March 4, 2017
The gallery has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Grant as a painter, designer, collector and friend. It isn't unusual for a designer, especially an architect to have begun their career as a fine artist or who have continuously painted or created during their career.
As a designer with more than 3 decades experience, Gary Grant knows the importance of a thoughtful, detailed design process and approaches yacht design as ART, as kinetic sculpture with form and composition. "My first design tool remains a #2 Ticonderoga pencil" says Grant.
An award-winning yacht designer, Grant has been internationally recognized for his brilliant aerodynamic, sculptural elements and formed glass surfaces which have become the signature of his work turns an educated eye to his other love � painting.
Identifying himself always as an artist, his work received early attention including exhibiting at SAM (Seattle Art Museum) while still in High School. Grant went on to receive and study art on full art scholarship. Upon graduation he served in the military, where his training and creative ability were utilized in graphic presentations and analysis. Gary continued his education in both art and industrial design, working as Boeing illustrator, naval architecture and yacht designer.
He worked with Seattle based architects and opened his own design firm in 1982. His early designs include the iconic SV Norseman 535, and the SV Norseman 400 - production vessels that are still highly regarded today as high performance, stunningly beautiful craft. In the power and mega yacht category his designs, without exception, have received awards and industry recognition.
Grant's Expressionist paintings have an iconic similarity to his sleek and modern designed yachts yet are very diametric in form. His yacht designs are modern, fluid and sharp with a monochromatic palette while his paintings are loose and colorful, yet sharp and controlled.
During this exhibit you will find a Grant designed yacht paired with each abstract painting and be able to see the influence that one has on the other. Two Forms, One Vision.
Arless Day
"Mine"
"Mine" Gallery Inventory Sale
Wednesday January 11, 2017 - Saturday February 4, 2017
Over the years the Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery has purchased a variety of works that have been hung, put away or hidden and we now would like to share a small selection of those with you as we begin our 31st year in business with an eclectic exhibit of gallery inventory.
While every gallery has a direction of exhibitions, that doesn't always hold true with individual collections. Over the years we have enjoyed purchasing eclectic works for the gallery by various artists for several different reasons, but mostly just because we liked the work.
With wall space and storage always a challenge, we wanted to bring out some of our framed works that haven't been offered before or passed up and offer them for sale in this group exhibit. Through February 4th.
Annual Holiday Exhibit - The Art of Dr. Seuss
Wednesday December 7, 2016 - Saturday January 7, 2017
Join us for our annual Holiday Exhibit with the works of famed illustrator, author and artist, Theodor Seuss Geisel. While we are one of a select group of galleries in the United States authorized to represent The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection and always carry his prints this exhibit however will have a large variety of works that are not exhibited ongoing.
"We are proud to provide our community with a rare opportunity to view and learn about the artistic legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel, one of the most significant American icons of our time."
Keiichi Nishimura
Keiichi Nishimura will be in attendance
Keiichi Nishimura - "Harmony" Mixed Media on Silk
Wednesday November 9, 2016 - Saturday December 3, 2016
We are very pleased to offer for the first time to our collectors the beautiful works by Keiichi Nishimura.
Known for his unique approach to wave imagery and use of metal leaf within each of his original, one of a kind, paintings on silk. The medium is a water based pigment derived from suihigofun (mineral), which the artist grinds to a finer consistency and then mixes with a very delicate balance of nikawa (melted pine sap). The nikawa is what gives the pigment its deep rich color and also enables it to adhere to the silk. Variances in color and tone are by hand with wide brushes.
Although his themes and inspirations always begin with the traditional, the end result is something refreshingly new and innovative. Perhaps it can be said that his work is a modern interpretation of tradition by one who understands deeply both the discipline of his Eastern culture and the freedom of Western expression. In his work, Nishimura strives to achieve integration of the two cultures.
Jin Chen
Jin Chen "Pop Op - Beijing Bling"
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is proud to exhibit for the first time in the USA, the Op Art paintings by Beijing artist Jin Chen. With the Exhibit being titled "Pop Op � Beijing Bling".
With a studio in Shanghai and Beijing, Jin Chen divides his time between both the fine art world and the graphic design arena where he has worked in the field of advertising, design, media and PR.
Born in 1974, Jin Chen has been painting since childhood and holds a degree in Decorative Arts, graduating from Central Academy of Arts & Design in Beijing, China.
Using his talent as a fine artist he has spent most of his adult life painting and working in the design field. Some of his design applications and keen graphic techniques have influenced his painting style to get to where he is today as a fine artist creating interesting Geometric Abstracts.
His Pop-Op images are reminiscent of Pop Art and Optical Art masters from Lichtenstein and Warhol to Vasarely and Frank Stella with his work falling uniquely into Geometric Abstraction.
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the United States in the late 1950's after a brief introduction in Great Britain. Pop art presented a challenge to the traditions of fine art by including imagery from the popular culture such as advertising and news.
American advertising had adopted many elements and characteristics of modern art and functioned at a very sophisticated level.
Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Op art works are abstract, with many better known pieces created in black and white. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images, flashing and vibrating patterns, or of swelling or warping. Often making the view a bit queasy.
The viewer's eye can be tricked or confused by the visual vibration created by the movement generated of juxtaposing complimentary colors, curvilinear lines and diminishing shapes until the mind catches up and then at the blink of an eye, you are caught off guard yet again.
Jin Chen has been able to assimilate his design fundamentals and graphic background into a fun and exploratory direction that is very unique and contemporarily popular with an entirely new generation of collectors.
Dan Larsen will be in attendance
Organic Diversion - Grande
Dan Larsen "Organic Diversion - Grande"
Since 2002, Dan Larsen has been a favorite in the gallery from day one.
This year with "Organic Diversion - Grande", Larsen explores on a large scale the artist and nature bond by pushing the serendipitous outcomes and patterns of nature with abstract expressionism calculated by the artist to create an ergonomic bond unusual in many of his past works.
This exhibit "Organic Diversion - Grande" captures some of that harmony in these new works and is reflected in the bisection of the artist's natural awareness and his perception of the Chinese concept of 'Li '
Ray Pelley
Ray Pelley will be in attendance
Ray Pelley "Alternative Realism"
6:00 -8:00
Held over to our Front Window Gallery! Don't miss the newest works by Ray Pelley.
Pelley has been an integral part of the gallery and regular exhibitor since the early 1990's where he has developed an loyal and supportive following.
Known primarily as a Photorealist painter, Pelley's subject matter of the past has spanned wine, toys and urban landscapes with a slight surreal bend to his paintings. His interesting perspectives and remarkable reflections have proved the test of time by delighting collectors for over a quarter of a century.
This year Pelley takes on photorealism from an alternative perspective with his new works in "Alternative Realism".
Taking artistic liberties from photographs, Pelley converts the hard edge and percise visual dialogue of a photo and manipulates the hues, shades and tints into over saturated colors with enhanced light and shadows to create a new and intense subject matter, all the while still being a photo.
As with all of Pelley's surreal - photorealism, these new works also challenge the viewer with perspective, subject matter and color.
Photorealism is the genre of painting based on making a painting of a photograph. The term is primarily applied to paintings from the United States photorealism art movement that began in the late 1960s, early 1970s. More recently, a splinter art movement called hyperrealism has developed.
Photorealist painting cannot exist without the photograph. In Photorealism, change and movement must be frozen in time which must then be accurately represented by the artist.
Photorealists gather their imagery and information with the camera and photograph. Once the photograph is developed (usually digitally now) the artist will systematically transfer the image from the digital image onto canvases. Pelley uses a grid techniques to accurately transfer the photo image to the canvas. The resulting images are often direct copies of the original photograph but are usually larger than the original photograph or digital image.
This results in the photorealist style being tight and precise, often with an emphasis on imagery that requires a high level of technical prowess and virtuosity to simulate, such as reflections in specular surfaces and the geometric rigor of man-made environs.
Pelley's "Alternative Realism" captures the manipulated photograph rather than that reflected by the normal eye.
As an artist, Pelley states; "I hope to project an inner vision of the psychic and personal experiences of my individual existence in an aesthetic creation that enables those experiences to be generally recognized within the framework of humanity and an ideal world.
While it would be possible for me to express my personal reasons and understanding of the images I create, I would prefer not to. Art is nonverbal in its communicative form and I believe a more powerful method of communication because of its nonverbal nature. This is not to say, however, that I would not expect a verbal or intellectual response to my work. Rather, I hope that it would touch the psychic energies of my audience in a way that they might somehow respond to their own inner vision of the world and humanity".
Jaime Ellsworth - New Paintings
Jaime Ellsworth "Funny Bunny Buddy"
We are pleased to offer new paintings by San Juan Island artist, Jaime Ellsworth.
Come by and meet Ellsworth at our monthly Vernissage.
This Year we are introduced to some new subject matter from her animal world as Ellsworth paints her playful bunnies.
Lori-ann Latremouille "Poetic Vision" Held Over
We are pleased to Hold Over some of the newest works by Canadian artist, Lori-ann Latremouille.
This new exhibit of paintings by Latremouille titled "Poetic Vision " reflects her newest medium of acrylic on wood panels."Poetic Vision" explores the lunar influence on the conception of new thoughts and ideas. The moon is a powerful heavenly body of reflective light long associated with femininity, creativity, growth, and the germination of life.
Since the 1980's Latremouille has been creating her visual puzzles of humans, animals and vegetation intertwined on paper with charcoal and pastels. In 2010 she started painting with acrylics on wood panel. She was drawn to the natural wood grain texture and the layering effects the paint allows.
Latremouille was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is clearly influenced by the lush and synergistic ecosystems of the West Coast. This is evident in her work, where human figures, animals, sea creatures, birds, flora and fauna all intertwine. She begins each piece by doodling and sketching. The lines gradually develop into more complex shapes and forms. Positive and negative spaces shift back and forth, like in a jigsaw puzzle. The images spontaneously evolve. Velvety blacks and pure colors provide sensual tonal gradations that give the work an evocative strength and intensity. Her unique blending of emotionally charged blocks of color with brilliantly contrasting black and white hues is striking and at times psychedelic.
Svetlana Shalygina - Held Over
Wednesday June 8, 2016 - Saturday July 9, 2016
Russian by birth, the foundation of Shaygina's unique style is the poetry and beauty she treasured as a child, and the love she still feels for her Homeland. The core of her creative expression is both personal and nostalgic�to the point she was originally reluctant to share her vision openly with others. Her maturing style has been strongly influenced by her love of nature and her interest in human behavior and emotion.
Gallery II - Rodrigo (Jing Ping Ma)
Rodrigo - Gallery II
Rodrigo (birth name Jing Ping Ma) was born in Henan China in 1979. Rodrigo was fortunate to have been born at a time of China's changing attitudes toward the outside world as well as the directions its people were to take in the "New China" itself. The world was opening up as Rodrigo took lessons in various art forms, eventually selecting oil paintings as his choice of expressing his artistic level.
In 1999 Rodrigo graduated from Henan University of Education. Over the next few years, he worked at several art related endeavors while developing his skills as a professional artist. In 2003 Rodrigo entered his first major art exhibit being held in Hong Kong. By the next year he had won first place in the Beijing Art Expo.
Rodrigo developed his current theme of nature scenes, using very heavily textured techniques causing an almost third dimension of beauty. By 2012 Rodrigo finally realized a long held dream by entering a relationship that led to his wonderful landscapes and nature scenes being shown in America. His works are being enthusiastically received by a growing number of collectors worldwide.
Harold Nelson
Nelson and Skullerud "Fractured Views - Deux"
Fractured Views - Held Over
Wednesday May 11, 2016 - Saturday June 4, 2016
Our exhibit in April was very successful selling out Skullerud's paintings and requiring us to bring in additional available works from last year to fill the walls. Included with the previous years works by Skullerud are many new Collages by Nelson that are still available. These are fantastic and sophisticated collages worthy of any collection.
"Fractured Views" reflects works by two of our gallery artists who are similar yet very different and the juxtaposition of exhibiting their work together proved to be insightful and interesting and thoughtful viewing experience.
Both Nelson and Skullerud are seasoned artists who exhibit quality and exceptional works worthy of any collection.
Sunol Alvar
Alvar - Lithographs
Wednesday March 9, 2016 - Saturday April 9, 2015
Please join us for this special opportunity to view and purchase works by the modern master, Sunol Alvar.
Following the great tradition of other great Spanish painters of the 20th Century, including Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, the unique and distinctive artwork of Alvar Sunol Munoz-Ramos has taken a revered spot in the history and iconography of our times.
We on occasion love to revisit some of the great artists we have exhibited over the years and Alvar is truly one of our favorites. Beautiful design, excellent craftsmanship and highly collectible.
Sunol Alvar has exhibited regularly throughout the world over the years. His highly prized lithographs were honored with an exhibition at the Hyacinth Rigand Museum in Perpignan, France. The Utah Museum of Fine Art, Salt Lake City, Utah and the Wichita Art Museum in Wichita, Kansas have held major exhibits of his lithographs, paintings and sculptures.
Alvar Sunol Munoz-Ramos was born on January 20, 1935 in Montgat, a Catalan fishing village on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. Sunol Alvar grew up on the sunny Mediterranean coast with his father Tomas, mother Antonia and his older brother and sister, Jordi and Amadea. Showing a great artistic talent as a youth, he attended the prestigious Sant Jordi Art School in Barcelona at age 16.
Alvar's beautiful hand created Lithographs are some of the most collected prints of a living artist and are cherished world wide.
Kathleen Hooks
Kathleen Hooks -
Wednesday February 10, 2016 - Saturday March 5, 2016
Landscapes by Kathleen Hooks
"Reflections" A Review of Past Works
Join us as we reflect on 2015 with works from the past year in a group exhibit. Dr. Seuss Unorthodox Taxidermy, Lori-ann Latremouille, Thom Ross, Dan Larsen, Charlie Barr, Kim Walker, Jaime Ellsworth, Svetlana Shalygina and introducing Mamie Joe Rayburn
"Oh, The Places You'll Go" The Art of Dr. Seuss
Oh, The Places You'll Go! The Art of Dr. Seuss - Held Over
Twenty-five years have passed since Dr. Seuss's last book Oh, the Places You'll Go! was published in 1990. In honor of this milestone,a special exhibition is being mounted to artistically highlight the scores of places and eras Dr. Seuss has taken us with his incomparable collection of artwork. Throughout a lifelong adventure into "logical insanity," Ted Geisel transported viewers through an astonishing visual journey they never dreamed possible.
In his final book, Ted gathered his favorite unpublished sketches, pinned them up on the cork walls of his studio and then set about finding a way to make them connect. The result was the most powerful graphic work he had done in many years.
In celebration of this milestone, an exclusive Oh, the Places You'll Go! Portfolio was unveiled to the public at the San Diego History Center museum in April 2015. As the featured centerpiece of the exhibition, this limited edition portfolio takes visitors behind the scenes to experience the Dr. Seuss archives in a way you never could before. Nine expertly crafted works, adapted from Dr. Seuss's original concept drawings for Oh, the Places You'll Go!, are presented within a specially made collector's edition case, which includes an introductory letter from Audrey Geisel, a rare photograph of Ted in his studio with images from the project, and excerpts from his original manuscript. Join us and be one of the first to view or acquire this grand collection of artwork.
As part of her February 2015 letter accompanying the Oh, the Places You'll Go! Portfolio, Mrs. Audrey Geisel writes: "He was taking everything he knew and putting it into the life-voyage of this particular little boy. Ted is indeed the boy in the pajamas in Oh, the Places You'll Go! This portfolio, published on the 25th anniversary of Oh, the Places You'll Go!, is the capstone of his enduring legacy." � Audrey Geisel
Additional works by Dr. Seuss will be on display during this Special Exhibition.
Charlie Barr - "Urban Diversion" New Paintings
This year's exhibit expands on his previous landscape works and introduces figures and architecture as the bulk of subject matter.
Brian McGuffey
Brian McGuffey "Meet Me On The Other Side" Selected works held over
Wednesday November 11, 2015 - Saturday December 5, 2015
We are happy to hold over a selected collection of works by Brian McGuffey from our previous exhibit "Meet Me On The Other Side".
Brian McGuffey - Meet Me On The Other Side
October 13, 2015 - Novemeber 7, 2015
The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery is pleased to introduce a new artist to our stable as we begin our 30th year in business. Please join us in welcoming Brian McGuffey.
While new to our gallery, McGuffey is not new to the art world. A seasoned professional, he exhibits exhaustingly across the country from California to New York and now in Seattle.
This Exhibit "Meet Me on the Other Side" is based on the ancient Druid celebration of Samhuinn, a festival and astronomical observance of the ending and the beginning of the Celtic year.
The festival takes place October 31 to November 2nd, and is referred to as the time of 'no time'. During these three days order, structure, and time are abolished and chaos reigns.
During this anniversary/celebration, order and structure were abolished, chaos reigned. Time was abolished for the 3 days of the festival. People would do crazy things, Men dressed as women and women dressed as men, Farmer's gates were opened and livestock and animals roamed freely. Costumes were often the custom.
The Celtics frolicked about the forest in the darkness in celebration. Children knocked on neighbors' doors for food and treats, much the same way we celebrate Hallowe'en, but it has a deeper meaning in Druid culture. The veil between this world and the world of ancestors is drawn aside and, on these nights for those who are prepared, journeys can be made in safety to the other side.
Also referred to as the 'Dark Moon', this represents a time in which mortal sights need to be obscured in order to see into other worlds. These rites are concerned with making connections with the spirits of the departed, who are seen as sources of guidance and inspiration.
"My showing at the 30th anniversary of The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery led me to further investigate the Druid calendar discovering the 'Lustre', or 5 year time period. At the end of six Lustres, or 30 years, a Druidic Cycle is complete and a new cycle is b." - Brian McGuffey
Dan Larsen - Select works held over
Since 2002, Dan Larsen has been a favorite in the gallery from day one. An Abstract Expressionist, his "Organic" images of the past took us to microscopic views of factious stone slabs and other of the earth's interesting elements. Last year he took us to the far reaches of the Solar system. In "Solar Exposure" as he explored the universe and its infinite energy and limitless horizon. Bright and bold, yet delicate in detail those works were large and powerful examples of Larsen's masterful hand.
This year with "Natural Evolution" Larsen explores the artist and nature bond by pushing the serendipitous outcomes and patterns of nature with abstract expressionism calculated by the artist to create an ergonomic bond unusual in many of his past works.
Natural Evolution - New Works by Dan Larsen
Wednesday September 9th - Saturday October 10th
We are pleased to exhibit the newest works by Pacific Northwest artist, Dan Larsen.
Since 2002, Larsen has been a favorite in the gallery from day one. An Abstract Expressionist, his "Organic" images of the past took us to microscopic views of factious stone slabs and other of the earth's interesting elements. Last year he took us to the far reaches of the Solar system. In "Solar Exposure" as he explored the universe and its infinite energy and limitless horizon. Bright and bold, yet delicate in detail those works were large and powerful examples of Larsen's masterful hand.
Brad Caplis - Held Over
Brad Caplis - To Live in Color
A native of Michigan and graduate of the University of Virginia, Caplis now resides in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and family. Still young, he has explored a variety of landscapes across the country with a playful eye, yet still has fond remembrance of growing up in Michigan as seen in his nostalgic paintings.
To Dream in Color
Brad Caplis "To Dream in Color"
August 12, 2015 - September 5, 2015
Join us as we welcome back Brad Caplis with new works in "To Dream in Color".
Group Exhibit - August
In keeping with our desire to constantly promote our artists, we have held over a select group of paintings from our two previous exhibits with Thom Ross and Jaime Ellsworth in Gallery II and in the Window Gallery.
In addition to the group exhibit, you will find works by a few Modern Masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Renoir,Warhol and Fini as well as our ongoing selections of the Art of Dr. Seuss.
We are pleased to have two new works in by Brian McGuffey who we will be exhibiting in October in conjunction with our 30th Anniversary Celebration.
Alan Bean
President Kennedy's Vision - An Extraordinary Glimpse of a Historic Painting by Astronaut Alan Bean
John F. Kennedy's Vision
By Captain Alan Bean
Armstrong and Aldrin Planting the US Flag on the Moon, July 20, 1969
24x36 inch 2004
Textured acrylic with moon dust on aircraft plywood.
Signed lower Right
This painting was created by Astronaut Alan Bean to pay his personal respects to President John F. Kennedy's vision, announced in a May 1961 speech, regarding the sending an American to the moon and back safely before the 1960's were over. Of course, Bean was part of the fulfillment of that dream when he landed on the moon as the lunar module pilot Apollo 12 on November 19, 1969 and become the fourth human to walk there.
Captain Bean describes this painting this way:
"At the beginning of John F. Kennedy's presidency the people of the United States of America were in crisis. Were our basic beliefs, our way of the life the best, or was communism the waver of the future? After all, the Soviet Union surprised the world with their technical skills when it rocketed a satellite into Earth orbit. We could do little but watch in amazement. When the communists sent Yuri Gagarin, the first human into space, again we could only look on with awe and concern. Were democracy and freedom no longer competitive in today's world? Our president, John F. Kennedy, could feel the discouragement. As leader of the free world he knew our country needed a bold stroke. In 1962 he proclaimed before Congress that America would reach the Moon "before the decade is out".
"On September 12, 1962, at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, John F. Kennedy gave America a historical challenge. He said, "The United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This Country was conquered b those who moved forward." And later, "We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal sill swerve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because the challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone and one which we intended to win."
Less than seven years later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin realized John Kennedy's vision when they placed the stars and stripes on the surface of the Moon. Americans could feel confident again.
Alan Bean is not just an astronaut. He is an artist who had, for several years before his NASA career, been practicing and perfecting his craft. Since retiring from NASA in 1981, Bean has been expressing his experiences in space artistically. After all, he had seen the sights that no other artist ever had. To make his original are even more appealing and historic, Captain Bean presses into the canvas surfaces authentic lunar boot moon prints, along with impressions from a core tube-bit used to collect soil samples and marks the from a hammer used to drive the staff of the American flag into the lunar surface. Moon dust from the lunar surface �worn patches are also incorporated into the paint and texturing compound.
Jaime Ellsworth "For the Love of Them" New Works
July 8, 2015 - August 8, 2015
We are pleased to again offer the works by Jaime Ellsworth.
Included in E. Ashley Rooney's book, "100 artists of the Northwest" she is not only a painter, but also active raising rescued horses and dogs which represent the bulk of her artistic subject matter. Her Passion and commitment to her animals is translated beautifully onto her canvases in a variety of styles ranging from expressionism to illustrative narratives.
Thom Ross "Draw Cowboy" New Paintings Held Over
We are pleased to hold over some of the newest works by Southwest artist, Thom Ross.
It has been nearly 3 years since our last exhibit by America's favorite Wild West artist and we are thrilled to have Thom Ross back with new works.
Ross is best known for his accurate and extremely whimsical portrayal of events taken from the Wild West era. His paintings are bright, bold and refreshing in their style, yet accurate in their history. Little known events or happenings are transformed into whimsical stories told by Ross in playful paint.
Ross is a master at research and thrives on finding little known events and adventures of the Wild West and history in general to revisit as paintings. He is frequently asked to speak at colleges on the history of the Wild West and he is used often as an expert on wild west documentaries and even acts in a variety of made for T.V. movies dealing with the west.
Welcoming Brian McGuffey - New Works Just in for an October Exhibit
We are very pleased to be able to offer the works by the established and seasoned painter Brian McGuffey.
A Pacific Northwest resident, McGuffey shows extensively across the country in prestigious galleries and has an international following and now has a gallery close to home to exhibit in.
While we currently only have two works in the gallery by McGuffey, he is busy creating more for his debut Exhibit with us in October 2015.
Come by and get acquainted with his works and see what the rest of the country is collecting with enthusiasm.
Thom Ross will be in attendance
Draw Cowboy!
Thom Ross "Draw Cowboy" New Paintngs
June 10, 2015 - July 4, 2015
We are pleased to offer the newest works by Southwest artist, Thom Ross.
Ross is a master at research and thrives on finding little known events and adventures of the Wild West to revisit as paintings. He is frequently asked to speak at colleges on the history of the Wild West, he is used often as an expert on wild west documentaries and even acts in a variety of made for T.V. movies dealing with the west.
Just Look - New Collages by Harold Nelson
Harold Nelson - "Just Look" New Collages
Wednesday May 13 - Saturday June 6
We are again pleased to offer the intricate and interesting collage works by Northwest artist, Harold Nelson.
Front Window Gallery - Mark Skullerud
Mark Skullerud - From Mountain to Sound
We are pleased to hold over a nice selection of new works by Whidbey Island artist Mark Skullerud.
Gallery II - Lori-ann Latremouille
Gallery II - Lori-ann Latremouille - Poet's Dress
We are pleased to extend the opportunity to see some of Lori-ann Latremouille's newest works.
Mark Skullerud will be in attendance
Mark Skullerud "Mountains to Sound" Fusion Landscapes
April 8, 2015 - May 9, 2015
We are pleased to welcome Whidbey Island artist Mark Skullerud for his first exhibit with us in our Bellevue gallery. While Skullerud is a new acquaintance, our ties go back many years with his association in the Dharmic Engineers, a group of Northwest painters exploring Eastern and Western philosophy of which two of our artists were also members. Ray Pelley and Milo Duke have a long history of painting with Skullerud dating back to the 1980's.
Skullerud's impressionist landscapes are loosely based on real things in real locations in the Puget Sound area. They are emotional portraits of a time of day, a weather pattern, or a season that have a familiar feel of the region. He wants viewers to know the beauty that's visible every day, and to recognize the fleeting and subtle light that is gives the region its character and identity.
Poet's Dress - Lori-ann Latremouille
Lori-ann Latremouille "Poet's Dress"
Wednesday March 11, 2015 - Saturday April 4, 2015
Our relationship with this talented artist, singer, song writier and poet goes back to the mid 1980's when we first began selling her interesting charcoal and pastels on paper from our office/showroom on Lake Bellevue. Since then we have enjoyed a variety of exhibits and sales from our Kirkland location and now for the first time we are pleased to exhibit her newest works in our Bellevue Gallery.
Liang Wei
Liang Wei "Geography of the Soul"
February 11, 2015 - March 7, 2015
We are pleased to celebrate our 20 year relationship with the renowned Chinese artist, Liang Wei and bring in the 2015 Chinese New Year with a new exhibit.
This new exhibit of paintings by Liang Wei titled "Geography of the Soul" takes us a bit further than just a painted scene. We dream, we visualize and we participate in experiences that influence our lives and create food for the soul. Remembrances of a moment ago or d�j� vu from an undetermined origin are often pleasant and comforting thoughts and it is those heartwarming and pleasant memories that Liang Wei strives to capture on canvas with his paintings. The visual language of the landscape translated from his eye to baron canvas results in the beauty that awakens the soul to act.
Landscape paintings are common throughout the world and every region has its beauty that has been captured by artists for centuries. In art history, it isn't new that an artist in one culture has ventured off to another part of the world to explore and create in a foreign environment where cultural influences and visual stimulation change perspectives in the way subject matter is viewed. New experiences, new surroundings and new methodology are all influences with any immigrant, as it is so, with the artist Liang Wei.
Mark Gatewood
"Promises"
Mark Gatewood "Promises"
January 14, 2015 - February 7, 2015
Mark Gatewood began painting in the 1980's while collaborating in a Los Angeles based design and manufacture firm. He utilized many of the concepts and materials developed for his sculptural furniture line to arrive at a prototype frame assembly that he felt would sustain the use of more complex painting mediums and catalyzed finishes. Gatewood chose to use scrapers, palette knives, rags and sticks to manipulate the vivid color fields and Epoxy Resin textures applied to his convex wooden structures. Throughout the 1980's his focus was primarily concerned with exploring and refining this line of Acrylics and Resin on Wood paintings. During the 1990's he began developing a new series of works on flat wooden panels that utilized a different set of tools, concepts, and surface aesthetic. The Acrylics on Wood paintings have since become some of his strongest and most enduring works. Currently, Gatewood is broadening his artistic reach once again with his Acrylic Reversal paintings which incorporate text and symbolic themes that are revealed though an inventive method of paint film reversal.
January 7, 2015 - February 7, 2015
While we just finished a great traveling exhibition of the Art of Dr. Seuss, we always have inventory and works by the good Dr. up on the walls. Come by and see what we have or what we can easily order for you.
R. John (Bob) Ichter
Lanscapes
Hooks - Ichter - Smith
We are pleased to offer a selection of Landscape paintings by three gallery artists in this abbreviated exhibit.
Kathleen Hooks resides in Eastern Washington and paints moody, lush and romantic landscapes not only reminiscent of her part of the state, but also of the lush and deserted land found west of the mountains. Hooks' works are impressive landscape paintings and worth a visit to view this exhibition.Kathleen Hooks along with her husband John and 2 children live in the rural farmlands east of Pasco, Washington
Bob Ichter
R.John (Bob) Ichter is an award-winning artist residing in Atlanta Georgia who is quickly captivating the art scene wherever his work is shown. Also known as "Bob" to his friends, Ichter's romantic pastels are richly colored and hand-rubbed onto lushly textured black suede archival board. The strengths of Ichter's pastels include vibrant, saturated colors and strong compositions. According to Ichter, each piece is designed to evoke a certain time of day and to transport the viewer to another place.
Mike Smith has tried to abandon any "school" of painting and uses an autobiographical approach. His subjects are mostly found in his backyard or around the neighborhood in which he lives. His dogs, the cat, his rowboat, and ducks in his pond, are all included in the bright watercolors and rare oils. Smith says, "People always want to know the meaning of my work and where I get my ideas from. My work is simply about the people and places and animals I love. Images, unlike the written word, do not dictate to you. After thirty-five years of painting almost every day, it has become my world." It is fun-filled, colorful, and full of life.
Toko Shinoda
Group Exhibit - November
Gallery Artists and Modern Masters
Keeping with our desire to constantly promote our artists, we have held over a couple large works by Dan Larsen in our Gallery II and in the Window Gallery. We also have a very nice selection of works by Svetlana Shalygina, Dr. Seuss, Ken Wachtveitl and Carrie Vielle.
In addition to the group exhibit, you will find works by a few Modern Masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Renoir,Warhol and a new Leonor Fini thrown in for flavor.
Charlie Barr Held Over
Enjoy an early winter with held over paintings depicting winter landscapes from Whistler Canada by Charlie Barr.
Charlie Barr is a Northwest landscape artist working with a unique mixed media blend of acrylic and cement on panel. These contemporary landscape paintings are meant to set a mood or evoke emotion and often leave the viewer with a sense of remembrance and stimulated senses.
In this year's exhibit, Barr introduces a few works where architecture becomes the subject matter adding a much more linear perspective to his landscapes
Charlie Barr - New Works
October 8, 2014 - November 8, 2014
In this year's exhibit, Barr will introduce a few works where architecture becomes the subject matter adding a much more linear perspective to his landscapes.
Jurgen Gorg
October Group Exhibit
Keeping with our desire to constantly promote our artists, we have held over a few large works by Dan Larsen in our Gallery II and in the Window Gallery. We also have a very nice selection of works by Svetlana Shalygina, Dr. Seuss, Ken Wachtveitl, Carrie Vielle and Andre Schirmer.
In addition to the group exhibit, you will find works by a few Modern Masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Renoir and a Warhol thrown in for flavor.
Solar Exposure
Dan Larsen -
We are pleased to offer the new works by northwest abstract artist Dan Larsen back to the gallery.
Larsen has become a gallery favorite over the past 12 years that we have exhibited his works. His previous "Organic" images took us to microscopic views of fictional stone slabs and other of the earth's interesting elements. In this new exhibit, Larsen takes us to the far reaches of the Solar system. In "Solar Exposure" he explores more of the universe, bright and bold, yet delicate in detail these new works are large and powerful examples of Larsen's masterful hand.
September Group Exhibit
Keeping with our desire to constantly promote our artists, we have a very nice selection of works by Pat Tolle, Svetlana Shalygina, Helen Zarin, Pino and of course, Dr. Seuss.
In addition to the group exhibit, you will find works by a few Modern Masters such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Renoir and a little Warhol thrown in for flavor.
Pat Tolle will be in attendance
Pat Tolle - New Works
Pat Tolle "Trees and Other Matters"
We are pleased to offer the new works by northwest artists Pat Tolle.
We have followed Tolle and her impressionist paintings from interiors and still life's to aerial views of landscape patterns across the globe. With her new exhibit, "Trees and Other Matters" Tolle takes us on a familiar journey of some of her favorite locations from landscapes in the Skagit Valley to the beaches of Hawaii.
These new works represent the direction her art has taken since the aerial views of landscapes now bringing the viewer to more of an eye level perspective.
"After a bus tour of New England almost 4 years ago, I began a new series involving trees in landscapes. Of course, the colors of fall foliage was magnificent, but photographing the blur of leaves and trees became my focus. It reminds me of the saying "...see the forest from the trees." Trying to catch the pattern of the trees making up the whole, including the branches, lines and colors of shadows and light. Some of the paintings are based on photographs or bits of them. While others are imagined landscapes becoming abstract, pleasing places.
The 'other matters' in my title refers to my series of Beach Culture paintings and I've included two new paintings from that. I've named them "Beach Day" because it reminds me of happy days maybe playing hooky from work. Glimpses of real people, also in patterns of color and form." Pat Tolle
August Group Exhibit
August Group Exhibit with "Go Figure" Works Held Over
Continuing with our desire to offer as many of our artists works as we can during the year we are pleased to exhibit new works by Andre Schirmer, Mark Gatewood, Loren Salazar, Ting Shao Kuang along with our ever present, Dr. Seuss prints.
We also are holding over a nice selection of Figurative works from our "Go Figure" Exhibit in Gallery Two and Jaime Ellsworth from July in the Window Gallery.
New works by Jaime Ellsworth- July 2014
July 9, 2014 - August 9. 2014
We are pleased to again offer the new works by Washington State artist, Jaime Ellsworth.
This year's exhibit adds a new twist to Ellsworth's subject matter by adding the playful side of Black Bears into her repertoire of Horses and Dogs.
Ellsworth lives in the peaceful island community of Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands where she paints fulltime and continues to rescue and raise her beloved dogs and horses.
Included in E. Ashley Rooney's book, "100 artists of the Northwest" she is not only an accomplished painter, but also active raising rescued horses and dogs which represent the bulk of her artistic subject matter. Her Passion and commitment to her animals is translated beautifully onto her canvases in a variety of styles ranging from expressionism to illustrative narratives.
"Simple forms are consistent in all my artwork and I enjoy working in series offering relationships, discovery and contrasts. I create visual situations from everyday experiences and observations. Although I begin with a clear idea of what I am trying to achieve the paintings actually emerge from what I already know and what I learn along the way. Each new series directs the path I take and the journey is welcomed". Jaime Ellsworth
Ellsworth's paintings are built of many thin layers of oil starting with a limited palette of bold colors on large canvases or wood panels. Subsequent layers allow the under paint to peek through and transparent glazes give the final surface a subtle tint.
With each work, she invites the viewer to first look at the simplicity of the image and then beyond, opening the door to the imagination.
Aslo included in the exhibit will be a few "Pagau" (The Black Dog) and Rhu (The Red Dog) paintings to round out the exhibit with some favorite works.
Held Over - Figurative Works
Go Figure - Held Over
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Archive for the ‘Druids and Celts and Halloween’ Category
The Druids and Celts and Halloween History
Posted by admin On May - 24 - 2011ADD COMMENTS
When it comes to Druids and Celts and Halloween, there is a connection that dates back eons. Of course the tales surrounding their connection involving Halloween are deeply shrouded in mystery and lore, as the holiday itself is. While there some variations in the tales, the core of the stories remain the same.
The First Halloween or Samhain
The celebrations for this holiday started in ancient, pre-Christian times as a Celtic ceremony for the dead. The holiday fell upon October 31, as it still does. It was called Samhain and marked the eve of the next season and new year. During this time period, November 1 was the beginning of the cold season, which was a time of hardship. In this era the year was divided up based on four holidays, as opposed to seasons but each division was still affiliated with a season. For this situation, the season was winter.
The winter ahead promised to be cold, long and harsh. The people would get ready by relocating their livestock closer and preparing them for the cruel season ahead. The cessation of the crop cycle was at this time, with the harvests being stored for the winter. Because of the severity of this season, and the long, dark, cold spell upon the Celts, it became affiliated with death.
The festival of Samhain became a time that people believed the worlds of the living and the dead could become one again, with the presence of spirits. Spirits could return to earth and be mischievous, like causing crop damage. The Celts also thought the priests, or Druids, could make forecasts with greater ease for the coming year when the un-living were around. Animal sacrifices would be made and fires lit to try to keep the souls at bay but help them see their way from the earth to the beyond.
Costumes were adorned during these early festivities, usually those made from the skins and heads of dead animals. The Celts would try to make predictions for one another, gathered around the large bonfire, then returned home to start their own hearth fire back again. They would use a flame from the Samhain bonfire, believing this would help to protect themselves and their homes.
Eventually, the holiday we know as Halloween became known this way after Christian missionaries set out to tamper with the ways the Celts practiced religion. The holiday really began to change following the Roman’s domination over most of the Celtic territory. Samhain was then combined with two Roman holidays.
Samhain was declared pagan as Christianity spread, and a celebration associated with the devil and all things evil. Since Druids were priests and scholars of the practice deemed pagan, these scholarly men were seen as worshipers of evil and the Devil. Christians categorized the underworld of the Celts as tied in with Hell. Many held on strong to their core beliefs as the changes were made.
First – All Souls Day was started, where the living paid homage to the dead, or souls, who had passed. This took place on November 2 of each year. All Saints Day occurred on November 1, but it was the night before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows, that the lines between the living world and the spiritual one were blurred. This night was called All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween. The Celts maintained many of their beliefs and traditions involving this holiday and time of year. One change that happened was that the spirits, once viewed as simply mischievous, were considered evil. This is how the Druids and Celts and Halloween all went down in history together.
The Druids and Celts and Halloween Connected to Modern Traditions
Though the holiday saw many changes in both name and traditions, much of the modern day celebrations can be said to still be tied to original Samhain practices. For example, the Celts wore the hides and heads of animals as costumes during this event, and the use of costumes is still practiced today.
Trick-or-treating is another example of Celt traditions that live on. Since, originally, people left food and offerings to wandering spirits to appease them, people began to use costumes of spirits to go from door to door to collect these offerings. This is what became the first true type of trick-or-treating.
While customs continue to change and evolve, it is doubtful the holiday will ever transform so much that there will not be some remaining proof of the Druids and Celts and Halloween connection.
Druids and Celts and Halloween, History of Halloween
Traditions of Halloween
Celtic people are responsible for the core of Halloween, as it was first celebrated in their traditions and folklore. They formed a society about 800 BC. Celts were located in the UK, part of Turkey (rather odd!) and a lot of Western Europe. They held a big party close to the end of October which was called Samhain. This was to recognize the end of Summer and the harvest, no doubt. Celts thought that the connection and separation between the real world and the world of the dead and spirits, was thin at this time of year. Friends and relatives returned for a short stay and often in the form of a black cat, which is why that symbol can still represent Halloween.
After harvest, food was offered to the gods. Almost like a modern food drive, they went door to door for food donations, which they then gave to the deities. Young people from that time asked for kindling and firewood for a bonfire, which they made on top of a hill. This tradition of going from door to door may have been the root for trick or treating. Sacred bonfires were often lit during Samhain, in order to honor the Celtic gods. An ember was kept from the bonfire and villagers would light their own fires when they returned home.
A gourd or turnip was used to carry the ember as it would be sheltered from the wind and not burn the wet gourd or turnip pulp. Evil spirits dwelled amongst the Celts, or so they thought, so on a long dark walk home they would disguise themselves in costumes and also scare away the spirits by carving fierce faces on the ember holders. This also carries through to today with lit pumpkins and costumes. Pumpkins are considerably easier to carve than a small turnip or beetroot or gourd.
Neopagans and wiccans continue to celebrate Samhain to this day as they base a lot of their faith on the ancient Celts. Some traditions were based on the Celtic ones but some have evolved from other sources. The Jack O’Lantern came from a 17th century Irish folktale. The devil took pity on a departed soul who was not allowed into either heaven or hell, and gave him a burning coal to light his way as he wandered around the globe. This Jack took to carrying the ember in a partially eaten turnip.
Apples have been associated with goddesses for a long time, as they were with Adam & Eve, There association with immortality, knowledge and resurrection has made them an icon. A five-pointed star is revealed if an apple is sliced through its equator. A pentagram came from this symbol, it’s thought. The latter is a goddess symbol for Gypsies, ancient Egyptians and Celts, and contemporary Wiccans and others. Bobbing for apples and trying to grab a dangling apple was a game for singles who, if they grabbed an apple, were said to be in line for a marriage proposal.
If someone peeled an apple in front of a mirror lit with candles (one would hope that they’d keep their eyes on the knife!), then an image of a future spouse was supposed to appear. If the peeler could make a long string of peel then this was said to “guestimate” how long a person would live. On All Souls Day, Christians from Europe would go door to door asking for currant buns or soul cakes. If they got any, they’d pray for the homeowner’s relatives.
All Hallow’s Eve was the original name for Halloween. This meant the evening right before All Saints Day. Hallow meant saint in old English and the phrase was eventually shortened to Halloween.
Druids and Celts and Halloween, History of Halloween, Traditions of Halloween
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A technique for automatically extracting useful field of view and central field of view images
Anil Kumar Pandey1, Param Dev Sharma2, Deepak Aheer1, Jay Prakash Kumar1, Sanjay Kumar Sharma1, Chetan Patel1, Rakesh Kumar1, Chandra Sekhar Bal1
1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
2 Department of Computer Science, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Date of Web Publication 9-Mar-2016
E-81, Ansari Nagar (East), All India Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, New Delhi - 110 029
Introduction: It is essential to ensure the uniform response of the single photon emission computed tomography gamma camera system before using it for the clinical studies by exposing it to uniform flood source. Vendor specific acquisition and processing protocol provide for studying flood source images along with the quantitative uniformity parameters such as integral and differential uniformity. However, a significant difficulty is that the time required to acquire a flood source image varies from 10 to 35 min depending both on the activity of Cobalt-57 flood source and the pre specified counts in the vendors protocol (usually 4000K-10,000K counts). In case the acquired total counts are less than the total prespecified counts, and then the vendor's uniformity processing protocol does not precede with the computation of the quantitative uniformity parameters. In this study, we have developed and verified a technique for reading the flood source image, remove unwanted information, and automatically extract and save the useful field of view and central field of view images for the calculation of the uniformity parameters. Materials and Methods: This was implemented using MATLAB R2013b running on Ubuntu Operating system and was verified by subjecting it to the simulated and real flood sources images. Results: The accuracy of the technique was found to be encouraging, especially in view of practical difficulties with vendor-specific protocols. Conclusion: It may be used as a preprocessing step while calculating uniformity parameters of the gamma camera in lesser time with fewer constraints.
Keywords: Central field of view, Cobalt 57 flood source, extraction of useful field of view, gamma camera, uniformity
Pandey AK, Sharma PD, Aheer D, Kumar JP, Sharma SK, Patel C, Kumar R, Bal CS. A technique for automatically extracting useful field of view and central field of view images. Indian J Nucl Med 2016;31:108-13
Pandey AK, Sharma PD, Aheer D, Kumar JP, Sharma SK, Patel C, Kumar R, Bal CS. A technique for automatically extracting useful field of view and central field of view images. Indian J Nucl Med [serial online] 2016 [cited 2020 Jan 20];31:108-13. Available from: http://www.ijnm.in/text.asp?2016/31/2/108/178258
The purpose of quality control is to detect changes in the performance of a gamma camera system that may adversely affect the interpretation of clinical studies. There are a large number of factors that contribute to the final image quality, and it may not be feasible to evaluate these every day before subjecting the gamma camera for clinical studies. Therefore, only the parameters that are most significant in introducing changes in the system performance and have large potential or likelihood to impact clinical studies are monitored daily. [1],[2],[3]
System uniformity of the gamma camera refers to its ability to produce a true representation of the actual distribution of radioactivity within a region. It is the most important parameter that can impact system performance. Changes in photopeak location, photomultiplier tube performance, energy and linearity correction, and so on, all affect image uniformity. Therefore, uniformity test is usually performed on daily basis.
It is difficult to assess visually the variations in the counts corresponding to different areas of the field of view of gamma camera that reflect a lack of uniformity of the camera system. Therefore, comparisons between different cameras or variations in uniformity of a single camera over a period are visually difficult to estimate. Therefore, two different uniformity parameters that are usually measured during the test are: Integral uniformity and differential uniformity. These are calculated for both the central field of view (CFOV) and useful field of view (UFOV) of the gamma camera respectively. [4]
Vendor specific acquisition and processing protocol to perform uniformity test provide both the flood images and integral and differential uniformity in UFOV and CFOV. However, these protocols are specific to the factory designated number of counts that must be acquired and do not show required parameters if the acquired counts in the image does not fulfill criteria. For example, 10,000k counts per head, and 4000k counts per head are required for Symbia T6 (Siemens) and Discovery NM/CT 560 (GE Health Care), respectively.
In this study, we have present a procedure that reads the flood source image independent of vendor's single photon emission computed tomography gamma camera system on which the image was acquired and also independent of the total number of counts acquired in the flood source images, remove unwanted information that is pixels having zero counts surrounding the flood source image, and automatically extract and save the UFOV and CFOV images for further processing. The results have been verified in more than one way and are certainly encouraging.
Program design and development
Since medical physicists and nuclear medicine technologists will be the end users, therefore an interactions with these and the authors provided to get the perspective, and it was decided that the program should have the following features:
The program should run at the command prompt
It should provide option to the user to select the image file that needs to be processed
The program should accept and process digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) images only, and if user selects any other file format the program should show error message
The program on a successful selection of the image file should automatically extract UFOV and CFOV images and save them in the current folder/path.
The program was implemented using MATLAB R2013b (The Math Works, Inc. 3 Apple Hill Drive Natick, MA 01760-2098). MATLAB has image processing toolbox with built-in DICOM support. Since it was software based study and did not involve the patient, therefore ethical clearance was not required.
A MATLAB script that integrates six in-built MATLAB functions (imgetfile, dicominfo, dicomread, dicomwrite, find, and imcrop) in a logical fashion to complete this task was written. The script is divided into four sections namely: User Interface to select the image file from a folder, read the DICOM images, find the coordinates of nonzero pixels, and to automatically remove zero pixels surrounding the image and automatically extract and save UFOV and CFOV images.
Section 1: User interface (select the image file from a folder)
It provides the facility to the user to select the desired *.dcm file to be processed. It opens the files and on successful completion, it returns the filename, otherwise provides error-message.
Section 2: Read the digital imaging and communications in medicine images
This section uses "dicominfo" to find the number of images in the selected file, and height and width of the image and store these information in variables for further to be used by next section. Then "dicomread" to read user selected *.dcm file, and store the images data in a matrix.
Section 3: Find the coordinates of nonzero pixels
The function find was used that takes image matrix as an input and return the coordinates of nonzero pixels stored in the two arrays one for x-axis (row) and another for y-axis (column). [Figure 1] shows how the image is stored in MATLAB. Then, minimum and maximum values of both the x-axis and y-axis are determined. The minimum value will correspond to the starting point of the first nonzero pixel and maximum will correspond to the last nonzero pixel. These are stored in the variables to be used by the next section.
Figure 1: How a digital image is stored in MATLAB. The origin is on the left top. The x-coordinate increases in the bottom direction, and the y-coordinate increases in the right direction
Section 4: Extract and save useful field of view and central field of view images
The function "imcrop" with input parameter as starting x-coordinate of nonzero pixel, starting y coordinates of nonzero pixels, length in x-direction, and length in y-direction was used to extract the flood source image leaving unwanted information that was surrounding the flood source image. The length in x-direction was computed by subtracting the starting x-coordinate from the ending x-coordinate of nonzero pixel, and similarly, the length in y-direction was computed by subtracting the starting y-coordinate from the ending y-coordinate of the nonzero pixel.
UFOV is 95% of half height radius of the digitized image that is the flood source image in this case, and CFOV is the 75% of UFOV. [5] Therefore, in order to extract UFOV image, 5% pixels from the boundary of extracted flood source image were excluded and UFOV image was extracted using "imcrop" function following the same procedure as was used to extract flood source image that is mentioned in the previous paragraph. CFOV image was extracted from the UFOV images by excluding 12.5% of the pixels from the boundary of the UFOV images. Using the function "dicomwrite," the UFOV and CFOV image was saved permanently on the hard disk in the current folder for further processing.
The program was verified by subjecting it to the simulated and real flood sources images (for 106 input images). The input images were from the following groups: The acquired images when gamma camera was not fully covered with flood source, extremely low counts image (5K counts in 256 × 256 matrix), high counts images (10,000K in 1024 × 1024 matrix) of the Cobalt-57 (Co-57) flood source image. Flow Chart 1 summarizes the characteristics of the test images. There were 424 images (4 × 106 = 424 images, input, extracted, UFOV, and CFOV images) and their workspace variables were reviewed during the verification.
The accuracy of the result has been demonstrated by looking into the each pixel count of the original and the extracted image data. A 64 × 64 image matrix data having total 5K counts were selected to display the result because higher than this such as 128 × 128, 256 × 256 matrix size images are relatively cumbersome in printed form.
The above script runs by typing "autoextract" on the command prompt. Run presents an option to select input image, displaying an error message if any error occurs during the selection of the input image. Successful selection displays input image, extracted foreground image, extracted UFOV image and extracted CFOV images along with the variables and their values in workspace window [Figure 2].
Figure 2: (a) The result of typing autoextract on the command prompt and then after pressing Enter Key, file browser opens that allows user to select the image to be processed. (b) Displays the error message when no file was selected by the user. (c) Displays error message when a file having format other than digital imaging and communications in medicine was selected. (d) Displays the workspace variable when a file having format other than digital imaging and communications in medicine was selected
MATLAB function tic starts the clock and toc provide the time elapsed to execute the commands placed between tic and toc. These two functions were used to find the time taken by this technique to extract UFOV and CFOV image. The program "autoextract" was executed twenty-six times and each time different input flood image having counts ranging from 5K to 10,000K was selected.
[Figure 3]a and b shows one representative image displaying successful extraction of UFOV and CFOV image. The average, standard deviation, and range of the time taken by this technique to extract UFOV and CFOV were found to be 0.5781 s, 0.0176, and 0.556 to 0.641 s, respectively.
Figure 3: (a) Input image of matrix size 1024 × 1024 displayed at 50% while the extracted foreground image (643 × 887) displayed at 100%. (b) The extracted useful field of view (579 × 799) and extracted central field of view images (435 × 599) from the input image (1024 × 1024) as shown in Figure 3a
Review of 106 × 4 = 424 images, where for each input image, one input image, one extracted foreground image, one extracted UFOV image and one extracted CFOV image that is total four images for each input images, were verified.
The accuracy of the results has been demonstrated by looking into the each pixel counts of the original and the extracted image data. A representative image data acquired in 64 × 64 matrix having total 5K counts is shown in [Figure 4]a. The extracted images data after removing the unwanted information that is zero-pixel counts surrounding the object (flood source) have been shown in [Figure 4]b. Careful observation of the [Figure 4]a and b, displays that there is an accurate extraction the object (i.e., flood source).
Figure 4: (a) Pixel counts of Cobalt-57 flood source image (total number of counts = 5K) in a 64 × 64 matrix. Flood source data starts from row number 13-53 and column number 05-60. The technique should remove pixel having zero count surrounding the flood source image, and extract image area defined by row number 13-53 and column number 05-60 (matrix: 41 × 56. The extracted flood source image data have been shown in Figure 4b. Looking into the Figure 4a and b, it is obvious that the program successfully extracted the flood source image. (b) The extracted flood source image from the image data shown in Figure 4a. Note that extracted image is of the size 41 × 56 matrix
When the detector surface area was not fully covered by the flood source, the extracted flood source image looks like as if it had included the zero pixel counts surrounding the flood source image as shown in [Figure 5]. However, this is not the cases. Reviewed the input image data (as similar to as shown in [Figure 4]a and b), showed accurately extracted object as per the method defined in above.
Figure 5: Example of acquired flood source images when gamma camera crystal surface was not fully covered as test case
System uniformity is an important parameter that can introduce change in the system performance and is the most likely to impact clinical studies and therefore it is monitored daily. The successful completion of the uniformity test ensures that any abnormality noted in patient scan is only due to processes within the scanned organ. However, if the results are not within the acceptable limit, then remedial action must be taken.
Uniformity acquisition and processing protocol provide both flood source image as well as the uniformity parameters (UFOV, CFOV, integral, and differential uniformity). However, the vendor-specific protocols do not entertain the images that have total counts less than that specified by the protocol. In this study, we developed a simple technique to select desired flood source image independent of total counts acquired and also independent of the gamma camera on which data was acquired, remove unwanted information, and finally save the UFOV and CFOV images for further processing.
The technique successfully extracted foreground Co-57 flood source images with no information loss. When the detector surface area was not fully covered by the flood source, the extracted image had a larger area in comparison to the area of the detector actually exposed by the Co-57 flood source. This was because of the contribution of the photons in the image that were scattered inside the collimator [Figure 6]. In such case, the method does not remove unwanted information completely. Practically, this type of situation will not arise because it is prerequisite that detector area must be fully covered with the Co-57 flood source before starting the acquisition. However, uniformity parameters calculated for UFOV and CFOV images in both cases and results are useful.
Figure 6: (a) Front view. (b) Side view. The scattered gamma photons from the collimator might interact with NaI (Tl) detector area that is not covered with Cobalt-57 flood source, and contribute to pixel counts in the image. However, their percentage will be is significantly less (in comparison to the photons contributing pixel counts in the area covered with the flood source) and therefore will appear as black, when image is displayed in full gray scale range
Information loss as a disadvantage of the auto-cropping algorithm has been reported in literature while cropping the signature of a person. [6] We did not find data loss while extracting UFOV and CFOV images provided the detector was fully covered with the Co-57 flood source. The time-taken for image analysis improves significantly when it is applied to the region of interest, in comparison to the whole image. Therefore this technique can be used as preprocessing step of image analysis task.
Limitation of the method
Extracted flood source image included a few pixels of unwanted information that were not part of actual flood source, in case of real data. However in simulated data such problem is not present. If one is interested in extracting actual flood source image, the method needs modification, that is, instead of finding the coordinate of nonzero pixels, one can first determine the average counts in the area of the image of gamma camera that was not covered with the flood source, and find the coordinate of those pixels greater than that average counts. However, this needs another study.
Since MATLAB runs on several platforms such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, this technique can be used on several platforms too. Our software is not yet available on the public network. There exists a software application called NMQC in the literature that has been developed as an alternative or complement to the vendor specific processing software application. [7] However, this study is different since it is not specifically related to extraction of foreground Co-57 flood source image.
This technique accurately extracts UFOV and CFOV images and has been verified. It is suggested that this technique may be used as preprocessing step while calculating uniformity parameters.
Pandey AK, Karunanithi S, Patel CD, Sharma SK, Bal C, Kumar R. Cold spot in the uniform Co-57 image may not necessarily be due to photomultiplier tube failure or variations in photomultiplier tube tuning: A technical note. Indian J Nucl Med 2015;30:187-9.
Cherry SR, Sorenson JA, Phelps ME. Physics in Nuclear Medicine. 3 rd ed. USA: Elsevier Science; 2003.
IAEA-TECDOC-602. Scintillation Cameras: Quality Control of Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation. Australia: IAEA; 1991. p. 135-206.
National Electrical Manufacturers Association: NEMA NU 1-2001: Performance measurements of scintillation cameras. Rosslyn VA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association 2001.
A Task Group of the Nuclear Medicine Committee. Computer-Aided Scintillation Camera Acceptance Testing: American Institute of Physics, AAPM Report No. 09; 1982.
Rova A, Celler A, Hamarneh G. Development of NEMA-based software for gamma camera quality control. J Digit Imaging 2008;21:243-55.
Al-Mahadeen B, Al-Tarawneh MS, Al-Tarawneh IH. Signature region of interest using auto cropping. Int J Comput Sci 2010;7:1-5.
Pandey AK
Sharma PD
Aheer D
Kumar JP
Sharma SK
Patel C
Kumar R
Bal CS
Central field of view
Cobalt 57 flood source
extraction of useful field of view
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Year : 2010 | Volume : 25 | Issue : 2 | Page : 39--43
Regulatory requirements for designing PET-CT facility in India
Pankaj Tandon
Radiological Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Niyamak Bhavan, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094, India
Radiological Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Niyamak Bhavan, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094
Tandon P. Regulatory requirements for designing PET-CT facility in India.Indian J Nucl Med 2010;25:39-43
Tandon P. Regulatory requirements for designing PET-CT facility in India. Indian J Nucl Med [serial online] 2010 [cited 2020 Jan 20 ];25:39-43
Available from: http://www.ijnm.in/text.asp?2010/25/2/39/72684
In India, cyclotron-produced radionuclides are gaining importance in molecular imaging in Nuclear Medicine (NM) departments. The importance of this modality among others is due to the fact that it provides valuable clinical information, which was lacking in other available modalities. Presently, every well-established hospital would like to procure Medical Cyclotron or positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) facility in their NM department. Because cyclotron-produced radionuclides have higher energy than the other routinely used radionuclides for diagnosis, it becomes essential for the user to know about the regulatory requirement and radiation safety precautions that one has to take for the installation of this new modality in their premises. The various stages of approval of PET-CT facility by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and important steps that one has to know/follow before planning for this new facility are summarized in the following sections.
Site and Layout Plan Approval
The user has to submit to AERB two copies each of the proposed layout plan, site plan, and elevation drawing of the facility indicating the floor, nature of occupancy around, above and below, if any, has to be submitted in "B3" size paper (353Χ500 mm 2 ) along with the application form AERB/RSD/NMF/SLA (downloadable from www.aerb.gov.in). The user has to clearly indicate the dimension of each of the rooms associated with the facility in the proposed layout plan of the NM department. When the user has to plan the laboratory, it is required that the arrangement of the various rooms associated with the facility has to follow the principle of low active area to high active area, that is, entrance of the facility should have reception/general waiting area, and at the end hot laboratory cum radiopharmacy/radioactive waste storage area is to be planned. The typical layout plans for the facility given in [Figure 1] and [Figure 2] may be referred to design the PET-CT facility alone or PET-CT facility along with the gamma camera facility with respect to the arrangement/allocation of rooms and area requirement. The above documents have to be submitted to the Head, Radiological Safety Division (RSD), AERB. On scrutinizing the plans from radiologic safety point of view, necessary approval of facility will be granted.{Figure 1}{Figure 2}
Submission of Regulatory Consent Form
The user has to submit the details of the completion of the construction work as per the approved plan, installation of equipments, procurement of radiologic protection accessories, enrollment of radiation workers in Personal Monitoring Services and availability of qualified staff as per AERB Safety Code AERB/SC/MED-IV (Rev-1 2001), shall be intimated to Head, RSD, AERB, by submitting the Regulatory Consent form no. AERB/444-NM/RC-FORM (downloadable from www.aerb.gov.in). The Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) as per the qualification mentioned in the AERB Safety Code AERB/SC/MED-IV (Rev-1 2001) has to be nominated by the employer for the NM facility by submitting the application form no. AERB/441/RSOM-II/III (downloadable from www.aerb.gov.in ).
Precommissioning Inspection
In this stage, the precommissioning inspection of the facility will be carried out by AERB official(s) to ensure that the construction of NM facility is as per the approved plan and also to verify the information provided in stage "2" mentioned above.
Approval for Commissioning/Routine Operation
On ensuring the compliance of the requirement as specified in AERB safety Code SC/MED-IV (Rev.1. 2001) for the safe handling of radioactive material in the approved NM facility, the authorization for the procurement of radioactive material indigenously or no objection certificate (NOC) for procurement of radioactive material from abroad will be issued for the stipulated time period. The renewal for the same is done only after receipt and review of the Annual Status Report AERB/NM/Radiation Safety/02 (downloadable from www.aerb.gov.in) by AERB.
Work Practice
In NM facility, the radiopharmaceutic formulation should be prepared, handled, administered to the patients, and disposed of in a safe manner taking into account adequate radiation protection measures. Radioisotopes should be stored, used, and transported safely and securely all the time. Any unusual event that has resulted or has the potential to result in overexposure to the workers or public should be reported to the AERB. Annual Safety Status report of the facility should reach the AERB in the prescribed format at the end of each calendar year. Any change in the qualified person or design of the facility shall be reported to the AERB. Cooperation should be extended to the authorized inspectors from the AERB during inspection of the facility. Failure of compliance to radiation safety procedures may attract enforcement action by the AERB.
In India, radioactive waste management is governed by the Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987, GSR-125 issued under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Chairman, AERB is the competent authority. Implementation of the Rules is primarily to ensure safety of the public and the environment.
Radioactive waste needs to be managed safely because it is potentially hazardous to human health and the environment. Through good practices in the production and use of radionuclides, the amount of waste may be significantly reduced but not fully eliminated. It is important that safe waste management, in compliance with all relevant regulations is considered and planned for at the early stages of any projects involving radioactive materials. The radioactive waste in hospitals comprises different types of waste. It may be in solid, liquid, or gaseous form. The radioactive material may be mixed with different chemicals, which in itself would be hazardous or flammable. Moreover, some of the waste is mixed with biological substances, such as blood and may be infectious. Also, special precautions must be taken for disposing items, such as needles used for injection. All these aspects must be accounted for in the planning of waste treatment in a hospital. In NM, having PET-CT facility, mostly short-lived radioisotopes C-11, N-13, O-15, F-18, and others are used in unsealed form. The half-lives of these radioisotopes range from few minutes to few hours. In a typical NM department, there may be certain sealed sources used for calibration of dose calibrators, survey instruments; these sources may end up as spent sources after their useful life or during the decommissioning of the department. Gaseous radioactive waste arising from the PET-CT department may be very rare.
The solid waste generated in NM includes cover papers, gloves, contaminated items, empty vials, and syringes. The liquid waste may comprise unused or leftover radiopharmaceutic solutions, radioactive spills, decontamination effluents, laboratory washings, and so on.
All the labels on the containers having contaminated radioactive material should be removed defaced prior to disposal. There are 2 main approaches to the disposal of radioactive waste. One is characterized as "dilute and disperse" and the other as "confine and contain." By the "dilute and disperse" concept, radioactive material, in aqueous or gaseous form, is released into the environment in such a way that the material is diluted and distributed over a large volume so that the final concentration of radionuclides is acceptably low. In the "confine and contain" approach, the waste is collected and converted into a form such that, when placed in a repository, it will retain the radionuclides until the activity has decayed, or at least will ensure that the leakage of radionuclides from the repository does not give rise to unacceptable concentrations anywhere in the environment. This approach is always used for longer-lived solid radioactive waste and spent sources, which are negligible in the PET-CT facility.
When the NM facility is no longer to be used, the permission for decommissioning should be obtained from the AERB.
Radiation Protection Aspects of PET-CT Facilities
NM facility with PET-CT employs relatively large activities of high-energy photon emitting radioisotopes. This coupled with the current dose limits for members of the public, can result in a shielding requirement. Even modest reductions in the radiation levels at 511 keV require significant amounts of shielding. A thorough and site-specific evaluation has to be made for each facility.
Shielding Calculations
Presently, AAPM task group report no. 108 on PET and PET-CT shielding requirements are being used for carrying out the shielding calculations. In outline, the sequence of steps similar to any other shielding calculation is as follows:
Obtain an architectural layout of the facility having dimensions of each of the rooms associated with the facility.Determine the expected workload (number of patients per week) of the facility, maximum radioactivity to be administered per procedure, and CT workload (total mAs and kVp) per patient.Determine the occupancies of areas within the facility and in adjacent, uncontrolled areas. Include consideration of occupancies at floors above and below the facility.Determine the location of the place where all the initial activities of radioisotopes are to be dispensed. This also includes the injected patient working area.Obtain the isodose curves of the transmission sources in a PET-CT scanner.Obtain the total dose from all the sources at test points established at the principal work areas and at points in uncontrolled area using the source strengths, source locations, workload factors, gamma-ray dose constants, and the inverse square law.If the shielding calculation does not meet the protection criteria, additional shielding materials are to be used.
Radiation Safety Issues
Vendors are providing specialized equipment to reduce exposure to operating personnel in the PET-CT facility and to improve instrument performance in the higher radiation background found in the hot laboratory. The equipment include:
Automated dose dispenser to reduce the dose to the technologist while dispensing the unit dose for patient administration.Dose calibrator with thick lead shielding to reduce technologist exposure during the dose assay.Well counters with external shields to reduce background from the stored doses.Sources in the scanners and calibration sources.Tungsten syringe shields to reduce finger dose during injection.Remotely actuated syringes that keep the syringe totally enclosed in a shield while the operator delivers the dose by pushing on an extension rod.Extra thick L-block table-top shields (5 cm of lead compared with 1.2 cm of lead in standard NM applications), andSyringe carriers for transporting the dose from one room to another.
Operating Suggestion
Transporting and positioning the patient are the operations that deliver significant exposure to the technologist. Maximize separation from the patient after injection and minimize the time spent with them. Patient instruction should be completed before injection, as should the completion of any forms or questionnaires. If the patient is ambulatory, allow as much separation as feasible when they are escorted to the scanner room. Minimize the time spent near the patient in the scanner room. Use of unit dose will reduce technologist exposure compared with the use of bulk distribution radiopharmaceutics. In the hot laboratory, particular attention should be paid to minimize the time required to handle the dose during the assay and verification steps.
It is always better to have the IV access with a butterfly infusion set before the dose is taken out of the shield to reduce the handling time of the syringe. Use of cart to transport the dose from the hot laboratory to the injection room will increase the separation between the technologist and the syringe and reduce the dose if the transport time is significant.
Personnel Monitoring Services for Staff Members
Every staff member, involved in radioactive work, such as radiopharmacy, radiochemistry, dispensing of radioactivity, radiopharmaceutic dose administration, patient imaging, and others, should be covered with personnel monitoring services. For availing this facility, one may approach the Head, CDandR Section, RP and AD, BARC, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai - 400 094, or the respective accredited laboratory in their zone for the service. Presently, 3 such laboratories are accredited as given below.
1. M/s Avanttech Laboratories (P) Ltd.
# 76, 7 th Street, Ground Floor,
Porur Garden, Phase - I,
2. M/s Renentech Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.
C-106, Synthofine Industrial Estate,
Off Aarey Road, Goregaon (E)
Mumbai - 40 063.
3. M/s Ultratech Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.
12/15, Priyadarshini, Parisar (W)
Bhilai, C.G. - 490020.
Radiation Monitoring Devices
In the NM department having the Medical Cyclotron and PET facilities, following are the monitoring equipments required:
GM-based survey meter/ionization chamber-based survey meterContamination monitorPocket dosimetersIsotope dose calibrator.
Radiation Safety Devices
Since the quantity of radionuclide that is being handled is significant and the energy of associated radiation is high, it is absolutely necessary to have an automatic smaller dosage dispensing unit, fume hood, and L-Bench to handle smaller dose for quality assurance tests, lead bricks, shielding devices made of tungsten (syringe shield, source container, transport container, and others), remote handling devices (de-capper, cap sealer, long vial holder, pair of tongs, and others)
Staff Requirement for Nuclear Medicine Laboratory
A facility to be approved by the AERB should have the following staff/personnel. The responsibilities that these personnel have to carry out are also given below.
An MBBS degree recognized by the Medical Council of India; andA post graduate degree/diploma in NM recognized by the Medical Council of India or National Board of Examination, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The NM physician shall
have the responsibility of dosage administration and maintenance of records providing name of the patient, nature of the procedure, radiopharmaceutic prescribed, quantity prescribed, name of the NM physician with signature and date, and name of the person administering the radiopharmaceutic with signature and date;prevent any possibility of misadministration and promptly report to the licensee and the competent authority in the event of any misadministration, adverse reaction or death of a patient administered with radioactivity;consider factors, such as proper choice of radiopharmaceutics, monitoring of procedure, and immobilization of the patient, to minimize radiation exposure to patient. Suitable methods for reducing absorbed dose to the patient shall be adopted;consider justification of diagnosis on pregnant patients/lactating mothers to limit the exposure to the fetus/infant not exceeding an absorbed dose of 1 mGy.adopt specific dosimetric consideration in pediatric patients to ascertain the risk-benefit ratio;inform patient on safety measures to be observed to avoid radiation exposure to the family members and others;ensure that where the quantity of radioactivity administered to a patient is in excess of the limits specified for radiopharmaceutics emitting gamma radiation (i) spread of contamination prevented and (ii) exposure of staff, other patients, and public minimized;
A Bachelor's degree in NM technology from a university; orA Bachelor's degree in Science from a university; and Bachelor degree/Post graduate degree/diploma in NM technology from a university.
The NM technologist shall
ensure proper functioning of all NM equipment, carry out periodic calibrations, quality assurance checks, and maintenance;ensure the radiopharmaceutic quality requirements, the route of administration, and the accuracy of dosage before giving it to a patient and take precautions to avoid misadministration;avoid spillage of radioactivity or contamination of the patient, premises, persons, and material by exercising care during dispensing/administration of radioactivity;report to RSO and the NM physician of any mishap in dispensing/administration of dosage to the patient or any unusual incident; andassist the RSO in maintaining records of sources and radioactive waste.
Radiological safety officer
A candidate with the following qualification is eligible to appear in the RSO Certification Examination conducted by the AERB.
Qualifications for RSO Level-II
A post graduate degree/diploma in Nuclear Medicine recognized by the Medical Council of India or National Board of Examination, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; OrA degree/post graduate diploma/post graduate degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from an institution or university.
RSO shall
advise and assist the licensee to organize a radiation protection program appropriate for the facility and ensure that the staff observe safe work practices;ensure safety, security, and containment of radioactive sources, carry out radiation and contamination monitoring of work areas, patient waiting areas, radioactive waste disposal sites and public areas, and maintain records;ensure that radiation monitoring instruments are kept in proper working condition and are calibrated at regular intervals;establish procedures for management of emergency situations and conduct periodic drills to ensure their effectiveness;report any unusual incident in writing to the licensee, with a copy endorsed to the competent authority and take remedial measures to mitigate consequences of the incident and to prevent recurrence;maintain records of the doses of workers, the inventory of sources received, used, and disposed of, any unusual incident, cause of such incident, and remedial measures taken;ensure segregation and monitoring of the waste prior to interim storage or final disposal;advise and assist the licensee in ensuring regulatory compliance for obtaining authorization from the competent authority for procurement, use, transport, or disposal of radioactive material;inform the competent authority of his/her leaving the institution;advise and assist the licensee in transport of radioactive material/radioactive waste in the public domain;
ensure urgent processing of personnel dosimeters in cases of suspected overexposure; and display advisory notices in the NM departments to avoid unintentional exposures to pregnant women/lactating mothers.
PET-CT facilities involve somewhat different design requirements than conventional NM facilities and are more likely to require additional shielding. By providing good handling facilities and following good work practices, radiation dose to the staff, public, and environment can be maintained well below the acceptable limit.
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Intracameral injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) to treat anterior chamber neovascular membrane in a painful blind eye
A Raghuram, VR Saravanan, V Narendran
Retina and Vitreous Services, Aravind Eye Hospital and Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore - 641 014, Tamil Nadu, India
Date of Submission 16-Sep-2006
Date of Acceptance 18-Dec-2006
A Raghuram
Vitreo-Retinal services, Aravind Eye Hospital, Avinashi Road, Civil Aerodrome Post, Coimbatore - 641 014, Tamil Nadu
Intracameral injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) helped in the successful regression of an anterior chamber neovascular membrane in a painful blind eye. The effect was persistent even after six months of follow-up. This is the first report on intracameral administration of bevacizumab with six months of follow-up.
Keywords: Avastin, bevacizumab, intracameral injection
Raghuram A, Saravanan V R, Narendran V. Intracameral injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) to treat anterior chamber neovascular membrane in a painful blind eye. Indian J Ophthalmol 2007;55:460-2
Raghuram A, Saravanan V R, Narendran V. Intracameral injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) to treat anterior chamber neovascular membrane in a painful blind eye. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 2007 [cited 2020 Jan 20];55:460-2. Available from: http://www.ijo.in/text.asp?2007/55/6/460/36484
Intravitreal administration of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genetech, Inc, San Francisco, CA), a humanized monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has recently been reported to be of benefit in choroidal neovascular membrane, [1],[2] retinal neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy [3] and iris neovascularization. [4],[5] We observed rapid resolution of anterior chamber neovascularization following intracameral injection of bevacizumab in a patient with painful blind eye.
A 31-year-old woman presented with pain and redness in her left eye. Visual acuity in the left eye was no perception of light and 20/20 in the right eye. The right eye was normal. The left eye was blind for the past 20 years following an injury. On examination the left eye showed circumcorneal congestion, anterior chamber cells and flare, peripheral anterior synechiae, ectropion uveae and an active fibrovascular membrane [Figure - 1]A on the iris and over the partially absorbed cataractous lens. The intraocular pressure was 6 mmHg. Contact B-scan ultrasonography revealed a total retinal detachment. Earlier the patient was treated with long-term topical steroids and cycloplegics with no significant relief of symptoms. So the patient was offered an off-label intracameral injection of 1.00 mg of bevacizumab (0.04 ml of Avastin, Genentech, INC, San Francisco, CA at a concentration of 25 mg /ml). The consent of the patient was obtained after explaining the risks and benefits of the treatment. One week following the intracameral injection the circumcorneal congestion disappeared and the anterior chamber inflammation decreased and there was dramatic regression of neovascularization [Figure - 1]B. The post injection intraocular pressure was 8 mmHg on day one and after one week. After six months this response to treatment sustained and the patient remained symptom-free [Figure - 1]C.
Genentech (San Francisco, CA) developed a monoclonal antibody against VEGF that was tested as a cancer therapy with the idea that reducing the vascular supply to a tumor may inhibit growth of the cancer. VEGF is a protein and is the most important growth factor for neovascularization in a variety of tissues including the eye.
Hypoxia stimulates the secretion of VEGF in retinal pigment epithelial cells [6] and VEGF production increases with neovascularization of the iris in primates. [7] In retinal detachment there is alteration in retinal perfusion arising from separation of the choroidal blood supply from the retinal pigment epithelium and can result in relative retinal ischemia. This ischemia stimulates the production of VEGF in retinal pericytes, endothelial cells, the retinal pigment epithelium and possibly other cell types. [8] The VEGF is either bound to the cell-surface or basement-membrane proteoglycans containing heparin (VEGF189, 286) or freely diffusible within the vitreous cavity (VEGF121, 165). [9] Diffusible VEGF follows its concentration gradient from the vitreous to the anterior segment and is cleared through the trabecular meshwork. Neovascularization can arise anywhere along this course. Inhibitions by means of antibody, antibody fragment or aptamer binding are strategies used in medicine to reduce the effects of VEGF in a variety of diseases. Our patient received 1 mg of bevacizumab, an antibody to VEGF, as an intracameral injection. The complete regression of neovascular membrane was noted after a week. We expected recurrence of neovascularization after some time, but there was no recurrence even after six months. Lloyd Paul Aiello and associates have mentioned in their article on VEGF in ocular fluid that "cell death without ischemia would have less vasoproliferative potential, since increased VEGF production would not be possible". [8] In our patient the eye is going for phthisical state and maybe the cells responsible for the production of VEGF are dying without ischemia. The existing load of VEGF was taken care of by the therapy and there was no new VEGF production. Probably this is the reason why the patient did not have recurrence.
Regression of retinal and iris neovascularization after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in human eyes has been reported. [3],[4],[5] Although there is one report [10] on intracameral administration of bevacizumab with one month follow-up, we believe that this is the first report on intracameral administration of bevacizumab with six months of follow-up. This case clearly demonstrates the dramatic effect of bevacizumab on ocular neovascularization, which might help in widening the spectrum of bevacizumab usage in ocular diseases.
We thank Dr. Richard F Spaide of Vitreous-Retina-Macula consultants of New York, NY, USA.
Rosenfeld PJ, Moshfegh AA, Puliafito CA. Optical Coherence Tomography findings after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) for neovascular age related macular degeneration. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging 2005;36:331-5.
Avery RL, Pieramjci DJ, Rabena MD, Castellarin AA, Nasir MA, Giust MJ. Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology 2006;113:363-72.
Spaide RF, Fisher YL. Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy complicated by vitreous hemorrhage. Retina 2006;26:275-8.
Avery RL. Regression of retinal and iris neovascularization after intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment. Retina 2006;26:352-4.
Davidorf FH, Mouser JG, Derick RJ. Rapid improvement of rubeosis iridis from a single bevacizumab (Avastin) injection. Retina 2006;26:354-6.
Shima D, Adamis AP, Yeo TK. Hypoxic regulation of vascular permeability factor (vascular endothelial growth factor) mRNA and protein secretion by human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993;34:900.
Adamis AP, Miller JW, O'Reilly M. Vascular permeability factor (vascular endothelial growth factor) is produced in the retina and elevated levels are present in the aqueous humor of patients with iris neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993;34:1440.
Aiello LP, Avery RL, Arrigg PG, Keyt BA, Jampel HD, Shah ST, et al . Vascular endothelial growth factor in ocular fluid of patients with diabetic retinopathy and other retinal disorders. N Engl J Med 1994;331:1480-7.
Houck KA, Leung DW, Rowland AM, Winer J, Ferrara N. Dual regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor bioavailability by genetic and proteolytic mechanisms. J Biol Chem 1992;267:26031-7.
Grisanti S, Biester S, Peters S, Tatar O, Ziemssen F, Bartz-Schmidt KU, et al . Intracameral bevacizumab for iris rubeosis. Am J Ophthalmol 2006;142:158-60.
1 Antivascular endothelial growth factors in anterior segment diseases
Scholl, S., Kirchhof, J., Augustin, A.J.
Developments in Ophthalmology. 2010; 46: 133-139
2 Intraocular injection of bevacizumab for rubeosis capsulare in a pseudophakic eye
J Rajagopal, A G Kamath, G G Kamath, M M Rao
Eye. 2010; 24(2): 384
3 Intracameral bevacizumab for rubeotic glaucoma secondary to retinal vein occlusion
Simon P. Kelly, Kashif Qureshi, Shahram Kashani
International Ophthalmology. 2009; 29(6): 537-539
4 The effect of different doses of intracameral bevacizumab on surgical outcomes of trabeculectomy for neovascular glaucoma
Gupta, V., Jha, R., Rao, A., Kong, G., Sihota, R.
European Journal of Ophthalmology. 2009; 19(3): 435-441
5 Intra-cameral injection of Bevacizumab (Avastin) to treat anterior chamber neovascular membrane in a painful blind eye
Agarwal, M., Dubey, S.
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2008; 56(3): 258-259
Raghuram A
Saravanan V R
Narendran V
intracameral injection
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Looking at the fixtures & the league table, Everton, United, Liverpool & City seem to be having the easiest of fixtures. However, it doesn't appear as easy for Liverpool who have lost three of their last four matches. On the other hand, City have lost all of their last four matches at Sunderland's home. The black cats come to the game after holding league leaders Chelsea to a stalemate at the Stadium of Light. Arsenal-Southampton & Chelsea-Spurs are the big matches of the gameweek, the latter pair having some history between themselves.
With yet another superb performance for the lilywhites, Harry Kane(4.9) should one of the first names on Pochettino's team sheet. Although facing a strong Chelsea side, the 'Hurrikane' would be looking for a point to prove against the league leaders. Charlie Austin has scored 5 and assisted 1 goal in the last 5 matches for the R's. As such, his price is rising every week. With a current price of 6.0, the Englishman is still a bargain.
Hull, Stoke, Leicester & Sunderland appear to be having difficult fixtures this week. Better avoid players from these teams. Avoid defenders from both Chelsea & Spurs as the visitors have scored and conceded(each) in 9 of their last 10 matches.
Silva, Kolarov, Dzeko, Shaw, Rafael, Blind, Sturridge, Ozil, Wilshere & Arteta are the big names to remain out due to injury. Kyle Walker is not likely to be rushed into first team action after playing only an u21 match since returning from injury. Costa & Mangala are suspended for the week.
Roberto Soldado : The Spaniard has been in good touch recently with his passing and link-up play in the final third. Scoring a goal against Everton ought to have given him some confidence to try & replicate his Valencia days.
Wilfried Bony : Bony is a star term in Swansea these days. Playing the loan striker role with a playmaker like Sigurdsson behind him seems to working quiet well for the Ivorian. He has scored 6 goals in the last 7 matches for the swans and is likely to add to this tally against QPR.
Take a close look at the venue of a match before making an assumption on the result and buying players. Some teams' results vary heavily in their home & away matches.
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Home | deutsch | Plain Language | Legals | Data Protection | Sitemap | Intranet | KIT
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Monika Landgraf
Head of Corporate Communications, Chief Press Officer
Phone: +49 721 608-47414
presseIrz1∂kit edu
Subscription of Press Releases
Press Release 013/2017
Turning Research into Innovations
ERC Funds for Commercializing Fundamental Research Results Go to KIT – Chemical Analysis by Mobile NMR – Optical Data Transmission Between Chips
Microscopic components made of silicon (blue) and special polymers (green) convert electrical into optical signals and vice versa. (Graphics: KIT)
The European Research Council (ERC) has decided to fund two innovative ideas of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). For their first steps from fundamental research to commerciali-zation, these projects are now granted about EUR 150,000 each. The so-called “Proof of Concept Grants” serve to further de-velop application-relevant research findings for the market. The KIT projects funded by the ERC cover the analysis of biological samples and data transmission by light.
SCOOTER – Silicon-organic Hybrid Transceivers for Terabit/s Data Networks
“Our digital society‘s thirst for data makes communication networks and data centers reach their limits,“ Professor Christian Koos of the KIT Institutes of Photonics and Quantum Electronics and of Microstructure Technology, says. “Compact, energy-efficient transmitter and receiver units for optical networks are the key to overcoming these bottlenecks.” The SCOOTER project is aimed at reaching a serial data transmission rate above 100 gigabits per second and, at the same time, meeting the high requirements associated with microintegration and energy efficiency of chips. As a basis, very small components of silicon and special polymers will be used for conversion of electrical into optical signals and vice versa. Research of KIT has shown that such modulators are not only quicker than conventional components, but also consume far less energy. Moreover, they can be integrated on microchips in large numbers at low costs. Hence, they are excellently suited for data transmission in future Ethernet connections, allowing for data rates between 400 and 1000 gigabits per second. With the funds of the ERC, SCOOTER will now analyze the opportunities on a billion-euro market and draft a business plan for negotiations with investors and the establishment of a startup.
LockChip – A Custom Lock Chip for Compact NMR
Direct chemical analysis in real time without elaborate processing at the laboratory accelerates fundamental research and production processes in e.g. environmental protection, material testing, and quality checks or in chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be applied for this purpose, as it is flexible, precise, and molecule-specific. In the past years, NMR devices became smaller, more mobile, and cheaper, as better evaluation electronics allows for the use of smaller magnets. “But a problem that is not yet solved satisfactorily is the dependence of measurements on ambient temperature,” says Professor Jan G. Korvink of KIT’s Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT). To eliminate the temperature effect, known calibration substances are mixed into the sample or evaluated in a second NMR device. However, this results in further disadvantages depending on the process. LockChip eliminates these drawbacks. The stand-alone NMR device is so small that it hardly needs space in the main detector and does not interfere with the latter’s magnetic field. As calibration substances are not released into the measurement volume, contamination of the sample is prevented. Within the framework of the LockChip project and at his startup Voxalytic GmbH, Korvink plans to further develop the product and prepare entry into the growing market.
The European Research Council (ERC) is the European organization funding excellent fundamental research. The proof of concept grants in the amount of EUR 150,000 each can be used for protecting intellectual property, studying business options, or for technical validation. By this grant, the ERC wishes to bridge the gap between fundamental research and the early phases of commercialization.
Being „The Research University in the Helmholtz Association“, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility and information. For this, about 9,300 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 25,100 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life.
kes, 01.02.2017
Kosta Schinarakis
Redakteur/Pressereferent
E-Mail: schinarakisYqz2∂kit edu
The photo in the best quality available to us may be requested by
presseQlg1∂kit edu or phone: +49 721 608-47414.
The press release is available as a PDF file.
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Advisory Circle
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Johnson Creek Watershed Council
Salmon in Johnson Creek
Salmon are integral to the Pacific Northwest. These amazing fish make extraordinary migrations from streams to the ocean, then back again to spawn. They also play important roles in the cultures and histories of people who have lived here for thousands of years. Since 2011, JCWC volunteers have been studying the creek for coho and Chinook salmon, gathering data that supports our restoration efforts.
Click to jump to…
Survey Background
Data Summary 2012-2017
Coho Salmon Background
Salmon populations in Johnson Creek have changed dramatically in the last century. Historical Johnson Creek coho runs once numbered as many as 5,000 adult fish each year, but as the area around Johnson Creek became more heavily developed, coho runs declined rapidly. Chinook salmon similarly suffered–by 2000, Lower Colombia River coho and Chinook were both listed as threatened. Only a handful of each are spotted in Johnson Creek annually.
To better understand salmon in Johnson Creek, JCWC worked with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to design a community science program in which volunteers could help gather salmon data. ODFW also surveys fish in the creek, but their surveys only cover 2-4 creek miles each season. Our program trained volunteers to use ODFW protocols, thus expanding the surveys to cover far more ground. Volunteers performed a few test surveys in 2011, and each year since 2012, over 50 volunteers have performed salmon spawning surveys. This volunteer effort has given us a much better picture of salmon activity, which helps inform our restoration projects.
Each year, we select several mile-long reaches to be surveyed by volunteers. Some reaches are surveyed every year, while others change from year to year. Volunteers are trained in early fall by fish biologists from ODFW, who teach them how to identify coho vs. Chinook fish and redds (spawning nests). Volunteers are then assigned mile-long reaches and walk those reaches in pairs, with each reach being surveyed each weekend through the fall months when both species spawn. Surveyors photograph any live fish or redds they encounter, taking notes and reporting all sightings to JCWC staff. Fish carcasses found during surveys are transported to the JCWC office, where staff determine age, sex, and spawning activity of the salmon when possible.
Our most recent surveys, in 2016, were conducted over about one month from November to December. Surveyors volunteered for 3 to 4 sessions each. We couldn’t have done it without them!
So far, from 2012 to 2016:
14.5 stream miles were surveyed
232 people volunteered to be stream surveyors
Volunteers dedicated 1904 hours to surveys!
Coho sightings from 2012-2017:
Coho salmon spend their first year in freshwater, then travel to the ocean in the spring, where they feed and grow for the next 16-20 months. It is at this stage that they are known as smolts, and are identifiable by their silver color. After their first summer at sea, some males that have reached sexual maturity early (known as jacks) return to freshwater. The rest of the fish return to freshwater at about three years old to spawn.
(While Chinook are also present in Johnson Creek, they are rarely seen anywhere except the lowest reaches of the creek. Coho are found throughout the entire system; for simplicity, this section focuses on coho.)
Coho salmon are known by many other names! These include silver salmon, hook nose salmon, blueback salmon, jack salmon, salmon trout, silverside salmon and white salmon.
From freshwater to saltwater
Coho salmon are anadromous. This term refers to fish that are born in fresh water, travel to the ocean to live their adult lives, and return to fresh water to spawn. In order to undergo this major change in conditions, the fishes’ bodies change in appearance and structure…all so they can reach their natal streams. Incredibly, salmon find their way to the same location where they hatched years before – very impressive! Scientists are unsure how salmon navigate back to their “home,” but it has been suggested that they use the earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves.
Most salmon species, including coho, expend their last bit of energy spawning. Their carcasses remain in the stream to feed other animals and plants, one of the ways they are vital to Pacific Northwest ecosystems: they bring nutrients far upstream from the ocean. (When carcasses are removed from Johnson Creek by our volunteer surveyors, JCWC staff return the carcasses to the creek after processing them.)
What do coho salmon eat?
Coho salmon are carnivores. Recently hatched fish (called fry) primarily eat insects, zooplankton, and small fish. Adults living in the ocean eat other fish and invertebrates.
Other salmon species in our watershed
Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are not the only salmon species that spend time in the Johnson Creek Watershed. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are also native here, as are the closely related trout species cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki ssp) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
Chinook salmon appear similar to coho while at sea, but when they are spawning they have slightly different coloring and are larger than coho. They tend to prefer deeper streams and bodies of water as compared to other salmon species–in Johnson Creek, they stay in the lower reaches and near the mouth.
Oregon Wild page on Coho Salmon
NOAA Fisheries page on Coho Salmon
Oregon Zoo page on Coho Salmon
Wild Salmon Center
Empowered on Powell Butte *MLK WEEKEND 2020*–EVENT FULL AND CLOSED
Lents Park Nature Patch
Oh Deer! Explore Leach Botanical Garden- Russian Community Event/ Присоединяйтесь к нам! Мероприятие (на английском и русском языках)
Plant Trivia Night!
Habitat Enhancement at Errol Heights
February 15 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sign up for our E-bulletin:
Become a Friend of Johnson Creek.
One way you can support the work of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council is by becoming a Friend of Johnson Creek
4033 SE Woodstock Blvd, Keiter Hall, Portland, Oregon, 97202
Our office is the second floor of All-Saints Episcopal Church. Please use the separate entrance at the south end of the building near Woodstock Blvd. Ring the bell.
Office Hours are variable;
usually M-F 9am – 5pm.
If in doubt, call in advance!
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Many thousands of years after a failed inter-planetary invasion, the planet Eco has recovered from catastrophic damage and life has returned. The Northern Lands are now split by the Great Rift, a Garden of Eden amidst barren wastelands. Human life has also returned and has learned to live with nature, refusing to return to the old ways. All of this changes when rebellious Caia Esvane, daughter of traditionalist shaman Robin Esvane, detects a point of light travelling across the sky. She breaks one of the greatest taboos by mind-joining, and discovers an escape pod containing a dying man.
The man is in stasis, a survivor of the great war that followed the invasion. Caia relives his memories and sees an industrialised world already destroying itself. The escape pod descends into the sea, until through the mind-join, she sees a colossal glowing star deep in the ocean.
This is City 5, one of seven undersea cities created to survive the invasion. Shaped like a starfish and feeding off natural resources (see Figure 1), it has grown and is now home to over thirty thousand people. City 5 is sentient, with its own agenda and ambitions, whilst the polarised society within is repressed, organised into sects governed by strict laws. At the top, Dynasties struggle for power and the most privileged consider themselves to be eternal gods, rejuvenated many times. There are sects in C5 based on differing beliefs about the surface, but all agree on one thing – that it is not habitable, and they are the only survivors from the war.
In the darkness of the lowest levels live the Feelers, blind and possessed of unusual gifts. Feelers live off waste and are part of the ecosystem within the ventilation systems. Order is maintained by Lawkeepers, work is done by Drones. Apart from the Royals, all other sects are allocated a specific life-span. The discovery of the survival pod acts as a catalyst. The Royals discover the Rift with its forests and mineral deposits, and its primitive peoples. They see resources to be exploited and slaves to do their bidding. They are resolved to return the planet to how it used to be, with giant cities and endless wealth, ruled over by the strongest dynasty. Knowledge of the impending changes – Emergence – disrupts the city, unleashing beliefs and the desire for freedom amongst its peoples. The Dynasties fight for control of the new world as the city itself reveals a secret agenda.
The surface is not all that it seems. The great war did more than destroy the old world. It changed nature and left behind an alien technology beyond understanding. The clans that live there and the ruined machines are linked to the planet in ways that the City dwellers cannot comprehend, including dragonkind and the Magda Stones, a relic from the invasion. Strangest of all is the Great Tree, a mystical one-eyed giant rumoured to sleep below the Rift.
The peoples of the Rift and the Outlands will have to unite to face the new threat, and Caia Esvane is chosen to lead the fight as her powers grow stronger. To make matters more difficult, she has encountered Lucas Venn – an inhabitant of the city sent to the surface to collect data – and she knows they are destined to be together. To realise her full powers and become Dragonwitch, Caia must first be tested and forced to question her beliefs. Ultimately, to save her own world she must bring back the dragons and summon Eco to help destroy the city.
Emergence is much more than a clash of cultures. It follows the lives and fates of families caught up in an unjust war, and concerns the battle of beliefs – magic versus technology, progress versus sustainability, love versus hate. The sects from the city and the Surface clans must fight and die for what they believe in, as the full power of Eco is finally revealed.
Example chapters
Caia Esvane watched the point of light moving slowly across the cold blue sky. She decided it couldn’t be a star, or a wendigo, or a falling chunk of the space debris that sometimes drew trails across the skies of Eco.
Something new. Something dangerous.
The Shaman’s daughter balanced on the narrow platform of a tree house over two hundred feet high, one of many spherical houses suspended within the forest canopy, connected to others by dizzying walkways and knotted ropes. Green and gold clad figures swung between the houses. It was late summer and many were busy hoisting up bags of nuts and nets of brightly coloured berries, others busying themselves with repairs. Wind-chimes sang their prayers in the chill air whilst the woven walls and wooden shingles of the houses creaked around her. The sharp sounds of flint cut through the sighing wind, but Caia barely heard as she tracked the object with her spy-glass.
The dot of light was overhead now.
The flame-shaped birthmark on Caia’s cheek itched, a reminder of childhood teasing and adolescent loneliness. Now she was grown and frustrated by gentle laws telling her what she could and could not do, who she should spend her life with, forbidding mind-touch. And so Caia mind-touched further than she ever had before until she reached the moving star, and inside found an unconscious man. The next instant, their minds joined.
Such memories he had – a wedding in an old candle-lit barn with the roof open to the sky, the warmth and love in his new wife’s eyes. The miraculous birth of his first child and the suicide seventeen years later. Recrimination and hurt, self-destruction followed by forgiveness that would never assuage his failure. Six-year-old Vanessa sitting on a swing in angel wings, laughing and kicking her legs – a girl who would never grow old, the brother she would never meet, the wife who could not say goodbye. Watching the moment of invasion on a glass screen inside their house as disbelief became reality, the spiderish object hanging over a city. Standing shivering in the street bathed in pallid dawn light as the first pulse of blue came from above the clouds.
The dream changed.
The man was flying a silver machine called a Dart and the black sky outside was a streak of stars. Below lay a strange blue curve that resolved into ocean. The land was barely visible through a polluted haze. It was still Eco, but not the world Caia adored – this was a planet in its death throes. Silver Darts seemed everywhere, soaring and diving, jetting spears of blue flame fierce as dragon-fire, flashing past faster than swifts. Some flowered in silent bursts of brilliance, followed by smoke and flame and slow clouds of debris and flesh. Others fell away, toppling back into the outer atmosphere trailing smoke. The air reeked of something sharp and heady, reminiscent of the bubbling tar pits beyond the river. Points of light zipped through the dance, seeking out Darts as they encircled flickering flailing monsters pulsing with waves of sharp blue light. The padded seat leaped and shook, sending each groaning impact through Caia’s body but it was his face reflected in the glass, stubbled and strained. It was his mouth stretched into an anxious thin line. His dream.
Pain flared and he bit his lip so hard she could taste blood. She was drowning in his dread, his guilt and his horror. He was thinking about his wife and child and praying they might live. He was offering his life for theirs to every god he knew, but there was no reply. He pulled back on the controls to avoid the twisted wreckage of another Dart as the heads-up display showed something huge following. The eight fronds were splayed and ready and energy sizzled between them, creating a spider’s web of lightning. The fronds swept shut and span the dazzling web into a miniature sun of blinding white. The incandescent point of light shot past, heading for the grey sprawl where his wife and daughter were. The ball of light hit the centre of the city and ripples of fire spread outwards, followed by a bloom of darkness. The man yelled as he fired, keeping his thumb on the red button. Lines of smoke curved away and found the whirling shape. The curling fronds jerked outwards and the light display flickered and died. He followed down, firing continuously and his eyes were hot with tears and fury. Red lines traced across the creature’s flanks but the web of light flickered back, this time blindingly white. It flipped over as it plummeted and the scatter of incandescent lights came too fast. There was a brutal lurch that drove a massive pain through his neck and the rear of the fighter became an inferno. As the survival pod ejected, Caia had time to glimpse a world eclipsed by fire. Even the sky was burning and the land puckered upwards like rotting fruit as the great waves arrived. The impossible tentacled things were floating above the inferno with outstretched arms touching as they created a giant web of incandescence. Then the temperature plunged inside the escape capsule and the dream began again, but it was time the dream ended.
“Wake up, man,” Caia whispered.
The man awoke. The man screamed. She saw the inside of the survival pod through his dying eyes, faded and paint-peeled, rusted and blotched with algae. She felt the restraining straps dig into his bony shoulders and the shuddering rhythm of the ancient engines. He was gazing at a row of orange symbols almost hidden by dust. His thoughts told her it was a calendar, like the shamanic estimation of time by suns and moons and seasons, but measured with the accuracy of Machines. The symbols frightened him – she could feel him gasp and then she saw his thoughts. Seventeen thousand years’ worth of seconds had ticked by whilst he was sleeping, and his old life and everyone he once loved had been turned to dust. His mouth swam with blood and what Caia could see of his body was little more than a skeleton inside the mouldering remains of the flying suit. She shared his pain as thawed cells slowly ruptured, and she tried to calm him as he cried out in his agony and loneliness. Caia stayed with him, sustaining him with her life force, desperate to right impossible wrongs as the ancient brain degenerated and his memories were gradually snuffed out.
The pod began to descend. Caia looked out through his failing eyes and saw the utter beauty of her world. The encroaching ice cap was a sea of blinding white, broken here and there by black peaks. The ice darkened and gave way to rugged rivers of ice spilling between the northern mountains as it stretched towards the Rift. The forest below was punctuated by slabs and twisted spires of rock that rose hundreds of feet from the Rift. Some of the spires still issued steam from crevices and fumaroles, the exhalations of the Great Tree as it slumbered beneath the world. Mighty cliffs rimmed the forest to the west and east, barely visible through veils of sleet. The forests lapping against the tormented and twisted landscape were grey and silent, the loops of the mighty river Torrent glinting below the canopy. The ocean lay ahead, a soft grey dissolving into sky. It was the termination of the world, the end of everything.
Now the pod was much lower, finding its way between the rock spires and exhalations of steam, floating above the endless sweep of trees and the crumpled remains of the Machines. They lay as if asleep, flexible arms coiled high above the tree canopy, their carcasses resembling monstrous broken wasps cast aside by Autumn. Caia felt the man’s guts churn. Bones crumbled.
“Shush now,” she whispered. “Don’t be afeard. Shush now.”
His eyelids drooped. His voice was slurring. “It’s fucking beautiful.”
She thought he was trying to laugh. The nameless man watched the approaching water with disinterest until it enveloped the capsule in an explosion of foam and together they sank into darkness. Then far below in the black, Caia saw lights in the shape of an immense five-pointed star.
She broke the mind-touch and anticipated the usual sickening sensation of falling, but this was different. She seemed to be floating in a world of grey and terror seized her. She had an overwhelming sensation of being watched.
I see you. How do you like my children?
The voice was dry and grating, the words clumsily formed as if the speaker was unused to speaking. Caia became aware of distances beyond comprehension and whirling galaxies dotted through an endless void. Somewhere out there, far beyond the light of the twin moons was the owner of the voice. She felt an immense power bearing down on her as tentacles of thought uncoiled in her mind and she had to use all her strength to sever the mind-touch, but finally it was done. She opened her eyes, and she was back on the balcony of the tree-house. The world looked the same as it always had, but she knew deep inside that everything was changed, and deep in the ocean, the glowing star was waiting.
Investigator Lucas Venn stood to attention in front of the ornate silver desk as Hedra Darke, Elsinor Prime of City 5 subjected him to her callous gaze. He avoided eye-contact as her elaborate, gold-chased black body-armour creaked and chafed. He kept his hands in the pockets of his long dark coat and the broad-brimmed hat was pulled down tight to shade his face. That’s what investigators did – hid in their own shadow, observed, kept their mouths shut. Although the last item wasn’t his strong point, he knew too well. The high collar around the back of her head twinkled with emeralds and rubies, as did the elaborate five-spine crown. The long nails grating against the desk shimmered with purple light to match the Royal insignia on her cheeks, each one a five-pointed star. Her heart-shaped face was ageless perfection, the wide mouth permanently set in a suggestive pout. It was the most perfect, desirable mouth he had ever seen but it was not born of nature and it was not for him. Her lips glistened. They always glistened. They parted enough to afford a glimpse of pearly teeth as her pink tongue flicked out and stroked the soft underside of the top lip. Looking at that mouth too long made him ache, but he looked anyway. Time passed. Ventilators hissed softly.
She said, “Tradition, Investigator Venn. Tradition is everything.”
He knew there was more and so he waited in silence. Tradition.
There was a man slumped on a chair in the corner of the room. A book lay on the desk about ancient civilisation. It was a replica of the only book to have survived Invasion, or so Hedra Darke had once told him in one of her rare attempts to communicate like a normal person. Images taken from the book adorned her walls, mostly depicting ritual killings or orgies, and all with impossibly beautiful people just like her. It was the inspiration for what passed as culture in her city. There were dragons too, and other creatures of magic, but nothing about the city was magical. He avoided looking at the pictures and the man in the chair. Blood dripped.
The Elsinor Prime arched a rust-coloured eyebrow, the huge green eyes so cold and clear under the harsh lights of the chandeliers.
He waited.
“I never understood why a Gladiator awarded Freedom of the City would turn it down and choose to be a scumbag Investigator. You survived one hundred fights. You achieved one hundred kills and you were loved. Yes, Investigator, you were loved, and now you’re despised.”
She laughed throatily. It was a beautiful laugh.
“You even refuse to take another life, they tell me. When did you become a coward, Investigator Venn?”
The voice matched the lips, softly musical. Her words unlocked unwelcome memories and dragged them out – the blood-flecked face of a man pleading for his life, that familiar desperation in the pale blue eyes. The feel of the 60cm stabbing sword as it rammed home behind the ribs and into the thumping heart. Desperation turned to agony, followed by the strange dimming of the eyes as if a permanent switch had just been flicked. The crimson flood staining the sand, so warm and so final. The frantic, overwhelming need to turn back the clock and give back life. The gradual numbing of the soul.
“I killed one hundred men and women for your entertainment. I need to honour them so their deaths weren’t pointless.”
The eyes grew colder. “Their lives were pointless. Tell me something – what did you learn from this experience, Investigator?”
“Killing taught me one thing, Elsinor.”
She frowned, irritated that he was playing with her. “Which was…”
“Life is the greatest miracle.”
“You are a proud man, Investigator Venn. You still carry that sword even though you’re too scared to use it. Perhaps it reminds you of when you were admired and when you were a better man, but those days are gone. Pride is a sin.”
“I wear it to mourn the men and women I killed.”
Her prominent cheekbones and exposed breasts had been rouged and decorated with flakes of gold, matching the blaze of deep red hair and contrasting with the soft blue light. The tongue running across the perfect teeth was studded with a lustrous pearl. Hedra Darke was an intimidating woman and she loved it.
“Look out the windows, Investigator Venn. Tell me what you see.”
He looked. Her ornate office was on Level 119 of the Hub, located in the central pillar of the city. It was high enough to have a glass wall overlooking two of the five tapered limbs that radiated outwards into utter darkness. Behind the glass hung toxic clouds of detritus-filled ocean and he knew that above the city lay 5500 metres of water. Above that was a world on fire. Her office vibrated quietly in time with the city’s metabolism and the grotesque chandeliers that dominated the gold-decked room tinkled gently. The sound of the city had been that way from the moment of his birth, an endless throb of bio-mechanical energy replayed in the ripples of each short life. He had experienced it as a foetus curled in his mother’s womb during the best months of his existence. It pulsed through his body as he stood in the ejection hall as a fourteen-year-old and watched her final day run out, and the sudden crimson flower that slowly drifted away into darkness before the sharks came. Her death had been designed to sear into his memory the fact that he and every other living soul was a fleeting moment in the life of the city, and all that mattered was servitude.
“Well? What do you see?”
“I see life without meaning, Elsinor.”
The frown returned. “Investigator Venn, take your hands from your pockets and recite me the words of our Sacred Book, Section Two, Paragraph Five.”
Anyone failing to know the words of the One God enshrined in SSG1005 was liable to a watery grave – if they were lucky. He felt a bead of sweat run down his long nose.
“’Sustainable life depends on careful monitoring and adjustment of various gases. The most arduous and monotonous of tasks can often be the most important.’” His quiet, throaty voice sounded abnormally loud.
She seemed disappointed but she made him wait, just long enough to make him sweat some more.
“Arduous and monotonous are good things, Venn. I know what Drones are really like – criminals and murderers, drug-dealers, musicians, artists, drunkards. These are the people you associate with. I should fire you into the ocean with the other turds.”
They said ejection was humane. Being crushed to death in the cold black deeps, terrified and alone was not humane, it was a journey straight to hell. Royals enjoyed it though – there was even a video channel dedicated to the sport, with bets placed on survival times.
“They say the fat ones last longest before implosion, children last the least. I heard a scientific explanation for it once on one of the vid channels,” she echoed his thoughts.
He glanced at the body slumped in the corner. The man’s legs were splayed out. His arms were behind his back, probably tied. He was most likely dead, judging from the shape of his auburn-haired head. He wore skin-tight lycra shorts emphasising the modified genitalia, nothing else. The body was absurdly toned. There was a small pool of blood on the gleaming floor. The man groaned.
“He’s still alive,” he said. The words sounded accusing to him.
Hedra Darke was around the desk in an instant. She had the mace in her hand as she strode across the room to the man in the chair.
“What would you have me do, Investigator? This Sex Drone was already chosen for the macerator by the Seer. Even gods like myself must pay homage to the city, you know that.”
Lucas knew there was nothing to be said or done, and so he shrugged. A blow to the head was more humane than being chomped to death, given the choice. He saw her mouth tighten before she raised the mace and brought it down, and he closed his eyes. The bony crunch was stomach-turning, even for an ex-gladiator. When he opened them, the body had been thrown forward off the chair and lay with the head tucked below. Blood spread out in a crimson star as she walked back, followed by a trail of bloody footprints. She thunked the mace down in front of him.
“Satisfied, Investigator?”
“What did he do wrong?”
She seemed genuinely surprised. “Nothing. It was part of the game. When I knew he’d been chosen for the city, I gave him the choice and he wanted it to finish that way. I’ve known Artur for several years now, but his time was at an end. I think he even enjoyed it. And I experienced an emotion. I almost cried.”
“Congratulations, Highness.”
Arduous and monotonous, Lucas thought. Poor Artur. Hedra propped up her unnaturally long legs on the desk beside her bloodied mace. She began flicking through the countless messages that floated around her, emphasising how unimportant he was. A bead of gore dangled from the mace. Her rouged nipples stared at him as he looked out the window, erect as two bullets. It was a statement of domination reserved for Royals, mimicking a picture on her wall of a bare-breasted woman driving a chariot. It wasn’t hard to imagine Hedra Darke doing the same. The ocean was an inky blackness outside the large windows lining her office. As if on cue, the outside lights shot multiple beams into the murk as something huge and lean skimmed the edge of the corona. A pallid eye gleamed. Plastic bags and other human waste billowed in the wake of the 30-metre-long shark, the excreta of the city ejected from the centre of the hub. The interloper was unlikely to travel far, the city would see to that in the ceaseless quest to feed its children. Lucas felt an overwhelming urge to yawn and clamped his jaws shut, swallowing it. Another drop of blood fell from the mace and landed with an audible blip, sending out ripples in the small crimson puddle on the desk. It was the only sound in the silence.
“For the city’s sake, sit down, Venn. And take off that damned hat.”
He did so, rubbing his hand across his close-cropped hair, feeling the scars.
She took her legs off the desk and leaned forward. Her armour squeaked. The young-old face remained impassive. “Give me a reason why I should keep you. You’re not breeding stock. You refuse to conform. You flaunt the laws you should enforce. You think you’re better than us. You should be an example for the young but I think you’re a danger. We can’t afford free thinkers – our empire is founded on tradition, as you well know. Each of us is born into a role, Venn. We either give orders, carry them out or enforce them. We have sex and we procreate and we die, and that is all there is to life, unless you are a god like me. We do not enjoy ourselves, we live for the city. You are no longer a gladiator.”
Before he could think of a reply, she was out of her seat and around the desk in three long strides, dangerous heels striking the floor. Her gleaming legs were clamped either side of his knees. Long fingers gripped his chin with wiry strength and pulled his face up until he was staring at her, but he knew better than to look without permission. She leaned over, her rouged face pushed close to his and he felt the heat of her body. Her nostrils dilated, sniffing the air. Her musk made his head swim. Her butterfly tongue unrolled and caressed his cheek.
“I can smell you, investigator. I can taste fear on your skin. You have ten seconds to persuade me to keep you.”
Lucas tried to find some saliva to free his mouth as the prehensile tongue explored his face. She was wily. She was at least Gen50, he’d heard – regenerated over fifty times, powered by the life stolen from countless hundreds. Hedra had learned every trick during her many metamorphoses. Lucas’s mind went blank and then out of the blankness swam the answer – information.
“They tell me things that no Royal knows because they trust me. Some of them still call me Gladiatorus.”
She released him and sat on the edge of the desk. She extended a leg and rested it on his chair. The four-inch stiletto was uncomfortably near his crotch.
She said, “Tell me about their mood.”
He considered what was least likely to result in a witch-hunt. It wasn’t easy. He kept his eyes focused on the elaborate boot, the metallic point sharp enough to castrate.
“There’s a new sect. They think heaven waits above the Surface in a place of dreams. They say hell is right here, living in this city. They call themselves Ascenders.”
She smiled to herself. “Interesting. What do you think, Venn?”
Difficult question. “‘No one sees the world as it truly is, we see it through the lens of our perception. When different lenses are used there will be stress and even conflict.’ SSG1005, Section Four, Chapter Three etcetera.”
“Hmm. Are these Ascenders a problem, Lucas?”
He thought about it, aware he was being tested again, noting the use of his first name. “Some of them maybe. It’s strongest amongst the Feelers. Many of them carry the symbol of the All-Seeing Eye of the Ascension, and the belief’s growing stronger.”
“How many think this way?”
He knew she was assessing a cull. “Thousands.”
She frowned. “I’ve seen a drawing of the eye. It was on a wall. Tell me more.”
He laughed uneasily. He found he didn’t want to tell her.
“They think there’s a godlike being that loves them and cares for them. It looks down on us all and sees us for what we truly are, hence the Eye. Some of them even believe that ejection is the doorway to the heaven where this god exists, and they’re not afraid of dying. The Eye comes to them in their sleep and takes away their fear.”
She seemed troubled. “It sounds absurd. Do you believe in any of this? Do you think there’s a heaven up there, beyond the fires?”
He shook his head, thinking about what he did believe, divining what she wanted to hear. “No. The world died and we’re the only survivors. But people need to believe in something greater than themselves and I know they think it’s worth the risk. And I think that if they realise the truth that we are alone after all, then they’ll be angry. Imagine that, several thousand angry people. Let them believe.” Good answer, Investigator.
“Have you dreamed of this Eye?”
It had started the first time he prayed for forgiveness. The dream seemed to explode into his head, blasting his thoughts away and he could not shut it out. The single eye had belonged to a face as seamed and wrinkled as the lines on his hand. But it had been huge, an emerald eye with a pupil bigger than a man’s fist, that became an endless pool of cool limpid water. He recalled diving into the pool, naked and unafraid, and as the waters closed over his head he had experienced a surge of pure love that eclipsed the few happy moments of his life. There it was, a force so great that it could inhale every laugh and kiss, every sob and prayer, all the joys and hopes, the overwhelming and unconditional love that gives all and takes nothing. It was the love of his mother multiplied a thousand-fold. And then he had awoken and wept before lying awake and gazing at the steel roof of his cubicle, thinking that his entire life had been utterly pointless. But it didn’t have to be.
“Yes, I dreamed of it,” he replied quietly.
He saw the clear eyes widen slightly, a sure sign that he had unsettled her.
“But I’ve dreamed nothing of this thing.” She sounded reproachful.
He shrugged. “It doesn’t mean anything. People need belief, that’s all.”
He sensed her mood turning. “They can believe in me. What else?”
Lucas breathed out. He hadn’t wanted to tell her anything about the Eye. It was personal, somehow. “The Citymen are less in number but more extreme. Maybe a thousand who truly believe the Surface is hell, complete with fire and brimstone. They’d rather die than go there. They think heaven is here, living in the city. They think just being alive is as good as it gets, even if they’re shovelling shit. With respect.”
“Maybe they’re right,” she breathed, smiling.
She took her foot off his chair and picked up the spiked steel mace, leaving the parallel scratches on the desk filled with crimson. She hefted it lovingly.
“With respect, highness – what do you believe?”
She inclined her head. “That is a fair question, I will allow it. I do genuinely believe in our purpose, Investigator. I believe that our world was close to perfection before the invasion, with technology at its height. We ruled the world then – even life itself was changed to suit our needs and our cities were vast sprawling empires covering entire continents. There were billions of people, Venn. Billions upon billions, and we controlled them – can you imagine such power, such appetite, so much potential?”
“No, I can’t.”
She frowned a warning. “One day we will restore that dream. We will restore perfection. We gods will emerge from the darkness into the light and we will reclaim what is ours- that’s what I believe. Now be quiet. I need to think about what to do with you.”
He waited as she walked behind him, swinging the mace. She stopped and he felt the sharp points caress his skull as if she was taking aim, and found himself praying to the Eye for a painless end. Finally, she returned to the desk and dropped the mace on it. She adjusted the jagged crown upon her head, pursed her lips and smiled a brilliant smile at him, displaying an array of perfect teeth.
“How old are you, Venn?”
“Thirty-five, maximum age for an Investigator. This is my last year. Three months left.” Yippee.
“I have decided you may live exactly one more year. There are undertones and moods we find difficult to decipher but you can, and we need continuity. You will become an organ for the gods. You’ll become my sensor. You will tell me everything and the city will know if you’re holding back. Betray me and you will be returned to the arena where you belong. And another thing – you will never misquote the Holy Book again, is that clear?”
He breathed out. “Very clear. So no punishment.”
She smiled again, this time with pleasure. “Thank you for reminding me. You will take one of the Explorers below the city. There are maintenance tasks that need attention – a lot of maintenance tasks.”
His worst nightmare. The last time he’d been outside, he’d ended up screaming. “But that’s Drone work.”
She nodded. “Exactly. And you will be with your friends, won’t you? Make sure you tell me what you learn from them, gladiator. If you please me, then I’ll reward you. Do not fail me.”
She waved a dismissive hand and he left with as much dignity as he could muster. When he glanced back, she was standing with her back to the door and staring out into the murk, overly slim and overly perfect. He wondered what was going on in that sleek head.
The Explorer was not much more than a glass sphere containing a padded seat. Lucas strapped himself into the seat and took off his hat, placing it on his lap. The glass door closed and sealed itself with a hiss. The Explorer was attached to the inside of the hull at Level 75, Wing 3. Level 75 was part of the Biotech Realm, where Med Drones were educated and generally well behaved. Lucas liked the Biotech Realm. His Explorer was parked alongside many others, and he could see dark figures crouched inside. He connected to the Explorer and it became an extension of himself. He waited as the immersion chamber outside filled with water, pressure equalised and the external doors in the hull were opened, and the familiar claustrophobia returned. The black ocean outside was transformed into data on the heads-up display. Everything was data, even the smooth and endless hull of the city converted into ticking streams of numbers. Lights shot out from the Explorers, illuminating swirling clouds of detritus. Sweat beaded.
He switched on the comm. “Who’s out there?”
Faces appeared in the air in front of him as transparent replicas. He recognised members of the group of Drones he had last seen beating out rhythms in a twenty-foot high ventilation duct, their faces streaked with purple. Laura Zobe’s piebald features floated past and so he connected with her.
“Hey, Laura.”
“Why hello, Investigator Venn.” She put her finger to her lips as she smiled wickedly. Not for the first time he found himself admiring her. Partly because she was a Level 74, at the top of the Utility Drone Caste. Partly because she had worked her way up from Sex Drone, not so different from being a gladiator on the dehumanisation scale. Partly because she was unobtainable. Mainly because she wasn’t interested. Her explorer drifted so close that the glass walls kissed. She was wearing light grey overalls, pleasingly tight in the right places, he noted inappropriately. She shook the black and white strands of hair out of her eyes, one so dark it was almost black, the other the palest of grey and she smiled her impish smile. As her sleeve fell back, he saw the Eye tattooed on the inside of her forearm. She saw him looking and covered it up.
“This is all your fault, you twat,” she communicated. “Serves you bloody right.”
He sensed anger below the smile, disappointment too. Assuming the city was paying him particular attention, he would take no risks.
He said, “When things have calmed down, I’ll find you. Maybe we can discover some new rhythms together.”
The smile faded. “That’s pathetic, Lucas. You’ll have to come up with something better than that. Oh – and if you do come back to the tunnels on Seven-Four, just remember they’re dangerous places. You could fall a long way if you took the wrong turn.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the Feelers have a contract out on you. You should know you’re not so popular now.”
The Feelers, blind Drones working in the lowest levels of the city where no light exists. There were rumours of what went on down there which surely could not be true – that the white-skinned creatures sometimes ate human flesh and could communicate by thought alone. They rarely caused trouble and if they did, the Centurions and Investigators left them to sort it out themselves.
“I’ve not done anything to those fuckers. Why the contract?”
She shrugged. “They hear everything, creeping through the ventilation ducts. They get everywhere. Maybe they heard something about you. Some people are saying you’re a traitor – pretending to be one of them, posing as an Investigator they can trust, a Gladiator, and they fall for it.”
“I don’t pretend, as it happens.”
“We all bloody pretend. A few good deeds, saving imperfect kids from termination, preventing a murder or two, solving a few crimes and they think they can tell you stuff. They think you’re on their side, but that’s all part of it, isn’t it? Another layer, another game. They say you believe in nothing. They say you’re a hedonist like Commander Xan.”
The head Centurion was already 7th Gen, almost a god after so much cell replacement and enhancement. Lucas felt his face grow hot at the comparison.
“That’s pretty harsh, Laura. I’m no god.”
“Is it? They say you’ve got your nose well and truly up the Royal arses.”
He saw indecision before she disconnected and moved off. He cursed and released his Explorer. He followed the others, a line of tiny glass bubbles floating through ink-black waters. He watched the hologram display as the assets he had to inspect lit up on the far side of the city. The Explorers rose until he could see each lobe of the starfish-like form reaching kilometres into the gloom, speckled by countless thousands of lights. An endless series of floors went past until they reached the central hub containing the city’s eyes – a cluster of ten glinting hemispheres around the anus that periodically ejected waste into the turgid waters. Silver bubbles of C02 poured upwards in an endless torrent. The skin of the city was puckered and crinkled, thick with algae and concretions as if it had become part of the sea floor and many of the irregular windows were half-covered, some no longer visible. The vibrations from the city were setting his teeth on edge. The ocean surface above was no more than a suggestion of light. Lucas and all the others had seen holograms of the invaders raining fire until even the soil was consumed and rock ran like water, crumpling the planet’s crust, setting off earthquakes and tsunami. The planet was said to have been transformed into a sea of plasma with an atmosphere of CO2 – not a great outcome and a long time to wait. The clock had been turned back to the emergence of life, if there was any life. Algae and other shit, nothing else, according to the city and the city was never wrong.
He checked his position and altitude on the heads-up display. His reading of illicit files restricted to Royals had told him the city was supposed to be somewhere called the Skyfall Trench, on the curiously-named Tortoise Abyssal Plain and 800 kilometres from land, but no one knew what that meant anymore – least of all what a tortoise might be. It was just another Urban Myth, woven into nursery rhymes alongside the myths of Ascension when the dead would rise to the heavens above and enjoy one long party, and the All-Seeing Eye of the Creator would gaze down upon its imprisoned children whilst they lived a life of subjugation and uncertainty.
The comm crackled as Laura spoke. “Far in the future, our children might be taken to the Surface to kick-start our race all over again, and the city won’t be needed. Imagine that, Lucas. Imagine seeing the sky or the top of the sea. I wonder what colour the sky would be. I don’t want it to be red, it’s such an angry colour. Maybe it’s green.”
One day. But no one believed it would happen, least of all Lucas. And in the meantime, the city was their entire world. “I can imagine creating our children, at any rate,” he replied with a chuckle.
She didn’t laugh. “That’s disrespectful. What d’you think it would be like up there? I mean, if there were no fires or anything?”
He gazed upwards, struggling with the concept. “I suppose it would be like the city, just bigger. Room for more people.”
“I guess. Maybe we could live for longer up there. If the Royals agreed. I mean, if there’s no limits then we’d need more people, wouldn’t we? Lucas? What d’you think?”
“I think I need to concentrate on this right now.”
He wiped the sweat from his face and his eyes. His mouth was dry, his lips stuck to his teeth. Lucas helped steer his Explorer down around the vast metallic hide, heading into the narrow crevices where the city squatted on the sea floor. Countless legs terminating in drills had been sunk deep into the planet, hoovering up whatever resources it needed. Streamers of leaking oil were fanned by the current, and the lights of the Explorer showed an endless carpet of glistening oil and plastic waste. The surrounding waters were a sickly yellow, swirling around the glass and even the crabs had met their match, the pale corpses wafting upwards in their hundreds in his wake. Lucas assisted the Explorer in its tasks, checking the drill bits as the tiny legs of the city were raised, making adjustments and hoovering up data, trying to stay cool, screaming inside. The legs returned to their work behind him so that he was in a moving cave, a pimple on the city’s arse. He tried not to think about the immense mass above or what would happen should the city take exception. Just another accident – and they happened all the time, people going missing and no one asking. Condensation was running down the inside of the glass and panic was pumping up inside. Terror was choking him. It was hard to breathe, his chest felt bound in iron. He tried to take slow breaths and focus on the job in hand, silently praying that the Explorer’s power would last. As the lights began to dim, he emerged out the other side and rose upwards, gasping for air. The city must have enjoyed selecting that particular punishment for a Claustrophobe. Laura was waiting for him, her bubble slowly rotating. His fear gave way to anger.
“The city’s a bastard. I need to get out of this fucking thing.”
“Indeed it is. But there’s something you should see first, investigator.”
She sounded excited and frightened at the same time.
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Imagine Dragons Reaches Out to Terminal LDS Teen
byDeseret News | Oct. 24, 2013
Kennedy Hansen has listened to Imagine Dragons' hit song "Radioactive" hundreds of times.
"She plays it over and over," said her father, Jason Hansen.
And on Oct. 25, 15-year-old Kennedy and members of the Hansen family will watch her favorite band perform live at Weber State University.
Though this is a dream for many teenagers, this concert is special for the entire Hansen family, which has relied on its LDS faith in coping with Kennedy's terminal illness. In June, Kennedy was diagnosed with juvenile Batten disease, which attacks the nervous system. Her experience of fulfilling another dream — as a cheerleader at Fremont High — was chronicled in the Deseret News earlier this week.
Arts & Entertainment Music Youth Death Arts & EntertainmentMusic,Youth,Death,Arts & Entertainment,Arts & Entertainment
Latter-day Saint Whose Family Passed Away While She Served a Mission Shares Hopeful Message: "We're Not Alone"
Jensen Parrish
20 Tips to Help Latter-day Saint Teens Through the "Awkward Stage"
Briana Stewart
12 Talks All Latter-day Saint Teens Need to Hear
Kensie Smith
Church Releases Details for New Youth Initiative to Replace Scouts, Personal Progress + More
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Feng Shui Apartments
Looking outside of the box, true potential was discovered for this site.
Sector: Apartments
Client: HSBC
Services: Architecture; Interior Design; Alterations & Additions
Budget: $100 million HKD
Size: 4,000m2
“HSBC invited ten practices to compete in a design competition for the refurbishment of their 1950s apartment block, Feng Shui on the Peak. Having worked closely with property developers, MAP’s winning strategy focused on asking the question – “What is the site’s true development potential?”
MAP put forward two proposals; the first stuck to the brief – to renovate the existing building and eight executive apartments, whereas the second design recommended creating four larger luxury duplex apartments with internal stairs to provide access to the roof and views of Victoria Harbour.
The existing apartments were poorly planned with awkward level changes and unsightly down beams, and, when the front door was open, the sight line led directly into the master bedroom. MAP lowered ceilings to conceal beams, double-loaded the hallway to provide further accommodation, leveled the floors, and integrated the balconies seamlessly into the rooms. Interiors were provided for new kitchen/family room and bathrooms.
Enhanced facilities were proposed for the redevelopment which included a residents’ dining club and a new entrance and lobby. The renovation of the building itself included re-cladding and re-servicing the apartments. The car park and drop off areas were re-planned and a garden wall included to separate the communal lawn from the driveway and creating an outdoor room.
Sustainable features included high-tech windows integrated with external retractable sun shades, an insulated roof, and solar water heating and LED lighting, along with a recycle-friendly garbage room and a bicycle storage room.”
Site Log In
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A guide to
Louth in Lincolnshire
Home Events Markets Art Parks Gallery Directory
Larkfleet Homes Display Plans For 140 Homes Near Kenwick Road
Here we go again. On Monday, 28th April Larkfleet Homes held an exhibition at the London Road Pavilion of their plans for around 140 homes in the south of Louth. This follows planning applications for Fulmar Drive, the Southern Gateway on Legbourne Road, 240 houses near Grimsby Road, 29 at the old swimming pool on Victoria Road, and around 45 off Eastfield Road. Developers are piling in to make applications to build in Louth, and there's the sense that they are desperate to get approval before the available spaces are taken up by other developers. It's a land rush.
The plans on display were only outline ones, so they're likely to change in response to feedback from residents. The site in question is near Kenwick Pastures, and directly to the west of the 970 homes Southern Gateway development that ELDC recently turned down.
This development will have three large ponds to deal with drainage issues. These ponds offer a tiered drainage system, whereby one drains into another until they are all full. Larkfleet Homes representatives seemed confident that the overall development would leave the drainage no worse than it is currently.
Plans also included one play area.
There would be three exits from the estate on foot, but only one by road, onto Kenwick Road. This isn't currently a particularly busy road, but that may change significantly if the neighbouring Southern Gateway development is granted permission on appeal.
The proposed housing mix comprises all two-storey homes of between one and five-bedrooms. It breaks down as 16 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, 70 three-bed, 28 four-bedroom, and 11 five-bedroom homes of various sizes.
One-bedroom
Two-bedroom
Four-bedroom
Five-bedroom
What stands out about this development is that there are no other types of building apart from homes. There's no sheltered housing, for instance, and no schools, shops, or other public buildings. I think it's too small for anything like that to be a requirement, but it's still a large enough expansion of the town to put pressure on the local infrastructure.
Neighbouring residents may be concerned about whether the new development would overlook their properties. The pavements and verges around the edges of the development, coupled with the proposal to limit it to two-storey properties, suggests that this may not be a big problem.
Sweetening the deal
Larkfleet Homes is offering a "community fund" of �500 for each home built, which can be spent on anything specified by the town council. A representative told me that this offer of money isn't conditional on the council's acceptance of the planning proposal, it's only conditional on the homes being built.
This somewhat balances a few of the problems that yet another development will bring, in terms of general pressure on Louth's infrastructure. However, there are some problems that can't be overcome by money alone, such as the increase in traffic that will be inevitable as a result of this development.
Louth is in the grip of an application boom, and not necessarily a housebuilding boom. What happens when permission is granted, but nothing is built? A company's solvency or reliability isn't a planning consideration (in that it plays no part in whether the council refuse or allow a development). So we may end up with plenty of approvals for this and similar developments, but still lack the housing that ELDC wants in this area.
Send in your news or comments about Louth.
Let us know about local events.
480 Homes Refused But Louth Will Still Grow
The planning committee at ELDC turned down plans for 480 homes, but developers have plans for many more.
280 Homes Passed For Legbourne Road
Outline planning permission was granted for land off Legbourne Road near Stewton Beck.
Town Council Round-Up: Town Partnership, Housing Fund, And Fulmar Drive
The town partnership may have lost its funding, but other organisations have emerged to take over some of its roles. The town council also scrutinises detailed plans for 148 homes.
Town Council Round-Up: Markets, Council Tax, And Ramsgate Road
Town councillors slam the decline of the Louth market and discuss its cause.
Town Council Round-Up: Letters, Cattle Markets, And Special Measures
Whilst ELDC is threatened with special measures for its planning appeals results, the town council remains defiant.
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Web design and text by Ros Jackson, unless otherwise specified.
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Greg's diary
Select day in December 2013:
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Sunday, 1 December 2013 Dereel Images for 1 December 2013
NBN installation, bad language and survey
Topic: general, technology, opinion Link here
Where do I put the network termination box for my NBN service? It's designed to be mounted on a wall inside the house, preferably close to a power point. We're going to be moving house in the foreseeable future, so it makes sense to consider where the new owner of the house would like to have it.
Clearly it should be somewhere near the existing network infrastructure. That's mainly the south half of the house; my powerline network adapters that connect to the north are so flaky that they may not be as fast as the NBN downlink. And most of the rooms in the south of the house were intended as bedrooms, though we're using two of them as offices. We could put it in my office, but if that ends up being a child's bedroom, it might not be the most appropriate. Maybe the storage cupboard in the middle of the house? I already have cvr2, my computer video recorder, in there, so it would be out of the way and easy to connect into the network. But how to get the cable from the roof into that cupboard?
Went to the NBN web site, which gave me little concrete information. I suppose I'll have to talk to the installer. The quality of the information is reflected in their HOWTO page, which states:
Please note that your existing DSL and cable modems may not be compatible with the NBN, so check your equipment with your internet service provider.
What kind of nonsense is that? Of course an ADSL or cable modem won't work with the NBN. That's why they supply their own “modem”. Either they're terminally confused, or they're participating in the bad language that I ranted about last week. But this time there's a difference: it specifically refers to components that require a modem. Probably the best guess is that the person who wrote the text was also confused by the bad language.
Once again I was asked if I wanted to do a survey. Now that I know I'm a resident, and not a user, I was able to do it. Glacially slow, and no particularly interesting questions, just “do you have any comments?” at the end. Do I!
Keeping EXIF data in a database
Topic: photography, technology Link here
I have something like 100,000 distinct photos on my system, and with all copies in different sizes, data formats and qualities, it's over 500,000. How do I keep track of the EXIF data? Specifically at the moment I'm wondering which lenses I use the most, and at what focal lengths. Clearly l need to store the information in a database.
That's so clear, in fact, that there must be software out there that does it. But a Google search didn't come up with anything very promising. What was there was mainly part of large programs, rather than a standalone application. I'm reminded of:
Hoare's Law of Large Problems:
Inside every large problem is a small problem struggling to get out.
This thread—coincidentally in an Olympus forum—shows that others also feel a need for this kind of representation, but I couldn't find an implementation. So it looks like I'll have to do it myself. What do I need? Modern photos have lots of EXIF data—exiftool produces about 200 lines of information from my photos. That's 100,000,000 records for 500,000 photos. There are a number of considerations:
Clearly I can improve things there by having only one record for each image, but that's not so easy. How do I establish which photos are derived from the same original? Photos are stored in FAT-32 file systems, so the granularity of a timestamp is 1 second. Given that modern cameras can take up to 12 photos a second, the timestamp isn't sufficient to identify an image.
What about panoramas? They're not derived from a single image.
How do I handle EXIF format differences? For example, EXIF data from my Olympus E-30 includes these lines:
Focal Length : 41.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.1 mm)
Clearly the former is preferable, but Nikon, for example, only supplies the latter. In general, there are enough differences from maker to maker to make the analysis quite complicated. Do I really need 200 records per image? Should I maybe restrict things? I already have a function on my web pages to format the EXIF data. It's over 700 lines long, and it would need to be expanded to support conversion to database format.
Should I have one record per image, or one record per EXIF datum? The former is cleaner, but it requires me to know all the possible EXIF data that I want to store. The latter is easier, but it generates millions of records, and it's not as easy to query.
Probably I'll have to do something like that, but it was worth a quick hack to get a feel for it. As I suspected:
mysql> SELECT count(*), value FROM exifdata WHERE tag = "Focal Length" GROUP BY value;
210 rows in set (27.19 sec)
That's with only about 70,000 photos. The data file was already over 1 GB in size. Clearly I need something better. But at least it has told me what I wanted to know: I take a very large proportion of my photos at either minimum or maximum focal length. So the new M.Zuiko 12-40 mm will indeed be restrictive compared to the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 SWD, with which I have taken 2,203 photos at 60 mm.
Monday, 2 December 2013 Dereel Images for 2 December 2013
Topic: general, technology Link here
It's summer! And the weather shows it:
That's a big difference from the last two months, which were far cooler than the seasonal average:
mysql> SELECT year(date), avg(outside_temp)
FROM observations
WHERE month(date) > 9
AND month(date) < 12
GROUP BY year(date);
+------------+-------------------+
| year(date) | avg(outside_temp) |
| 2009 | 17.5731496596709 |
| 2010 | 14.36821202979 |
And for some reason, weather station readings were very erratic—at times over 30 minutes passed without a reading coming through. That's almost certainly due to transmission problems from the external unit, but which? It's not easy to trace, and I don't really want to write hundreds of log messages for intermittent errors.
New camera: slower than from overseas
Topic: general, photography, opinion Link here
So my new camera got sent from Sydney on Friday. Today I got a message from a company called Startrack—maybe. They pointed to a web site http://www.startrack.com.au/. The news was good:
Image title: camera tracking detail
Dimensions: 672 x 480, 50 kB
Dimensions of original: 672 x 480, 50 kB
Display this image:
thumbnail hidden alone on page
Display all images on this page as:
thumbnails this size
Show for Monday, 2 December 2013:
thumbnails small images diary entry
Image title: camera tracking detail 2
Dimensions: 640 x 50, 4 kB
Dimensions of original: 640 x 50, 4 kB
I waited all day, but it didn't arrive. Then I took another look at the tracking site:
Image title: camera tracking
Dimensions: 639 x 91, 10 kB
Dimensions of original: 639 x 91, 10 kB
So they had driven it around all day and taken it back to Ballarat! Wendouree is just an inner suburb of Ballarat. Called up Startrack, who do a good job of hiding their number (13 2345), and waited fully 17 minutes listening to recorded announcements like “We deliver to every address in Australia, door to door”. Finally got connected with Chantal, who told me that they don't deliver to Dereel, and that the package will be delivered to Australia Post tomorrow, and I will get it in two day's time. That's 6 days after postage! I've had deliveries from overseas that are faster than that. And if that happens again, it's quite possible that I won't get my new lens until Monday, a week after shipping.
In the meantime, I had received another copy of my invoice from Digital Camera Warehouse. It looked identical to the previous one, and it said that all had been paid, so it wasn't really clear why they had sent me another one. Then it dawned on me: the words “Backorder” against the lens were missing. This seems to be their way of saying “your lens has arrived”. So I called up to ask them to send via civilized means. No, sorry, lens already gone out. I complained about their courier, and asked why they didn't send with Australia Post. Because it's too expensive, and they want a signature for delivery. Too expensive? They charge $19 for shipping. Checked later, and discovered that, although Australia Post charge only about $15, that's without insurance. And with insurance for $2,400, the price rises from $17 to $54.50. Why do they do that? That's a premium of 1.5% of the item value. To warrant that, they'd have to lose one package out of 67. But I suppose it explains DCW's choice, though presumably they could get a better courier.
Summer Holiday, 50 years on
Topic: music, multimedia, opinion Link here
When I was a boy, before the Beatles came on the scene, Cliff Richard was probably the leading British pop singer. I've never been a fan of pop music, but I found some of his songs quite acceptable. He also made a couple of musical films, The Young Ones and Summer Holiday, both of which I watched and enjoyed.
Summer Holiday was on TV recently, and so for the fun of it we watched it. Yvonne had never seen it before. It's interesting to see how things have changed since 1963. The most interesting thing is similarities in the choreography with the film version of West Side Story, which came out a couple of years earlier. The quality of the film is nowhere near that of West Side Story, of course, but it seems to be in a similar tradition. And the music is primarily melodic rather than the extreme percussion and stress that seems to pervade most modern “music”. I was surprised how much things have changed.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel Images for 3 December 2013
To the vets again
Topic: animals, general Link here
Off to Ballarat this morning to have Zhivago examined again. All seemed OK except for bilirubin in his urine, which Aaron thought could be indicative of liver problems. Had a complete blood test done—another $250 in total—and heard back in the evening that the results were all fine. What a lot of money we're spending on vets lately!
ABS survey
Topic: general Link here
We've been selected to complete a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. We don't get the choice: we're required to. It involved an interviewer coming along and asking lots of questions that she then typed into a laptop. The whole thing was scheduled to take 1½ hours, but in fact we got it done in an hour. Why can't we just do it online?
E-M1: first impressions
Topic: photography, opinion Link here
Despite the problems we had yesterday, my new Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera did arrive today. As I suspected, it was really sent by Australian Air Express, about whom I have complained in the past. In passing, it's interesting to note that that name is showing up less and less. The AAE link now links to Qantas freight. I wonder why the name changes.
And my lens was already in Ballarat waiting for its drive around town. Before leaving for town, called Startrack and asked if I could contact the driver and pick it up. No, they “can't stop on the side of the road”. Clearly they have to stop somewhere—why not arrange something? But no, nothing to be done. Hopefully it'll be here tomorrow.
Picked it the camera up on the way back from Ballarat. Without a lens I can't take photos with it, of course, but there's still plenty to learn about it.
The first impression is how small it is. I won't take photos until I have a lens to put on it, but it's about half way between my E-30 and Yvonne's compact camera.
So: what can I do without a lens? Examine the camera. The tripod mount is offset to one side, by about 12 mm! And that on a professional camera! How do I calculate entrance pupils? I'll have to mount it at an angle on the focusing rail and recalculate all the distances. Why did they do that? There's no obvious restriction.
Also took a look at the instructions. Clearly this is a modern camera: there are none! Well, almost none. I had already downloaded the manual from the web, only 165 pages of it—not very much for a camera of this complexity. But do I get it with the camera? Yes, but only on CD-ROM. The printed manual was in 3 languages, only 24 pages each when you exclude the boilerplate safety instructions. It doesn't even tell you how to get your photos off the camera! Olympus should be ashamed of themselves to not even include a printed version of the manual in a camera of this class. And the PDF version doesn't have any indexing, so I have to search the entire document for anything I want.
Still, it came with a CD with various software, including Olympus “Viewer” and the real manual, both of which I already had. But it also offers online registration. Tried that in my Microsoft box, but even that didn't work:
Image title: no app
Show for Tuesday, 3 December 2013:
That's possibly my mistake in believing that if I click on a file system icon, I will get some useful result. Finally found out how to start it. It required connecting the camera to the machine, so that it could read out the serial number. Then it started a web browser which wanted to know my date of birth—yet again! It also wanted my address, of course, but it would only let me live in the USA or dependencies!
Image title: no australia detail
Dimensions: 218 x 374, 6 kB
Dimensions of original: 218 x 374, 6 kB
The manual was also older than the one I had downloaded, dating to April, 5 months before the camera was released. In sum, the CD-ROM is useless.
OK, how about the “wireless LAN function”? I had already discovered that the implementation is deficient, but today's experiments confirmed it. I can't connect to a network!
The wireless LAN function on the camera cannot be used to connect to a home or public access point.
According to the instructions it's got to be a smartphone, not even a tablet, and I need to install OI.Share, the smartphone app, whatever that is. The instructions give no help, and neither does the software download page. On the CD-ROM? Of course not. Once again I had to go to the toyshop, though there's some information on this olympus site, which I could only find with the help of Google.
I had in fact found and installed this app some time ago but not commented on it. Although the video I saw a few months ago shows it using a tablet in landscape orientation, it's clearly designed for smart phones, and my version displays only in portrait orientation. And yes, it's the latest version. Maybe things will be better when I have a lens, but the functionality is really minimal. There are so many things it could do, but not only does it not support networks, it disconnects the tablet from the network when it connects to the camera. Here a comparison of what I think it does (not helped by Android-typical lack of documentation) and what it should be able to do:
Feature Desired Implemented
Connect to network Yes Only point-to-point connection
Control camera From any machine Only Android or iOS devices
Simultaneous remote and local control Yes No
Set time via ntp Yes Indirectly via tablet time
Transfer photos to computer Yes No
This last point is particularly painful. I still have to transfer photos via USB. There should be no need for that with a fast network connection. Hopefully they'll improve things, but looking at the quality of Olympus Viewer, I'm not holding my breath.
TV reception problems revisited
Topic: multimedia, opinion Link here
I've been keeping records of TV reception problems for over 2 years now, during which time I've been able to narrow down the causes somewhat. There's a strong correlation between reception quality and channel. In particular, ABC TV is very bad, something that the ABC people refute. Lately it's been so bad that I have basically had to throw out all recordings.
Then yesterday, with outside temperatures of 36°, my daily recording of Al Jazeera news on SBS was also unusable; normally it's perfect. Something to do with the temperature?
Hard to say. The nightly recordings of Al Jazeera on ABC are usually useless—sometimes I get no data at all—but last night the second one was perfect, along with another recording. I can't make any sense of this.
Handkäs mit Musik
Topic: food and drink, opinion Link here
In Melbourne last week we bought a Harzer Roller, a kind of processed cheese. Yvonne wanted to make Handkäs mit Musik, which translates literally as “hand cheese with music”. It's marinated Harzer Roller, but a specialty of Frankfurt am Main, but I had never eaten it. Did some research and came up with a recipe.
And what's it like? Boring. But at least now we know.
Wednesday, 4 December 2013 Dereel Images for 4 December 2013
Another power failure this morning at 7:51. Contacted Powercor—finally, after 5 minutes of waiting—and was told that it was a widespread outage, and that it would take the standard 2 hours to fix. Had just shut down my computers when the power came back, after only 19 minutes.
OM-D E-M1 in earnest
Today the lens for my Olympus OM-D E-M1 arrived, so I was able to start playing with it. It's also now time to compare it with other cameras. Yes, it's much smaller than the E-30, but nowhere near as small as a compact. In fact, with the lens it's considerably bigger than the Pentax SV. Here left to right the E-30, the E-M1 and the SV, each with standard lens:
Image title: Compare cameras 4
Complete exposure details
Dimensions of original: 2816 x 1289, 448 kB
Show for Wednesday, 4 December 2013:
How do you approach a new, complicated camera? Taking photos is only part of the experience. I've always started by taking test photos, of course:
Image title: Gaston with new Pentax SV detail 2
Show for Saturday, 24 July 1965:
Image title: daemon
Dimensions of original: 3650 x 2736, 1785 kB
Show for Thursday, 23 August 2007:
Image title: E 30 2
Dimensions: 599 x 451, 106 kB
Show for Tuesday, 12 May 2009:
Image title: Test with tablet 1
But there are others. Normally you'd throw away photos with this much camera shake:
Image title: Test 2
Image title: Test 2 detail
Dimensions of original: 1151 x 867, 78 kB
It's not until you realize that the photos were taken hand-held at 4 seconds and 0.6 seconds that the results look relatively good.
The things that are really supposed to be better about the camera are the autofocus and the viewfinder. The autofocus is really amazingly fast compared to my E-30, itself quite a fast camera in its day. Under normal lighting it's almost as if there's no delay at all, and even under poor lighting conditions it's not too bad, though it does use an AF assist light (amusing, considering that it doesn't have a built-in flash). And with this lens it's just as fast with “Live view” as it is through the viewfinder.
What about the viewfinder? It's amazing! It takes a bit of getting used to not being able to see anything until the camera is turned on, but it's really as good as an optical viewfinder, and there are apparently lots of clever things it can do, once I get past the documentation.
Then there's the sensitivity. My E-30 has a maximum ISO rating of 3,200/36°. The E-M1 goes all the way to “25,600”/45°. That's confusing, because it seems that 25,600 (if there were such a thing) would be 45.1°, so I need to correct it in my exposure reporting functions. It's all the sillier because the sequence is 10,000, 12,800, 16,000, 20,000 and 25,600, not the same relationship as the values 1,000, 1,250, 1,600, 2,000 and 2,500 at lower ratings. But it allows me to take photos like this forgettable one:
Image title: Linen cupboard
It's too dark, of course—I don't know why—but the exposure is 1/15 s at f/2.8. At normal sensitivity that would be about 8 seconds. And of course it's noisy, but not unbearably so. Later I might compare it with the E-30 at 3,200/36°.
What about the 802.11 wireless link? It's not networking, as I've established yesterday, and it's really difficult to understand. Given the appalling state of the documentation, I found a couple of videos on YouTube that were helpful. This one shows how to use the wireless link; it's non-intuitive, at least for me. But yes, it is possible to read the QR code with the tablet—if you haven't already input the password.
It's really difficult to understand how to use the app without instructions. There are silly icons which mean nothing to me, and which aren't described anywhere, like this icon at top right:
Image title: Viewfinder icons 1
Dimensions of original: 1280 x 800, 416 kB
Show for Thursday, 5 December 2013:
Image title: Viewfinder icons 1 detail
Dimensions: 64 x 64, 4 kB
Dimensions of original: 64 x 64, 4 kB
How do I tell it to focus? I don't know yet. My attempts only got it to take photos. Maybe the incomprehensible icons hold the secret. But, as those screen shots show, the viewfinder function does rotate with the orientation of the tablet. The other displays don't. And then there's the bizarre discovery that, although I had told it to only take photos in raw format, the ones taken remotely stored both raw and JPEG images. Still much to learn.
And the lens? I haven't done any optical tests, but it's clearly better than the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 SWD in the close-up range, where the 12-60 shows pronounced barrel distortion. But I ran out of focal length a couple of times. As I had already noted, I have taken a large number of photos at 60 mm focal length, and 40 mm doesn't cut it. It's quite possible, if the 12-60 focuses fast enough, that I'll sell the lens. There's certainly quite a demand for them at the moment.
Converting images was more of a problem than I expected. I've already established that the new version of DxO Optics “Pro” will require the “Elite” version to convert the images. But based on experiences with images from the E-5, also an “Elite” body, I can at least look at them. But no, it refuses to even select them, although it doesn't officially have support for the body yet.
So I had to use Olympus Viewer 3. Was I up to date? Hard to say, but finally I established that I wasn't. I had version 1.01 (so where's the 3?), and the current version is 1.1, released round the time of the announcement of the E-M1. But Viewer itself would perform the update for me. Let it go at that, and it came back with the startling information that I was already up to date. How I love broken software!
In the evening did some attempts to determine the entrance pupil of the lens. They were inconclusive. I've tried to use the remote control via tablet, but it's not clear that that will work well enough. More to do tomorrow.
Watch reset
Reset my watch again today, from +4 seconds to -5 seconds. I forgot to mention last time I did it, but it seems to be consistent with about 1.5 to 2 seconds per week.
Thursday, 5 December 2013 Dereel Images for 5 December 2013
Another power failure
I had barely set my alarm clock last night when the power failed again, fortunately very short.
More E-M1 investigations
On with my trying to understand the Olympus OM-D E-M1 today. How I wish it had a manual.
The first thing I continued with was to try to work out the entrance pupil of the lens. My intention had been to use the remote control Android app. But I quickly ran into a serious problem: while the resolution of the electronic viewfinder on the camera is excellent, I couldn't say the same thing about the remote viewfinder:
Image title: Viewfinder fast
Image title: Viewfinder fast detail
That's appalling! A little searching showed that one of the few interesting knobs I can tweak is the choice between “fast” and “high quality” viewfinder. When I switched to the latter, things got marginally better:
Image title: Viewfinder good
Image title: Viewfinder good detail
But that's still terrible quality, and the speed leaves a lot to be desired. I'm left with the impression that there are significant speed problems with the network connection, which might also explain the lack of functionality for transferring files to computers.
Also investigated the other functionality of the remote control. There seems to be really no documentation, and I'm still left wondering what the button at top right means; maybe I'll find the icon in some other context. There seems to be no explanation for why it stores the image in both raw and JPEG formats when run remotely, even though the camera is set to raw only. In general I'm quite disappointed by the quality of the remote app control. I can only hope that they improve it later.
Also today, the news that DxO Optics “Pro” now supports the E-M1—and not a single Four-Thirds lens, as promised. What software can I use instead? No idea. Olympus Viewer 3 is really pretty bare-bones, and the results I get from the default settings don't compare well.
Also tried out the flash for the first time. Also not very inspiring. It seems to underexpose greatly, and it seems that the flash exposure compensation doesn't work. In any case, these two photos were taken first with no compensation, then with +3 EV compensation, but there was almost no difference:
Image title: Pizza 1
Strangely, the EXIF data showed the flash exposure information in a different format from the E-30, requiring tweaks to my exposure compensation functions: instead of “Flash Comp” it's now “Flash Exposure Comp”. And some of the values are Just Plain Strange:
Flash Exposure Comp : 1.6640625
Flash Exposure Comp : 3
Clearly the first one is supposed to be 1⅔ EV, but it's not even accurate.
What weather we've been having lately! Three days ago we had a top of 36.6° and a low temperature of 14.3°. Today the temperatures were 12.7° and 5.0°—no overlap:
And looking out the windows, you'd almost think you were in Europe:
Image title: Hail 1
That was some particularly heavy hail.
Pizza: next try
Another try with the pizza oven today. This time I preheated the stones in the kitchen oven—I'm concerned about the heavy gas consumption of the pizza oven. That certainly helped: without the stones, the oven heated up to 320° in less than 10 minutes. I had hoped to get the stones a little hotter, but I only partially succeeded, with the stone temperatures round 280°. The pizza on the upper shelf was done after about 12 minutes, but it had stuck to the stone, so it took me a couple of minutes to get it out. After that, the one below was still quite pale, so I remove the upper pizza and put the lower one on that shelf, after which it browned pretty quickly.
Unfortunately, the result was not as good this time. Not the oven's fault: for some reason the dough had not risen as much, and with the longer baking time it was rather hard. I need more experience, as well as a way of keeping things consistent from one time to the next. I don't have any good idea how to do that with allowing the dough to rise.
Friday, 6 December 2013 Dereel Images for 6 December 2013
Still more E-M1 experience
Topic: photography, technology, opinion Link here
More playing around with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 today. I was particularly concerned with the quality of the photos that I took yesterday, which seemed far too dark as processed by Olympus Viewer 3. Spent some time looking for documentation, but I've come to the conclusion that here, too, there is none:
Image title: no help
Show for Friday, 6 December 2013:
This was immediately after a fresh install. Searching the web found nothing. Searching the file system found only a README written one line per paragraph, something that even the Microsoft tools don't seem to be able to handle:
Image title: README
It's hardly believable that people can provide software with no documentation at all. Maybe it's a bug: that file does contain the line: “For more information, refer to the online Help after installation.” So maybe they just forgot to include it.
To its credit, DxO Optics “Pro” does have quite an extensive manual. But it refuses to process the photos because it's not leet enough. It's a little silly: if I didn't have it already, I could install a trial version and run it for 30 days. But since I do have it, I can't run a trial version in parallel, since it's the same program. So I had to install on a different machine, and the only other Microsoft “box” I have is a virtual machine that I stopped using last year. For some reason I can't set the date, so it's still stuck in October 2012, with amusing results:
Image title: DxO trial
Running the program brought another surprise: although the “standard” version refuses to run because the body is only supported by the leet version, the leet version claims that it's not supported—now you see it, now you don't. So I had to run without correction for distortion and chromatic aberration. The results were significantly better. But running in the VM is a real pain, and it occurred to me that the E-M5 is a very similar camera, and it's supported by the standard version. What happens if I fake an E-M5? According to DxO, the results will be very different, because they calibrate each camera with each supported lens. Still, it was worth a try, and in fact there's very little (but still some) difference. Here the results from “Viewer 3”, DxO leet (E-M1) and DxO standard (E-M5). Running the cursor over either image shows the next in sequence:
Image title: Pizza 1 DxO
Image title: Pizza 1 DxO standard
Image title: Verandah
Image title: Verandah DxO
Image title: Verandah DxO standard
The difference in the pizza oven, in particular, is so great that at first I thought I had the wrong photo. On the other hand, the second photo shows the effect of geometry correction by Viewer: there's significant barrel distortion in the DxO output. So once again I need to check how to process with both packages in sequence.
Also spent a lot of time reading the pitiful excuse for a manual. Even the 165 page PDF version is terrible, and there are still many things I don't understand. One thing that did become clear is the meaning of the icons on the tablet app: they do, indeed, relate to focus. From page 27 of the manual,
sets “focus and shoot” mode: press on the image in a place corresponding to a focus sensor, and it will focus and then take a photo. On the other hand,
selects only focusing; you can still take the photo with the
icon in the mid-right. And that works well.
Understanding the buttons is another issue that is handled badly in the manual. In addition to the two wheels, there are two buttons with programmable meaning, sometimes referred to as “Multi-function button” and sometimes as Fn1 and Fn2. Still, I'm gradually getting to understand it. One thing that I was looking for yesterday, exposure compensation, has been solved well: it's directly on the front wheel in most modes. On the E-30 I first needed to find a well-hidden button before I could adjust it, again with the front wheel. Clearly some thought has gone into the camera. I wish I could say the same for the documentation.
Topic: Stones Road house Link here
Finally got the documents about the Stones Road property from Jarrod Hodgson today. The most interesting thing was that it's one of 3 parcels on a single property of 6 ha in a zone where land must be at least 8 ha (like ours). Can I build on the property? There's nothing obvious in the documents that says I can, and Jarrod, who sounds incredibly bored by the whole thing, couldn't tell me either. Called up the SAI Global, the people who did the planning certificate, and they didn't understand it either. At least that was reassuring.
Finally called up the council and spoke to Steph Durant, who told me that basically there should be no problem, gave me the information that the planning permit would take up to three months and that the building permit should then come more quickly. There's a vegetation reserve in front of the property that could cause issues with the placing of the driveway, but that's about that. So things are looking good. In the evening got a call from Garry Marriott, the seller, and we've arranged to meet up tomorrow and come to an agreement to buy the land.
Sunset...
Nice sunset this evening:
Image title: Sunset 2
And once again I find I ran out of focal length with the M.Zuiko 12-40 mm. I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that it's not for me. If I can focus well enough with the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 SWD, I'll get rid of it again. Not long to wait: the MMF-3 is on its way.
Saturday, 7 December 2013 Dereel Images for 7 December 2013
E-M1, day 4
Topic: photography Link here
Spent most of the day with the E-30 taking house photos, but also managed a little playing around with the E-M1. The recent windy weather has made a real mess of my car:
Image title: Car
Show for Saturday, 7 December 2013:
But the first photo I took made some funny noises and looked very different:
Image title: Car 1 4
Yes, there is an image there (displayed half normal size), but it's completely burnt out. It proved that I had forgotten to reset the camera after playing around with the HDR functionality, and this was the fifth of a 5 exposure bracket. The funny noise was the shutter going off 5 times at a speed I've never heard before. But it shows up a basic problem understanding HDR: you don't just take images bracketed about the “normal” exposure. As taken, the individual images looked like this:
And yes, there are five images there, as you can see by running the cursor over the last “image”. A couple of months ago I had a discussion of this with Reinhard Wagner, who seems to think that this is the correct way to expose images for HDR. I disagreed then, and I think this proves my point. The obvious workaround is to set the exposure compensation to -5 EV (maximum) underexposure, but it's a nuisance that you have to do that.
Putting the images together worked surprisingly well, considering that they were taken hand-held, and the last one had 10 seconds exposure. But since there's nothing on it, it can't add any camera shake. It just serves to water down the resultant image (first image). Just using the other four looks better, though in this case a single image (third image) works best. But that's probably because of the way it was taken.
Image title: Car 1
Image title: Car 1a
Also more playing around with the flash substitute in the evening. It's not good. I had accidentally set the camera to settings I normally wouldn't, aperture priority f/10 at 20,000/44° ISO. At that sensitivity it worked well enough:
Image title: Chris Lilac 2
But when I returned to 200/24° ISO, it just wasn't bright enough:
Image title: Zhivago
High time to get something else, maybe a smaller external flash unit.
Another sign of the times, while processing images:
Warning: MakerNotes too large to write in JPEG segment - /Photos/00-Oly/PC070031_DxO.jpg
That's from exiftool, and I'm not sure what to do about it.
Also more insights into why the camera stores both a raw image and a JPEG when I use a tablet for remote control. It seems that in some modes the camera overrides the settings and does just this. From page 29:
If [RAW] is currently selected for image quality, image quality will automatically be set to [LN+RAW].
The remote control wasn't set for iAuto, so it seems to be a bug. An alternative hypothesis is that it's necessary because the tablet app will only transfer JPEG images. But this doesn't seem to be the case.
Decided: Stones Road
Over to see Garry and Diane Marriott today and agree on the purchase of the land. It's done! Well, of course we need to complete the paperwork and pay money and things, but we have an agreement.
Sunday, 8 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel
House construction again
So now we're actively looking for a new house. At the end of March we were in principle going to accept an offer from McMasters, and I've been negotiating with them for a re-quote of the costs, with frustrating lack of detail, accuracy and consistency. Initially I was told, without details, that it would cost $9,000 more, about 5% in total, so I asked for a detailed breakdown. And that breakdown came in at $187,280, compared to $198,280 for the quote in March. Somehow maths doesn't seem to be their strong point. But it occurred to us: in March we had signed a contract to buy the land for $145,000. Now we're talking $85,000. While we don't necessarily want to spend another $60,000 on the house, we could do so without losing any money.
Looking through the catalogues, we found a couple of houses that looked interesting, and surprisingly one was even on display in Ballarat. So off to take a look, first to JG King to take a look at their Adelphi display home. It's surprisingly spacious, and the base price is only $17,000 more than the McMasters house we were looking at. In that house I would have had to use the garage for my office, which would incur additional $5,000 to $10,000 for a car port, so it's looking quite good.
Then to Simonds, whom we once quite liked, to speak to a surprisingly dense salesperson who, after I had told him that the permits would take at least 3 months, told me that they could start building in February. He took down a list of the extras that I want, but it's not clear he understood. That, along with Yvonne's surprising and sudden dislike of Simonds, probably means that we won't take them.
Then along to McMasters. They were shut! Spoke to somebody leaving the display home, but clearly there was nothing she wanted to do. McMasters, too, are getting on my nerves.
Time to tidy up
My office has been in a filthy mess almost since we moved here, and gradually the floor space is diminishing. The prospect of a move in the coming year, and the more imminent installation of the NBN, finally got me to clean it out a bit, and I got rid of two wheelbarrows of junk before I found an excuse to do something else.
Microsoft photo software doesn't like me
I've already commented on the fact that DxO Optics “Pro” “Elite” doesn't recognize the Olympus E-M1. But it seems it just doesn't want to do it for me. It works fine for others. Why? There are lots of bugs in DxO, but the likeliest one I can think of is that it recognizes my email address as licensee for the “standard” edition, and even the trial version won't work properly in “Elite” mode.
And then there's Olympus Viewer 3, which comes without documentation. But only for me, it seems. Others have a file OLYMPUSViewer3.chm with some kind of help text. Incorrect installation? Incorrect installation options? Deinstalled it, reinstalled it. No options to set, and no change. The person reporting was German, so I tried installing the German version. No change. I can only assume that these applications are picking on me because I don't like Microsoft.
Monday, 9 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel Images for 9 December 2013
Woken up this morning by a thunderclap the likes of which I had never heard. The whole house shook, and I later went to check for damage. Fortunately there was none. It was part of a thunderstorm which went on for a while, with lots more thunder. The weather was pretty terrible all day long.
MMF-3, first impressions
My MMF-3 arrived today. What an enormous package!
Image title: MMF 3 2
They don't seem to have had any reasonable size box:
But even the manufacturer's box is ridiculously large:
Apart from the adapter, there's only bubble foil in the box. Here's the relationship to the original package:
I can understand the use of a larger package for the postage, but why is the smaller box so big?
And how well does it work? Clearly I can now mount my old lenses on the E-M1, but what the autofocus like? Tried first with the Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6. The first problem was just connecting it: line up the red dots, and you can't insert it. The problem is that the adapter needs to connect both to the camera and the lens, so it has a different red dot for each. The one for the lens is on the front face of the adapter.
Once I had it in, tried to focus, with the strange result that the viewfinder image just wobbled. It proved that the lens wasn't quite correctly positioned in the adapter, and it wasn't making electrical contact. After that, focus was good enough. But when I put the Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 SWD in, I managed to do it again. Clearly something that needs to be borne in mind.
And the focus speed? In normal light, excellent. In poor light, not nearly as good—in fact, almost useless. It's interesting to note that the focus illumination turns off long before the lens is able to focus, so it's pretty much useless under these circumstances. There's more experimentation to be done, including the firmware update that has already been released, and which claims “Improved AF operation”, but so far it's a bit of a disappointment.
Things are well and truly under way now with the preparations for a new house, so while picking up the MMF-3, went into town and visited Angus Eeles, who do hydronic heating. I'm glad I did. My previous visits to Pivot Stoves in October and Wood N Energy last week (leaving such an impression that I didn't mention it here) left me concerned that people didn't really understand the material. At Angus Eeles I found that concern well-founded: they have the equipment I had been expecting all along, including thermostatic controls for the radiators, normal radiator sizes, and they understand that the radiators should be positioned in front of the windows.
Another issue: I had been told that I could use the hot water both for the radiators and for hot water, something they never do in Germany. Greg told me the reason: the water gets very dirty from the radiators. That means, of course, that we need a separate coil for heating water, and that we can't use solar panels for central heating.
Other interesting information was that we didn't need to lay the piping in the floor: they lay it in the ceiling and bring it down through the walls. And the boilers I had been looking at are toys: despite what the sellers say, they need to be stoked every 4 hours, which is not conducive to a good night's sleep. The boiler they offered me costs about $8,000, compared to the $3,300 I had been quoted at Pivot, but it looks like what I had previously expected, and it can run up to 15 hours or so on some very big logs of wood. The disadvantage is that it needs to go in the garage.
Also to Midland Irrigation to hear about water tanks and septic tanks. They couldn't help much beyond giving me a price list for water tanks—amusingly the 23,500 litre tanks were less than half the price of the 45,000 litre tanks (looking for standard sizes? NIH).
Understanding star ratings, revisited
Topic: Stones Road house, opinion Link here
Our new house will have a “6 star” rating. I've already commented on the meaninglessness of this term, and the difficulty of establishing what it really means. Now I've found a document that gives a table of energy loss per square metre for various locations and star ratings. From it, I can establish that a 6 star house in Ballarat will lose 197 MJ per year per m². For the house we're looking at, with a heated area of 224 m², that's 44.1 GJ, or 12.25 MWh. That's 33 kW/h per day, or 1.4 kW average over the entire year. Can that be correct? It sounds appalling. I wonder if the builders can give more plausible values.
Networking in the new house
Topic: Stones Road house, technology Link here
It's only 3 days until the NBN installer arrives and hopefully connects me up. And in only a few months we will move home. What happens to my NBN connection?
Called up the NBN and spoke to Chloë, who didn't quite seem to understand the issue. But yes, there is enough bandwidth available to service everybody in the rollout area (marked in purple), currently very much including Stones Road:
Image title: NBN Coverage detail
Tuesday, 10 December 2013 Dereel Images for 10 December 2013
Zhivago does a runner
Topic: animals Link here
Yvonne back from the morning walk today without Zhivago: he had disappeared somewhere on the way, possibly following some scent. While it's a nuisance, it's also an indication that he's feeling a lot better than he has been. Drove around the area between Swamp Road, Ballarat-Colac-Road, Swansons Road and the extension of Kleins Road, but didn't find him. Finally Yvonne found him just as she was about to give up. Considering that we're going to get at least one puppy in the near future, we need to consider how to avoid that happening more frequently.
Preparing for NBN
The first NBN installations took place in Dereel today. There were reports—as expected—of superb throughput, but not all were successful: two installations, in Browns Road and Golden Reef Road, had to be aborted because of lack of signal. Browns Road I can understand, but Golden Reef Road is almost in the middle of Dereel. If they have problems there, some designer hasn't done his homework properly.
My installation is on Thursday. What do I need to do to make things work? One is to find a place to put the network termination device (officially NTD, but which they call a “connection box” in their end-user documentation). I've identified three positions of varying convenience, so now I need to see where the installers are prepared to put the box.
And the software setup? It's aimed at Microsoft users, of course, but basically it's PPPoE. How does that work? Even the Wikipedia page is vague about discovery, but of course RFC 2516 isn't. It's a point-to-point connection over a network, so I don't need the typical separation of “WAN” and “LAN” that home routers have. But when setting it up, that might confuse the installers. With that in mind, and also in the hope of getting it up and running immediately, I prepared three different connection methods:
A conventional Microsoft direct connect. Microsoft networking confuses the hell out of me, but fortunately found this document, provided by Exetel but published by one of their competitors, which was correct modulo ignoring the obvious that the computer would already have a network link configured. But it seems to work, as well as I can see without a connection: the Wireshark output shows PADI packets being broadcast.
With my wireless router, the prototypical method that most ISPs sell as a “modem”. I don't really understand the innards of this one either; I can't talk to it over the “WAN” port even when I set the IP addresses statically. But it has configuration menus for PPPoE, and they seem to work, so I'm hoping that this, too, will work.
The way I really want to do it, with FreeBSD. I had already set it up, but coincidentally Edwin Groothuis pointed to a blog entry which showed essentially the same configuration file as I had written. With any luck this, too, will work out of the box.
So now all we can do is wait.
E-M1 HDR rendering
One of the interesting new things about the E-M1 is the support for HDR. Today I tried it for the fun of it. There are many possibilities: two automatic HDR methods, which the excuse for documentation describes (page 59):
Four shots are taken, each with a different exposure, and the shots are combined into one HDR image inside the camera. HDR2 provides a more impressive image than HDR1. ISO sensitivity is fixed to 200. Also, the slowest available shutter speed is 1 second and the longest available exposure is 4 seconds.
And that is really all it says. I don't even understand what they're trying to say about shutter speeds—possibly that 1 second is the base exposure and 4 seconds for the longest exposure in the set.
Apart from that, there are five bracketing modes that also set other parameters like fast frame repeat. It looks like the two modes with 3 EV difference are the obvious choice, so I took a series of 3 and a series of 5. The 5 series wasn't as completely burnt out as a few days ago, but the series still looked sub-optimal:
Image title: HDR 5 0
Show for Tuesday, 10 December 2013:
It's clear now that the range is wider than necessary: the second image is so underexposed that it adds nothing to the rendering, and the last is so overexposed that it, too, make no difference. But that wasn't so obvious when I was taking the images, so I tried another series with +2 EV compensation. Surprise, surprise! It gave me -2EV compensation! I've checked the EXIF data, but it just shows the shutter speeds, no compensation values. It's conceivable that I've made a mistake, but at the moment it looks like a firmware bug.
In case of doubt, blame the user. This time too. I misread the EXIF data.
And the results? I had taken an image that, in the past, has been a particular problem: the verandah from outside. In sunlight the outside is about 5 EV brighter than inside. Here are the results of no HDR, “HDR1”, “HDR2”, the 3 shot range and the 5 shot range:
Image title: Verandah 1
Image title: Verandah HDR 3
It's difficult to see any improvement with “HDR1” and “HDR2”. In particular, the skies are even more washed out, the wall on the right is still burnt out, and there is little improvement in the shadows. Certainly they're very different from the ones processed with enfuse. On the other hand, the ones processed with enfuse look a bit washed out. Is that because of the extreme range of exposures? To be investigated. It's also interesting that there is very little difference between the 3 exposure range and the 5 exposure range.
Rediscovering flying foxes
Topic: language Link here
Next month Callum Gibson will spend a holiday on the Great Ocean Road, so we're expecting he'll come up and say hello. I made some suggestions about where to go, including Otway Fly and Callum came back explaining that the name came from “flying fox”. Huh? They're tropical bats. We don't see them here. But it seems that it's a well-known (except to me) term for a cable hoist. OED doesn't know it either, but Macquarie does, without any further explanation.
Callum did some further research and came up with this link, suggesting that the name has been in use since 1885. Later he somehow got in contact with Julia Robinson of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, who showed a JPEG image (!) of an entry much more detailed than the Macquarie to which I had access, but which had an earliest reference of 1901. Since publication she had found another attestation dating to the 1890s. So it seems that Callum is on to something here.
Is the Macquarie to which I had access (via the State Library of Victoria) the full Macquarie? A couple of months ago I gained access to the National Library of Australia, so tried that for the first time. “Login failed”, repeatedly. Called them up and discovered that they have recorded my name the wrong way round, so instead of “Lehey” I have to state my surname as “Greg”.
The NLA has the same Macquarie as the SLV, but they also have the Australian National Dictionary, which modulo rendering breakage shows the same entry as Julia sent to Callum. Still, it's good to find a better dictionary of Australiana than the Macquarie.
Energy-efficient house design
Chris Bahlo has been investigating house building too, and came up with this document which, for the most part, contains good commonsense suggestions about how to minimize energy loss. I've known about most of them for years, and I've taken them into my plans for the house layout, but it's still good to read the details again. Only one thing surprised me:
External wall locations can result in additional heat loss, as increasing the temperature differential between inside and out increases the rate of heat flow through the wall. Heaters should not be located under windows.
That's absolutely contrary to conventional wisdom, as I commented only yesterday. In particular, it's the only way to get uniform heat distribution in the room. And even they carry on to note that placing the heaters elsewhere can lead to draughts:
Heaters create draughts when operating, see above.
I wonder what (mis)assumptions they are making.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel Images for 11 December 2013
Buying the land
Into Ballarat today to sign the contract for the land. John Curwen-Walker is the conveyancer, the same one who did the contracts for our current house, but this is the first time I have met him; last time we did it by mail. Interesting, talkative person, and he finally got us to get round to writing wills.
So now it's done! What are we going to build on it? Off to JG King to talk to a somewhat under-the-weather Tom, who gave me brochures for their other range of houses. Back home and took a look at them: they're enormous, more expensive, but no more useful. So we're gradually settling on our house model.
Bank of Melbourne: we speak your language
Topic: general, opinion Link here
First thing, of course, was to pay the deposit on the land. Tried that, with our account from the Bank of Melbourne, and got a message telling me that the sum exceeded my daily transfer limit. How much was that? Ah, that for them to know and me to guess. So I called them up on 13 22 66 and was told the sum. I asked them to raise it, and was told to go to the home page.
Image title: insecure Dimensions: 802 x 129, 28 kB
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All images taken on Wednesday, 11 December 2013, thumbnails All images taken on Wednesday, 11 December 2013, small
Diary entry for Wednesday, 11 December 2013
So I told the consultant, who said “It works for me”. But it seems that she was using Microsoft “Internet Explorer”. What can I say? When I told her I was using Chrome, she said yes, that's a known problem with Chrome.
There are times when I'm just lost for words. And though she was prepared to report the problem to the web team, she said that they would not contact me and confirm that it was fixed. And one of the reasons I'm leaving ANZ is because of their cavalier attitude to security.
Visited the site with firefox and followed her instructions: “Click on Forms Ay to Zee”.
Zee? What does that mean. It's American for Zed. And this from a bank that advertises with “We speak your language”. After the annoyance I had, that was the last straw. But she really didn't seem to understand that it's an American usage. Time to look for Yet Another Bank?
NBN installation failures
Tomorrow's the Big Day when I get connected to the National Broadband Network—maybe. It seems that the coverage maps are a best-case scenario. Spent a while setting up a Google Map showing installation locations. Now I just need to get people to add their locations and state whether it was a success or a failure.
Thursday, 12 December 2013 Dereel Images for 12 December 2013
NBN—Finally!
Today was the day scheduled for the installation of my connection to the National Broadband Network. They had given a time window between 8:00 and 12:00 to perform the installation, so I was up and about by 7:30, walking around like a tiger in a cage. No sign of them at 8:00, of course. That's to be expected. No sign at 9:00. Well, they could be late. No sign at 10:00. How long are they going to be? Were they given the wrong phone number? As Andy Snow put it:
PID USERNAME PRI NICE SIZE RES STATE C TIME WCPU COMMAND
612 nbnco 44 0 98268K 44424K zombie 0 1367:16 99.95% install --location dereel
Round 10:30 I finally said “Where's the bloody NBN?”. And immediately the phone rang. Harry from the NBN, about to leave Ballarat. And sure enough, they showed up in a surprisingly short time for the distance. 25 minutes later Harry was showing me the antenna:
Image title: NBN 2
Show for Thursday, 12 December 2013:
They installed the antenna somewhere on the roof that can't be seen from the ground, so I only have a vague idea where it is. The cable went down the air conditioner duct and into the office:
Image title: NBN 14
As I had been told two years ago, They use special CAT-5 cable. I hadn't expected it to have the company name on the casing, though:
Image title: NBN 11 detail Dimensions: 1152 x 234, 58 kB
All images taken on Thursday, 12 December 2013, thumbnails All images taken on Thursday, 12 December 2013, small
Diary entry for Thursday, 12 December 2013 Complete exposure details
And in a little over an hour we were connected. Harry tells me that the signal is excellent, though I'm not sure he means more than “all three LEDs are lit”.
I later discovered that yes, indeed, they have a numerical signal strength readout. But they didn't tell me what it was.
Plugged in my access point, and got an immediate connection. Thank God for that! The relief was almost unbearable, and it kept up all day long.
The cutover was clearly at 12:33, as the TCP transaction time log shows. The second column is time in seconds:
1386810703 0.24 # Thu 12 Dec 2013 12:11:43 EST
1386810896 21.58 # Thu 12 Dec 2013 12:15:18 EST
Only a couple of weeks later did I find what Yvonne had written on the calendar:
Image title: NBN at last
Show for Wednesday, 25 December 2013:
Image title: NBN at last detail
Configuring for NBN
Topic: technology, opinion Link here
That wasn't the end of the story, of course. I really wanted to run PPPoE from eureka, my main FreeBSD machine. And that didn't go as smoothly. Reading the logs didn't make much sense to me, so I put if off until later.
And now we can use VoIP normally! Turned the adapter (a NetComm V210p) back on, but it didn't register. Why? While messing around, realized that I was still connected via the Internode link, so whatever the problem was, it had nothing to do with the NBN. Played around with various settings, at one point setting “NAT” to “on”. BAD choice. After that, I couldn't communicate with it at all, and not even a hard reset worked. It has a telephone interface: enter #120# and a woman's voice, obviously chosen to grate, reads back the IP address. Correct. But I still couldn't ping it. Tried to reset it: the manual tells me that I can set an IP address, say 192.168.11.22, with the entry #112192*168*11*22#. But it lies. It didn't change, and I couldn't find any way to communicate with the thing. Well, I paid $10 for it, less than the money it would save in a few days of intensive phone calls, so I started looking for alternatives. Not easy, not cheap.
Then Callum Gibson said “I hope you're using the LAN port”. Nope, WAN, as I discovered empirically. But it seems that after resetting, only the LAN port worked. Once I connected to that, I was back in business. Set it up with the help of the sample configuration for the SPA 3000, since they don't have one for the V210P, and I know the SPA 3000: SIP proxy domain mynetfone.com.au, proxy server and outbound proxy server both sip.mynetfone.com.au, display name, user name and auth. ID all what MyNetFone call a SIP alias, but which looks like some kind of phone number, and the auth. password to the password.
Still nothing. Time for a support call? When do they ever work? But there wasn't much choice, so called up and was connected to Alex, who wanted remote access to the machine to take a look for himself. That required me to download special software, only for “Windows” or Apple of course. So I did that. It's interesting: it hijacked an open “terminal” window that I had on the machine, and displayed what he was doing as he went. Basically he replaced the host and domain names with IP addresses. Reset the box and it worked! Here's the final config:
Image title: SIP config
I'm really impressed. I think this is the first time that a service call has brought such a quick solution. But what was wrong with the DNS lookup? The name server was set correctly.
On closer examination, there are two possibilities. The addresses are all the same, but I had set the domain name mynetfone.com for the SIP proxy domain. And that's a different address. And then at the bottom there's an amazing “Use DNS SRV”, which is set to off. I can't recall seeing it before, so it's not clear whether it was on or off when I configured it.
NBN performance
Topic: technology Link here
So now I have a network link with 25 Mb/s down and 5 Mb/s up. How much of this am I really getting? Not very much, it seems. Repeated test with speedtest suggest about 8Mb/s down and 4 Mb/s up. Is that NBN or Exetel? To be observed.
Certified old fogey
Apart from the NBN, also received a card in the mail today: pensioner concession card, in the name “Greg F. Lehey”, which doesn't quite match the initials GPL. Also the information that they are finally paying my pension, backdated to September. In the meantime nearly enough money has accrued to pay for my new camera. Life is gradually getting more comfortable.
Friday, 13 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel Images for 13 December 2013
House progress
The new house is the topic of the moment, of course. Over to take a look at the property again, and did some measurements. There's a small pond about 50 m from the road:
Image title: Pond
Show for Friday, 13 December 2013:
Somewhere near there we need to put the house, but where? For fire danger reasons it shouldn't be too close to the neighbour to the north, who has planted a row of conifers just his side of the boundary line. Measured it out and discovered that the centre line of the pond is 23 m from the southern boundary (Garry Marriott) and (from the dying Acacia melanoxylon on the left of the photo above) 53 m from the road. We considered “not much space”, but that rectangle is 1,219 m², larger than most suburban blocks. So our current thinking is to remove they dying Acacias, align the house east-west, and place the west end of the house somewhere to the east of the pond.
In the afternoon, called up Tom Tyler of JG King and discovered that he had the day off, along with the weekend, and that he wouldn't be back until Monday. Left a message for him that we were about to make a decision, and got a call back from him within 5 minutes: yes, yes, come on in and we'll discuss it.
Finally arrived round 15:00 and discovered that he still didn't have a quote for us. Still, there was enough to talk about, and we spent over an hour discussing all the options. Things are still looking pretty good. In the past I've seen so many insurmountable problems up ahead, but this time it seems to be plain sailing.
Repairing the lawn mower
Topic: gardening, general Link here
Our lawn mower has been jammed in gear for some months now, and CJ hasn't got round to looking at it, so I got him to drop it off at David Chestnuts for repair, and we went in on the way home to confirm the details. Why are lawn mowers such a pain?
First panoramas with E-M1
The photo of the pond was the first panorama that I made with the Olympus OM-D E-M1. And it had another surprise for me. It seems that they have reshuffled all the EXIF data, or maybe just made so much of it that the “crop factor” no longer gets reported in the same way as in older Olympus cameras. So for the time being I have to enter it manually.
Understanding the NBN
I'm not the only person who has connected to the National Broadband Network, of course, and there was a lot of discussion on the Dereel Facebook page today. It's amazing how many people have chosen Telstra as an ISP. And already Telstra's bureaucracy has claimed at least one victim: swapped their current Internet line for NBN and had their phone disconnected. How could that happen? Presumably the phone was on the same contract as the Internet service, and nobody bothered to tell them.
Spent some time on Facebook answering questions, but Facebook is such a pain, so I put together a web page with general information. Looks like I'll be busy updating it over the next few days.
Streaming Internet video
Topic: multimedia, technology, opinion Link here
So now we have a real Internet connection, we can get films and other TV programmes off the web, right? Well, yes, but how? Looking at YouTube, the films on offer are old and boring. And today to start things off, I wanted to find something as a surprise for Yvonne: Et la Tendresse... Bordel !, a reminder of her days in France. No difficulty finding it: as usual, Google is your friend. But then? The links promised free downloads. Are they legal? I still don't know, but since some of them do it quickly for money or slowly for free, I'm guessing yes. This site and this one seem to be identical except for some markup. But the download link redirects me to some site that wants to install some download tool. Why? I have all the tools I want, and there's no prize for guessing how well it would run under FreeBSD. But maybe it's just an advertisement. There are two links on one page, and the other one has one of them: an obfuscated link to an online gambling site, which it displays as http://www.ul.to/56btltrs. As far as I can see, there's no way to download the film there.
Then there's this page, which redirects here. And yes, finally I was able to download for free. At 50 kB/s, a total of 4 hours. That wouldn't be bad, since I have an 8 hour window in the middle of the night to do these things. But they want a Captcha! So I actually need to be there to start it! What a pain.
Still, it came down, and it's unlikely that it will have a significant effect on my traffic bottom line. And after all that, I discover that my French has atrophied to the point where I can hardly understand the dialogues, which in this film are particularly important. Sigh.
Saturday, 14 December 2013 Dereel Images for 14 December 2013
E-M1 in earnest
I've had my Olympus OM-D E-M1 for 11 days now, but I've spent most of that time trying to understand it, not in the slightest helped by the abysmal documentation. Today was my weekly house photo day, and I have all the equipment I need, so I did it wall with the new camera and the same old Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 lens.
The first issue was how to mount the camera on the tripod. The tripod mount is offset from the optical axis. My first thought was to mount the camera at an angle so that the entrance pupil is over the rail:
Image title: Camera 1
That's a little ugly, but I found a better reason why it didn't work. The 9 mm lens is larger in diameter, and even without the lens hood it would press against the rail. So in the end I chose my old macro rail, which lifts the camera from the rail and also enables me to position the camera correctly:
Image title: Pano mount 4
Show for Saturday, 14 December 2013:
With that, it worked. Almost. How do you focus the lens in manual mode? The E-30 has a focus mode where you can autofocus in manual mode if you press the AEL/AFL button. I didn't have that set on the E-M1, but fortunately it also has the same feature; in fact, the focus mode modes are identical. But it brought home to me that I needed to configure the camera before continuing.
According to the “manual” there are 12 buttons that can be configured:
Image title: button function Dimensions: 984 x 275, 50 kB
All images taken on Sunday, 15 December 2013, thumbnails All images taken on Sunday, 15 December 2013, small
Diary entry for Sunday, 15 December 2013
But what are they? It took me quite a while to discover that
are the buttons on the front of the camera, to the right of the lens.
is marked accordingly, and
is the button marked ~. But what are
? I have no idea, and as far as I can find they're only mentioned twice in the manual, here and in a similar position in a menu summary. What a pain this “documentation” is.
In the end, after lots of experimentation and discovering many undocumented function restrictions, managed to set some mappings, though I'm sure they'll change. At least I can now set exposure compensation in all modes, and there's some provision for magnification in manual focus mode.
Other things don't seem to be easily settable. The E-30 can save two custom settings and get at them relatively simply via the buttons. The E-M1 now has four, but they're normally hidden deep in menus. They can be assigned to buttons, but rather than cycling through them until you get the one you want, it seems that you have to assign each setting to a specific button, which is a real pain. And on E-30, you can assign a grid display to one of the choices under the INFO button. The E-M1 also has the grid, but again it needs deep menu access.
Then there's the interaction between viewfinder and exposure. It tries to show the image as it would appear on the finished image, so if you're in manual mode and it's not set correctly, the display will be too bright or too dark.
On the positive side, the camera now displays the focal length setting, but only when I half-press the shutter. I wonder why that is.
Things still weren't over. The monitor of the E-M1 only tilts up and down, while the monitor of the E-30 swivels to the side as well. I use(d) it extensively, and so I had expected problems with this panorama:
Image title: house n
The camera is up against the wall, and I can't look through the viewfinder when it's pointing away from the wall. Instead I had to use the 802.11 link, which is not only fiddly, but also gives me unwanted JPEG images. What I didn't expect, though, was that I would have similar problems with the verandah panorama:
Image title: verandah centre
In the evening took some photos with the “flash”. The first one came out significantly underexposed:
So I added 1 EV compensation. As far as I can see, it made no difference whatsoever. Here before and after:
Image title: Dinner 1 orig
With Olympus Viewer I was able to compensate for it, but why am I getting so badly exposed images in the first place?
Debugging the PPPoE connection
Finally got round to looking at the PPPoE connection problems from a couple of days ago. Not a good advertisement for FreeBSD: it is in violation of RFC 2516. Here the view from wireshark:
Image title: PPPoE trace 1 Dimensions: 931 x 240, 34 kB
All images taken on Saturday, 14 December 2013, thumbnails All images taken on Saturday, 14 December 2013, small
Diary entry for Saturday, 14 December 2013
The “session” starts with eureka sending out a PADI broadcast. Interestingly, it gets two PADOs in reply. That's explicitly allowed by the RFC, but I hadn't expected it. It then sends a PADR to the first one, and gets a confirmatory PADS. That's all that PPPoE needs, and the rest goes on with the PPP LCP. But it gets no reply, and 17 seconds later it terminates. What went wrong?
Looking at the PADS is instructive:
Image title: PPPoE trace 3
Dimensions: 550 x 305.67107750473, 18 kB
“PADR has no service name tag”. What does that mean? From RFC 2516:
The PADR packet MUST contain exactly one TAG of TAG_TYPE Service- Name, indicating the service the Host is requesting, and any number of other TAG types.
And the man page basically confirms:
If a PPPoE:iface[:provider] specification is given,... The given provider is passed as the service name in the PPPoE Discovery Initiation (PADI) packet. If no provider is given, an empty value will be used.
But wait! That's talking about the PADI packet, not the PADR packet. And looking at the PADR, I see only:
In fact, the PADI also does not contain a service name tag, so possibly this is just an error in the man page. But it looks like the FreeBSD PPPoE not only doesn't supply the service name, it also ignores the error message in the PADR. Can I fix it by specifying a dummy service name? More investigation needed.
E-M1 HDR functions
I've already commented on the camera-internal HDR rendition of the Olympus OM-D E-M1, but today's photos gave me another opportunity to compare. It really doesn't work very well, in fact much worse than I expected. Here one comparison:
Image title: garden centre HDR2 Dimensions: 936 x 288, 114 kB
Diary entry for Saturday, 14 December 2013 Complete exposure details
Image title: garden centre Dimensions: 942 x 286, 112 kB
The first was taken with the “HDR2” setting. The colours are unnatural, and the shadow detail is worse than the normal photo (which was taken without any tricks, just automatic exposure). There doesn't seem to be any advantage in this facility, like the panorama facility of the E-510. The E-M1 has a similar facility too. So does the E-30, but for no obvious reason they only supported it with the old xD cards. One day I'll try it on the E-M1, but I'm not expecting anything useful.
On the other hand, the basic HDR support is definitely an advantage. With the E-30 I could get a total range of 4 EV by taking 5 images at 1 EV intervals and throwing away two of them. Each set took 800 ms, during which things could change. Now I can take 3 shots at 3 EV intervals in 300 ms, for a total range of 6 EV. The difference in noticeable. Here last week with the E-30, and then today with the E-M1:
In today's panorama, the shadows are much better defined.
Photo processing software changes
The new Olympus OM-D E-M1 also requires changes to my photo processing. Since DxO Optics “Pro” no longer supports my lens combinations, I have to use Olympus Viewer to convert the raw images to TIFF. I then (currently) use DxO to apply other corrections, but it's clear that once I don't have lens corrections, DxO doesn't have much to offer.
Viewer is a pain! It seems to continually reset the options I have set, including the paths to where I want to save the image. I think I'll have to give up and make its choice of path a symlink to where I really want the images.
After converting the images, I normally pass them through Ashampoo Photo Optimizer. That may have to change; the panoramas with the new camera are getting so big that it hits some internal limit in Ashampoo, which then claims that the format is not supported. Time to look for new processing software.
Chris turns 32
Topic: general, food and drink Link here
Chris Bahlo's birthday today—she's 32 years old, only F years younger than me. Yvonne made a nice dinner for her. The entrée was particularly pretty:
Image title: Dinner 2
It's a pity that the lumpfish roe (“caviar”) on bottom right, from ALDI, was inedibly salty.
Sunday, 15 December 2013 Dereel Images for 15 December 2013
E-M1 documentation explained
Sent out a query about my problems with the Olympus Viewer function keys, and got a quick reply, which also explains some of the names:
are located on the HLD-7 battery holder, and
is located on some lenses. Neither of much use to me.
More house thoughts
Into Ballarat again today to take a look at the JG King display home. It's very close to the one we want to build, and we spent well over an hour thinking of how we would structure things.
Image title: House 2
Show for Sunday, 15 December 2013:
Came away with a big list that I still need to process.
VoIP over Android
Finally VoIP is working at home. Why shouldn't it work on an Android tablet as well? Did some looking round and came up with Zoiper, which installed. And the service provider? In principle MyNetFone SuperSaver is free but for the calls, so it would make sense to sign up for a second account. But they wanted $20 for “bring your own hardware”. Not something I want to do for a test. Tried registering with the same account number, and to my surprise it worked, and the VoIP adapter still showed that it was registered too. That's strange.
Anyway, it worked, so when we were in Ballarat, I tried it with the Internode SIM card. Yes, it registered, but I couldn't transfer any data. Where's the configuration page on this thing? All these Android screens are terminally confusing. I'll have to get some help.
Topic: gardening, opinion Link here
On the way home, drove past our new plot of land, which has now changed its sign:
Image title: Stones Road 1
One of the interesting things is a “nature strip” in front of the house, which we have to maintain. It has a couple of interesting plants in it:
Image title: Flowers 1
Monday, 16 December 2013 Dereel Images for 16 December 2013
MyNetFone: only one connection after all
I had been rather surprised yesterday to discover that I could register my Android tablet with MyNetFone while my ATA was still registered. Today I discovered the truth: yes, the SIP LED was still lit on the ATA, but nobody was home. I had to stop the VoIP application on the tablet, and also power cycle the ATA, before I could use it again.
This isn't a bug, of course: it's only one line. But it is a feature. Now when I go anywhere I can turn off the ATA and take my home phone number with me. No need for two phone numbers, no need for redirection. I wonder why I haven't heard of that idea before.
NBN connect via FreeBSD
I've had difficulties connecting to the NBN with FreeBSD: the FreeBSD PPPoE implementation violates RFC 2516. Took at look at the code (/usr/src/sys/netgraph/ng_pppoe.c), which didn't show any obvious bug. Here round line 1462, where we're building the PADR:
insert_tag(sp, utag); /* Host Unique */
if ((tag = get_tag(ph, PTT_AC_COOKIE)))
insert_tag(sp, tag); /* return cookie */
if ((tag = get_tag(ph, PTT_AC_NAME))) {
insert_tag(sp, tag); /* return it */
send_acname(sp, tag);
insert_tag(sp, &neg->service.hdr); /* Service */
scan_tags(sp, ph);
make_packet(sp);
So the service name gets put in there unconditionally. Or at least I thought so. Time to look at what scan_tags() does. In the meantime, tried various alternatives. Exetel does not respond to a service name Exetel, and presumably to no others either. Finally discovered that this invocation will put in a “service name” containing one blank, and that Exetel will accept it:
set device PPPoE:re0:" "
And how did it work? I had hoped to discover that it was my router that was keeping the speed down to only 10 Mb/s. It wasn't. FreeBSD was just as slow. And since I don't have NAT set up yet, and I don't really want to, I reverted to using it.
Back with SkyMesh again?
Topic: technology, general, opinion Link here
It's been three years since SkyMesh terminated my satellite connection, thereby doing me a favour. And today, somewhat later than others, I got an offer from them to connect me to the NBN. More waste paper basket fodder? It's interesting enough to read what people offer, and this one was particularly interesting: no prices. In fact, I couldn't find their prices for NBN fixed wireless anywhere on their site. It seems they only got put up after my search: now they're here. And they're not very competitive.
But there was a reason they didn't mention prices: it's a two month, no obligation free trial by invitation only. Why did they invite me? We didn't exactly part on friendly terms. Still, it comes at a good time: I can use it to compare the speed of SkyMesh and Exetel, and also to test the FreeBSD software without going off the net. So I signed up.
Investigating evaporative cooling
Topic: Stones Road house, general, opinion Link here
We're pretty sure how we're going to heat the new house: wood-fired hydronic heating. But how do we cool it in the summer? As we note even now, in the middle of December, we need heating much more than cooling, but we really need some form of cooling for when the outside temperatures go over 40°.
The JG King brochures offer evaporative cooling, based on the evaporation of water. It has a number of advantages: it uses less energy, and it raises the humidity in the rooms, which otherwise might be as low as 15%.
But Tom Tyler told me that they use a lot of water. Really? Went looking and came up with this document, which is highly confusing and possibly confused. In one table it shows water consumption in litres/hour, but the heading also claims m³/h. And the consumptions! At the bottom of page 15 they state 1.8749 m³/day! Our water tanks will be 45 m³ in total (and not 50, because this is a metric country). That consumption would empty our tanks in 25 days.
But then there's another estimate on page 17: 7 m³ per year. So which is right? And if the first is, where does all the water go? At 30°, a kilogram of air (about 860 l) is saturated with about 28 g of water. So 1,800 kg of water would saturate about 65,000 kg of air, or 55 million cubic metres. That's just plain ridiculous: an area of 1 km² by a height of 1 m.
More Android networking
So why did my Android tablet not connect yesterday? How do I even configure it? Asked on IRC and got the startling instructions to go to settings/WIRELESS & NETWORKS/More.../Mobile network settings/Access Point Names. Access point names? What do access points have to do with mobile phones? Anyway, selected “new APN”, clearly an undocumented abbreviation meaning Access Point Name, and was asked for a whole lot of information. How to fill it out? Ask Internode support, I suppose. There I found a general setting page which hardly overlapped at all with the display on the Android:
Image title: Screenshot_2013 12 17 15 01 36
Show for Monday, 16 December 2013:
Image title: Internode 1
Jashank Jeremy somehow found another page that made more sense:
So I set those. Where's the “finish” button? Tapped outside the window, and it went away. So did my entries. It took me quite some while to realize that it was the
symbol. But at least I had things sorted out, and in town tomorrow I can try it out.
Then by chance I got a call from Evan from Internode Support, wanting to know how I was getting on with my 3G service. I told him the good news about the NBN, and that the loaner modem was on the dining room table waiting to be sent back (and yes, it really was). Discussed the settings with him. No, the settings there are for NodeMobile. What I have is NodeMobile 3G, and the settings for that are different: APN must be internode, not yesinternet. What a pain it is to understand all this stuff!
Garden flowers in early summer
Topic: gardening Link here
Garden flower day today. It's easy to see that my heart is no longer in it, but there are lots of nice flowers all the same. Next garden will start off with no grass; I wonder how long we'll be able to keep it that way.
Mowing the lawn—not
Our ride-on mower may be away to repair, but Yvonne wanted to mow the lawn with the little push mower. But we couldn't get it started! How I hate these things.
E-M1 grunting
I took my garden flower photos with the Olympus OM-D E-M1, of course, this time with the Olympus Zuiko Digital 18-180mm F3.5-6.3. It's not the best of lenses: the long focal length range make the image quality lower than any of the other Olympus lenses I have (though still very good), and focus is not particularly fast even on the cameras for which it was designed.
On the E-M1, it doesn't work badly. There are some times when focusing is really an issue, but not often. But the noises it makes! The E-M1 makes funny sounds, from the image stabilizer I think, but with this lens it seems to also do so when I change the focal length. I've also seen some tendency for the zoom ring to be heavier in one direction than the other, almost as if the camera was trying to operate a power zoom on the lens. It can do that on appropriate lenses, but I'm pretty sure that the lens doesn't have any such facility.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel
Network speed: what should I expect?
More playing around with Speedtest today. Clearly it's an approximate test at best, and for some reason it has decided that I'm in Cairns, nearly 3,000 km away, and so it appears to choose servers in Papua New Guinea, though I suppose they're really in northern Queensland. But even when I correct that and select local servers, the best downlink speed I have ever had was 14.73 Mb/s, and normally it's round 10 Mb/s. I've started to keep a statistics page to monitor the speeds. When SkyMesh provisions the connection, it'll be very interesting to see the difference.
New batteries for the E-M1
The last of the accessories for my new Olympus OM-D E-M1 arrived today: three spare batteries. Put the first in to charge, but after a couple of minutes charging stopped. Dead already? No, it seems that they were charged before they were sent off. It'll be a while before I find out if they're dud or not, but in the meantime I had to completely restructure my battery info and charge pages.
Committing to the new house
Tom Tyler of JG King has apparently had a hard time of it preparing an estimate of the costs for the new house, but finally he has come up with what we're looking for and at about the price we were expecting. Yvonne couldn't wait, and so off into town and spent what proved to be quite a while talking about the details, mainly timing. It looks as if it'll be April before we get the planning permit, and Tom claims that we'll get the building permit immediately after that. Then they start building within 2 weeks and build for... 5 to 7 months! That's what they say, anyway, though he then says that most of their houses are completed in 4 months. So that will be September next year, pretty much what I expected. And that means that we don't even start to try to sell our current house until April or May.
Then along to Angus Eeles with the plans to get a quote for the heating. They do air conditioning too, so I asked them for a quote for that as well. I can see them getting a lot of money out of us.
Then to David Chestnut's with the small lawn mower. We couldn't get it started, so we left it there. Why do we have so much trouble with lawn mowers?
Debugging Android networking
While in town, tried again to use my Android tablet on the phone network. Yes, I got a message saying that the phone was on the (which?) network, and my “Access Point Name” was correct. But, it seems, no Internet connection. What really annoys me is that there seems to be no way to debug these things.
Telstra: we can do worse!
Over the years I've developed a healthy hatred of Telstra in all things networking, as I've documented here and here. But what I've seen in connection with the National Broadband Network installation in Dereel blows my mind. I commented on the first one, assuming that it was a contract issue. But no, the phone they cut off was supplied by a competitor! That sounds like it should be a criminal act. And as far as I can see, after 4 days, the phone is still cut off.
And then Yvonne received a message from a friend:
Updated to the NBN today and it will be installed on the 13/01/14. All well and good until the internet/email ceased to work tonight. I rang Telstra and they said my ADSL has been turned off and I won't have internet or email access until the 13/01/14. I am being told it's a process to do the change over which takes time. Pity Telstra didn't advise me this would happen!
I had something similar three years ago. How can they get away with this? And why do people still sign up with them?
Wednesday, 18 December 2013 Dereel
Network problems, part 1
I'm still wondering where the problems are with my network throughput. My Speedtest results are not quite consistent—of course—but they're always far short of the 25 Mb/s downlink speed that I'm paying for.
On IRC, Andy Snow suggested using axel to test download speeds. Why? Because TCP has throughput limitations, depending on the window size. OK, possibly that's an issue, so I tried it, downloading a 100 MB file. Here the results (octopus.com.au is Andy's domain):
=== grog@eureka (/dev/pts/11) /var/tmp 27 -> axel -n 10 -a http://octopus.com.au/speedtest100mb.bin
Downloaded 99.3 megabytes in 1:56 seconds. (874.45 KB/s)
=== grog@eureka (/dev/pts/11) /var/tmp 28 -> ftp http://octopus.com.au/speedtest100mb.bin
104108024 bytes retrieved in 09:12 (184.01 KiB/s)
Clearly axel is an order of magnitude faster than ftp in this case. But even axel's speed translates to only 7 Mb/s, worse than any of my speedtest results. And the ftp result is the sort of thing I could have achieved with my old 3G connection. So I tried www.lemis.com:
=== grog@eureka (/dev/pts/11) /var/tmp 31 -> ftp http://www.lemis.com/blob
=== grog@eureka (/dev/pts/11) /var/tmp 32 -> axel -n 10 -a http://www.lemis.com/blob10
Downloaded 10.0 megabytes in 18 seconds. (555.50 KB/s)
=== grog@eureka (/dev/pts/11) /var/tmp 33 -> axel -n 10 -a http://www.lemis.com/blob
Downloaded 102.4 megabytes in 3:14 seconds. (538.01 KB/s)
That's very different. In particular, for some reason the results with axel were worse than with ftp. Nothing here looks like TCP issues to me. So I traced a connection. The -ttt option in tcpdump helps here, but it's not very easy to recognize:
00:00:00.000019 IP eureka.lemis.com.31609 > ozlabs.org.http: Flags [.], ack 59533, win 65340, length 0
00:00:00.000197 IP ozlabs.org.http > eureka.lemis.com.31609: Flags [.], seq 59533:60985, ack 106, win 14600, length 1452
This is the kind of situation that calls for my -h flag hack. And of course I didn't submit it, and in the meantime enough changes have been made to tcpdump that the patches didn't fit—they've even added their own -h flag to print version number and usage (help, I suppose). Threw that out and reapplied the patch:
20 IP eureka.lemis.com.31609 > ozlabs.org.http: Flags [.], ack 53725, win 65340, length 0
102 IP ozlabs.org.http > eureka.lemis.com.31609: Flags [.], seq 53725:55177, ack 106, win 14600, length 1452
1293 IP ozlabs.org.http > eureka.lemis.com.31609: Flags [.], seq 58081:59533, ack 106, win 14600, length 1452
94969 IP ozlabs.org.http > eureka.lemis.com.31609: Flags [.], seq 60985:62437, ack 106, win 14600, length 1452
Isn't that easier to read? It appears that ozlabs (reverse lookup for www.lemis.com) is waiting for the ack from eureka before sending the packet starting with sequence number 60985. At 25 Mb/s and a latency of, say, 80 ms, the 1492 byte packet should have come in 82 ms. So this was slow. But the real issue seems to be that there is no obvious reason for ozlabs to wait for that ack.
So what's going on? Have I misunderstood TCP? I'll try again when the SkyMesh service is active.
Topic: general, technology, multimedia, opinion Link here
The National Broadband Network connection wasn't the only network problem I've been having recently. A couple of times recently I have lost connections to cvr2, my TV recording computer. That almost certainly relates to a dubious switch in Yvonne's office, so I changed that. Then I tried to move a recording from cvr2 to teevee, the TV computer in the lounge room. The transfer rates were terrible! In fact, they were slower than the NBN connection, only round 480 kB/s.
Now my network topology has “just growed”, and it's somewhat baroque. From cvr2 the data goes to the switch I had just replaced, and then to the 100 Mb/s switch in my office, thence into a power line adapter to the lounge room, and then through an 802.11 access point to teevee. I've had a lot of trouble with the throughput of the power line adapters in the past, so they were the first thing to suspect. Instead I strung a 20 m CAT-6 cable from the office switch to the lounge room access point. No improvement.
What next? Could it be the NIC in teevee? It's on the motherboard, and I have had on-board NICs die before. Dragged out an old 3C509 card and put it in teevee, in the process disconnecting the display and running into issues with ARP. No improvement. AP? I removed that and connected directly from eureka to teevee via a single switch.
What else could it be? Clearly the equipment in my office is working, and I had moved the file from cvr2 to eureka to rule out any problems there. Still no improvement.
Then I saw something surprising: the scp process was running at 100% CPU! OK, decryption uses a fair amount of CPU, but modern CPUs are fast enough. Did my machine somehow get a hardware misconfiguration? Shut down, went through the BIOS settings without finding anything amiss. Rebooted, tried with rcp instead, no difference. But then I discovered that nearly all of the CPU time usage was in the system, so it had nothing to do with decryption.
Somehow I was reminded of the old and rather silly quote attributed to Sherlock Holmes: “When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. The recollection wasn't perfect: s/impossible/obvious/. So what else was there? Doesn't UFS use a lot of CPU time when the file system is almost full?
How full was the file system? A little over 3 GB free. But this is a 2 TB file system, so that corresponded to 99.7% full. Removed a few files and bingo! Transfer rates back to normal.
I'm really quite surprised. Yes, I knew that UFS gets slower when the file system is nearly full. But I hadn't expected it to be so sudden and so extreme.
Exetel: support? What's that?
Now that the National Broadband Network connection is up and running, it's time to terminate my contract with Internode and update my private web pages with ISP contact information. I had most of the information for Exetel, but not the email address for technical support. Finally stumbled across this page, which offered to answer my questions. Clearly not one that it expected:
Image title: no support
Later I found out that they do, in fact, have a help desk page where you can log faults. But that wasn't visible from my search.
SkyMesh: All your networks are belong to us
I signed up with SkyMesh a couple of days ago, and they had promised to send me details of how to connect to their National Broadband Network service. But nothing came. Then today the hardware arrived: a CiscoLinksys EA2700 router and SPA112 ATA. Also a welcome sheet giving me user names and passwords for the router, and network name and password for the 802.11 wireless network, and a second sheet with a picture of a fibre NTD, which looks quite different from a fixed wireless NTD, and instructions how to interconnect things:
Image title: SkyMesh instructions
Dimensions of original: 779 x 1105, 608 kB
And that's all! No IP addresses, no information At All for the ATA. How can I connect to it? Presumably it wants DHCP, but there's no information about that anywhere in the documentation.
So I connected it up and reconfigured dxo, my Microsoft box, to use DHCP. Sure enough, the router came up with an address 192.168.1.1. But I couldn't communicate with the Internet. Where's the config screen? It's not made any easier by the lack of documentation. So I called up SkyMesh support and accepted the offer of callback when somebody was available.
That was almost immediate. Spoke to Daniel, who didn't really understand. The fact that I was just looking for status didn't bother him. I am not allowed to touch the router: if I did, I wouldn't be able to talk to their network. I told him that if I didn't change the parameters, it wouldn't be able to talk to my network, but again I don't think he understood. I asked what the correct configuration settings were, but he wouldn't or couldn't tell me beyond saying that it should be DHCP.
That seems to be the case. After I found the manual, I discovered that Linksys use the term Internet to mean the uplink to the ISP. And the configuration looks like this:
Image title: Internet config
On the face of it, that's not a bad solution. Basically it looks like just another Ethernet link, something that I was wondering about earlier: why use PPPoE when you can just use Ethernet? But that presupposes some other kind of authentication, either by MAC address or some feature of the network topology. But in either case, they don't need DHCP: they could equally well configure the router with a static IP address. More to the immediate point, though, I was able to establish what I originally wanted to find out, and what Daniel still didn't understand: was I connected or not? No, I wasn't:
Image title: Internet status
It seems, though, that they don't use the MAC address to identify the device. When we had no joy with the router, he asked me to connect it to a computer and try there. Once again, of course, it was dxo, and of course it didn't work.
Then he wanted me to reboot the router and the NTD! Decide to humour him—clearly this is in his script book—but it took me off the net for longer than I had expected. The NTD was functional after about a minute, but it took about three minutes more for me to be able to establish a connection. And, of course, it made no difference.
That was all that Daniel could do. He had already established that the link was up, not by testing but by reading the written report from the NBN. And indeed I have a carrier on port 2, where ports 3 and 4 have none, so something is obviously active. So he asked me to perform a “Level 1 fault report”, which appears to involve checking the LEDs on the NTD, at least 4 of which are conveniently located on the bottom of the device, where you can only see them with a mirror.
The next step was escalation, reference number 987519. Somebody would contact me some time. And that after 50 minutes on the phone and another 30 minutes messing around before. That's a very different experience from Exetel, where I just plugged in the cables and they worked. But what's the problem? Every indication is that there's something wrong with the link between router and SkyMesh. Where? It wasn't the cable to the NTD, which I changed to be on the safe side. Could it be that it's on port 2 of the NTD? I mentioned that to Daniel, but I'm not sure he understood.
In the meantime, tried the ATA. It doesn't have a POTS port, so it's not much use, though it does have two channels. But it, too, doesn't work. It appears to be this device:
? (192.168.1.138) at e0:2f:6d:77:0e:16 on re0 expires in 250 seconds [ethernet]
nmap shows all ports closed, though it does respond to ping. I have no idea how it's configured, though it may show up when I get the main link working. In the meantime set up a tcpdump on eucla, connected directly to the NTD and with a dhclient running. After several hours there was no response whatsoever.
Then in the evening got a call from Martin, a supervisor. Discussed the matter with him, and asked if the DHCP server checked MAC addresses. Yes. Or better, no. So it's not that. Could it be port 2? No, we have lots of people on port 2, also 3 and 4. But then I mentioned the other net. What, a second network connection? That can't work.
Finally agreed that an engineer (hopefully worthy of that name) would contact me and do the real Level 1 troubleshooting. And that won't be until Martin comes on shift again, at 13:30 tomorrow, nearly 24 hours after I have received the device. Not a good comparison with Exetel.
SkyMesh score card
In summary, there are good and bad things about SkyMesh's approach. On the positive side, we have:
They supply preconfigured hardware. If it works, it's just plug and play.
The configuration includes passwords changed from default.
They (apparently) pass Ethernet traffic across the NTD, which must be the most efficient approach.
On the down side, unfortunately:
It doesn't work. This is completely independent of the other factors below.
They make undocumented assumptions about the network environment, including that all machines on the network will use DHCP, that no other DHCP server is on the network, and that they can mess around with the IP addresses of all machines. There's none of that in the agreement we had, and it must make life harder for their support.
Support appear to be incapable of debugging problems. My favourite hypothesis is that the server-side configuration assumes that the link is connected to NTD port 1, but we'll see.
Friday, 20 December 2013 Dereel Images for 20 December 2013
Looking for SkyMesh support
As promised, got a call from Dean at SkyMesh support today to do “Level 1” fault analysis. Basically this required showing the IP addresses of the interfaces and the contents of the ARP cache. I explained to him that there was no traffic whatsoever, and that the only MAC addresses were of my own interface, but he didn't seem to understand. But that was all the information he wanted, and he hadn't even bothered to report that I was receiving no traffic at all, which clearly made his other questions meaningless. Another waste of time. And so far a 24 out of 24 hour outage.
Olympus networking in practice
I'm in the process of finalizing our web Christmas card for this year, and once again I've taken a photo of Yvonne, myself and as many animals as we can fit in the picture. Last year I took the photos using the infrared remote control, which has the disadvantage that it's hard to hide:
Image title: Greg Yvonne 4 detail
Now I have this 802.11 link between the camera and a tablet (but not a network: it refuses to connect with any other networking equipment except a phone), and OI.Share, the app that connects with the camera. The tablet is a lot bigger than the remote control (10" tablet), but it has the advantage in this case that I can hide it behind a large object, like a Borzoi. So we took a number of photos. There were multiple issues:
Exposure, of course. I was using flash fill-in with my studio flash units, and it needed to be balanced.
Flash triggering. Normally I have a cable to one flash unit, and the other is flash triggered. But that didn't work in this light. I need to find a double cable method. So for these photos I had to use only one flash.
But then comes OI.Share, which had its own issues:
How do you access the buttons without looking? It requires touch.
Once the photo is taken, it takes about 5 seconds to display the preview, and I haven't found a way to disable it. Then I need to find another area on the surface of the tablet and press it to get back to the viewfinder display, which takes another couple of seconds. With direct control you can take up to 10 images a second with the E-M1, but the app slows this down to about one photo every 10 seconds.
It seems to insist on storing the image in both raw and JPEG formats, though the camera is set for raw only.
To add insult to injury, not only can I not turn off the slow display of the image just taken, I can't find a way to review the others. This seems to be typical of tablet apps: the really don't seem to want to document things or supply complete functionality.
Still more network pain!
Somehow networks just don't like me at the moment. Today cvr2 fell off the LAN again. More searching and finally found the problem: the cable between cvr2 and the switch in Yvonne's office. It goes under the house, and years ago I put it in and terminated it myself, apparently badly. The correct solution would be to try again, but I don't know if I ever want to put a CAT-5 cable together again. The new house will have Ethernet and fibre connections in every room. In the meantime, I put Yet Another cable over the floor.
SkyMesh outage, day 3
For the past couple of days I've been running a couple of tcpdump processes on my laptop eucla, connected directly to the SkyMesh port of the National Broadband Network NTD. One traced all traffic, while another traced traffic that didn't relate to the local interface. I checked from time to time: the former showed dhclient try repeatedly to get an address, and no reply arriving.
And then, round 11:09, I got a call from Kear of SkyMesh technical support. He suddenly found life in the link:
11:11:49.837739 IP 0.0.0.0.bootpc > 255.255.255.255.bootps: BOOTP/DHCP, Request from 48:f8:b3:b5:04:7b (oui Unknown), length 300
11:11:50.571587 IP ntp.skymesh.net.au.bootps > 181-209-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au.bootpc: BOOTP/DHCP, Reply, length 300
11:11:52.726601 IP 1-208-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au.bootps > 181-209-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au.bootpc: BOOTP/DHCP, Reply, length 300
11:11:52.731440 ARP, Request who-has 181-209-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au tell 1-208-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au, length 46
11:11:52.790918 ARP, Request who-has 181-209-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au tell 181-209-181-180.cpe.skymesh.net.au, length 28
But the time was in the future! That's understandable: the laptop had been powered down for months, and there was no NTP server available.
What was the problem? Kear wasn't sure. Something to do with a DHCP option 82. What's that? Don't know. And I can't find a reference to it in RFC 2131. But a web search found many hits, and this one explains a bit: it's an indication of where in the network the request came from. This is also the answer to my rhetorical question about how they identify the origin of the request. So a simple misconfiguration. Why did it take them 45 hours to fix? You'd expect that a simple trace in the right part of the network would show exactly what the problem is.
So finally I had a connection! Now to connect the router, the way SkyMesh intended. It couldn't connect. Tried with the laptop running Microsoft. It couldn't connect. Rebooted into FreeBSD. Immediate connection.
What's wrong here? Called SkyMesh and spoke to Ben, who got me to do some adventurous configurations, including connecting the Microsoft box directly to the NTD and setting a static RFC 1918 address, which of course couldn't work. But finally, after about half an hour, we connected it back again, and this time the link came up immediately. Ben: “Yes, it takes 20 minutes”. And suddenly it was clear: ARP keeps addresses for 20 minutes. Normally that shouldn't worry DHCP servers, since the request doesn't come attached to an IP address, but it seems that in this case something held on to the MAC address.
The other issue is that I still don't have access to the SkyMesh web site. Asked Ben about that and he told me that the account hadn't been set up yet. He called me back later and gave me the password, which isn't much help without a user name.
SkyMesh network speed
So now I finally have two functional connections via the National Broadband Network. How do they compare in speed? I haven't been overly happy with Exetel's performance, so this was of particular interest. And indeed the download speeds from SkyMesh were significantly higher:
Date Time RSP Server Ping Downlink Uplink
21 December 2013 12:50 Exetel Internode Melbourne 38 12.65 4.33
21 December 2013 12:52 SkyMesh Internode Melbourne 61 18.59 3.32
I've sorted this table by RSP instead of time, but it shows a couple of interesting things: firstly, SkyMesh's download speed is at least 50% higher than Exetel's, but both ping and upload speed are worse. And this carried on like that, as my speedtest page shows in more detail.
The other thing was file transfer with ftp and axel. Here there is as good as no difference between Exetel and SkyMesh, and also—surprisingly—between axel and ftp. I need to understand what's going on better. The initial recognition is how latency affects TCP throughput: basically, you can only transfer one window per RTT, so if the maximum window size is 64 kB and the RTT is, say, 60 ms, as it seems to be, then the maximum transfer rate over one TCP connection must be 64/0.6, or about 1.07 MB/s. That's a long way from the 25 Mb/s that the link should be able to handle. Window scaling should solve the problem, but I don't see it happening.
More E-M1 insights
Chris Bahlo to dinner this evening, and after dinner we spoke about my new Olympus OM-D E-M1. Managed to take some completely forgettable video which, however, looked as if it had been taken on a tripod. And once again both Chris and I managed some photos that would have been completely forgettable if they hadn't been taken with a shutter speed of 3.2 seconds:
Image title: Yvonne Lilac 2
Image title: Yvonne Lilac Piccola
Sure, there's a little camera shake there, and like in old photos from the 19th century, the subjects have moved. But it's still remarkably good for a hand-held photo taken at that shutter speed.
The future of the Yeardleys
Tuyết Yeardley has been living in Dereel for a year now. It hasn't been a peaceful time. It seems that Tuyết is insanely jealous of Chris Bahlo, and though the house half belongs to Chris, she wants Chris out, sell the horses, and in general remove all the reasons for being in Dereel in the first place. It's particularly stupid since, although David bought her a new car earlier this year, she still hasn't learnt to drive. So by alienating Chris, she has broken off one of her main connections with the outside world, especially since David away from home for weeks at a time. It sounds completely unreasonable.
David, not an easy person to get on with at the best of times, finds himself in a really difficult position, but in general he's sticking to what his wife wants. But that doesn't seem to be enough. Today Tuyết seems to have gone completely crazy. While driving in the car at about 80 km/h, she pushed the gear lever from “Drive” to “Park”. Surprisingly it didn't destroy the gearbox. And she tore David's glasses off and threw them away, and when she got back she grabbed a rock and threw it at her car, doing relatively little damage.
What's wrong with her? How can this continue? It's clear that she's not made for life in Dereel, but what is going to happen? I see bad times ahead. Personally, I vouched for Tuyết so that she could get her immigration visa. Should I contact the Department of Immigration and tell them of my concerns?
Sunday, 22 December 2013 Dereel → Warrandyte → Dereel Images for 22 December 2013
Scaling Windows
My TCP traces across the National Broadband Network show that window scaling doesn't occur. Why not? A check of my system showed that the sysctl net.inet.tcp.rfc1323 was set to 0 (disable). But even after I enabled it, it didn't scale. More investigation needed, but I didn't have time today.
Off to Warrandyte today with Chris Bahlo and Zhivago, mainly because we couldn't leave him behind, to visit Ron Frolley again and pick up the two dogs we had reserved. Once again we had a crowd of dogs, more Borzois than Chris had ever seen before in one place, and possibly more than we have seen outside a dog show:
Image title: Borzois 22
But the bad news: Ron had decided to keep one of the dogs we had chosen, the black male. What to do? Ron offered us Nigel instead:
He's undoubtedly one of the best dogs they have, and a son of Zhivago. It surprised me not only for that reason, but because he was Steve's favourite. Ron went to talk to Steve, who, not surprisingly, offered a bit of “resistance”. Not a worry: I would have felt guilty taking him anyway.
There were only two other males to be had: a litter mate of the one we wanted, whom we had rejected because we didn't like his markings, and a black and white one out of the previous litter, now 7 months old. We had rejected his markings too—Yvonne had really wanted brindles but in the meantime she had reconsidered and even wondered whether she still wanted to take the brindle bitch. In the end we took him, so we now have three Borzois: Zhivago, the new male whose name appears to be Zagar, and the little bitch, whom Yvonne eventually agreed to call Tanja. We're not sure whether Zagar will keep that name, especially since it sounds very much like “Vago”, as we call Zhivago. He's Zhivago's nephew, and Tanja is Zhivago's granddaughter (via Nigel).
We ended up calling Zagar Nikolai and spelling Tanja as Tanya.
Tanja was filthy when we got her. She looked as if some other dog had urinated on her, and Ron washed her in his special dog wash before we left. She paniced and even (marginally) bit me:
Image title: Tanya 4
We still need to get some good photos.
Acclimatizing the new dogs
It was a short night. The new dogs were outside in a compound that Yvonne had partitioned off for them, but they made it clear that they wanted to be inside. And in the morning we had to keep an eye on them, particularly Tanya, who is in the age of chewing everything in sight, and whom we can't expect to be house-trained. But in fact she's doing very well: not once but twice she signalled that she wanted to go outside, and they've already found a “toilet” space at the far end of the compound.
But then Yvonne had to go shopping, taking Zhivago and Zagar with her to have them washed, and I didn't have time to look after Tanya. So we put her in the guest bathroom. Not happy. After listening to her whining for over an hour, I let her out for a while, but I couldn't get anything done for keeping an eye on her. She's learning fast. Both of them now more or less understand that they're not allowed in the kitchen, and I can get her to stop chewing inappropriate objects.
Still, she had to get locked in again. Put her out in the compound, where she carried on whining for quite some time. Then she stopped. Went out to have a look. No Tanya. Somehow she had slipped through an opening where I wouldn't even expect a cat to get through, and was waiting quietly outside the kitchen door:
Image title: Tanya
Later in the afternoon we finally got a photo of Yvonne and the little dogs:
Image title: Yvonne with dogs 4 detail
Yvonne also borrowed a dog crate from Zali, the owner of Bindy, which made keeping an eye on them a lot easier. They're settling in remarkably well. Neither knew Zhivago before yesterday, and there's a good chance they didn't even know each other. But they're incredibly gentle, and in the evening we found them lying together in a line.
Image title: Tanya Zagar Zhivago 2
Now that I have a reasonable network connection, I can use services like flightradar24 without timeouts. Today was the perfect opportunity: Jari Kirma, whom I met in Helsinki 8 years ago, decided on Saturday to come to Australia for 5 days over Christmas (in addition to 2½ days in the air). Tracking was interesting: we could see him taking off on the last leg from Hong Kong, but then he disappeared over the South China Sea. He popped up a couple of times, over the Phillipines and the North of Australia, but disappeared somewhere in the Back of Bourke. Clearly this is indicative of radar coverage, but the site itself gave no explanation. Still, lots of fun.
Tuesday, 24 December 2013 Dereel → Ballarat → Dereel Images for 24 December 2013
Another power failure this morning at 0:11.
Kirma comes to Dereel
Into town this morning to pick Jari Kirma up from the airport shuttle. It's been 8 years since I last saw him, but he's still wearing the same T-shirt:
Image title: koston and kirma 1
Show for Saturday, 22 October 2005:
Image title: Kirma 1
DHCP configuration isses
The first thing Jari needed was a connection to the Internet, of course. Since the National Broadband Network that's not a general problem, and I had already configured and SIGHUPped my DHCP server. But he had problems connecting, from my view not helped by the fact that his laptop runs MacOS X rather than FreeBSD. After a lot of messing around, discovered the cause:
Dec 24 12:27:14 eureka dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from b8:f6:b1:18:2c:c9 via re0: network 192.109.197.0/24: no free leases
But there was only one lease, and I had configured dozens of addresses. Only ISC dhcpd doesn't pay any attention to SIGHUP. Restarted and all was well.
Christmas cooking again
Topic: food and drink, animals, opinion Link here
Spent most of the afternoon preparing Christmas dinner, not helped by the dogs, DHCP problems and inaccurate recipes (my own). But things went relatively smoothly; writing up the changes from last time will be more of a problem.
New flash unit
It's clear that the flash that came with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 is as good as useless. On the other hand, my Mecablitz 58 AF-1 has been waiting for reassembly for nearly a year now. I'm quite dissatisfied with the unit, and apart from other considerations, it's enormous. What I really want is something a little brighter than the standard pop-up flash.
The flash in my Olympus E-30 has a normalized guide number of 13 at ISO 21°/100. But the clip-on flash with the E-M1 has a guide number of only 8, which gives a range of 1.38 m at f/8 and ISO rating 24°/200, this camera's standard setting. What I need is something that's smaller than the Mecablitz, but which can do some kind of automatic exposure. The old thyristor-based units don't seem to be around any more, and most of the cheaper units, at least for Olympus, are just plain manual.
But recently I found a new one, the Meike MK-300. It has a claimed guide number of 32, and it handles Olympus' TTL protocol. On Friday I bought one from Hong Kong, and to my surprise it arrived today. It certainly looks like what I'm looking for:
Image title: Meike MK 300 3
Some reviews of the flash were quite negative, but there were positive ones as well. The first tests looked quite good:
Image title: Flash test 1
The first of these unreprocessed images was taken with +1 EV flash compensation, which seems to be required for all flashes, so I'm not really concerned. But it seems that it's not good very close up. While walking the dogs I found a wildflower I didn't know. Flash seems to be too bright:
Image title: Wildflower 1
But then, I've always had problems with flash exposure. This seems no worse than others, and the small size makes it almost possible to leave it on all the time.
BUGS Christmas dinner
Topic: general, food and drink, technology, opinion Link here
It's been nearly 4 years since the last BUGS barbecue. On that occasion, along with many others, we had five other active members of the #bugs IRC channel: Sue Blake (unixhag), Callum Gibson (callum), Edwin Groothuis (Mavvie) and Jashank (jashank) and Peter (AlephNull) Jeremy. Today we had 2: Chris Bahlo (fenix, present at the last, but as observer) and Jari Kirma (kirma). And then Jamie Fraser (fwaggle) announced an interest in meeting Jari, so off he set at 18:00 for an 80 km drive to arrive at 19:00—and made it only a couple of minutes late. So in the end we had four BUGS people for dinner:
Image title: Christmas dinner 3
It was also interesting because it's the first time any of us had met fwaggle, though you could be excused for getting the impression that fenix didn't like him much:
Image title: Christmas dinner 8 detail
Zhivago doesn't like our food
One of the problems with the new dogs is that they get different feed from Zhivago, and currently different from each other. With Zhivago that difference will remain, though: as a result of his Cystinuria he can't eat normal food. And he hates the special diet. It was bad enough when he was by himself, but now he can smell the other dogs getting real food, and he's not happy. Yvonne took for his walk this evening, but shortly after leaving he lagged behind, and when she came back she found him in the garden finishing off a rabbit. Clearly we have a problem here.
Goodbye Jari
Into town again to take Jari to the railway station on his way to a deserted Melbourne. How quiet everything is on Christmas Day!
More E-M1 surprises
Processing last night's photos brought another surprise: Once again it had recorded both a raw image (desired) and a JPEG image (most definitely not desired). And of course when I looked at the settings, that's what it showed. But when I tried to set it back to raw only, I couldn't.
What caused that? Spent a lot of time searching and found that there's a field “Picture Mode”, another processing option which appears to include “Art Filters”. It seems that I had accidentally changed that—and run into the undocumented “feature” that some of these modes (e-Portrait, Color Creator and 12 Art Filters) automatically change the storage mode to include JPEGs. How difficult it is to find out these things!
Looking at the EXIF data is instructive too. Here an extract from a diff of the raw and JPEG data for one of the photos:
--- ORF 2013-12-26 10:13:19.000000000 +1100
+++ JPEG 2013-12-26 10:13:07.000000000 +1100
@@ -100,8 +91,9 @@
Shading Compensation : Off
+Compression Factor : 8
Gradation : Normal; User-Selected
-Picture Mode : Natural; 2
+Picture Mode : Unknown (7); 2
It's difficult to correlate the numbers with the list; the second mode in the list is “Vivid”, and “Natural” is the third; possibly they're counting from 0. In that case, 7 would be e-Portrait, whatever that means (“Produces smooth skin textures. Cannot be used with bracket photography or when shooting movies.”).
The other surprise was a couple of photos of Jari. Here uncorrected images, JPEG for once:
Image title: Kirma 2 orig
Is this a problem with the flash? Or with the metering mode? Clearly it's an extreme exposure situation, and the fact that the centre of the image is light could explain a lot. More investigation needed.
Monitoring network traffic
Now that I'm connected to the National Broadband Network, life should be so simple. But that assumes that I'm so simple. Firstly I still haven't got my head around the finer details of TCP flow control, in particular configuring it for FreeBSD, and secondly I no longer have a program that shows me how much traffic is going across the link. With HSPA I used a heavily hacked version of Edwin Groothuis' e169-stats, to be found on FreeBSD boxen at /usr/ports/net/. It keeps track of the traffic over an HSPA link.
And what is there for real networks? Lots of different programs, of course, so many that it makes your head smoke. But what should I use? After some consideration installed iftop, not a perfect solution. It shows interesting detail, but too fast, and looking into the code it's not obvious at first sight how the screen refresh rate is determined. As any rate there's no -s flag like I'm used to from top. Other programs that I looked at briefly were mrtg, which I know already, cacti and ipaudit. I installed ipaudit, but was too lazy to read the documentation, such as there is—it seems that the only real introduction is from a third party.
House design software, try 1
It would be nice to have some way of simulating the appearance of our new house in software. Nearly 15 years ago I bought some software for this sort of thing: “3D Home Architect” by Brøderbund, for Microsoft of course and with dimensions firmly anchored in the non-metric past. Still, it wasn't bad and ran acceptably on the hardware of the day. But clearly time has moved on, and there should be better stuff available now.
But what? Found an online design program that came—don't they all—with no documentation, and with a menu system that I can't interpret. About the only documentation appears to be a selection of video clips, something that I can't make friends with.
Still, there are others. This Google Search may help me further, as may this overview and this one.
We don't want to pay your pension
One of the worst “investments” I ever made was with the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, the German Pension Fund. Over the course of the decades my employers and I paid in over 2,000,000 DM, about 1,000,000 Euros. The last payment was in 1992, nearly 22 years ago. If that sum had been invested at a relatively conservative rate of 5%, starting only in 1992, it would now be worth roughly 3,000,000 €, currently $4,600,000. If that were in an Australian superannuation fund, Centrelink would require me to take a minimum pension of 5%, or something over $19,000 a month. Instead, the DRV has determined that I am entitled to a pension of 935 € ($1,440) a month—if I get it.
Yes, I got it, but I only discovered much later that the sums mentioned were the base income for the payments, which amounted to only about 10% of those sums. In fact, the return is relatively good.
I had assumed that this “if” was purely bureaucratic caution, but recent events suggest otherwise: are they really trying to withhold even this pittance? Early last month I made my application, which had to be submitted to Centrelink. They confirmed having sent it on to DRV on 21 November. And now, just before Christmas, I received a letter dated 4 December and with postmark 11 December, sent by the cheapest mail. It confirmed reception of the pension application and asked me to send forms AUS/D1 and A3490. They're German forms, of course. Did she enclose them? No, that would make things too simple for me.
On checking, these two forms are exactly the ones I submitted. The first is the application that she confirmed having received. So what is this nonsense? It would be easy to assume that they're trying to postpone the start date for the pension. Wrote a stiff letter, to be posted tomorrow.
Into town again
Yvonne wanted to go into town for various odds and ends, and I came along for the fun of it. Took a look at fridges and ovens at The Good Guys, without coming to much in the way of conclusions. They had both fridges and ovens in a price range between $600 and $2,500, without there being much difference between the cheapest and the most expensive.
Finally to the Bakery Hill post office. Closed!
Image title: Bakery Hill Post Office 2
To the best of my knowledge, that's the main post office in Ballarat. Closed for a week. And the nearest open office? Clearly they don't know either.
Going through Napoleons, checked the General Store. Yes, they were open, but there was only a girl on duty, and she gave me the impression that she didn't even know what registered mail is. Tried a little bit, but after all my main intention is to get the letter to DRV, not have a registration slip, so we postponed it.
We've been using the spare for the pizza oven, and today the main cylinder for the kitchen ran out. Put in the cylinder from the pizza oven, which proved to be half empty already. So while in town, also bought a new gas cylinder. Off to a petrol station to replace it and the other cylinder (you get a new cylinder along with the gas). They wanted $38 per cylinder! So off to BOC in La Trobe St, where they only wanted $22. Once again, I'm amazed by the differences in price in only a couple of kilometres. The difference just about paid for the cylinder.
Considering fencing
CJ Ellis along today to look at the fences on our new property. Strangely, Yvonne found a reason not to be there. Came to the conclusion that to do it properly we should wait until the winter, and in the meantime put in some provisional fences with droppers which we can move around until we have proper fencing.
It proves that CJ's car is almost identical to my new one. That's good, because I don't have an instruction manual, and was able to borrow his.
Today was also the third day I filled up the tank in my car. Last time I did, I had a record low consumption, only 7.2 l/100 km, and I was looking with interest at what I would get this time. 10.7! How could that be? One possibility is that I didn't fill up the car properly last time, but even the combined consumption would be 8.8 litres, more than I've seen before. To be monitored.
Telstra: we never forget
I rant about Telstra so often that it's getting boring. But finally they've got round to informing me that the National Broadband Network is available in my area. Or have they? Not quite:
Image title: Telstra 2 Dimensions: 843 x 320, 22 kB
All images taken on Friday, 27 December 2013, thumbnails All images taken on Friday, 27 December 2013, small
Diary entry for Friday, 27 December 2013
Image title: Telstra 1
Clifford Taylor? In “Kliens” Road? Yes, we bought the house from Cliff Taylor. But that was over 6½ years ago. How can they make such a mess of their data? It's not the first case: five years ago they revived not the previous owner, but the one before that, who had left the house in 1996. And they did it again a year later. How can a company like that survive? After watching what happened on the Dereel Facebook page, it seems that it's mainly inertia from long-time Telstra users who don't understand how terribly bad they are.
Turkey salad
Topic: food and drink Link here
We still have plenty of turkey left over from Christmas Eve, and Yvonne decided to make a salad with the breast meat. She finally settled on a recipe variously called „Truthahnsalat mit Sardellen“ or «Salade lyonnaise», apparently originally from a book called «La cuisine lyonnaise»:
Image title: Turkey salad
Not bad, but it's clearly something that can do with further development.
Zhivago gone again
Topic: animals, opinion Link here
Just before going to bed, Yvonne takes the dogs out for the calls of nature. Today she forgot Zhivago, so I let him out. She didn't see him: he disappeared. Spent an hour looking for him, and finally gave up; he came back another 40 minutes later.
Why? Was he looking for another rabbit? Did he even find one? But clearly this issue of diet needs more consideration.
More runaway dogs
Woke up this morning round 7 am because something was running around on the verandah outside. It sounded like Tanya, and I was pretty sure I heard her bark as well (why does a Borzoi bark?). Out to look for her, but couldn't find her. Later Yvonne told me that she was still in the compound on the other side of the property.
Still later, she was gone again. Somehow she managed to break out. Yvonne suspected the gate, but I wasn't so sure. When she broke out again, it was clear that the gate hadn't been forced, and finally I found that she had dug a hole under the house and got out that way. Yvonne called CJ, and relatively late in the evening he put in additional material to stop her getting out.
In the meantime, Zagar has also been doing his own thing. It's not so much that he runs away—he's very easy on a leash, for example, and doesn't strain—as that he doesn't come back when he's called. Today he did a mad dash down the road and then came back by himself. Probably he needs more exercise.
More gout
Since I started taking allopurinol for my gout some 7 years ago, the frequency of attacks has dropped—so much so that I can't recall when the last one was, and my 100 tablet container of colchicine tablets had expired in June 2009. But today the next one came, and I had already had some more made up for exactly such a situation.
But the dosage has changed! Back in 2007 my doctor told me to take one every two hours for as long as I could stand the side effects. Now it's two to start with and then one every 6 hours, maximum of 5 tablets in 24 hours or 12 over 5 days. Is this a recognition of problems with the product? Certainly the Wikipedia page suggests so. Maybe that's why they've reduced the number of tablets in the container from 100 to 30.
HDR revisited
For years now I've taken my house photos with pretty much the same workaround for taking HDR images with the Olympus E-30: take series of 5 images at 1 EV intervals, overexposing the base image by 1 EV, and using the shortest, middle and longest exposures to get exposures relative to the metered value of -1 EV, +1 EV and +3 EV respectively. I discarded the other images. This is different from the traditional approach because it allows the exposure to differ from one image to another. The results have been not bad.
Now I have the Olympus OM-D E-M1, a camera with better support for HDR. Today I tried something similar: 3 images offset by 3 EV and overexposed by 1 EV, giving -2 EV, +1 EV and +4 EV. Clearly that's a much larger dynamic range, and particularly the +4 EV images show it: they're almost completely washed out:
Image title: garden centre 1+4EV
That's a feature, of course, not a bug. The image of the windows in the verandah at top right is appropriately exposed. But gradually it's becoming clear that with this amount of additional dynamic range, there are advantages to returning to manual exposure. Here two adjacent images from the garden-path-centre panorama, after rendering:
Image title: garden path centre 3
On the face of it, both of them look reasonably good, but the sky looks very different between the two images: the exposure differs by 2.6 EV. On the other hand, the +4 EV component of the first image is so washed out that it hardly contributes anything to the image, while the +1 EV image is quite close to the rendered result:
Image title: garden path centre 3+4EV
So it seems that I should revert to manual exposure for the HDR series.
Zhivago: too many runners
Yvonne back without Zhivago from his walk this morning. Once again he had run away. He arrived back an hour later, dripping wet, having presumably been in the lagoon. That's enough: now he goes on the line. At least it suggests that he's recovering well from his operation.
As if to reinforce the matter, heard on Facebook that the pet goat of one of our more distant neighbours had been killed two nights ago, presumably by a dog. Zhivago? Not beyond the bounds of possibility, but fortunately he was here with us at the time. In addition, he never went in that direction. But it's a concern nevertheless, and if he gets out again and does go in that direction, people are liable to shoot first and ask questions later. So, sadly, it looks like he'll be on the leash from now on.
Still more pension pain
My stiff letter to the German Pension Insurance still hasn't been posted. In the meantime I found the forms that they had asked for, one of which had been supplied with my insurance number filled out. Had something gone wrong after all?
Reading the second form made a couple of things clear: firstly, I'm pretty sure I never filled it out. The part I needed to fill out was a proof of nationality. How do I do that? The form made several suggestions: passport, identity card, certificate of citizenship, or “other documents”. My passport expired 5 years ago, so it's no evidence of current citizenship. Australia doesn't have identity cards. What's a certificate of citizenship? Checked the web and found these intructions, which sound positively frightening.
What's wrong with this picture? Most obviously there's the question of why they should be interested in my nationality. But more importantly, it's a lack of understanding of the way things are done in other countries. In Germany it's clear: you have an identity card, and it states your nationality. Filling out this form would be trivial. But in Australia we don't have identity cards.
That makes it hard to identify yourself, and in general you identify yourself with your drivers' license (if you don't drive, you don't exist). That works up to a point, but it doesn't state your nationality. Looking at the alternatives, it seems that the easiest would be to have a new passport issued. But that's stupid, not to mention expensive.
Today was the first day I could contact anybody, so called up Centrelink International Services on 13 1673 and spoke to Diane, who confirmed that the documents had been sent to DRV on 22 November. She also noted that they had not sent the second form, and assumed I had sent it directly. Not exactly reassuring. And she couldn't help, because her department was only responsible for forwarding the information overseas. About the only thing that she could tell me (after checking) was that there was no point going to Centrelink in Ballarat this year: they're closed for the rest of the year.
In the evening called up DRV and spoke to Ms Jahnke, who checked and discovered that Centrelink had sent the documents to the wrong address, and they had only arrived after the other letter had been submitted to post (but nearly a week before it had actually been posted). She checked the information: seems that they have everything that they need. Presumably the last section on the first form (“The particulars about the applicant are confirmed by...”) was sufficient for DRV. Thank God for that!
In passing, thank God for VoIP! The call to Centrelink cost $0.25, and the 5 minute call to Berlin cost $0.10.
How not to install FreeBSD
Once again, I've been dragging my heels updating my machine. And now FreeBSD release 10 is well on its way. So I installed it on a VM a few days ago, and today I finally got round to installing it on a real machine.
How do you do that? I did it by copying the disk image from the VM to a file on eureka, starting a test box with the destination system disk as a second disk, repartitioning the disk and copying the image across. In the process, I changed the partitioning scheme from MBR to GPT. Finished copy, started the new system, and I got the old release 9.1 image! How could that be? The partition was a different size, a different layout, and located at a different start address.
After a bit more checking, the error was clear: I tried to connect to the VM, failed (no ssh keys installed), not noticed the error, and copied the root partition of eureka, which happened to be exactly the same size (20 GB). So I had to repeat it, in the process discovering that I had made the root partitions 40 GB in size. And copying from a VM with dd takes forever.
The 40 GB also meant that I had to repartition the destination disk, and then copy things across. By mid-afternoon I was done. The file system was dirty, of course, but fsck is your friend. But then I got repeatable panics out of the file system, suggesting corruption.
Round about here I asked: why am I doing this? Just install directly to disk from a DVD. But that's the problem: I didn't have a spare DVD drive. Finally dragged out an old CD-ROM drive, downloaded a CD image and burnt it. Or I tried to:
Performing OPC...
cdrecord: No error: 0. send opc: scsi sendcmd: no error
CDB: 54 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
status: 0x0 (GOOD STATUS)
cmd finished after 10.540s timeout 200s
cdrecord: OPC failed.
Huh? Tried again with a new blank, and it worked. The old one looked unused, but maybe there was something funny about it. Booted and went through the new installation process, which looks worse than the old one I described in “The Complete FreeBSD”, and which gave me several problems with existing file systems that I could only fix by stopping the installation process, recreating the file systems, and starting again. While doing that managed to drop the keyboard onto the (loose) CD-ROM drive. Scrunch! Horrible noises from inside the drive, and it stopped turning. Powered down the system and found that the CD had moved out of the tray towards the electronics, in the process scratching itself beyond recovery. So burnt Yet Another CD and had to start the installation all over again, including the exit to the shell to recreate the file systems.
But finally it was done. What a mess!
pkgNG in practice
One of the new things in FreeBSD 10 is the new package system. You should be able to just install all packages from a central repository. That was a long time coming after a security scare some time ago, but it's supposed to be there now, so I tried it out.
The first thing is that the base system comes with a dummy program pkg(8), which was just clever enough to locate the current version of pkg on the web and install it. After that, tried installing bash, which first installed a repository based on the information in /etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf, and then the shell. All nice and smooth. But pkg install emacs was not as clever: it downloaded four different versions of Emacs (versions 21, 22, 23 and 24) and then had difficulty because of conflicts. To get around it, I had to specifically ask it to install emacs-24.3,3, something that still needs improvement.
Installing X was also relatively straightforward. Things are obviously much better than they used to be. Now to sit back and think how to restructure my system upgrade techniques, which have been a work in progress (if that's an appropriate term) for over 10 years.
Olympus “Viewer” upgrade
Olympus have brought out an update to “Viewer” 3, their aptly named image processing software. Version 1.3, they say. Or maybe 1.2, depending on where you look.
I've had trouble with “Viewer” in the past, so I took my time installing it, first saving the complete directory hierarchy of the previous installation, including the all-important help file (in German). Then I tried the automatic update from “Viewer” itself:
Image title: already installed
Not the first time I've seen that incorrect claim. So I went to the web site and downloaded it again. Why do they want the camera serial number? It's available for all Olympus cameras, and who else would want it? And if they did, they could get a serial number almost anywhere, for example in the EXIF data of any of my photos.
Installation proceeded as normal. Once again I didn't get any choice of what to install. And at the end it asked if it should launch the program. Yes, please. Nothing.
Tried again from the root window, or whatever Microsoft calls the maze of twisty little icons, all different. A message I hadn't seen before, followed some time later by yet another:
Image title: search shortcut
Image title: no shortcut
What's that? Went looking and found that yes, indeed, the file OLYMPUS Viewer 3.exe was not present in the directory. On the other hand, my old German help file was. Clearly a really poor installation, a problem I could help work around by removing the old directory hierarchy. But no, “Access is denied”. I was logged in as administrator, so it couldn't be that. But Microsoft has a workaroundsolution for that: reboot. Did that, and sure enough, I was able to install the software.
What's wrong here? Clearly something had the hierarchy open. This can happen with Unix in some situations too. But the installation program should presumably have tried to remove the hierarchy, and it didn't report any problems, neither with the removal nor with the failure to install the most important file of all.
More importantly, though, the help file still wasn't there! What's wrong with this software? Wouldn't it be so much easier to work around their bugs if they just delivered it as a tarball?
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Liberty Library
By Joe American
Constitutional Abuse
Death of Bill of Rights
Un-Like
Eric Frein
Veterans Rant
Financial Deaths
End the Fed
Sobering Reality
US Prisons
Thoughts On The Present State of American Affairs
In the following article I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense; and have no other business to settle with the reader, than that you will rid yourself of prejudice and prepossession, and suffer your reason and your feelings to determine for yourselves; that you will put on, or rather that you will not put off, the true character of a human being, and generously enlarge your views beyond the present day.
Volumes have been written on the subject of the struggle between Government and the Governed. People of all ranks have embarked in the controversy, from different motives, and with various designs; but all have been ineffectual, and the period of debate is closed. Arms, as the last resort, decide the contest; the appeal was the choice of D.C., and free people have to accept the challenge.
The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth. ’It is not the affair of a city, a country, a state, or the District of Columbia, but of a free people—of at least one eighth part of the habitable globe. ’Its not the concern of a day, a year, or an age; virtually all of human freedom is involved in the contest, and will be more or less effected, even to the end of time, by the proceedings now. Now is the seed time of freedom, liberty, justice and honor. The smallest fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a knife on the tender rind of a young oak; the wound will enlarge with the tree, and all future generations will read it in full grown characters.
By referring the issue from an argument to arms, a new era for politics is struck; a new method of thinking must arise. All plans, proposals and methods to solve differences prior to the commencement of hostilities, are like the protests of the last decade; which, though a reasonable response, have been supplanted and become useless now. Whatever was advanced by the advocates on either side of a question then, terminated in one and the same point, less individual freedom; the only difference between the parties was the method of enacting change; the one proposing force, the other a tax; so far the first is enforced, and the second has become too heavy.
Much has been said of the advantages of peace, which, like a bad dream, has passed away and left us worse than we were, it is right, that we should examine the contrary side of the argument, and inquire into some of the many injuries which these "free people" sustain, and always will sustain, by being passive with, and dependent on Washington D.C.. To examine that passivity and dependence, on the principles of nature and common sense, to see what we can expect, if apathetic, and what we are to expect, if dependent.
I have heard it asserted by some, that America has flourished under her connection with D.C., that the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness, and will always have the same effect. Nothing can be more fallacious than this kind of argument. We may as well assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it will never have meat, or that the first twenty years of our lives is to become a precedent for the next twenty. But even this is admitting more than is true, for I answer Loudly, that America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no centralized power had any thing to do with her. The commerce, by which she has enriched herself are the necessaries of life, and will always have a market while eating is the primary concern in Life.
But D.C. has protected us, say some. That they have engrossed us is true, and defended the continent at our expense as well as their own is admitted, and D.C. would have defended populations outside of America for the same motive, the sake of trade and dominion.
Alas, we have been long led astray by our representatives, and made large sacrifices to their superstitions. We have boasted the protection of D.C., without considering, that their motive was self interest not Justice and Freedom; that they did not protect us from our enemies on our account, but from their enemies on their own account, from those who had no quarrel with us on any other account, and who will always be our enemies on the same account. Let Washington wave his pretensions to freedom, or free people throw off the dependence, and we should be at peace with all, were they at war with D.C. The miseries of decades of War ought to warn us against our connection to D.C..
It has lately been asserted in Congress, that the people have no relation to each other but through the pursuit of political aims, i.e. that Urban areas and Rural areas, and so on for the rest, are only countrymen by way of D.C.; this is certainly a very round-about way of proving our relationship, but it is the nearest and only true way of proving us all our own enemy, if I may so call it. Russia and China never were, nor perhaps ever will be our enemies as Americans, but only of our being slaves to D.C..
But D.C is the parent, say some. Then the more shame upon their conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families; where the assertion, if true, turns to their protection; but it happens not to be true, or only partly so, and the phrase parent or Government has been religiously adopted by D.C. and their parasites, with a low religious design of gaining an unfair bias on faith and the weakness of our minds. Liberty, and not D.C., is the parent of America. This country has been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of the Planet. Here have they fled, not for the tender embraces of D.C., but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of D.C., that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues us all still.
In this extensive quarter of the globe, we forget the narrow limits of 68 miles (the size of D.C.) and carry our Freedom on a larger scale; we claim Liberty and brotherhood for every person fleeing Tyranny, and triumph in the generosity of the sentiment.
It is pleasant to observe by what regular efforts we overcome the force of local injustice, as we enlarge our understanding of Freedom and Liberty. A person born in any town in the World, divided into regions, will naturally associate most with people in their locality (because their interests in many cases will be common) and distinguish them by the name of neighbor; if they meet them but a few miles from home, they drop the narrow idea of a street, and salute them by the name of townsman; if they travel out of the county, and meet them in any other, they forget the minor divisions of street and town, and calls them countryman, i.e. county-man; but if in their foreign excursions they should associate in any part of the world, their local remembrance would be enlarged into that of American. And by a just parity of reasoning, all people meeting for Liberty in America, or any other quarter of the globe, are seeking to throw off Tyranny; for D.C., Europe, the Middle East, or Asia, when compared with the whole, stand in the same places on the larger scale, which the divisions of street, town, and county do on the smaller ones; distinctions too limited for free minds. Not one of the inhabitants, even of my State, are free of Tyranny. Therefore I chastise the idea that self governance is derived only from D.C., as being false, selfish, narrow and ungenerous.
But admitting, that we are all governed by D.C., what does it amount to? Nothing. Washington, being now an open enemy, extinguishes any claim for a right to govern: And to say that peace is our duty, is truly ridiculous. The Patriots of the United States of America (That fought in the American Revolution) were at first governed by England, and half the Peers of the country today are descendants from the same Patriots; therefore, by the same method of reasoning, we ought to be governed by England.
Much has been said of the united strength of D.C. and the States, that in conjunction they might bid defiance to the world. But this is mere presumption; the fate of war is uncertain, neither do the expressions mean any thing; for this continent would never suffer itself to be drained of inhabitants, to support the aims and arms of D.C. in the pursuit of a global tyranny.
Besides what do we have to do with setting the world at defiance? Our plan is Freedom, Liberty and commerce, and that, well attended to, will secure us the peace and friendship of anyone seeking to throw off tyranny ; because, it is the interest of America to have a free port. Our trade will always be a protection, and our love of Freedom and Liberty secure us from invaders.
I challenge the warmest advocate for peace, to show, a single advantage that this country can reap, by being connected with D.C.. I repeat the challenge, not a single advantage is derived. Our industry will fetch its price in any market in the World, and our imported goods must be paid for, buy them where we will.
But the injuries and disadvantages we sustain by that connection, are without number; and our duty to mankind at large, as well as to ourselves, instruct us to renounce the alliance: Because, any submission to, or dependency on D.C., tends directly to involve this continent in endless wars and quarrels; and sets us at odds with nations, who may otherwise seek our friendship. As Freedom is our goal, we ought to form no partial connection with any part of Washington. It is the true interest of America to steer clear of Beltway contentions, which we never can do, with our dependence on D.C., we are made the financier in the looting of Washington politics.
D.C. is too thickly planted with lobbyists to be long at peace, and whenever a war breaks out between the US and any foreign power, the economy of America goes to ruin, because of our connection with D.C.. The next war may not turn out like the last, and should it not, the advocates for peace now, will be wishing for separation then, because, neutrality in that case, would be a safer convoy than a World war. Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ’Tis time to part. Even the chasm between your Average D.C. politician and the rest of America, is a strong and obvious proof, that the authority of the one, over the other, was never the design of Liberty. The time likewise at which the government was established, adds weight to the argument, and the manner in which it has manifest increases the force of it. The abolition of slavery was preceded by the American Revolution, as if to establish a sanctuary to the persecuted in future years, when home should afford neither friendship nor safety.
The authority of Washington D.C. over this continent, is a form of tyranny, which sooner or later must have an end: And a serious mind can draw no true pleasure by looking forward, under the painful and positive conviction, that what he calls “the present constitution” is merely temporary. As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently committed to ensure any thing which we may give to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt and servitude, we ought to do what is necessary, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years further into life; that realization will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from justice.
Though I would carefully avoid giving unnecessary offense, I am inclined to believe, that all those who espouse the doctrine of peace, may be included within the following descriptions. Interested men, who are not to be trusted; weak men, who cannot see; prejudiced men, who will not see; and a certain set of moderate men, who think better of the Washington world than it deserves; and this last class, by an ill-judged deliberation, will be the cause of more calamities to all of Freedom, than all the other three.
It is the good fortune of many of us to live so distant from the scene of sorrow; the evil is not sufficiently brought to our doors to make us feel the precariousness with which all American property is possessed. But let our imaginations transport us for a few moments to Detroit, that seat of wretchedness will teach us wisdom, and instruct us forever to renounce a power in whom we can have no trust. The inhabitants of that unfortunate city, who but a few decades ago were in ease and affluence, have now, little other alternative than to stay and starve, or turn out to beg. Endangered by the desperation of their friends if they continue within the city, and made homeless if they leave it. In their present condition they are prisoners without hope.
People of passive tempers look somewhat lightly over the offences of D.C., and, still hoping for the best, are apt to call out, “Come, come, we shall change it from the inside.” But examine the passions and feelings of mankind, Bring the doctrine of peace to the touchstone of nature, and then tell me, whether you can thereafter love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that has carried terror and tyranny into our land? If you cannot do all these, then are you only deceiving yourselves, and by your delay bringing ruin upon our children's future? Your future connection with D.C., whom you can neither love nor honor, will be forced and unnatural, and being formed only on the plan of present convenience, will in a little time fall into a relapse more wretched than ever before. But if you say, you can still pass the violations over, then I ask, Has your house been illegally and unjustly raided? Has your property been destroyed before your face? Are your spouse and children without the basic necessities of life? Have you lost a parent or a child by their hands, and yourself made the ruined and wretched survivor? If you have not, then are you not a judge of all those who have. But if you have, and still can shake hands with the murderers, then are you unworthy of the name of husband, wife, father, mother, friend, or lover, and whatever may be your station or title in life, you have the heart of a coward, and the spirit of a sycophant.
This is not inflaming or exaggerating matters, but trying them by those feelings and affections which nature justifies, and without which, we should be incapable of discharging the social duties of life, or enjoying the felicities of it. I mean not to exhibit horror for the purpose of provoking revenge, but to awaken us from fatal and unmanly slumbers, that we may pursue determinately some fixed object. It is not in the power of D.C. or of Government to conquer America, if we do not conquer ourselves by delay and apathy. The present summer is worth a lifetime if rightly employed, but if lost or neglected, the whole World will partake of the misfortune; and there is no punishment which that person will not deserve, no matter who, or what, or where they will be, that can justify sacrificing a season so precious and useful.
It is repugnant to reason, to the universal order of things and to all examples from former ages, to suppose, that this Country can any longer remain subject to Tyranny. Those most confident in D.C. do not even think so. The utmost stretch of human wisdom cannot, at this time, compass a plan short of separation, which can promise the Country even a year’s security. Peace is now a fallacious dream. Nature hath deserted the connection, and Art cannot supply her place. For, as James Madison wisely expresses, “The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home..”
Every quiet method for peace has been ineffectual. Our protests have been rejected with disdain, force and tear gas; and only tended to convince us, that nothing flatters vanity, or confirms obstinacy in Governments more than repeated petitioning—and nothing has contributed more than that very measure to make tyranny absolute: Witness the Tea Party and Occupy Wall St.. Therefore, since nothing but blows will do, for Liberty's sake, let us come to a final separation, and not leave the next generation to be cutting throats, under the violated unmeaning ideas of governors and governed.
To say, they will hear us is idle and visionary, we thought so at the DNC and RNC, yet a few whistle-blowers and leakers made us change our view; as well may we suppose that governments, which once defeated, will never renew the quarrel.
As to the matter of rights and freedom, it is not in the power of D.C. to do free people justice: The business of it is too weighty, and intricate, to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power, so distant from Justice, and so very ignorant of us; for if they cannot conquer us, they cannot govern us. To be always running three or four hundred miles with a FOIA or a petition, waiting four or five years for an answer, which when obtained requires five or six more to explain it in, will in a few years be looked upon as folly and childishness—There was a time when it was proper, and there is a proper time for it to cease.
Small districts not capable themselves, are the proper objects for governments to take under their care; but there is something very absurd, in supposing a country to be perpetually governed by a district. In no instance has nature made the planet revolve around its satellite, D.C. and The States, with respect to each other, reverses the common order of nature, it is evident who answers to whom: D.C. to The States, The States to themselves.
I am not induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence; I am clearly, positively, and conscientiously persuaded that it is in the true interest of this country to do so; that every thing short of that is mere patchwork, that we can no longer afford,—that it is leaving the sword to our children, and shrinking back at a time, when, a little more, a little farther, would have rendered this Country the glory of the earth.
As D.C. has not manifested the least inclination towards a compromise, we may be assured that no terms exist that can be obtained to the acceptance of the country, that in any way equal to the expense of blood and treasure we have been already put to.
The object, contended for, ought always to bear some just proportion to the expense. The removal of the President, or the whole detestable government, is a matter unworthy of the trillions we have expended. A temporary stoppage of compliance, is an inconvenience, which would have sufficiently balanced the repeal of all the acts complained of, had such repeals been obtained; but if the whole country must take up arms, if every person must be a soldier, it is scarcely worth our while to fight against a contemptible deep state only. Dearly, dearly, do we hope for the repeal of the acts, if that is all we fight for; for in a just estimation, it is as great a folly to pay a slave price for justice, as for Freedom. As I have always considered the Liberty of this country, as an event, which sooner or later must arrive, so from the late rapid defiance of the country to maturity, the event could not be far off. Where, on the breaking out of hostilities, it was not worth the while to have disputed a matter, which time would have finally redressed, unless we meant to be in earnest; otherwise, it is like wasting a fortune on a lawsuit, to regulate the trespasses of a tenant, who's lease is just expiring. No man was a warmer wisher for peace than myself, before the revelations made by Edward Snowden, but the moment that information was made known, I rejected the hardened, sullen tempered Aristocracy of D.C. forever; and disdain the wretches, that with the pretended title 'representative of the people' can unfeelingly hear of the loss of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and composedly sleep with that loss upon their souls.
But admitting that matters are now settled, what would be the harm? I answer, the ruin of the country. And for several reasons.
First. The powers of governing still remaining in the hands of D.C., they will have a negative effect over the whole legislation of this country. And as they have shown themselves to be such an entrenched enemy to liberty, and discovered such a thirst for arbitrary power; are they, or are they not, a proper men to say to this country, “You shall do no thing but what we please.” And is there any inhabitant in America so ignorant, as not to know, that according to the present condition, that We The People can do nothing but what the D.C. gives sanction to; and is there any person so unwise, as not to see, that (considering all that has happened) they will suffer no consequence, but such as suit their purpose. We may be as effectually enslaved by the want of safety in America, as by submitting to safety made for us in D.C.. After consideration, can there be any doubt, that the whole power of D.C. will be exerted, to keep this country as low and humble as possible? Instead of going forward we shall go backward, or be perpetually quarreling or ridiculously petitioning.—We are already more powerful than D.C. wishes us to be, and will they not hereafter endeavor to make us even less powerful? To bring the matter to one point. Is the power who is spying on us, a proper power to govern us? Whoever says No to this question is a Libertarian, for Libertarian means no more, than, whether we shall be free from tyranny, or whether D.C., the greatest enemy this country has, or can have, shall tell us “there shall be actions over which I will not have control.”
Freedom is only a secondary object in Beltway politics, D.C. considers the good of this country, no farther than it answers their own purpose. Therefore, their own interest leads them to suppress the growth of ours in every case which does not promote their advantage, or they exempt themselves from the consequences. A pretty state we will soon be in under such a second-hand government, considering all that has happened! Men do not change from enemies to friends by the alteration of a name: And in order to show that peace, now is a dangerous doctrine, I affirm, that it would be policy in D.C. at this time, to correct unjust acts for the sake of reinstating themselves in the government of the states; in order, that they may accomplish by craft and subtlety, in the long run, what they could not do by force and violence in the short term. Peace and ruin are nearly related.
Secondly. That even the best terms, which we can expect to obtain, can amount to no more than a temporary fix, or a kind of government by guardianship, which can last no longer than till our children come of age, so the general face and state of things, in the interim, will be unsettled and unpromising. People of reason will not choose to live in a country who's form of government hangs but by a thread, and who is every day teetering on the brink of ruin and terror; and scores of opportunists would take hold of the fix, to fleece the country and leave.
But the most powerful of all arguments, is, that nothing but independence, i.e. Liberty and Freedom, can keep the peace of the country and save it from absolute ruin. I dread the event of a peace with D.C. now, as it is more than probable, that it will be followed by an entanglement somewhere or other, the consequences of which may be far more fatal than all the malice of D.C..
Millions are already ruined by D.C. barbarity; (millions more will probably suffer the same fate) Those people have other feelings, than we who have not suffered. All they now possess is liberty, what they before enjoyed is sacrificed to its service, and having nothing more to lose, they disdain submission. Besides, the general temper of the people, towards a Beltway government, will be like that of a youth, who is nearly out of school; they will care very little about it. And a government which cannot preserve the peace, is no government at all, and in that case we pay our money for nothing; and hope what is it that D.C. can do, whose power will be wholly on paper, should a civil tumult break out the very day after reconciliation? I have heard some people say, many of whom I believe spoke without thinking, that they dread self governance, fearing that it would produce civil wars. It is but seldom that our first thoughts are truly correct, and that is the case here; for there are ten times more to dread from a patched up connection than from self governance. I make the sufferers case my own, and I protest, that were I driven from house and home, my property destroyed, and my circumstances ruined, that as man, sensible of injuries, I could never relish the doctrine of reconciliation, or consider myself bound by it.
The States have manifested such a spirit of good order and pursuit of prosperity, as is sufficient to make every reasonable person easy and happy to that end. No person can assign the least pretense for their fears, on any other grounds, than such as are truly childish and ridiculous, viz. that one State will be striving for superiority over another.
Self governance is our natural right: And when a person seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, they will become convinced, that it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a resistance, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance. If we omit it now, some Tyrant may hereafter arise, who laying hold of popular dissent, may collect together the desperate and the discontented, and by assuming to themselves the powers of government, may sweep away the liberties of the people like a deluge. Should the government of America return again into the hands of the D.C. Deep State, the instability of things, will be a temptation for some desperate adventurer to try his fortune; and in such a case, what relief can D.C. give? Here we could hear the news, the fatal business might be done; and ourselves suffering like the world under the oppression of a Tyrant. You that oppose self governance now, know not what you do; you are opening a door to eternal tyranny, by propping up oppression. There are millions, and tens of millions, who would think it glorious to expel from the country, that barbarous and hellish power, which hath stirred up all the world to destroy us.
To talk of friendship with those in whom our reason forbids us to have faith, and our wounded affections instruct us to detest, is madness and folly. Every day wears out the little remains of peace between us and them, and can there be any reason to hope, that as the relationship expires, things will be more peaceful, or that we shall agree better, when we have ten times more and greater concerns to fight over than ever?
You that tell us of harmony and peace, can you restore to us the freedom that has been lost? Can you give the Dead, Freedom? Neither can you reconcile D.C. and America. The last cord now is broken, the tyrants in D.C. are making moves against us. There are injuries which nature cannot forgive; she would cease to be nature if she did. The lover can not forgive the rapist of their spouse, as well as the people can not forgive the tyranny of DC. Liberty has imbued in us these inextinguishable feelings for good and wise purposes. They are the guardians of reason and justice. They distinguish us from the herd of common animals. Freedom would cease to exist, and justice be destroyed, or have only a casual existence were we callous to ignore these feelings. The robber, and the murderer, would often escape unpunished, if the injuries which our tempers sustain, did not provoke us to justice.
To you that love mankind! You that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand up! Every corner of D.C. is overrun with corruption. Freedom has been hunted round the globe. Europe, and the East, have long expelled her—America regards her like a stranger, and Washington has given her warning to depart. Prepare for the fight, and in time create a sanctuary for Freedom and Liberty.
Posted by JoeAmerican at Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Labels: American Affairs, American Revolution, election year politics, Liberty, resistance
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The State of Boxing
June 11, 2012 June 11, 2012 by Morgan Wick
WWF Superstars, 6/2/12
“Ladies and gentlemen,” says Mean Gene Okerlund, “I’m standing backstage with World Wrestling Federation heavyweight champion Manny Pacquiao, and his manager Bob Arum. Manny, next week you’ll be defending your World Wrestling Federation championship against Timothy Bradley on Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC, in a match where if you lose, you get an automatic rematch at the Survivor Series pay-per-view Thanksgiving week – ”
“I’m not going to lose, Gene,” Pacquiao interrupts. “I’ve beaten everyone they’ve thrown in front of me for years, and I’m not going to go down now.”
“Well, Mr. Pacquiao,” Okerlund continues, “you’re going up against a former Intercontinental Champion that hasn’t lost a match in the World Wrestling Federation. Are you concerned about the challenge he poses compared to what you’ve faced in the past?”
“I’m not worried,” Pacquiao replies. “He’s never faced anyone as tough as me.”
“Everyone wants you to fight Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, Manny,” says Okerlund. “What do you think are the odds of that happening once he returns from his suspension?”
“If it happens, it happens,” says Pacquiao. “Right now all I can worry about is my match against Tim Bradley at Saturday Night’s Main Event.”
“One last question, Mr. Pacquiao,” says Okerlund. “It’s been reported that your contract with Bob Arum ends at the end of this year, are you going to – ”
“I’m just worried about my match with Tim Bradley, Gene,” says Pacquiao as he walks off.
Later that night, Okerlund conducts another interview with the challenger Timothy Bradley, but only gets one response out of him before Bradley walks off:
“Don’t believe the hype,” Bradley says. “I know how good Pacquiao is. But trust me, there will be a rematch at Survivor Series. I guarantee it.”
Saturday Night’s Main Event, 6/9/12
Pacquiao comes out like a man possessed, whipping Bradley from pillar to post. Bradley can barely get any offense in against the champion, and at one point Okerlund begs the official to stop the fight. But the fight continues, and Bradley starts to come back, getting more and more offense in, eventually getting Pacquiao in his Desert Storm submission move. Pacquiao begins struggling to break the hold… and then the bell rings.
“Did he tap?” asks Okerlund. “I don’t think he tapped!”
Pacquiao looks incensed as Bradley quickly grabs the belt from Arum and runs off with the official raising his hand in victory, boos raining down from the rafters and garbage being thrown into the arena. Pacquiao looks around for Arum, who takes off like a rocket through the crowd. Pacquiao spits in his general direction, then storms off in a huff as Okerlund expresses his astonishment at the spectacle we have just witnessed.
WWF Superstars, 6/16/12
Okerlund informs the audience that WWF Commissioner Jack Tunney will not investigate what happened in the Pacquiao-Bradley fight at Saturday Night’s Main Event, news that does not sit well with the audience in the arena or with Rowdy Roddy Piper, who expresses his displeasure at the outcome in rather colorful language before introducing Pacquiao as the guest of his Piper’s Pit segment. Before he can get a question out, however, Pacquiao grabs the mic from him.
“I don’t want questions, I want answers,” says Pacquiao. “I want Bob Arum to come out here right now. I want him to answer for what he did to me last night.”
“Manny,” says Arum, “I’m as upset about this as you are. What happened to you last night was an outrage, and I have an official complaint in to the WWF Board of Directors. In fact, I’m not going to allow there to be a rematch at Survivor Series until there’s been a full and thorough investigation, I assure you of that.”
Pacquiao ponders these words for a few seconds, then steps up and embraces Arum… before giving him Pac-Man Fever and dropping him through a table, then ripping his shirt off as the fans go wild.
“April 7th,” yells Pacquiao into the microphone. “Me and Floyd Mayweather are gonna have the Fight of the Century at WrestleMania and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it!”
The crowd goes nuts and Pacquiao soaks in their adulation as his theme music plays.
Okay, maybe that’s not what happened, but doesn’t it say a lot that it’s close to what people THINK happened?
Categories Boxing, My writings, WrestlingLeave a comment
An almost three-year-old poem and the by-now-weekly update on Da Blog
September 2, 2009 January 27, 2007 by Morgan Wick
Here’s a poem I wrote in Summer 2004:
45 Degrees on Port
It is sunny.
Several families watch
For the cargo to approach.
A boat rocks
Over the horizon.
It is rainy.
There will be no sailing today.
Far beneath the waters,
A school of fish waits
For their catch for a change.
It is cloudy.
Sailors don’t know what to make
Of the white sky,
For the old saying about red skies
Never said a thing about white.
It is snowy.
No sailor has been here
For two months.
Beautiful patterns appear
On the water.
Gripping, isn’t it?
Well, since I’ve only gotten a smattering of responses, it’s not as though I’m really catering to very many people. In fact, while I’m extending my request to find out what projects you’re interested in (two posts down) for another week, I’m also taking a special sample poll, available on the right side of Da Blog, to find out if I’m even going about this the right way.
I’m a root beer guy, myself…
Categories Blog News, Classic Da Blog, My writings1 Comment
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Why MSM | Acknowledgement | Call for papers... | Forthcoming MSM... Users online: 609
Year : 2004 | Volume : 2 | Issue : 1 | Page : 5-13
Psychiatric consequences of WTC collapse and the Gulf War
Ajai R Singh, Shakuntala A Singh
The Editors, Mens Sana Monographs, Mumbai, India
Ajai R Singh
14, Shiva Kripa, Trimurty Road, Nahur, Mulund (West), Mumbai 400080, Maharashtra
Along with political, economic, ethical, rehabilitative and military dimensions, psychopathological sequelae of war and terrorism also deserve our attention. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre ( W.T.C.) in 2001 and the Gulf War of 1990-91 gave rise to a number of psychiatric disturbances in the population, both adult and children, mainly in the form of Post-traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). Nearly 75,000 people suffered psychological problems in South Manhattan alone due to that one terrorist attack on the WTC in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. In Gulf War I, morethat 1,00,000 US veterans reported a number of health problems on returning from war, whose claims the concerned government has denied in more than 90% cases. Extensive and comprehensive neurological damage to the brain of Gulf War I veterans has been reported by one study, as has damage to the basal ganglia in another, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in a third,possibly due to genetic mutations induced by exposure to biological and chemical agents, fumes from burning oil wells, landfills,mustard or other nerve gases. The recent Gulf War will no doubt give rise its own crop of PTSD and related disorders. In a cost-benefitanalysis of the post Gulf War II scenario, the psychopathological effects of war and terrorism should become part of the social audit any civilized society engages in. Enlightened public opinion must become aware of the wider ramifications of war and terrorism so that appropriate action plans can be worked out.
Keywords: Gulf War, Gulf War Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Terrorism, Psychopathology of War and Terrorism, Organic Brain Damage due to Chemical Warfare
Till a few months back, the Allied forces and President Saddam Hussein's regime were engaged in a struggle for the control of Iraq'sfuture. Political and defence experts were busy analysing the various ramifications of that war, as were the economic pundits who were looking into the global financial implications. Anti-war activists andpeace workers, as also the U.N., the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, continued to be concerned with the ethical, rehabilitative and human dimensions of Gulf War II. All these were no doubt highly important issues which deserved our attention. One another dimension, which we should not miss in this whole picture, was the psychopathological sequelae of this war in particular, as indeed of war and strife in general. A brief peep into the psychiatric disturbances in the aftermath of theterrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, and the Gulf War of 1990-91, may provide us with some insight into what we may expect in Gulf War II.
The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City and damaged the Pentagon inWashington, resulted in over 3500 deaths and injuries. It also traumatized a nation. Many American citizens required psychiatric treatment. A National Survey of 540 US adults, taken three to five daysafter the event and published in The New England Journal of Medicine,2001, found definite evidence of psychiatric disturbances in these adults and their children (Schuster, Stein and Jaycox et al, 2001). Forty four percent adults reported one or more substantial stress symptoms. These included insomnia, nightmares, fearfulness, irritability and distressing recollections of the event. Thirty five percent of children had one or more stress symptoms. One interesting fact which emerged was that the level of stress was associated with television viewing of the disaster. So much for live coverage of such large scale disasters. (However, greaterchance of psychiatric disturbances were found in those with a past history of psychiatric disorder, or those who had suffered significant stress in the recent past. A brief note of caution to that effect during liveT.V. coverage of such events may help reduce distress to some extent.)
Most of us know that psychiatrists describe a syndrome that develops after a person sees, or is involved in, or hears of, an extreme traumatic stressor. The person reacts to this experience with fear and helplessness, persistently relives the event and tries to avoid being reminded of it. These symptoms significantly affect important areas of his life, like family and work. This syndrome is called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or Acute Stress Disorder (if it occur within 4week of the event and remits within 2 days to 4 weeks). These disorders arise from experiences in war, torture, natural catastrophes, assaults,rape, serious accidents, fire to buildings etc. In our country India, wesee this phenomenon as an aftermath of communal riots as well. Thelatest example of a fresh crop of PTSDs was after the post -Godhra riotswhich rocked Gujarat State in 2002.
But let us continue with the WTC terrorist attack. The New England Journal of Medicine in 2002 published a study of a later survey of Manhattan residents conducted 5-8 weeks after the World Trade Center collapse (Galea, Ahern and Resnick et al, 2002). 7.5 % residents had PTSD and 9.7 % had depression. This meant 67,000 people had PTSD and approximately 87,000 had depression during the time of the study.Even allowing for estimated prevalence of current psychopathology,nearly half the estimated sample, that is, more than 75,000 South Manhattan residents suffered psychological disorders due to that one terrorist attack alone*.
Higher rates for all these conditions were found in those living close to the disaster site and those exposed to prior but unrelated traumatic events. Thus, geographic proximity andstressful life events correlated closely with development of PTSD. This can become an important guideline for any subsequent work planned for such victims.
So much for the Sept. 11, 2001,attack. Let us go back a little in history to Gulf War I. This war against Iraq,which began in 1990 and ended in 1991,involved 6,97,000 American soldiers,45,000 soldiers from Great Britain and4,500 soldiers from Canada. More than1,00,000 US veterans reported a numberof health problems on returning from war. These included irritability, muscle and joint pain, migraine headache,shortness of breath, digestive disturbances, hair loss, rashes,forgetfulness and difficulty with concentration. Collectively, these symptoms were called the Gulf War Syndrome. After the recent Gulf War,there is bound to be a fresh crop of victims of this syndrome.
Many veterans believed this disorder was caused due to exposure to biological and chemical agents, fumes from burning oil wells, and landfills ormustard or other nerve gases. The US Defense Department acknowledged that upto 20,000 troops may have been exposed to chemical weapons but denied that those complaining of the syndrome were suffering because of theeffects of chemical exposure.* Claims submitted by Gulf War veterans seeking disability payments were denied inover 90 % cases. The morale of thousands of affected Gulf War veterans got seriously eroded.Confidence in the U.S. Defense Department's concern for illness amongst soldiers was compromised in the public mind as a result. There percussions of a fresh crop of war veterans with similar symptoms which will no doubt result after Gulf War II is anybody's guess. Thisis not to hold any brief for the despotic Iraqi regime but only to highlight the enormous psychopathological consequences of war that power wielders force on the unsuspecting public and the loyal troops.
There is incontrovertible evidence of organic brain damage emerging in peer - reviewed literature. Haley and colleagues, using clinical tests and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) ,demonstrated extensive and comprehensive neurological damage with significant biochemical changes in the brains of Gulf Warveterans (Haley, Marshall and McDonald et. al., 2000)**. Damage to the basal ganglia and subsequent neurotransmitter dysfunction can result according to another study (Haley, Fleckenstein and Marshallet. al., 2000), as can Amyotrophic LateralSclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease,thought to be due to genetic mutations,according to a third (Charatan, 2002). Tobe fair, the US Defense Department did agree to pay compensation to veterans who developed ALS. The vast majority ofothers are still waiting for the benevolent gaze of bureaucrats and leaders whonever tire of waxing eloquent about the loyalty and patriotism of their troops when they send them to war.
Delving into History
A number of eponyms of PTSD have been described in the wars that have taken place in the West till now (Hyams,Wignall and Roswell, 1996). During the American Civil War, a condition wasdescribed called the Irritable Heart. In World War I, it was called Effort Syndrome. In World War II, it became Combat Stress Reaction. During the Vietnam War it came to be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which name has, by and far,stuck. During Gulf War I it came to be called the Gulf War Syndromeand after the Second Gulf War, it is likely to be labelled the Gulf WarII Syndrome, or something to that effect. All these disorders, if seriously studied, involved certain symptoms in common. These were fatigue,shortness of breath, palpitations, headache, excessive sweating,dizziness, disturbed sleep, fainting (difficulty in concentration and forgetfulness as symptoms were added to PTSD and Gulf WarSyndrome). Thus, these are only different names for the same phenomenon. What is heartening to note is that they are amenable topsychiatric treatment with psychotherapy and psychotropic medication.
Numerous psychopharmacological agents are found useful in PTSD, mainly the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline, paroxetine and also fluoxetine. Even tricyclics like imipramine and amitryptaline have a role to play in therapeutic doses (that is, as used to treat depression, a therapeutic trial lasting for eight weeks atleast, with medication continued for atleast one year before withdrawal can be thought of). Haloperidol or other potent antipsychotic may be used to control agitation and /or aggression that may accompany the PTSD.
Psychotherapy of the psychodynamic type, including abreaction and resultant catharsis, can be useful, care being taken to avoid this in the psychotic patient. Behaviour therapy,cognitive therapy and hypnosis also have a role to play , as do removal from sources of stress, support from family and friends, and encouragement to relax and ensuring good sleep (if necessary with appropriate medication). EMDR (Eye MovementDesensitization and Reprocessing) also helps, even in children (Chemtob, Nakashima and Carlson, 2002). Group therapy can beuseful as it helps sharing of the traumatic experience with others.Similarly, family therapy can be useful to enlist support of the spouse in helping the patient overcome the traumatic experience.
Gulf War II is over and, as said earlier, will give rise to its own volume of PTSDs. The people involved, as the government and thesoldiers, will no doubt have to bear the brunt. The high cost in termsof morbidity and mortality that war and terrorist attacks entail, bothphysical and psychiatric, is a cost governments and leaders mustbear in mind as they engage in efforts at restructuring and regulating nations and peoples.
Human beings, of course, have their own compulsions to behave as they do. The mind, moreover, is adept at rationalizing and justifying every action and behaviour. This applies as much to warmongersas terrorist think -tanks. Political leaders and fundamentalist ideologues are great masters at finding such justification and convincing people at large with their rhetoric. Not that they do not have an agenda; but it is upto the people to realize what that agenda entails, for now and the future.
In a cost-benefit analysis of the post Gulf War II scenario, alongwith the economic-political-military-rehabilitative fallout, the psychological trauma that war and terrorism entails should also become part of the social audit a civilized society engages in.
If terrorism could get justice, andwars could combat terrorism, then this world would indeed have become aneat, unipolar world, suited to the designs and machinations of terrorist ideologues and international leaders wanting to make their mark in World History as it gets written. Fortunately, it is not a neat world, neither it is unipolar. It is time for people to reject the straitjacket that such leaders wish to put on them. It is also time for people to enjoy their multipolarity.
The rejection has to come from the people. The people who are led by the terrorists. And the people who are led to war.
When will they remove the blindfold? Or, not avoid seeing that which is best seen uncovered?
When will they allow Buddha, Christ and Gandhi to rest in peace and avoid turning in their graves?[10]
Questions that the First Monograph raises
What are the various psychiatric disturbances, apart from those noted in this monograph, which result from war, terrorist attacks, communal conflicts etc., that have been reported in various research studies in different parts of the world ?
What have been the psychiatric disturbances reported in Indian studies following the numerous terrorist attacks and the communal riots in India? What have been the psychiatric sequelae of the various wars in which India was engaged?
The terrorist is the product of a certain ideology and resultant training. What is it ?
Can terrorist acts be justified under any circumstances?
Can responding to terrorist threats in the form of waging wars bejustified ? Is it proper to raise propagandist slogans to denounce opponents in war (e.g.. the slogan ' Weapons of Mass Destruction',WMD, raised as a justification for Gulf War II)?
Should despotic regimes be overthrown by democratic governments to liberate the people, if the people of the country feel powerless to do so ?
What mechanisms should be put in order by mental health workers,social activists, NGOs, International organisations, governments etc., to tackle the psychopathological fall -out of terrorist attacks and postwar health problems ?
Should the plight of the common man and the war veteran be considered a necessary price to pay in any war, or should it becomea deterrent to leaders planning future wars?
If warmongers have a duty to society, do terrorists and their thinktanks have an equally important duty? How are these two to be balanced to ensure minimum of psychopathological disturbancefor the common man?
What can the common man do to stop being manipulated by bothwar-mongers and terrorist think-tanks, or being browbeaten into submission by despotic regimes?
Is there another way to looking at this problem?
1. Bremner J.D., (2001), Hypotheses and controversies related to effects ofstress on the hippocampus : an argument for stress -induced damage to thehippocampus in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, Hippocampus,11, 2, 75-81.
2. Charatan F., (2002), US links motor neuron disease with Gulf War service,Brit. Med. Jr., 324, 65.
3. Chemtob C.M., Nakashima J., Carlson J.G., (2002), Brief treatment forelementary school children with disaster related posttraumatic stressdisorder : A field study, J. Clinic Psychol., 58, 1, 99-112.
4. Galea S., Ahern J., Resnick P., Kilpatrick D., Bucuvalas M., Gold J.,Vlahav D., (2002), Psychological sequelae of the September 11 2001terrorist attacks in New York City, N. Eng. Jr. Med., 346, 13, 982-987.
5. Haley R. W., Marshall W. W., McDonald G.G., Daugherty M. A., Petty F.and Fleckenstein J.L. (2000), Brain Abnormalities in Gulf War Syndrome :Evaluation with 1HMR Spectroscopy, Radiology, 215, 807-817.
6. Haley R. W., Fleckenstein J.L., Marshall W. W., McDonald G.G., KramerG.L., and Petty F. (2000), Effect of basal ganglia injury on central dopamineactivity in Gulf war syndrome : Arch. Neurol., 57, 1281-1285.
7. Hyams K.C., Wignall F.S., Roswell P., (1996), War, syndromes and theirevaluation : from the US Civil War to the Persian Gulf War, Ann. Intern.Med., 125, 398-405.
8. Pitman R.K., (2001), Hippocampal diminution in PTSD : more (or less?)than meets the eye, Hippocampus, 11, 2, 73-74.
9. Schuster, M.A., Stein, B.D., Jaycox, L.H., Collins, R.L., Marshall, G.N.,Elliott, M.N., Zhou, A.J., Kanouse, D.E., Morrison, J.L., Berry, S.H.,(2001), A national survey of stress reactions after the September 11, 2001,terrorist attacks, N. Eng. J. Med., 345, 20, 1507-1512.
10. Trivedi, J. K., (2004), Presidential Address : Terrorism and Mental Health,Ind. Jr. Psychiatry, 46(1), 7-14.
Singh AR
Singh SA
Psychopathology of War and Terrorism
Organic Brain Damage due to Chemical Warfare
Questions that t...
© 2006 - Mens Sana Monographs | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
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Lily Allen and Giggs Wow with New Single 'Trigger Bang'
You need to hear this...
Ever since her debut, Lily Allen has been an important voice in British pop. From 'Smile' to 'The Fear' and 'Not Fair' to 'Hard Out Here', she's continually released wry, catchy pop that has helped establish her as one of the UK's most unique artists.
Her latest single, 'Trigger Bang' featuring Giggs, is no different. It's witty, it's honest, it's Lily.
When you first left me, I was wanting more
But you were fucking that girl next door
What'cha do that for?
When you first left me, I didn't know what to say
I never been on my own that way
Just sat by myself all day
I was so lost back then
But with a little help from my friends
I found a light in the tunnel at the end
Now you're calling me up on the phone
So you can have a little whine and a moan
And it's only because you're feeling alone
At first, when I see you cry
Yeah, it makes me smile
At worst, I feel bad for a while
But then I just smile
I go ahead and smile
Whenever you see me, you say that you want me back
And I tell you it don't mean jack
No, it don't mean jack
I couldn't stop laughing, no, I just couldn't help myself
See you messed up my mental health
I was quite unwell
La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
La-la-la
At first when I see you cry
Writer(s): Clement Dodd Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
YES. YOU CAN REALLY LISTEN TO A BRAND NEW LILY ALLEN SINGLE RIGHT NOW.
'Trigger Bang' leaked yesterday afternoon. And, as opposed to ignoring it, Lily pushed its release forward; it's out now. 'Trigger Bang' became available on all platforms at midnight and since then it's received massive acclaim from fans and critics alike.
The track deals with the pitfalls of fame and addiction in a way that's blunt and a bit hard to swallow but also funny. Lily's voice sounds gorgeous and, combined with Fryars' dreamy production, it makes the single as addictive as its subject matter.
Giggs also delivers a stellar verse and complements Lily in a way that feels very organic.
Lily Allen - Trigger Bang (feat. Giggs) [Official Audio]
Part of what makes Lily so brilliant as a lyricist is that she has the ability to bring humour out of serious subjects in ways that aren't offensive or disrespectful to their subject matter. 'Trigger Bang' captures that talent effortlessly. It's a total triumph.
Not only that but it also shows that Lily has really honed her gift over the past few years.
'Trigger Bang' is not just an excellent pop song in 2017, it's also an excellent Lily song.
If this is reflective of the rest of Lily's new material, we're in for a treat.
This LP could be her best work to date. We cannot wait to hear it all.
It's so good to have you back Lily. We missed you.
More From Lily Allen
19 Songs We Can't Believe Are Turning 10 In 2019
2009 Throwback: These Songs All Turn 10 In 2019
Fantastic Beasts Actor Zoe Kravitz Says Lily Allen ‘Attacked’ Her With A Kiss
Watch: Wolf Alice Win The Mercury Prize 2018 Amongst Host Of Fantastic Albums And Performances
Lost My Mind
New Music Round-Up: Kanye & Cudi, Jorja Smith, Tove Lo & More!
Heaven's Gate (Ft. Lily Allen)/Sekkle Down (Ft. J Hus) [Explicit]
Trigger Bang (Ft. Giggs) [Explicit]
Lily Allen Releases Moving 'Trigger Bang' Video
Lily Allen and Giggs Tease 'Trigger Bang' Music Video
New Music Round-Up: LiIly Allen, Charli XCX, Brockhampton
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Mud City Old-Time Society
This page has some basic information about old-time music and dance, links to great resources curated by other folks, and links to local dance callers and bands that enjoy the old-time tradition.
WOW Hall Square Dance 12-2017
What is old-time?
"Old-time music" is one of the oldest forms of traditional American music. It is played with acoustic instruments with a particular focus on fiddle and banjo, but also includes guitar, mandolin, bass, dulcimer, cello, and other instruments. The fiddle usually leads the melody, and banjos are usually played in the clawhammer style and without resonators. Old-time music has its roots in community. Friends and neighbors pick up a few instruments and play music for dancers to enjoy. Old-time music is often confused with bluegrass music, which grew out of the old-time tradition in the 1940’s. While bluegrass is much more oriented toward performance, old-time is much more focused on participatory fun!
What is an old-time square dance?
Many folks have never been to a square dance before, or if they have, it was in middle school. This is different. Forget the frilly skirts and canned music. Traditional old-time square dancing is great for anyone, including people with NO dance experience. Here are some other things you might want to know:
You don't need any experience, or even a partner to come to the dance. There will be plenty of fun, cute people to dance with. Just come and have fun.
All the dances are explained before you do them by a dance "caller". You walk through each dance before you dance it for real. Many dances are pretty simple.
Music is always live.
Great Resources and Events
Check out our resources page for information about old-time music, and jamming in our community. Here are some other excellent resources about old-time music, dancing, and history;
The Bubbaville site - Started by Bill Martin - rest his soul - Portland's Bubbaville site is a hub for the Pacific NW old-time community and a major sponsor of Mud City! It includes an awesome resources page, as well as links to their annual gathering in January!
Get Up In the Cool is a podcast by Cameron DeWhitt with interviews of old-time musicians across the planet. Very cool show!
Oldtime Central is an online resource for old-time info and features an awesome festival guide!
The Old-Time Herald - Is the unofficial official publication about old-time music and dance.
The Centralia campout is a week-long campout in August. Lots of jams and lots of fun.
The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes occurs in early July up in Port Townsend. The festival attracts talent from across the country and features concerts, workshops, and dancing.
The Olympia Old-Time Festival is a friendly February weekend event featuring jamming, dancing, and workshops.
The Zig Zag Old-Time Campout is a Labor Day weekend full of good old-time fun east of Portland up on Mount Hood.
The National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest and Festival, commonly referred to as "Weiser," happens at the end of June. Hot days and tunes can be found at Stickerville nearby.
Dave Mount's blog "Wait Till You Hear This One" is a great resource for cool tunes and their history.
The Slippery Hill site is a treasure trove of great old-time tunes.
The Eugene Folklore Society has been a big supporter of Mud City, check out their dances and other events in town!
"Real meal deal" old-time dance bands. Tried-and-true square and contra dance bands from our neck of the woods. Click on a name to view the band's website.
The Eugene Barnstormers
The Slippery Slope String Band
Dance Callers
There are several great dance callers in the area! Click on a name to learn more about them or email them if you're interested in booking a caller for a square dance.
Brandon "Greazy" Olszewski
John Luna
Woody Lane
Other Bands Playing from Traditional American Genres
Acoustic bands from the area who sample from the traditional American repertoire of blues, jazz, and other genres.
Click on a band to visit their website.
Alder Street - Thug grass, punky tonk, and folk rock
Breakers Yard - ragtime, delta blues, jug band, and old-time jazz
Corwin Bolt and the Wingnuts - old-time, newtime, ragtime, blue-time
Dirty Spoon - old-time, breakbeat, holler
Fiddlin' Big Sue Band
Gossamer Strings - lyrical old-timey duo
The Dirty Dandelions - new-time folkgrass band
Wild Hog in the Woods - classic string band music and sleazy old jazz
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Len Howell
With over 34 years experience and a reputation for integrity and success, Len has established the HOWELL brand as a name that reflects excellence, quality, extensive knowledge, and customized level of service that delivers results.
Len started his real estate career in 1984 after studying engineering and working on the Peel Region Police Force for a decade. He worked for a small reputable company honing his craft before joining RE/MAX Realty Enterprises Inc., Brokerage in 1990. Len chose RE/MAX because it offered limitless possibilities to provide superior Client support service.
Len quickly rose to the top of his industry becoming one of the top 100 RE/MAX Sales Representatives in Canada and the number one Sales Representative in Mississauga for several years. As a 'Lifetime Achievement' recipient, and frequent annual highest achievement award winner Len has since won the highest and rarely awarded 'Circle Of Legends' recognition by RE/MAX for total exceptional achievement over his dedicated career.
Contact Len Howell
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MethodistLadiesCollege Book a Tour Menu
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The Second International Conference The Collection of Mirman Family Was Bestowed to Matenadaran Avet Avetisyan’s "The Holy Flower Gospel of Mesrop Khizantc’i "Album – Study is Published Conference Dedicated to The 350th Anniversary of The First Printed Bible in Armenian The Program Days of Grabar at Matenadaran Conference Dedicated to Sirarpie Der-Nersessyan’s 120th Birthday Was Held at Matenadaran Legacy of Aristotle in The Context of The Armenian Culture (Aristotle Readings) The Book The Theme оf The Armenian Genocide in The Theatre (1895-2015) is Published The book two scribes of XVII century, named Michael is published The Special Regiment of The Ministry of Defense of The Republic of Armenia at The Matenadaran Arsen Harutyunyan’s Khor Virap. The History, Manuscripts And Lithographic Heritage is Published “Catalogue of Hebrew Manuscripts in The Matenadaran” Armenian-English Bilingual Catalogue of Manuscripts is Published The Book Grigor Narekatsi in Armenian Miniature Art is Published Millennial Gospelof Tsughrut Has Been Repaired Aurora's Second Grant to Matenadaran Hrachya Tamrazyan, Director of Matenadaran Passed Away The Second Volume of The Research Grigor Narekatsi And The Narek School by Hrachya Tamrazyan Has Been Published International Conference on Historical Tayk New Publication New Publication John Malkovich Visited Matenadaran The Opening Ceremony of The International Conference Dedicated to The 90th Anniversary of Sen Arevshatyan’s Birth Levon Khachikian's works, volume II is published “The Faces of Memory” Third International Seminar “The Images Of Memory” The Seventh International Seminar Launched Book Presentation “Pearl Of Printing” International Conference In Matenadaran Book Presentation New Exhibition In Matenadaran “The Lazarians: Glorious Dynasty” The Original of Stepanos Yerets (Vicar) Hazarjribetsi’s Book BANBER MATENADARANI No 24 Karen Matevosyan’s Book is Published “The Festal Works of St. Gregory of Narek” is Published Anahit Astoyan’s Study is Published Night of Museums The 15th Century “Miraculous” Gospel Was Donated to Matenadaran Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan was elected a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council Conference օn Different Versions օf The Physiologus The Images in The Voskanian Bible by Arpine Simonyan is Published New Publication Polish Armenians: Manuscript Writing Traditions: Exhibition In Matenadaran “Aristotle in Armenia”։ Conference in Geneva Kristine Kostikyan’s “Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in The Matenadaran” is Published The Eminent Armenologist John Greppin Has Died. THE “COLLECTION TŌNAPATČAṙ: PART 1” BY ANNA OHANJANYAN IS PUBLISHED New Publication New Publication: “The Pillage of the Century Expropriation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1914-1923” book is translated into English New Exhibition New Exhibition New Publication New Publication Conference at the Matenadaran New Publication Donation to the Matenadaran Conference Dedicated to The 120th Birthday of Sirarpie Der Nersessian Director of the Matenadaran, Hrachya Tamrazyan, was elected as a correspondent member of the National Academy of Sciences New Publication New Publication “The Faces of Memory” Fourth International Seminar A Valuable Donation To The Matenadaran New Publication: “The Art of Artsakh Miniatures” The President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Accepted the Participants of the Conference of International Association for Armenian Studies New Publication New Publication New Publication New Publication New Publication The launch of “Readings of Narekatsi” has started Matenadaran Takes Part In The Event “Night Of Museums” The Exhibits of Matenadaran at The Moscow’s Exhibition “Armenia. Legend Of Existence” The Presentation of The Russian Translation of Karapet Gabikyan's Book “Yeghernapatum of Sebastia” Was Held An Exclusive Exhibition at Matenadaran CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly’s Literary Prize Named After Chinghiz Aitmatov Was Awarded To Hrachya Tamrazyan New Publication The Symbol of Unity of Armenia New Publication The Book of Emma Korkhmazyan “The Upper Armenia’s Miniatures of Xi-Xiv Centuries” was Published Conference Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Armenian-Persian “Meeting of Cultures at the Matenadaran” New Publication New Publication Conference Dedicated To The Historical Province Of Tayk “MASHTOTS” NEW FOUNDATION FOR THE PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN CULTURE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED New Publication Donation to the Matenadaran New Publication Exhibition in Livorno Night of Museums The 3rd International Conference “Readings Of Narekatsi. Treasures And Odes” Launched “The Faces of Memory” the Fifth International at the Matenadaran Matenadaran's Director Participates in The Second Academic Forum of Ancient Civilizations INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENOLOGIST AND ORIENTALIST ARAM TER-GHEVONDYAN’S BIRTH THE STUDY OF ORIENTAL SOURCES AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN ARMENIA IN THE EARLY 21ST CENTURY 5th Youth Scientific Conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Mashtots Matenadaran. An exhibition entitled 'Three Armenian Manuscripts from Tuscany (13–14th Centuries)' will open in Matenadaran from June 9, 2019 WORK CONTINUES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RESTORATION DEPARTMENT OF THE ARCHIVE IN THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM NEW PUBLICATION Head of the State Security Service of Georgia has visited Mashtots Matenadaran BOOK PRESENTATION Exchange programs Levon Minasyan's daughter donated to the Matenadaran 21 valuable books and Armenological literature RA PRESIDENT ARMEN SARGSYAN VISITED MATENADARAN AFTER MESROP MASHTOTS Gladys Berejiklian visited Matenadaran Armenological International Conference The presentation of the 38th volume of Haigazian Armenological Review took place at the Matenadaran The 4th International Conference “Readings of Narekatsi” Took Place at The Matenadaran Press Release Matenadaran's Director Participated in The Events Dedicated to The 20th Anniversary of "Mesrop" Center For Armenian Studies New Publication The Wives of The Heads of States Participating in The 17th Summit of La Francophonie Visited The Mashtots Matenadaran Accompanied by RA Prime Minister's Spouse Anna Hakobyan Accompanied by The Director of The Matenadaran, RA Minister Of Culture And Deputy Foreign Minister of RA The Director-General of The Unesco Audrey Azoulay Toured The Matenadaran New Publication Matenadaran will support the formation of a manuscript restoration department at the Manuscript Library of the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem 5th International Conference “Readings of Narekatsi” International Conference on Armenological and Oriental Studies Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of Prof. Hakob Papazian The second phase of the work of the Restoration Department of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem's Archive (Mayr Divan) «Հայկական որմնանկարչություն. գիտական հոդվածների և նյութերի ժողովածու» գրքի շնորհանդես The 5th Youth Conference Visit of Dariga Nazarbayeva to Matenadaran Sergey Lavrov in Matenadaran Memorandum of Cooperation Visit of the President of the Hellenic Republic to Mashtots Matenadaran Memorandum of Cooperation 75th birthday of Gayane Eliazyan Visit of Prince Radu of Romania to Mashtots Matenadaran The Director of Matenadaran Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan was in the Republic of Artsakh on a working visit on July 7-8 Donation of Kostan Zaryan's archive to Mashtots Matenadaran The visit of the delegation headed by Viktoras Pranckietis to Matenadaran Visit of former President of Federal Republic of Germany to Matenadaran Կիմ Մուրադյանի արխիվի նվիրատվությունը Մաշտոցյան Մատենադարանին MATENADARAN HAS BEEN ENRICHED WITH VALUABLE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE 17th–18th CENTURIES Charsanjak Gospel (Movie) NEW EXHIBITION OF ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS The opening ceremony of Hrachya Tamrazyan's memorial monument The Matenadaran and the National Center for Manuscripts and Rare Books of Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation Լույս է տեսել «Լևոն Խաչիկյան. Հարյուրամյակ» նյութերի ժողովածուն ANNOUNCEMENT Exhibition of Armenian Manuscripts in Prague Famous Professor Of Armenian Studies Michael Stone Was Awarded With “Matenadaran” Commemorative Medal Matenadaran Named After Mesrop Mashtots Informs Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Of Thailand Visited Matenadaran Donation To “Mashtots” Foundation Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan Was Elected Director Of Matenadaran Foreign Minister Of Madagascar Visited Matenadaran New Cooperation President Of The Republic Of Bulgaria Visited Matenadaran State Minister Of The Artsakh Republic Received The Delegation Headed By Matenadaran Director Donation To The Matenadaran Book Presentation In Matenadaran-Gandzasar Scientific Cultural Center. Donation To The Branch Of Mashtots Matenadaran, Awarding Ceremony Press Release Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Birthday of Academician Levon Khachikian. Military Spirituals And Powerful Saints Books Are Published By Diligence Of Matenadaran’s Researcher Lusine Tumanyan “Matenadaran” Medal Was Handed To Avo Hovhannisyan The Book Of Artsruni Sahakyan “Armenian Medieval Folk Culture Problems: 1. Fairy Tale 2. Cross-Stone” Is Published Catalogue Of The Persian Manuscript Fragments Of Matenadaran Is Published AGBU-Matenadaran Cooperation Continues Donation To The Matenadaran The Third Volume Of The Research “Grigor Narekatsi And The School Of Narek” By Hrachya Tamrazyan Has Been Published New Publication New Publication “The Images Of Memory” The Eighth International Seminar Took Place The Commemorative Plaque’s Opening Ceremony Of Academician Sen Arevshatyan Took Place At the New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art will be open "Armenia" exhibition “Banber Matenadarani” N 25 LONDONER DOCTOR VREJ N. NERSESSIAN DONATED MANUSCRIPTS TO THE MATENADARAN Director of the Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Armenia Timur Urazyaev Director of the Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Armenia Timur Urazyaev The President Of The Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella Visited The Matenadaran The President Of The Artsakh Republic Received The Delegation Headed By Matenadaran Director New Publication Tours in Persian New Publication Books Presentation And Summary Of Conference Dedicated To The 100th Anniversary Of Levon Khachikian First President Of RA Visited Matenadaran International Conference Dedicated To Levon Khachikian's 100th Birth Anniversary UNESCO Training on the Conservation and Restoration of Manuscripts and Archival Documents Londoner Armen Sahakyan Donated A Valuable Armenian Literature To The Matenadaran The Hamazkayin Society Donated To The Matenadaran A Valuable Collection Of Manuscripts Of XIV-XX Centuries RF Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Donated To Mashtots Matenadaran Copies Of Valuable Documents Donation Of Valuable Manuscripts To Matenadaran New Cooperation Youth Conference IV Conference at the Matenadaran
HRACHYA TAMRAZYAN, DIRECTOR OF MATENADARAN PASSED AWAY
Hrachya Tamrazyan, the director of Matenadaran has passed away at the age of 63.
He was born in Yerevan, on December 5, 1953. A graduateof the Yerevan State University’s Armenian Philology Department, Tamrazyan started working at Matenadaran in 1977, rising from the rank of junior laboratory assistant to junior and senior researcher. From 1988 until 1991, he was the editor-in-chief of the publishing house SovetakanGrogh (Soviet Writer). Later, until 1993, he was the director of the publishing house Nayiri. Tamrazyan has been a member of the Writers Union of Armenia since 1986.
Tamrazyan received a doctoral degree in Philology in 1999. He was the director of Matenadaran since 2007. In 2014, he became also a correspondent member of the National Academy of Sciencesof Armenia.
HrachyaTamrazyan has huge input in spheres of literary criticism, research of Armenian medieval manuscripts and especially Narekology. He was the author of ten monographs and over fifty articles. He has also put into scholarly circulation new texts that shed light on the formation and development of the Narek School, reveal its origins and profound and multifaceted influences on medieval literature and culture in general. Tamrazyan was also an acclaimed poet and translator. His published collections have received a warm welcome among both readers and literary critics.
During H. Tamrazyan’s tenure, new scholarly and technical departments have been established in Matenadaran, Matenadaran received the status of basic organization in the sphere of preservation of the written heritage in the CIS, close contacts have been established with several intergovernmental funds and European international centers.
H. Tamrazyan’s years as director of Matenadaran were marked with fundamental changes in research, archival and museum activities that made the world value of the Armenian medieval culture much more manifested. Unprecedented results were registered particularly in funds enrichment of Matenadaran; the manuscripts collection increased with over 2000 items and archival documents -- by more than 3000 pieces.
For his scholarly and literary activities, Hrachya Tamrazyan was granted numerous awards and state decorations:
1984 TheAvangard newspaper prize for translation activities;
1985 TheGarunmagazine’sprize for translation activities;
1991 Av. Isahakyan Prize of theWriters Union of Armeniafor the collection of poems “Nor Tomar” (“New Calendar”);
2003 Prize for the best poetry collection of the year, for the book "Merry Science";
2003-2005 “LevonMkrtchyan” awards established by the Armenian-Russian (Slavic) University and the Writers Union of Armenia, for translation activities;
2007 “For Literary Merit” medal of the Writers Union of Armenia;
2010 Tekeyan Cultural Association’s prize “VahanTekeyan” for the collection of poems “Mother Idea”;
2011 Second degree medal “For Services to Motherland”;
2012 Prize of the President of Armenia in the sphere of literature;
2013 Medal of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia “For Great Services Rendered to the Science”;
2015 ChingizAytmatov literary prize of the InterparliamentaryAssembly of the NIS countries;
2015 VachaganBarepasht prize of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The wake and funeral services of Dr. Hrachya Tamrazyan were attended by the President of the Republic of Armenia Serj Sargsyan, the first President of the Republic Levon Ter-Petrosyan, The Chairman of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan, several cabinet ministers and other high ranking officials, scholars, heads and representatives of research, religious and international institutions, and private citizens. Letters of condolences have arrived from all over the world, from various universities and centers for Armenian studies, from colleagues, friends and sympathizers.
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Conference Reports for NATAP
18th CROI
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections
Feb 27 - March 2, 2011
Inflammation and Intervention: how does HIV cause AIDS and how does it cause disease despite ART - David Margolis, MD University of North Carolina - (04/11/11)
Bone and Vitamin D at CROI 2011 - By Todd T. Brown, MD, PhD - (03/26/11)
CROI 2011 Immunology Report - written by David Margolis, MD, University of North Carolina (03/22/11)
Summary from CROI for Hepatitis Coinfection - New drugs for treatment of hepatitis C are becoming available: what does that mean for the HIV coinfected patient? - Jurgen K. Rockstroh M.D., Professor of Medicine University of Bonn, Germany - (03/19/11)
Integrating Integrase Inhibitors and other antiretroviral stories - Joe Eron MD Professor of Medicine; UNC Chapel Hill - (03/15/11)
Clinical Pharmacology at CROI 2011 (HIV & HCV) - Courtney V. Fletcher, Pharm.D. Dean and Professor College of Pharmacy University of Nebraska Medical Center 986000 Nebraska Medical Center (03/14/11)
Update on the "cure" and metabolic complications written by Pablo Tebas MD University of Pennsylvania (03/13/11)
Chronic Inflammation and HIV: CROI 2011 - David H. Shepp, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine (03/11/11)
CROI 2011 Report - Selected Topics - Eric S. Daar, M.D. Chief, Division of HIV Medicine Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Professor of Medicine - (03/8/11)
The Kidney at CROI - Christina M. Wyatt, MD Assistant Professor, Medicine Nephrology Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, NY - (03/8/11)
HIV Prevention at CROI 2011 - written by Jared Baeten, MD PhD Connie Celum, MD MPH University of Washington - (03/8/11)
Vitamin D3 Supplementation Decreases Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) in HIV-Infected Youth Being Treated with Tenofovir-Containing Combination Antiretroviral Therapy: Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Trial Adolescent Trials Network (ATN) study 063 - (03/29/11)
No Association of Myocardial Infarction with Abacavir Use: Findings of an FDA Meta-analysis - (03/29/11)
Risk of Fractures Associated with HIV/Hepatitis C Coinfection - (03/28/11)
Changes in Body Composition after Switching from Ritonavir-Boosted Protease Inhibitors to Raltegravir in Virologically Suppressed HIV-1-Infected Patients (SPIRAL-LIP substudy) - (03/26/11)
Bone & HIV CROI 2011 - (03/26/11)
COMPREHENSIVE LIPID EVALUATION IN PATIENTS SWITCHING FROM RITONAVIR BOOSTED PROTEASE INHIBITOR (PI/r)-BASED TO RALTEGRAVIR-BASED ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY: THE SPIRAL-met SUBSTUDY - (03/26/11)
Antiretroviral CNS Penetration-Effectiveness (CPE) 2010 ranking predicts CSF viral suppression only in patients with undetectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma - (03/24/11)
Early HAART in TB-Treated Patients Recommended in 2 Studies at CROI for Patients with <50 CD4s - (03/24/11)
Turnover Following Viral Control Correlates with Markers of Microbial Translocation in Treatment-Naïve Patients Receiving Raltegravir (RAL)- based Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): Preliminary Results from ACTG A5248 - (03/24/11)
CD4 Nadir Drives Persistence of Monocytes and T Lymphocytes Activation in Virologically Suppressed HIV-infected Patients - (03/24/11)
Biomarkers of Inflammation, Coagulation and Monocyte Activation Are Strongly Associated with the VACS Index among Veterans on cART - (03/24/11)
Bone Loss in HIV-Negatives in PrEP Study: 'a surprising percent of HIV-neg MSM had low bone mineral density before starting TDF, drug use associated with bone mineral density loss - vitamin D/calcium supplementation was protective'; in some HIV+ persons low BMD likely predated HIV-infection....in summary Kathy Mulligan said "it is not known whether there will be any long-term clinically important effects of PrEP with TDF/3TC (Truvada) on bone health" - (03/23/11)
BMD Loss in HIV TDF PrEP - 2 studies - (03/22/11)
Advances in PrEP - (03/22/11)
Adding Maraviroc Does Not Boost CD4s or Quiet T-Cell Activation - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/22/11)
Risk of Stage 1 AIDS Dementia 12% Over 2 Years in Asymptomatic People - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/22/11)
Sustained Response to Anti-HCV Therapy Higher During Acute Infection in HIV Positives - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/22/11)
Boceprevir Boosts Sustained Virologic Response Rate With HCV Genotype 1 - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/22/11)
Boceprevir Improves SVR With PegIFN/RBV After Failure or Relapse With HCV-1 - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/22/11)
US Youngsters Start Antiretrovirals Late and Stop Early in HIV Research Network - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/21/11)
HIV Affects Brain Immediately After Infection with HIV RNA in the CSF & Inflammation & Brain Injury Continues Unfolding During Chronic Infection & There is a Need for Routine Monitoring - (03/21/11)
Lowest CD4 Count Below 200, by Itself, Raises Heart Disease Risk With HIV: HIV Is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease - (03/21/11)
HIV is Associated with Clinically Confirmed Myocardial Infarction after Adjustment for Smoking and Other Risk Factors - (03/21/11)
High incidence rate of HCV reinfection after treatment of acute HCV infection in HIV-infected MSM in Amsterdam - (03/21/11)
Therapeutic Darunavir and Etravirine Concentrations in Cerebrospinal Fluid - (03/21/11)
Early Clearance of HCV RNA in HCV Genotype 1 Treatment-naïve Patients Treated with Telaprevir, Peginterferon and Ribavirin: Pooled Analysis of the Phase 3 Trials ADVANCE and ILLUMINATE - (03/21/11)
Trunk and Visceral Fat Gains With Atazanavir & Efavirenz in ACTG A5224s - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/20/11)
Vitamin D Supplements May Limit Tenofovir Bone Toxicity - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/20/11)
Contribution of Immunodeficiency to Coronary Heart Disease: Cohort Study of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Kaiser Permanente Members - (03/19/11)
Comprehensive Lipid Evaluation in Patients Switching from PI/r-based cART to a RAL-based cART: The SPIRAL Substudy - (03/19/11)
On-Treatment Viral Loads Fell Steadily Since 1997 in Large US-Canadian Analysis: diaparities for Blacks & IDUs - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/19/11)
Minocycline Does Not Improve HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/19/11)
Early Brain Injury Visualized in People With Recent HIV Infection - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/19/11)
Results from a Single Arm Study of Darunavir/RitonavirPlus Raltegravir in Treatment-Naïve HIV-1-Infected Patients (ACTG A5262) - (03/17/11)
First-Line Darunavir/Raltegravir Riskier With Viral Load Above 100,000 - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/17/11)
Carotid Atherosclerosis Is Related to HIV Duration and Anti-inflammatory Profile and Not to ARV Exposure: The CHIC Controlled Study - (03/17/11)
D-dimer Levels Correlate with Inflammatory and Endothelial Activation Markers in HIV-infected Adults - (03/17/11)
(NIH Study) Circulating Markers of Endothelial Dysfunction, Coagulation and Tissue Fibrosis Prior to Incident Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with HIV Infection - (03/17/11)
Kinetics of Platelet Counts following Interruption of ART: Results from the SMART Study (coagulation pathways, HIV replication itself or inflammation) - (03/17/11)
Switch and Stop Rates 25% and 12% in First ART Year in 18-Cohort Study - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/17/11)
ATN 083: Longitudinal Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Markers among HIV Infected and at Risk Adolescents: "Endothelial dysfunction as measured by sVCAM-1 is higher in HIV+ adolescents than HIV- individuals" - (03/16/11)
Endothelial Dysfunction More Common in HIV-Positive Than Negative Adolescents - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/16/11)
Mortality With Acute Coronary Syndrome Higher in People With HIV - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/14/11)
Coronary Artery Plaque Linked to Low Fat in MACS Men With HIV - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/14/11)
The Effect of Low-dose Ritonavir on the Pharmacokinetics of the Investigational HCV Protease Inhibitor Telaprevir in Healthy Volunteers - (03/15/11)
Low CD4 Count on Effective HAART is Associated With Immunologic and Vascular Dysfunction - (03/15/11)
Viral Load (But Not Antiretrovirals) and HCV Tied to 10-Year Fracture Risk: fracture risk higher in HIV+ vs HIV-neg - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/14/11)
Survival After Cancer Diagnosis Improves in US HIV Cohort: 'Incidence (new diagnoses) of AIDS cancers dropped, as did incidence of non-AIDS infection-related cancers. But incidence of non-AIDS cancers not related to infection rose since the arrival of triple antiretroviral therapy' - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/14/11)
Changes in bone biomarkers in antiretroviral naïve HIV-infected men randomised to nevirapine/lopinavir/ritonavir (NVP/LPV/r) or zidovudine/lamivudine/lopinavir/ritonavir (AZT/3TC/LPV/r) help explain limited loss of bone mineral density over first 12 months after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation (03/14/11)
Firstline HAART Causes Bone Loss (03/14/11)
Glycated Hemoglobin A1C as Screening for Diabetes Mellitus in HIV Infected Individuals (03/13/11)
LOW BONE MASS IN BEHAVIORALLY HIV-INFECTED YOUNG MEN ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY: Adolescent Trials Network (ATN) Protocol 021B (03/13/11)
HAART-induced Immune Reconstitution: A Driving Force Behind Bone Resorption in HIV/AIDS (03/13/11)
Changes in Bone Biomarkers in ARV-naïve HIV+ Men Randomized to NVP/LPV/r or AZT/3TC/LPV/r Help Explain Limited Loss of Bone Mineral Density over the First 12 Months after ART Initiation (03/13/11)
Recombinant Interleukin-7 (CYT107) Expands CD4 T Cells in Peripheral Blood and Gut Mucosa of Chronically HIV-Infected Immunological Non-Responder Patients (03/13/11)
Neurologic and psychiatric safety profile of TMC278 compared with efavirenz in treatment-naïve, HIV-1-infected patients: pooled analysis from the randomized, double-blind, Phase III ECHO and THRIVE trials at 48 weeks (03/12/11)
Lipid profiles of TMC278 and efavirenz in treatment-naïve, HIV-1-infected patients: pooled Week 48 datafrom the randomized, double-blind, Phase III ECHO and THRIVE trials (03/12/11)
Bone Effects of Rosiglitazone in HIV-Infected Patients with Lipoatrophy (03/11/11)
Recombinant IL-7 Expands CD4 T Cells in Peripheral Blood and Gut Mucosa of Chronically HIV-infected Immunological Non-responder Patients (03/11/11)
Nutritional Intervention with NR100157 Restores Gut Microbiota in HIV-1-infected Adults Not on HAART and Reduces Systemic Immune Activation (03/10/11)
Prompt, Significant Reduction of Activation and Proliferation Markers in CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell Subsets despite Incomplete Viral Suppression: Proof-of-Concept for AV-HALT-A New Class of Anti-HIV Therapeutics Inhibiting Both HIV Replication and Immune Activation (03/10/11)
Immunomodulatory Effects of Hydroxychloroquine in HIV-Infected ART-Treated Immunological Non Responders: 'reduces inflammation & activation' (03/10/11)
HIV is Associated with Clinically Confirmed Myocardial Infarction after Adjustment for Smoking and Other Risk Factors (03/10/11)
Diabetes Mellitus in Treated HIV-Infected Patients: Incidence over Ten Years in 1,046 patients from the ANRS CO8 APROCO-COPILOTE Cohort (03/10/11)
Invasive Anal Cancer Seen With Relatively High CD4s and Low HIV Loads - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/9/11)
Statins May Lower Risk of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in People With HIV - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/9/11)
Earlier Occurrence of the Frailty Phenotype in HIV-1-infected Men than in HIV-uninfected Men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) - (03/9/11)
Prevalence and Prognostic Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease in HIV-infected Patients, HIV-NAT 006 Cohort, Thailand: "high prevalence of advanced chronic kidney disease...more diabetes/hypertension" - pdf attached - (03/9/11)
Aging and Non-HIV-associated Co-morbidity in HIV+ Persons: The SHCS - pdf attached - (03/9/11)
Microbial Translocation (MT)-induced Immune Activation Associates to Atherosclerosis in cART treated HIV pos Patients - (03/9/11)
Immunologic Failure Despite Suppressive ART Is Related to Increased Inflammation and Evidence of Microbial Translocation and Inflammation & Activation Persist Even Despite Immune Success - (03/9/11)
Renal Insufficiency among HIV-infected, ART-naïve Individuals in Lilongwe, Malawi: Implications for Tenofovir use in antiretroviral treatment and prevention of mother to child transmission programs. - (03/9/11)
Earlier Occurrence of the Frailty Phenotype in HIV+ Men than in HIV- Men: The MACS - (03/9/11)
Renal Insufficiency, Nephrotoxicity, and Mortality among HIV-infected Adults on TDF in a South African Cohort: A Marginal Structural Models Analysis - pdf attached - (03/9/11)
Cystain C - 'Lipid Particle Concentrations and Markers of Renal Disease: SMART' - Unfavorable lipoprotein levels were associated with elevated cystatin C levels, but not with impaired eGFR. Cystatin C may better detect earlier reductions in kidney function - (03/9/11)
Changing Patterns of Causes of Death in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) 2005-2009 - (03/9/11)
QDMRK, A Phase III Study of the Safety & Efficacy of Once Daily (QD) Versus Twice Daily (BID) Raltegravir (RAL) in Combination Therapy for Treatment-Naïve HIV-Infected Patients (Pts) - (03/9/11)
Telapravir Promotes Early Clearance of HCV RNA With PEG-IFN/RBV, Early Response Predicts Outcome (weeks 1,2,4) - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/8/11)
Fibrosis Predicts Renal Trouble With Tenofovir in HIV/HBV-Coinfected - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/8/11)
Liver Death Rate Twice Higher With HBV Than HCV in Gay HIV+ Men of MACS - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/8/11)
HIV, Black Race, and Multiple Partners Raise Risk of Repeat Syphilis in California Gays - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/8/11)
CD4 Decline Before ART Faster in More Recent Years in ATHENA Cohort: "may have implications for planning on when to start cART." - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/8/11)
Steady-state pharmacokinetic parameters of nevirapine extended release formulation tablets in children with HIV-1 infection: an open-label, multiple-dose, cross-over study - (03/7/11)
Raltegravir (RAL) Demonstrates Durable Virologic Suppression and Superior Immunologic Response with a Favorable Metabolic Profile Through 3 Years of Treatment (Tx): 156 Week (Wk) Results from STARTMRK - (03/7/11)
Change in Vitamin D Levels Smaller and Risk of Development of Severe Vitamin D Deficiency Lower Among HIV-1-Infected, Treatment-naïve Adults Receiving TMC278 Compared with Efavirenz: 48-week Results from the Phase III ECHO Trial - (03/7/11)
The Effect of Bimonthly Supplementation with Oral Cholecalciferol and Calcium on 2 Year Bone Mass Accrual in HIV-infected Children and Adolescents - (03/7/11)
Renal Impairment in Patients Receiving a TDF-based cART Regimen: Impact of TDF Concentration? - (03/7/11)
Central Fat Accumulation in ART-naïve Subjects Randomized to ABC/3TC or TDF/FTC with ATV/r or EFV: ACTG A5224s, a Substudy of ACTG A5202 - (03/7/11)
Decreased Limb Muscle and Increased Central Adiposity Are Associated with 5-Year All-cause Mortality in HIV Infection - (03/7/11)
Predictors of Chronic Kidney Disease in the SMART trial - (03/7/11)
Maraviroc 300mg Once Daily + Darunavir/Ritonavir 800/100mg Once Daily Provides Maraviroc Trough Concentrations Comparable to Trough Concentrations in HIV-1 Patients Taking Maraviroc 300mg Twice Daily + Truvada: Implications for Phase 3 Studies - (03/5/11)
Genotypic Analysis of Cellular HIV V3 DNA to Predict Virologic Response to Maraviroc: Performance of Population-based and 454 Deep V3 Sequencing - (03/5/11)
Gut-associated Lymphoid Tissue Fibrosis Is Associated with CD4+ T Cell Activation and Poor HIV-specific CD8+ T cell Responses During Suppressive Antiretroviral Therapy - (03/5/11)
Impaired Endothelial Function Is Associated with Increased Frequencies of CCR5+ and HIV-specific T cells During Treated HIV Infection - (03/5/11)
The Immunomodulatory Effects of Maraviroc Intensification among ART-suppressed Patients with Incomplete CD4 Recovery - (03/5/11)
Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation during Acute/Early HIV Infection vs. Later ART Initiation is Associated with Improved Immunologic and Virologic Parameters during Suppressive ART - (03/5/11)
Predicting maraviroc responses according to number or percentage of X4-using virus among treatment-experienced patients - (03/4/11)
Neuroprotective MVC Monotherapy in SIV-infected Macaques - (03/4/11)
Relative performance of ESTA, Trofile, 454 deep sequencing and "reflex" testing for HIV tropism in the MOTIVATE screening population of therapy experienced patients - (03/4/11)
Interrupted Antiretrovirals Raise Chronic Kidney Disease Risk 50% in SMART - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/4/11)
New Integrase Inhibitor Controls Toughest Raltegravir-Resistant Virus - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/4/11)
Diabetes Incidence in People With HIV Falling Since 1999-2000 in France - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/4/11)
Male-Female and White-Black ART Disparities Persist in US - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/4/11)
Fracture Risk Highest in First 2 Years of ART--and Maybe in First 12 Weeks - written by Mark Mascolini - (03/4/11)
Post-Menopausal Women Have increased HIV transmission risk and Higher TDF Blood Levels - (03/3/11)
Creating an HIV-resistant Immune System: Using CXCR4 ZFN to Edit the Human Genome - (03/3/11)
Positive Phase 2 Interim Data from First Study of Telaprevir in People Co-Infected with Hepatitis C and HIV Presented at CROI Conference - (03/3/11)
Telaprevir + Peginterferon and Ribavirin: phase 2a study in coinfected patients on HAART Reported at CROI March 2 2011 - (03/3/11)
Interim Analysis of Phase 2a Study of Telaprevir + Peginterferon/Ribavirin in HCV/HIV Coinfected Patients - (03/3/11)
GSK1349572 Integrase in Raltegravir Resistant Patients - (03/3/11)
GS-7340 Demonstrates Greater Declines in HIV-1 RNA than Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate During 14 Days of Monotherapy in HIV-1 Infected Subjects - (03/2/11)
Diabetes and cIMT Linked to Worse Neurocognitive Performance With HIV written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Poor CD4 Response Despite Undetectable Load Marked by Vascular and T-Cell Dysfunction written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Vitamin D3 Supplements May Thwart Diabetes Emergence in People With HIV written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Fracture Risk Highest in First 2 Years of ART--and Maybe in First 12 Weeks written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Duration of PIs or NNRTIs Has No Consistent Impact on Non-AIDS Cancer Rates written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Low Limb Muscle, High Visceral Fat Double 5-Year Risk of Death in US Cohort written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Vitamin D Boost Does Not Improve Endothelial Function With HIV written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
FDA Trial Meta-Analysis Does Not See Higher MI Risk With Abacavir written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Cancer Risk Remains High for People Who Had AIDS as a Child written by Mark Mascolini - (03/2/11)
Sangamo's Gene Therapy for HIV is Safe, Helps Immune Cells in Early Trial - (03/2/11)
Clinical Pharmacology of Boceprevir: Metabolism, Excretion, and Drug-Drug Interactions - (03/2/11)
Pharmacokinetic Interactions Between Antiretroviral Agents and the Investigational HCV Protease Inhibitor Telaprevir in Healthy Volunteers - (03/2/11)
Lower "Community Viral Load" in SF Linked to Fewer New HIV Cases written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Higher Fracture Rate With HIV + HCV Than With Either Virus Alone written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Intensification With Raltegravir Has No Impact on Reservoir of Replicating Virus written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Viral Load and CD4 Changes With Ritonavir-Boosted and Unboosted Attachment Inhibitor written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
HIV Duration, Not ART, Tied to Atherosclerosis Marker in Large Case-Control Study written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Black Race Tied to Virologic Failure in ACTG Trials--But Blacks Gained More CD4s written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Lower CD4 Count Before ART Tied to Higher Risk of Three Non-AIDS Diseases written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
In Gay Men Over 50, Frailty More Common With HIV Than Without (MACS) written by Mark Mascolini - (03/1/11)
Pharmacodynamics, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of BMS-663068, a Potentially First-in-Class Oral HIV Attachment Inhibitor - (03/1/11)
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STRAWS IN THE WIND:
Revolting students / Precondition for education / Drugs and Asia / Swallow insult / Waldheimer's disease / Warning shadows
by Max Teichmann
Revolting students
The mob rule that seems to have reared its familiar and ugly head at Sydney University, demonstrates - if demonstration were needed - that students' unions, as presently constituted, have virtually outlived any usefulness that they might once have possessed.
They are unrepresentative, expensive and wasteful, and are simply providing platforms for careerists and exhibitionists who don't like serious commitment to study, i.e., who wouldn't work in an iron lung.
The ALP has gone part of the way by separating the basic services that students may want or need, from all the political and social flapdoodle which the Left and small parties and fringe groups see as centrally important. Important to them, so little genuine student or public support do they possess.
Precondition for education
But Beazley has had to retain the compulsory levy for all students, and Brendan Nelson will have none of this. Students, who we are always being told have no money, shouldn't have to pay for services they don't need, as a pre-condition for their being able to be educated.
Education is not about child-care or counselling or the 101 activities which have arisen on campus, sheltering under the rubric of "education".
Those who desire these services should be subsidised, and the unis and the state - federal and provincial - can help. But so long as compulsory student levies remain in any form, the Left and the carpetbaggers will surreptitiously re-introduce their ideological extravaganzas.
Finally, the little mateship that has flourished between certain kinds of administrators and some student leaders, should be wound down, or else made transparent. Education is not about shonky real estate ventures, any more than it should be about bogus politicising.
Drugs and Asia
The continuing drug saga being enacted in Indonesia and other countries in our Asian neighbourhood, is doing more for the local anti-drugs propaganda crusaders than anything that the local campaigners have offered, so far. Not that there have been many intensive forays into this highly lucrative industry.
In the past, our arrogant young tourists, urged on by the hooligan elements in the press, have sought out poor, cheap, Third World societies, where they can live as they please, irrespective of how the locals feel or what moral and religious sensibilities our tourists might be violating.
If the host country has laws forbidding certain forms of behaviour which our tourists enjoy, then the foreigners should waive their laws in our favour. If they won't - if their governments insist on enforcing those laws, without fear or favour - our Government must heavy them to back off. Humiliate them, in other words.
This is the classical colonial mentality so criticised by our Left historians and anti-imperialists, but a mentality entrenched in our media demi-monde and our Beautiful People. Thus, a spokesperson for our fashion industry said that the young model being investigated for possessing drugs, would not suffer professionally, if she were convicted, even if she underwent a period of imprisonment.
No: it would bring her lots of work here. Really?
If true, it shows the extent of the problems we have with our self-appointed radical elites, and their pro-drugs, "everything is permitted" philosophy. Such affirmations are music to the ears of our Mr Bigs, not to mention any bent cops, politicians and lawyers here in Australia.
I think more and more Australians are awakening to certain political and cultural realities with respect to our neighbours, and our real place in the scheme of things.
This is not 19th-century China, where the white imperialists and the Japanese had their own legal systems and cultural enclaves in concessions, within which they were immune from Chinese laws and the Chinese Government.
Swallow insult
The Chinese had to swallow this insult, but never forgot it. Have they? And our radical teachers always hammer this point - rightly. But what else has been happening vis à vis Indonesia, other than that?
Their Government, their courts (even the highest in the land) and their police have been successively and indiscriminately impugned by people here - politicians, journalists, disk-jocks, fleabag journalists and roving civil libertarians - abused for trying to sustain a sovereign state; abused for being hard on drugs, on prostitution, on hooliganism; because we aren't hard here.
And we (and they) are seeing the results here. But the fact is, we come as guests, not conquerors.
After he had been exposed to the unenviable experience of conversations, and at least one BBC debate/discussion, with Gough Whitlam (which I heard), Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew, in the early 1970s, made a series of judgements and predictions as to what Australia would be like, and what sort of people Australians would become, if the hallucinatory nonsense of Whitlam became our guiding philosophy.
I shouldn't have to repeat yet again what he said - but he was right, and it has happened. (I think Malaysia's Mahatir was influenced by this analysis, and friend Keating didn't exactly help.) But we took a wrong turning then, and are unlikely to ever get back to where we were at that time.
But almost as if in denial of sensed realities, Australians have been regaled by our opinion-formers, with the same compensatory vanities with which isolated, malfunctioning societies, with chips on their shoulders, are regularly duped. We are the greatest, at everything. Everyone loves us, or should - and relishes our company, and our advice.
This is a road the Americans trod, and we know where it got them. And money can't buy everything.
We in fact have two good friends - old friends - Britain and the US; though in politics there is no such thing as a free lunch.
We also have a number of Indo-Pacific countries which understand us, yet still like us, plus a whole network of those who will do things with us when it suits them ... otherwise not - as is their right. And a few who despise us.
Our most important regional relationship, that with Indonesia, has so often been stressful or at arm's length; but it now appears better than for many decades - a great relief to most Australians.
But there are those who appear to hate this new amity, and the loss of privileged contacts they once enjoyed. Or else who hate to give Howard and Downer credit for anything, although it is these leaders' job. Or else, those who seek the degradation of the Australian-Indonesian amity as a precondition for the resumption of people-smuggling.
Having just lost Aceh as a ground for troublemaking, we are suddenly hearing of West Papua from various public media hacks.
And of course the disgraceful interference with Indonesia's legal procedures so as to protect Australian drug-pushers and drug-smokers. What a cause to go out to bat for, in Asia!
It is a measure of the strength of the pro-drug lobby and the New Class drug culture here, and of the total decadence of sections of the media and the venality of lawyers.
We should close the door on all these people - especially as, at long last, we are moving, as a government and society, to demand that migrants and visitors respect our laws, our values and our mores.
Waldheimer's disease
The contretemps arising from Victorian federal MP Michael Danby's raising the question of the membership of one of our older migrants of the leading World War II Hungarian fascist party, the Arrow Cross, brings up all the usual feelings. Why bother, at this late date? Why an 89-year-old man? Was the Arrow Cross so bad? Did our old Hungarian play a significant role in events, anyway?
The Arrow Cross was a vile fascist party - one of the worst. Hungary's Regent Admiral Horthy, originally an anti-Semite, protected Hungary's Jews, for most of the war, from the Germans and from Ferenc Szálasi's rabid Arrow Cross.
Overthrown in 1944, with German connivance, for trying to arrange a separate peace treaty with the advancing Russians, Horthy was replaced by this sadistic, rock-bottomed group of thugs and sadists.
The Arrow Cross didn't waste their time fighting the advancing Russians (the siege of Budapest lasted 100 days); they spent the time looting and murdering Jews, Gypsies and political opponents.
Some of the most horrible of all atrocities, against Budapest Jews, were committed by these people. And I'll spare the reader, at this point.
When Adolf Eichmann and his Gestapo turned up, then the mass-deportation of Jews to Auschwitz started in earnest. But the Arrow Cross had done their bit.
Mr Lajos Polgar has said that he was secretary to Joseph Sera, a senior Arrow Cross leader. Sera was convicted as a war criminal and hanged.
Attempts seem to have been made to implicate an old friend Malcolm Fraser, though clearly he would have had no knowledge thereof, because Mr Polgar had changed his name and altered his age.
One ironical note. When the Russians took over in Hungary, they re-filled the camps, not only with some right-wingers, but also with social democrats and any surviving liberals. Looking around for guards, they happily recruited ex-Arrow Cross members who just had to change uniforms.
Finally, the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved so many Jews, was arrested by the Soviet KGB at the end of the Budapest fighting. He was accused of being a CIA spy, and then disappeared forever into Siberia and the gulags.
He might have fared better had he been a member of the Arrow Cross.
Warning shadows
China and Russia are conducting joint military manoeuvres, the first for a very long time.
Keep an eye on this alliance, linked as it is with Iran. It is anti-American, anti-Japanese and - were India to dare to stand up - anti-Indian.
A most momentous development. They, i.e., Russia and China, had earlier agreed to fully exchange nuclear technology.
Max Teichmann
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DURHAM COTTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY
East Pettigrew Street
South Driver Street
/ Modified in
Carr, Julian Shakespeare
Branson, William H
National Register:
East Durham
Hosiery Mill
Container Company
Chemical Company
Submitted by MD saifur rahman on Sunday, July 13, 2014 - 8:04am
Can you please guide me with the cotton FoB price and. Minimum quantity for order..thank you
Factories and Businesses of East Durham by Karen, Tue, 05/21/2013 - 7:52am
Wed, 10/04/2017 - 9:31am by gary
35° 58' 45.894" N, 78° 52' 48.9504" W
Looking southeast from East Pettigrew St., 1895.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection / scanned by Digital Durham)
The oldest still-extant (at least partially) hosiery mill complex in Durham is the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company complex at East Pettigrew and South Driver Sts.
The Durham Cotton and Manufacturing Company was started through the impetus of Julian Carr, who sought out capital from the Odell family, textile magnates of Greensboro and Concord. William H. Branson of Greensboro was recruited to be the secretary-manager of the company. With $130,000 of capital, the factory was established.
The cornerstone of the original plant was laid in July 1884. Robert Durden notes that despite the intense heat that day, a large crowd gathered for the groundbreaking.
"The choir of the Methodist church 'rendered in fine style an appropriate hymn, followed by an impressive prayer by Rev. T A Boone.' A minister from Concord then delivered an address filled with 'valuable information. It was a joyous day for all true Durhamites.'"
The original plant consisted of a 4 story manufacturing building, fronted by a 7 story belfried tower, twelve weaving sheds, a picker building, as well as engine and boiler rooms with a rather immense smokestack. Carr constructed Carr's Chapel (a Methodist church) on the north side of the railroad tracks, facing the mill, and an abundance of mill housing immediately to the south of the structure.
From the Bird's Eye view of Durham, 1891 - looking north.
The factory began producing a muslin for tobacco bag manufacture. The venture was successful, the production was quickly diversified to include chambrays, domets, ginghams, and 'colored cloths'. Within 5 years had increased its capital to $150,000. The factory was soon expanded. By 1888, the mill had more than 8500 spindles and 200 looms operated by 225 workers. Around 1895, a weaving and carding building was added to the west of the main building, which was soon doubled in size to the west. A large warehouse building with a monitor roof was also added to the south of the original structures.
Looking southeast from East Pettigrew St. at the expanded plant, ~1910s.
In 1899, secretary-treasurer Branson, who served in that capacity for both the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co and the Pearl Cotton Mill, was killed when, while working with a mechanic on a faulty boiler, it exploded, killing them both instantly. Branson was replaced by Jessie Harper Erwin, brother of William Erwin, who was secretary-treasurer of the Erwin Cotton Mills.
It is unclear to me when control of the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co. passed from the Odell and Carr conglomerate to the Dukes, but it appears to have occurred by the time Erwin took over.
By 1910, the mill employed 500 people, operating 820 looms, and 22,554 spindles producing ginghams and cheviots.
Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co., 1926
An industry-wide downturn in demand for textiles, particularly cotton hosiery, badly damaged the textile industry in Durham - the Durham Hosiery Mill No. 1, the Commonwealth Cotton Mfg, the John O'Daniel Hosiery Mill, and this mill went out of business during the late 1920s-1940. Given that Erwins were in control of both mills, I am unsure as to why they let the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co. flounder, while Erwin Mills did not. Perhaps DCMC would have benefitted from having "Erwin" attached to is name.
By 1937, the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company was out of business - the site was sold to the Durham Box Corporation.
Aerial of the complex, looking west - undated, but likely 1940s. The legend is, unfortunately, not available. However, per the Sanborn Map from 1937: 1) Water Tower, 2) Reservoir, 3) Reservoir, 4) Dye House, 5) Cotton Warehouses, 6) Weave House ("Carpr Shop in basement), 7) Boiler Room, 8) Speeder Room, 9) Main Mill, 10) Finishing and Shipping, 11) RR siding, 12) RR siding, 13) NC RR.
You can see the the belfry on top of the tower has been removed.
(Courtesy Duke Rare Book and Manuscript Collection / Chamber of Commerce collection)
Looking northwest from the rear of the complex, likely 1940s.
By the late 1940s, the Mead Container Corporation bought the buildings.
Former Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company, used by Mead Container Corporation, looking southeast, 1950s.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun)
Very unfortunately, in 1955 they demolished the main, original building and tower, as well as the smokestack. (And built nothing in its place.)
Smokestack and main building, looking west-northwest, 03.14.55.
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)
In 1979, the buildings were sold to Southchem (a chemical company,) which renovated the weaving and carding buildings, warehouse, and part of the original boiler room building. In 2001, the facility became part of the Brenntag chemical company through a merger; the company continues to utilize the complex today.
Looking southeast at the former carding and weaving buildings, 01.01.09. (G. Kueber)
This hole in the middle of the complex is the former site of the main building and tower - 01.01.09. (G. Kueber)
Satellite image, 2007. I've numbered the still extant buildings to correspond to the buildings in the 1940s image above.
Can you please guide me with
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The Appeal Of Best Progressive Table Games Online
Many players think that to win a progressive jackpot, they would have to play a slot game. While there are many slots that do feature this jackpot, there are also a number of great table games that are also linked to a progressive. While these jackpots are usually worth less, they can still provide players with a life altering win while they are enjoying the action of their favourite table game.
These progressive jackpot games are not featured in every online casino, so if players are looking for them, they will have to narrow down their casino choices and play only at those that offer the best progressive games. With many game titles available, some players may not know where to start. Here are the three most popular, and best paying, progressive table games that can be enjoyed at online casinos using Microgaming software.
Roulette Royale was one of the first progressive roulette games to be offered online and it is a huge hit at Microgaming casinos. To have the chance to win the progressive with these game, players will have to place a side bet of a single credit. If the single number played comes up two or more times in a row, a handsome bonus is awarded. Five times in a row will land the progressive jackpot. This jackpot is often worth $500,000 or more.
Poker Ride is a great card game that is quite similar to Let It Ride. With this game, players will try to beat the dealer using three dealt cards and two common cards. Like poker, there are Raise and Call options and these become available as cards are revealed on the table. Betting a one credit side bet will make players eligible for the progressive, which is won by getting a royal flush.
Fans of blackjack will love Triple Sevens Blackjack the first progressive blackjack game offered. This game is played following the standard rules of classic blackjack and there is a one credit side bet that will allow players to compete for the progressive. By getting certain combinations of sevens in a hand, players will collect bonuses. Three diamond sevens will grab the massive progressive jackpot. This game is one of the more exciting versions of blackjack offered online.
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Music Vitality and Endangerment
About -The project -The framework -The survey -The data -FAQs Map Gallery News Contact
Zhucha village drinking songs
1. Intergenerational transmission
2. Change in number of proficient musicians
3. Change in number of people engaged with the genre
4. Pace and direction of change in music and music practices
5. Change in performance context(s) and function(s)
6. Response to mass media and the music industry
7. Accessibility of infrastructure and resources
8. Accessibility of knowledge and skills for music practices
9. Official attitudes towards the genre
10. Community members' attitudes towards the genre
11. Relevant outsiders' attitudes towards the genre
12. Documentation of the genre
What is your overall perception of the level of strength (vitality) of the music genre?
What is your overall perception of the viability of the music genre into the future?
Vanishing Languages, Reincarnated as Music
UNESCO bid to save dying music style
“The music of endangered languages” conference
This project explores the levels of vitality or endangerment of the world's music genres. It is a step towards supporting the rich and diverse intangible cultural heritage of all peoples across the globe.
For captions and credits of images on this site, visit the Credits page
This project is funded by a Joy Ingall Postdoctoral Scholarship at the University of Newcastle, Australia, with additional funding from the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Web design: Ian Kirkland and Catherine Grant 2014
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Studies Friday’s average of 11 people bid adieu win
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15 Music Blogs 14 Exposure Opportunity 4 Professional Song Critique
15 fully mastered 15 broadcast ready 14 rough mixes
8 submission only 7 critique
5 under $10 11 under $20 12 under $30 15 under $40 15 any price
4 Negotiable or N/A 3 Non-Exclusive
7 Not Available 1 $1 - $100
7 within 7 days 7 within 14 days 9 within 45 days 6 longer than 45 days
9 at least 10 at least 10 at least 10 at least 10 at least 15 all
1111CR3W Seeking Artists to Feature
111CR3W is looking for high-quality musical artists to be featured in outstanding blogs and websites. All genres are welcome. Please submit your best track(s) for consideration and review.
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Possible Site Feature, Spread your music around the world
Keep Walking Music is a Madrid based online music platform that launched in 2015, and has since showcased local and worldwide talent. We are dedicated to discovering and featuring exceptional artists that we feel deserve a platform in the public eye.
The feedback you will receive will be an honest feeling from listening to your music, and should never be taken as a personal criticism. A quick browse through the blog will give you a sense of the editorial.
- Salah EddineBenali / Keep Walking Music
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Keep Walking Music is an independent music blog formed in October 2011 by Ben Ali. Dedicated to discovering and featuring exceptional artists that we feel deserve a platform in the public eye.
Our primary task is to show the public, the impressive work and the dedication of promising artists, teeming with immense talents. Indeed, to date, we have managed to establish a finding that proves that the best music is often produced by artists still unknown to the public, because they engage much more than celebrities.
- Keep Walking Music
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Are you the next big pop Top 40 sensation? We want to hear from you!
Submit your music today via Music Xray and be featured on our award winning music blog and newsletter. Our readership includes record labels, publishers, management companies, radio stations, pr and sync companies from across the world who use our website as a resource to discover and sign acts.
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Your Song at Musicperk.com
Submit Your Song to Musicperk.com
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We are currently one of the Top 100 music blogs in the World (as per Technorati).
We aspire to be different from the other music websites as we follow a “no compromise” policy as far as quality is concerned. Our reviews are detailed and an in-depth analysis of along with analysis and rating of every piece in that album is provided. Thus, we focus on providing our esteemed readers with a detailed insight into every album which we write. We also provide a summary of the album, in case the users do not want to read the entire article. At Musicperk, quality is a promise we assure to keep up.
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100+ word single review on NeuFutur.com
We will place a 100+ word review of your single on the front pafge of neufutur.com and in our Music Reviews section. All articles will contain links to your website/social media profiles, a picture, and any sort of streaming audio that you would desire. We will send you links to all coverage and will place that coverage on NeuFutur and our social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, RSS, Diigo, Blogger, Delicious, and StumbleUpon).
The Fraternity Music Group Seeking Artists for Blog Placements
The Fraternity Music Group is seeking quality artists for blog placements on one of several sites co-owner Annexx Omega is affiliated with such as Muzikfanatic, hiphoperiod, Stateofhip-hop, and more. We're accepting music videos, and all other formats. Must not glorify drugs and the lifestyles associated with. No nudity is permitted in videos. Please submit your best track(s) for consideration.
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Commissioning topics
Dealing with a patient angry about rationing
Three experts advise
A patient is infuriated by CCG rules that mean his vasectomy must be done privately. He says you have an obligation to refer on the NHS. What do you say?
Dr Helen Cotton: Explain you agree with the referral in principle
The first step is to recover the consultation. Sticking to a rigid ‘no’ will inflame the situation. If you have no hesitation in agreeing to the referral on clinical grounds, explain this at the outset. Then discuss contraception fully with the patient, covering the delay in vasectomy effectiveness and short-term contraception needs, and exploring why permanent rather than long-acting reversible contraception is sought.
Defusing the anger will allow you to establish if vasectomy is the best option, and if so, whether an exceptional funding application may be possible, or if there is a suitable alternative.
Having had the clinical consultation, and ruled out other options, explain the CCG service restriction again. Give the patient a copy of the policy and the CCG complaints process, explaining that it is unlikely a vasectomy will be provided, but this is outside your control.
It is important to be aware of core GP skills and extended GP skills. Personally I have no expertise in health economics, commissioning, or medical politics, and am thus am unable to give a balanced view on rationing. However GPs have a responsibility to follow GMC leadership guidance.1 This requires doctors to be aware of resource limitations, providing the best, non-discriminatory service possible. Tying this with the GMC’s Good Medical Practice guidance, which stipulates respect for colleagues, the consultation is not the place to discuss personal views on rationing.2 If you wish to be involved in these decisions, it is worth engaging with the commissioning process.
Dr Helen Cotton is a GP in Yeovil, Somerset
Dr Zak Uddin: Seek to clarify the patient’s decision
This is an increasingly common scenario, with CCGs blocking access to procedures that were previously routinely provided. It is worth clarifying with the patient his understanding that vasectomy is usually non-reversible if he has a change of mind or circumstances. It may help to review if there are any long-acting reversible methods of contraception that might be acceptable to his partner. However, you need to explain this would require her to attend.
Offer empathy and apologise for his distress. This may help more than you would think. Explain that the decision not to offer the procedure on the NHS has been made at a higher level, and it is not you personally who is denying him the vasectomy. At the same time, do not opine on the appropriateness of the CCG’s ruling – the CCG is the governing body and by criticising it you risk coming across as unprofessional. Also, the patient might infer that you take responsibility, and suggest that the practice fund his surgery, which will create further conflict.
Some clinicians will still feel that a referral is appropriate. However, if you know that it will be rejected, you may make the situation worse by providing false hope – and will also generate unnecessary work. You may offer to write to the CCG on his behalf and explain his situation, while being careful not to promise a resolution. If the plea is rebuffed, you can suggest the patient personally seeks to raise his objections, for example by writing to his MP.
If you have established a good rapport and the patient definitely wishes to proceed with vasectomy, you may then discuss the costs of having treatment privately.
Dr Zak Uddin is a GP in Teesside
The medicolegal view: Be firm but sensitive and offer a second opinion
A patient demanding a service that is not available leaves the doctor in a difficult position – particularly when the decision to restrict access was not yours.
GMC guidance clearly expects doctors to put patients first,2 but observes that doctors must also be aware of limitations on resources and help ensure these are being used appropriately.
Further advice can be found in the GMC’s leadership and management guidance,1 which highlights that you must provide the best service within the resources available, complying with policy while keeping in mind your responsibilities to patients and the wider population. Decisions on access must be fair and not discriminatory, based on clinical need and the likely effectiveness of treatment. Discuss the patient’s circumstances. Inform them of the rules and consider any exemption criteria.
Being honest and sensitive, explaining the reasons for a service being unavailable will often defuse a patient’s anger. If they remain unhappy, you can offer a second opinion from another GP. This may help to allay any concern that you are mistaken.
Even so, some patients will remain angry. It is difficult not to take this personally, but if you are able to step back, it often becomes clear that the anger is not directed at you.
It may seem easier to accede to the patient’s request and remove yourself from the firing line. But this is unlikely to be useful in the long run, when the referral is bounced back. You could face criticism for offering something you knew could not be delivered.
If a patient makes a complaint, ask your defence organisation for advice.
Dr Gordon McDavid is a medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection
1 GMC. Good Medical Practice 2013 tinyurl.com/ydhfkcw2
2.GMC. Leadership and management for all doctors 2012 – paragraph 85 tinyurl.com/ybs96bpl
GPs demand awareness campaign to explain new rationing scheme to patients
'Close to collapse' GP practices cut clinical services and routine appointments
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National Hopeless Service | GP Partner/Principal02 Nov 2017 9:01am
'The CCG is the governing body and by criticising it you risk coming across as unprofessional'.
Tosh - they are not my governing body and I refuse to be party to local rationing decisions which has no legal bases and puts me in the firing line for complaint.
NHS has Granular Tolerance for violence or abuse! | GP Partner/Principal02 Nov 2017 9:57am
Tell them to google 'communist famines' as an example of failed central control structures that believe the laws of supply and demand are optional.
Merlin | GP Partner/Principal02 Nov 2017 2:49pm
"He says you have an obligation to refer on the NHS. What do you say?"
"No. I don't"
Grumpy Old Hector | GP Partner/Principal02 Nov 2017 6:16pm
Privately, a vasectomy in the UK costs usually £400 to £600 though can be double that or more. The NHS cost is reckoned to be about £250.
Vasectomy lasts 'forever'. Nexplanon, increasingly routine, costs (basic NHS price and for the drug alone) £84 every 3 years. Have areas with a vasectomy ban also banned use of Nexplanon? Probably not, I suspect, as that would slightly reduce a woman's 'right to choose', and we could not have that!
I would be entirely sympathetic with Mr Angry, point out that there is no point in my referring as 'they' will refuse to accept the referral, but offer to waste a couple of minutes in making the pointless referral if he really wanted. Even if a referral were made, it would probably save time in the consultation and either way would certainly improve the patient relationship.
One might have expected a CCG with such bans to produce information sheets for GPs to give to affected patients, clarifying that it is not the GP's decision or choice.
Azeem Majeed | GP Partner/Principal02 Nov 2017 6:42pm
CCGs should not be restricting access to highly effective and relatively low-cost procedures such as vasectomy or female sterilisation.
Cobblers | Locum GP | Kent03 Nov 2017 11:09am
As a locum I say "I only work here mate" take it up with the PM/CCG/Uncle Tom Cobbly (no relation).
Next please.
Nice being a locum. :-)
This was d | GP Partner/Principal03 Nov 2017 11:30am
Not my fault chum, any chance you voted Tory at the last election? Here is your MPs details please pass on my kind regards
Sensible Doc | GP Partner/Principal03 Nov 2017 11:34am
"You could face criticism for offering something you knew could not be delivered."
And so the bullying goes on. In the above situation the patient was politely informed the service was unavailable but felt entitled to make a demand. The inevitable rejection letter proves that we are not liars and is very useful in directing the anger to where it belongs. Why should we get the blame for political decisions in my experience made by people on very high salaries?
DecorumEst | Salaried GP03 Nov 2017 4:00pm
Very poor advice (even for cardies) and likewise the whole article. Imagine going into Tesco and demanding Heston Blumenthal products and then becoming angry when you were gently directed too the nearby Waitrose. And for those citing GMC guidelines, for shame and you have neglected 'duty of candour'.
Don't believe the hype | GP Partner/Principal03 Nov 2017 8:19pm
Forget all the advice/opinions in article.....just say;
"Nowt to do with me mate...write to your MP......there's bugger all I can do"
In Commissioning topics
Emergency admissions
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Results for Diversity
Adult learners in online higher education: The complexity of students’ transitional experience of becoming a distance learner
Rotar, O., 1/12/2018, Technology Matters: Proceedings of the 2018 STORIES Conference. Tawell, A., Davison, K., Faitaki, F. & Oldac, Y. I. (eds.). Oxford: STORIES Conference, p. 30-43 14 p.
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Conference contribution/Paper
Recent advances in understanding grasslands [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
Stevens, C. J., 30/08/2018, In : F1000Research. 7, 6 p., 1363.
"Everything about him was just perfect. And I fell in love instantly": Life and love in welcome to Night Vale
Stobbart, D., 25/08/2018, Critical Approaches to Welcome to Night Vale: Podcasting between Weather and the Void. Weinstock, J. A. (ed.). Cham: Palgrave Pivots, p. 23-34 12 p.
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter
Female directors, board committees and firm performance
Green, C. P. & Homroy, S., 02/2018, In : European Economic Review. 102, p. 19-38 20 p.
Ecological limitations to the resilience of coral reefs
Mora, C., Graham, N. A. J. & Nystrom, M., 12/2016, In : Coral Reefs. 35, 4, p. 1271-1280 10 p.
Tree functional diversity affects litter decomposition and arthropod community composition in a tropical forest
Laird-Hopkins, B., 26/04/2016, Lancaster University. 56 p.
Research output: Thesis › Master's Thesis
Female directors, key committees, and firm performance
Green, C. & Homroy, S., 10/2015, Lancaster: Lancaster University, Department of Economics, 41 p. (Economics working paper series).
Hiring ex-offenders: a theoretical model
Jones Young, N. C. & Powell, G., 09/2015, In : Human Resource Management Review. 25, 3, p. 298-312 15 p.
On the naming of monsters: organization, (in)equality and diversity in the age of technological reproduction
Bloomfield, B. & Vurdubakis, T., 2014, In : Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. 33, 7, p. 575-594 20 p.
Conservation implications of long-term change detected in the flora of lowland heaths
Diaz, A., Keith, S., Bullock, J., Hooftman, D. A. P. & Newton, A., 11/2013, In : Biological Conservation. 167, p. 325-333 9 p.
The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems
Graham, N. A. J. & Nash, K. L., 06/2013, In : Coral Reefs. 32, 2, p. 315-326 12 p.
More results »
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Absolute Lovers by SJ Hooks
Professor Stephen Worthington has been schooled in the bedroom by free-spirited student Julia Wilde. But what started as a casual arrangement has turned into so much more—at least for Stephen.
Head over heels, Stephen is tired of being just “sex buddies.” Julia’s resisting, but her blithe attitude towards keeping it casual may just be a front. Can he prove to her that their amazing sexual chemistry can mix with romance and ultimately win her heart?
In this eagerly awaited sequel to S.J. Hooks’ successful first novel, Absolute Beginners, readers will find themselves riding alongside Stephen and Julia’s highs and lows as their friends-with-benefits relationship reaches a crossroads. Absolute Lovers’ humor and romance will tease and delight both dedicated fans and new readers alike.
Absolute Lovers is the final installment in the Absolute Novels series.
*This novel contains mature content.
Absolute Lovers is the second novel in the Absolute series written by SJ Hooks. This story picked up right where Absolute Beginners left off, with Julia and Stephen apart a horrible misunderstanding between the two of them. Stephen is literally, lovesick and is moping around while Julia is simply trying to hold on after the death of her grandfather.
This installment had all of the supporting characters as book one, but took a deeper look into the lives of both Stephen and Julia. However, their back stories did seem a bit shallow and could have used a little more depth. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but I wanted to know a little bit more about the how and why Stephen had his boudoir complex besides his one encounter with what’s her face. Also, I wanted to learn more about the how and why Julia was able to take off around Europe at such a young age. You also get a glimpse of how smart Julia really is as a student.
I digress. Overall, I liked this book and I really wanted more to happen, like I wanted to read more about these two love birds and the funky bunch of friends and family. Also, this book had some of the same banter I enjoyed in book one, Absolute Beginners and you could definitely see the evolution of these characters and their love for each other.
Therefore, I would give this book 4-stars and would recommend you jog and read Absolute Lovers, by SJ Hooks.
A complimentary copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Labels: Book Reviews, Erotica, Romance
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Where's the Best Place to be on National Cake Day?
Austria · About Dining
If it isn't on your calendar already, get out a red pen and mark November 26. That's National Cake Day, and although we don't need any excuses to enjoy the star of any birthday, wedding, or Tuesday afternoon, it got us thinking: where is the best travel destination for a day dedicated to celebrating cake?
Our conclusion: Austria, with not one, but two flagship cakes.
Linz is the home of Linzer Torte. Since it's said to be the world's oldest cake recipe, Austria could be considered the birthplace of cake. Every sponge, Christmas, devil's food, red velvet or spice cake we've ever enjoyed, owes its origins to the bakers of Linz. A recipe for Linzer Torte dated 1653 was discovered in an abbey. (And of course, the cake would have become an established tradition much sooner than that for its recipe to merit recording).
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: LEARNING TO BAKE LINZER TORTE IN LINZ, AUSTRIA
Linzer Torte has survived until today pretty much unchanged. It's a dense, not-too-sweet cake, rich in the luxury ingredients of early Europe: ground hazelnuts and almonds, eggs and lemon zest, with red currant jam filling and a pretty lattice pattern of dough on top.
It's become a Christmas holiday tradition not only in Austria, but also Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.
Luckily, original, authentic Linzer Torte is a year-round local delicacy for residents and visitors to Linz. Try Linzer Torte in its hometown - as we did - when we visited K und K Hofbackerei, an historic bakery/café. The two 'K's refer to 'King' and 'Queen' in German - and you know you're getting an authentic experience in a bakery with a history of royal patronage.
Sacher Torte
Capital city Vienna doubles down on Austria's famous cake sweepstakes. It has its own can't-miss confectionary, named after its most famous hotel.
Compared to Linzer Torte, Hotel Sacher's Sacher Torte is new on the world's dessert menu, dating 'only' from 1832. Chocolate had arrived on the European confectionary scene by then, and Sacher Torte is a dense chocolate cake with an apricot jam coating. The real magic may be the dark chocolate icing that's said to contain 3 different types of chocolates made expressly - and only - for Sacher Torte.
Even if you're not staying at the opulent Hotel Sacher in the heart of Vienna, it's the perfect place to rest and recharge with chocolate Sacher Torte. You'll be indulging in local flavors and local lifestyle: for hundreds of years, long before no-fat double lattes, the Austrian capital cultivated coffee house culture. It claims to be the 'coffee house capital of the world', so sitting back, enjoying a coffee and a piece of Sacher Torte may be one of the most authentically local things you can do while visiting Vienna.
There's even a Sacher Torte Day – December 6th, making it easy to span both celebratory cake dates on a single visit to Austria.
No matter what time of year, you have at least 2 reasons to make Austria your next sweet-tooth travel destination. Land trips, including active cycling and hiking tours, are a wonderful way to experience Austria in the warmer months, or explore Christmas markets and ski hills in the winter. Danube river cruises call in both Vienna and Linz, where you can make your way to K und K bakery or the Hotel Sacher for an afternoon treat, or pick up a boxed cake to take home to share.
Interested in Culinary and Wine Travel?
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Sport Schedule
Girls' Spring Softball - Varsity
Week of Sun 04/19/2020 to Sat 04/25/2020 Back
DATE/TIME EVENT
Mon 4/20/20 Washington Acad. at Mattanawcook Acad. @ Mattanawcook Acad.
Tue 4/21/20 Dexter H.S. at Central H.S. @ Central H.S.
Tue 4/21/20 Erskine Acad. at Morse H.S. @ Mcmann Field
Tue 4/21/20 Winslow H.S. at Nokomis Reg. H.S. @ Nokomis Reg. H.S.
Tue 4/21/20 MCI at Lawrence H.S. @ Lawrence H.S.
Tue 4/21/20 Skowhegan Area H.S. at Messalonskee H.S. @ Messalonskee H.S.
Wed 4/22/20 Cony at Gardiner Area H.S. @ Gardiner Area H.S.
Wed 4/22/20 Penobscot Valley H.S. at Lee Acad. @ Lee Acad.
Thu 4/23/20 Ellsworth H.S. at Bucksport H.S. @ Bucksport H.S.
Thu 4/23/20 Dexter H.S. at Foxcroft Acad. @ Foxcroft Acad.
*** Date Change Following Event ** Orig schedule was Mon 01/01 12:00 AM **
Fri 4/24/20 Winslow H.S. at MCI @ Manson Park
Fri 4/24/20 Penobscot Valley H.S. at DISHS @ Deer Isle-Stonington H.S.
Fri 4/24/20 Morse H.S. at Medomak Valley H.S. @ Medomak Valley H.S.
Fri 4/24/20 Bangor H.S. at Oxford Hills Comp. @ Gouin
Fri 4/24/20 Mt. Ararat H.S. at Skowhegan Area H.S. @ Skowhegan Area H.S.
Fri 4/24/20 Poland at Lake Region H.S. @ Lake Region H.S.
Sat 4/25/20 Sacopee Valley H.S. at MCHS @ Maranacook Comm.
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Dan Smith October 6, 2018
Dan Smith June 7, 2018
Review: Ikaruga (Switch)
Treasure’s classic polarity-shifting shmup, Ikaruga, may have started life on the Dreamcast, but it’s certainly no stranger to newer formats.…
Dan Smith May 25, 2018
Review: SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis Collection (PS4)
The Mega Drive was by far SEGA’s most successful console, and boy won’t they let us forget it. Since abandoning…
Dan Smith May 8, 2018
Review: Dragon’s Crown Pro (PS4)
Last gen re-releases are nothing new. In fact, there’s often an air of inevitability about them these days. Hence, we…
Following its release a little over a year ago, Warhammer 40K-based RTS, Dawn of War III, has (Grav) tanked spectacularly,…
Dan Smith April 9, 2018
Review: Endless Space 2 Untold Tales/Symphony of the Lost DLC
[tie_index]Intro[/tie_index] Endless Space 2, Amplitude’s Studios’ latest sci-fi 4X offering, officially released in May last year following a soft launch…
Dan Smith March 4, 2017
Review: Ghost Blade HD (PS4)
While the Saturn may be the undisputed king of shooters, shmups, bullet hell games or whatever you want to call…
Dan Smith July 25, 2016
Sonic Mania: What we know and why you should be excited
Sonic’s full 3D debut, Sonic Adventure, may be 17 years old now, but there’s certainly been plenty of traditional 2D Sonic…
Do you remember SEGA Lock-On?
It’s easy to forget now that back in SEGA‘s 16-bit halcyon days, they wielded considerable brand power, enjoying reach far…
Dan Smith June 20, 2016
Live and learn: A Sonic Adventure 2 retrospective
Sonic may turn 25 today, but this certainly isn’t the first milestone birthday that SEGA’s venerable blue mascot has celebrated. Fifteen years…
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HomeBlogIsrael’s Supreme Court Approves Disputed Sale of Jerusalem Church Land to Settlers
Israel’s Supreme Court Approves Disputed Sale of Jerusalem Church Land to Settlers
June 11, 2019 Blog, News
Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. (Photo: via Social Media)
Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal against the sale of church land in the Old City of Jerusalem to right-wing settler organization Ateret Cohanim.
Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein and Judges Yitzhak Amit and Yael Vilner yesterday ruled that the sale of the land – which took place in 2004 via international agents – was “legal”.
The Supreme Court approved the disputed sale of three key assets belonging to the Greek Church to Ateret Cohanim, ending a 14-year legal battlehttps://t.co/A268bc7STr
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) June 10, 2019
The court, therefore, passed the three sites to Ateret Cohanim, a right-wing settler organization which buys houses and land for illegal Jewish settlement.
The ruling will come as a blow to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, which has been embroiled in the affair since the secret sales were made some 15 years ago.
The court ruled that the sales had been perfectly legal and approved the transfer of the Old City buildings to Ateret Cohanim. https://t.co/t0SbUGYhLa
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) June 11, 2019
At the time the scandal rocked the church, with then-Greek Patriarch Irenaios denying knowledge of the sales; he subsequently backtracked on his position, accusing the church’s director of finance, Nicholas Papadimas, of authorizing the sales without the church’s authorization.
The sales have sparked anger among Palestinians, particularly given the fact that many of these properties are eventually handed over to organizations such as Ateret Cohanim.
Ateret Cohanim, a pro-settler Israeli organization, has asked Israeli courts to begin the evictions of nine… https://t.co/Re2lkO7YK1
— Team Palestina (@TeamPalestina) November 17, 2016
Ateret Cohanim has been at the forefront of attempts to forcibly evict Palestinians from their homes, notably in the Jerusalem neighborhoods Silwan – which lies just outside the Old City walls – and Sheikh Jarrah, encouraging illegal Israeli settlement in the Holy City.
Selling or attempting to sell land to Jewish-Israelis is considered a crime by the Palestinian authorities and is punishable by hard labor, imprisonment or death. However, no death penalties have been signed off by PA President Mahmoud Abbas since 2006.
(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)
east jerusalem
Jewish settlers
Palestinian Lands
Israel Forced Closure of 30 Fundraising Accounts Associated to BDS
Pompeo: US Will ‘Do’ Its Best to Stop Corbyn from Being Elected as Prime Minister
Israeli Forces Detain More than 20 Palestinians in West Bank
July 3, 2019 Blog, News
Israeli forces detained more 20 Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military. In a Wednesday statement, the army said the individuals had been arrested for “suspected […]
Three Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Occupied West Bank
March 20, 2019 Blog, News
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents on Tuesday night, Palestinian health ministry and emergency services said. Omar Abu Laila, 19, was suspected of carrying out a deadly stabbing-and-shooting attack in the occupied […]
Palestine PM Visits Khan al-Ahmar (VIDEOS)
October 19, 2018 Blog, News, Videos
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and a number of cabinet ministers visited the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar Thursday in solidarity. Khan al-Ahmar, in the Occupied West Bank, has been slated to be demolished […]
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HomeNewsUnity Govt to ‘Work out’ Issue of Gaza Employees
Unity Govt to ‘Work out’ Issue of Gaza Employees
December 31, 2014 News
The Palestinian unity government pledged Tuesday to “work out” the issue of government employees in Gaza.
Ihab Bseiso, the spokesman of the national consensus government, said in a news conference that the unity government would guarantee the positions of all employees who worked for Hamas government ministries before the formation of the West Bank-Gaza government.
The unity government will also offer open positions to Palestinian Authority government employees, Bseiso said.
He said the government had “several solutions” to the issue of government employees and salaries, without elaborating.
The Hamas movement responded in a statement by saying it disapproved of the national consensus government’s decisions regarding Gaza employees.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the decisions favored Fatah leadership at the expense of Palestinian reconciliation, without providing further details regarding the decisions.
Abu Zuhri called on the unity government to stop its “policy of discrimination” against Gaza employees.
Meanwhile, dozens of employees protested in front of the building where the unity government was holding a cabinet meeting in Gaza.
The head of Gaza’s public employees union, Muhammad Siyam, told Ma’an the protest was a message to Prime Minister Rami Hamdullah that the union would continue protest measures until all its demands were met.
Workers are demanding the unity government pay the backlogged salaries of Gaza civil servants and other government employees.
Tuesday marked only the second meeting of the unity government cabinet — it met for the first time on Oct. 9 ahead of a major donors’ conference for the territory.
Unity Govt ‘Failing Gaza’
Earlier, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh accused the unity government of failing to meet its commitment to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Speaking late on Monday shortly after the ministerial delegation from the West Bank arrived in Gaza, Haniyeh said the government had failed “to keep its commitments, by not carrying out reconstruction, nor unifying institutions under the Palestinian Authority, nor organizing elections.”
Haniyeh accused the government of acting selectively in a manner that was “harmful” to Gaza and said he was “not optimistic” that the current visit would manage to get things “back on track.”
“Unfortunately, the government has not managed to prove it is the government of the entire Palestinian people,” said Haniyeh.
His remarks, broadcast on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa television, were made several hours after eight ministers and more than 40 other government officials from Ramallah arrived to kickstart the reconstruction of Gaza, which has yet to begin.
Before the government’s formation in June, Hamas and Fatah led rival administrations in Gaza and the West Bank.
An April 23 agreement between Hamas and Fatah paved the way for the formation of a government of national unity for the first time in seven years, but Israel has strongly opposed the deal and severely targeted Hamas in the months that followed.
But critics have noted that the unity government has made few changes in Gaza.
A major point of tension is the fact that Hamas and Fatah have yet to agree on a solution to pay employees of the former Hamas-run government in the Strip who had gone without salaries for months before the unity deal.
The political division between Fatah and Hamas began in 2007, a year after Hamas won legislative elections across the Palestinian territories but was subjected to a boycott by Israel and Western countries that left the economy in a fragile state.
(Ma’an and agencies – www.maannews.net)
Hamas Leader Condemns Abbas UN Draft Resolution
Palestinian Statehood Bid Fails at UN Security Council as US, Australia Vote against
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Andre: revisited Jun 13 (Singapore)
41 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089855, Singapore
www.restaurantandre.com
Update: Andre was awarded 2 Michelin Stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide for Singapore in 2016.
Andre no longer requires any introduction. From being the upstart in the fine dining scene in Singapore a few years ago (dominated at that time by Les Amis, Iggy's and the celebrity restaurants in the casinos), Chef Andre Chiang now stands undisputed as Singapore's premier chef and is a celebrity in his own right. His eponymous restaurant has also steadily gained admirers at home and abroad, and currently sits at the lofty heights of number 38 of the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list and number 5 in the Asia list (for what it's worth, given my views on those particular lists).
Chef Andre's uncompromising stance towards the dining concept he champions makes the survival and thriving of his restaurant over the years even more admirable given the undoubted pressures he constantly faces from the still-rather-conservative dining public in Singapore to introduce a more diner-friendly a la carte menu. Dining at Andre is not merely a meal; it is a show, an experience. It is not one for people who want to dine in a rush, have a light meal of just a few courses, or have very specific preference to certain foods (though the kitchen can accommodate some requests to substitute certain foods). For that reason, a diner needs to be in the right frame of mind when dining at Andre. Such a mindset would require such diner to be open-minded and trusting of the kitchen to deliver meal which will not only provoke the palate but also the other senses such as those of sight, smell and touch.
This was our first meal here in 2013, and we were curious to see whether there was any material progress from the previous highly successful menus of 2011 and 2012 (see our earlier posts: Andre Sep 11, Andre Nov 11 and Andre Mar 12).
Throughout the evening, the service staff fussed over us with much attention and warmth, and the food came at a brisk pace and was well-timed to the extent that we were not given the chance to get bored. The very familiar amuse bouche was served first, with a few new additions this time. The crispy chicken skin, vanilla popcorn, tartare roll, potato and dehydrated mushroom were popular favourites, and the deep fried shrimp head and caramelized olives were new. We were also given a chocolate ball which burst in the mouth to release a cold liquid chlorophyll.
The first course was a mishmash of seafood (shrimp, salmon, scallop, clams) and other 'vegetables' (cucumber, onion, zucchini) to be eaten with a dill and parsley dip. It was edible but not terribly exciting and we had trouble trying to figure out the unifying theme of the dish.
Fortunately, before we got too critical because of the slightly underwhelming first course, the next dish was quite exquisite. The apple panna cotta on a bed of oyster tartare, surrounded by oyster foam and seaweed, and topped with caviar and fish roe, was a combination of the slightly sweet with plenty of umami flavours of the sea. The sweetness of the apple was essential to bring out the 'salty' accents of the various 'seafood'. Chef Andre has tried the combination of green apple with oyster and seaweed before but we never thought that it was much of a success until this version of the dish.
Served on a giant hot stone was an organic prawn of which head was deepfried till crispy and the body was almost raw (being only slightly seared), accompanied by some oyster foam, seaweed and crispy sea spaghetti (some kind of dried seaweed we suspected). We ate the spaghetti with our hands like a snack and it was quite addictive. It was a decent dish, and the contrast between two ends of the same prawn at the opposite extents of cooking was interesting.
The best dish of the evening was the pesto angel hair pasta with broccoli puree and fomage blanc, and cold-smoked dutch eel topped with bottaga. This was a pairing of the rather unique flavours of broccoli, cheese and distinctly cold-smoked eel, topped off with the excellent and addictive bottaga (which Chef Andre apparently sourced from his homeland Taiwan). This was truly superlative and would not be out of place on the menu of any of the top restaurants in the world. We just could not have enough of it.
The very pretty poached lobster with 'air' gnocchi (it was very light and almost foamy in texture), scallop puree and caviar tasted as good as it looked.
The Japanese needlefish with artichoke was a dish which surprised us with its complexity and flavour. The meat was stuffed with its own tartare then seared on the outside, to create different textures when bitten into. The artichoke and fish stock matched brilliantly as a light sauce as well.
Andre is very proud of its signature dish, the foie gras custard with a deglaze of black truffle, and rightfully so. It wouldn't be the same meal without it. This time it tasted more refined than before, as the foie gras flavour (which can be quite clawing if too rich) was more subtle than we remembered it.
The final main course was a wagyu beef fillet with mustard seeds and an excellent deglaze. The portion of the beef was rather small but in the grand scheme of the meal it was sufficient. This was quite expertly done.
The first of the pre-desserts was the dehydrated raspberry and honey ice cream. We loved this dessert served in a lacquer bowl; the crushed frozen and solidified raspberries were crunchy and the honey ice cream brought some sweetness to counteract the slight sourness of the berries. This somehow reminded us of eating a bowl of granola with honey and berries: the dehydrated raspberries had the texture of granola but with the flavour of the berry. This was a very clever dish.
Continuing the theme of refreshing and fruity pre-desserts, the cucumber ice cream and green apple julienne was light and indeed a good palate cleanser.
Another pre-dessert was a rather unique thick milk custard with a dollop of miso ice cream, a few edamame beans, a sprinkle of macha powder and a dried branch of wheat which was edible and tasted like popcorn. The combination of the milky with the umami flavours of the miso was rather unusual and quite memorable.
The seemly endless sequence of pre-desserts cumulated in the restaurant classic; the deconstructed 'snickers', an old favourite of ours.
The dinner did not end there just yet. In the best of the French fine-dining traditions, the sweets served at the end were themselves worthy of been deemed a dessert course in their own right. In order of the photographs below were: the strawberry pineapples (named as such because they had a slight acidity which made them taste like pineapple), the dark cherry madeleines, peanut butter popcorn and earl grey jelly sweets, the white chocolate-coated frozen sangria and finally the delightful licorice coffee marshmallow on a stick.
Final Thoughts: This was another 3 hours of gastronomic pleasure served up by the increasingly confident kitchen and serving staff. The range of creations has certainly broadened and aside from the staple favourites like the amuse bouche, the foie gras and the 'snickers' dessert, everything else was new to us. Though not yet (in our opinion) at the level as some of the best restaurants in the same genre in Europe and the US (although dishes like the pesto angel hair pasta hinted at the potential), we were very impressed by the entire dining experience and were well entertained throughout the evening by the innovative and thoughtful food as well as the attentive service.
Posted by Smiling Lion 0 comments
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/ Collections / Shop Exhibit / Billy White | Figures
September 2 through September 16, 2015
Organized by Celia Lesh
In Partnership with NIAD Art Center
One morning recently at NIAD, one of the artists arrived in tears. Billy, who rode the same bus with her to the art center that morning, spent the first part of the day making a clay sculpture of Mr. T, “to protect her,” he said. Once, while showing me a work in progress he told me, “This is the guy who will help you when you’re lost.” Sometimes, before Billy leaves the ceramics studio he arranges the damp clay figures into a circle, with one character in the center. Billy’s sculptures are often safeguards of a certain person or endowed with specific powers, existing like the small protective statues of Fatima, Bastet, or a patron saint.
Billy recurrently creates clay busts that begin as Vincent Van Gogh and morph into several different characters while retaining qualities of each previous personality – a hat, a mouth closed around a cigar, a mustache, a particularly muscular bicep. Vincent Van Gogh becomes Peter Sellers who becomes Redd Foxx who becomes Billy himself. Little Richard and Richard Pryor are married into a single body whose portrait is titled “Little Richard Pryor”. Sculptures of his father wear a hat that is WC Field’s, Yosemite Sam’s, and/or Jed Clampett’s. Identities are both specific and fluid, and exist in a sort of pantheon where the historic, celebrated, anonymous, and personal share a landscape.
Human bodies and facial expressions are sculpted and drawn through abbreviated and impulsive gestures that yield something honest and potent. Limbs are long and gesticulating or stretched beyond the length of the paper, noses are engorged or severely pointed, breasts and pecs protrude, and postures are exaggerated. Formal shifts in anatomy for the sake of narration share a relationship with the mutable identities of Billy’s characters, named and formed for specific uses in his lived experience. The tragicomedy of being in a human body is at the center of Billy’s works.
Arstanda “Billy” White was born in 1962 and has been making art at NIAD Art Center for twenty years. I’ve heard Billy say he makes art because he is lonely. I’ve heard Billy say he makes art to make the people happy.
-Celia Lesh
Richard Pryor, no date
glazed earthenware
10 inches X 10 inches X 3 inches
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Morticia Addams, no date
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Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, no date
5 1/2 inches X 6 1/2 inches X 4 inches
5 1/2 inches X 11 inches X 4 inches
6 1/2 inches X 4 inches X 3 inches
10 inches X 9 inches X 3 inches
Ceramics Instructor, no date
9 inches X 4 inches X 3 1/2 inches
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You are here: Home / feature story / Indie / Show Review / Abby Jeanne’s Sun is on the Rise!
Abby Jeanne’s Sun is on the Rise! Reviewed by Brooke Billick on January 7, 2019 .
Abby Jeanne Sets the Stage for a Breakout Career Written…
Abby Jeanne’s Sun is on the Rise!
By Brooke Billick 1 653
Tags: Abby Jeanne, Alternative, Daniel Holter, Hi-Fi Café, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 10 Top Milwaukee Concerts this Winter, Pabst Theater Group, Photographer: Brooke Billick, Reverbnation, Saebra & Carlyle, Singer songwriter, soloist, Turner Hall, Wire & Vice Production Collective, Writer: Brooke Billick
Abby Jeanne Sets the Stage for a Breakout Career
Written by Brooke Billick
The accolades have been pouring in for Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter Abby Jeanne, who has been identified as one of the premier in-demand new talents in the area.
Abby Jeanne released her newest album, Music Box Dancer, on January 4 of this year and performed an album release party to a standing room only crowd at Turner Hall in Milwaukee the next night on Saturday, January 5.
Abby’s album release has been anxiously awaited, with her album release concert dubbed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as one of the top 10 must-see winter concerts of 2019 (ranking above even Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, John Mellencamp and Elton John!).
And Abby did not disappoint anyone! Striding out on stage boldly and confidently following a musical introduction by her band members, she launched into the title track of her album. Like the subject of “Music Box Dancer,” Abby danced across the stage continually through the show interacting constantly with her fans.
Abby was born and raised in Milwaukee, perhaps getting much of her musical ‘education’ through a ‘haunted jukebox,’ visiting and working in an area café where she was exposed to a broad range of music. She has been writing songs since she was in her early teens, joining a friend in her late teens for a limited tour and EP release.
Abby Jeanne spent a year moving around the U.S. and living out of a van and performing with her guitar whenever she could. She followed that traveling through Europe for a year-and-a-half living a busker’s life, hopping trains and working in youth hostels. She played her music on the streets of cities throughout Europe, constantly moving and meeting and playing with other street performers. She also spent a month in India with her guitarist, where she wrote Cosmic Beings, which she described as the catalyst for “Music Box Dancer.”
Abby has largely been a solo artist during the early stages of her career. Over the past two years, however, she formed a band and met Milwaukee producer, Daniel Holter, who produced and mixed her album.
Abby Jeanne’s music and musical styles somewhat defy labeling. Music Box Dancer reflects the breadth of her background, with tracks ranging from rock and roll to reflective ballads to soul psychedelic. She describes her music as “rock n roll with a dreamer’s soul.” Her soul clearly shows through in her songs evoking love, heartache, passion and personal loss.
A comparison with Adele is inevitable when listening to “Music Box Dancer”, where she describes a dreamy dancer floating and drifting away. Abby’s ballad skills come out in “Die Easy” and “Muse in Vein”. The song “Cosmic Beings” reflects more of a rock and roll style while the horn-infused “Flimsey Fidelity” is a bit more bluesy. In all, the album highlights tight and personal reflections of her thoughts and emotions.
Regardless of labels, Abby has an amazing talent and voice that lifts one’s spirits and draws the listener into her music.
Abby’s Turner Hall show was the biggest headlining gig of her young career and set the stage for amazing things to come. Throughout the show, Abby was confident and poised, and showcased her marvelous, textured voice. At times, she looked around, soaking in the scene almost in wonder. If she had a case of nerves, the only hint came between songs when she asked the audience for a cigarette.
Abby Jeanne’s most personal song is the last to appear on Music Box Dancer. Abby wrote “Blood Kin” as an ode to her sister, who tragically took her own life several years ago. The song catches you off balance with a slightly discordant and astral tone, reflecting Abby’s belief, as recently stated in an interview, that her sister’s loss was not due to depression, but more about spirituality, leaving her body behind and expanding her soul into the universe. The song concludes with a beautiful piano solo that Abby describes as an out of body experience, starting expansively, narrowing to a thin, winsome tune, and then ending in a sumptuous finale.
Saturday night was the debut public performance of “Blood Kin”. She saved it to be the last song of her set at Turner Hall. The stage dimmed and, with only a viola accompaniment and Abby at the piano, she performed this touching song. The audience was hushed and clearly moved as Abby shared this most personal of moments.
Singer Saebra Laken and guitarist Carlyle Nowak, performing as Saebra & Carlyle, opened for Abby Jeanne. Backed up with a bassist and drummer, Saebra & Carlyle launched their enthusiastic set with Wild at Heart.
Playing together for only about a year, Saebra & Carlyle brought their self-described “Apocalyptic Western” style to the stage, combing all of genres the two founders have loved.
What’s Coming Up for Abby Jeanne?
Abby Jeanne’s next performance will be on January 7 at the Inaugural Gala for Wisconsin Governor-Elect Tony Evers.
With Music Box Dancer, she’s launched a new record label, Hi-Fi Records. Abby will also continue her nomadic musical life in 2019, planning a move with her band to Los Angeles for a few months to get West Coast exposure. Abby and band will return to Milwaukee to play the Midwest circuit. This will be followed up with a move to New York for East Coast experience and exposure.
As she says, Abby Jeanne is “trying to be everywhere at once.” Catch her if you can when she comes to your area!
See full gallery of the night!
Brooke Billick
Brooke Billick is based in Milwaukee. By night, he happily haunts crowded bars, taverns and music venues featuring live music while pursuing that perfect artist profile or facial expression. He has covered singer-songwriters, bands, and music festivals for several years, and feels energized by the passion and talent of the performing artist. Facing the prospect of retirement from full-time employment head on, Brooke looks forward to expanding his photographic opportunities and takes to heart Tom Petty’s advice – “if you don’t run, you rust.” You can find Brooke’s portfolios on Flickr and Facebook and follow him on Instagram @brookebillickphotography.
Three Guests, a duo that's a triple threat
January 7, 2019 Editorial
ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Coathangers preview The Devil You Know
January 8, 2019 CD Releases
Hill Country Blues in Milwaukee
“Violent Pornography” and a Crowd Surfing Jesus? It must be a Sugar show!
Surya Delivers a Crushing Blow With Latest Single “Crows”
LA La Land: An impromptu visit to the Whiskey with Mark & the Tiger (plus Pink’s hot dogs at 11:30pm)
Art Alexakis: Sun Songs Tour
What A Songwriter!
Jake HaldenVang Comes Home To The Underground
Stabbing Westward Not “Dead and Gone”
Michael Malarkey Wows With New Album Graveracer
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+447928111772 simonrbaxter@gmail.com
Ant-Man Poster Design
We needed a poster for the background of the Teccles Cake set. I found some great sources for quirky mash-ups of different films or retro style illustrations of new movies. Freddy, my director, asked if we could get a poster for a film that hadn’t been made yet. I loved the idea, giving another knowing nod to anyone in the audience thats observant enough to pick up the peculiar set piece. I decided we could make our own, basing it on a comic or sci-fi film that had been announced and wouldn’t see release until well after Teccles Cake would be published. I was a little disappointed that Interstellar would release so soon, being a Chris Nolan fan.
Instead I remembered about Ant-Man, which had seen a very rocky pre-production phase. Edgar Wright had stepped down as director after spending years trying to get the film off the ground. Edgar Wright, being the king of knowing cinematic pop-culture references, was definitely worthy of our tribute. So I stared piecing together my own film poster. The setting is a laboratory, which I modelled in SketchUp to help get perspective. A white lab coat on the desk chair rests with a name badge that should look familiar to Edgar Wright fans; The coat replaces an iconic white shirt and the name badge reads “Hank Pym” instead of “Shaun”. A Cornetto sits on the desk, referencing Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy” of British films (the eponymous ice-cream can be found in each of his instalments).
The composition is such that we are on Ant-Man’s tiny level on his laboratory desk, but still looking up at him (he is a hero after all). The lamp in the room channeling a suns presence to further reinforce a shift in scale, with a shadow that spills to draw the eye and suggest transformation. The colour scheme is simple block, primary colours to be eye catching and modern while referencing the comic book origin. I use the franchises released film logo and the most up-to-date casting information I have. It’s all I can do not to add “not an Edgar Wright Film” at the bottom.
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The Coop Scoop
Building a backyard coop not only adds a few cute chicks to your flock, but fresh eggs, too. Plus, gathering eggs from the back yard is about as local as food can get.
By Lucyann Boston
Photography by Becky Voboril
Why did the chicken cross the road? There are as many variations to that old riddle as there are trick or treaters on Halloween, who always seem to come up with a few new versions. But these days there are some new takes that even kids looking for a new joke to trade for candy haven’t dreamed up.
In the spring and summer of 2017 those egg-laying bundles of fluff and feathers are pecking the pavement as they travel to farmer’s markets, grade schools and neighborhoods throughout St. Louis, and maybe even your very own back yard to settle in comfortably as a part of the everyday lifestyle.
Chickens, and the eggs they lay, have been swooped up in the current desire to know where the food we eat comes from; they are one tiny piece of the farm that seems to work neatly into a suburban and even city lifestyle.
When it comes to bringing chickens into back yards and schools, Bill Ruppert of Kirkwood was a suburban pioneer.
In 1994, Bill purchased an historic Kirkwood home that between 1919 and the late 1970s had been the residence of Peter and Maud Patton, avid gardeners who had for many years — you guessed it — maintained a chicken coop on the property. A guru of all things green, Bill owns and manages the St. Louis office of National Nursery Products and he is a backbone of the local horticultural industry and related organizations. The rich soil that was a byproduct of the farm and chicken coop fit in perfectly with Bill’s plans for a series of gardens.
In addition to his love of gardening, Bill has a fondness for poultry. Among his cherished childhood memories were visits to his Aunt Magdalen and Uncle Bernard Mann’s farm in Pickneyville, IL, where he happily visited the chicken coop to collect fresh eggs and give the hens meals of kitchen scraps. When Bill and his wife Joan engaged an architect to renovate and expand their home in 2000 and 2001, they included in those plans a significant chicken palace with indoor and outdoor runs and even a lookout tower that since then has become known as the Coop de Rupe.
Bill and Joan’s flock normally numbers in the twenties and they are an integral part of their lifestyle, with the couple consuming the eggs as part of a low-carb diet and turning the wood shavings and manure from the chicken coop into garden compost after an appropriate decomposition period. Bill also works with Gateway Greening to bring chickens into school gardens. They are tied into the school’s outdoor learning and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs to teach children about caring for animals and how the chickens are involved in agriculture, he explains.
Seth and Maria Jansen of North St. Louis County got into backyard chickens for an entirely different reason. Maria is allergic to animal fur; dogs and cats were out as pets for their now five children. Birds, however, were fine. “We had some friends who had chickens and that idea fit in nicely with our interest in gardening,” Maria explains.
The couple went the “do-it-yourself” route to build a coop and purchase chickens and found it to be a lot more work than they had anticipated. Looking for advice on the Internet is difficult, Seth explains, as what is needed to raise happy healthy chickens depends upon climate. What works in other parts of the country does not necessarily translate to St. Louis.
Five years ago, they turned what they had learned into a business, The Easy Chicken, to provide livestock, coops and all the necessary accoutrements to folks wanting to have chickens cross the road and take up residence in their own back yard. They also lease chickens and coops to area residents on a monthly or seasonal basis. That way folks can get a taste of running a small chicken farm and determine if it is something they want to do on a year-round basis or if they would rather rent and enjoy the hens and eggs when they have time. The Easy Chicken is a regular at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market for anyone who would like to learn more about raising chickens at home.
Still a family-owned business, OK Hatchery Feed and Garden Store in downtown Kirkwood began as just what the name implies in 1927, and they can chronicle the last 90 years of poultry raising in suburban St. Louis. “We haven’t operated as a hatchery since 1940,” says Mark Krieger, one of the current owners. By 1990, the interest in chicken raising had dried up and they stopped handling anything involving poultry for 10 years. “Then, all of a sudden, the backyard chicken craze started,” he recalls. These days, they mostly deal in feed and supplies. “People do come in and sign up to order different breeds but the chickens we deal in are mostly pre-sold,” he says.
“It’s the whole slow-food trend,” Mark offers in suggesting what brought chickens into back yards. “People are raising chickens for the eggs; we seldom see any interest in meat breeds. They are surprised to find out what good pets they make. They seem to be more personable pets when people raise them from small chicks.”
Mareda Eckert of Kirkwood leased Ruby and Roxy (most people name their chickens) from The Easy Chicken for the summer of 2015. “Maybe it was a mid-life crisis,” she laughs. “I grew up outside a small town with chickens, ducks, sheep and so forth,” and liked the idea of having chickens, she explains.
The experiment proved highly successful. When she was outside, she let her chickens roam free in the garden. “They were so tame; if I left the patio door open they would go into my sunroom. When it was time to go back into the coop, Ruby and Roxy, lured by table scraps, happily trotted back into the enclosure.” Last summer issues with an elderly dog prevented Mareda from keeping chickens but she is now all in, having purchased chickens and permanent coop from The Easy Chicken.
Cathy and Charlie Duggan of Glendale rented chickens from The Easy Chicken a year and a half ago much to the embarrassment of their teenage children. But the whole family quickly fell in love with raising chickens and went on to purchase their chickens, adding a permanent coop and an enlarged chicken enclosure. “They have definite personalities,” Cathy says of their three-chicken flock. “It’s almost like having pets. They’re always looking for us to come outside and bring them a snack or come into their enclosure. Plus we love getting the eggs every day; that’s a bonus and they are great composters.”
The matriarch of the St. Louis backyard chicken world has to be Joy Stinger of Clayton, who has been raising chickens, using her garage as a coop, for 30 years. First attracted to the breeds that lay eggs in pastel colors, (“Wouldn’t it be wonderful not to have to dye Easter eggs,” she thought), she went to the City of Clayton to ask about ordinances. “It was told I could have any kind of farm animal as long as it wasn’t a disturbance to my neighbors,” she recalls.
These days, things have changed, as many municipalities now have ordinances specific to chickens. Joy now has a permit good for three years… and will apply for another permit when that one is up. “The chickens are very good garbage disposals,” she says, “and the eggs really do taste better. So many friends of mine who are also in their 80s are moving into villas. I am going to be doing this forever.”
The Easy Chicken, 314-852-2802
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Insiders' Jerusalem
About TJ
Presentations ˬ
Featured Maps ˬ
Publications ˬ
Jerusalem Atlas
العربية עברית English
17/07/2018 Back To List
Renewed Visits by MKs to the Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif
On July 3rd, Netanyahu announced his decision to lift the ban on the visit of Members of the Knesset (MKs) to the Temple Mount/Haram Al Sharif; henceforth, MKs are authorized to enter the site once every three months, on the condition that they coordinate with police in advance, refrain from making public statements during visits, and are not accompanied by members of the media.
This announcement ended a three-year prohibition which followed the 2015 wave of violence in Jerusalem, and was part of a package of stabilization steps taken in coordination with Jordanian officials.
Immediately following Netanyahu's announcement, Israeli Ministry of Agriculture Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) -- an outspoken supporter of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount, including calling for Jewish prayer at the site and rallying support for rebuilding the Jewish temple there -- was the first MK to visit the site, followed by Likud’s Sharren Haskel (who appeared on Capitol Hill in 2017, in an event sponsored by Sheldon Adelson, making the case for changing the Temple Mount status quo), and a day later by longtime Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick (Likud), along with Likud’s Amir Ohana (who was denounced for the visit by Temple Mount hardliners, because he is gay) and Bayit Yehudi’s Shuli Moalem-Rafaeli (who took part in a provocative publicity stunt on the Temple Mount in 2013 and who cosponsored legislation seeking to compel the government to allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount).
Temple Mount organizations -- whose raison d’etre is to force the government to change the status quo at the site -- announced that many more visits should be expected during the three weeks-long commemoration of the destruction of the Temple (Ti’sha B’Av), a period that every year is the occasion for provocative actions targeting the site.
Those welcoming this shift of policy very openly harbor ambitions that extending beyond merely resuming and normalizing such visits, toward the explicit goal of pressuring the Prime Minister to go further in changing the status quo at the site to permit Jewish prayer. Moreover, as we noted in previous analysis:
“...for many Temple activists the true goal is not simply to turn the Temple Mount into a shared Muslim-Jewish site (like the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron) but rather to restore the Temple Mount as a fully Jewish site, with the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque erased and replaced by the Third Temple. While not all Temple Mount activists are animated by such a goal, enough of them openly espouse it that Palestinian/Muslim suspicions in this regard are well-founded (and they have not forgotten that Jewish extremists came very close to carrying out a plot to bomb Muslim sites on the Temple Mount back in the 1980's). As a result, in the eyes of Palestinians, visits to the Temple Mount by Temple Mount activists are not unlike a visitor who has long sought to evict you from your home coming by for tea, while taking the opportunity to measure the windows for new curtains.”
Aside from the PA’s condemnation, Netanyahu’s decision sparked no significant diplomatic reaction, perhaps in part because so much of the world’s attention was (and is) focused on the imminent demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar.
Further recommended reading: Shlomi Eldar in Al-Monitor July 10: Israeli right dreams of third temple in Jerusalem
17/12/2019 Expansion of Nof Zion in the heart of Jabal Mukkaber
17/12/2019 Renewed effort to advance Atarot settlement
17/12/2019 The prospect of the approval of E-1 and the demolition of Khan al Ahmar has just become more serious
17/12/2019 Court decision suspending the sale of three church properties to the settlers
4/12/2019 The Baffling Siege of Issawiya
4/12/2019 Final approval of the Old City Aerial Cable Car plan
4/12/2019 B’selem report: A pick number of house demolitions in East Jerusalem in 2019
4/12/2019 Tensions in Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif: Cyclical, with a Difference
4/12/2019 The impact of Israel’s political crisis on potential developments in Jerusalem
13/9/2019 Q&A - ANNEXATION: WHAT HAPPENED AND DOES IT MATTER?
6/8/2019 The Inauguration of Silwan Tunnel: Background and Ramifications
9/7/2019 Is Netanyahu Displaying Restraint? The Cases of Khan al Ahmar, Givat Hamatos and E-1
9/7/2019 Systemic collective punishment and severe clashes in Issawiya
9/7/2019 The Wadi Hummus demolitions: unlike anything witnessed to date
9/7/2019 Clashes on Temple Mount/Haram El Sharif at the end of Ramadan/Jerusalem Day
9/7/2019 Final ruling validates the lease of three properties to settlers group at the Jaffa Gate
3/4/2019 Bab al Rahme - Tensions continue
3/4/2019 Joint statement of Pope Francis and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI
3/4/2019 Political pressure to demolish Khan Al Ahmar
3/4/2019 Demolitions in Shuafat
3/4/2019 The Jerusalem municipality and Elad jointly advance the expansion of Elad’s activities in Abu Tor
3/4/2019 Opening of trade offices in Jerusalem
28/2/2019 Jerusalem & the 2019 Israeli Elections Campaign
28/1/2019 Opening of the Segregated Road in Greater Jerusalem: A Major Step Towards de facto Annexation of Area C
28/1/2019 Accelerating the Pace for Construction of E-2
28/1/2019 Imminent Eviction in Sheikh Jarrah: The Sabbagh Family
28/1/2019 The Jerusalem Aerial Cable Car: Plan Deposited for Public Review
21/12/2018 Reflections on Jerusalem, One Year After Trump Policy Shift
21/12/2018 Australia & The Perils of Recognition in Jerusalem
21/12/2018 Moving Embassies - Is Brazil Next?
21/12/2018 Bullying the World to Accept "Undivided Jerusalem" Mantra
21/12/2018 A New Jerusalem Compound for Foreign Embassies?
26/11/2018 The 2018 Jerusalem Municipal Elections: Highlights & Lessons
26/11/2018 The Closure of the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem
26/11/2018 A Pattern of New & Troubling Developments
17/10/2018 Elections in Jerusalem 2018: The Palestinian Dimension
11/9/2018 A Final Ruling on Khan Al-Ahmar: implications and next steps
11/9/2018 US Cuts Off Funding for East Jerusalem Hospitals
11/9/2018 Jerusalem Mayor Threatens to Expel UNRWA
11/9/2018 The High Holidays: Keeping a close eye on the Temple Mount
21/8/2018 Tenders published for 603 new units in Ramat Shlomo
21/8/2018 Temple Mt/Haram al Sharif: Jewish Visits - & Tensions - Increase
21/8/2018 Israeli Govt Opens Jewish “Heritage Center” in the heart of Silwan
21/8/2018 Khan Al Ahmar Update: Recent Developments
21/8/2018 Municipality Announces New Deal for 20k units in Jerusalem
17/7/2018 Major New Plans Approved for Pisgat Ze'ev
17/7/2018 Khan al-Ahmar Demolition Postponed
17/7/2018 Renewed Visits by MKs to the Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif
17/7/2018 Continued Settler Efforts to Increase Construction in Silwan
20/6/2018 The Trump “Peace Plan” & Jerusalem
20/6/2018 The impact [so far] of the Transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem
20/6/2018 Updates: Khan al Ahmar, Temple Mt during Ramadan, Batan al Hawa/Silwan
3/5/2018 UNESCO’s Latest Jerusalem Resolution - Delayed & Dampened, by Consensus
29/4/2018 The Changing Status Quo on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif - Trends & Implications
29/4/2018 US Embassy Opening - Where Things Stand & Implications
23/3/2018 The Israeli Government’s Creation of a Settler Realm in and around Jerusalem’s Old City
21/2/2018 Why Is Jerusalem Municipality Targeting UN & Churches for Taxes?
21/2/2018 The Site for the New U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem: What You Need to Know (So Far)
21/2/2018 A New Neighborhood to Expand the Footprint of the settlement of Gilo
21/2/2018 New Checkpoint Cuts off Al-Walajeh from Lands & Spring
19/1/2018 Trump’s Jerusalem Decision & Its Aftermath
19/1/2018 New Law to Prevent Future Compromise on Jerusalem
19/1/2018 Pressure Mounts to Advance Greater Jerusalem bill
19/1/2018 New bill to Revoke Residency of Jerusalem Palestinians
19/1/2018 Another JNF-Linked Eviction Looms in Silwan
19/1/2018 Disney-fication proceeds: Jerusalem Cable Car and Footbridge
19/1/2018 New Jerusalem “Trump Train Station”?
19/1/2018 Demolitions in East Jerusalem
19/1/2018 More Jews Going to the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
14/12/2017 Trump's New Jerusalem Policy: Early Assessment
13/12/2017 Will Jerusalem Recognition Beget Sustained, Serious Violence? Too Soon to Say.
13/12/2017 Amendment to Jerusalem Basic Law Moves Forward
13/12/2017 Planned Demolitions in Kafr Aqab
13/12/2017 Historic Basin Cable Car Project Advances
13/12/2017 Another Jerusalem-Area Bedouin Community Under Threat
13/12/2017 Tightening the Noose Around Walajeh
30/10/2017 Bibi Blinks on Greater Jerusalem Bill; July 1 - Oct 30 EJ Settlements Chronology
3/10/2017 Imminent Threat: Green Light for Givat Hamatos
3/10/2017 Imminent Threat: Potential War Crime; de facto Annexation and New Settlement Construction (Ma’ale Adumim/E-1)
3/10/2017 Uptick is Settlement Displacements: Shamasneh Family Evicted
3/10/2017 Expansion of Nof Zion on the Agenda
10/8/2017 Netanyahu Unshackled: New and dangerous terms of engagement in Jerusalem
10/8/2017 The Latest Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif Crisis: A Provisional Post-Mortem
10/8/2017 Pending Jerusalem Legislative Initiatives: Strategic Shifts in Current Status & Potential Political Future of Jerusalem
10/8/2017 East Jerusalem Settlements -- APPROVED
21/7/2017 Major New Crisis on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
21/7/2017 New Life for Major Settlement Plan to Connect Adam (West Bank) to EJ's Neve Yaacov
21/7/2017 Proposed Amendment of Jerusalem Basic Law
21/7/2017 UNESCO’s Resolution on Hebron
5/7/2017 The Settlement Floodgates Have Been Opened
5/6/2017 Trump Signs Waiver, Postponing Embassy Move
5/6/2017 Trump Visit & Jerusalem Day: Before, During, & After
5/6/2017 Cabinet Approves Projects for Old City, Historic Basin, & East Jerusalem (Inside the Barrier)
5/6/2017 Jordan's Growing Discontent with Israeli Provocations Over the Temple Mount/al-Haram al-Sharif
5/6/2017 Danny Seidemann in Haaretz: Trump Exposed the Fantasy of Netanyahu's 'Undivided Jerusalem'
5/5/2017 URGENT/BREAKING NEWS: Imminent Tenders for Givat Hamatos
5/5/2017 Imminent Announcements: Atarot & Ramat Shlomo
5/5/2017 New Settler “Visitors’ Center” in Ras El Amud
5/5/2017 The New UNESCO Resolution & Jerusalem
28/3/2017 Working Toward a New US-Israel Understanding on Settlements
28/3/2017 Tensions Growing [again] Focused on Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
28/3/2017 Palestinian Residency Rights: Important Court Ruling
24/2/2017 Limiting Settlement Construction to the "Blocs" - Implications for Jerusalem
24/2/2017 To Move, or Not to Move (the Embassy), That is the Question
24/2/2017 Paving the way for annexation?
24/2/2017 Work Starting on Eastern Ring Road?
24/1/2017 East Jerusalem Settlement Activity & the Onset of the Trump Era: What to Watch
5/1/2017 Moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem: A Hard Look at the Arguments & Implications
14/12/2016 Update on Israeli Govt-Proposed Law to Muzzle Muslim Call to Prayer
14/12/2016 Rumors & Lobbying Around Possible US Embassy Relocation to Jerusalem
14/12/2016 Netanyahu Rejects Police Recommendations to Tweak Temple Mt Status Quo
14/12/2016 Batan al-Hawa - New B'tselem Report on Settler Activities
14/12/2016 Final Approval of Gilo Expansion - 770 New Units (Mordot Gilo South)
30/11/2016 Insights/analysis on UNESCO resolutions on the Old City & its Walls
30/11/2016 Re: Reported Demolitions at Jerusalem's Bab Al-Rahma Cemetery
30/11/2016 Plan to Connect Tel Aviv to the Western Wall
30/11/2016 2016 Jewish High Holidays: Record number of Jewish visitors on Temple Mount/Haram El Sharif
28/11/2016 The American Role: Interregnum & Post-January 20, 2016
28/11/2016 Ban on Mosque Morning Call to Prayer
28/11/2016 Turning Jeruasalem Palestinians into “Human Shields” Against Outpost Evacuations
28/11/2016 Announcement of Construction Plan in Mordot Gilo
28/11/2016 OCHA report: 180 Palestinian households at risks of eviction in East Jerusalem
28/11/2016 Approval of 500 units in Ramat Shlomo
28/11/2016 State Comptroller’s Report on Elad
30/9/2016 On the Eve of the New Year – A Different & Dangerous Jerusalem
15/8/2016 Government Actively Advancing E-2
15/8/2016 Back in the Headlines: Plans for 2500 Units South of Gilo
15/8/2016 Tisha B'Av Incitement Re: The Temple Mount
15/8/2016 Deepening the Occupation in East Jerusalem
5/8/2016 Settlement Announcements - July 2016
5/8/2016 The Uptick in East Jerusalem Demolitions
5/8/2016 Israeli Govt: "The Mt of Olives will be Reinforced as a Visitors' Site"
5/8/2016 Ma'ale Adumim Annexation bill
8/7/2016 Full Analysis of the Latest East Jerusalem Announcements/Approvals
28/6/2016 A new settlement enclave in Silwan – Batan al Hawa
28/6/2016 ?The end of quiet on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
28/6/2016 The Wrong Way to Divide Jerusalem
3/6/2016 Proposed Annexation of Maale Adumim
3/6/2016 East Jerusalem: Emerging Patterns
2/6/2016 Keeping a Close Eye on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
22/1/2016 Church Attacked (Again) in Jerusalem
22/1/2016 Herzog proposes De-Annexing Some Parts of East Jerusalem
30/12/2015 Revealed in Newly-Released Documents: Massive Planning Advancing for Settlements
29/12/2015 Understanding "Status Quo" on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
9/11/2015 What's Been Going On in Jerusalem? Danny Seidemann Analysis
9/11/2015 What's Going On? Senior IDF Officials Weigh In.
9/11/2015 Recent East Jerusalem Settlement Developments
9/11/2015 East Jerusalem Security Situation - by the numbers
9/11/2015 EJ Security Situation - Plans to Revoke Palestinians' Residency?
9/11/2015 EJ Security Situation - Security Measures on the Ground
9/11/2015 EJ Security Situation - Home Demolitions
22/9/2015 Jerusalem & the Temple Mount: A New Dangerous Escalation
13/8/2015 Imminent New Settlement Enclave in Silwan
13/8/2015 E. Jerusalem (partial) Settlement Freeze May Soon Defrost
13/8/2015 Troubling Developments on the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif
22/5/2015 What We Can Learn from Jerusalem Day 2015
22/5/2015 Latest Settlement Tenders in East Jerusalem - Ramat Shlomo & Givat Zeev
22/5/2015 ?E-1 Looming
22/5/2015 East Jerusalem Simmers
29/4/2015 New & Recycled East Jerusalem Settlement Tenders
29/4/2015 High Court Rules on Absentee Property Law in Jerusalem
29/4/2015 Good News: IDF Colleges NOT Moving to Mount of Olives; Holy Basin Cable Car Plan Stalled
29/4/2015 Approval (but only sort of) of New Palestinian Construction in East Jerusalem
29/4/2015 Some Palestinian Cars Allowed in East Jerusalem
29/4/2015 Palestinian Security Forces (not really) allowed in East Jerusalem
14/1/2015 East Jerusalem at the Beginning of 2015: Things to Watch
3/11/2014 Attempted Assassination Raises the Stakes at the Temple Mount
3/11/2014 Reasons Behind Escalating Temple Mount Crisis
3/11/2014 Bibi's New Settlement Initiative - Ramat Shlomo & Har Homa
3/11/2014 More Settler Takeovers in Another Part of Silwan
2/10/2014 Netanyahu Cannot Evade Responsibility for Givat Hamatos Approval & Silwan Takeovers
1/10/2014 Breaking & Urgent News: Givat Hamatos Approved
30/9/2014 Major Development: In Overnight Operation, Settlers Take Over Multiple Buildings in Silwan
18/9/2014 Specter of E-1 Raised by Plan to Relocate Bedouin
18/9/2014 Looming Crisis in East Jerusalem - Givat Hamatos
17/9/2014 East Jerusalem Clashes Continue
9/9/2014 East Jerusalem Aflame
4/9/2014 The Real Story about those new units "approved" for Palestinians in East Jerusalem
26/8/2014 Gilo Tenders Awarded, but (for now) EJ Settlement Freeze Continues
19/5/2014 Jerusalem Settlements - The (Proximate, Contributing) Cause of the Collapse
19/5/2014 Post-Collapse - De Facto Freeze in East Jerusalem, But the Lull Won’t Last
19/5/2014 Are We Sliding Toward Religious War? A Brief Survey of Key Jerusalem Developments/Trends
5/3/2014 Framework Language and Jerusalem: Gimmicks Are NOT the Answer
5/3/2014 New Israeli Yeshiva Approved...in Downtown Sheikh Jarrah
5/3/2014 Playing with Fire, Part 2: Elad Set to Gain Control of Area Adjacent to the Temple Mt/Haram al Sharif
5/3/2014 Playing with Fire, Part 1: Debating the Status Quo on the Temple Mount
3/3/2014 Demolition orders in E-1
9/1/2014 New Seidemann Op-Ed in the Guardian: The myth of an undivided Jerusalem is collapsing under its own weight
12/12/2013 Danny Seidemann Injured by Stone-Thrower - Condition Update & Comment
12/12/2013 East Jerusalem Settlements since the Resumption of Talks: the Facts & their Implications
12/12/2013 The [Apparent] Re-Emergence of the “Greater Jerusalem” Gimmick
12/12/2013 Post-Script: Those Planning Tenders for 24,000 New Settlement Units
27/8/2013 Ramat Shlomo Back in the Headlines
27/8/2013 Funding Approved for Settler-Run Projects in Silwan and Jebel Mukabber
27/8/2013 Three Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Qalandia RC
27/8/2013 ?Uptick in East Jerusalem Home Demolitions
19/8/2013 Pyromaniacs Target the Temple Mount
19/8/2013 Jerusalem Residency Concerns Resurface
19/8/2013 New Pro-Settlement Guidelines on Absentee Property Law
19/8/2013 A U.S. Court Rules on Jerusalem
16/8/2013 Timeline/details of Recent Jerusalem-Related Settlement Developments
16/8/2013 Bibi, Settlements & Peace Talks -- Analysis
13/6/2013 The A-Zayyem/Mount of Olives Interchange, Plan 14049
13/6/2013 Tenders Awarded for Ramot Expansion, Additional Tenders for Mordot Gilo
13/6/2013 Everything You Need to Know About Jerusalem & the Absentee Property Law
7/5/2013 The IDF Colleges on the Mt. of Olives Off the Agenda, Again
7/5/2013 Plans Published for Old City Cable Car
7/5/2013 Sharansky Plan Hits a Wall, no pun intended
7/5/2013 The Wall/Barrier vs. Cremisan & Beit Jala
5/5/2013 Spatial Shaping in J'lem Continues with Opening of Route 20
24/4/2013 Concerns about Proposed “Solution” to Women’s Prayer Issue at the Western Wall
22/4/2013 The Politics of Waste Treatment in East Jerusalem
15/4/2013 Fifty New Units in East Talpiot
14/1/2013 E-1/Bab ash-Shams: What Happened, What it Means, What Next
28/12/2012 Mordot Gilo South - APPROVED
19/12/2012 Givat Hamatos APPROVED - What it Means
17/12/2012 Breaking News - Approvals this week - Ramat Shlomo & Givat Hamatos
5/12/2012 The E-1 Crisis...This Is Not a Drill
6/11/2012 More than 1200 New Tenders Issued for Pisgat Ze'ev and Ramot
31/10/2012 New Construction Approved in Har Homa
30/10/2012 New East Jerusalem Settlement Construction Approved - East Talpiot units for Israeli Security Personnel
24/10/2012 Mordot Gilo Construction Approved
24/10/2012 Plans for IDF Colleges on Mt. of Olives Deposited for Public Review & Explanation of Location
24/10/2012 Taking the Garbage to East Jerusalem
24/10/2012 Is the Palestinian Population of East Jerusalem Becoming More Israeli -- No
24/10/2012 Pisgat Zeev in the News
18/10/2012 Crisis Brewing on the Temple Mount
17/9/2012 Jerusalem, Netanyahu and the two-state solution
16/9/2012 Issue to watch: East Jerusalem Home Demolitions
16/9/2012 Attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem – Sign of the “Hebronization” of the City
16/9/2012 Jerusalem in the Headlines: Ras al-Amud, Temple Mount, the Barrier, Elad, & Har Homa
15/9/2012 Jerusalem: Political Football in U.S. Presidential Race
14/9/2012 In Memorium: Our Friend, Chris Stevens
2/7/2012 New Tenders Published for East Jerusalem Settlement Construction
2/7/2012 Plans for New IDF War College on the Mt. of Olives Approved for Public Review
11/6/2012 Settlement Surge Continues on Jerusalem's Southern Flank
8/5/2012 Arab VIPs Start Coming to Jerusalem
7/5/2012 Givat Hamatos – Nearing the Point-of-No-Return
7/5/2012 IDF College on the Mt. of Olives – Moving Forward
7/5/2012 Kidmat Tzion – Municipal Approval Anticipated Soon
7/5/2012 Mughrabi Ramp – Some Good News
6/5/2012 Beit Hanina Settlement Effort Continues
10/4/2012 Late Winter Freeze in East Jerusalem turns to Spring Thaw
8/4/2012 Kidmat Tziyon Settlement Scheme to be Expedited
8/4/2012 New East Jerusalem “Park” Soon to get Final Approval
8/4/2012 New Settlement in Beit Hanina?
8/4/2012 Israeli High Court Rejects Shepherd’s Hotel Appeal
14/3/2012 Will Arab & Muslim Leaders Start Coming to Jerusalem?
14/3/2012 A Major East Jerusalem Settlement Plan Comes Back to Life
14/3/2012 Spotlight on Jewish Access to the Temple Mount
14/3/2012 Volatility in Silwan: Mini-Intifada Continues, Cave-Ins, and New Settler Plans
9/1/2012 The Ongoing Settlement Surge in East Jerusalem
9/1/2012 The Mughrabi Gate Saga - Update
10/12/2011 Barkat Tries to Force Mughrabi Ramp Demolition
9/12/2011 Approval of Mount Scopus "Park" Proceeds
13/10/2011 Approval for New Israeli Settlement at Givat Hamatos Proceeds
12/10/2011 New Pisgat Ze'ev Building Permits
28/9/2011 New Settlement Approval issued for Gilo - Plan 13261
11/8/2011 More Jerusalem Settlement Approvals: Ramat Shlomo, Pisgat Zeev, Givat Hamatos
10/8/2011 Yet Another Har Homa Plan Approved (No. 12825) - Public Buildings, 50 Units
5/8/2011 Har Homa C Plan 10310 (app. 983 units) Approved
9/7/2011 Jerusalem Municipal "Approval" of Mordot Gilo Plan
9/7/2011 Meretz Rejoins Municipal Coalition - Separate Portfolios for EJ Settlers and Palestinians
20/6/2011 The Ramat Shlomo House Extension Plans
10/6/2011 Committee for Acceleration of (EJ) Construction to Convene on June 14
24/5/2011 Netanyahu Approves East Jerusalem Construction Hours Before Obama Address
24/5/2011 Barkat Trying to Force Netanyahu's Hand on Mughrabi Ramp
12/5/2011 The Non-Existent Court Decision on Bustan Demolitions
10/5/2011 New East Jerusalem Settlements Update
9/5/2011 US Supreme Court to Hear Jerusalem Status Case
21/4/2011 Is There a De Facto Settlement Freeze in East Jerusalem? The Facts
18/4/2011 April Surge in East Jerusalem Construction Plans
18/4/2011 Mount Scopus Slopes Park Approved for Public Review
16/3/2011 Permit Issued for 14 Units at Ras el Amud Police Station
16/3/2011 Permit Issued for Mughrabi Ramp
17/10/2018 Jerusalem Elections 2018 - the Palestinian Dimension
29/7/2013 A Layman's Guide to Jerusalem House Demolitions
Daniel Seidemann
29/7/2013 A Laymen's Guide to the Planning Process in Jerusalem.pdf
Daniel Seidmann
20/3/2013 "Spatial Shaping", the Ross Agenda and a Partial Settlement Freeze
10/3/2013 Spatial Shaping - Unilaterally Determining Israel’s Base-Line Border
10/9/2012 NOREF Policy Brief August 2012 | By Daniel Seidemann
30/1/2012 East Jerusalem and the Imminent Demise of the Two-State Solution
7/11/2011 East Jerusalem Developments and Trends: 2006-2011
31/10/2011 The TJ Guide to the Planning and Construction Process in East Jerusalem - Oct. 2011
15/10/2011 Givat Hamatos/Mordot Gilo: New Settlement Schemes on Jerusalem's Southern Flank
12/8/2011 U.S. (non)-Recognition of Sovereignty in Jerusalem: A Consistent Policy, 1948 - 2011
Lara Friedman
1/8/2011 Hanging On By Our Fingernails
22/2/2011 Jerusalem Challenges the API
21/2/2011 East Jerusalem settlers and Israel's never-ending War of Independence
20/2/2011 The Two Jerusalems
D. Seidemann D.Rothem
19/2/2011 Jerusalem on the Brink
19/2/2011 A barely tolerated minority
17/2/2011 Redeeming Jerusalem by truth, not hollow slogans
16/2/2011 Jerusalem, settlements, and the "everybody knows" fallacy
Lara Friedman - Daniel Seidemann
15/2/2011 Blogposts
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Home Supreme Court Supreme Court blocks implementation of Census citizenship question
Supreme Court blocks implementation of Census citizenship question
By Bryan Renbaum
The U.S. Supreme Court (Photo courtesy of Architect of the Capitol)
WASHINGTON – In a 5-4 decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the implementation of a plan by the Trump administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer in voting with the majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch dissented from the majority opinion.
The high court rejected the administration’s argument for adding the question and sent the case back to lower courts for further review.
The decision comes just two weeks after the House Oversight and Reform Committee voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the addition of the question.
Prior to the vote, the Justice Department informed the committee that President Donald Trump had invoked executive privilege over the documents.
In March 2018, Ross told the committee the addition of the citizenship question to the Census would help to better enforce minority protections under the Voting Rights Act.
Ross said the question was added at the request of the Justice Department. However, the committee later received emails that reportedly showed that Ross had pushed for the addition of the question prior to the time he said DoJ had made the request.
In March 2019, Ross sought to clarify his earlier testimony, telling the committee he “never intentionally misled Congress or intentionally said anything incorrect under oath.”
Opponents of the citizenship question maintain it would discourage many Hispanics and undocumented residents from participating in the Census.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reacted to the decision at her weekly news conference on Thursday, calling it a “mixed review.”
Pelosi said regardless of whether the question is placed on the Census , it is crucial that “the American people come forward and be counted.”
Previous articleWarren stands out in first Dem debate, Trump: BORING!, four front-runners to look for tonight
Next articleEsper asks allies for help with Iran and now waits for an answer
House votes to hold Barr and Ross in contempt over Census dispute
Pelosi: House will vote next week on resolution to hold Barr and Ross in contempt
SCOTUS: 40-foot WWI commemoration cross located near D.C. can remain in place
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Day 191, Game 191 - Sniper Elite V2
When you think of Nintendo as a gaming company, you don't typically associate them with the shooter-genre type of video games. Platformers, casual gaming, amazing IPs? Sure, those are fit the bill when you're talking about the company responsible for Mario. Zelda and the cute little GameCube. But shooters? Nope, not even close to the top of the list as far as word association goes.
Let us not forget, though, dear readers, that Nintendo is single-handily responsible for beginning the shooter revolution. Might I remind you of a little game called Duck Hunt, the game where shooting was all you did? Where every kid had a light gun they could pretend was a real one, where sitting as close to the TV was optimal in order to get the best shot off, and while it wasn't technically defined as one, the FPS was established in the main stream video game universe.
We can't stop there, though. Remember the Super Scope, the peripheral for the SNES that essentially was used for more specific and non-common weapons in games, like the sniper rifle or bazooka? Man, that thing was awesome.
Anyway, the shooter genre has been ingrained into Nintendo's long, rich history since the beginning, subtly creating one of the most successful genres of games in the industry today, which some could argue is driving the industry as a whole. Just think about that next time you play the word association game and you pull "Nintendo" out of the hat of possible words.
With that, I played Sniper Elite V2 for the Wii U. While this game came out well over a year before the Wii U version, on all the other consoles, I wanted to try it out on the Wii U to pay homage to what the Nintendo company has done as far as Shooters are concerned. This game is a fun sniper game, but nothing breathtaking. The close-quarter combat is forgettable at best, but the game excels at the sniper aspect. I suppose it better considering the name of the game, right?
I have to admit, that I am an absolute sucker for snipers in games. If there is a sniper class to pick from, I will usually go that direction (remember Monday Night Combat? Sniper all the way, baby). I think its the intensity coupled with the ability to take my time and methodically pick off enemies as I see fit, from safe distances. And every shot a sniper takes has to be perfect, because missing is not an option. you have to be perfect, and that drive is all the motivation I need sometimes. This game gives me that feeling tenfold.
It's a fun, serviceable game, like I said, but nothing that will take me away from other games. Apparently there was a lot of grief because the Wii U version is a stripped down version of the game, lacking online multiplayer and DLC, but honestly, unless you played the game on other consoles already, why would you miss something you knew nothing about?
Best thing about this shooter is no dumb (yet totally awesome) peripheral is required to be the ultimate sniper. Also, no dogs to laugh at your mistakes. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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Tidbury Green Parish Council – Community Governance Review – Update
As previously reported Tidbury Green Parish Council wrote to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, on the 11th September 2019, requesting that they undertake a Community Governance Review to increase the number of Parish Councillors from five to six. The request was later increased to seven.
Tidbury Green Parish Council have always had five Councillors. However given the growth in homes and Parishioner’s and the increased demands that the Parish Council has observed, the Parish Council are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil their roles, with only five Councillors.
Referring to the Communities and local Government – The Government Boundary Commission Guidance on Local Community Governance Review it states that “The 1972 Act, as amended, specifies that each Parish Council must have at least five councillors and there is no maximum number.
Tidbury Green Parish Council has operated for many years with the minimum number of five Councillors, however this has become increasingly difficult with the Population increases observed in Tidbury Green over recent times.
More homes and increased Parishioners inevitably results in increased workloads for the Parish Council. With the new homes already developed in the area, we have already observed increases in workloads, in the form of additional queries, increased planning applications and greater communication commitments and this is likely to increase further as more homes are built and occupied.
Consequently the Parish Council needs to increase its numbers to allow the workload to be spread over a larger base and to ensure that councillors have the time to effectively respond to the issues and concerns of the community that they represent.
The Parish Council request for a Community Governance Review can be found here.
The request was submitted to the Solihull MBC Governance Committe on the 24th September 2019, who agreed to the request.
Solihull MBC carry out the Community Governance Review and the Council’s Governance Committee is responsible for the process and considering recommendations before any Community Governace order is made.
Solihull MBC drew up and published the Terms of reference, which can be viewed on their Council website – www.solihull.gov.uk/tidburygreencgr.
As part of the process Solihull MBC will wrote to all Tidbury Green Parishioners requesting your views, by the 10th November 2019.
Latest Update – Consultation
Solihull MBC has drawn up and published the Draft Proposal and is now consulting local residents on increasing the number of parish Councillors in Tidbury Green from five to seven. The consultation on the draft proposals will end on Friday 6 December 2019.
Further details, including How to make a representation, can be found on Solihull MBC’s website by clicking Here
28/11/2019 in Community Governance Review, News, Uncategorised
Tidbury Green Parish Council – Community Governance Review
Tidbury Green Parish Council wrote to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, on the 11th September 2019, requesting that they undertake a Community Governance Review to increase the number of Parish Councillors from five to six. The request was later increased to seven.
Solihull MBC have now drawn up and publisged the Terms of reference, which can be viewed on their Council website – www.solihull.gov.uk/tidburygreencgr.
As part of the process Solihull MBC will write to all Tidbury Green Parishioners requesting your views. As detailed in the letter, please provide them with your views by either –
Responding to their online form
Emailing them – electoralservices@solihull.gov.uk
Or writing to them at Resources Directorate, Electoral Services,Council House, Manor Square, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3QB
Please respond by Sunday 10th November 2019.
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The Toad Stool by Alan Wolk
Random notes from the convergence of the internet and TV
Sarah Palin and the Real Digital Revoltion
I’ve been working on a theory lately about why Sarah Palin is still so popular and how this relates to the way people view advertising. You see, I think that part of the equation with Palin, (and this is likely a subconscious thought) is that there’s a strong feeling on the part of most of her supporters that all the experts, all the smart guys, all the pundits and gurus and PhDs have messed up. That despite their stellar credentials, they’ve managed to do nothing more than lead us into the morass. So that a Disney-movie heroine can’t actually do any worse. And if her entire foreign policy experience is limited to the ability to see Russia from her house, that doesn’t really put her at a disadvantage compared to the guys with Harvard PhDs in Islamic Studies who still can’t seem to find Osama Bin Laden or figure out a way to keep the Muslim extremists at bay.
Now I realize why this is a flawed theory, but I suspect for a large number of Americans, it’s the math they do to get to “Palin is okay.” And it’s the same calculation they use when deciding to trust Mary Rose from Paducah, Kentucky and her review of a Mr. Coffee machine on Amazon over the brilliant and persuasive copy and clever imagery in the latest Mr. Coffee ad.*
You see, they’ve been lied to by clever and persuasive ads before. Fell for products that were supposed to make them slimmer and hipper and younger and happier, but didn’t. And so now they’re tired of ads. Sixty years of Bernbachian advertising has made it difficult to remember which product is "the hip one" this week. So the messages all start to blur. Every consumer product is for the young and hip, everything even remotely related to technology works faster and frees you up to… use even more technology. It’s all become one giant blur.
Now Mary Rose from Paducah may not know much about coffeemakers and her review, even if it’s favorable, would likely not pass muster with a coffeemaker expert of even the Mr. Coffee client. But at some level, we get the sense that she can’t mess up more than the experts already have. That maybe she’s hung up on the shape of the handle, which is something we’d never notice, but that’s no better or worse than the actual ad for the product which focuses on the new and improved taste of the coffee, which is something we’ve never noticed either. That, and the fact that Mary Rose's opinion on the handle feels like an opinion, whereas the "new and improved" bit feels like a lie.
Now I suspect this is all just a shakeout, and that soon enough people are going to want to find experts again, people to help them sort through all the information that’s out there that they don't have time to sort through themselves. Only this time they want the experts to have different credentials. And that for many people, being a self-possessed hockey mom is credential enough for a job they feel the so-called experts have proven to be incompetent at as well.
*I'm just using Mr. Coffee as an example here. I can't remember the last Mr. Coffee ad I've actually seen.
Labels: Politics, The Real Digital Revolution
Over The Top: How The Internet Is (Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television Industry
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Alan Wolk is a consultant and author of the best-selling TV industry primer Over The Top, How The Internet Is (Slowly But Surely) Changing The Television Industry.
This blog reflects his own thoughts and opinions about the worlds of marketing and technology.
He is available to speak about the television industry in general and the evolving role of the second screen, in particular, both at conferences and to anyone who'll listen.
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Postdoctoral position (Space Physics) at Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
January 8, 2020, from Caitriona Jackman
A Postdoctoral research position is available at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Section as part of a new Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)-funded Space Science team led by Dr. Caitriona Jackman.
The postdoctoral position will focus on the dynamics of Earth’s magnetosphere, specifically understanding the link between terrestrial radio emissions (including Auroral Kilometric Radiation) and the substorm cycle of dramatic energy release. The work will involve analysis of data sets from spacecraft including WIND, STEREO and Cassini, as well as indices which measure solar activity and substorm timings.
Applicants should possess (or soon expect to possess) a PhD in Space Physics or a closely related discipline. A track record of publication in areas such as: magnetospheric physics, radio science, space weather is desired, as is expertise in software programming and scientific data analysis. DIAS is an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from suitably qualified talented candidates of all genders and backgrounds.
The deadline for applications is Friday February 21st 2020 at 5pm GMT. Start date is flexible from July 2020 onwards, but no later than December 1st 2020. A contract for 2 years will be offered in the first instance, with opportunity for extension by 1 year thereafter.
For specifics about the position, contact Dr. Caitriona Jackman. cjackman@cp.dias.ie
https:/dias.ie/cjackman
https://www.dias.ie/cp-geophysics/astro/astro-research/
Interested candidates should apply online via https://www.dias.ie/positions/. The application should include: a curriculum vitae including a publication list, plus a statement of research interests and career goals. The application should also include the names of two people who can act as referees.
https://www.dias.ie/positions/
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Ben Stewart Vocals, Guitars | Albert Doan Guitars | Alex Quale Bass | Patrick Murphy Drums
St. Leonards – Slowly Slowly’s second album – is a vivid snapshot of the life of Slowly Slowly frontman Ben Stewart and those closest to him.
Lyrically dense yet restrained instrumentally to allow room for striking imagery and vibrant metaphors, Stewart veers between stream-of-consciousness accounts of futile existence in the city to rich narratives about love, life and the family cornerstone at St. Leonards beach.
Stewart’s love of language and storytelling stems from hours spent dissecting lyrics from the likes of Paul Dempsey, Tim Rogers, Connor Oberst and Kevin Devine. Balancing raw honesty with engaging hooks, there’s the child-like opener “Dinosaurs” and “Aliens” whose thought-purging social commentary sneers at the world through the glummest lens. Elsewhere he examines complicated family dynamics on “The Cold War”, the Tinder-riddled search for happiness on “10 Leaf Clover” and finally it all falling into place on the unapologetically happy ode of “Alchemy”. Throughout St. Leonards, Stewart captures the world around him in full colour.
St. Leonards was captured by the band themselves in their home of Melbourne. In true DIY spirit, St. Leonards was entirely co-produced, recorded and mixed by Alex Quale (bass) and Stewart.
Slowly Slowly have unlikely beginnings in a label machine factory in Outer Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Repurposing in the vacant front office with a makeshift home studio and ample space to skate between takes, it was here Stewart and Quayle spent countless hours laying the foundation of the band. Since then, they’ve upgraded the recording equipment, recruited two more members – Patrick Murphy (drums) and Albert Doan (guitar) – dropped their revered debut album, Chamomile and found a home on triple j.
Slowly Slowly’s heartfelt rock with a touch of emo proved to be versatile enough for the band to share stages with the likes of Citizen, Sorority Noise and Something For Kate alongside selling out their own headline shows. They’ve also appeared at Beyond the Valley and Party in the Paddock festivals.
Come May 2018, Slowly Slowly take the tales of St. Leonards across the country.
Slowly Slowly – Safety Switch
Creature Of Habit Pt. 2
Visit the USA store directly here
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Home > State News > Uttar Pradesh > No Namaaz On UP Roads: Uttar Pradesh Police
No Namaaz On UP Roads: Uttar Pradesh Police
Dainik Hawk | 14 Aug 2019 3:02 PM GMT
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police has decided to impose a blanket ban on offering of Friday "namaaz" on roads across the state.
"On special occasions, when large crowd gathers for offering prayers on festivals, it could be allowed by the district administration, but this practice will not be allowed as a routine during every Friday prayer," Director General of Police (DGP) O.P. Singh said.
Directions have been issued to all the district police chiefs and other authorities to ensure that no namaaz is offered by blocking roads.
The DGP said similar ban was initially imposed in Aligarh and Meerut, and now efforts were on to enforce it across the state. The Aligarh district administration had even issued a detailed circular banning namaaz on roads and it has been imposed successfully. Hindu outfits, in retaliation against the practice, had started reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' on roads in several districts on Tuesdays and Saturdays which was gradually paving the way for a confrontation between two communities.
The DGP said the district officials had been asked to hold meeting with clerics and mosque administrations to sensitize them on how namaaz on roads interrupted smooth traffic flow and caused other problems.
He further said that other religious communities would also not be allowed to hold religious gatherings on roads if it interrupted the traffic flow or caused inconvenience to others.
Meanwhile, well known Sunni cleric and member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said: "There are only a few mosques where Muslims have been offering prayers outside the premises. "Even in the past, we had appealed to Muslims to not offer namaaz by blocking the road as it causes inconvenience to other people. There were instances when people offered namaaz on the roof of the mosque. We have suggested people to go to other mosques."
Tags: Namaaz UP Road Police DGP AIMPLB
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Ice Man Cometh
I hate to keep harping on the weather….and the season…but, ‘tis the season to be slippery…and miserable…and cold, so we’ll all just have to deal.
The Hudson Valley had a good 5-7” of the “s” stuff, followed by about a half an inch of the hail/sleet variety, followed (evidently) by some rain. What resulted was a SKATING RINK, I tell ya.
We had a 2-hour school delay this morning…but even with that, it was a slippery slope. Given the fact that Connor’s (12) bookbag weighs almost as much as he, I was concerned over his ability to navigate the dangerous terrain my driveway had become. Enter big bro Taylor (17)…dragging said bookbag and assisting one little bro down said skating-rink-driveway in nothing more than a Nintendo t-shirt, flannel pj bottoms and a pair of black crocs. (Clinton would be SO PROUD.)
For it is Regents Week for the highschoolers and with the snow, everything is all screwed up.
So. Connor’s on a 2-hour delay…and Taylor has his Psych Regents today at 9:45…and they honestly don’t care whether the roads are a skating rink or not. “Gotta keep to the State Schedule! If they can manage it in Buffalo, we should be able to do it here! The hell with the busses…just let the parents drive ‘em in! Just Go, GO, GO!!!”
We had 30 minutes to de-ice the driveway before I needed to commute Taylor to the high school for said Psych test. I put Tay in charge of the sand and I handled the rock salt. We would fill up the buckets and skid our way into position to delicately pepper the drive with whatever our bucket contained. (Okay, so maybe Taylor grabbed handfuls of sand and flung it in big, messy clumps every which way…do you think I cared? I was just glad he was pitching in.)
Our buckets were literally sliding down the drive…that’s how slippery it was. You had to keep stopping it from getting away from you with your foot.
Alaska? Antarctica? Nope! New Yawk, bay-bee!
Here’s one of my windows last night:
It’s INSANITY, I tell ya!
Jackie: You dodged a major seasonal bullet.
As for the rest of us? We can look forward to a balmy 45 degrees on Sunday, if the weatherman is to be believed.
Now, where are my flippies?
That's insane, a photo says a 1,000 words!
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By Myself, by Greenfield
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"I Tried" song on Sesame Street
From sesamestreet.org
This is a short song that teaches kids to not give up on new things and to keep trying when things seem hard. This can be used to compliment the Common Core Test Exemplar poem "By Myself" because it also teaches children to have self esteem. (01:38)
Found by Rockefellerteacher in By Myself, by Greenfield
Sesame Street: Will.i.am Sings "What I Am"
Will.i.am sings "What I Am" as part of Sesame Street's 41st season. This song features a message of liking and believing in oneself. It compliments the Common Core test exemplar poem: "By Myself" by Eloise Greenfield. (01:52)
From WatchKnow, produced by WatchKnowLearn
This has been taken from Eloise Greenfield's poem "By Myself." The poem is part of the suggested reading material on the corestandards.org website for grades K-1. The video includes text, narration, and images.
Found by begamatt in By Myself, by Greenfield
Honey I Love Digital Poem
This is a digital poem by Diane Dillon that features poetry by Eloise greenfield. The poem recited is "Honey, I Love". (01:48)
Ages: unspecified
Ray Charles sings "Believe in Yourself"
This is a sweet song about believing in yourself. The lyrics encourage children to "do what you want to do" and "try what you want to try". This can be used to compliment the Common Core Test Exemplar poem "By Myself" (03:58).
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Concert panorama: Contemporary, Mozart, Mahler
The weekly format compels me to be very succinct in my reviews. Hence, panoramas. I will start selecting from a flood of concerts of contemporary music.
Martín Bauer has led for twenty years the San Martín cycle of contemporary music (from next season there will be another curatorial view, for Diego Fischerman replaces him) and since its inception a few years ago (during the García Caffi regime) also the smaller cycle Colón Contemporáneo, sometimes overlapping both. As this year Bauer couldn´t count with the Sala Casacuberta (ideal for the genre), due to the restoration works at the San Martín, he had recourse to different venues. However, I found this year´s programming quite weak, and am only sorry that I couldn´t hear the great German violinist Isabelle Faust (Usina).
Bauer has had a fixation with composer Morton Feldman and it´s no wonder that Colón Contemporáneo presented the première of "Coptic Light" as the main score of a concert that doubled as Nº 13 of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic´s thirteenth concert (tough material for its subscribers). The original announcement in March gave as conductor Emilio Pomarico and except for Feldman had a different programme: Busoni and Castiglioni. However, Wolfgang Wengenroth (debut) took over with an equally attractive proposal in the First Part: Ligeti´s well-known "Lontano" and the rarely played though fundamental scores by Anton Webern: Five Pieces Op.10 for chamber orchestra (extremely short) and Six Pieces Op.6, more expansive. Plus Webern´s fascinating orchestral arrangement of Bach´s Fuga (Ricercata) from "The Musical Offering" as "Klangfarbenmelodie" (Melody of colored sounds).
Feldman´s "Coptic Light" has one saving grace: it lasts 25 minutes instead of more than four hours like other pieces played here; but it is just as boring: the material is exposed in seemingly endless repetition and minimal variation. The whole programme had some accidents: this is hard music for the Phil, accustomed to other musical styles.
Much better was a finely programmed concert of the National Symphony at the Blue Whale conducted with accuracy by Fabián Panisello and featuring a virtuoso pianist, Dimitri Vassilakis, in Panisello´s "Movements", an interesting piece in four moods written with full comprehension of current trends. Preceded by Luciano Berio´s "Requies" (première, as Panisello) and followed by Lutoslawski´s great Third Symphony, we heard first-rate music created by two masters who are no longer with us but are still very relevant.
Ginastera and Stravinsky are no longer contemporary but in some of their scores are still amazingly modern. They were combined in a percussion-based evening at the Colón: the former´s "Cantata para América mágica" (1960) and Stravinsky´s "Les Noces" ("The Wedding", 1923). The Cantata is made up of six pieces with texts from the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas of strong dramatic power, and the dramatic soprano is accompanied by two pianos and ample percussion ensemble including autochthonous instruments. This is Ginastera at his best, expressionist, telluric and with advanced techniques (serialism, complex rhythms). Instrumentally this was a splendid performance, coordinated by Annunziata Tomaro and Ángel Frette, but mezzo Virginia Correa Dupuy isn´t the right voice: she is refined and intimate; you need here a big soprano voice of intense projection.
"Les Noces" is very important but rarely done; born as a choreographic cantata, it has been seen here both as ballet and in concert. Based on Russian folk poems dealing with the wedding ritual, it applies the rhythmic liberation of "The Rite of Spring" to singing of enormous complexity; relentless in its demands and rarely expansive, it was a demonstration of the great professionalism of Tomaro, the Coro Orfeón de Buenos Aires (Néstor Andrenacci, Pablo Piccinni), the four pianists, the percussionists; the soloists were uneven, only María Dolores Ibarra (soprano) quite satisfactory. It was sung in the Russian translation, and that is good.
I was glad that Patricia Pouchulu, after the unexpected interruption of a concert season at the Brick Hotel organised by her, could find the support of the Austrian and German Embassies to present a valuable Mozart concert at the Avenida. As leader of the Association La Bella Música, since 1999 she has offered with a galaxy of artists eight hundred concerts; in recent years after strict training she has started a conducting career. Funding isn´t easy nowadays and has limited some symphonic projects that require big orchestras, but a night of Mozart remains a treat when you have a solid hand-picked orchestra of 32 players and two outstanding soloists (first desks of the Colón Orchestra).
The loveliness of the Clarinet Concerto (K 622) and of the Oboe Concerto (alternative to flute) K.314 was in the very good hands and artistry of Carlos Céspedes and Rubén Albornoz; apart from minor accidents, the playing was beautiful and musical, abetted by the clean and stylish conducting of Pouchulu. She then tackled the crown of Mozart´s symphonies: Nº 41, "Jupiter". With scrupulous articulation and an attentive orchestra, the music flowed naturally, only lacking some intensity and rhythmic profile in the final movement, a masterpiece of counterpoint; but the battle was certainly won.
The marvelous Mahler Second Symphony ("Resurrection") was the major challenge taken up by Mario Benzecry and his Sinfónica Juvenil Nacional José de San Martín, plus the Asociación Coral Lagun Onak and the Coro de la Facultad de Derecho-UBA, both prepared by Miguel Ángel Pesce, plus soprano Jaquelina Livieri and mezzo Alejandra Malvino. Not helped by the resonant acoustics of the Facultad de Derecho, nevertheless Benzecry showed his deep knowledge and command and built the enormous structure with unerring hand. Both the choirs and soloists were first-rate, but the Orchestra had some problems: mistakes by the brass and rather mushy violin intonation; however, most of the playing was good and the climaxes were tremendous.
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Ballet at the Colón 2017: not enough innovation
Although the Colón Ballet had been promised more performances for 2017, this won´t happen. And the programming, rather unusually, will offer four full-length ballets, all of them revivals, though attractive. Last year I welcomed the long-overdue presentation of Delibes´ "Sylvia", beautiful music that hadn´t been heard for more than sixty years, this time with choreography (1952) of that great Covent Garden creator, Frederick Ashton; in this case the reprise is justified, to give audiences a new chance to meet this important ballet, and it will be with the debut of Isabella Boylston, from the American Ballet Theatre. As usual, the orchestra during the season will be the Buenos Aires Philharmonic; the conductor on this occasion, Emmanuel Siffert. April 7 to 12.
Then, "La fierecilla domada" ("The Taming of the Shrew"), the wonderful Cranko ballet on Shakespeare´s comedy first seen here by the Stuttgart Ballet and later danced admirably by Maximiliano Guerra, the current Director of the Ballet, who certainly chose it out of justified nostalgia. But decades have passed and it will be pleasant to see it again, with music by Kurt Heinz Stolze based on Domenico Scarlatti sonatas. Conductor, Darío Domínguez Xodo. June 25 to July 1.
In recent years we´ve seen plenty of "Nutcrackers" and "Swan Lakes", but not "Swan Lake", the longest and perhaps greatest of the Tchaikovsky ballets. The very capable Mario Galizzi has donated his revision of the Petipa original to the Colón. Guests will be our Marianela Núñez, star of London´s Royal Ballet, and Anna Ol, from Holland´s Het Ballet. Although I will never forget the presentation of the Royal Ballet at our Luna Park decades ago, I will look forward to this revival, which I hope will be complete. Conductor, Siffert. September 30 to October 6.
Finally, "Notre Dame de Paris", choreography by Roland Petit on Maurice Jarre´s music, based on the Victor Hugo novel. Although about 15 years ago I wasn´t impressed by Jarre´s music, I liked the inventive choreography and was sorry to know that Petit wasn´t paid; the conflict lasted until his death; apparently his succession has struck a deal with the Colón. Conductor, Javier Logioia Orbe. December 23 to 29.
So the year will pass without either new works or very necessary revivals of choreographers such as Massine or Gsovsky. And without a composite evening of various ballets.
Gershwin´s “Porgy and Bess” in uneven South African production
George Gershwin´s sole opera, "Porgy and Bess", is a memorable achievement. Last week the Herald printed an ample interview of Esteban Colombet with Stage Director Christine Crouse as a useful introduction to the last installment of the Colón season, but it refers basically to the parallels she sees between her transposition to Soweto around 1970 and the original setting in Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s. She admits incongruities and cuts, but stresses the sociological resemblance. She has a point, but I certainly prefer the libretto as it was written by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin.
In both cases, there´s only one way to cast it in the main roles: with black singers. And that´s the way it was seen in the two other productions at Buenos Aires: a Teatro Astral by Everyman Opera Company conducted by Alexander Smallens (who had led the Boston world première in 1935), August 1955; and the Colón by the Virginia Opera Company, April 1992.
George Gershwin was a first-generation American whose parents were Jews from Odessa, Ukraine. Hardly, one would think, the right genes for an opera on a black drama in the USA´s South. True, Gershwin had shown his affinity with jazz roots with such splendid works as "Rhapsody in blue", "Concerto in F" and "An American in Paris", but those were very much the work of a New Yorker. In the opera he penetrates the spirit of the Deep South with uncanny empathy and enormous inspiration: there are of course wonderful songs, like "Summertime", but even more admirable in this folk opera (so-called by the author) are the call and response Spirituals and the complex concerted numbers in general.
Charleston is a city of rich history: the largest Atlantic port south of Philadelphia in Colonial times; from Fort Sumter, in an island in front of it, came the spark that ignited the Civil War; and close to the sea still stands Cabbage Row, real name of the Catfish Row of the opera. Eartquakes and cyclones have ravaged it but the citizens always recover.
As depicted by Heyward, the inhabitants of Catfish Row are deeply religious (numerous mentions of the Promised Land) and a closely knit community. They are fishermen, stevedores, or cotton workers. Most are good sorts, but two characters will ruin the life of Porgy (a crippled beggar) and Bess, sensual and drug addict: Crown, powerful and murderous; and Sporting Life, a pedlar of "happy dust" (cocaine). But the people that live there, the chorus, are just as essential: this is an opera where the inhabitants sing and dance again and again, so you need choristers with swing.
There have been essential recordings of this opera: the Decca album with the highlights sung by the original cast (Smallens); the first "complete" one (with cuts) with excellent singers conducted by Lehman Engel (Columbia); and two admirable really complete recordings in CD with great conductors (Maael and Rattle) and casts. So there´s no lack of recordings that do justice to this astonishing music. By the way, there were two Deep South operas before: the charming folkish "Treemonisha" by Scott Joplin, the ragtime composer (1915), and Delius´ "Koanga" (1904, Florida plantation); both interesting but no match for "Porgy".
Now to the Capetown Opera´s presentation. Frankly, last year a horrid "Macbeth" (Verdi transported to the Congo) by a South African company had left a bitter taste in my mouth, but fortunately this "Porgy..." even with its faults has its commendable aspects. Two singers were really good: Xolela Sixaba (Porgy) and Goitsemang Lehobye (Serena); and the chorus was always vital. Lukhanyo Moyake was a slimy, slithering Sporting Life, as he should be, but was far too free in his famous debunking Bible song, "It ain´t necessarily so". Nonhlanhla Yende acted well as Bess but vocally she was uneven, with highs that often were strident. Mandisinde Mbuyazwe as Crown looked the part but his timbre was arid. Miranda Tini was a rotund Maria though with a broken voice. And both Jake (Owen Metsileng) and Robbins (Mthunzi Mbombela) were good. There was charm in the street vendors.
Both the choir from Capetown (Marvin Kernelle) and the Colón Orchestra (Tim Murray) were satisfactory. Christine Crouse handled the action with rhythm and dramatic sense, though with too much noise and some licences, such as the death of Crown. Michael Mitchell´s stage designs were functional rather than attractive, though Kittiwah Island looked too much like Catfish Row; and his costumes were generally adequate. Interesting lighting by Kobus Rossouw.
Two final remarks: I was relieved that this "Soweto" wasn´t very different from Charleston; and of the several cuts, one was grievous: Porgy´s "Buzzard Song". Warts and all, this "Porgy" tips on the positive side of the balance and after 24 years it was time for its revival.
The Handel Society celebrates its 25th anniversary with “Deborah”
The Handel Society has been led since its inception by Sergio Siminovich, and as they celebrate their 25th anniversary they must be feted, for they have given us all the oratorios written by George Frederick Handel. Most people know "Messiah", certainly the greatest, but there´s a lot to admire in many others, such as "Israel in Egypt", "Solomon" or "Samson".
The Society has never had a steady place to present these big works and sometimes the acoustics were wrong, or the available artists weren´t quite up to the requirements. And Siminovich´s temperament, certainly a true believer, tended to exaggerations in gestures and phrasings. But in recent years he has managed to find both a more serene approach and collaborators of greater accuracy.
In fact "Deborah" has only one recording in my CD catalogue and was quite new to me. In three parts and about two hours and a half, it tells the story found in Judges of Deborah and Jael who with the courage of male heroes defend their people against the Canaan army. The rather poor text of Samuel Humphreys belabor redundantly the same basic facts, but there are fine arias and choruses to compensate, and I was glad to hear them.
One basic factor was for the best: they had this time the fine acoustics of the Iglesia Metodista Central, for decades the home of the Bach Academy. The choir numbered 68 and balance would have been better with not so many women, but they sang well. The historicist Baroque Orchestra, 22-strong, was good. The most experienced soloists were British tenor Philip Salmon, the veteran American bass James Marshall and countertenor Pablo Travaglino. The young fresh voice of Marita Novau as Deborah and the expressive Flora Gril as Jael were complemented by the promising Julieta Giordano and Helena Zudaire as Israelite Women. Eduardo Cavallo and Ricardo Cohen completed the cast as High Priests of Baal and Israel.
Mahler´s Symphony of a Thousand gets powerful performance
What a gigantic change since my teenager years in the Fifties: then the Gustav Mahler vogue was just starting, propelled by the long-playing records. By the time the CDs arrived around 1985 the battle was won, with several integrals of the symphonies available, and our city had heard all of them. Nine plus the initial Adagio of the Tenth written from 1888 to 1910, all of them in a style completely his own and each building a sonorous world of astonishing innovation in the final stretches of the Post-Romantic period, just before tonality would be smashed by Schönberg, starting a new era.
Four of the symphonies add voices to the always big orchestra: Nos. 2, 3 and 4 require them in some movements, the Second having a stupendous Finale for soprano, mezzosoprano and an ample choir; but only the Eighth is completely vocal-symphonic and with the most vast array ever written up to that year (1907): eight soloists, two mixed choirs and a children´s one. I know of only one symphony that even exceeds it: Havergal Brian´s "Gothic Symphony" (1927), never done here and recorded at least once.
Mahler was a great conductor and his genius for orchestration comes from that absorbing profession; but he also knew everything about singing for he was the head of the Vienna Opera. The Eighth demands three sopranos, two contraltos, tenor, baritone and bass; everyone is sorely taxed by the composer but not beyond the frontier of possibility.
There are only two parts, each enormously complex: the first, "Veni Creator Spiritus", on a hymn by the Medieval priest Rabanus Maurus, is an exalted motet of extremely difficult counterpoint and lasts about 25 minutes. The second takes an hour and is based on the last scene of Part II of Goethe´s "Faust"; its content is clearly metaphysical, and it´s worth consigning the Latin appellations of the soloists, although they sing in German: the sopranos: Magna Peccatrix, Una Poenitentium, Mater Gloriosa; the contraltos, Mulier Samaritana and Maria Aegyptiaca; tenor, Doctor Marianus; baritone, Pater Ecstaticus; bass, Pater Profundus. The music goes from the first slow, pianissimo minutes, to ever greater expansion until the glorious final chorus.
Of course both the logistics and cost of putting on the Eighth are daunting. If I remember right, this was only the fourth time it was presented here: our great Mahlerian, Pedro Calderón, managed the prowess twice, decades ago; and Alejo Pérez, with the Argentino forces, dared the challenge both at La Plata and at our Luna Park. All three were meticulously prepared and much to the credit of the conductors. Now it was Enrique Arturo Diemecke, who has shown his mettle in Mahler both with the BA Philharmonic and the National Symphony, who was at the helm of the Colón Estable (Resident) Orchestra.
Franz-Paul Decker was twice frustrated for there was no way to conciliate the rehearsal hours of the Philharmonic and the Colón Chorus. The way out was used now: the Estable has no such problem. As to the second chorus, current political conditions allow the collaboration of the Coro Polifónico Nacional.
Diemecke again marvelled with his superlative memory and conducted by heart, always in command of even the toughest moments. The phrasing and tempi were mostly right and the inexactitudes few, and as he communicated his enthusiasm to all concerned, this was quite a success. I did feel that that the second choir was acoustically relegated but I see no solution for that; perhaps the upper floors heard it differently, as the sound rises.
The Coro Estable was prepared by Miguel Martínez; the Polifónico, by Darío Marchese; and the Children, by César Bustamante; all did their best. And the Orchestra was very good; concentrated, they responded with "esprit de corps" to the conductor.
The soloists were surely the best that can be assembled here. Both Jaquelina Livieri and Daniela Tabernig rose to the frequent high Cs of the hymn and gave expression to their music in the Goethe characters; the short appearance in a loge of Paula Almerares as Mater Gloriosa was purely sung. Both Guadalupe Barrientos and Alejandra Malvino were very accomplished in their contralto parts. Enrique Folger was strongly voiced though rather forced as Doctor Marianus; Alejandro Meerapfel sang nobly as Pater Ecstaticus; and Fernando Radó was splendid as Pater Profundus (he is having an important European career).
The Eighth was offered twice, as is logical considering the effort, and will stand as a high point of the season.
Vintage Italian string instruments admirably played
The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco has had during about two decades the luck of being directed by Jorge Cometti and having Leila Makarius in charge of musical activities. Together they are responsible for hundreds of worthwhile concerts both in the mother house (Suipacha half a block from Libertador) and in the Hernán Vigo Suárez at Hipólito Yrigoyen. To boot the Fernández Blanco has a lovely main hall of warm acoustics.
But two special projects stand out; one has been going on for many years: La Capilla del Sol, a vocal and instrumental group led by Ramiro Albino (collaborator of the Herald during a long time) specialized in Baroque Latinamerican music. The other, after exhaustive preparation, was born last year and should be a staple of our musical life: Fernández Blanco was a great collector of string instruments of the master Italian luthiers of the Eighteenth-Century and eventually it became the best collection of its kind in South America.
The Colón had it in loan from the Fifties to 2007, when the Museum recuperated it and started a curatorial team featuring Horacio Piñeiro (restoration) and Pablo Saraví (violinist and connoisseur of the great schools of North Italy, particularly that of Cremona: Stradivarius, Amati, Guarnerius). Last year two things happened: a room adjoining the main hall was dedicated to show the collection under the best possible conditions; and a cycle of four concerts was organized so that the audience could hear them played by outstanding artists. This season a similar series was given and I caught the last one: it proved a memorable evening of exquisite Mozart.
Both Cometti (giving a general survey) and Saraví (explaining each instrument) added greatly to the enjoyment: they were models of useful information. And we had the best local quartet, the Petrus, playing at their highest level, plus a guest of star quality: oboist Néstor Garrote, first desk of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. The Petrus is made up of Saraví and Hernán Briático, violins; Adrián Felizia, viola; and Gloria Pankáeva, cello. It would be churlish to make any distinction: all were inspired.
The Divertimento K. 137 is generally played by a string ensemble but the option for quartet was sanctioned by the composer. Then, Quartet Nº 16, K.458, "The hunt", one of the mature six dedicated to Franz Joseph Haydn, and they are a wonder of perfection: chamber music at its best. The sole Quartet for oboe and strings is so beautiful that one can only be sorry that Mozart didn´t write another.
The outstanding instrument was a Guarneri del Gesù, but the others were also specimens of wonderful tone, round and true: from Guadagnini, Storioni, Cappa, Grancino, Steffani, Mantegazza, and Piñeiro on a model by A. Guarneri (the cello).
The world of symphony orchestras now expands to China
Of course, it was only a matter of time before Chinese orchestras started arriving to our city, although they existed even during Mao tse Tung´s regime: I certify that Beijing had an orchestra in 1962 that played such Occidental authors like Sibelius, along with Chinese composers. But the ironically called Cultural Revolution wiped them out for a long period. However, the almost miraculous reversal engineered by Deng Hsiao Ping gradually opened the immense country; musically this is recounted in that indispensable film with Isaac Stern, "From Mao to Mozart". Orchestras re-formed and others were created; and in 1999 Hong Kong became part of China, including its notable Philharmonic that has left so many fine recordings (they would be welcome visitors to BA).
Changes take time, and it was only last year that a Shanghai Orchestra came here (a promised Beijing one didn´t materialize). And now we had the visit of the Qingdao Symphony. How many Argentines know something about this city? I didn´t, and I went to Google, for the programme gave me no information, except biographies of the interpreters and the listing of the players. They gave two concerts at the CCK¨s Blue Whale, the first combining China with the Occident, the second almost purely Chinese; I attended the first, missing two initial pieces due to a traffic jam (sounds familiar?).
It turns out that Qingdao is a big port in the Province of Shandong with a population of around 6 million; German colony from 1891 to 1904, twice invaded by Japan and recuperated in 1949; it now has five universities. The Orchestra was re-established in 2005; its current Director is Zhang Guoyong (Herald readers may recall my review of his debut concert with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic this year, praising him in a difficult programme of Zimmermann and Prokofiev). Eighty players came in this tour, all with purely Chinese surnames.
This people is gregarious and disciplined; on the evidence of this concert, the players have been carefully selected and are fully professional, and thoroughly trained by such a proficient conductor they gave first-rate performances of all the programmed pieces. As I wrote concerning other Chinese composers´ works played in BA (not many) I believe that the Occidental orchestra isn´t the right instrument for what remains a profoundly different culture. You do hear some pleasant pentatonic tunes but the orchestrations are showy and bombastic and the structures are haphazard.
The pieces I heard both concerned concubines as they are depicted in Beijing Opera, as far from the European conception of the genre as possible in voice and instrumentation: voices are supposed to be used with extreme nasality and artifice, and there are very few players. The long symphonic fantasy "Goodbye, my concubine", by Guan Xia, suddenly includes a song; and then we heard a symphonic arrangement of a melody from Beijing Opera´s "The inebriated concubine". Zhang Ying, attired in colorful traditional clothes, sang both, in a way that decidedly for Occidentals is an acquired taste (if you do acquire it).
But it is a matter of training: soprano Song Yuanming studied at Vienna and sang our opera and operetta with an agreeable voice of clean highs: the Waltz from Gounod´s "Roméo et Juliette" and the Csardas from Johann Strauss II´s "Die Fledermaus"; when she finished the First Part with a Chinese melody, "I love you, China", by Zheng Quiufeng and Qu Zong, she sang like an European.
The Second Part was occupied by the most famous cantata of the Twentieth Century, Carl Orff´s "Carmina Burana", with the Coro Polifónico Nacional led by Darío Marchese, soprano Song Wuanming, baritone Alejandro Meerapfel and countertenor Pehuén Díaz Bruno. The rhythmic vitality and melodic charm of this celebration of Medieval love and wine dressed in modern clothes has seldom sounded so full and precise. The Choir was in fine shape, potent, in tune and exact; the Orchestra responded brilliantly to Guoyong´s commanding baton; and the soloists were well chosen, from the firmness of Wuanming´s highest register to the intelligent interpretation of Meerapfel and the adequacy of the countertenor singing the strange predicament of the roasting goose.
How would this orchestra and conductor fare in, say, Beethoven and Brahms symphonies, is anyone´s guess, for all I heard from them was lavishly colorful; anyway, they certainly have the right technical tools. The style? Maybe.
Bach´s marvelous Mass in Argentine interpretation of high quality
Johann Sebastian Bach´s Mass in B minor is a marvel paradoxically born of earthly needs and made up mostly of remodelled earlier music of the composer. But it sounds absolutely unitary! Moreover, it is so long that it can´t be used liturgically. It stands with the two Passions as the greatest monuments of the German Baroque. Now two Argentine groups have given us a great night at the Auditorio de Belgrano. First, some necessary background.
There are four short protestant masses of his (only Kyrie and Gloria) quite beautiful but rarely done. The big Mass is the result of Bach´s tensions with his Leipzig employers and the desire to be named court composer to the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland; he wanted to be recognised by the Catholic court in Dresden, and therefore, write a mass that also included the Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei. Although in 1736 he was officially promoted to the appointment he seeked, "Hofkapellmeister", he remained at Leipzig! And the Mass was never played during his lifetime.
In 1733 he had already written the Kyrie and Gloria, both much longer than in the four masses mentioned above; they last almost an hour! And they use a five-voice choir and ample orchestration. But as he wrote the remaining parts in the last decade of his life, he got the appointment without having done the Catholic fragments...It would seem that he created the whole vast structure as a legacy of his mature genius in sacred music, much as happens with his Art of Fugue in that particular field.
Gradually this Mass was discovered and admired; probably Beethoven felt its challenge when he composed his monumental Missa Solemnis, arguably the other peak of the genre. Bach´s Mass has such immense variety in both the choral and the soloists´ music that the hearer is constantly surprised: consumate mastery and vivid inspiration never flag.
In the Twentieth Century the Baroque began to be understood only in the Thirties with artists such as Günther Ramin and Adolf Busch leading the way. After WWII and with the coming of LP recording, style began to change, shedding some of the Romantic distortions; but at first the phrasing was too square. Karl Richter gave impetus and intensity to his readings, and was almost worshipped in our city during the Sixties (Amigos de la Música). Then came the historicist movement in which we currently are: the use of Baroque instruments, faster speeds, impacting rhythms. Some were moderate, like Rilling; others too extreme, like Parrott; the main trend was imposed by such great artists as Harnoncourt, Leonhardt, Gardiner.
Here Mario Videla evolved from his Richter influence to that of Rilling, and he has done splendid work with his Bach Academy. Many times he had the collaboration of the Grupo de Canto Coral (GCC) led by Néstor Andrenacci. On the other hand, the Baroque violin virtuoso Manfred Krämer founded in his native Córdoba La Barroca del Suquía, certainly our best instrumental group for that period. And last year Andrenacci and Krämer joined forces for an admirable concert in which they gave us Bach´s six Motets.
Now they tackled an even bigger challenge, the great Mass, and have emerged from the test with flying colors. For this occasion La Barroca was 24-strong and incorporated great instrumentalists, such as Gabriel Pérsico (flute), Diego Nadra (oboe and oboe d´amore), the splendid trumpet solo player Cristian Muñoz from Chile, bassoonist Franco Bonino (Chile) and Emmanel Frankenberg from Holland in natural horn. As to the GCC, it added to its 23 singers four more and they all were fresh beautiful voices, honed to perfection by the talent of Andrenacci: disciplined, vivid music making by all players and choristers.
The soloists were uneven: the best were baritone Federico Finocchiaro, always steady and clean; Soledad de la Rosa as Second Soprano ( a mezzo register) showed her musicality and powerful lows. Cecilia Arroyo was correct though a bit white; countertenor Martín Oro started poorly but then found his form; tenor Agustín Novillo´s timbre is too unsettled for Bach.
We´ve had in recent years two visits by the wonderful Gächinger Kantorei (with Rilling and Rademann) plus Videla´s very honorable version closing the trajectory of Festivales Musicales. Audiences greeted them enthusiastically and so it was now: the battle for Bach´s Mass has long been won.
Mozarteum closes season with choral-symphonic Berlin artists
The Herald inaugurates today a new era of weekly Friday appearance and it will continue to cover the relevant news in classical music: opera, ballet and concerts. This first review concerns (paradoxically) the last concerts of the Mozarteum Argentino´s season. As it has done in some earlier years, it said goodbye with masterpieces of the choral-symphonic repertoire, in this case presented by two Berlin visitors: the Rundfunkchor (Radio Choir) and -curiously with an Italian appellation- the Orchestra L´Arte del Mondo.
It is a pity that this review only covers the first of the two different programmes, but as will be apparent to readers, this is due to the clash of the second (Tuesday) concert with no less than the Bach great Mass at another venue. On Monday the Colón heard Brahms´ "A German Requiem" ; on Tuesday the "pièce de résistance" was Mozart´s Requiem, and as it lasts one hour, it was heard preceded by a Brahms motet, "Warum ist das Licht gegeben" ("Why is light given") and a curious a cappella arrangement of Mahler´s Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony.
The Rundfunkchor was founded in 1925 and has had an important trajectory; its current Director (since last year) is Gijs Leenaars, born 1978 in Nijmegen, Holland, succeeding a famous choral specialist, Simon Halsey. L´Arte del Mondo is much younger; it was founded by Werner Ehrhardt in 2004. As they came in this tour, the choir lists 51 singers, among them the two soloists we heard, soprano Anne Bretschneider (a native Berliner) and baritone Artem Nesterenko (born 1989, Novosibirsk), whose surname is the same as that of a famous bass heard at the Colón in 1982. And the orchestra came with 53 players (among them Ehrhardt as violinist, he is generally conductor) plus two invited BA musicians (tuba, harp). Leenaars conducted.
Brahms´ very particular Requiem lasts about seventy minutes and discards the habitual text used by Mozart or Verdi, for it uses versicles from the Old and the New Testaments in the Luther translation; "German" simply because Brahms uses that language. Brahms was incited by both Robert Schumann and his wife Clara Wieck to write a requiem, though they didn´t imagine it would be so original. Also, its progress wasn´t linear; e.g., the second of its seven parts was the reelaboration of a movement from a two-piano sonata that was never finished; other five parts were written later, and the work had a first première in three parts in Vienna (1867) and in six in Bremen (1868); later he added the lovely part with soprano, and it was only in 1869 that the whole score was heard at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
It was soon recognised as a masterpiece and both in length and quality his most valuable contribution to the choral-symphonic repertoire. In 1869 he was 35 and had already written such major works as the First Piano Concerto and the First Sextet. In modern times there has been a plethora of marvelous recordings (Karajan, Klemperer, Sinopoli, et al) and the work has been done quite often in our city; sample: between 1955 and 1968 the Asociación Wagneriana, then a basic institution, presented it three times with its own choir and orchestra. Since that already remote time, it has lost none of its attraction. This year it was offered in BA at the Auditorio de Belgrano (conductor Domínguez) and at La Plata´s Argentino (Vieu).
It is a work that shows Brahms´ best qualities: sustained melodic inspiration, sensitivity to the meaning of the words (from the Psalms, epistles of Paul and Peter, Revelation, Isaiah, Matthew, St.James, Proverbs), total counterpoint mastery, an unerring sense of contrast. There´s not a banal or weak moment though it requires total concentration from artists and audience, for it is tryingly dense.
The music goes from consoling and serene to stark and granitic, and requires very firm intonation both orchestral and choral. The version we heard was honorable and at times more than that, but it had flaws at various points. I found the choir more even in their performance than the orchestra, who had some maladjustments and doubtful attacks. The speeds were correct but at times the necessary tension wasn´t achieved. The solo singers were musical and pleasant, though the parts can be sung with more personality. And Leenaars, although well-schooled, isn´t yet commanding enough for such powerful music.
Impressive Dallapiccola double-bill suffers from distortive production
Luigi Dallapiccola (1904-75) was the leader of the Italian musical avantgarde and had enormous influence on people like Nono and Berio. The Colón, wrongly, hasn´t seen fit not to offer us operas from the latter, but it has given us three of Dallapiccola: "Volo di notte" in 1959 and 1969, "Il prigioniero" in 1954 and 2000, and "Job" in 1964. Now we were presented with the double-bill of "Volo di notte" and "Il prigioniero" in three non-subscription performances. Excellent idea, although with more performances it should have been included in the subscription cycle, which only had seven titles.
"Volo di notte" is based on the Saint-Exupéry nouvelle "Vol de nuit", about the nocturnal flights of the pioneer Aéropostale based at an airport near our city; both he and Jean Mermoz were among the pilots that did those dangerous flights of the early 1930s, so the fiction is partly autobiographical. The libretto of this 1940 opera is by the composer and is centered on the opposition of Rivière, a man dedicated to his ideal of imposing nocturnal postal flights at a time when the post was essential in communications, and Madame Fabien, whose love for her husband pilot is paramount.
The pilot Pellerin comes from the Andes and tells of a great storm; Robineau, in charge of operations, is scolded by Rivière: no sentiments can be on the way of their task; and the Wireless operator tells us the messages, including the final anguished minutes of Fabien, who perishes when his plane is thrown by a cyclone into the Atlantic. And the choir reacts emotionally to events whilst Rivière remains adamant.
The music has twelve-tone elements but is expressive and strong; the orchestra is huge and alternates between chamber passages and others of tremendous tension and high decibels. I was much impressed by the dramatic projection and splendid voice of soprano Daniela Tabernig. Víctor Torres gave Rivière the adequate coldness but at times was swamped by the orchestra. Both tenor Carlos Ullán as Pellerin and bass Carlos Esquivel as Robineau did very well; Sergio Spina was too shouty as the Wireless operator but communicated the stress of the situation. Carolina Gómes showed fine timbre and line as the Internal Voice.
The Orchestra responded convincingly to Christian Baldini´s clear understanding of the complex music. The young Argentine conductor showed again his affinity with Twentieth Century idioms. And the choral work was powerful under the guidance of Miguel Martínez.
Initially the production seemed acceptable. The stage design of Luigi Scoglio is based on a three-storey tower at the right (the wireless in the third floor), a nondescript mass at the left, and joining both, a huge division between the chorus and the protagonists. Correct costumes by Ana Ramos Aguayo, inventive lighting by Bogumil Palewica and uncredited projections of planes and the sea.
But in the final minutes things start to fall apart in Michal Znaniecki´s production, for he absurdly mixes with the action the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, and during the interval the stage isn´t renovated. Fact is, there´s no relationship between "Volo di notte" and "Il prigioniero", a stark tale by Villiers de l´Isle-Adam, "The torture by hope", adapted by the composer. The prisoner is tortured by the Inquisition at the time of Philip II of Spain; he is given hope by the jailer, who turns out to be the Grand Inquisitor in the final minutes: the prisoner will be burned.
A completely uncalled-for choreography for dancers and acrobats by Diana Theocharidis runs counter to Dallapiccola´s own indications for the Mother´s monologue at the beginning: "a black curtain; only her white face, strongly lighted, becomes visible to the audience". The laterals remain as in "Volo di notte" but the center is occupied by a big cube that changes position in different scenes: in it is the jail.
After many other tergiversations, in the final minutes the Prisoner is supposed to embrace a cedar, for he believes he is free; from it emerge the arms of the Inquisitor; but not here, the Inquisitor is in the lateral tower with the same artifacts of the previous opera...
The intense music was admirably expressed and acted by baritone Leonardo Estévez and mezzo Adriana Mastrángelo, and tenor Fernando Chalabe was in fine form as Jailer/Inquisitor. Again Baldini was in full command and choir and orchestra responded in kind.
Diemecke and the Phil: strong and weak points in two concerts
Enrique Arturo Diemecke has been at the helm of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic for twelve years, a long period, and maybe it´s time to evaluate globally his good and bad points. For some people feel –and I agree- that it would be fruitful to change Principal Conductor.
On the plus side: fantastic memory; technical capacity; affinity with the Postromantic repertoire, particularly Mahler. On the minus side: a clownish personality aggravated each year by irritating and often mediocre and unnecessary comments; programming that isn´t inclusive enough ( some examples: almost no Schönberg-Berg-Webern; few good after WWII choices; neglect of composers such as Hindemith, Martinu or Milhaud; almost no relevant USA music, although he has worked there for decades); less subscription concerts than we should have (not 15 but at least 18); too much hogging: this year nine out of fifteen concerts are conducted by him; and too little presence of important colleagues, Argentine and foreign.
In this visual and light society, many like the showman aspects that trivialize concertgoing; but such recent visits as the mature Nagano and the young Bringuier demonstrate that you can be vital, perceptive and communicative without lowering standards of behavior. I believe we need another sort of Principal Conductor: one with Diemecke´s strong points but one that corrects the weak ones. There are a lot of fine conductors nowadays and a hunt should be on to find somebody that accepts the experience of working here.
Diemecke has led the Flint, Mich, Orchestra for 27 years; doesn´t anyone wonder why a man of such technical capacity hasn´t moved to a higher-rank USA orchestra? Or to a good European one? I do, and think that his personality is the problem. Let him come as guest, for he has quite a following, and his better concerts are quite enjoyable.
The tenth subscription concert was rather good, though it started with a crossover Mexican piece too often played here, the Danzón Nº 2 by Arturo Márquez, "danced" by Diemecke on the podium (he premièred it here fifteen years ago).
Then, an homage to Ginastera by one of his historic interpreters, the veteran pianist Luis Ascot: the Concerto Nº1, Op.28, a tough score of his Neo-expressionist period, premièred in 1961 both in Washington and BA by Joao Carlos Martins and conductor Howard Mitchell. Ascot has always been a Ginastera champion and has played this concerto often in his international career. Now there´s a sense of strain and intent concentration, but by and large his was a true voice, and was well supported by the conductor. Feted by the audience, he played two quiet encores: Liszt´s Consolation Nº3 and Ginastera´s "Canción al árbol del olvido" ("Song to the tree of oblivion").
The concert ended with a very good reading of Mussorgsky´s "Pictures from an exhibition" in Ravel´s unparalleled orchestration. Here Diemecke was at his best, giving its true character to every fragment of this extraordinary score, and there were brilliant solos (saxophone, trumpet) as well as powerful brass ensembles.
I wasn´t happy with the following concert, too short and strangely made up of two concerti and a famous Ravel piece, "La Valse". I love Poulenc´s Two-Piano Concerto, one of his best scores, particularly as they are played by the Labèque sisters; the artists brought over on this occasion are first-rate: Jean-Philippe Collard, a masterful French pianist whose white mane tells of a long career documented by splendid records, such as the two Ravel Concertos; and our Marcela Roggeri, who lives in Paris and visits us regularly. The concerto hardly lasts twenty minutes; in what was an exciting interpretation, I question some harshness from the orchestra and an excessively brusque rhythmic accent, almost machinistic at times, though played with stamina and clarity, apart from minor misadjustments. The charming encore was Poulenc´s waltz-musette "L´embarquement pour Cythère" ("The embarkation for Cytherea"), vaguely based on Watteau´s lovely painting.
I didn´t enjoy the South-American première of Pascal Dusapin´s Cello Concerto, of course well played by the Finnish specialist Anssi Karttunen, who was the first to execute 135 contemporary pieces! I found the music arid, though in some moments there are interesting sonic effects. There was an encore which I couldn´t place.
Finally, "La Valse" was played grossly, without the refinement that most of it needs; this was Diemecke in poor form.
Chopiniana presented promising Argentine and admirable Polish pianists
Chopiniana ended its season at the Palacio Paz with the impromptu presentation of the twenty-year-old Gastón Frydman (due to the illness of veteran Spanish pianist Guillermo González) and the Argentine debut of Szymon Nehring, a true revelation in an all-Chopin programme. Although the cancellation of González was a pity for he has a vast trajectory and would have premièred several recently discovered sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, it was worthwhile to meet Frydman´s art at a tender age, for he should have a good career.
At such short notice, the decisive factor was that he had a varied programme ready for any occasion that might appear. He is a product of the serious training provided by the Beethoven Conservatory and the Colón Institute of Art, among others. He has had some European experience and currently has formed a duo with the accomplished violinist Rafael Gíntoli.
His programme was eclectic and difficult. The Busoni arrangements of Bach aren´t trendy nowadays, but they are good of its kind, such as the one on the chorale prelude "Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" ("I call to you, Lord jesus Christ"); Frydman showed continuity and fine timbre in his interpretation. Beethoven followed, with the wonderful Sonata Nº5, Op.10 Nº1, in C minor, the first one that leads to his maturity. Frydman had some memory errors but understood the forward-looking elements of the style. He was completely in charge of Ginastera´s First Sonata, with its strong Bartókian influence; I only question that the "Presto misterioso" wasn´t, well, mysterious enough.
He proved comfortable in Liszt´s arduous music: expressive in the Petrarch Sonnet Nº 47 (not the most popular, but very beautiful), and up to the hurdles of the heavy "Vision", Transcendental Etude Nº 6. In the contrasting world of Debussy, he chose the last of each Book of Preludes: the humoristic "Minstrels" and the virtuosic "Fireworks", both well-managed. Finally, Chopin´s Scherzo Nº1, with its violent contrast between the opening lightning-fast music and the meditative central section well realized by the pianist, notwithstanding small smudges.
His encores were interesting: a charming Barcarolle by Anton Liadov (hardly ever played, his abundant piano music should be explored), and one of the splendid arrangements by Earl Wild (the great American pianist who fascinated our city decades ago) of Gershwin songs: "Embraceable you", done with much charm by our young pianist. Wild called them "virtuoso etudes", and so they are.
Nehring studied in Cracovia and Bydgoszcz, and won a Krystian Zimerman scholarship; also, he has gone through a gamut of competitions, with ever higher prizes. Although he keeps perfecting his studies, I find him not only fully formed, but in his twenties he must be one of the best Chopin interpreters in the world. As time went by, it became quite clear that he has an exquisite sense of style and powerful, practically flawless technical command.
I have some complaints but they aren´t about the music or the playing: almost half-an-hour delay, apparently because the Polish Ambassador and other people hadn´t arrived yet; a change of order in a programme that already was felt as short measure.; and the repetition of two scores that were already heard in the subscription series: the Fantasia and the first Ballad. But what was included satisfied even the severest judges.
I will comment the pieces in the order that they were really played (it was announced by Martha Noguera, the organizer of Chopiniana). The lovely Four Mazurkas Op.33 (curiously played in different order: 1,3,2,4, with the fourth having an internal cut because it´s long) were done with the particular empathy that only Poles can have with this rhythm. Followed the meditative Nocturne Op.37 Nº2, and the inimitable tracery of the Barcarolle, executed with astonishing observance of the tiniest detail.
The Second Part started with the complex Fantasia Op.49, in which the disparate elements were cunningly integrated by the pianist. Then, the Nocturne Op.32 Nº2, one of the less dreamy and more fluent. A scintillating traversal of the Waltz Op.34 Nº 1, specifically named "Brilliant". And the challenge of the First Ballad, one of the most important scores in Chopin´s life, an enormously varied "narration" that taxes even the greatest pianists, heard in an astonishingly mature reading.
The encore was a magisterial rendering of Etude op.25 Nº 11, great waves of sound perfectly controlled.
Puccini´s “Manon Lescaut” in BAL´s disconcerting production
Giacomo Puccini´s "Manon Lescaut" is his third opera, and after the weak "Edgar" his first success. It was premièred at Torino in February 1893, almost at the same time as Verdi´s "Falstaff" at Milan, and our city premièred it just four months afterwards. The famous novel by the Abbé Prévost is dated 1731 and there are two other operas inspired by it: the charming one by Auber (1856) and the very famous Massenet "Manon" (1884).
Although "Manon Lescaut" is a giant step forward in Puccini´s career, his style will only be fully formed with "La Bohème" (1896). A phrase by the composer is illuminating: "Massenet feels Manon like a Frenchman, powdered and with minuets. I will feel it like an Italian, with desperate passion".
Its progress was difficult, for it successively had four librettists, because the composer wasn´t satisfied: as Claudio Ratier tells us in his excellent programme notes, Giulio Ricordi (Puccini´s editor) hired two librettists: the playwright Marco Praga and the journalist Domenico Oliva. Leoncavallo, the future composer of "I Pagliacci", tried to fix the offending passages of both. But Puccini hadn´t finished composing, and for the fragments still to come the prestigious Luigi Illica was called.
The fact of not having an acceptable (to him) libretto forced Puccini to compose piecemeal and not in order, hence the music varies in quality. But even if the compounded libretto has its problems and is much weaker than Massenet´s, it does add in the Fourth Act a scene where the lovers are in a desert near New Orleans (never mind that there are no deserts there) and where she dies from exhaustion.
But the main roles are a gift for great singers: very demanding both vocally and dramatically; in fact, the tenor has no less than four arias and is even tougher than Calaf in "Turandot". I have been perusing the Colón presentations since 1911; truly great singers and conductors up to 1966 (Caballé-Tucker-Bartoletti).
Now comes this one from Buenos Aires Lírica. I am sorry that I can´t be happy with the results. It´s very hard to find a first-rate duet of protagonists, and neither Macarena Valenzuela (Chilean) nor Eric Herrero (Brazilian) were quite up to the requirements. She wasn´t in her best vocal condition and her high range was clearly uncomfortable in the first two acts; she bettered in the Third and was in fuller command in the crucial final aria, "Sola, perduta, abbandonata". And Herrero was taxed by the frequent top notes; he has them, but not with the timbric quality they need: the sounds came out raw.
The best voice was Ernesto Bauer´s as Lescaut, Manon´s brother, a heal and a gambler; he sang with clean open phrasing and a satiric turn the part needs. Geronte di Ravoir, his very name tells us, is the old rich man (no less than the Kingdom´s Treasurer) that is keeping Manon in the splendor of his Parisian palace; it was well impersonated by Norberto Marcos. Iván Maier, in unexpected harsh voice, was Edmondo, Des Grieux´s friend who aids him to elope with Manon; he also was a foppish Dancing Master and a Lamplighter singing a ditty. Baritone Enzo Romano sang well as Innkeeper, Sargent and Commandant, and Trinidad Goyeneche was correct as a Musician in a madrigal.
Veteran maestro Mario Perusso knows well his Puccini, but the reduced orchestra can´t give the richness of tone this composer needs (he probably used a retouched orchestration); the pit only holds 43 players. Nice work from the chamber choir under Juan Casasbellas.
But the staging by André Heller-Lopes was absurd from the beginning. Act I: a square at Amiens with a tavern on the side, and what do we see?: a splendid palace with huge columns and a rococo ceiling (quite handsome; stage designer Daniela Taiana). Of course, it´s perfect for the Second Act, with the addendum of an extremely Baroque bed. However, the same columns are at Le Havre and at the desert! Plus a mixture of costumes (Sofía Di Nunzio): women with hoop-skirts and men with modern ties. Tasteless marking of the singers with sexual innuendo, ridiculing publicly a powerful man as Geronte or manhandling women in Le Havre scene. And an ominipresent desk at extreme left, for we are supposed to see everything as the narration of an older Des Grieux...
For Buenos Aires Herald
The Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra´s stunning third Mozarteum visit
For decades the Mozarteum Argentino has been the main force in bringing us important orchestras from all over the world. Back in 1978 we had the first Argentine visit of the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, conducted by their Principal Conductor Gerd Albrecht. The presence of the Tonhalle confirmed its European prestige. Then, in 1988 they returned with Hiroshi Wakasugi, their PC at the time, with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder; another positive experience. The venue was then and now the Colón.
And this season they returned with their new PC, Lionel Bringuier, and the violinist Lisa Batiashvili. And the results were nothing short of stunning. The artists have youth in common: Bringuier is only 30, born in Nice, and was named PC at 28! And the violinist looks a similar age, though the biography gives no details about age; nor her place of birth, but her surname is Georgian. However it does inform about her career, and it is quite impressive, for she has played with the best orchestras and conductors of the world.
As to Bringuier, he studied at the Paris Conservatory, where he received the influence of conductor and composer Peter Eötvös, for long the leader of the famous Ensemble Intercontemporain; now Eötvös has been named Creative Chair of the Tonhalle during this season, and several works of his will be played, one of them in BA. The other essential influence came from his six years as Resident Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, first with Salonen and then with Dudamel.
About the Tonhalle: it started in 1862; after World War II it had eminent artists as PC: Vokmae Andreae ended his dilated tenure in 1949 and was succeeded by Rosbaud, Kempe, Dutoit, Albrecht, Eschenbach, Wakasugi, and before Bringuier, by David Zinman from 1995 to 2014. There´s a mistake in their hand programme biography: it isn´t the orchestra of the Zürich Opera, and it could hardly be: the Opera´s orchestra, called the Philharmonic, plays 250 performances a year!
The 2016-17 season of the Tonhalle Orchestra boasts such names as Haitink, P.Järvi, Nagano, Ch.Von Dohnányi, Dutoit, Blomstedt, Zinman , Eötvös and Runnicles. They play at their New Hall, 1600 capacity.
Their South American tour started at BA and continued at Montevideo, Sao Paulo and Rio, where the soloist was pianist Nelson Freire. Here they played two programmes, both having Batiashvili in Tchaikovsky´s Concerto. From the moment she started playing, there was no doubt that we were hearing an exceptional violinist: the timbre was as beautiful as she is, the phrasing was exact, the impulse and excitement were contagious, and when she had an ample melody she sang it as the best opera singer. She is also consistent, for on Tuesday she was as splendid as on Monday. And the Orchestra under Bringuier never lost pace nor technical perfection.
The encore was unusual and welcome: the Kreisler arrangement for violin and orchestra of the principal melody of Dvorák´s Second Movement from the New World Symphony, interpreted as meltingly as can be.
Two symphonies were heard: on Monday, Shostakovich ´s Sixth; on Tuesday, Mahler´s First. Before Shostakovich, a seven minute score by Ötvös with a particular title: "The gliding of the Eagle in the skies" (première). Written for the National Basque Orchestra in 2012, it features a big orchestra with much percussion, especially a "caja" (drum case), and flighty sounds from the flutes. I found the music evocative and interesting .
The Sixth was premièred just as World War II started, and as it ends with a sarcastic Presto it was rejected at the time, but it starts with a desolate Adagio in the best stark mood of the author, and it is an important score. Apart from being overfast in the second movement, Bringuier was impeccable, and the orchestra, a round hundred players, showed first-rate quality in all sections.
Mahler´s First was heard for the third time this year, but the music resists repetition as few others, for it is immensely creative and atractive throughout. Bringuier´s reading was quite satisfactory, and the playing had many moments of moving communication.
Encores: on Monday, a sprightly rendition of Rossini´s Overture for "L´Italiana in Algeri". On Tuesday, a surprise: Florian Walser, the Tonhalle´s clarinettist, composed a funny showpiece with no name on traditional Swiss tunes, featuring characteristic wether bells, played with gusto by his colleagues.
The Met opens season with controversial “Tristan and Isolde”
New York´s Metropolitan Opera is recognized as the most important in the world, and its satellite transmissions, with excellent sound and image, have been a major contribution to opera in many countries. Fortunately, the Fundación Beethoven took up the challenge and we have had many seasons at the Teatro El Nacional, generally with packed audiences, who know that many of the artists heard and seen don´t come to our city, for the Colón is far from being what it was.
However, there has been a downside more and more evident: the Met used to be a guarantee of productions where not only the music but also the libretto were respected. As one great European house after another fell under the evil trend of disregarding the very essence of opera as a genre that allows us to explore different epochs, supplanting it with incongruous and often insulting changes, it finally reached the Met, and its current Director Peter Gelb is responsible for that, as he is in the positive side of the worldwide transmissions. So now we have a Nazi "Manon Lescaut" or a "Rigoletto" in Las Vegas.
This year his choice for the opening was curious: generally the Met offers a grand production of operas that have a spectacular side, such as "Aida" or "Turandot", and of course with the most famous singers. Wagner´s "Tristan and Isolde" certainly isn´t that: an intimate story of love, vengeance and death between Medieval Celtic reigns, with few choir interventions and no massive scenes.
But apart from the distortion of taste and common sense, there´s another general problem: even if tickets are quite expensive, costs are very substantial; at the Met salaries of orchestra and choir are exaggerated and productions have gone sky high. So the Met complies with reality: this "Tristan" is a coproduction with Festival Hall Baden-Baden, Teatr Wielki-Polish National Opera and China National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing. So you can see the same stage conception in four cities; and the HD live process extends this to two thousand venues in 69 countries. Wonderful if the production is good, but deeply destructive if it is bad. And this one is.
The producer is Mariusz Trelinski, Director of the Teatr Wielki; stage design by Boris Kudlicka; lighting by Mark Heinz; projections design, Bartek Macias. Director of HD live: Gary Halvorson. And an inexplicable item, for there isn´t any: choreography, Tomasz Wygoda. In the cast I find two characters that don´t exist in Wagner: young (in fact, boy), Tristan; the other isn´t even seen: a Doctor.
Now let me stress the musical side, for it was very worthwhile. I didn´t know Sir Simon Rattle as a Wagnerian, and I was pleasantly surprised: his reading was intense, coherent and intelligent, and of course the Met Orchestra is first-rate, so we had the intercrossing of Leitmotiven admirably expressed. And the singers were of undoubted quality.
Nina Stemme probably is the best Isolde nowadays, of the Behrens rather than the Nilsson mold: a solid firm voice, but foremost a psychological insight that makes riveting every passage she sings. She recorded it with Plácido Domingo. Stuart Skelton, a new name for me, is tall and portly; his timbre is of the Windgassen rather than the Melchior tradition: it is clear, well projected and of ample register, though lacking in the volume and baritone richness of the ideal Tristan. He sings musically, with no nasality, and has the stamina to arrive fresh to the end of his part (the Third Act has terrible demands). And he is reasonably good as an actor.
Ekaterina Gubanova was an expressive and well-sung Brangäne, and Evgeny Nikitin a bluff and forthright Kurwenal. We know the exceptional King Marke of René Pape, for he made his Colón debut two years ago singing the Second Act in the concert version conducted by Barenboim.
The production: a) We were robbed of hearing the Preludes concentrated on the music, for a big periscope circle center stage showed confused images of mostly inextricable meaning. b) Costumes were modern and revolvers were used. No sense of Medieval values. c) Clumsy final minutes: you don´t see King Marke´s retinue nor the clash between Kurwenal and Melot, only lights with no people; and in what should be a sublime Isolde Love-death goodbye, she cuts her veins. And so on...
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Pope-Toledo #2 (1906 American Elimination Trial)
Although the car finished a respectable fourth, it was disqualified because it was illegally towed during lap 8.
Mechanician:
Finish Place:
Average Speed:
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The Engines of the 1906 American Elimination Trial Racers
In another VanderbiltCupRaces.com exclusive, below are never-before-published photos of the engines for several racers that were entered in the 1906 American Elimination Trial. The photos were formerly from the Don C. Boulton Collection.
The Family of Vanderbilt Cup Racer Herb Lytle Has a Reunion at the 2019 Indy 500
Herb Lytle was one of the great race driver of the early 1900s, participating in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races (6) than any other driver and the first Indy 500 Race (1911). Assisted by connections on VanderbiltCupRaces.com, several generations of Lytles celebrated Herb with a family reunion at this
Herb Lytle’s Great-Great-Grandson Takes a Ride in the Alco Black Beast
Last Sunday, Scott Lytle, the great-great-grandson of Vanderbilt Cup Racer Herb Lytle, and his lovely wife Marie visited me in Roslyn and took rides in the Alco Black Beast.
Mystery Foto #58 Solved: The White Steamer at Bulls Head Corner in Greenvale in 1905
This week's Mystery Foto featured the only steam-powered car to race in the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
Race Profile: The 1906 American Elimination Trial
As in 1905, an American Elimination Trial determined the five racers to represent the United States in the Vanderbilt Cup Race. Of 16 entries, 12 cars survived the practice runs to race on Saturday, September 22, 1906.
Pioneer Harriet Quimby’s Exciting Ride in a Racing Motor-Car in October 1906
Harriet Quimby (1875-1912) was noted for her daring courageous spirit , intelligence and beauty. She initially achieved fame as one of the first woman to work as a newspaper reporter and ,then, as a journalist and theater critic for a national magazine Leslie's Illustrated Weekly from 1902 to 1912.
Starting Lineup: The 1906 American Elimination Trial
As in 1905, an American Elimination Trial determined the five racers to represent the United States in the Vanderbilt Cup Race. Of 16 entries, 12 cars survived the practice runs to race on Saturday, September 22, 1906. Here are images and profiles of all 16 cars. (Remember to click on the photos to enlarge):
RACED IN...
1906 American Elimination Trial
Herb Lytle
Participated in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races (6) than any other driver
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Hear and See the 1906 Broadway Musical “The Vanderbilt Cup”
Continuing last week's of the 1906 Broadway musical The Vanderbilt Cup" starring Elsie Janis, I have discovered music from the show on an original piano roll and placed it on the soundtrack of this six-minute film.
A January 17, 1906 review from the New York Times described the show as follows:
FINE RACING EFFECT IN "THE VANDERBILT CUP"
Provides Broadway with Exciting Mechanical Novelty.
ELSIE JANIS A STAR.
Makes a Very Agreeable Impression in Her Transit from Vaudeville to Musical Comedy.
Elsie Janis, who can sing a song in a popular way,whose little toes are very nimble, and whose ambitions have finally led her from the vaudeville stage to musical comedy, made a satisfying transit at the Broadway Theatre last night, where she appeared for the first time in "The Vanderbilt Cup", a heterogeneous entertainment which needs no better description than that of Sidney Rosenfeld, who prepared it, and confessed before the curtain that his chief ingredients were a monkey-wrench and a can of gasoline.
elsie janis
broadway musical the vanderbilt cup
barney oldfield
From Robert R:
LOVE the music, Howard! But the question is: where did you find a player piano? Just terrific!
Robert, I purchased a bunch of piano rolls that included the music from “The Vanderbilt Cup”. There is a service that converts them to a CD if you allow them to be placed in a library and available on the Internet:
http://members.shaw.ca/paud122/batch24.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/smythe/archive.htm
Jul 06 2009 RichR 12:00 PM
Now, all you need to do is find the lyrics!
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Whitehouse Parents' Club
About WPC
Back to School Bash
Boys and Superheroes
WPC OFFICER NOMINATION AND ELECTIONS - 2015
Parents it’s that time of year! Time to vote for your upcoming Whitehouse Parents’ Club (WPC) officers: President, Vice President and Secretary for the 2015-2016 school year. All officers are elected annually by ballot in APRIL, except for Treasurer, which is elected every two years. Absentee Ballot Form will be available here on APRIL 13.
OUTLINE OF EVENTS
MARCH 23: WPC Meeting, OFFICER NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED
APRIL 13 - 27: ABSENTEE BALLOTS ACCEPTED_ (available to any member who is unable to attend the APRIL election meeting)
APRIL 27: OFFICER ELECTIONS
Voting Options
Website – www.whitehouseparentsclub.com (print ballot form - available here on April 13, place in an envelope, seal and cast in the ballot box located in school office)
School office (complete the printed ballot form available in the office on April 13, seal and cast in the ballot box)
Cast your vote at the April 27 WPC meeting
DETAILS: A list of nominees will be submitted to the nominating committee at the March meeting. The consent of each candidate must be obtained before his/her name is placed in nomination. No additional candidate names may be added to the printed ballot after the March meeting concludes. However, write in candidates will be accepted for any office position except Treasurer during the voting process provided that the write-in takes place on an official ballot and the write-in candidate consents to take the position in the event of a win.
All election voting must take place on a paper ballot. Officer election forms available at WPC website and at the school office. All officers will be installed at the end of the April meeting and begin their term of office immediately.
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Frontpage - 2015 WM - Prague, Ostrava - Czech Republic
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They grow up so fast
WJC stars who could play Worlds in May
Published 01.01.2015 13:13 GMT-5 | Author Lucas Aykroyd
Possible players for the next step in international hockey in 2015: Jack Eichel, Kevin Fiala, William Nylander, Martin Reway. Photos: Andre Ringuette, Richard Wolowicz / HHOF-IIHF Images
It takes a special player to make the leap from playing the World Juniors to competing at the senior IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in the same year.
Looking at this year’s rosters in Montreal and Toronto, we’ve identified four players who are certainly special and could suit up with the big boys in the Czech Republic. The tournament runs 1-17 May hin Prague and Ostrava.
Players with potential NHL, AHL, or Canadian Hockey League commitments are harder to predict, and that’s why we’ve excluded them from this list. Denmark’s Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (Portland Winterhawks, WHL), for instance, would both be strong candidates if available.
And in another year, emerging Czech stars like Jakub Vrana (Linkoping, SHL) or David Pastrnak (Providence Bruins) might get more consideration. But with the spotlight on Prague, it’s likely that the top Czech NHLers will turn out in force.
Jack Eichel – United States
USA Hockey traditionally likes to test some of its top-tier NCAA talent at the Worlds – think of how current Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau excelled in Minsk last year with 10 points in eight games. So Eichel, the 18-year-old American World Junior captain, is a prime candidate.
The gifted centre is off to a solid start at these World Juniors, and has racked up 27 points in just 16 games with Boston University. Showcasing his skills in the Czech Republic could also boost his case to be taken #1 overall in the NHL draft instead of Canada’s Connor McDavid.
Kevin Fiala – Switzerland
Fiala falls into the “been there, done that” category. Last year, the 2014 first-round pick of the Nashville Predators (11th overall) played in Minsk, earning two assists in seven games. That made him one of just three players in hockey history who have participated in IIHF U18, U20 and senior World Championships in the same season.
Enjoying another good season with HV71 of the SHL (5-9-14 in 20 games), the speedy 18-year-old winger will likely get the call to suit up in May again, since Switzerland can always use more offensive creativity.
William Nylander – Sweden
With Sweden’s depth, this is far from a sure thing. But it’s not out of the question. Nylander, shining in his World Junior debut, is a point-per-game player in the SHL, going 8-11-19 in 19 games with MODO Ornskoldsvik this season.
If the 2014 first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs (8th overall) does get chosen by Tre Kronor head coach Par Marts, he’d be ahead of his father in one regard. Michael, who scored 679 points in 920 NHL games and has suited up for AIK Stockholm in the Allsvenskan this season, didn’t appear at the Worlds until he’d starred at two World Juniors.
Martin Reway – Slovakia
The Slovak captain, a three-time World Junior participant, feels a solemn sense of responsibility for his national team. When he scored a hat trick in a 5-2 win over Germany, giving Slovakia third place in Group A, he said: “The guys are looking to me. I feel they have big respect for me, and I’m trying to be a good leader for them.”
Interestingly, the 19-year-old winger was born in Prague, and he’s making a strong pro debut with Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga this year (5-16-21 in 23 games). Although the Slovak senior national team will start off the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship closer to the two countries’ border in Ostrava, you can be sure Reway would love to get to his hometown and help his country medal there on 17th May.
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DEN - Denmark
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(Part #1 - the 1970s)
0 - 4th July 2018
Misty is firmly rooted in blacksploitation movies. She greatly resembles actress Pam Grier in 1973 action movie Coffy , which would soon be quasi-remade as
Colleen Wing
0 - 3rd July 2018
Context Colleen Wing appeared in 1974 as one of the supporting characters of Iron Fist. She and her BFF Misty Knight grew from there to become a great duo of action detectives and adventurers. Both characters are rooted in 1970s blaxploitation and cheap kung fu cinema. Now that I think of it,...
(Profile #1 - Classic)
0 - 29th June 2018
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Real Name: Jean-Paul Beaubier (formerly Jean-Paul Martin). Note: Using English phonemes, his name is more or less pronounced Jaw Pohl Bow Byeah. Marital Status: Confirmed bachelor. Known Relatives:...
0 - 22nd June 2018
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Powers & Abilities Aurora’s original power is that she can fly at supersonic speeds (reportedly up to Mach 10 in Earth’s atmosphere) through a simple effort of will. It is theorised that in a vacuum...
(Laslo Pevely)
Context The Terror is a relatively obscure Golden Age , who appeared in 1941-42. He was in Mystic Comics by Timely Publication, the predecessor of Marvel Comics. The Terror made a comeback in The Sensational She-Hulk in 1990, but it didn’t quite fit in… anything. So this...
(Part #5) (The 1980s)
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Real Name: Carol Susan Jane Danvers. Marital Status: Single. Known Relatives: Joseph (father), Marie (mother), Steven J. (brother, deceased), Joseph Jr. (brother), Benny (uncle). Group Affiliation:...
Tessa the Magekiller
Which itself is meant to be read after our primer to Thedas (the Dragon Age setting), which explains all sorts of useful things in a compact manner. There has S P O I L E R S therein for Dragon Age: Inquisition and Dragon Age: Magekiller. Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle ||...
(Carol Danvers) (Ms. Marvel "Year One" - the late 1970s)
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); About *this* profile This here profile starts with Ms. Marvel vol. 1 #1 (January, 1977) and ends when she switches to the black costume with a yellow lightning bolt (in #20 – October, 1978). Thus it covers two...
(Carol Danvers) (During the 1970s, part 2 - appendix)
If you came here totally at random, the chronological series starts there – Carol Danvers (before Ms. Marvel, part 1). If you are terribly confused about all these women with “Marvel” in their codename, you can check our Ms. Marvel disambiguation page. As explained in the first...
Captain Maggie Sawyer
(Part 1 - the 1980s)
0 - 5th June 2018
Beyond being a major supporting character created by a big name (John Byrne ), she’s one of the earliest lesbian characters at DC Comics. However, during the 1980s it couldn’t be plainly stated. So a fabulous flurry of fancy footwork was used to convey this personal...
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L$15K Monthly Salary a ‘Mockery of Judges’
A war of words ensured yesterday between judges and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when a judge assigned to Criminal Court ‘B’, Judge Gevon Smith, described their L$15,000 monthly salary as a “mockery of judges.”That utterance did not go down well with Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, who subsequently responded as saying, “judges need to be grateful with their current remuneration.”The L$15,000 is equivalent to US$147 at the current exchange rate of US$1 to L$102.Besides the L$15,000, judges receive US$5,000 each as allowance plus unspecified number of scratch cards, gasoline, medical and housing benefits.Judge Smith publicly expressed his colleagues’ concerns when he delivered his charge at the opening ceremony of Criminal Courts, A, B, C, D and E, at the Temple of Justice yesterday.“It is unequivocally stated in our code of ethics and judicial cannon that a judge must not engage in any commercial activities; his likelihood should depend strictly on entitlement as a judge,” Smith told his audience, including the Chief Justice.“So, a judge who serves in such a position for over 15 years, when attained retirement age must receive 50 percent of his present L$15,000 monthly salary, which is L$7,500. This is a ridiculous situation against the judges,” Judge Smith noted before the huge crowd of fellow judges, lawyers and prospective jurors at yesterday’s ceremony.“We expressed gratitude for considerable adjustment made in the allowances for judges, but when it comes specifically to the issue of retirement, the situation is laughable,” Smith told the gathering.He reminded Chief Justice Korkpor that, “as we strive to attract more qualified human capital to the judiciary, it is proper to give attention to the issue of judges’ retirement.”Smith, who compared judges’ retirement benefits to that of employees of other branches of government, particularly the legislature, said retirement benefits of former legislators, who after one legislative term were ousted by their constituencies due to poor performance, were receiving four times of what the judges were entitled to. He added that legislators are not barred from engaging in commercial activities.“This is pure marginalization against the judges,” he added.However, Justice Korkpor told the judges that they need to be grateful for the level of remuneration they were receiving.“I know how things were like, I know the inner workings of the judiciary, and I know how much they were making, but they need to acknowledge where we have come from, and they need to be grateful for where we are going,” Korkpor said.“I am not going to disclose the amount now, but they were receiving less money when we took over. They should encourage so that we could do more for them.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) read more
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BaiShanLin gold mining, other operations unaffected
BaiShanLin gold mining, other operations unaffectedBaiShanLin International Forest Developers Inc and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) are preparing to have a high-level meeting this week with a view to determining exactly how the tax agency came up with a $1.5 billion figure it claims it is now owed.According to reliable sources, the company is also disputing the GRA’s claim that it has in fact breached the Investment Agreement with the GRA and is adamant that the seizure of its logging equipment was unlawful.The company’s executives have indicated that the meeting is expected to field lawyers between the two entities.Opposition Leader Bharrat JagdeoSome of the materials that the GRA seized from BaiShanLin over the weekendThe Revenue Authority over the weekend swooped down on BaiShanLin’s Coomacka Linden operation where it seized a number of logging equipment, but according to the company’s officials, none of its other operations have been targeted by the GRA, including its gold mining, transportation and real estate ventures.BaiShanLin – under controversial circumstances had also acquired a 20-kilometre river gold mining concession, in addition to a five kilometers construction area for a Guyana-China Timber Industry Economic and Trading Cooperation Park and acres of land for real estate development.BK International had also under questionable circumstances sold a 100-acre plot of land to BaiShanLin in Providence, East Bank Demerara, for the construction of the massive real estate project – a project that is currently at a standstill.The logging company reportedly offered US$9 million for the 100-acres plot but still owes a substantial amount.During the GuyExpo 2014 trade fair at the Sophia Exhibition Center, BaiShanLin had announced the gated community called “New Life” with a huge display. Prices for homes were from $50 million and reaching over $100 million.Why destroy business?Meanwhile, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, under whose administration the Chinese company had been brought into Guyana, has broken his silence on the matter and has since called for Government to release the Investment Agreement to the public.Jagdeo is of the view that the GRA was acting on direction, “or a pre-conceived notion that somehow they have to take back all of these lands from this company.”He pointed to the recent commitment on the part of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government to set aside some two million hectares of land for conservation.This he suggested has led to Government now looking to “take back lands from people.” Jagdeo said he is of the view that BaiShanLin must honour its obligations made under the Investment Agreement and that the State has a right to enforce the provisions of that document but, “this goes beyond the agreement.”He used the opportunity to also point to the increased hardships that would obtain as a result of the actions on the part of GRA and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and questions “why do you have to destroy business at a time when the economy is already faltering.”He was speaking to the fact that BaiShanLin had been purchasing logs extracted by local small operators particularly from Ituni and Kwakwani in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).“All of that is gone now,” said Jagdeo as he pointed to BaiShanLin’s request for another two years to complete its wood processing plant.“Why not give them but watch them carefully whilst they are paying their fair share of the taxes,” the former President, now Opposition Leader questioned.Breached agreementThe GRA had earlier this year launched an investigation into the operations of the logging company and had determined that it had in fact breached its Investment Agreement.According to the GRA missive addressed to Managing Director of BaiShanLin, Chu Hongbo, it had found that the company had breached the terms and conditions under which tax exemptions were granted as outlined in the Investment Agreement.According to the Revenue Authority, BaiShanLin failed to undertake the activities of the project specified in the Investment Agreement with regard to the setting up of a modernised wood processing facility in Linden.The tax collection body also found that BaiShanLin had also failed to create and sustain employment for 150 persons over three years.It found too that the company also failed to procure and provide all the investment and other financing required by the undertaking, in the estimated sum of US$150 million over a three-year period from the time of signing of the Investment Agreement.It was subsequently determined that BaiShanLin breached its covenant with Government in its Investment Agreement “for which the penalty is termination of the Agreement”.As such, “the residual customs duty and taxes are now due and payable on machinery, equipment and motor vehicles” in the amount of just over $1.5 billion ($1,584,047,052). read more
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Deputy killed in crash
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE‘Mame,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ composer Jerry Herman dies at 88 The other Antelope Valley sheriff’s deputy killed recently in the line of duty died in August 2003. Lake Los Angeles Deputy Steve Sorensen was shot to death at an isolated desert trailer while investigating a routine trespassing case. Sorensen’s killer died in a fiery shootout with other deputies. Bain, an Agua Dulce resident, was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the married father of three daughters. Today would have been his 46th birthday. Funeral services are pending. Flags were lowered to half-staff at Lancaster City Hall, at county offices and at the state Capitol. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a message of condolence, as he does for every Californian killed in Iraq. “Deputy Bain and his family made the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep Californians safe,” Schwarzenegger’s message said. Bain had been patrolling Thursday afternoon for speeders and other traffic violators along Avenue K, where sheriff’s officials stepped up patrols last year after 110 crashes and six fatalities in the first part of 2005. LANCASTER – Sheriff’s motorcycle Deputy Pierre Bain took it seriously that so many people died in his city from speeding, running red lights and other bad driving. On Thursday, it happened to him: Bain was riding after a speeding van, siren and emergency lights on, when a Honda SUV turned left in front of him and stopped as its 73-year-old driver saw his oncoming motorcycle, authorities said. Bain swerved, but his motorcycle saddlebag hit the sport utility vehicle’s front bumper and he went down. Bain was thrown into a tree, and died 30 minutes later at a hospital. “We’re devastated.” Lancaster sheriff’s station commander Capt. Carl Deeley said Friday. “This is twice in three years, losing someone.” Bain was Avenue K’s first fatality since the stepped-up patrols began, Deeley said. “It was his crusade.” Deeley said. “He took it personally that so many people in this city die in traffic collisions.” The crash that killed Bain was his second since transferring to Lancaster from the Temple City station less than three years ago. Within a week after he came to Lancaster in June 2003, a vehicle turned left in front of his motorcycle on Avenue I. That time, he was back at work within a few days. Bain was aware of the dangers of motorcycle patrol, Deeley said. All four of Lancaster’s motorcycle deputies have been in crashes at least twice each in the past six years, and none was their fault, Deeley said. “He was a very accomplished dirt bike rider. He was very good,” Deeley said. Bain and two other Lancaster motorcycle deputies on Tuesday had taken time from patrolling to be photographed with three youngsters for an upcoming city newsletter article about bicycle safety. Lancaster public information officer Anne Aldrich was impressed by Bain’s demeanor during the photo shoot. “He was so nice. He was so nice to the kids – what a nice man,” Aldrich said. Bain’s crash will be investigated by the California Highway Patrol because a sheriff’s deputy was involved, officials said. CHP officers said they are asking the public’s help in finding the driver of the blue van that Bain had clocked on a radar gun and was after when he crashed. “He was trying to catch up to it to pull it over,” CHP Lt. Andria Witmer said. Bain is survived by his wife, Diana, and three daughters from a previous marriage: Chantal, 21, Kristina, 18, and Alicia, 16, as well as his mother and father and a brother. Chantal was home visiting her father while on Army leave after serving in Iraq. At the tree that Bain hit at Avenue K and 20th Street East, friends put flowers, a candle and a photograph of Bain riding with two other motorcycle deputies. Lancaster deputies were offered Friday off if they were too upset by Bain’s death, but all came in to work, Deeley said. “We actually had people coming in on their day off. We have people helping the family and answering phones,” Deeley said. Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick@dailynews.com160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! read more
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24-hour relay to raise funds for research into cancer cure
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE11 theater productions to see in Southern California this week, Dec. 27-Jan. 2160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! SAUGUS – Nearly 100 teams will walk a track this weekend at Central Park in a 24-hour relay to raise money for cancer research. The American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life starts at 9 a.m. Saturday with opening ceremonies. Cancer survivors will walk that first lap, a symbol of their individual triumphs. Teams will camp out overnight, but the relay will be continuous – an effort that represents the cancer that never sleeps. At 9 p.m., thousands of supports are expected to join the teams for a candlelight walk circling the sprawling park. The flames in crafted luminaria bags are dedicated to the memories of loved ones who lost the battle, to survivors or as thanks to supporters. Individual walkers bring in donations and join the relay teams. Information is available by calling relay chairwoman Laura Scott at (661) 296-0081 or e-mailing randall.phillips@cancer.org. read more
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Sun to return after two days of torrential rains
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWalnut’s Malik Khouzam voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week Mostly sunny skies with afternoon temperatures in the upper 60s and 70s are predicted through the weekend. Monday’s thunderstorms dumped 2.15 inch of rain on Palmdale, breaking a 42-year-old record for the date: .78 inches set in 1963. Another .50 inch fell by midafternoon Tuesday, bringing rainfall since July 1 to 3.47 inch. Palmdale’s average annual rainfall is 7.9 inches. Monday’s rainfall was the second heaviest on record for October in Palmdale and the seventh heaviest for one day since Palmdale records began in 1938. Palmdale’s record one-day rainfall was 3.42 inches on Dec. 11, 1943. Antelope Valley College resumed classes Tuesday after halting operations Monday night because of heavy rain that flooded streets and lightning-caused power surges that disrupted elevators and computers. Some water seeped into college buildings but damage was very minor, AVC spokesman Steve Standerfer said. The storm also contributed to a number of collisions on Antelope Valley streets and highways. “Anytime it rains, people crash more,” California Highway Patrol Lt. Andria Witmer said. Flooding closed Highway 14’s southbound lanes Monday and again Tuesday morning near Backus Road. Flooding also closed Red Rock-Randsberg Road north of Mojave and Avenue Q east of Palmdale on Tuesday. Rocks and mud came down onto Angeles Crest Highway and other roads in the Angeles National Forest but damage was very minor, a forest spokesman said. On San Francisquito Canyon Road, where work crews are realigning a 1.8-mile section north of Saugus to get it out of a flood-prone area, the rained turned a temporary detour route into mud. The section of road being rebuilt is open only to escorted vehicles during early morning and evening hours. Officials halted the escorts until the mud dried. Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick@dailynews.com 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! PALMDALE – Two days of thunderstorms that flooded mountain and desert roads are expected to turn today into mostly sunny skies. The southbound Antelope Valley Highway, flooded two consecutive days by storm runoff north of Rosamond, reopened to traffic Tuesday morning. On San Francisquito Canyon Road, where workers are still rebuilding after storm damage last winter, Los Angeles County road officials hoped to reopen today a temporary detour for commuter traffic. “It will depend obviously on the conditions,” Los Angeles County Department of Public Works spokeswoman Melinda Barrett said. The National Weather Service predicted partly cloudy skies this morning in the Antelope Valley and said weather should become mostly sunny this afternoon. read more
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PATRICK GILDEA’S PROMISE TO YOU
Promoted PostThe inside of Patrick Gildea’s new salon.What would you say if we told you that you could get your hair cut and coloured anywhere, there are many places that will offer you the latest style and take care of your needs.But what if we told you that it was about more than just the hair cut? When you choose Patrick Gildea Hairdressing Team you are choosing so much more than just your hair needs, you are choosing a hairdressing experience like no other. You are choosing a team that genuinely cares, listens and promises to go the extra mile to make sure that your whole experience is perfect.What exactly is our promise? Well we promise you warmth, we promise you a high level of professionalism, we promise creativity, we promise to listen and offer advice on all your hair care needs, quite simply we promise to focus on you- we will make sure that you not only look great but feel great too.Of course part of our promise is to provide an extremely high level of hairdressing. We have been providing precision haircuts and gorgeous colour accentuating natural beauty for over 25 years. You can be confident that your look is not mass produced and is tailored to you, your face shape, your life and your personality.This sounds great doesn’t it? And do you know what is even better; the prices are within everyone’s reach as they are surprisingly affordable. Have a look for yourself, you can see the team in action here http://youtu.be/uBKFHw_kElk To keep up to date with hair care tips and trends see www.facebook.com/patrickgildeahairdressing and for a full service listing see www.patrickgildea.iePATRICK GILDEA’S PROMISE TO YOU was last modified: January 22nd, 2015 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:donegalhairdresserletterkennyPatrick Gildea read more
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Mandela: 20 years of freedom
11 February 2010 Twenty years ago, on 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela walked out of prison a free man – and the course of South African history changed forever. MediaClubSouthAfrica looks back on the day, as well as the chain of events leading up to it. “I wish to put it plainly that the government has taken a firm decision to release Mr Mandela unconditionally. I am serious about bringing this matter to finality without delay.” MediaClubSouthAfrica Free high-resolution photos and professional feature articles from Brand South Africa’s media service. With those words, said on 2 February 1990, then-state president FW de Klerk set a remarkable chain of events in motion. An electorate that, to a large extent, was enjoying the right to vote for the first time in their lives, led to a democratic South Africa with one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. De Klerk, who had assumed the presidency just four months earlier, wasted no time in bringing about long-overdue change. He was making his inaugural State of the Nation address at the 1990 opening of Parliament in Cape Town, speaking before the House and to a television audience. South Africa will mark the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from more than 27 years of imprisonment at the opening of Parliament on 11 February. The 2010 event will also be significant as it will be the first time the State of the Nation address is delivered in the evening. By arranging the speech for a more convenient television time, rather than the traditional morning delivery, the government is encouraging more citizens to tune in.Understanding through dialogue Addressing the nation in 1990, De Klerk went on to say that the agenda for negotiation was now open. He invited “sensible” leaders to come forward and begin talking, so that an understanding may be reached through dialogue. De Klerk’s government had a number of firm goals in mind, among them a new democratic constitution; protection of minorities and the rights of the individual; an independent, unbiased judiciary; religious freedom; better housing, education, social and health services for all; and a strong economy. This could only be achieved with the abolition of apartheid laws and restrictions, a fact of which De Klerk was very well aware. Not only did the president decide to release Mandela, he implemented other changes on a scale that nobody had anticipated. Several political parties were unbanned. These were the African National Congress (ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress, and the South African Communist Party. He also lifted restrictions on 33 other opposition groups. Prisoners who were in jail merely for belonging to one of the banned organisations were pardoned immediately. De Klerk also lifted certain media, education and security restrictions, paving the way for the eventual lifting of the latest state of emergency, by then in place since 1985. The death penalty was suspended and the controversial and deplorable Land Act was repealed. The remaining apartheid laws were dismantled over the next three years, and South Africa’s first democratic election took place in 1994. It was no surprise that Mandela stepped into the role of leader of the nation.Peace and reconciliation The country had endured tension and violent conflict for decades, said De Klerk, and it was time to break out of that cycle and strive for peace and reconciliation. The silent majority yearned for it, he said, and the youth deserved it. De Klerk was emphatic in urging South Africans to come to the negotiation table. “On the basis of numerous previous statements there is no longer any reasonable excuse for the continuation of violence. The time for talking has arrived and whoever still makes excuses does not really wish to talk.” His decisive actions, which would eventually cut short his own political career as he made way for a new party to take over the government, earned him the praise of the nation, and the world. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, speaking to the press at the time, exclaimed: “What he said has certainly taken my breath away … give him credit, man.” The BBC reported then-US president George Bush as saying that he welcomed the decision to dismantle apartheid, although more had to be done before the US would lift its economic sanctions. And Margaret Thatcher, then prime minister of Britain, wrote a congratulatory letter to De Klerk. Others, such as current UN secretary-general Perez de Cuellar and presidents Mario Soares of Portugal, Francois Mitterand of France, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, also expressed their joy and approval. Some were more cautious. The late ANC president Oliver Tambo, speaking from Stockholm where he was receiving treatment for a stroke, described De Klerk’s steps as progressive, but pointed out that two of the ANC’s main demands were not fully realised – the release of all political prisoners, and the complete lifting of the state of emergency.Long-awaited release Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990 from the low-security Victor Verster prison, now known as the Drakenstein Correctional Centre, in the Dwars River valley near Paarl, Western Cape. Mandela had been relocated from Robben Island to the maximum-security Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town’s southern suburbs in 1984, and a few years later he was moved to a private house within the prison walls of Victor Verster. “When he built a home in Qunu after his release,” said Mandela’s daughter Zindzi, “he insisted that it be a duplicate of his house in Victor Verster, where he felt comfortable. My father often said that he missed his time in prison because it allowed him time to reflect.” Zindzi Mandela received news of her father’s imminent release while she was at the funeral of her partner Clayton Sithole, who died while in detention at the former John Vorster police station, Johannesburg, in January 1990, just 12 days before Mandela walked free. She described the day of her father’s release as emotional, painful and chaotic. “I was terrified. There were so many people, which I never expected. As much as I wanted him to come home as a father, I knew he would come back as a leader first. And I was in mourning for the father of my child.” Straight after his release Mandela addressed thousands of supporters from the balcony of the Cape Town city hall. He spent his first night of freedom at Bishopscourt, the official residence of the Archbishop of Cape Town, who at that time was Desmond Tutu. Mandela flew to Johannesburg the next day, where he attended a rally at Soweto’s FNB stadium, now the impressive Soccer City and venue for the opening match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. From there he went to his house in Vilakazi Street, Soweto, where he spent his first night at home in almost three decades. In 1993 De Klerk and Mandela jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in abolishing the apartheid policies that had held South Africa back for so long. The Nobel Committee awarded this prestigious honour “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa”. The laureates also jointly received the 1991 Unesco Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize. The announcement of the latter prize, made by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, read: “For their contribution to international peace, to encourage them to continue in their effort and as a tribute to what they have done to educate their people towards an understanding and towards an overcoming of prejudice that many would not have thought possible a few short years ago.”Bringing the struggle to life In February 2009 the National Heritage Council announced the first site in the new National Liberation Heritage Route (LHR) – the house at Victor Verster prison where Mandela spent the last few years of his incarceration. Making the announcement, CEO of the National Heritage Council Sonwabile Mancotywa said that the prison had transformed from a place of pain to one that honoured the final stretch in the struggle for freedom. “It is a place of history that has contributed to South Africa’s cultural revival,” said Mancotywa. Mandela’s former wife Winnie Madikizela, also in attendance, expressed her pleasure that the LHR was going all out to recognise the country’s struggle heroes: “We hope that it can include the history of all those who gave up their lives for freedom,” she said, “and tell the story of the Tambos and the Sisulus and others as much as the Mandela story has been told.” The South African LHR, a network of historically valuable sites that reflects key aspects of the country’s struggle for freedom, is modelled on the Australian convict sites. In July 2007 it was submitted to Unesco for nomination as a world heritage site, and is currently on the tentative list. The route consists of a host of stops that cover critical aspects of the liberation struggle, such as the women’s movement, youth and student movements, massacres and assassinations, and sites of historical significance. A few examples are Constitution Hill, once a notorious prison and now seat of South Africa’s Constitutional Court; Sharpeville, site of the massacre in 1960 where 69 protesters died; the Isandlwana battlefield, where Zulus and British colonial troops faced off in 1879; and Olive Schreiner House in De Aar, Northern Cape, once the home of the renowned author of The Story of an African Farm and opponent of women’s oppression. The Mandela section of the route includes his birthplace Mvezo in Mthatha, Eastern Cape province; Qunu in Mthatha where he grew up; the Clarkebury Institution which schooled him; the house in Alexandra, Johannesburg, where he lived for three years in the early 1940s; Fort Hare University; the site in Howick where he was captured by police in 1962; Liliesleaf Farm; Robben Island; Victor Verster prison; and the Mandela family home in Vilakazi Street, where Winnie lived with their children while he was in prison. It is hoped that other countries in the Southern African Development Community will make similar submissions.First published by MediaClubSouthAfrica.com – get free high-resolution photos and professional feature articles from Brand South Africa’s media service. read more
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A paradise for rescued birds
This red masked and Patagonian conure are best friends. A native of Australia, the delicately coloured Rosie, a galah cockatoo, has settled into life under the Birds of Eden dome. Although all the birds have been dehumanised, many of them are still fearless when it comes to human interaction. The mesh dome covers a surface area of over two hectares and is 55m off the ground at its highest point. Calik the spectacled langur and his lady friend, a Hanuman langur, are two of the tiny primates that have found sanctuary at Birds of Eden.(Images: Birds of Eden)MEDIA CONTACTS • Lee DekkerManager, Birds of Eden+27 44 534 8906 or +27 79 646 7474Janine ErasmusThe Birds of Eden avian sanctuary, located 16km east of Plettenberg Bay on the picturesque Garden Route in the Western Cape, is the biggest single-dome free flight aviary in the world. It’s a home and a haven for exotic birds and miniature monkeys who would otherwise struggle to survive in the wild.Situated in Eden Municipality – hence the name – the sanctuary opened in December 2005 and is a popular attraction on the Garden Route.However, it also offers an important service in that it accepts previously caged birds and tiny monkeys whose owners want to give them a better life.The creatures live under a wire mesh dome which covers over 2.3 hectares of lush indigenous forest, with a volume of over 375 000 kilolitres.To more easily visualise the dome’s surface area, imagine an international rugby field, which has a total playing area of roughly one hectare including the area behind the dead ball line. Then imagine two and a half rugby fields next to each other. In volume terms, a kilolitre contains 1 000 litres.At its maximum height the dome soars 55m above the ground, giving the birds plenty of room to fly. It’s supported by a network of cables running between 28 masts which vary in height between 2m and 34m. According to Birds of Eden, the mesh and supporting structures weigh about 80 tons.The dome encloses a dam for waterfowl and a gorge with a waterfall. The forest vegetation is Afromontane, and includes tree species such as Ironwood olive (Olea capensis), the Outeniqua yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus), the black (Ocotea bullata) and white (Celtis african) stinkwood, and the Cape beech (Rapanea melanophloeos).Bird lovers may opt to take the official guidebook and wander through the dome on their own, over some 1.2km of walkways, or as part of a guided tour. The majority of walkways are elevated, so visitors can get close to birds perching in trees.Birds of Eden is affiliated with the next-door Monkeyland primate sanctuary, and both are run under the South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance, previously known as the Touch a Monkey’s Heart Foundation.Monkeyland operates on much the same principles with its four-legged charges, although there is no covered dome but rather a 6.5m-high electrified fence surrounding the 12ha of primate paradise.Some monkey species, such as tamarins and marmosets, are too small to be released into the larger sanctuary, and these are the ones who’ve found a home next door with the birds under the dome.A second chanceAmong Birds of Eden’s 204 different species are waterfowl, louries, toucans, macaws and parrots, lorikeets and parakeets, cranes, flamingos, starlings and robins – but no raptors.There are over 3 500 individual birds in the dome, which is also home to leopard tortoise, several species of snake, little duikers, and other creatures.“We take previously caged birds, mostly exotics,” says Lee Dekker, manager of the sanctuary. “African birds can in many cases be released, but birds that originate from further afield simply won’t survive in the wild.”Birds are also taken in after SPCA confiscations, or may come from zoos or experimental facilities.Using a tried and tested technique called the Eden Syndrome, staff prepare birds for their new life.In the pre-release stage, which can take many months, the birds are dehumanised, put onto the right diet for their species, and allowed to socialise with others in a large aviary. Here they can also build up their flight muscles, especially if they’ve had to sit on a perch in a cage for a long time.“When we receive a bird we do a health test so that we know what we have to do to get it flying fit,” says Dekker. “The birds are put onto a natural diet and are closely monitored after their release.”Most birds are easily able to recognise their own kind but, says Dekker, some have made friendships across the species divide.Their natural instincts are also unimpaired – when they get released into the main dome, it doesn’t take them long to find the spot that’s exactly suited for them.Colourful charactersOver the years, many colourful characters have found their way into the hearts of staff and visitors.One of these is 38-year-old Meisiekind, a Catalina macaw, who has lived in cages for most of her life. Meisie was frustrated with her circumstances and when her owners had a baby, the bird became angry that she wasn’t getting all the attention, which added to her temper problem. Finally, she bit her rival’s finger off and while surgeons were able to reattach the child’s finger, the macaw had to go. Birds of Eden was the answer.Rosie the galah cockatoo is another celebrity bird. Australian in origin, the galah is one of the most common and widespread of Australian birds. True to her name, Rosie is pink and grey in colour and is a confident and friendly bird, often greeting visitors by asking, “Hello, what’s the time?” It took 18 months to get Rosie ready for release into the dome, but she has settled in and is now familiar with all parts of her new home.Before any of these creatures can be released into the dome or the larger enclosure, they have to be able to find food and shelter on their own and be able to fly or move around with confidence. Feeding platforms throughout the forest offer a selection of seeds, fruit, vegetables and nuts, and the birds and monkeys have to learn firstly that the platforms exist and secondly, how to find them.But thanks to the Eden Syndromw, says Dekker, Birds of Eden has never had a failure. read more
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Milestone for South African satellite technology
The South African satellite industry is taking a giant leap as a global aerospace player, with the inclusion of two locally developed nanosatellites on the Atlas V rocket, launched on 18 April 2017.The International Space Station in orbit over earth, where, during April 2017, a payload of almost 40 new research and telecommunications nanosatellites will be delivered. Included are two South African projects, the nSight1 and ZA-Aerosat. (Image: Wikipedia)CD AndersonThe Atlas V launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the US, on 18 April 2017. It included a payload of 28 nanosatellites from 23 countries destined for the International Space Station (ISS).Included among the 28 are two South African developed nanosatellites: nSight1, designed and manufactured by Cape Town group SCS Space, a member of the SCS Aerospace Group, and ZA-Aerosat, designed and manufactured by CubeSpace of Stellenbosch University. The satellites will be deployed into low-earth orbit over a period of 30 to 60 days as the ISS orbits Earth.The Atlas V launch is part of the QB50 project funded by the European Union and managed by the von Karman Institute. Together with the United Launch Alliance (ULA) joint initiative of private aerospace companies around the world and the American government’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), nanosatellites launched will be used for telecommunications as well as research and data-gathering for atmospheric study.Other countries with nanosatellites on board include China, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.Weighing a little under 2kg, the nSight1 nanosatellite is a South African project that will measure and process data in the Earth’s outer atmosphere. The system, alongside another South Africa nanosatellite, ZA-Aerosat, was launched on the Atlas V rocket on 18 April 2017. (Image: SCS Aerospace Group)Nanosatellites are generally smaller than conventional satellites, thanks to advancements in nanotechnology design. The smaller satellites, which usually are discarded when their work is completed, burn up more completely when re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving less debris (“space junk”) in Earth’s orbit.Both nSight1 and ZA-Aerosat are no bigger than shoeboxes, yet contain some of the world’s most advanced technology.The two South African satellites will be used to record factors in the Earth’s lower thermosphere, between 200km and 380km altitude.Data collected from this experiment over the next 18 months will aid current atmospheric models, which is vital for determining safe re-entry trajectories for spacecraft. The same data can also be used for environmental study.The South African nanosatellite, ZA-Aerosat, was launched alongside 38 other international satellites destined for the International Space Station, on the Atlas V rocket on 18 April 2017. (Image: CubeSpace)University of Stellenbosch and CubeSpace spokesperson Mike-Alec Kearney told EWN News that ZA-Aerosat would be used in conjunction with other satellites already in orbit. “[Sensors] at the front of the satellite… measure atomic oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere and build a model of the Earth’s atmosphere.”The nSight1 project is a joint investment by the Cape Town engineering consultancy, SCS Aerospace Group, and Pretoria software designers Pinkmatter Solutions. Working with engineers from the Space Advisory Company, the South African team designed, integrated and tested the satellite, alongside contributions from scientists at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.“We are proud to be a part of an international space project of this magnitude,” SCS Space CEO Hendrik Burger told Engineering News South Africa before the launch. “[The project] affords us the opportunity to test the next generation space camera technology which was uniquely developed by SCS Space and partners within industry development initiatives of the South African Department of Trade and Industry.”Once launched in orbit, the next stage of the nSight1’s contribution to the overall project will include mission control and data-processing operations, which Burger said “will be done through our Houwteq Ground Station near Grabouw in the Western Cape”.For more information on the technology behind the two South African nanosatellites, visit the Cubase and SCS Aerospace Group websites.Source: AFKInsider, EWN, Engineering News South AfricaWould you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See Using Brand South Africa material. read more
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Tweet on VBA talks with Cong. goes viral
When a tweet from the handle of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar warning the Congress that any possible discussion in future will be from equal level went viral, Mr. Ambedkar denied tweeting any such message.‘No political slavery’“If Congress wants to hold discussion with the VBA in future, then it has to be on equal level. The system of political slavery under the Congress has been dismantled,” the tweet said.Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ambedkar denied tweeting any such message. “I don’t want to speak on how and who put this message. But I did not and we as VBA have not decided anything about holding talks with the Congress,” he said.Mr. Ambedkar said that even though he has not tweeted the above message, he is in agreement with the sentiment of the message. “We are going to hold a meeting of VBA next week, where we will be discussing our future course of action and how to deal with the Congress. Only then we can tell you about any possible talks with them,” he said.The VBA leader also said that the party will be contesting the Assembly seats in alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). “The Lok Sabha results have shown an alternative to the Muslims of Maharashtra — us. And they have realised that this alternative can win the election, unlike last time,” he said. The VBA damaged the prospects of the Congress-NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) alliance in around nine seats in the State. It secured around a lakh votes on a dozen Lok Sabha seats, which include Gadchiroli-Chimur, Hatkanangle, Buldhana, Akola, Nanded, Hingoli, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Sangli, Nashik, Latur and Solapur.AIMIM’s Imitiaz Jaleel, a journalist-turned-MLA, won from Aurangabad, defeating Sena’s four-time MP Chandrakant Khaire. Mr. Ambedkar himself had contested from Akola and Solapur but lost from both constituencies. read more
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Chalabi and the Zionists
Suddenly, right out of the blue, after months of being the golden boy of the Pentagon and the neocons to lead Iraq, the disgusting American press is reporting that Chalabi is now out of favor and has in fact been suspected of passing on sensitive information to the Iranians. We're hearing about what a crook he really is, and how he knew about the bombing of the Jordanian embassy in advance but gave no warning. What a rotter! What happened to change his fortunes so quickly? We all know that the disgusting American press only reports what they are told to report, so why the sudden interest in dissing Mr. Chalabi? From Newsweek (my emphasis - reading this whole article is like trying to decipher something out of Pravda in the 1970's: what the hell is a 'U.S. official familiar with information presented to policymakers'?):
"NEWSWEEK has learned that top Bush administration officials have been briefed on intelligence indicating that Chalabi and some of his top aides have supplied Iran with 'sensitive' information on the American occupation in Iraq. U.S. officials say that electronic intercepts of discussions between Iranian leaders indicate that Chalabi and his entourage told Iranian contacts about American political plans in Iraq. There are also indications that Chalabi has provided details of U.S. security operations. According to one U.S. government source, some of the information Chalabi turned over to Iran could 'get people killed.'"
Wow! By 'top Bush administration officials' they are of course referring to the neocons, who again are up to their old Office-of-Special-Plans tricks of using mangled intelligence for their own political purposes (although the Official Story is completely the opposite, that these stories are being planted by CIA and State Department officials who have always hated Chalabi and are trying to force Bush to get rid of him: see what I mean about Pravda?). And why are the neocons mad at Chalabi? L. Marc Zell, Feith's former law partner, and foaming-at-the-mouth Zionist, said:
"Ahmed Chalabi is a treacherous, spineless turncoat. He had one set of friends before he was in power, and now he's got another."
"He said he would end Iraq's boycott of trade with Israel, and would allow Israeli companies to do business there. He said [the new Iraqi government] would agree to rebuild the pipeline from Mosul [in the northern Iraqi oil fields] to Haifa [the Israeli port, and the location of a major refinery]."
Bingo! Chalabi is getting the traitor treatment from the disgusting American press because he is reneging on his promises to the neocons to sell out Iraq to the Zionists (the rest of the Salon article contains amazingly explicit references to Zionist plans for Iraq, writing which until recently would have been labeled 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theory'). The press treatment is a shot across the bow to make him toe the Israeli line. If he survives in power, or in fact isn't killed, watch for him to sell out Iraq to Zionist interests as quickly and thoroughly as possible (Ledeen and Frum are still supporting him, so we can be sure the ultra-Zionist fix is in). He sold what soul he had to the Devil, and the Devil is collecting. When will Americans finally wake up and see who hijacked their government?
The cutting room floor
Chalabi and his loose-lipped Washington handlers
Puzzles of the Berg videotape answered
Conspiracy odds and ends on Iraq
The revisionist history of Ahmad Chalabi
The Resistible Rise of Ahmad Chalabi
Thomas Friedman self-parody
Rafah and Rwanda
Miller-gate
The (im-)moral arguments for the attack on Iraq
Apache helicopter attacks on Palestinian refugees
Aziz and Berg
Throw the dog a Cam-bone
More thoughts on Nicholas Berg
Nicholas Berg's literature
Headless in Iraq
HST on WTC
Now that we know more about what has been going on...
Squeal like a pig
Zell and the Chalabis
Why do we know about the torture?
The inherent inferiority of Americans
American trial for torture in Iraq
The torture
Electricity in Iraq
A new dawn in Falluja
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Ideas that change the world
IdeaLeaders
IdeaVault
IdeaStore
By Dave Hodgson
In Business, Family, Finance, Government, Leadership, Religion, Stewardship
The Generational Nature of Kingdom Wealth Session 1– Dave Hodgson2017-07-172018-07-19https://8thmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/8thmountain-logo.pngThe 8thMountainhttps://8thmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/assignment.jpg200px200px
The Generational Nature of Kingdom Wealth Session 1 — Dave Hodgson
Introduction: Have you confused being a Christian with living a just, righteous life? Are you expecting that faith, without honest living will trigger the transfer of wealth to you? Dave Hodgson reveals from Scripture and testimony about God’s clear requirements for the transfer of Wealth – including the Generational Nature of his plan to bless your succeeding generations. See Joshua, Obed, Boaz, Caleb and other heroes of the faith through new eyes – eyes that see your path to Generational Wealth Transfer.
“Dave Hodgson reveals from Scripture and testimony about God’s clear requirements for the transfer of Wealth – including the Generational Nature of his plan to bless your succeeding generations.”
Premium Video
About the IdeaLeader: Sent, for safety, away from home all alone at the age of 4, Dave learned survival skills that later gave him a leadership role in Rhodesia’s SAS elite counter-terrorism unit. Forced from his nation through political upheaval, he ended up in Australia, where a God-encounter changed his life once again. Encountering dishonest and greedy Christians in ministry and business has taught Dave to recognize Babylon, and oust it from the marketplace.
Dave Hodgson is the founder and CEO of the Paladin Group of Companies, overseeing millions of dollars in business acquisitions and private equity investments. Paladin is a leader in financial engineering with its patented “Capital Guarantee.” Paladin Corporation has interests in the energy, water infrastructure, and health and fitness sectors. The corporation is also involved in investment banking. Hodgson is a regular speaker at business conferences around the world, sharing how “all may prosper.” He is also the founder of Kingdom Investors, a ministry providing Christian business people keys to being successful in business, both spiritually and practically. God’s calling on his life is to fund the kingdom of God and be successful in the marketplace, while activating others to do the same. He has a vision and goal of helping to make Australia the first “sheep nation” on earth (Matthew 25:31-46) and so he works closely with a broad, national coalition of Kingdom leaders to effect that.
Power Of An “ALL”-iance
REST Promises
The Kingdom Principle of Sowing and Reaping – Eric Boles
© 2019 Kingdom Congressional International Alliance | All Rights Reserved
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Watch This Killer Violin Cover of Slipknot’s ‘Unsainted’
Herbert P. Oczeret, Getty Images
It's been a little while since we've seen Slipknot covered on an unusual instrument, and today has broken that dry spell — a killer violin cover of "Unsainted" has just surfaced on YouTube.
M Drako is quite the metal violinist, as her channel features a ton of metal covers of songs from bands like Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold and more. Now, she's added Slipknot to the mix with her cover of "Unsainted." It's actually a great choice of a song of theirs to start with, being that there is a choir in the intro.
Even still, it makes for an intriguing sound combination as the song picks up in aggression. Watch M Drako crush "Unsainted" below.
Aside from "Snuff," have you ever heard Slipknot sound so gracious? So elegant? It's truly captivating.
"Unsainted" was the first single off Slipknot's latest album, We Are Not Your Kind, which topped the charts immediately after its release on Aug. 9. The band just finished touring last month, and will pick back up over the next few weeks with a headlining slot at Aftershock Festival, and a South American run to follow. See tickets here.
2019's Best Metal Albums... So Far
Source: Watch This Killer Violin Cover of Slipknot’s ‘Unsainted’
Filed Under: Slipknot
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The Rock Mobile App
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Dick Palm
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Cary CEO Named Chair of National Committee on Rural Health Care
Cary Medical Center
The CEO of Cary Medical Center has been appointed as chair of the American Hospital Association National Committee on the Future of Rural Health Care.
Kris Doody, CEO and RN at Cary, will chair a task force with executives from member hospitals and health systems of the AHA. The task force help identify future trends, explore challenges faced by rural hospitals, recommend policy changes and increase awareness in the health care field.
In addition to being at the helm of Cary Medical Center, Doody is also CEO for Pines Health Services. In the past, she served as a member of the AHA national board of trustees and was named AHA Trustee of the Year in 2017. Doody says she's "honored" to be a part of the future of rural health care. “Our rural hospitals and other providers face many unique challenges from professional recruitment to an aging population, potential reductions in reimbursement and costly new technology including the high cost of prescription medications."
The Task Force will be composed of select executives from member hospital and health systems, state hospital associations and the AHA Board. It will convene over a 12-18 month period, beginning this summer and ending in December 2020.
Filed Under: Cary Medical Center, CEO, Kris Doody, National Committee on Rural Health Care, task force
Rod Stewart & Cheap Trick Coming to Maine
2020 101.9 The Rock is part of the Loudwire Network, Townsquare Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Reclaiming happiness
by Greta Andrews-Taylor
Prior to losing his father to suicide on his 21st birthday 10 years ago, Happiness Co Founder Julian Pace AFAIM was by his own description ‘happy-go-lucky’.
When this tragedy was compounded by the loss of his best friend also to suicide within a short period, Mr Pace’s outlook on life understandably took a turn for the worse.
“The emotional grief, pain and suffering that I went through in that time, it really changes you, it changes the way you see people, the world and yourself,” he told Leader.
“I went through a lot of suffering in my personal life in that time and I probably destroyed lots of my own happiness because of it.”
Little did Mr Pace know then that he would eventually make a decision to reframe his loss and find happiness again and this would lead to him helping others do the same.
“I asked myself what would be the point of losing your father, your best friend and your cousin if you weren’t going to do anything good with it,” he said.
“I took that pain and made it my power, made my sadness my strength. My lighthouse was if I was happy once then I could find a way to be happy again.
“That was my reference point. I said, ‘I’m just going to make this day better and try to find happiness in it’, and then I started speaking.”
With no formal training or experience as a public speaker, Mr Pace took the plunge simply because it felt right.
Within four years he had addressed 30,000 people in 10 countries and soon after launched Happiness Co, which won Australia’s Small Business Champion Award in the Professional Services category last year.
Mr Pace speaks to thousands every year and devotes his time to helping others find happiness using a mixture of story-telling and practical tools.
One thing soon began to bother him.
“I wondered, what happens with that person now? Who looks after them when we go?” he said. “That lady who was crying three rows back, clearly going through some emotional pain – who looks after her when we go?”
It was with this in mind that Mr Pace built a number of support programs into Happiness Co to give continuing help to people once his team leaves.
Change the meaning, change your life
Happiness Co was officially launched on Mr Pace’s birthday and the anniversary of his father’s passing. Its office is on Victoria Park’s cafe strip, where Mr Pace once sought to take his own life.
“My dad took his own life on my birthday, and for five years I hated that day with a passion,” he said. “Now I celebrate hard with my friends and family and put a gala on for 400 people to say 'you know what, change the meaning, change your life'.”
Mr Pace said everyone’s experiences and methods of meeting their emotional needs are different.
“Happiness is very individual-focused,” he said. “For the top 100 companies in the world for culture, the number one thing that’s always at the top of the list when it comes to what makes their cultures so great, is happiness. That means they have given time and attention to their people.”
Mr Pace conceded, however, that companies could not bend over backwards for everyone all the time.
“It’s not about every single person having access to all the things they desire in the workplace all the time,” he said.
“The key is time and attention and listening to your people. It doesn’t mean their ideas are always right, but it’s about listening to your people so they feel heard.
“This leads to an environment where employees feel comfortable and understood, resulting in the success of the company because happiness breeds success, not the other way around.”
Engaging over 100 companies and their employees in its happiness sessions to date, Happiness Co has gathered some troubling data for employers.
According to the company, 66 per cent of respondents said they did the barest minimum at work due to emotional detachment from their employers and only 16 per cent said they were happy at work.
“Employees gain a sense of pride and positive feelings about their workplace when their employer makes them feel good about the environment,” Mr Pace said.
“Ownership inspires engagement, engagement inspires productivity. You can only increase engagement if you’re actually connecting with your people.
“I think a lot of leaders and business owners look at the intangible measurables around success and not happiness. When people are happier they take more action, get more engaged and are more productive, so if you can develop your people’s happiness, they will give you a return on your investment.”
Mr Pace said it wasn’t just up to organisations to implement change in the workplace, however.
“I always say to people it’s not your fault you’re underpaid, it’s not your fault you’re working long hours, it’s not your fault you’re maybe not always valued, but it’s sure your responsibility to take that emotion and make a life for yourself and it’s sure your responsibility to take that and build a successful career,” he said.
Greta Andrews-Taylor is a Journalist at The West Australia and is a writer for 'Leader', AIM WA's magazine for members.
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Display Advertising Uncensored Event Looks At DSPs, Publisher Solutions And More
by AdExchanger // Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 – 7:00 am
At New York City's Time Warner Center last Thursday, Collective sponsored its 2nd annual "Display Advertising Uncensored" event, which brought together a broad cross-section of display advertising players to discuss the growing momentum (and confusion!) in the display ad space.
The panel was moderated by Randy Cohen of Advertiser Perceptions and included Lexi Reese of Google's DoubleClick Ad Exchange, Nat Turner of Invite Media, Joe Apprendi of Collective, Steven Kaufman of Mediacom, Bob Carrigan of IDG and Justin Evans of Nielsen.
Among the topics discussed, the momentum in the space for the "demand-side platform" (DSP) model was noted as well as the challenges facing the supply side. Collective's CEO Apprendi identified the noise around the oft-mentioned DSP acronym and added that his company has had a demand-side platform all along given the definitions floating around these days.
Demand-side platform Invite Media's CEO Nat Turner chimed in on the supply-side issue and how ad networks and his company are solving the issue which addresses channel conflict issues for publishers and needed transparency for buyers:
(from the event...)
"When you look at publishers, and for a small publisher, they can't really support a sales team. They don't really have the attention of the agencies and that's why they work with ad networks, which build up the aggregation of these (smaller) publishers.
...The exchanges - I think the thing that needs to happen is being able to set controls around [the inventory]. So the publisher doesn't have to say it's Time.com/news, the publisher can say it's a 'premium news site' and to the buyer, it's totally fine to say it's one of these 20 sites. 'But, we're not going to tell you which site on a specific impression but that it's one of 20.' And for us, when we tell that to publishers, that gets them over the hump. And for agencies, that gets them over a threshold of brand safety."
Later, Turner looked at the buy-side and the need for better attribution - or understanding of ROI across the digital marketing mix.
"Most of our challenges revolve around how you value the buying you're doing across exchanges. We always like to say that an algorithm is worthless if you're optimizing toward something that the buyer doesn't care about. That happens all the time - their conversion isn't really a true conversion at the end of the day. We spend a lot of time trying to help close the loop in terms of performance.
Our buyers are very different. They are not trying to buy the [home page] takeovers from the publishers. They actually want to get mass reach on very commoditized banners. The challenge is how do you measure that. A funny story I heard recently was a marketer at an agency called us and said, 'We have to work with you. We have to turn display back on.' And, three months ago, the agency had said, 'We're doing no display for the next three months.' Well, the advertiser called and said that their search performance had gone down 40%."
It would seem a matter of time before venture capital firms and startups start targeting "attribution" even more heavily given the big pay day potential and its impact across the ad ecosystem. A few startups are in the space right now such as Convertro and ClearSaleing. Comscore, Nielsen, Adobe/Omniture are there with panels and data. Some agencies will tell you there doing it themselves.. but still you get anecdotes such as Turner's - a continuing tale of cross-channel attribution woes.
Pass the VC hat. This needs to be solved and will unlock audience buying for all data-driven digital channels which can loop in the traditional channels through aggregation of still more data - offline.
By John Ebbert
Josh McFarland May 11, 2010
Attribution strikes me as a problem that everyone wants solved (esp. ad vendors) and no one's willing to pay for. Take a given online retailer... they aren't interested in being more "fair" in their allocations of attribution; they want incremental revenue.
And it's not until you solve the problem of both attribution and the redistribution of marketing dollars under a single platform that you bring more conversions... and get paid for your efforts.
togilvie May 12, 2010
This is exactly right. Attribution is relatively easy - the trick is getting someone to pay you real dollars for it.
Jonathan Mendez May 12, 2010
Attribution is baked into your ROAS. Startups can try all they want to tackle this problem but you need the footprint and technology that Google has in order to do this effectively so it's actionable and can incrementally effect ROI. That of course is why Google is already far ahead in this area - I suggest display folks take a look at Search Funnels feature in AdWords for proof. It's only a matter of time before Google does this for display and uses it to take more demand side share.
Jeff Greenfield May 12, 2010
So Sorry Jonathan ... but don't expect Google to solve this problem for you.
If they did .. they would see income drop by as much as 80% ....
Display folks all know what C3 Metrics research has found ... majority of paid search conversions are purely navigational in nature.
Google simply cannot afford to solve this one for you.
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Advanced Sports Logic
Fantasy Baseball News
and MLB Player Updates
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Fantasy Baseball: Closer Report
Written by Brian Murphy
ASL's Brian Murphy tells you the fantasy impacts of the recent changes some teams have made in the ninth inning.
Arodys Vizcaino righted his ship Wednesday, earning a save cleanly after a couple of very shaky outings. May hasn't been a great month for him -- he's allowed runs in three of his eight appearances -- but he can still call himself Atlanta's closer today. However, it's time to get Dan Winkler on your radar. He owns a 0.98 ERA, a 0.65 WHIP and 27 Ks in 18.1 innings. A.J. Minter is also of note, but I think Winkler is going to get multiple save shots before all is said and done. Vizcaino's leash seems pretty short right now.
Brad Brach has had some better results in his last 4-5 times out, which has included a couple of saves. His return to closing duties may be short-lived, however, as Darren O'Day is expected to be activated from the disabled list this week. Brach might still hold on to the gig and is worth a speculative add in deeper formats. Keep in mind that everyone in the Orioles' bullpen will have to make way for Zach Britton when he makes his season debut in a few weeks.
Oh, Keynan Middleton! What do we do without you? Unfortuntely, it looks like the answer is: "Nothing." Middleton's season is in jeopardy after an MRI revealed that he has UCL damage in his right elbow. And the Angels are replacing him with ... pick someone. Justin Anderson notched a save on Monday, and former Oriole Jim Johnson got the job done before him. Cam Bedrosian and Blake Parker are in this picture too, and manager Mike Scioscia hasn't signaled that he will settle on just one guy in the ninth inning. Overall, I think this is a situation to avoid until further notice.
Corey Knebel is back after missing more than a month with a hamstring injury, and while he hasn't reclaimed his closing role yet, that shouldn't be too far off in the distance. Josh Hader has been obviously unbelievable, but he'll be placed into more of a setup role soon. That doesn't mean you should drop him; Hader is still plenty valuable in ratio leagues and is currently supplying 18 strikeouts per nine innings. I hear that's pretty good.
Hector Neris has eight saves this season, but his numbers otherwise are unsightly. His struggles have played a part in manager Gabe Kapler's decision to go with a true bullpen-by-committee format, where certain arms will be used based solely on matchups, not inning and score. I, the baseball fan, personally like such a strategy. I, the fantasy baseball owner, hate it with a passion. Best of luck to those who want to play the ninth-inning guessing game in Philly. Much like with the Angels, it's best to steer clear of here for now.
After a small string of scoreless appearances, Greg Holland gave up two runs in one-third of an inning on two hits and two walks Wednesday. That forced Bud Norris to come in for a five-out save, which he accomplished without much trouble. Holland's ERA and WHIP are now back over 6.00 and 2.00, respectively. Norris' fantasy owners have probably been waiting for their ride with Bud to come to an end, but I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel right now.
Roberto Osuna's baseball future is nebulous after he was arrested last week for allegedly assaulting a woman. MLB has placed him on administrative leave, and all we know right now is that he won't appear in a game until at least May 22. And then he'll probably be dealing with a lengthy suspension as well. On the field, it's been more than a week since the Jays' last save opportunity, which was successfully converted by Tyler Clippard. Toronto has a handful of options to choose from that have pitched well. Although Clippard has been getting the most love on the waiver wire, don't forget about Seung Hwan Oh. The former Cardinals closer has a 20:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.45 ERA through 18.2 innings. He deserves a look in the ninth.
Stats updated through May 16.
Feel free to follow, ask fantasy questions and yell at Brian on Twitter: @Spokes_Murphy
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Chrismukkah & Festivus
Traditions & Vounteering
A Kosher Christmas
'Tis the Season to be Jewish
Tag Archives: Jewish Santa
Jewish Santas: A Mixed Bag…
Perhaps the most interesting and ironic form of Jewish volunteerism during Christmastime is the phenomenon of the Jewish Santa Claus–Jews who don Santa outfits to play the role of Santa at retail businesses, hospitals, shelters, and private homes. Examples are myriad as illustrated by comedian Alan King, who often told about his encounter with a Yiddish-speaking Santa Claus at the corner of 57th Street in Manhattan. The Jewish immigrant from Ukraine justifies to Alan King his “ho-ho-ho” getup by quipping in Yiddish: “Men makht a lebn“—a man has to make a living!
A pay check, however, is not the main reason Jews volunteer to dress up as Santa. Jews who act out the part of Santa do so for altruistic reasons, some for evoking pleasure and others because Christmas was part of their holiday celebration growing up. Still others, like the one in Alan King’s bit, may do so for commercial gain. No matter the reason or combination of reasons, certain Jewish Santas stand out from the so-called mainstream. Ben Sales of the JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) recently reported about Rick Rosenthal, an Orthodox Jew from Atlanta whose full-time profession is to be Santa: “If you look at the world as children do, that’s a better feeling. I’m a better person and a better Jew because I’m Santa.” Rosenthal, according to Sales, has expanded upon his Santa profession. He and his wife run a Santa school, Northern Lights Santa Academy, that “hosts three-day weekend seminars on how to be Santa. The school covers everything from fashioning a good costume to making sure you have legal and insurance protection in place. But the seminars also promise fun times, like a Christmas movie screening and a photo op with a live reindeer. The couple also runs the National Santa Agency, which books a network of 100 Santas, Mrs. Clauses and elves for private parties and events.” And, as Sales reports, Rosenthal is a “member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.”
See: https://www.jta.org/2018/12/10/culture/this-santa-claus-is-an-orthodox-jew
For another current example of a Jewish Santa, see: http://jewishjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018_12.20_JewishJournal.pdf
For more on this topic, See AKosherChristmas blog posting “Where Can I Get a Santa Suit?” dated December 2, 2102, and also the preeminent resource on American Jews and Christmas: A Kosher Christmas: ‘Tis the Season to be Jewish by Joshua Eli Plaut, Ph.D. (which is available on amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+kosher+christmas).
Categories: Christmas, History, Uncategorized Tags: Jewish Santa
Where can I get a Santa suit?
So you want to dress up as Santa?!!! This is not as unusual as it might seem! I have covered this phenomenon in my recent book “A Kosher Christmas; ‘Tis the Season to Be Jewish,”( Rutgers University Press, 2012) and other published articles. Interestingly, it is still a noteworthy occurrence as occasional reports of Jewish Santas still appear in the press. The phenomenal of a Jewish Santa is still alive and kicking!
In a New York Times article (November 18, 2012) titled “Skinny Santa Who Fights Fires,” journalist Corey Kilgannon writes about Jonas Cohen, a member of the West Hamilton Beach Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Corps. Jonas has played Santa for his department for over thirty years!
Also, take note of a fabulous short story by Nathan Englander, included in his debut collection of short stories, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges (New York: Alfred Knopf, 1999). Englander recounts the story of Reb Kringle, an orthodox rabbi, who, despite inner turmoil, plays Santa Claus in a department store for forty years. Reb Kringle’s motivation is purely economic. All starts to unravel when a young boy tells Santa that his new stepfather is imposing the celebration of Christmas on the household and then asks Santa for a menorah and to celebrate Hanukkah.
Lastly, comedian Alan King described his encounter with a Yiddish speaking Santa Claus at the corner of 57th Street in Manhattan. The Jewish immigrant from Ukraine justified the ho-ho-ho by quipping in Yiddish: “Men makht a lebn—it’s a living.
The underpinnings playing Santa Claus are myriad. Whether to enhance neighbors’ holiday Christmas celebration by promoting good neighborly relations between Jews and Christmas, or whether from a yearning to be participant in the good cheer of the Christmas holiday or whether purely for economic gain, Jews are enacting Jewish values that are syncretized with the Christmas message of bringing joy to the world.
Categories: Christmas, Traditions & Vounteering Tags: Alan King, Corey Kilgannon, Jewish Santa, Jonas Cohen, Nathan Englander, Santa, West Hamilton Beach
Thanksgivukkah
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Morning Report: Bank earnings pour in 7/13/18
Posted on July 13, 2018 by Brent Nyitray
S&P futures 2797 -1
Eurostoxx index 385.18 0.81
Oil (WTI) 70.6 0.27
10 Year Government Bond Yield 2.84%
30 Year fixed rate mortgage 4.53%
Markets are flat as bank earnings come in. Bonds and MBS are up small. Slow news day.
The US government held a reasonably strong auction yesterday, where primary dealers took down their smallest positions ever. Meanwhile, speculative shorts in Treasuries (one of the biggest trades on the Street) are struggling as rates stay stubbornly low. Some continue to warn that the flattening yield curve is really telling us that a recession is around the corner.
The prepared remarks for Jerome Powell’s semiannual report to Congress should be out today. Probably won’t be market-moving, but you never know.
Import prices fell 0.4% in June as petroleum and food prices fell. For the year, they are up 4.3% however.
Consumer sentiment fell according to the University of Michigan / Reuters survey. The current conditions index drove the fall, which is usually a function of gas prices. Trade fears also weighed on sentiment.
Wells Fargo reported earnings this morning. Earnings were down due to a tax charge. Stripping out the tax charge, they were flat. They had a tough quarter for mortgages like everyone else. Origination for the quarter was $50 billion, which is up seasonally from Q1, but down 11% YOY. The current pipeline of $24 billion is down 26% YOY. Margins were 77 basis points, which is down 17 from the prior quarter and down 47 bps from a year ago. The stock is down 3% pre-open.
JP Morgan had a similar story to Wells. They originated $23.7 billion in mortgages during Q2, which was higher seasonally and down about 10% from a year ago. Mortgage banking revenue (which includes servicing) was down 6% YOY. Margin compression again was the story, especially in correspondent lending. They marked up the MSR book. JPM is flat pre-open.
A bunch of other banks reported this morning and the whole sector is getting hit, with the XLF down about a percent and a half.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell made positive comments about the economy, although he is concerned about trade and the effects of a long trade war with China. He is concerned about rising trade tensions, although he notes that Trump’s goal is to get others to lower their tariffs. If he succeeds in that, then the trade tension would be a good thing, not a bad thing. It is important to remember that China’s biggest weapon against the US is not imposing tariffs on US goods – it is ignoring US intellectual property laws. Those sorts of things will not really show up in the balance of trade numbers, but will have huge effects on IP firms, particularly media and software.
Filed under: Economy, Morning Report |
« Morning Report: The Fed is looking for new recessionary indicators 7/12/18 Morning Report: Empire State outlook dims 7/16/18 »
Let the mutherfuker burn!, on July 13, 2018 at 12:37 pm said:
It’s open season in consequence free fucking!
http://time.com/money/5333714/supreme-court-plan-b-buying/
Brent Nyitray, on July 13, 2018 at 12:46 pm said:
I can’t believe these morons can’t tell the difference between subsidizing and banning BC…
jnc4p, on July 13, 2018 at 1:45 pm said:
“Across the country, Americans are stockpiling emergency contraception in light of Justice Kennedy’s retirement and President Donald Trump’s Monday nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.”
This is like people buying up guns during the Obama administration.
Kevin S. Willis, on July 13, 2018 at 2:15 pm said:
Exactly like that. Although in the case of Plan B, there’s a lot more money behind keeping it on the market. Big Pharma puts a lot more into DC than Big Gun.
ScottC, on July 13, 2018 at 2:31 pm said:
Except that the threat to, say, Texans’ guns is real, even if the power/influence to make good on that threat is misjudged. The threat to, on the other hand, Californians’ access to emergency contraception is entirely the product of their own delusional ignorance.
Democratic unity on display:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/13/schumer-supreme-court-fight-centrist-democrats-716654
She caved.
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/scarlett-johansson-exit-rub-and-tug-trans-backlash-1202872981/
Awwww . . .
I guessed that might happen. The result will likely be that now this movie will not be made. Seriously, if I was putting this thing together I would not make the movie if I didn’t have a star as a hook.
It’s currently unclear where production stands on “Rub and Tug” after Johansson’s exit.
I think it’s pretty clear. It’s either done for or soon to become a Netflix production.
Brent Nyitray, on July 13, 2018 at 2:26 pm said:
How did the trans community (which has to be miniscule) become the most powerful social lobby in the US? I am mystified..
Brent:
How did the trans community (which has to be miniscule) become the most powerful social lobby in the US?
The gay community has nothing more to lobby about, that’s how.
Let the mutherfuker burn!, on July 13, 2018 at 3:15 pm said:
The lesbian community is split on the tranny issue though.
Status on the hierarchy of victims.
Why is Trump supposed to be freaked out that Mueller incited a bunch of Ruskies for activities under Obama’s watch?
Which revealed nothing even remotely interesting.
Because they were in contact with Roger Stone.
It’s unfortunate that none of the Russians will likely ever be brought to trial. I’d really like to see the evidence adjudicated in a court of law.
Meh, Stone was acknowledging his receipt of already published leaked email.
I wonder if Mueller will squak like he is with the Ruskie company that hired their own shyster to defend them.
It’s going to be telling if Stone is indicted or not. If there’s an actual link between Trump and bad actors, Stone will be it.
I’ve no doubt he’ll be indicted. He won’t be convicted mind you, but he’ll be indicted.
And it will be a process crime, one chargekof lying to the FBI or some such horseshit.
Isn’t that the whole point? None of the evidence will see the light of day, so the D / MSM complex will be able to assert whatever they want.
I find it interesting that revealing secret information about about a candidate or campaign is now deemed to be “interfering with an election”. I look forward to CNN being accused of “interfering with the election” the next time it shows a leaked video of a private Republican campaign event.
Only sources with “pure” motives are allowed now.
Mark Felt’s motives were pure I tell you!
jnc4p, on July 16, 2018 at 11:00 am said:
Vox tries to parse it in a manner that allows anti-Republican info to still be used:
“The pledge also would not prevent the media from reporting about leaked information, including leaks of classified material, which are often mistakenly conflated with hacks.”
https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/3/9/17096418/newspapers-media-facebook-pledge-not-report-russian-hacks-journalism-ethics
Someone gets it:
“Trump is not eroding our European alliances because of personal enmity, and he’s not doing it because he’s a Russian plant (at least, I don’t think he is). He’s doing it because he disagrees with the path Europe is on, and he doesn’t see any benefit to America in following its lead or being enmeshed in its mistakes.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/13/17568246/trump-uk-europe-nato-theresa-may
markinaustin, on July 14, 2018 at 8:37 am said:
Completely agree with JNC about the family separation issue, which was expanded from the necessary [Scott’s posing of risk of flight felons] to the near universal by Sessions’ order.
Have to think the EW Ds who want to kill the messenger by disbanding ICE do not understand that ICE has two distinct missions, or do not care, and do not realize that they are giving their political allies a headache and their political opponents a victory and a talking point, as well.
I think the Russian meddling in our elections for their own purposes is something worth investigating, revealing, and hardening against. Because the meddling was by its nature helpful to one side and that side did not report offers of help from the foreigners to the FBI the circumstances became cloudy.
You will recall that previous offers of foreign “assistance” have been routinely reported to the FBI. I think it is possible that the DJT campaign was so amateurish and unused to thinking of foreigners as anything other than more persons to do business with that it never occurred to most of them to report.
Let the mutherfuker burn!, on July 14, 2018 at 9:17 am said:
Do you think Mueller’s announcement was coincidental to Trump’s upcoming Putin meeting?
Also, why was Obama so ineffective with Putin?
markinaustin, on July 14, 2018 at 11:42 am said:
George, the timing may have been. IDK.
What I think will come out of Mueller’s investigation that is of lasting consequence will not be revelations about the Trump Campaign and will have nothing to do with it. Also, it may not be made public. Knowing what they are focusing on will have to reveal a whole lot of global cyberspying-cybersecurity issues I suspect that much of what is reported to Rosenstein will be parceled out to CIA and NSA, not for criminal sanctions but for counterintelligence and cyber hardening. I suspect that our allies will be included in some of the parceling of information.
Frankly, other nations besides Russia have been screwing with us; certainly Israel and China, maybe Iran and India.
In an in depth investigation this sort of evidence will turn up.
As to your second question, once Gates left BHO’s FP went adrift. Gates had the ability to persuade BHO to action while Panetta, who was completely in line with Gates, did not. “Red line” in Syria? Once that was shown to be idle, Putin had a much freer hand. And thus DJT’s threats, as they prove to be bark with no bite, will also undermine our position vis a vis Russia, Iran, Pakistan, China, etc.
Any POTUS whose background was not as strong in FP as say Eisenhower’s or GHWB41’s, especially whose background was zero like WJC and DJT, has an OTJ learning curve. RWR and WJC were much better second term FP leaders because they actually learned on the job and I thought GWB had learned a lot by 2007, too, albeit the hard way. I honestly do not think DJT will learn a damned thing, and I think BHO may have regressed.
Let the mutherfuker burn!, on July 14, 2018 at 11:54 am said:
Do you think Obama’s feckless FP re Russia had anything to do with his desire to get a toothless, endangering agreement with the Iranians?
markinaustin, on July 14, 2018 at 1:02 pm said:
Especially because I think the agreement as far as it went was not toothless. If you had suggested BHO took a narrower agreement than what could have been achieved by a Richard Holbrooke I would guess you were right. But purely as to nukes, it has a serious inspection protocol.
If you are suggesting that a narrow agreement that did not address exporting terrorism was the result of having to get Russia and/or China on board, you could be right, but IDK.
And I absolutely do not know why the Indictments were published yesterday or whenever. If they were ready to go before that, I don’t know, if they were ready only during this last week, I don’t know, if you think Mueller should have waited, that would be an opinion I wouldn’t share.
Does the news say when the Grand Jury foreman signed off? [document itself was signed by the Foreperson yesterday]. Does it say when the case presentation to the GJ was concluded? Was it a month ago? Last Thursday? If it does and you know these facts please reveal them. Some of these facts may be known, btw. But not to me.
Your argument presupposes that Eisenhower’s and Bush41’s FP was good, correct?
Ditto Clinton and Reagan’s second term FP?
markinaustin, on July 14, 2018 at 12:51 pm said:
Ok, that’s interesting.
eorge, the timing may have been. IDK.
Brent Nyitray, on July 14, 2018 at 11:34 am said:
The thing that bothers me is that the DNC isn’t a part of the government. In theory, it is no different than the Russians hacking the Koch Brothers. Is that a national security issue? I don’t think so. I couldn’t imagine the Democrats caring one bit if the Kochs were hacked.
Second, what did the DNC hack reveal? Nothing we didn’t already know: that the Party wanted Hillary to be the nominee, and the MSM coordinates messaging with the Party. I think both of those were common knowledge.
I get that the Party / MSM complex is trying to establish a narrative that this somehow makes DJT an illegitimate president, but I don’t see why Rs are taking it so serious.
Pretty sure the FBI or Mueller never looked at the server. Also, I think they’re referring to the spearfishing efforts and calling that a “hack”, or the media is.
Kevin S. Willis, on July 14, 2018 at 11:31 pm said:
So much of the stuff they refer to as “hacking” wasn’t. What they suggest came from Russian may not have. When they say “on Putin’s direct order” I think they are completely full of poop. They don’t understand what portscanning is.
Without hard evidence that actual IT professionals would sign off on and be able to explain clearly to other IT professionals, I’m going to assume it’s mostly bullshit or ignorance at play. The whole Russian story has just out of control bonkers, to me, for the most part. That Facebook is involved in this story is crazy.
While it’s a given other countries have screwed with us (Russia included), the nature of everything they’ve disclosed to the public (and other things they’ve said, and, frankly, Occam’s razor) has made me feel like most of those so positive Russian colluded with Trump to “steal the election”, or “stole the election for Trump without much direct collusion”, or “hacked the election” are either completely deluded or intentionally misleading.
Israeli intelligence does REAL hacking:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet
The malware has both user-mode and kernel-mode rootkit capability under Windows, and its device drivers have been digitally signed with the private keys of two certificates that were stolen from separate well-known companies, JMicron and Realtek, both located at Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The driver signing helped it install kernel-mode rootkit drivers successfully without users being notified, and therefore it remained undetected for a relatively long period of time.
The certificates were physically stolen in a break-in.
THAT’S what hacking looks like.
The “hacking” of the DNC–even that done by Pakistan–seemed to be individual or non-state actors, and there has been no evidence that I have seen put forth that it wasn’t. I mean, none. Not even circumstantial. Just bald, baseless assertions–very Trump-like, actually–that it was Russia on orders from Putin!
What is “necessary” depends entirely on what one is trying to accomplish. If one wants to reduce or stop illegal immigration, then to me it seems pretty “necessary” to not let illegal immigrants just go free into the country after they have been caught. Call me crazy, I guess.
I get that, if one is in favor of open borders anyway (as jnc is), then it makes sense to use the “family separation” issue as a wedge to accomplish it through the back door. But if you favor any kind of border control, it seems nuts to me to take people who have been caught sneaking into the country and just let them go. I seriously cannot imagine any rationale for such a transparently counterproductive policy.
Well, what are our alternatives? Immediate deportation for entire family without review? Family detention (this seems like the obvious solution to me, although the courts don’t seem to see it that way)? Or something else that doesn’t involve making it very easy for them to disappear into the country? Possibly with kids that aren’t theirs?
While I’m in favor of open-ish borders, I want it 100% streamlined and legal, with the only people excluded from crossing our open-ish borders people who have repeatedly violated visas or what have you. That is, we’re open to people coming in, but they do it legally, and pay the fees for green cards, visas, and ultimately citizenship. At the very least, I think we should make immigration easier while we make illegal immigration much, much harder. And end by federal law all entitlement temptations for immigrants (before they achieve actual citizenship). I also want a big damned wall, although this may be unrealistic.
ScottC, on July 15, 2018 at 8:42 am said:
Well, what are our alternatives? Immediate deportation for entire family without review?
I don’t find that to be particularly unreasonable. There is no reason for legitimate asylum seekers to sneak into the country and not openly present themselves for asylum at a port of entry, so it seems to me a reasonable default assumption that if you sneak into the country, your asylum claim is not legitimate. Besides which, there is no point in establishing a manner by which asylum is supposed to be claimed if there is no downside to not following it.
Family detention?
I don’t see any problem with this either.
At the very least, I think we should make immigration easier while we make illegal immigration much, much harder.
I agree with this, too.
The choices are not so limited. I have read that the ankle monitors actually are very effective.
I’d be interested in just how effective they are for illegals. I vaguely recall reading that only something like 60% of illegals with a bracelet show up for their hearings. But I can’t confirm that (or any other number) anywhere, so I may be mis-remembering.
jnc4p, on July 16, 2018 at 9:43 am said:
“it seems nuts to me to take people who have been caught sneaking into the country and just let them go.”
In the context of the current asylum law, it’s a better solution than detaining everyone with an asylum claim.
If you want to truly reduce or stop illegal immigration, that’s not going to be possible with the current state of the law.
Trump & Sessions are trying using the limited enforcement discretion they have to offset the incentives in the law. I don’t think the benefits of stopping illegal immigration are worth the costs.
I don’t think the benefits of stopping illegal immigration are worth the costs.
What is the cost to American citizens?
ScottC, on July 16, 2018 at 10:10 am said:
In the context of the current asylum law…
OK, how should current asylum law be changed?
…it’s a better solution than detaining everyone with an asylum claim.
Better in what sense? Cheaper?
Yes, and more humane.
To achieve what you want, you’d have to change the asylum law so that you can’t apply for it if you are in the country illegally.
Sessions’ efforts to change/modify what constitutes legit asylum claims should allow BP to immediately reject claim. At least till illegals are recoached on their next attempt.
I suppose, although the same would be true with regard to incarcerating literally any criminal. I don’t think the goal should be simply the humane treatment of illegals. I think it should be the most humane treatment possible without the context of actually enforcing the law. And I don’t see anything particularly inhumane in detaining people who enter the country illegally.
As suggested by my response to KW the other day, I think that would be a perfectly reasonable policy.
Brent, what do you think of the assertion [made by TV analysts yesterday] that as Fed interest rates rise to meet inflation banks will become more profitable because they will float interest rates that are higher?
Let’s call the Fed rate differential from the various prime rates quoted “margin 1”.
It seems to me the that the cost to borrowers is followed by the increase in interest paid to depositors. Let’s call that “margin 2”. So then the sum of profitability is “margin 1” plus “margin 2” multiplied by the number of transactions, which are dependent, it seems to me, more upon the general state of the economy than upon the supply of money, which is where I am confused because the Fed manipulates rates.
In any event, I would tend to think the Fed’s reaction to inflation is not necessarily bullish for bank earnings. Could you get a bit wonky and lead me behind the TV analysts’ glib sound bite?
I may send this to you as an email, but I hope you can answer this here.
The Fed can only affect the shortest term rate directly. So, in theory, the Fed could raise the short term rate, and you could see rates further out in maturity move up, down, or not at all. The short rate is what drives deposit rates (which is the bank’s source of funds), while the rates further out drive what banks charge for loans to customers. Banks will refer to this as net interest margin, which is the difference between what they earn on their assets, and their cost of funds. When the yield curve flattens, as a very general rule, you should see net interest margins drop, which would translate into lower profitability.
Here is where drawing conclusions for bank earnings gets tough. First, banks earn a lot from fee income, which is insensitive to interest rates. Things like ATM fees, money management fees, etc. Second, banks will charge a margin (ie spread over the risk-free rate) on their loans, which can change as well. Say a bank makes a 5 year loan at T+150 (or 150 basis points over the 5 year rate). If the 5 year rate goes up, you might have a scenario where banks are competing with each other for loans and they might change the rate to T+125. And finally, if the Fed is raising rates because the economy is strong, then you would expect banks to report lower delinquencies (which they are). So, you could have a situation where net interest margins fall, but everyone is paying their bills so it turns out to be a wash.
I would say as a general rule though, net interest margins seem to be falling as banks compete for loans and the yield curve flattens.
THANKS, Brent.
Here’s another thing that men are innately better at than women, female beauty pageants.
As I’ve said many times, both my wife and I are feminists, but as a man I’m just a little bit better at it than her.
Forgot to include link:
Spain's beauty queen is a transgender activist with a message for the schoolchildren she visits: “There are women with a penis and men with a vagina, because the only key part of being a woman is to be and feel like a woman.” https://t.co/pxX9hwUv0E
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) July 13, 2018
If one really feels one is a woman but has a penis how does one enjoy sex? I don’t get it. I do understand going through the surgery to be able to perform like the gender of one’s comfort, but at some point one is either a homosexual in transgender clothing or an actual heterosexual who has made a commitment to one’s chosen identity.
Am I overthinking this? I am confused. In any case, the gym locker shower rule should be based on one’s “equipment”, I think.
If one really feels one is a woman but has a penis how does one enjoy sex?
With their very feminine penis.
Eh, things change. There was a time when there was too much real stuff going on to worry about gender identity. Or what your pronoun was. And this new 76-genders thing is really very new (a sign of how easy we got it now, if you ask me). The debate was and still is, for many, one of “I’m a man even though I was born a woman” or vice-versa. But for lots of younger folks it’s a matter of: “sure, I know what gender construct I was assigned at birth, but what is my *true* self? What is my *authentic* gender?” The next-next generation (the millennial tail or the post-millennials, whatever they are called) are going to be very weird to us old fogeys when it comes to sexuality.
The one anecdotal take away (for me) is that the millennial and post millennials are going to produce a lot more of what we old farts would call “lesbians” or “bisexuals” back in the old days. Now they’ll be genderqueer or some new gender name.
I think the gym locker thing is going to have to change from what it is to something more expensive, but ultimately necessary with 76 genders and at least 5 or 6 relatively common different gender identifications: toilets and showers and changing areas in private booths/rooms. No more gender specific bathrooms or locker rooms, just individual closets for you and whatever your gender is.
The debate was and still is, for many, one of “I’m a man even though I was born a woman” or vice-versa.
The obvious question to ask such people is…what do you mean by “man” and “woman”? I guarantee you they will be incapable of answering the question coherently.
and at least 5 or 6 relatively common different gender identifications
What are these common gender identifications? I am genuinely curious.
Well, some people are using sexual orientation as interchangeable with gender now. So you can guess what those are, and I’ll let that go because you know what I think of that: we have different words for “sexual orientation” and “gender” for a reason.
For genders, you get: Man, Woman, Transman, Transwoman, Genderfluid (or Genderqueer), Transitioning (?) , maybe Agender or Bigender. Also non-binary, which seems exactly the same as Genderfluid to me, but whatever.
I wouldn’t be surprised in Non-Binary or Agender show up on the drop-downs of forms you’ve got to fill out pretty soon. I know the Student Information Management system I work with has recently updated the Gender field to accept multiple gender options beyond male and female. And, anecdotally, it seem like the most common “gender” for young people who are biologically female but don’t want to say that’s what they are is some form of non-binary, gender fluid, or agender (non-gender).
If the federal reporting requirements start accommodating more than the 2 familiar genders, though, I’ll let you know!
“Am I overthinking this? ”
No you aren’t. It take a lot of effort to sell the bullshit that “there are women with a penis and men with a vagina” and much less to call it out.
And Rachel Dolezal still can’t get away with “identifying” as black.
What exactly is a woman?
@jnc4p: “And Rachel Dolezal still can’t get away with “identifying” as black.
Not yet. But soon. Soon.
This stuff will get stickier and more acrimonious as more people start claiming to be the ethnicity they feel they were born as. It will be harder to challenge those folks when they start claiming to be both a different gender and race. And I’m expecting the term “cisracial” or some variation will become a thing.
Rachel Dolezal, call your office.
There’s going to be a switch flip, where Rachel Dolezal, et al, move from being generally ignored by lefty culture, or mildly condemned as “cultural appropriators”, to people speaking their “own truth” and “stretching the boundaries of our understanding of the intersectionality of race and ethnicity”.
There will be resistance, of course, and probably some more prominent liberal resistance than you get with “I’m a woman because I say I am” new-genderism. But they cannot confine the “identity fluidity” to just the gender box.
I wouldn’t fuck her with Trotsky’s dick.
That's nice dear. Now take out the garbage and sweep out the garage or you won't get your allowance… https://t.co/LDXMviTuVI
— Brent Nyitray (@brentnyitray) July 14, 2018
The funny thing is in her utopia, she would be the first sent to the rice paddies or the fields. Unless she pissed off the establishment – then it is straight to gulag.
In fairness, she has big knockers.
Eh, she/xe can do her/xerself with her/xer own dick. Eh, there will always be a certain class of people who are unable to distinguish between their personal wants and human rights.
Hard to argue.
I'll also add that the spread of vegan dining options to service the 0.5% of Americans who are vegan as the second-best evidence of class bias in America. #1 is bike lanes; we would outright ban bicycling on major roads if it were primarily a lower-class endeavor. /rant
— Sean T at RCP (@SeanTrende) July 15, 2018
Truth, although there are lots of non-vegans who enjoy vegan dining options, it’s still not enough to make such options rational economic decisions in the marketplace. McDonald’s McLean burger was awesome and they sold modestly well, but for most businesses, “modestly well” doesn’t cut it.
Bike lanes are fuckin’ pointless. A huge project was done here about 2 years ago to put bike lanes all over the place on the major roads and their offshoots. Which was done not because people were biking on those roads (they weren’t and they still aren’t) but because certain people just liked the idea of the city having bike lanes. In reality, every frickin’ biker I see is still riding in the middle of the lane on two-lane roads in the exurbs.
Although I could believe they wanted the bike lanes just to NOT use them, so they could be too cool to use the designated bike lanes.
Ok, I laughed.
You're lucky he didn't throw toothbrushes at you why farting the melody of Hard Day's Night. https://t.co/CbpkpXNP4V
— Cuffy (@CuffyMeh) July 15, 2018
In a lot of ways Trump is more of a Churchill than, well, Dave Cameron of Jeremy Corbyn to name two forgettable PMs I think I can remember the name of.
And did the Mirror run a story when Obama returned Churchill’s bust saying “How Dare You . . . ?”
https://www.newsweek.com/white-house-replaces-churchill-bust-82255
Ok, I’m lesbian too.
I have a penis and I am still a woman. I am still a lesbian. When lesbians are in a relationship with me, they remain lesbians, because they are in a relationship with me as a person, not a specific part of my body.
— Avery Edison (@aedison) July 13, 2018
One of the many signs we’re in a super-rich and self-indulgent culture. These are very much first-world affectations.
jnc4p, on July 16, 2018 at 12:02 pm said:
This used to be what the right would come up with to parody the left, which the left would say was absurd.
This Kos Kidz diary is particularly delightful. The comments are absolute perfect.
When Roe v Wade is overturned, women in the female slavery states will be dependent on underground distribution systems for mifepristone, misoprostol, and before long for oral contraceptives. As those states Gileadize, they will push to eliminate choice federally throughout the US. That will start a hot civil war.
Please log in or sign up to continue.
trumpeloeil July 15 · 11:39:58 AM
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1779945
You can just tell how bad they want it. That “hot” civil war. Although I love how little understanding of Roe they have that they think all that much will change when it gets over-turned–just the locus of the battle with change, and almost certainly to the arenas in which it should have been in in the first place. And all they’d frickin’ have to do is elect a bunch of pro-choice Democrats and eventually they could just pass a law legalizing abortion in a variety of situations and legally suggesting Plan B is more contraceptive than abortion . . . and it’ll work out. And perhaps with better access to abortion than they have now.
“The female slavery states” . . . Christ, wouldn’t that be a slogan? What young man wouldn’t want to move to: “Texas: The Female Slavery State”.
We are threatened with living in Robert Bork’s America
Christ, I wish that were true. That’s like saying we’re threatened with winning the lottery and getting a blow job from a supermodel. Not a threat and also not remotely likely to happen. Wrong on two counts. At least.
The answer is simple—when Democrats return to power, they must exercise this power to undo this theft by reshaping the court and the courts. This requires simply passing legislation to that effect.
No, the answer is even simpler than that. We wave a magic wand and get everything we want with magic! Presto change-o!
Good luck on simply passing legislation to change the court. A: What can be done can and, in this case, almost certainly will be undone. And when the 5 new justices are ejected by the next Republican president/congress, they aren’t going to be the conservatives. And the precedent of the original court packing will be cited.
Progressive Übermensch and Democratic God-Emperor FDR couldn’t get the court-packing done. With a largely friendly congress and senate. What makes them think the Democrats are ever going to have a situation that well-aligned again? Especially in a country that just elected Trump? I cannot see a scenario where they could get the 2/3rds majority to override a veto. These people live in a fantasy world.
And I can see the political ads for 2020. “Democrat Kamala Harris is on record saying she intends to pack the supreme court with justices that ‘agree with her’ if you vote for her . . . ” There’s no way the optics of even the attempt will work in their favor. And how much red meat do they really want to throw to the base?
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Tag Archive: Rupert Murdoch
J.K. Rowling to participate in British press inquiry
Harry Potter novelist J.K. Rowling, the parents of absent girl Madeleine McCann in addition to actor Hugh Grant have been settled special status in a British inquest into media ethics with practices, the investigate said lying on Wednesday. They are in the midst of 46 “core participants” who will be able toward give evidence in addition to seek to question witnesses in the query, launched after a phone hacking scandal required the closure of the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World during July.
They include supposed victims of hacking, such as Grant, Hollywood actress Sienna Miller in addition to the parents of murdered adolescent Milly Dowler, whose voicemail was allegedly under fire when she went missing within 2002.
Other participants have complained on the subject of harassment by the British press, as well as Rowling and Kate as well as Gerry McCann, whose toddler Madeleine moved out on holiday within Portugal in 2007, sparking a international campaign near locate her.
Former modus operandi 1 boss Max Mosley and concerned ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne are in addition on the list, released by inquiry chairman Lord Justice Brian Leveson, because is former second-in-command prime preacher John Prescott.
News International, the close relative company of the News of the World, in addition to the owners of the Guardian, the each day Mail, the Daily Express and extra papers will also be central part participants.
They will acquire part in stage single of the inquiry, which concerns media morals with practices, including press associates with politicians along with the police.
Stage two will come across specifically at hacking at the News of the World furthermore in other newspapers save for this will not begin awaiting the police investigation hooked on the scandal is absolute, which may obtain years.
Tags: Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Hugh Grant, J.K. Rowling, Max Mosley, News International, News of the World, Rupert Murdoch, Sienna Miller
Media Watch: Which Apps Make Bank, HuffPost Relaunches Fashion …
Filed under: fashion — Leave a comment
Huffington placement has relaunched its fashion site, StyleList. The digital silky will be run by means of Anya Strzemien, the innovative Style editor. Stylelist will be lope as a disconnect fashion website, with blogs beginning fashion hotshots Rachel Roy, Heidi Klum, in addition to Jason Wu.-Minonline information that the fee-based app model is paying off and statistics out which applications fetch in big currency. Zinio, the multi-title digital glossy magazine distributor, fell during behind Apple’s word supercomputer Pages and Smurfs Village. Zinio did sell more than Angry Birds, which made comprehensive executive VP Jeanniey Mullen very ‘happy.’-News Corps execs consider that James Murdoch’s stay in the midst of the company will be short-lived, reports Reuters. The younger son of Rupert Murdoch is immobile under fire more than the UK phone-hacking scandal, as a result execs think he might be prepared to “step aside’ or “receive a break.’
Tags: Angry Birds, Heidi Klum, James Murdoch, Jeanniey Mullen, Rachel Roy, Rupert Murdoch, StyleList, Zinio
Now, Jude Law sues The Sun over alleged eavesdropping
Hollywood heart-throb Jude commandment is suing The Sun over supposed interception of his voice mails designed for stories about his private life, comatose another tabloid of Rupert Murdoch’s shaky media territory into the phone hacking scandal so as to has rocked Britain.Law’s accomplishment pertains near the time when Rebekah Brooks was the editor and is alleged to be the initial such legal action alongside Murdoch’s best-selling every day title.The group’s major selling tabloid News of the World was stopped up down last week subsequent to the scandal engulfed it among revelations to the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler was hacked, in the middle of others.The News global (NI), the British unit of Murdoch’s News Corp, inveterate Law’s lawsuit, excluding firmly denied the state, the Independent newspaper whispered.The suit was filed at the high court during London last month beside The Sun, which was until now pure by the scandal. It is believed to be regarding four articles published by means of The Sun in 2005 and 2006 allegedly based lying on material obtained beginning the Sherlock Homes’ actor’s touchtone phone.Law’s previous fiancee Sienna Miller last month won £100,000 in compensation and “sincere apologies” as of the NOTW for the repeated hacking of her phone.The Sun most recent night described the 38-year-old Law’s maintain as a “deeply cynical with on purpose mischievous” try to draw the newspaper keen on the furore.fascinatingly, Rebakah Brooks who stepped down as News global CEO yesterday with who was editor of the NOTW when suspected malpractices happened, was also the editor of The Sun at the moment in time Law claims his privacy was breached.If confirmed, the proceedings would be particularly uncomfortable to Brooks, according toward the sovereign.
Tags: apology, British, Brooks, chief executive, company, crisis, Hinton, Murdoch, News Corp, News International, News of the World, newspaper, phone-hacking, quits, Rebekah, resignation, Rupert Murdoch, said she, scandal, Sun
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<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/21743842"><strong>courage is the passport when your old world disappears</strong></a> (15915 words) by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/Dialux"><strong>Dialux</strong></a><br />Chapters: 1/1<br />Fandom: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Good%20Omens%20(TV)">Good Omens (TV)</a><br />Rating: Mature<br />Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings<br />Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)<br />Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens), Anathema Device, Gabriel (Good Omens)<br />Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Leap Year (2010) Fusion, Bed & Breakfast, Sharing a Bed, Huddling For Warmth, Car Accidents, Sand Mafias Galore, Environmentalism, 2018's Beast From The East, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, (vvvv quasi), Alternate Universe - Bed & Breakfast<br />Summary: <p>The sun is shining the next morning. Crowley wakes up to it, to the warmth of it making him sticky with sweat, and something even warmer pressed against him, from nape to ankle. He turns, slightly, just enough to confirm: it is Aziraphale. Star-haired Aziraphale, with a tongue like a knife and a gaze like ice and a heart warm as a blazing bonfire.</p><p>[Leap Year AU, where they’re completely human; with sand mafia, environmental terrorism, a Crowley who hates rain and an Aziraphale who just wants to propose to his boyfriend.]</p>
Good Omens (TV)
Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Aziraphale (Good Omens)
Crowley (Good Omens)
Anathema Device
Gabriel (Good Omens)
Alternate Universe - Leap Year (2010) Fusion
Huddling For Warmth
Sand Mafias Galore
2018's Beast From The East
(vvvv quasi)
Alternate Universe - Bed & Breakfast
Good Omens Holiday Swap 2019
courage is the passport when your old world disappears
The sun is shining the next morning. Crowley wakes up to it, to the warmth of it making him sticky with sweat, and something even warmer pressed against him, from nape to ankle. He turns, slightly, just enough to confirm: it is Aziraphale. Star-haired Aziraphale, with a tongue like a knife and a gaze like ice and a heart warm as a blazing bonfire.
[Leap Year AU, where they’re completely human; with sand mafia, environmental terrorism, a Crowley who hates rain and an Aziraphale who just wants to propose to his boyfriend.]
For Lindseygrrl (Khryns).
Written for the Good Omens Holiday Swap, for khrys- I hope you like it! It started out, at least, as a Leap Year AU, but quickly devolved into something very different. No, I do not and cannot keep my tropes straight. Cross-contamination is rife in dialux's stories!
Some interesting notes for the fascinated reader who would like to know about my research into this fic can be found here.
I know this week hasn't been... very heartening for most of you, so I hope this (relatively) romcommy story can help you out!
“Have a wonderful flight, love.”
“Mmm,” he says, and grins at Aziraphale, dry as white wine, before reaching for a kiss. “I will. And you- be careful. There’ve been some- ah- robberies going around. Apparently.”
“Oh?” asks Aziraphale. “You’d think they’d have realized minimalism’s in now.”
“Not with you it isn’t,” he says, before stepping away and shoving his suitcase in the trunk. “Which is why they’ll come for our flat first, what with a snowstorm on its way and all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. Just careful.”
But Aziraphale smiles to take the sting out of the words, and kisses him goodbye one last time, and waves as the taxi disappears into the early morning fog, carrying his boyfriend with it. It’s only afterwards, after he’s sitting at his table, that he lets himself think it: always so careful, aren’t you, Gabriel?
It’d been a nice counterpoint from some of Aziraphale’s previous boyfriends, who wouldn’t have accepted responsibility if it killed them. For the first three years, Aziraphale had appreciated Gabriel’s brusqueness, his aura of control, his firm knowledge of right and wrong, the way he doesn’t act until he has all the needed information. It’s what makes him such a good PR consultant- he acts swiftly only once he’s got everything he needs.
Four years of living together, and no further commitment from Gabriel’s end. It leaves Aziraphale a little worried: when has Gabriel ever not been decisive? And if he decides he doesn’t want Aziraphale anymore, what does Aziraphale have? A shop? His books?
No. It isn’t enough.
And Aziraphale doesn’t want him to leave. He wants a life with Gabriel, tucked in this part of London, warm and cozy and comfortable.
So here he is, sitting at his little kitchen-table, planning.
Here he is: plotting.
A few hours later, Aziraphale packs himself off into a small taxi and takes off to the airport. It’s not a great day: the February morning is cloudy and cold, the promise of snow and rain heavy in the air, but Aziraphale has a very soft scarf that keeps his neck warm despite it. He gets a ticket quickly, though he has to suppress a shudder when the ticketing agent chucks his luggage- a proper antique!- into the check-in queue without any care about denting it.
It’s a good plan, what he’s come up with.
Gabriel is a staunch Christian. He knows all the saints. He knows all the tales. He knows the Bible back to front and front to back, and lives his life as staunchly by it as he can. And Aziraphale has always liked Saint Brigid, patron of scholars and printing presses. If he’s proposed to on the 29th of February, he’ll know the tradition Aziraphale’s invoking.
That, at least, Aziraphale is certain of.
What he isn’t certain of is Gabriel’s answer.
But still, four years is so long. Short in the larger scheme of things, yes, but long enough to know whether the relationship can last or not. And, Aziraphale thinks, if it ends here, if it ends like this, because Gabriel does not love him enough to wed him- then Aziraphale will walk away at least knowing that. At least this terrible uncertainty won’t dog his footsteps wherever he goes.
The flight is a small one; it always is for such short distances. Aziraphale doesn’t think much of it.
Not until the oxygen masks fall, at least.
“How is it,” asks Aziraphale, trying desperately to hold onto his temper, “that a plane from London gets blown further south?”
The lady behind the desk sighs. “I’m very sorry, sir. But the warnings about the snowstorm have caused emergency closures of all airports within the storm’s radius, and there is no-”
“Is there another flight to Dublin that I can take?”
“Sir,” says the lady. She looks very pale in the fluorescent lighting, and very tired, and about as incredulous as she can while holding onto her customer-service-mask. “There is a snowstorm that has grounded all flights in and out of Dublin for at least two weeks. If you’d like, I can put you on a flight to Spain.”
“No,” says Aziraphale. “That won’t be necessary.” He pauses. Tries to soften his voice, because it isn’t the poor woman’s fault, at the end of the day. “But do you have a ferry anywhere near here?”
“Nothing official,” says the lady. Then she takes in his face- the scarf drooping, the damp patches of sweat on his jacket, the visible dents in his- antique!- luggage- and sympathy visibly softens it. “But I think I can get a cousin on the line for you, if you don’t mind paying a bit extra.”
“Thank you,” says Aziraphale, fervently, and watches her face pink up a little in pleasure.
The boy the lady hires for the job is a young man, with a ruddy face and acne turning it ruddier, a shock of dark hair and limbs so long he looks more cricket than human. “Heard you need a ride,” he says, and his voice cracks cleanly through the middle, like a porcelain plate snapped in half.
“Yes,” says Aziraphale, hauling his suitcase through the pier and onto the boat. “To Cork.”
“Dunno if we’ll get that far.”
The boy looks dubiously at the sky. It’s a strange yellowish tinge; Aziraphale isn’t certain if that’s from the sunset reflecting off of the clouds or if it’s a prelude to a storm, like in the accounts of hurricanes he’s read about from the Bahamas. But the wind is sharp and cold in his face, and it’s been so long since he ever felt something this wild, this uncontrollable. He has to stifle the strange urge to laugh into the teeth of the wind, giddiness turning his limbs light.
“Sooner begun, sooner ended,” says Aziraphale calmly, settling into the boat. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Right,” says the boy, even more dubiously. “Hold on, then, I guess.”
Eventually, when the waves are almost completely swamping the boat, the boy seems to be aiming less for Cork and more for land, any land. They finally wash up on a rocky beach, the landing rough enough to jar Aziraphale’s back and cause it to ache.
“It isn’t Cork,” says the boy, but his sidelong look at Aziraphale tells him that it doesn’t matter even if Aziraphale tries to avoid payment, or promise more money. There’s no way he’s going to go out into the water again.
“It isn’t,” he agrees, and hides the disappointment as best he can before fishing out his wallet. “But a deal’s a deal. Do you know this town?”
“Not... well.” The boy hesitates, then pockets the cash. “But there’s an inn on top of that bluff, I think. If you want a place to stay the night.”
Aziraphale takes stock: the outer layer of his luggage is soaked through, and so is he, and the night is falling fast, the wind picking up with it. He thinks there’s an oiled cover in the boat’s supplies, but then the boy will probably use that himself. Which means that Aziraphale has no choice.
“Thank you,” he says, because for all his misfortune the lad doesn’t deserve to be on the wrong end of his temper, and Aziraphale can be courteous even if all he wants is fall into a soft, warm bed and sleep for a couple days.
He remembers: Gabriel, the ring tucked in his breastpocket. It’s going to be worth it. And perhaps, decades later, it will make for a good story when he’s telling people in a pub. The adventure he had, in going from London to Dublin.
The optimism lasts him right up to taking the suitcase up the bluff. Aziraphale doesn’t like exercise; Gabriel’s tried all sorts of methods to get him to go to the gym with him, from losing weight to sleeping better at night, but Aziraphale doesn’t mind either his figure or his insomnia, not really. He does regret not being in shape now, when there’s sweat making his shirt sticky and then immediately drying off under the freezing wind, and the hard edge of his suitcase keeps banging against his legs. There are going to be bruises in too many places to count.
By the time he gets to the actual inn, he is red-faced, cheeks chapped from the cold and flushed with the exertion, hair tamped to his skull and feeling wild-eyed with sheer desperation for rest. There’s a little bell that jangles when he enters- just another infuriating stimulus scraping away at his self-control- and he drops the suitcase with a huff in front of what he assumes has to be the reservation desk.
“Is there anyone here?”
“Yes,” says a cool voice behind him. “But please refrain from attempting to damage the floorboards. They’re new.”
Aziraphale turns on his heel and forces himself not to look too disbelieving of the man who’d just spoken. There’s absolutely no way these floorboards- which have more scars and dents than Aziraphale’s luggage- are newer than two decades. Probably between thirty-five and forty years, actually, if his experience in antiques is anything to go by.
He needs a room, doesn’t he?
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says. “Are you the innkeeper?”
“Do I look like the innkeeper?”
“I don’t see anyone else here.”
“Which is because I am the innkeeper,” says the man, and smiles at Aziraphale like he’s in on a joke. “Crowley, at your service.”
“Er. Right.” Aziraphale blinks, then nods once, sharply. “I don’t suppose you have any rooms I can let for the night?”
“I usually don’t take such late customers.”
“It’s not even eight!”
“Most of ‘em are online, nowadays,” says Crowley. “The reservations, I mean.”
“Are they,” says Aziraphale, flatly. “Do you even have any customers?”
Something closes off in Crowley’s face, and he leans back. “It’s off-season,” he says, and his voice has cooled off.
“Looks like it.” Aziraphale bites his tongue before he can say anything worse and get himself kicked out of the only place that can house him for- probably- kilometers on end. “Look. Can I have a room? I’ll pay upfront, in cash- I just need somewhere for the night.”
“Sure,” says Crowley, voice still flat. He taps at a screen in front of him- Aziraphale hadn’t known screens that large could be touchscreen, and certainly not when everything around them is so ramshackle and collapsing. “How many nights?”
“Er. One. I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow morning.”
“So soon!” he says, and the sardonic uptick of his voice almost makes Aziraphale twitch with what’s rapidly becoming Pavlovian reflex. Then Crowley looks up, and there’s a brightness to his gaze that makes Aziraphale relax against his will. He holds out an envelope. “Your room key. There should be ice down the hall, but if the machine doesn’t work don’t worry. Just give it a couple of solid thumps and it’ll set it to sorts. Complementary breakfast in the morning, make sure you’re down by eight!”
Aziraphale pays and heads over to the stairs that Crowley had gestured to, pausing only to flip the envelope over and look at the room number.
204 shines back at him, stamped dark and heavy.
The bastard’s probably given him the highest room in the entire inn.
Oh my god, thinks Aziraphale, before taking his luggage with both hands and striding up it. Think of Gabriel. This is all for...
Crowley watches through the carefully-arranged mirror as the man exhales sharply and sends a dark look back to the reception desk before taking the stairs. He grins; there’s something amusing in pushing polite people to the edge of rudeness and pulling away right before they tip over it.
Then he turns away to do his work for the night.
The inn is not doing well. Crowley’s acknowledged that in his mind, even if he hasn’t admitted it to anyone else. The man- Aziraphale- was right. The floorboards are mildewed in some areas and there are so many other problems- the bougainvillea he’d planted years ago is threatening to rip apart the wooden stakes of the roof, and the kitchen has such an inefficient stove that he’ll probably have a carbon monoxide poisoning sooner rather than later, and there’s a stone wall running behind the inn that’s grown so weak it’ll give way to a goat’s headbutt as soon as the farmers start taking them out to pasture. But to solve all of those, Crowley’s going to need money, and that’s the real problem underlying everything: he doesn’t have enough cash.
He’s scraped by these past few years by the skin of his teeth.
And to be fair, it is lean season; February to April are the worst months, with college students busy with studies and the constant threat of storms like this one currently banging his window shutters so wildly. But Crowley doesn’t have the padding of a good Christmas season because he hadn’t been in town then, and he’s paying the price for that risk now.
There’s nobody who’ll loan him the cash. Absolutely nobody. Not with Crowley’s history, which he hadn’t bothered to hide when he moved here because he’s so tired of hiding it; they’ll all shake their heads and look at him with glassy eyes, pity and scorn lighting them in equal measure.
Screw them. He’s got enough pride not to let on exactly how bad things have gotten. You’ll figure this out, Crowley.
Like he always has.
Even if he gets a headache from squinting at the numbers and trying to balance them- even if the only time he gets to do this is past midnight- Crowley will, because this is the one home he’s chosen for himself and the one home he wants, and that matters, and Crowley’s never let go of things that mattered in his entire life.
The next morning, Crowley lets Aziraphale into the outer dining hall. It’s a good morning; the sun is shining through the clouds, and the rain has washed all the dust off of the leaves and petals to turn the entire garden into a shining, brilliant vision. He offers a plate of a proper English breakfast- eggs, bacon, toast; coffee that comes from freshly roasted beans. And Aziraphale seems to appreciate it more than the average customer, too, because he hums deep in his throat when he tastes the coffee, and refrains from gulping it down like a thirsty vagabond, for all that he’d appeared a drowned one just a few hours previous.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” Crowley asks silkily, keeping his tone even and pleasant.
“No,” says Aziraphale. He looks up at Crowley, then, and his eyes are not a very deep blue; they are lighter than that by far, like floes of ice, and colorless when the sunlight shafts across them at a particular angle. Something clenches in Crowley’s abdomen, and eases only when Aziraphale continues to speak. “But- do you know where the nearest train station is? I’m headed to Dublin, you see.”
“There’s no train station near here,” Crowley tells him. Aziraphale pales, a little, and Crowley finds himself elaborating: “They were building one down to here, but it got diverted more inland so they didn’t have to worry about the cliffs. They’re quite unstable, so they’d need to build that too, and you know how the government is.”
“Cheap?”
“Penny-pinching bastards, the lot of them,” agrees Crowley.
Amusement leavens Aziraphale’s face a little. He leans forward, and studies Crowley. “I’ll need to go inland, then. Catch that train.”
“Wouldn’t make sense. They cancel them half the time, any which way you want to measure time. And anyhow, nearest train station’s twenty kilometers away."
“Ah.” He slumps back. “I don’t suppose you know of another method of travel out of here? I’m on a deadline- I need to be in Dublin by tomorrow.”
“Something important happening?”
“Leap day,” says Aziraphale. “I’m sure you know the tradition- I plan to propose. To my- ah- boyfriend.”
That fist clenches in Crowley’s belly again, and he coughs to hide it. “Leap day,” he says, and knows his voice is too flat, the pleasant edge of it suddenly turning cold and sharp. “Doesn’t that mean a man who’s proposed to on leap day can’t say no?”
“Not without paying the person who proposed a fee. In the old times, it would have been the fur of twelve animals. Now... I suppose twelve books would be enough.”
“I didn’t take you for a gold digger,” says Crowley, staring at him.
Aziraphale flushes. “Excuse me?”
“What, just because he won’t marry he has to pay you to leave him alone? That sounds terrible. And cruel.”
“You don’t know him! Or me!”
“No, I don’t.” Crowley smiles, a flash of his teeth, and watches Aziraphale flush a little darker. “But I do know that there’s no way out of this town unless you drive. And there’s nobody who’s going to offer a taxi service.”
“They’ll do it,” says Aziraphale grimly, chin upturned and eyes flashing as he glares at Crowley. “For the money if nothing else.”
Rows of dark numbers flashes through Crowley’s mind, the dizziness of seeing them for so long that they lost almost all meaning. He’s not a greedy man, Crowley, but he’s a man who knows survival when he it dangles in front of him and stinks of bait.
“How much money?” he asks casually.
“I- don’t know.” Aziraphale shakes his head. “How much do you think it’ll cost?”
Crowley makes a rapid decision. “Five hundred pounds,” he says, and steps closer to the table, so he can better see Aziraphale. “Five hundred, if you want to go to Dublin. I’ll drive you there myself.”
“Oh!” For a moment, Aziraphale doesn’t answer. He’s looking for a way to decline, Crowley knows it. “I don’t think-”
“Take it or leave it,” says Crowley, folding his arms over his chest. He smiles, again, this time slow and wide. Debates on vocalizing the threat, but... he’s not a good man, and never has been, and he doesn’t think he’ll start just because he has a paragon of virtue or whatever in front of him. “And believe me, I know how to cut transmission wires on cars far better than I can drive them. So if you really want to get out-”
“Just the truth, angel.”
Aziraphale doesn’t react badly to the nickname; he only pulls his eyebrows down and says, more petulantly than angry: “I don’t like you.”
“You don’t have to.” Crowley lifts his eyebrows. “Just pay me.”
Aziraphale taps his fingers on the table and studies the remnants of his breakfast. He looks deep in thought; like he’s trying to tease out some old, unknown truth instead of debating on whether he should take the expensive lifeline Crowley’s just offered him. Finally, he brushes a hand to his brow and looks up at Crowley.
“Oh, fine,” he says, and for all that it’s sullen and unhappy, it’s also an agreement.
Crowley will take what he gets.
The car Crowley comes up with is such an anomaly to his surroundings- well, it’s an antique, or so Aziraphale thinks, so not that much of an anomaly, but it’s shiny and black and long, the metal rivets gleaming and headlights almost larger than Aziraphale’s skull- and he can’t fathom where Crowley must have hidden it, because there’s nowhere around that should be capable of hiding it out of a storm or fell weather.
“Ready, angel?”
Aziraphale firmly- firmly!- ignores the twist in his chest at the name. The man’s only being sarcastic, and he’s only in this for the money, and Aziraphale has to remember that.
“You know my name,” he mutters instead, and drags his luggage the last few feet to the boot of the car. “Could you open it up? I’ll just-”
“-what is that?” asks Crowley, stepping out of the car and looking horrified.
“My suitcase.”
“It’s covered in shit!”
“Mud. From the rain.”
“Oh, so you can tell the difference between them, can you?” Crowley glares at him for a long moment, then shakes his head. “Fine. Whatever. Stay here. I’ll be back.”
He returns a moment later with a waterproof cloth, brightly decorated like the kind that Aziraphale’s seen adorning picnic tables for children’s birthday parties. Crowley spreads it over the backseat and insists on arranging the suitcase on top of it himself, so no part of it can touch his precious car, even by accident.
“You’ve gone mad,” says Aziraphale, before he seats himself.
Crowley slides into the other door. “I like my car,” he says primly; the dissonance almost makes Aziraphale laugh, though he takes care not to when he still doesn’t know how Crowley will drive.
Better not to antagonize him right before a relatively lengthy drive.
Only it seems that Crowley’s an insane driver, no matter what precautions Aziraphale might take.
“That is enough,” shouts Aziraphale, and reaches out, and yanks at the wheel Crowley’s currently spinning with far too much glee.
The car skids for a moment- Aziraphale’s stomach bottoms out in sudden, abrupt realization that he’s probably thrown them off the mountain they’re currently climbing- before it comes to a halt in the ditch on the other side, wheels caught in mud.
Crowley tries something that makes mud splatter all over the back windows of the car but doesn’t move anything, and then he swears loudly before turning to scowl at Aziraphale.
“Now look what you’ve done!” he exclaims.
“It’s at least half your fault, too,” says Aziraphale. “The way that you were driving- you were lucky you didn’t take us off the mountainside.”
“If you’ve ruined my Bentley,” he says, and it sounds like a threat, but there’s no actual threat following it up, so Aziraphale remains relaxed in his seat.
Crowley makes an inarticulate sound, high and furious, before slamming out of the car. The opening of the door brings a gust of cold wind and colder rain, and Aziraphale shivers as he hunches further into his coat, glad for the scarf around his neck. Crowley doesn’t seem deterred though; he stomps around, red hair clearly visible through even the pouring rain, and peers at the Bentley’s trunk and position for long minutes before entering the car once more.
“We’re stuck,” he says grumpily, ignoring the rain plastering his hair- once teased high as a fox’s tail with some product- to his head and dripping all over his precious seats.
He pulls out a phone, sleek and elegant, and taps something into it, bringing it to his ear before grimacing at the water still making its way down his face. Crowley looks at the rest of his clothes. None of them are any better off, and he’ll likely only make himself wetter by trying to touch any part of his face with his clothes. Wordlessly, Aziraphale hands him his scarf. Crowley jumps; he looks at Aziraphale with some strange look on his face before taking it and mopping his face.
“Yeah, Dagon?” Crowley closes his eyes and leans back, presses the cuff of his sleeve to his brow and drops it as soon as he feels its dampness. “It’s me. Crowley.”
There’s an explosion of sound from the other end.
“Yeah,” says Crowley, and he sounds tired. “I know, mate. I know. It’s been a while. No, I haven’t. Things’ve been... good.”
That inn, with half its doors hanging off hinges, with mold in the majority of corners, looking like it’s going to collapse on itself under a strong wind- that’s good? Aziraphale holds back his incredulous snort and tucks himself further into his jacket; Crowley’s cold jacket is making him cold, from the sheer difference in temperature.
“You still working in Kilkenny?” Another bit of sound, where Dagon is apparently either shrieking bloody murder or talking very loudly. Crowley coughs into his fist, rolling his eyes a little, and says, deliberately, “Kilkenny, Dagon. Yeah. Needed a bit of help. I- er- got stuck in a ditch. Long story, but I’m near the city, I think.” He pauses. Then, very loudly, “I cannot- d’you even remember that-”
The phone clicks off, and Crowley puts it down, and very slowly bends over his steering wheel to press his head against the knotted metal edge of the wheel. His hair flops down, longer than Aziraphale had imagined it without the product keeping it up, and the way his eyes close- Aziraphale feels warmth swell from his gut, all the way up to his throat, like he’s swallowed the first rays of spring sunlight.
“It’ll be a couple hours,” Crowley says hoarsely. He gets up and looks normal, for all that he’d looked completely exhausted just a few moments before. “For Dagon to tow, I mean. And we don’t have any connectivity. For calling a taxi.”
“Even in your fancy phone?”
“No. Not even in my fancy phone.”
Aziraphale nods and lets the conversation drift into silence. He looks out of the window; tries not to pay too much attention to the man beside him who looks like he’s half a minute from either punching something or crying. Mostly because there’s nobody else to punch in the vicinity apart from Aziraphale, and he doesn’t know how to handle anyone’s tears, much less Crowley, who’s bristly enough to put a porcupine to shame.
Then he sees Crowley’s face.
“Crowley,” says Aziraphale, trying to keep his voice pitched low so the alarm doesn’t worry Crowley, “are you okay?”
“Hmm?” Crowley turns slowly, like he’s one of those bobblehead machines that can move up and down but not side to side. “Yes. I’m fine.”
“Your skin is- it looks- blue.”
“I... ah- well. I don’t. It’s quite... normal, I think that’s-”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” snaps Aziraphale, leaning forward to touch his neck. He can’t quite help recoiling at the freezing temperature. “You aren’t alright. Not if you’re in shock already!” Crowley starts to furrow his brows, but unfortunately for him, Aziraphale’s patience has shattered under his worry about fifteen seconds previously. “Take off your clothes.”
Some emotion returns to Crowley’s face. “No,” he says, and sounds insulted. “Do I really look that easy to you?”
“You look half-frozen,” says Aziraphale, steely-eyed. “And like you’ll catch your death of the cold if you don’t handle yourself. Now, I think the jacket’s the worst off- and your shirt, too, but your jeans should be fine.” Mostly because he can’t imagine that Crowley has the dexterity to get the jeans off, and Aziraphale does not want to attempt to undo things plastered that close to the skin. “If you can get that off, I’ll give you my jacket, yes? And you should be better off. Warmer, at the least.”
They manage it after some shuffling around. In the end, Crowley stretches out in the backseat, stripped to the waist and shivering spasmodically- the shivers make Aziraphale feel a little better, because he remembers reading that shivering’s the body’s way of making itself warmer; the real danger is when that reflex stops- but it doesn’t seem to matter what configuration Aziraphale tries to shove him into. Crowley keeps shivering.
Where is that blasted friend when he needs to show up?
“Fine,” whispers Aziraphale. “Oh, fine. I suppose...”
It takes more maneuvering, with more dexterity than Aziraphale’s had to use in quite a few years. But by the end of it, he’s got himself pressed up against Crowley, his chest to Crowley’s jacketed back, one arm curled up at an unpleasant angle over the window and the other hanging over Crowley’s ribs.
This close, Aziraphale can smell Crowley from underneath Aziraphale’s jacket: it’s a strange scent, damped by the rain and vaguely reminiscent of a deep forest, full of moss and growing things. But that would make sense; Aziraphale remembers how lovely Crowley’s garden had been, rich and lush and verdant, full of bright plants and thick vines. They’d all looked under control, too, not the wild sorts of gardens that some places had, where they just let nature take its course. He can imagine it now: Crowley gardening, a cheek streaked with dirt and eyes shining with joy.
Slowly, trying to flex his now-numb arm, he lets it drop to Crowley’s head. Crowley doesn’t do much more than snort and shimmy, a peculiar movement that begins in his neck and carries all the way down to his calves. His hair is softer than Aziraphale had thought it might be, though that might because the product has mostly been washed out of it.
And it’s been a very long day. A long few days. If Aziraphale had known how much trouble he’d get into for just trying to go meet Gabriel, he wouldn’t have ever left Soho. But he didn’t and he has, and the car is- while not warm- strangely comfortable, and so he closes his eyes, and before he knows it, he’s fallen asleep.
Crowley jerks awake out of a dream. He usually does; he tends to thrash in sleep anyways, and moreso when he’s sleeping in unfamiliar places. There’s a thud and someone’s yelp, and he feels his heartrate pick up, the old panic rising up and threatening to drown him. One arm reaches out on reflex, a rabbit-fast punch that slaps against...
Leather?
His vision clears, and Crowley sees the shiny black leather of his Bentley. The rain-crusted window. A flash of cream on his chest, and another on the floor, and he chooses to roll slightly to see-
“What the fuck,” he says.
Aziraphale, who’d apparently been spooning him- which, again, what the fuck- looks up at him, and has the gall to look a little wounded. “You were cold,” he says. And sounds accusing, the bastard. “And kept shivering. I thought you needed some way to keep warm.”
“And you didn’t think of turning up the heat?” asks Crowley, flabbergasted.
“I'd break that thing as soon as get the heat up,” says Aziraphale. He lifts his eyebrows, and looks far too put-together for lying on the floor of a Bentley, hair and clothes all askew. “I didn’t think you’d like that very much.”
Crowley decides that he cannot deal with the implications of that statement just yet, and sits up, swinging his legs carefully to avoid hitting Aziraphale. He has to figure out what’s going on: the rain has pretty much stopped, but he can’t know when it’ll pick up again, not in the middle of a storm cell like they’re currently in. He grimaces at the feel of his damp jeans still on his legs. It’s going to take him ages to get those off now. Then he reaches for the handle.
“Where’re you going?” asks Aziraphale, sounding alarmed.
“Outside,” says Crowley. He lifts an eyebrow back to him, some of his humor restored. “Don’t worry, angel. I won’t just abandon you here.”
Aziraphale rolls his eyes, some of the apprehension fading. “I just meant that you don’t seem to handle the rain all that well. You did almost go into shock.”
And I’m liable to do the same again if I don’t have time to regroup. So. Picking the best of two evils, really, between the cold and sitting here with you.
“It’s stopped raining,” he says instead, and doesn’t wait to hear Aziraphale’s protest before stepping out.
Outside, the cold air is bracing and freezing on his open chest, but the rain has stopped. Crowley takes a few deep breaths of it, lets it settle in his lungs, lets it settle his brain. Runs a hand through his hair, and grimaces at the floppy feel of it.
It’s been a very long time since he slept with his back to someone.
Not since... No. I am not going to think about that. Not now, of all times.
Four years he’s gone without remembering that night, and now he’s just going to give it all up? Because he got cold?
No. Aziraphale doesn’t know anything, really. He still thinks it’s the cold and the rain that turned Crowley into that half-catatonic mess. Best to keep him thinking that way. And also for Crowley not to think about how warm his hand had been, how soft; how it had felt, to have that kind of kindness, unthinkingly given. Aziraphale’s going to go back to his fiance and his London life in less than a day, and Crowley cannot forget that. Cannot afford to forget that.
Another breath. Two.
Then he reaches for his phone and pulls up Dagon. The idiot could’ve at least provided him with an update if he wasn’t going to show up.
“Dagon,” says Crowley, and lets his voice drop into the lower register he rarely uses anymore. He might not like threatening people, but he’s half-certain that Dagon’s scared of him anyways, and if it’ll get him out of these goddamn jeans, Crowley’s not going to hesitate. “Where’s the truck?”
“He isn’t coming,” Crowley says, returning to the car.
Aziraphale blinks. “But you-”
“Not tonight, at least.” Crowley closes his eyes briefly, but then he opens them. God. Today’s been one disaster after another, hasn’t it? “He says he’ll try tomorrow, because it’ll be Thursday and he should have the day off. But he can’t make it tonight.”
The idiot isn’t in Kilkenny. He’s driving around Kilkenny, but he won’t be able to make it until tomorrow. Which, if he’d just said-
But Crowley’s not in the habit of crying over spilled milk. He looks at Aziraphale, and smiles, and reaches for as much calm as he can manage.
“So what’re we going to do?”
“You found my inn yesterday,” Crowley tells him. “If we make our way down the mountain, we should find another. A bed and breakfast, or a pub at the least.”
They get Aziraphale’s luggage out, and Crowley takes the moment while he’s occupied to pull on his wet shirt and jacket and hand Aziraphale’s back to him.
“Oh, you don’t have to-”
“It’s cold,” Crowley tells him, and ignores the violent shudders snaking down his spine. It’s just rain, not sprinklers. And it’s only damp, not soaking. He isn’t going to have a panic attack, not now. “You’re going to need it. Really. I’ll be fine.”
“Right,” says Aziraphale dubiously, but he takes the thing anyways, so Crowley is going to chalk it as a win.
They make their way downhill, Crowley’s backpack pressing uncomfortably wet cloth against his shoulderblades. It’s probably... just before sundown, which is why they have some light to see by, even if it isn’t a lot.
“Is Dagon your friend?” Aziraphale asks.
Crowley cuts him a look sharply, but there’s no mockery in Aziraphale’s face; he’s concentrating on not tripping over the sharp stones in the path. And it would make sense: how could he know of Crowley’s past? Nobody does. It isn’t that nobody can, only that Crowley’d got a taste of how it felt to not have a past years ago, and he ran with it like nobody could have imagined.
“It’s... complicated,” he says aloud. Looks up to the sky, which is still scudded with clouds but clearing a little, just enough that the sliver of the moon is visible. “We were friends, for a long time. Colleagues, I think, would be a better name for it.”
“He sounded like he was surprised that you were calling him.”
“He was.” Crowley kicks at a stone; feels the sweet ache of it in his toe. “I haven’t spoken to him in- Christ- five years.”
“What happened?” asks Aziraphale, voice soft, inviting. Without any hint of the maliciously curious edge that Crowley’s spent years searching for, dismissing people for.
“I left,” he says. “The company we worked for, I mean.”
“And that was- bad?”
“Worse than that.” Crowley laughs, once, shortly, humorlessly. “I was working in a construction company, see, and it had ties- all over the world. Global construction company. And I got the job by a fluke- it was a recommendation by someone who shouldn’t have ever given it, who wouldn’t have given it if they knew I’d get the job- but I was good at it. Really fucking good at it.”
Not for very long, maybe, but long enough. It’s definitely left its mark on him.
“Only...”
“Only the higher I got, the weirder people were acting. So I did some digging. And I found out that they were stealing sand.”
Aziraphale comes to a complete halt. “Stealing sand?”
“Doesn’t sound like much, does it?” Crowley shakes his head. “Only it was. They can ruin rivers with it. Beaches. Entire ecosystems. I didn’t know a lot about it, though, not until there was news a few days later- literal days- about entire towns being washed away in India.”
“Seven people died.”
“So you... did what?”
“Went to the police,” says Crowley dully. “I showed them what I had. They put me in the protected person service while they were working on it, and it turned out that it was a bigger deal than I’d even known.” He snorts. “Proper sand mafia.”
“You’re not still in that service, are you?” asks Aziraphale, a little nervously.
Crowley rolls his eyes. “I can hold my secrets for one day,” he says. Usually takes me the third date to spill all my secrets, but you’re a special one, aren’t you? He can still feel that hand, large and soft, pressed against the space between his ribs. “But it isn’t one, so it doesn’t matter. I got put in the protection, and then they got the worst of the people, and I got out. But I couldn’t go back to London after all of that. Didn’t want to.”
“Ah. I wondered, you know, why you don’t have an accent.”
“Because I’m not Irish.” Something similar to amusement bubbles in Crowley’s belly. “You could’ve just asked, you know that? I don’t mind questions.”
He might choose not to answer, but he’s never not liked questions. And he certainly won’t be offended by someone asking them. It’s the underlying currents that he’s never liked: the cruelty of it, the careless tribalism. The breathless desire for gossip, not for information.
“Gabriel never liked too many questions.”
“That,” says Crowley, very neutrally, “is the first time you’ve told me his name.”
Not neutrally enough. Aziraphale turns around to look at Crowley, wide eyes shining. Again, there’s that twist in his gut.
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” says Aziraphale. “So many years. I just... want him to be mine. You know?”
“Yeah,” says Crowley. “I do.”
“You had someone?”
“No.” Crowley swallows. “Not like... that.”
But he can understand, better than Aziraphale can probably hope for. The possessive, jealous edge to his thoughts. Crowley does not like sharing things. Or people. If he ever fell in love, he’d probably scare the person off with how much he loved them; it’s a design flaw he’s accepted that can’t be changed.
Still. Better not to tell Aziraphale that, he thinks.
“But you said-”
“-yeah. Never had time for it, really- I didn’t have the best childhood.” He looks up to the sky. He’s always liked the stars; how they keep spinning, on and on and on, even when his life feels like it’s stuck in bog peat. “Streets, violence, the whole lot. Never had time before I got the job at the company. Never really wanted to, after. But I can get wanting a family.”
Aziraphale is looking at him. Crowley can feel the regard of that gaze, the sympathy, and it twists him up like a piece of paper braided together, too thick to tear but too flimsy to remain unfrayed.
“Gabriel and I,” he says, finally, when Crowley remains silent. “I always admired his ability to be careful. To wait for the right time. To do the right thing. There’s so much I wasn’t sure of when I met him. He gives me that certainty.”
“And that’s what you want?”
“What more could I want?”
“I don’t know. Love?”
Aziraphale inhales sharply, like Crowley’s just punched him, and Crowley sighs. Another fuckup. I really need to warm up. He usually has better control on his tongue, or at least he does when he’s warm.
“Yeah, no, that’s on me. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to,” says Aziraphale, but he sounds a little weaker on the protest.
Crowley waves a hand. “Look, just because I don’t understand...” He trails off and stares at the sky. His throat hurts, a little, like the beginning of a cold just sneaking up on him. “I don’t get romance. Not really. So. That’s on me, not you.” Crowley sends him a smile, small and thin. “I think we’ve established that I don’t know anything about relationships.”
“I don’t think you don’t get romance,” says Aziraphale cautiously. “You did mention love, you know, and not, like, money.”
“Yeah.” Crowley turns, slightly, and sees a flash of light. “Is that- I think-”
Relief brightens Aziraphale’s face. “Yes,” he says. “It looks like an inn. Can we please-”
“Yes,” says Crowley, and they quicken their paces to get into the inn as quickly as possible.
The owners of the inn are rather older, but they look nice; Aziraphale feels himself relax, at the warmth of the little cottage, at the softness of their gaze.
“I’m really sorry,” he says, shoving a little in front of Crowley. “Our car broke down up the mountain, and we got caught in the rain, and-”
“-and we need a room for the night,” finishes Crowley.
“Oh, you poor dears!” The woman bustles forwards, takes in their damp clothes; her face creases in sympathy. “Yes, yes, we have a room. Right lucky you are, the both of you. Someone came in just an hour ago! Wanting a room!” She lowers her voice. “They weren’t even married. Admitted it straight out!”
Aziraphale is aware of Crowley opening his mouth, so he speaks quickly. “Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, then!”
Crowley freezes in his peripheral vision, shoulders almost seizing up to his ears. Aziraphale forces himself to keep going.
“We aren’t married, actually,” he says, smiling with as little nervousness as he can manage. “But- ah- I just proposed. To Crowley.”
Crowley’s muscles, somehow, tighten further. Then he seems to make a decision, and flows forwards, one arm coming up to rest on Aziraphale’s shoulders heavily. “I,” he says, “am so happy.”
Aziraphale makes a point of turning, just enough that he can shove his elbow into Crowley’s gut.
“Call me Crowley,” he says, and barely sounds winded. But he’s smiling now, and it doesn’t look forced at all. “He’s Aziraphale.”
The woman’s eyebrows rise, a little.
“A mouthful, I know,” murmurs Aziraphale.
“You shouldn’t blame a son for his parents’ bad choices,” says Crowley virtuously.
A pale flush of anger blooms in Aziraphale’s throat- Crowley doesn’t know who he is; doesn’t know Aziraphale’s parents; doesn’t know anything- but he doesn’t say anything. He’ll get this bed and hot bath today if it kills him.
“No, indeed,” says the innkeeper, hand clapping over his wife. He smiles at Aziraphale, wide and honest. “Why, Mary, we had that couple down from Glasgow- those two lads-”
“-true,” says Mary. Her eyes measure them closely, and then she’s smiling too. “Come on, then. You’ll need to get out of those terrible clothes soon enough.”
The room, however, has only one bed.
“I am not sleeping with you again.”
“Believe me,” says Aziraphale, “I don’t want to get punched either.”
“So who gets the bed?”
“Flip of a coin?”
“Fine by me.” Crowley holds up a coin from somewhere, glittering between his fingers. “Heads I win, tails you lose.”
He flips it, and holds it out to Aziraphale. “Heads. I win.”
Aziraphale rolls his eyes. “Fine. I’ll be in the shower.”
The shower is not much- not really separate from the room, just curtained off by something that’s sheer enough to be translucent. But the water is hot, and Aziraphale isn’t going to complain when he hasn’t had a proper shower since getting soaked in that ill-fated boat ride.
When he steps out of the shower, Crowley’s laying on the bed. He’s stripped off his jeans. He’s wearing a towel over his hips, but his legs poke out from under it, long, ankles hanging off the bed like little chicken claws, something graceful and awkward all at once in the slender bones.
“Crowley,” asks Aziraphale, though he keeps his voice pitched low. He doesn’t want to wake him, not when he looks so peaceful. “Crowley, are you-”
He jerks awake. Crowley’s eyes meet Aziraphale’s, and he wonders at the blind panic in them, shielded quickly before Aziraphale can do much more than identify it.
“Mm,” he says. “Didn’t think I was so tired.” Rubs at his jaw, then nods to Aziraphale. “Mary said that dinner’d be ready in a half-hour.”
“You’ll need to change into something for that.”
“Yeah. You’ll head down now?”
“Was thinking about it.”
“Be careful,” Crowley tells him wryly. “Best not let them trip you up with all the stories you’re telling.”
“I’m a good storyteller!”
“Ah, but are you a good liar?”
“That is none of your business,” Aziraphale tells him, and Crowley laughs aloud, loud and uninhibited.
Still smiling, Aziraphale leaves the room.
The dinner smells wonderful. There are quite a few people downstairs already- a couple from Italy; another few on a visit from America; and, of course, the innkeeper and his wife. He makes smalltalk with a hiker who’s also from London, a woman with hair chopped short enough that it keeps falling into her eyes and she keeps shoving it out of them.
Then Crowley comes down.
He’s wearing sweatpants and slippers, and a shirt that could only be called acceptable for a party by the biggest stretch of the word acceptable. But his hair’s also been slicked back again, teased up and high, and his face looks a lot livelier than it had been in the dim light of their room.
“Hello, angel,” he says, and quirks a smile at the hiker. “Making new friends, I see.”
“She’s a very accomplished hiker,” Aziraphale tells him.
She laughs. “Not very accomplished, I’m afraid, or else I wouldn’t have gotten caught out by this storm.”
Aziraphale goes to respond, but the dinner bell rings and everyone goes to their seats- assigned seats. Crowley mutters in his ear, “Feels like grade school, innit,” and it takes all that Aziraphale has not to snicker in Mary’s face.
And the food is-
Aziraphale would’ve been happy even if it wasn’t this good- the hot shower’s done wonders for his mood- but the stew and homemade bread’s making his day even better. The wine that the innkeeper has set out is sweet, pairing wonderfully with the heavy food.
“So what did you say you did, Aziraphale?”
“I’m a book-owner,” he says pleasantly. “I own a shop in London. Mostly antiques.”
“‘s that why you stared at my floorboards like that?” Crowley whispers in his ear.
“I stared at your floorboards because I was afraid I’d puncture something,” Aziraphale whispers back, and bites his lip not to smirk at Crowley’s disgruntled face.
“And you, Crowley?”
“Innkeeper, like you.” He leans back in his chair, wineglass spinning in his hand. The candlelight from behind him catches on the blocky tips of his hair, and it shines red as a sunset. “A little bit further south. Near the coast.”
“And you’re heading to Dublin?”
“Yeah. Bit of a work thing, for him.” He tilts his head. The gleam of his eyes- the humor in them, the laughter that Aziraphale hasn’t had in so long, because Gabriel doesn’t like ridiculous things, and Aziraphale has decided it’s easier to accept his quirks instead of constantly fighting him- leaves Aziraphale’s tongue dry. “Setting stuff up for when he moves in with me.”
The wine swilling in his mouth goes down the wrong pipe. Aziraphale coughs, hard, and stares at him.
“That is not true,” he says sharply. Crowley lifts an eyebrow at him, the epitome of innocence. “We still haven’t decided that!”
“I’ve got my inn, though,” he says, and there is a smirk there, hiding in the very corners of his lips. “Nobody uses inns in London, do they, angel? People read books everywhere, though.”
You fucking bastard, thinks Aziraphale, even as he feels the outrage drip away like a leaking sink.
“That doesn’t mean I’m planning to leave,” he says, arching his eyebrows back at Crowley. Then he turns to their hosts, who look a little startled, though altogether more convinced about their relationship now. “As you can see, we still aren’t completely in accord.”
“Ah, a lover’s spat!” Mary claps her hands together, warmth leaking out of her every pore. “Well, you’ll need to heal it the old way then, won’t you?”
Crowley’s fingers tighten, immediately, on his wineglass. “What do you mean?” he asks, in a voice that Aziraphale supposes ought to be neutral, though it leaps far, far past that into something that sounds frightfully threatening.
What had he said? Bad childhood. Yes, Crowley’s good at appearing sophisticated and shallow, like every bit of him is visible at the beginning, like he’s nothing more than a sarcastic, selfish person who doesn’t care about anything other than himself. But such a man would not have given up his job because it hurt people thousands of miles away, and would not have apologized to Aziraphale on his opinions of romance either, hours and hours after the fact. Crowley’s got some unplumbed depths. Aziraphale’s... relatively certain of that.
“A kiss!” exclaims Mary, and Aziraphale’s entire body snaps to attention when she says it.
Crowley’s a rigid line beside him, wineglass almost dangerously close to shattering in his hand.
“Ah, um, no,” says Aziraphale, weakly. “That isn’t really necessary, is it? We’re-”
“-nonsense, you’re newly engaged! You must!”
“Yes,” says the hiker, and she’s smiling, and Aziraphale makes a note to kill her slowly. Or at least scold her for not having his back. “You simply must.”
“I don’t think-”
A gentle touch on his elbow. Aziraphale turns, ready to roll his eyes, and Crowley swoops close, presses his mouth to Aziraphale’s.
It tingles up his spine, that touch. Especially when Crowley keeps doing it, even when Aziraphale’s still too frozen to respond, his lips soft and hot and strangely hot, in more than just temperature. It pools in Aziraphale’s belly, like skeins of gold.
Slowly, Aziraphale reaches for Crowley. Touches the very tips of his fingers against Crowley’s jaw, that lovely, too-sharp jaw, leaning in. Skims it back to his hair, the cowlick that apparently can’t quite be smoothed down, and that richly colored hair.
It bubbles through him, warm, warm, and it’s been so long, because-
Gabriel.
Aziraphale pulls away, breathing just a little too hard. Crowley does, too, and his cheeks look pinched red, though that could just be the candlelight reflecting off his hair. Aziraphale looks away and throws back all of his wine, mouth drier than a desert. His fingers itch, ache; he can’t quite get the memory of Crowley’s skin out of his mind, that skin that was soft and dry, and gave so fetchingly, pressing back against his bone when Aziraphale pushed.
Gabriel, Aziraphale reminds himself firmly. I will not forget why I’m here. For anything.
“Well, that’s that,” says Crowley, voice sounding a little strange. “Happy?”
“Yes,” says the hiker, still smiling. “Of course. We were just worried about you, you know.”
“Never thought otherwise,” drawls Crowley.
Aziraphale can feel the pressure of his gaze. But he refuses to look back at him. Refuses to make things worse. He’s in this to get to Gabriel and surprise him, and Crowley is in this for the money, no matter how soft his lips or kind his words are, and Aziraphale cannot- and will not- forget that.
“You utter demon,” hisses a voice out of the dark.
Crowley turns blindly, limbs twisted up in the bedding. “Um. What?” Some old fear flickers through him, but it’s far and distant, lost in the comfortable weight of sleep.
“Wake up, wake up, wake up.”
Something hits him. Then it hits him again, and again, and again.
“Okay,” he says, struggling awake. “Okay, okay. What d’you want?”
“Heads I win, tails you lose,” Aziraphale bites out.
“Wondered when you’d get it,” snorts Crowley.
“Out! I’m taking the bed!”
“I,” he says, with as much dignity as he can inject into the words, “am not moving.”
“I’ll drag you off,” threatens Aziraphale.
“I’d like to see you try.”
“You utter cheating-”
“Just come in,” Crowley tells him, rolling to the other side of the bed.
He hesitates, but the bed is warm, and the air outside is unforgivably cold. Crowley can just imagine the temptation of it.
“You aren’t going to punch me,” says Aziraphale.
Crowley makes a mush-mouthed sound, waving an arm. “Get in or don’t,” he mumbles.”But do it quickly, yeah?”
A moment later, the bed creaks, and Crowley feels the warmth of Aziraphale’s body against his back. He closes his eyes, burrows further into the blankets, and lets sleep wash him away.
With lips, soft as a flower.
Crowley’s got nowhere to go: his back is to Aziraphale, and in front of him is the wall. Just a few days ago- just one day ago- he’d have told anyone that he’d never accept this kind of restraint on his movements. Panic attacks would’ve been the least of his worries.
But now he’s comfortable, relaxed, soft with sleep and lazy for it. He closes his eyes and lets his breath even out again.
Crowley wakes up again, and this time Aziraphale is gone from the bed- he’s brushing his teeth- so he takes the time to stretch his arms and roll his spine. Aziraphale turns at the movement; smiles at him.
“Sleep well?”
“Better than I expected,” says Aziraphale, gimlet-eyed. “It would’ve been better if not for your wiles.”
“Oh, it was funny. Don’t try and tell me it wasn’t.”
“To you, maybe.”
“That’s who I was talking about, yeah.”
Aziraphale rolls his eyes, and steps out of the bathroom, fully dressed, taking his jacket from the seat back he’d carefully arranged it on the night before.
“Mary told me that there’s a train that leaves at five,” he says. “You’ll want to get ready at noon, though, because that’s when we’re getting a ride there. Or else you’re walking to the station.”
“What’s the time now?” asks Crowley, yawning.
Something glints in Aziraphale’s eye. “Half past eleven.”
Aziraphale gets the tickets for them both at the train station, but the train’s been delayed to six. And he’s not going to just sit around and stare at a wall grow moss for six bloody hours.
“I’m going to the church,” he tells Aziraphale. “It’s nearby, I checked, and I’m not going to sit here contemplating the meaning of life for you. Honestly, I’d rather die.” Aziraphale opens his mouth, but Crowley holds out a hand and stops him. “If you make me stay, I’ll make you want to die, too.”
Aziraphale ducks his head, then just nods and lugs his suitcase higher so he isn’t blocking Crowley’s path. “Lead on, then,” he says, in a suspiciously mild voice.
Crowley rolls his eyes. “Right. Out with it. Why’re you smiling like that?”
“You don’t seem like the kind of person who’d like churches.”
“I’m not.” Crowley shrugs. “But apparently this has been abandoned for centuries, so it’s more just a small castle than anything else.”
It’s overgrown with moss and peat, and at a steep incline, so they need to go up quite a few stairs. Crowley doesn’t mind much, but Aziraphale does. He starts complaining about halfway there, and doesn’t stop, not even when Crowley tells him that he can go back to the station if it’s that difficult for him.
“I’ve already done half the hard work,” he says, pushing some hair out of his eyes and glaring up at it when it doesn’t stay put. “So. Upward and onwards.”
“Your funeral,” mutters Crowley.
It’s a lovely church, even if it’s been abandoned. The cloisters are all ruined, of course, the wood rotted from the rain, and the roof’s long since fallen to pieces. But there is a flight of stairs that leads up to a room with stained glass shattered over the entire floor, and the wind that comes in is tinged with the faintest hint of salt. And at the nave, where once a pulpit must have stood, there is a cairn, stacked high with white, water-smoothed stones.
“It’s beautiful,” murmurs Crowley.
“Things like this are always beautiful,” says Aziraphale. Crowley turns to look at him, startled; Aziraphale sounds almost bitter. “It’s the possibilities that we love. We look at ruined things and think that they could be so much better- but when we try to fix it, it’s never good enough. Reality’s never quite as good as our imagination.”
“No,” says Crowley. “But it’s real, isn’t it?”
Aziraphale shakes his head. He looks at the cairn, the stones stacked so neatly, so lovingly, and there’s something pained in his beautiful eyes.
“I- whenever I see them, I think of Gilgamesh. You’ve heard of him?”
“Some ancient tale, right?”
“Yes. From Sumeria. The oldest literature we have to date.” He inhales, and slowly levers himself down to sit next to Crowley, legs splayed out in front of him on the dirty stone without a care. “In the story: Gilgamesh is the king of a city in Sumeria, but he’s cruel to his people- he’s more god than human, so he is stronger than them, and because of his strength, he does not understand sympathy, or empathy, or kindness. So his people ask the gods to save them, and they send down Enkidu, who is Gilgamesh’s equal and his counter.”
Crowley lifts his eyebrows when Aziraphale suddenly smiles at him. “Enkidu’s a wild man. Nature, taken to its heights. And so because he is so strong, he can push Gilgamesh to be kinder; he pushes him to civilization; he says no to him. They fight. But they are twinned, and equal, and so they are necessary for the world.
“They have many adventures. They become so close- and then, Gilgamesh angers Ishtar, the goddess of love, by refusing her, and she demands that one of them die. And the gods choose to kill Enkidu.”
“Oh,” says Crowley, very quietly.
Aziraphale doesn’t even look like he’s telling the story to Crowley anymore; he’s lost in his memory. In the story he’s weaving for Crowley, with his fluttering hands and bright, shining eyes.
“Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu’s death. He denies the death, for more than a fortnight, and it’s only when the corpse starts to rot that he accepts it.” Aziraphale’s eyes close, briefly, then open again, and they trace over the cairn with such longing that it thrums an ache in Crowley’s on chest. “Before he does anything else, he kneels on the beach where Enkidu lay, and he builds a cairn for him of sand.”
“That sounds- slow.”
“But he didn’t stop, not until it was over.” Aziraphale turns to Crowley, and his eyes blaze fiercely, and it takes everything inside of Crowley not to recoil. “The first cairn in the world, built by a man who could not bear the love he bore another man, his equal, sent to him by the gods. That’s what I always wanted, you know. That kind of love from someone. And whenever I see them- these cairns- I just think, all I can think, is who’d build a cairn for me?”
“Aziraphale,” says Crowley, stepping forwards, alarm flitting through him. “You can’t-”
“I don’t have a family,” says Aziraphale quietly, clearly, calmly. “My parents are long gone. No siblings. I don’t know if I like Gabriel very much, but- something is better than nothing, is it not? I’d rather not be lonely than lonely. Have someone to build the cairn for me. Even if... even if I don’t think they’d ever mourn me like that.”
Crowley understands that desire. The need for skin, more than anything else, and the terror of abandoning it. He knows it intimately. How lonely has he been since leaving London? It’d been the thing that almost stayed his hand, time and time again, when he knew things and loathed the way they were but still had a good home, a good job, a good life; why should he be the one to lose all of that, all for defeating the barest drop in the ocean of humanity’s wastrels and sins?
But he’d chosen the higher road, the lonelier road, when he walked away from London, and he doesn’t regret it. He doesn’t dare let himself regret that.
“Yeah, but you can be lonely and married,” says Crowley slowly. “Just because you marry him, it doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect for each other. Doesn’t mean you’ll understand each other.”
“So that’s your choice then? To be lonely?”
“To wait,” says Crowley firmly. “Until someone comes along who I’d like to spend my life with. Because I’m a casino’s dream, you know? I’d rather take the whole pot than just break even. And what would I do if I found someone better after I settled for somebody else? I’d always be thinking about that other person. I’d always be unhappy.”
“That’s dangerous.”
“I’m happy by myself, angel,” says Crowley, reaching a hand out to him. “Don’t need people constantly around to make me feel better. And I think we should head back.”
“It isn’t six yet.”
“No, but it feels like it’s going to rain.” Aziraphale keeps frowning at him, and Crowley huffs a sigh. “I’ve got a sixth sense about these things. Can we please make a move on?”
He’s right. He’s also wrong, because his sense clearly isn’t much of one; they’ve made it just a few feet out of the church by the time it starts pelting them with heavy rain, the kind that’ll make it difficult to see anything two meters in front of them.
“Twice in two days,” mutters Crowley. “Someone up there really fucking hates me.”
Then he grabs Aziraphale’s hand, and runs.
They leg it all the way back to the train station, but not quite quickly enough. Aziraphale’s head and chest are completely sodden, the water soaking straight through his coat, vest and shirt. But at least he has a change of clothes in his luggage. While it may not be the clothes he’d want Gabriel to find him in- Aziraphale can just imagine the snide commentary- he also doesn’t think they’re too egregious either.
And he’s thankful to the rain, really, because he’d felt like he’d just peeled away some awful part of his skin, bared some terrible, maggoty secret when he told Crowley about the cairns. Who wants someone to mourn their death like that, with hair-rending and screams? He knows what Gabriel would say: the best people don’t want their loved ones to suffer. They want to pass quietly, serenely, peacefully into the night, and the world will keep turning around them. To think otherwise is to be prideful beyond measure.
But Aziraphale still wants that. He wants to know he has become inextricable from at least one person’s life. And he knows, just as well, that Gabriel will never give him such depth of love or control. It is not in Gabriel to give that to some living thing; he’s already sunk it into his job. His first love, he’d told Aziraphale, when they first met. His first love and his largest love, but if Aziraphale could accept that...
And he could, for four years.
So what’s changed now?
At the station, Aziraphale excuses himself to the toilets so he can change. He takes the privacy to try to get his balance back. When he returns, it’s almost time for the train to return.
And Crowley looks strange again, face white and lips pressed so tight together they’ve almost disappeared. He’s motionless on the bench, knucklebones clenched tight on the strap of his backpack, sticking out from his palms like the church ruins from the rest of the grass.
“Crowley?” asks Aziraphale. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he hisses. Really, properly hisses.
Aziraphale takes a precautionary step backwards. “Um. Right. D’you want-”
“No,” he says flatly. Aziraphale blinks, and Crowley elaborates, through clenched teeth. “I don’t.”
He sits down gingerly, settles against the bench, and focuses on listening for the train whistle. If Crowley doesn’t want to talk- and Aziraphale's fairly certain that it’s not because of Aziraphale’s comments, mostly because he can remember how soft Crowley’s voice had gotten, and the hand he’d held out to Aziraphale as soon as he realized what Aziraphale was saying, unthinkingly kind- then Aziraphale won’t force him.
Just because he’ll bite his tongue doesn’t mean he’ll forget. And when Crowley’s ready, he’ll confront him, and get the answers he deserves.
Even when the train comes, Aziraphale has to chivvy Crowley up into the carriage, and Crowley looks like he’s about one short word from snapping someone in half. Aziraphale takes a chance on dropping his scarf into Crowley’s lap as the conductor arrives- he might use it to dry off if he had some wits about him, and Aziraphale certainly hasn’t missed how much Crowley’d liked the softness of the cashmere before- and also ensures he answers for both of them, shielding Crowley as best he can from the man’s gruff questions as he punches their tickets in.
Then he turns back to their compartment, and Crowley has looped the scarf over his shoulders, peeling off his sweater and depositing it on the seat next to him with a moue of distaste. The conductor makes a breathless sound of protest, but Aziraphale doesn’t bother to look back or address him again as he closes the compartment door behind him.
“Are you alright?” he asks instead, approaching Crowley carefully.
“Yeah,” says Crowley, voice low. He leans back, eyes closed, face white and still taut with some tension.
Aziraphale debates with himself on his next action. He doesn’t know how Crowley will react, and he’s afraid that he’ll pull away further, especially when he’s in this snappy mood.
Slowly, very hesitantly, Aziraphale lays a hand on Crowley’s wrist, right below the cuff of his long sleeves. Where the veins lie under his pale skin, blue, returning to the lungs to pump more oxygen to his body. The skin is soft and cold, and Aziraphale can feel the faintest thread of a pulse if he presses down.
Or maybe it’s his own heart, beating harder at this single point of contact.
Crowley twitches a little, eyes slitting open. Aziraphale makes sure his voice is comforting, not confronting.
“I will be,” says Crowley. But some further tension leaches out of his body. “It’s a- thing. Not the cold. The. Er. Rain.”
“Oh,” says Aziraphale.
Crowley turns, wrist nudging further into Aziraphale’s grasp almost by accident. “I didn’t tell you that bit,” he says quietly. “When we were walking down the mountain.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Mmm.” He sighs. “Was a long time ago. After I contacted the police. They sent me to this small village in Ireland once they realized my life was in danger- gave me a new name, new history, told me not to keep in touch with anyone from my old life.”
“Your life was in danger?”
“Sand mafia, angel,” says Crowley wryly. “They didn’t like me going about spilling their secrets. They really didn’t like me being responsible for putting a good portion of them in jail.”
“But you aren’t in that protected persons program anymore, that’s what you said.”
“No. After their bosses got locked up, there was really only one leader that came up- and his only agenda was to get me to pay. And after I got rid of him, the whole mafia imploded on itself, apparently.”
“You got rid of him?” demands Aziraphale, sharply.
Crowley smiles, thin as a blade of grass. “Sent the fucker to jail, yeah.”
“Crowley-”
“Not on purpose. But. Er. When the police’d told me not to keep anyway contacts from my old life, I didn’t listen. Never have been good at that.”
Hair stands up on Aziraphale’s neck. “What did you do?”
“Kept a phone. And I went to check a PO box every couple months.”
“And they figured it out.” Aziraphale closes his eyes. “Of course.”
“They figured out it was in my name,” corrects Crowley. “They started sending letters. Threatening ones. And I was good at ignoring them! But then they told me that they’d blow up my building. Gave full details on their plan, and the date, too, and promised they’d do it if I didn’t go there on the day of the bombing.”
“Tell me you went to the police.”
“I did,” says Crowley wearily. “They told me to ignore it. Said they were investigating. Only, I had a friend on the force, and he said they were all tied up with a murder investigation.”
Yes, Aziraphale vaguely remembers that. The police force had nearly doubled, and they’d warned everyone in Soho not to walk around past midnight, because of...
“The serial killers? From Scotland?” asks Aziraphale.
Crowley inclines his head. “Cop killers, too. So they were caught up in that issue. But I had to do something. So I went back to London, and...” He lifts his hand and rubs at the top of his skull very lightly. “I had a plan. A good plan. Then I realized they fuckers had booby-trapped my flat to blow, not remotely, and it’d probably take out my neighbors as well, if they weren’t careful- and like hell was I gonna think the people blowing up my flat would be careful enough for that.”
“Believe me, that’s what I said the entire ride back to London.”
“So what did you do?”
“Got there. And then, I pulled the fire alarm,” he says softly. “Evacuated the entire building. Only thing was that when I tried to take the stairs, those bastards were waiting for me. I couldn’t take the lift, because it stopped working when the fire alarm went, and I was stuck on the thirteenth floor. Sprinklers everywhere, that goddamn alarm- I had to find someplace to hide, and hide, and it was so fucking wet. And loud. And wet.”
Aziraphale can imagine it. The wail of the sirens, the cold water of the sprinklers. How Crowley must have tried to fold himself into the smallest possible space, and prayed that he wouldn’t be found. The terror of it.
The bravery of it.
Really. Underneath all of Aziraphale’s latent fear- for Crowley, of course, and not of him- runs a ribbon of admiration. No. An ocean of admiration. For so long Aziraphale has accepted that Gabriel knows what is right and wrong; he’s bitten his tongue, he’s looked away. He’s avoided fights, when he thought that Gabriel might not understand why Aziraphale felt certain things, and he’s avoided those fights for a thousand tiny, petty reasons. But here is Crowley, tired, exhausted, frightened five years after the incident and still refusing to suggest anything close to regret.
Aziraphale has a choice now. He can taste it. To speak of that admiration, or to stay silent and speak on it later. To make Crowley more comfortable, or less.
He knows well which he’s going to choose.
“Ah.” He leans a little closer, nudges his shoulder into Crowley’s, and smiles. “Well, that makes sense.”
Crowley rolls his head so he’s peering at Aziraphale through one eye, brows arched. “What makes sense?”
“Why you looked so terrible. I was wondering if a bit of Ireland rain could actually be colder than the Arctic, you know, because it takes half an hour for people to actually start acting like you did in the car. Either the rain was unique to Ireland, or you were cold-blooded.”
“Like a snake,” snorts Crowley.
“Is that the only cold-blooded animal you know?”
“No,” he says.
“I think it is,” says Aziraphale, nudging Crowley again.
He laughs, once, a high-pitched thing that more breath than sound, and warmth sluices over Aziraphale like a hot sunbeam on his face, heating that part of his body even as the rest of him remains cool. Then Crowley turns and faces Aziraphale, and there’s affection in his gaze, not all-consuming but unconsciously offered up, sweet as honey for it.
“Shut up,” he says.
Aziraphale’s fairly certain that that’s not what what Crowley meant to say, but he doesn’t bother disagreeing with him. Just pats Crowley’s arm, then settles against the plastic seat, shoulders pressing together, a line of warmth even through the layers of clothes. He can’t quite quell the smile or the giddiness bubbling under his skin. He’s not sure if he wants to.
“Right,” says Aziraphale.
They’ve finally arrived at the lobby of Gabriel’s hotel, and Aziraphale has everything arranged at his feet: his suitcase, his jacket, folded neatly over the handle, a book he’d extracted from his luggage and read while Crowley dozed on the train.
He holds out an envelope. “Your fee. For a true adventure over these past two days.”
Crowley folds his arms over his chest and rocks back on his heels. He thinks about everything that he’s told this man, this stranger; things he’s never said aloud before, things he’s never even considered saying aloud before. He thinks about Aziraphale’s face when he looked at the cairns. He thinks about courage, and laughter, and how the truth of his past doesn’t feel quite so heavy when he’s told it to somebody.
“Nah,” he says. “Keep it.”
“What- but I couldn’t possibly-”
“Tell you what.” Crowley nods to his pocket. “D’you remember that coin? The one that we flipped for the bed?”
Aziraphale frowns. “Yes. But-”
“Hand it over, and I’ll call us even.”
Slowly, Aziraphale’s head drops into a nod. He brings it out- a shining two pounder- and drops it into Crowley’s palm. Then he unwinds the scarf from his neck.
“For you,” says Aziraphale steadily, eyes gleaming like the heart of a flame in a blowtorch, cool and blue and hotter than the casual eye could expect. “To keep warm on the journey back.”
Crowley takes it wordlessly, finger rubbing over the softness of it. The warmth. The way the weave dips between his fingers, like something just a little heavier than air but twice as smooth.
“I’ll try not to get soaked,” he says, quirking a smile.
Aziraphale pats his hand. “I’ll miss you, dear boy.”
“And I’ll miss your complaints, angel.” Crowley hesitates for a moment, then decides: fuck it. He’s always been very good at being flamboyant, and making grand gestures. He bows, doffing an imaginary hat with a wide, sweeping wave of his arm, and looks up at Aziraphale through his lashes. “I hope he’ll be your Gilgamesh. You deserve that.”
There’s a pleased flush to Aziraphale’s face, at least until someone calls from the vicinity of the lift: “Aziraphale?”
Aziraphale turns slowly, and Crowley sees a man approaching them- tall, maybe even taller than Crowley, definitely broader than Crowley, with horse-brown hair and the jovial kind of face that looks good on soap ads for fathers facing midlife crises.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, reaching for Aziraphale.
There’s a pleased but slightly confused look on his face, and resentment hits Crowley like a piledriver. This man does not deserve Aziraphale’s kindnesses, or his love. Aziraphale all but admitted it to him in that church, but Crowley wouldn’t have needed that to know it now- Gabriel is very different from Aziraphale. Irreconcilably different.
“Oh,” says Aziraphale. He sends Crowley a little glance, then turns back to Gabriel. “I, ah, missed you, love. I couldn’t bear the idea of a week without you. And I had some book-tradings in Dublin anyways, so I thought... well. Surprise!”
“Aziraphale,” says Gabriel. He sounds startled, and a little displeased for it; Aziraphale flinches at the tone, muscles in his face pulling taut that Crowley wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been paying such close attention. But then that dark look crumples too, and he reaches out, reels Aziraphale into an easy hug. “I’ve missed you, too. Of course I have.”
Crowley swallows, hard; makes an involuntary motion- some flail of his arms. Gabriel glances at him.
“Hello,” he says. “Do I know you?”
“This is Crowley!” Aziraphale jumps in. “He, ah, took care of me. Brought me up to Dublin when my flight blew me off course.”
“Well. Nice to meet you.”
Crowley nods, and backs away; it’s clear that Gabriel doesn’t want him there- or thinks he’s intrusive, which is definitely more likely- and Crowley doesn’t want to be there for Aziraphale’s proposal. He’s not entirely certain why his heart is pounding like it is, or the way his muscles are trembling like he’s going to leap into a sprint very soon, or the way his head feels wrapped in white wool. But he does have the feeling that it’ll get better if he walks away.
Or it’ll get worse, but in the long run he’ll be better. Has to be better. He’s been alone for long enough, hasn’t-
Two steps back, then three, almost past the lounge area- and he hears Gabriel say, loudly, “Would you marry me?”
Crowley turns, and sees Aziraphale’s face for one last time. The sweet, round curves of it. The hands, large and warm. Those blasted eyes. He swallows hard, again, and turns on his heel. The door to the hotel lobby hits him, and the wind rushing outside drowns out Aziraphale’s answer before he can hear it.
It takes more than a day to fall in love with someone.
Doesn’t it?
On the train ride back to his inn, Crowley can’t help but keep looking at the coin that Aziraphale gave to him. The train’s lights flash off the metal, turn it shining one minute and then normal grey the next. Crowley remembers the calm twist of Aziraphale’s face when he handed it over, and then the lingering warmth of the scarf- the scarf he’s wrapped around his shoulders like a blanket.
The truth is, he has money.
He’d made a good amount with his job, and invested soundly enough that it had only grown in the past few years, even if he hadn’t overseen it closely- or at all. The protection service had told him to move out all his assets- he’d had a few days of warning- but Crowley hadn’t obeyed that either. Instead, he’d maintained an automatic payment transfer of funds for his monthly rent, and taken the opportunity at the bank to set up further accounts. He’s fairly certain that’s how the mafia had traced his flat.
But then that night had happened.
The long ride to London, hands white-knuckled over the steering wheel. The damp stick of clothes to his spine as he hunched in the deepest part of his closet, praying the string of locked doors would be enough to discourage them from entering. To this day, Crowley doesn’t know how long he stayed like that- all he remembers is the panic, and the fear, and the certainty he’d die like that: either by the mafia’s guns or by drowning via the sprinklers.
He fled London as soon as he could. Went back to the town the protection service had set up for him, and chased away everyone who came to tell him he could go back to his life. Changed his name back to Crowley, ignored the town’s gossips about who and what he was, and maintained the inn as best he could.
It’s why he wasn’t in town during December: the protection service wanted more information, wanted to know what had happened. It took him a good few days to convince them that he hadn’t wasn’t in league with the mafia, and another few days to calm himself down, and by then New Year’s had come and gone, and with it, the chance to pad his coffers.
Aziraphale’s gaze. His scarf. He hadn’t known how he’d be treated by his shitty boyfriend, but he’d come this far, hadn’t he? He was used to creature comforts, but he hadn’t wept over the cold water in Crowley’s inn or the saltwater on his luggage, and he’d done what he wanted to do. He got what he wanted, even if he wasn’t certain he wanted it.
That means something. Crowley isn’t sure what, exactly, but he was certain that he admired it.
He rubs his thumb over the coin one last time, then draws the scarf up so it rests on his neck instead of looping down his shoulders, and tips his head back so he can sleep. Crowley’s got work to do when he reaches home; he’ll need his energy for it.
It takes a couple weeks. He needs to get his car back, and ensure he can leave the inn for a few days, and book a hotel as well.
But then he returns to his flat in Mayfair, and it doesn’t stink of water like he’d feared- well, anymore than a flat in London can avoid the rain pouring outside- and his breath eases out of him in a rush, and Crowley doesn’t need the hotel after all.
This is his home, too. He’d just... forgotten that, for a while.
As he’s fixing up the plant wall- it’d fallen into disrepair, though surprisingly not dead; new plants had come to roost; the natural sunlight of the room and the drip irrigation he’d installed illegally from the roof to channel the rainfall had helped an astounding amount to survive even in his absence- there’s a ringing at the doorbell.
Crowley takes his time to answer.
He pays enough for the reception desk downstairs to deal with salesmen. But the salesman doesn’t seem to understand that Crowley’s going to ignore him; he keeps ringing away, and the annoying hum of it grates over Crowley’s ears until he finally snarls under his breath and goes to fling the door open.
“I am not interested,” he bites out, only to falter when he realizes who’s at the door.
“Hello Crowley,” says Anathema, hair chopped short and swinging about her shining, large eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
Aziraphale floats on a cloud of happiness right up until they arrive in London, and he sees his bookstore.
The glass window’s been shattered. Clearly shattered. It’s taped over now- one of the neighbors must have taken it upon themselves to do that- but the view still leaves his heart pounding, and when he enters, it gets worse: thieves have managed to take off with some of the books he’d promised to an auctioneer from Aberdeen.
They haven’t managed to steal the most prized possessions; the oldest manuscripts and original, signed editions are still hidden in the backroom, with its heavy number of locks that took even Aziraphale, with his years of practice, more than a half-hour to unlock. But it’s going to be a tough year, because those books- and the auction- would’ve brought good money, money Aziraphale can recoup, but only with more aggressive merchandising.
And he hates merchandising.
Sales strategy has never been his forte.
“Aziraphale?”
“Hmm?” he turns, to see Gabriel running a single finger over one of Shakespeare’s leather-bound plays, with a peculiar look on his face. But then, Gabriel has always found Aziraphale’s job odd, and more than a little undesirable. “Yes?”
“Oh. I checked- your neighbor must have swept up the glass, so you don’t have to worry about cutting yourself. The window’s also airtight.”
“It’ll last, I hope,” mutters Aziraphale. “I’ll call the plumber. See if he can’t help out.”
“The plumber?” asks Gabriel, the look on his face deepening. “You don’t have a handyman?”
“He’s taken off for a week while his missus gives birth,” Aziraphale tells him patiently. “But the plumber should have the seals, I think, and-”
“-if you’d just move out of here, you wouldn’t have these problems, you know that-”
“-do you really want to have that conversation now?” Aziraphale asks levelly.
Gabriel pauses, looking taken aback. It’s an ongoing disagreement between them, and Aziraphale usually lets him rant about it for at least a few minutes before cutting him off. But he isn’t in the mood right now. At all.
“I have a meeting in Trafalgar,” says Gabriel stiffly. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Aziraphale rolls his eyes at Gabriel’s back as he walks away. Only Gabriel could find something to be offended by when it’s Aziraphale’s shop that’s been robbed. Only Gabriel could simply... not offer any comforting words, just the barest practicalities of the situation, and turn it all back into an old argument.
You chose him, Aziraphale reminds himself.
He lets himself have a long minute of weakness, though, one hand pressing against the book spines, the scratchy texture strangely comforting, and the other balled up in the fabric of his coat, his mind remembering Crowley’s grand, chivalric gesture in the hotel lobby, arm sweeping up and out, dipping into a princely bow, and the shivering sensation in his belly as he saw it.
Then Aziraphale shakes his head, and goes back to cataloging everything that’s been taken.
It’s a quicker job than Aziraphale had expected; he finishes almost an hour before he’d thought he would, so he decides to go to Gabriel’s flat a little earlier than he’d hinted he would and surprise him. He even buys a bottle of wine as an apology, though Gabriel isn’t likely to be too impressed; Gabriel doesn’t like alcohol, doesn’t like anything with extra- or unhealthy- calories in it. Still. Aziraphale isn’t going to buy him an energy drink for an apology. Now that, he muses, would be ridiculous.
Still lost in his thoughts, he nods to the doorman. Aziraphale’s come by often enough that they all know him and don’t bother ringing up any longer, either. He lets himself in- Gabriel gave him a key years ago- and can hear Gabriel talking in his study, most likely on a conference call. He heads to the kitchen to store the wine.
Only to pause when he hears his name.
Frowning, Aziraphale cuts back across the living room, to the balcony that neighbors Gabriel’s study. Gabriel always leaves the window open, no matter how cold it gets, and always stands beside it to talk, because he thinks that’s the only position he’ll get a clear signal.
And, of course, he’s always had a loud voice.
“-think so,” he hears Gabriel saying. “I mean, I’ve tried.” A pause, where the other person must be talking, and then he continues: “I’ve explained it to you already! He just won’t listen. Doesn’t matter how nicely I tell him, he’s so careless!”
Me? Aziraphale swallows through a dry mouth. What is he talking about?
“I warned him before I left. I told him. I keep telling Aziraphale, over and over and over again, Soho isn’t safe, there’s robbers around, he needs to be careful- and he’ll nod and pretend he’ll listen, and then he’ll do shit like this!”
Like what? Like coming to Dublin to see you?
The first part of the sentence filters through then, and Aziraphale feels anger burst into life in his belly, like wind stoking over hot embers. He cannot be blaming me for getting robbed. Gabriel isn’t that insensitive. Surely not.
Somebody says something- Aziraphale can hear the tinny hum of the phone’s microphone- and then Gabriel says, quietly, “I had to, Michael. I don’t know why. Four years is a long time, isn’t it? And Aziraphale’s a good man. Maybe it’ll get better when-”
Aziraphale doesn’t need to hear anything else.
Doesn’t wait to hear anything else.
He puts the wine down gently, on the coffee table, and his key besides it, so there’s no noise when the metal hits the glass. There’s a small part of him that’s very cold, but another part of him feels strangely light, like he’s a bear that’s shed its winter coat a few days too early, and doesn’t know how to handle the chill of spring apart from bearing through it.
“Goodbye, Gabriel,” he whispers at the door, hand resting on the doorknob.
He remembers Crowley’s gaze, golden and shimmering, as he said, You deserve that. A Gilgamesh. Someone who loved him, and would mourn his loss to the world, and care.
Aziraphale turns the doorknob, and doesn’t look behind him as he walks away.
It hurts.
It’s hard work.
Aziraphale has to fix up his shop those first few months, and work to make up for the loss of those books. Which means more aggressive discussions with people to sell his books and get others at cheaper prices, and better merchandising, and not leaving London for a little Irish village, no matter how much he’d like to. And then, of course, it’s summer, which is the busiest time of year for him- and for Crowley, too, certainly- so Aziraphale lets himself get sucked into chasing sticky-fingered children away from his books and welcoming potential clients with a smile and ignoring the heat.
But September does, eventually, roll around.
It’s raining again, when Aziraphale charters the boat from Aberporth, but not the wild storms of February. Just gentle sheets, catching on his lapels and sliding down his oiled raincoat and tamping his hair to his skull. His luggage is the same luggage, dented and mud-stained as it is, but it holds memory now. And he has a new scarf, of the lightest blue, keeping him warm.
He makes his way up the main road, luggage bumping behind him. Screeches to a halt when the inn comes into view.
There’s fresh paint gleaming on the face, and what looks like an awning stretched out over low tables, perfect for a cafe; the vines threading through the roof and the flowers that had both lent it a cottage air and posed a threat to its Health and Safety certifications have been ripped out; when Aziraphale finally steps inside, he sees that the wooden floorboards have been ripped up and replaced with new ones, a shining chestnut. But what’s most startling is how much he has to fight to get inside, because there’s a crowd around the cafe, inside and out, bustling about, more people than Aziraphale had ever thought lived inside the town.
“Can I help you?” asks a woman.
She’s got dark hair, mostly straight but with the faintest hint of a wave to it, and eyes like burnished copper. She’s very beautiful.
“Is- is Crowley around?” Aziraphale asks, just managing to keep his voice even.
“Yes.” Her face shifts, looking grumpy, before she calls out, loudly: “Crowley, darling, there’s someone here who wants to meet you!”
Darling.
The word feels like a slap to the face. He’s too late. Had this been how Crowley felt, when Gabriel proposed to Aziraphale? Of course Crowley would fall in love, would find someone. Of course Aziraphale would be cowardly enough to wait, and wait just a little too long.
He turns, dazed, chest airless, and stumbles outside.
Aziraphale isn’t certain where he ends up, or how he gets there; he finds himself grinding his palms against a low stone wall, waist-high, and trying, desperately, not to gasp under the weight of disappointment.
And shame, and anger. Name what you feel, Aziraphale. Don’t let that take you by surprise.
So fine then. Disappointment that this future was taken from him. Shame at his procrastination. And anger, at his weakness. He’d known this was a possibility from the start, and he’d discounted it because...
Because he’d thought that he could rely on Crowley.
Then: “Aziraphale!”
No. But as if in a dream, Aziraphale turns, and he sees Crowley running up to him. No, no, no.
“When’d you come?” asks Crowley, looking delighted. “You could’ve sent me an email! I had no idea you were planning a vacation!”
“I,” says Aziraphale, helpless.
“How long are you here for?”
“Not... long. But I wanted to see you.”
A shadow crosses over Crowley’s face. “To invite me to your wedding?”
“No,” says Aziraphale. “Er. That isn’t going to happen. I broke it off. Months ago.”
“Oh. But-”
“I wanted to see you,” Aziraphale tells him quietly. “You’re doing so well! The inn looks like you rebuilt it from the foundations.”
“Does it?” Crowley asks. He sounds pleased. “I was planning on it for a while, but then Anathema came last week to help, and she’s been so good at it- bringing people in, and being a good hostess- I’m dreading when she goes back to London.”
“She’s going back to London?”
“She’s my neighbor,” explains Crowley. “I, ah, decided to go back to see my flat in London after I left Dublin. I mean. Five years is a long time. And Anathema met me there.” He rolls hie eyes. “I’ll tell you, her husband’s been a blessing with the murals inside- but the funny part’s when I had him doing the bulbs, but he broke four of them in ten minutes. I have no idea how he did it.”
Her husband.
“Four bulbs?” asks Aziraphale, amusement replacing the despair like sunlight following clouds. “Surely he understood he should stop at the second one.”
“Ah, but not everyone can be as quick on the take as you, angel.”
Aziraphale darts him a look and sees the smile; quick, there-and-gone, like moonlight flashing off raindrops. The rainstorm has stopped, he sees, entirely, and the clouds have lifted to reveal the sunset, and the splendid red of the light throws Crowley’s face into sharp relief.
Slowly, he reaches up, and presses a palm to Crowley’s face. Slots his fingers against Crowley’s temple, and the base of his palm against his jawbone. Crowley closes his eyes, canting into the touch the faintest bit.
“I missed you,” whispers Aziraphale. “All these months. I missed you, Crowley.”
Crowley’s eyes open, and he steps closer, presses his forehead against Aziraphale’s, one arm coming up to rest on his shoulders. Aziraphale lets his own eyes slit with the pleasure of it, of Crowley’s warmth, of Crowley’s goodness.
“So did I,” he says, so quietly it’s a puff of breath against Aziraphale’s lips. “More than you’ll ever know.”
He leans down, then, and kisses Aziraphale.
And for all of Aziraphale’s plotting, for all of Aziraphale’s plans and debates and discussions- he doesn’t think any longer. He just leans up, like a sunflower to the sun, and lets himself drown in the sweet, singing joy.
Kyra_Theurge, Aiyana4969, ximeria, musegnome, yeah_okay, TheVoodooBabe, genki_blonde, Jru, Chibidarxel, Crazy_Straw, brighteyedragonfly, PainIsAnEvent, Pegacorn_Princess, dragonsHourglass, Isy_bisy, GoldenWishCat, HolyCatsAndRabbits, loveliveread, LostMe, I_M_B00, catandthecrooks, nightbloomingcereus, Nicnac, lamename, MeetMeAtTheRitz, Yoite25, thesoftestangel, tolumbichka, and splendide_mendax as well as 12 guests left kudos on this work! (collapse)
NightValeian Sat 14 Dec 2019 11:54AM EST
Oh. I loved this. This was absolutely wonderful.
Dialux Wed 25 Dec 2019 10:25AM EST
Thank you so much! You're too sweet!
HolyCatsAndRabbits Sat 14 Dec 2019 03:51PM EST
Oh, this was delightful! I love all the descriptions, so vivid. And a great plot!!
GoldenWishCat Sat 14 Dec 2019 07:29PM EST
Anon Sun 15 Dec 2019 07:11AM EST
An absolute delight from start to finish! You did a really wonderful job with your characterisations. I hope you keep writing
Aw, thank you so much! I definitely will!
Khryns Tue 17 Dec 2019 07:31AM EST
Omg *.* Finally got the time to read this now, I'm so stoked! <3
Ahhh, so glad! I really hope you enjoyed it!
raiining Tue 17 Dec 2019 12:25PM EST
Awwww! That was wonderful!! Excellently done!
Aww, thank you so much!
ximeria Tue 14 Jan 2020 04:36AM -03
💓so sweet and heartbreaking and in the end satisfying💓
Dialux Wed 15 Jan 2020 12:57PM -03
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Arrington Introduces Resolution Supporting U.S. Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) announced the introduction of H.Res. 676, which encourages the United States to formally withdraw from the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. The Agreement, which went into effect on November 4, 2016, did not have congressional approval and resulted in burdensome regulatory measures that put the United States at a competitive disadvantage, costing American jobs and increasing energy costs for consumers and taxpayers. Congressman Arrington’s resolution recommends the U.S. should formally submit its notification to withdraw at the earliest possible date allowed under the Agreement, highlighting that the United States can officially exit the Agreement as early as November 4, 2020.
“At a time when American innovation is leading the way in environmental stewardship, the Paris Agreement is political window dressing, at best. This feel-good measure would have no meaningful impact on international air quality but, instead, would levy a huge tax on middle and working class families, costing Americans $250 billion dollars and 2.7 million jobs,” said Arrington. “As a result, Americans would be forced to pay higher prices at the pump and for their homes; all the while, giving a pass to the world’s biggest polluters. Today, I am introducing legislation that will ensure Americans will no longer be bound by this feckless, inequitable, and economically crippling agreement.”
Representatives Jim Banks (IN-3), Rob Bishop (UT-1), Liz Cheney (WY), James Comer (KY-1), Ron Estes (KS-4), Paul Gosar (AZ-4), David McKinley (WV-1), Mark Meadows (NC-11), Markwayne Mullin (OK-2), Gary Palmer (AL-6), Chip Roy (TX-21), and Randy Weber (TX-14) are all original cosponsors of the resolution supporting U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
“The Paris Agreement is not an effective way to make our communities and economy resilient to environmental and security challenges. It would do very little to achieve the stated objectives, clearly demonstrated by China, who continues to pollute and emit CO2 at record levels,” said Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21). “I am confident the United States will continue to lead the world with economic growth and human ingenuity, not regressive international agreements that leave us less prepared to face the obstacles of the future.”
“The Paris Climate Agreement is an unconstitutional treaty negotiated by President Obama, and the United States should never have been a part of it in the first place. Not only is it a clear violation of the Constitution, it would harm the American economy and American workers,” said Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-4). “The very same agreement that would harm the United States, also let’s China off the hook, despite being the world’s largest polluter. Under President Trump’s administration we are producing more energy than ever, exporting it to our allies around the world, and lead the world in carbon emissions reductions.”
“This international agreement unfairly bound our hands behind our back in our urgent contest with China,” said Rep. Jim Banks (IN-3). “Not to mention the agreement was regressive and hurt our society’s most vulnerable citizens the most. Any climate proposal that does not adequately address China’s problem with pollution is worthless and irresponsible.”
“Anyone who actually looks into components of the Paris Climate Agreement knows that it puts the United States at a competitive disadvantage and hurts consumers and taxpayers through needless increased energy costs,” said Rep. James Comer (KY-1) “I’m glad to support this resolution and support President Trump’s decision to withdraw from this agreement to see that burdensome regulatory measures that cost Americans valuable jobs are put to an end.”
“The American economy has seen record growth in the last few years, and the Paris Climate Accord will only be a hindrance to that progress as it currently stands,” said Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6) “It has enacted burdensome regulations on many industries while doing little to practically address climate change. In the long run, it will cost America jobs and put the country at an economic disadvantage. I am proud to co-sponsor H. Res. 676 and hope it will expedite the U.S.’s official withdrawal from the Paris Agreement so that our economy can continue to grow unhindered by the unnecessary regulations of the Agreement.”
“The Paris Climate Agreement forces the United States to comply with strict, job-killing emissions standards, while doing nothing to hold the world’s largest polluters accountable,” said Rep. Markwayne Mullin (OK-2). “We are already the leader in reducing CO2 emissions and I am confident that we will remain the leader after leaving this burdensome agreement. We cannot have an effective climate policy that puts the United States at a disadvantage with our economic competitors.”
Congressman Arrington’s resolution has additional support from Americans for Tax Reform, American Energy Alliance, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Energy 45, Freedom Works, Heritage Action for America, and Life:Powered.
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform:
“The Obama Administration’s Paris Climate Accord promised to ship billions of taxpayer dollars overseas while killing jobs and raising energy costs here at home. Obama’s decision to handcuff our economy and commit ourselves to a less competitive United States was a foolish choice and the reason why Congress never approved of the agreement. The U.S. should officially exit the Paris agreement at the first available opportunity and continue its current path of energy dominance.”
Tom Pyle, President, American Energy Alliance:
“The Paris Agreement prioritized international virtue signaling over the concerns of American families, seeking to hobble the American economy with unnecessary regulations and higher energy costs. Rep. Arrington’s resolution would correct that error and return focus to domestic economic prosperity. Withdrawing from this bad deal at the earliest opportunity should be the chief priority of Congress.”
Mandy Gunasekara, Founder, Energy 45:
“Congressman Arrington is standing up for the tens of thousands of oil and gas workers in his district that are fueling our robust economy. He is also bringing bold, new leadership into the international climate discussion. Where the last administration sold out our American workers to curry favor with the international elite, Congressman Arrington’s resolution advances an effective, America First approach to environmentalism that will continue our word-leading emissions reductions.”
Jason Pye, VP of Legislative Affairs, FreedomWorks:
“Rep. Arrington’s resolution perfectly encapsulates the many issues with the Paris Climate Agreement. The deal was an unconstitutional abuse of executive power that put American businesses and American families behind the rest of the world. There is no time too soon to get out of this disastrous agreement, and Congress should affirm that we should do just that at the earliest possible date.”
The Honorable Jason Isaac, Senior Manager and Distinguished Fellow, Life: Powered:
“Three years in, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Paris Agreement is a sham. Its anti-energy, globalist ideas are not only detrimental to our economy, but also utter failures at their ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While the rest of the world continues its empty political posturing, America will continue to embrace our vibrant energy industry and continue to lead where it matters: clean air, clean water, and lifting people out of poverty. We should urge our allies and trading partners to follow in our footsteps.”
Heritage Action for America:
“The Paris Climate Agreement was entered without the consent of Congress or the American people, and Rep. Arrington’s resolution rightly calls for the U.S. to formally withdraw from the agreement. The agreement’s provisions created undue burdens on American taxpayers, blue-collar workers, and every household in America. Our nation is already a world leader in both energy and environmentalism — withdrawing from this unnecessary accord would be a win for all Americans.”
Myron Ebell, Director, Center for Energy and Environment, Competitive Enterprise Institute:
“Representative Arrington’s resolution provides critical support at just the right time for President Trump’s most important deregulatory action—withdrawing from the Paris climate treaty. We hope the resolution will attract many co-sponsors.”
CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF H.RES. 676.
Arrington Statement on Trump Administration’s Phase One Trade Deal with China
Arrington Applauds Final Deal on USMCA, Urges Prompt House Passage
MEDIA ADVISORY: Arrington, Texas Congressional Delegation Members to Hold Bipartisan Press Conference on USMCA
Arrington Commends Trump Administration on Enforcing SNAP Work Requirements
Arrington Statement on New Phase of Democrats’ Impeachment Charade
Arrington Speaks Out Against Democrats’ Baseless Impeachment Inquiry Following House Vote
U.S. House Passes Arrington-Spanberger-Boyle Bill to Increase Negotiation Transparency, Lower Costs of Prescription Drugs
Arrington, EPA Officials Announce Proposal of New Methane Rule to Benefit Small and Independent Energy Producers
Arrington Introduces SCREEN Act to Expedite Deportation of Illegal Immigrants with Non-Credible Asylum Claims
Arrington Denounces Taxpayer Bailout for Mismanaged Union Pensions
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Home Artworks GAC subject termsPeoplehuman figurebaby
Explore: Subjects > baby
Francis Holl (1815 - 1884)
William Powell Frith (1819 - 1909)
Queen Victoria and her Family
Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1806 - 1873)
Samuel Cousins (1801 - 1887)
View from the Castle Hill, Hastings
Daniell Havell (1785 - 1826)
John Gendall (1790 - 1865)
Landscape with a Gypsy Family
George Morland (1763 - 1804)
A Highland Shepherd’s Home
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (1802 - 1873)
Sir Fenwick Williams and the Officers of his Staff Parting with the Citizens of Kars
Charles George Lewis (1808 - 1880)
Thomas Jones Barker (1813 - 1882)
St. Mary Cray Church, Kent: A Christening
John Inigo Richards (1730/1 - 1810)
The Treasury, Whitehall
Edmund Walker (1813/14 - 1882)
St. John and the Lamb
18th century unknown
A View of the Foundling Hospital
Louis-Philippe Boitard
Fort de Canton, Chine
Theodore Auguste Fisquet (1813 - 1890)
Leon Jean Sabatier ( - 1887)
Sices, or Grooms, Leading out Horses / Les Palfreniers ou Sices, Promentant les Chevaux
Henri Merke
Samuel Howitt (1756/7 - 1823)
Horse Guards Parade: the Foreign Office from St. James’s Park
British 19th century unknown
Simon Francois Ravenet (1706 - 1774)
Victor Marie Picot (1744 - 1802?)
William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)
German 18th century unknown
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758-1805) and Lady Emma Hamilton (1765-1815) in Merton, Surrey
William Goldsmith
X: Female Dankali Costumes
Erich Correns (1821 - 1877)
Johann Martin Bernatz (1802 - 1878)
A River Scene with Shipping and Troops on the Bank
Dirk Langendijk (1748 - 1805)
The Sailor’s Return / Le Retour du Matelot
Thomas Stothard (1755 - 1834)
William Ward (1766 - 1826)
The Great Fire of London in the Year 1666
Jan, Snr Griffier (c1645 - 1718)
William Russell Birch (1755 - 1834)
Girl With a Pram
Anthony Gross (1905 - 1984)
Newcastle on Tyne
George Henry Andrews (1816 - 1898)
Thomas Abiel Prior (1809 - 1886)
Pirara and Lake Amucu, the Site of El Dorado
Charles Bentley (1806 - 1854)
George Barnard ( - 1890)
Pass-Room, Bridewell
Auguste Charles Pugin (1762 - 1832)
John Hill (1770 - 1850)
Thomas Rowlandson (1756 - 1827)
Baby, Dog, Basket and Bottle in a Landscape
The Birth of an Heir / La Naissance d’un Heritier
William Redmore Bigg (1755 - 1828)
Christening the Heir / Le Bateme d’un Heritier
Four Women with a Child
Guercino (1591 - 1666)
Francesco Bartolozzi (1727 - 1815)
The Cession of the District of Matavai in the Island of Otaheité to Captain James Wilson, for the use of the Missionaries of the London Missionary Society
Robert Smirke (1753 - 1845)
King William III (1650-1702) Reigned 1688-1702, as Solomon
Jan van Orley (1665 - 1735)
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints
(After) Raphael (1483 - 1520)
Watergate, York Buildings
Thomas, jnr Malton (1748 - 1804)
The Happy Family
John Dean (c1750 - 1805)
Marco, (Follower of) Basaiti
Virgin and Child, Infant St. John the Baptist and SS Zachariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Catherine and a Female Saint
Andrea Schiavone
Rocky Landscape, Village on the Hill
Anthony Devis (1729 - 1816)
Deborah Kip, Wife of Sir Balthazar Gerbier, and Her Children
James MacArdell (1729 - 1765)
William Jett
Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640)
Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation)
Paula Rego (1935 - )
Flight into Egypt (“Echo” after John Gilbert)
Walter Richard Sickert (1860 - 1942)
A Lady and her Children Relieving a Cottager
John Raphael Smith (1752 - 1812)
David Lucas (1802 - 1881)
John Constable (1776 - 1837)
Les Quatre Âges de l’Homme: Plate 3: Maturity
Abraham Bosse (1602 - 1676)
Madonna and Child with St. Mary Magdalene and St. Joseph
Venetian 16th century unknown
Farmyard Scene
Robert Hills (1769 - 1844)
Lambeth & Westminster from Millbank
William Parrott (1813 - 1869)
Boats Moored in the Main Street of Chebayish, Iraq
Edward Bawden (1903 - 1989)
View near Hastings
Thomas Sutherland (1785 - 1838)
Charles, the elder Catton (1728 - 1798)
Shore Scene
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Airing on COMET TV: The Beasts of February! Teen Wolf! Species! Strange Invaders!
ONLY AIRING ON CometTV.com in February
BEASTS OF FEBRUARY
Comet TV has all the spine tingling beasts you can sink your teeth into this February! From the classic adolescent werewolf trials and tribulations of Teen Wolf to the outer world invasion of Species, we have them all. There’s Empire of the Ants, Strange Invaders and how can we forget The Vampires on Bikini Beach? Classic Sci-fi and horror for beasts of all ages!
YOU DON’T NEED A SUBSCRIPTION TO WATCH THESE GREAT MOVIES…
THEY’RE AIRING FOR FREE ON COMET!
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Alienator (1988)
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reserves, surplus
Policy Exchange’s accounting errors
Wonkhe has corrected a comment piece that appeared earlier today on its site that originally confused surpluses and reserves.
The comment piece was there to promote a new report from Policy Exchange calling for resources to be diverted from English HE to FE. Their case hinges on the level of reserves seen on average across the university sector.
Unfortunately Policy Exchange are just fundamentally confused about accounting.
The question to ask, therefore, is not “would cuts be harmful”, but “where would cuts be least harmful in the context in which we find ourselves”. The answer is that when looking at the post 19 education and training system as a coherent whole, the HE element is significantly better funded than its FE counterpart, has substantial cash reserves which could be better utilised than sitting in banks, and has made insufficient progress on efficiency savings to date when set against either FE or any other public service. This then is the case for a reallocation of resources away from HE to protect FE.
Higher, Further, Faster, More p.11
The evidence used to back this claim comes from Hefce’s most recent annual report on the Financial Health of the sector. Policy Exchange cite a figure of 48% for reserves.
55. Discretionary reserves at the end of 2013-14 totalled £12,292 million, after taking into account the impact of the financial reporting standard on retirement benefits (FRS17). This reporting standard, which requires pension scheme surpluses or deficits to be included in the balance sheet (but not yet those of multi-employer schemes such as the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)), makes comparisons with previous years more difficult. Without FRS17, reserves totalled £16,472 million, equivalent to 64.4 per cent of total income.
56. Total reported pension scheme deficits (excluding those relating to multi-employer schemes) increased by £678 million to £4,180 million in 2013-14, reducing reserves to 48.0 per cent of income.
The full Policy Exchange report includes this Figure from Hefce’s report.
Unfortunately, as a Hefce footnote makes clear: ‘discretionary reserves’ are not ‘cash reserves’.
Discretionary reserves are equal to expendable endowments plus general reserves from the balance sheet.
And general reserves is a measure achieved by comparing all assets – not just cash, but also properties for example – to all liabilities. It isn’t cash reserves either (cash would normally be classed under ‘current assets’)!
JNCHES’s guide to university financial reports (a recommended read!) puts it this way:
[Look at] your assets and liabilities at the end of the financial year – the difference is called your ‘equity’ and will be referred to in accounts as your Reserves.
Think of it like a private house. Usually, the outstanding mortgage will be less than the value of the house, so you’ll have a positive equity. It can be the other way round and that can be a serious problem for an individual or an institution. For substantial organisations like HEIs, balance sheets need to accommodate a variety of transactions with rather technical labels, but the essence of the statement remains – assets less liabilities equals reserves. …
However big your reserves are, they’re not the same as cash. To convert reserves into cash, you’ll have to sell assets. Don’t assume those assets will sell for the amount showing on the balance sheet.
Others have complained about the misrepresentation of these HE statistics.
But they’ve missed the fundamental error made by Policy Exchange – they mistook reserves for cash!
And in doing so, peddled some dangerous nonsense.
From → University Strategy
Jonathan Simons permalink
Thanks for this Andrew. One admission, and then a rebuttal. You’re right that we shouldn’t have described the £12bn as cash in be sentence you highlight – they are indeed, as HEFCE call them, discretionary reserves – as we indeed also call them later in the report. And the argument is built on that basis. Because although they aren’t cash, they are *cashable*. That’s exactly our argument and indeed the point made in the link you cite above – it’s a legitimate strategy in certain instances to draw on cashable reserves, particularly if financial circumstances are tight and / or you have significant cashable reserves. That’s exactly our argument as to what universities should do.
I’m running around for a lot of today but I will try to do a fuller response to this on wonkhe (also addressing UUKs argument around operating surpluses)
andrewmcgettigan permalink
Thank you for responding Jonathan.
Every reference to ‘reserves’ in your report implies ‘cash’. For example,
“Importantly, any remaining grant should be reallocated on a tapered basis, so that any residual HEFCE funding in this area be used to offset differential reserves, so that universities with smallest reserves are given the largest funding. This would indeed, deliberately, act an incentive not to hold reserves over a
certain limit.” (p.10)
Or: “Even after accounting for pension liabilities and the deficit within the universities pension scheme, operational reserves for the sector stand at £12.3 billion, or 48% of the entire annual operating income of the university sector.” (p.30)
What you seem to be suggesting now is that universities should cover a cut in funding( and potential operational deficits) by selling property.
That’s a different argument to the one in your report, which argues that universities are awash with cash so can take cuts to funding.
I’m not sure either of those two examples you cite do imply cash – they both speak specifically of reserves being held which can be used to offset a funding cut. My argument is and has always been just that – that between the reserves held by the sector and further scope for efficiency gains they’re well capable of absorbing a funding cut – and that we should compensate those least able by tilting any remaining grant to them.
For some universities, whose reserves are not cash but are instead in things like property, and have no scope for further cashable savings elsewhere (which I would have thought unlikely at the scale of reallocation I’m proposing but theoretically possible), yes I wouldn’t have an issue with them selling or in some other way monetising that property asset, just as other autonomous institutions that receive public funding like NHS Foundation Trusts have done in some instances (and indeed FE colleges have done, and some universities are already doing, for example OU in the news today). It’s obviously up to the university to make the decision how they cover their costs. My argument is that the HEFCE data shows they have plenty of reserves with which to do so.
I think it’s clear that ‘operational reserves’, however unusual a term, implies cash and that the idea of defining an acceptable ‘level’ of reserves does so as well.
It’s perfectly common for reserves to imply ‘cash reserves’ – it’s that the only figures cited in your report for the level of reserves is for ‘general reserves + expendable endowments’, which is quite different from cash.
Selling assets to fund operational deficits is not a sustainable funding solution. Universities do sell property but largely to fund new capital expenditure, investment or redevelopment plans. They really shouldn’t be doing it to cover funding cuts. The Open University isn’t a healthy counterexample here.
The sector average shows large general reserves because there is a substantial part of the sector that is historic and has acquired and developed buildings over time.
What you need to do is justify your line is identify spare estate capacity that can be sold.
I’m not sure that I agree (perhaps unsurprisingly!)
There’s £12bn of reserves that have been identified as sitting on balance sheets as discretionary; a mixture of cash and other assets that are both cashable and by virtue of being discretionary, not identified for another fixed purpose (or at least not in such a way that they can’e be reallocated, these aren’t restricted funds),
Of course, in the longer term, selling off fixed assets or using lump sum funding to pay ongoing revenue costs isn’t sustainable. But – and there’s two big buts – for that to be our proposed solution implies two things, neither of which are true:
1) there aren’t significant potential other efficiencies which could be made to move to a lower order of running costs in steady state. We talk in the report about how on average the university sector has made 1.5% efficiencies in the past three years of recorded data. That’s pretty low, compared to many if not all other areas of the public sector. I find it deeply implausible that there isn’t significant scope for changing this (and indeed, it’s very common for government to demand efficiencies and give a lower grant without any recognition that there a way of delivering that; whereas we have specifically identified room for further efficiencies by virtue of using that 1.5% as a starting point)
2) that in the short term, whilst moving to a more efficient operating model, that any form of selling off of assets or using other reserves isn’t a legitimate and recognisable financial strategy. It absolutely is – I was previously a trustee of a small charity and for a number of years we used up elements of our reserves whilst either investigating whether we could increase revenues or decrease costs. Indeed, the very JNCHES guide you cite says ” If you have substantial equity, you can live on your wealth for a time. It may not be a very good idea, because you’re using up the family silver, but it can give you breathing space”.
That’s exactly what we’re advocating – using reserves to manage short term additional costs brought about by a reduction of grant, whilst the efficiency process accelerates to move to a more steady state solution (and / or an increase in income from elsewhere presents itself, which is of course possible but outside the scope of our report).
I don’t think it would be realistic – nor, in truth sensible – for PX to have gone around saying “right well University X should sell asset A and B, university Y have buildings C and D they could do this with” and so on. That’s a level of micromanagement far in excess of what is reasonable. The right approach is to say, as we have done – universities are comparatively very wealthy here, they have significant reserves, these should be utilised in the way they choose to manage a reduction in grant in order that another sector be financially supported, and any remaining grant should be allocated to those with the smallest reserves
Mike Picken permalink
1) Policy Exchange proposes to remove £532M from the HEFCE budget, to be reallocated to Adult Skills. Of this the majority, £380M, is the HEFCE Student Opportunity Fund allocation for Widening Participation. But nearly 11% of the £364M allocation in 2015-16 already goes directly to FE Colleges delivering HE provision anyway (£38M – top 10 listed below). In addition, an unknown but not insignificant proportion of the SOF allocation for HEIs will also be returned to those FE Colleges who are in an indirect funded reltationship (sub-contracted or ‘franchise’ provision) with an HEI for their HE provision. This seems more like ‘robbing Paul to pay Paul’ (see page 11)!
2) Do we have any feel for what the effect of the Policy Exchange proposals and particularly the proposal for a ‘tapered’ reallocation (page 10) would be on different types of institutions? The Student Opportunity Fund is selective and goes disproportionally in terms of the totality of Teaching funds to those institutions with a higher number of students from widening participation backgrounds, mainly post-92 institutions (and FE Colleges). The top 20 HEI allocations are below. If those HEIs are not the institutions that have higher ‘reserves’ (however calculated), then removing the funding doesn’t deliver the policy objectives that Policy Exchange claim to be seeking. It might be better argued that transferring the allocations for QR Research funding for eg Theology and for eg Classical studies to the Adult Skills budget, would have less impact on economic recovery and a more policy-driven effect; 31% of that funding goes to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge who are wealthy and well-endowed, maybe they could more easily afford to make up the shortfall than those listed below? This would certainly guarantee Policy Exchange more headlines as being ‘philistines’ and ‘nonsensical’, but is actually more rational than what they have proposed (As a society, do we really believe that an increased understanding of Theology will deliver better opportunities for an economic recovery than encouraging poorer people to improve their education?).
3) The ‘dangerous nonsense’ from PE that this whole thing reveals is that they (PE) have laid the groundwork for that Student Opportunity Fund being cut by BIS anyway, on the specious grounds that HE institutions are awash with funds and do not ‘need’ the monies. The ‘big idea’ from PE is that BIS will cut it and then transfer the money to the Adult Skills funding allocation. Instead, BIS are more likely just to cut the money anyway and use it to deliver the Treasury savings that will be unveiled in the austerity-led public spending review due on November 25th. Thus, PE will have done the government’s dirty work in laying the grounds for cuts that will actually reduce economic investment and in social barriers to advanced education, the very opposite of the ‘policy’ they intended.
Top 20 Student Opportunity Fund HEI allocations 2015-16 (£)
1 The Open University 34,370,893
2 Manchester Metropolitan University 8,154,384
3 University of Central Lancashire 7,038,323
4 Sheffield Hallam University 6,664,077
5 The University of Wolverhampton 6,547,532
6 University of Plymouth 6,270,058
7 Staffordshire University 6,196,251
8 Leeds Beckett University 6,122,496
9 Nottingham Trent University 6,075,245
10 Liverpool John Moores University 5,851,911
11 Teesside University 5,791,148
12 Anglia Ruskin University 5,677,283
13 Coventry University 5,536,648
14 Kingston University 5,263,975
15 Birmingham City University 5,190,505
16 University of Derby 5,093,566
17 De Montfort University 5,063,815
18 The University of Huddersfield 5,046,898
19 University of Greenwich 5,022,310
20 University of Portsmouth 4,946,056
Top 10 Student Opportunity Fund FEC allocations 2015-16 (£)
1 Blackpool and the Fylde College 1,836,092
2 NCG 1,592,228
3 Bradford College 1,187,712
4 Blackburn College 1,107,540
5 Heart of Worcestershire College 1,007,731
6 Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education 1,007,509
7 The Manchester College 950,261
8 New College Durham 718,779
9 Leeds City College 718,018
10 Hull College 702,091
Sorry a word dropped off my post. In para 2) middle sentence I meant to say
‘would have less impact on economic recovery’
ie that chopping the QR Research funding for Theology, Classics etc would not be as bad for the economy as cutting Student Opportunity Funding elsewhere.
Just for comparison purposes, the QR allocation to the University of Oxford for Classics research in 2015-16 was £1.56M, significantly more than eg Blackburn College in Lancashire gets for Student Opportunity Funding for its 1,000+ HND/Foundation degree/honours degree students from poorer backgrounds (and mostly in vocational/technical subjects by the way). Which is not to say that it should be an “either/or”, but it does raise the question of why this particular target for cuts has been chosen by the Policy Exchange in preference to other choices that maybe have more people in higher echelons of society to defend them? HEFCE annually spend nearly as much on research into Theology and Classics as they do on research into Social Work and Social Policy, by the way… if it’s a question of priorities for public investment, one has to ask which one has a better chance of helping to solve our society’s problems? … I’m not deliberately inviting accusations of being a philistine here, just playing ‘devil’s advocate’ to a report that asks us to make choices!
Curses! WordPress deleted the word ‘deleterious’ between ‘less’ and ‘impact’
… I hate these sites that don’t allow you to preview or edit a post after you’ve submitted it and seen what it looks like! Apologies, Andrew!
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Difference Between Masai & Reticulated Giraffes
By Naomi Millburn
Anup Shah/Photodisc/Getty Images
Although only one giraffe species exists (Giraffa camelopardalis), there are a whopping nine separate subspecies under that umbrella. The Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) and the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) are two of them. These two subspecies are close in many ways, but also possess marked differences. One prominent difference between the Masai and reticulated subspecies of giraffes involves size. Out of the many subspecies, Masai giraffes are the biggest, states the Pittsburgh Zoo.
Male Masai giraffes are taller than the fairer gender, and usually grow to heights of around 18 feet. For females, the average is closer to 14 feet. Male reticulated giraffes usually attain heights of between 15 and 17 feet, indicates the Sacramento Zoo, while the reticulated females are very similar to Masai females height wise -- think 13 to 15 feet.
Spotting Difference
When it comes to giraffes, apart from their uber-long necks, their spots are some of their most noteworthy features. The spots on Masai and reticulated giraffes are vastly different. Masai giraffes have rather unpredictable, very deep brown spots that closely resemble oak leaves, according to the Nashville Zoo. These ragged spots are a major contrast to those of reticulated giraffes, which are slightly lighter brown in color and shaped very similarly to polygons -- with straight, smooth sides. Because of the difference in spotting, telling a Masai giraffe apart from a reticulated giraffe standing side by side would be quite an easy task.
Location Difference
Masai giraffes are native to the eastern region of Africa -- both Tanzania and Kenya. Reticulated giraffes are native to Kenya as well, but also to Ethiopia and Somalia. Masai giraffes inhabit savannas and woodlands, and reticulated giraffes live in very similar environments. Reticulated giraffes are often found in areas that have sprinklings of acacia trees throughout the landscape.
Population Difference
One great difference between Masai and reticulated giraffes involves population. Numbers wise, many more Masai giraffes exist compared to reticulated giraffes, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Up to 40,000 individual Masai giraffes freely roam throughout their natural range, compared with the estimated figure for reticulated giraffes -- no more than 5,000 in total.
The Sacramento Zoo: New Female Masai Giraffe
Pittsburgh Zoo: Masai Giraffe
Giraffe Conservation Foundation: Giraffe - The Facts
Sacramento Zoo: Reticulated Giraffe
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Giraffa Camelopardalis
The Nashville Zoo: Masai Giraffe
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Growth promotants in feeding pigs and poultry. III. Alternatives to antibiotic growth promotants
Inclusion of wheat gluten as a protein source in diets for weaned pigs
Effects of Aspergillus fumigatus phytase on phosphorus digestibility, phosphorus excretion, bone strength and performance in pigs
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Cassandre Mentor
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Barb Popel: “Fine performances from four talented actors… A polished production.”
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Interviews, Theatre
New season announced at The Gladstone
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الرئيسية Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self: Collected Essays (Provost)
Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self: Collected Essays (Provost)
C. Stephen Evans
Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self represents a rich collection of studies that allow S?¶ren Kierkegaard to speak directly to the questions of contemporary readers. Evans analyzes Kierkegaard as a philosopher, his perspectives on faith, reason, and epistemology, his ethics, and Kierkegaard's view of the self. Evans makes a strong case that Kierkegaard has something crucial to say to the Christian church as a philosopher and something equally crucial to say to the philosophical world as a Christian believer.
الناشر: Baylor University Press
الصفحات: 385 / 404
تحميل (pdf, 1.32 MB)
kierkegaard1156
revelation168
kierkegaard on faith166
incarnation159
plantinga158
contradiction129
johannes124
kant98
doctrine81
postscript80
princeton77
metaphysics76
grounded68
believer67
realism66
philosophers64
morality64
offense63
apologetic62
kierkegaardian59
myth59
philosophical fragments58
hong51
commands49
aquinas48
rooted47
selfhood47
sickness unto46
unto death46
miracles45
skeptic44
metaphysical43
objectively41
sickness unto death41
ethical life40
princeton university39
classical foundationalism39
selves38
socrates38
The Fragmentation of Reason: Preface to a Pragmatic Theory of Cognitive Evaluation
Stephen P. Stich
John von Neumann
Kierkegaard on Faith and the Self
Kierkegaard on Faith
and the Self
Collected Essays
Provost Series
Waco, Texas USA
©2006 by Baylor University Press
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in
writing of Baylor University Press.
Evans, C. Stephen.
Kierkegaard on faith and the self : collected essays / C. Stephen Evans.
p. cm. -- (Provost series)
ISBN 1-932792-35-X (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813-1855. 2. Religion--Philosophy--History--19th century. 3. Ethics, Modern--19th century. 4. Self (Philosophy)--History--19th century. I. Title. II. Series.
B4378.R44E82 2006
198'.9--dc22
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
A Note on Citations from Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard as a Christian Thinker
Kiekegaard the Philosopher
Realism and Antirealism in Kierkegaard’s Concluding
Unscientific Postscript
Kant and Kierkegaard on the Possibility of Metaphysics
The Role of Irony in Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments
Kierkegaard’s View of Humor: Must Christians Always Be
Solemn?
Misusing Religious Language: Something about Kierkegaard
and The Myth of God Incarnate
Kierkegaard on Faith, Reason, and Reformed Epistemology
Is Kierkegaard an Irrationalist? Reason, Paradox, and Faith
Apologetic Arguments in Philosophical Fragments
The Relevance of Historical Evidence for Christian Faith:
A Critique of a Kierkegaardian View
10 Kierkegaard and Plantinga on Belief in God: Subjectivity
as the Ground of Properly Basic Religious Beliefs
11 Externalist Epistemology, Subjectivity, and Christian
Knowledge: Plantinga and Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard on Ethics and Authority
12 Faith as the Telos of Morality: A Reading of Fear and Trembling
13 A Kierkegaardian View of the Foundations of Morality
14 Kierkegaard on Religious Authority: The Problem of the Criterion 239
Kierkegaard on the Self: Philosophical Psychology
15 Who is the Other in The Sickness unto Death? God and
Human Relations in the Constitution of the Self
16 Kierkegaard’s View of the Unconscious
17 Does Kierkegaard Think Beliefs Can Be Directly Willed?
18 Where There’s a Will There’s a Way: Kierkegaard’s
19 Where Can Kierkegaard Take Us?
The great majority of essays in this volume first appeared in other forms,
though all have been revised at least slightly for this book. I am grateful to all
of the sources cited below for permissions to reuse this material.
Chapter 2 was originally published as “Realism and Anti-Realism in
Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific Postscript,” in The Cambridge
Companion to Kierkegaard, edited by Alastair Hannay and Gordon Daniel
Marino (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997): 154–78. Reprinted
with the permission of Cambridge University Press.
Chapter 3 was originally published in Kant and Kierkegaard on Religion
edited by D. Z. Phillips and Timothy Tessin (New York: St. Martins, 2000).
Reprinted with the permission of Claremont Graduate School, the copyright
holder.
Chapter 4 was originally published in Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook 2004
(Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1997). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 5 was originally published in The Journal of Faith and Philosophy 4.2 (1987). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 6 was originally published in Religious Studies 15 (1979): 139–
57. Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 7 was originally published in Religious Studies 25.3 (1989):
347–62. Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 8 was originally published in International Kierkegaard
Commentary: Philosophical Fragments and Johannes Climacus (Macon, Ga.:
Mercer University Press, 1994). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 9 first appeared in Faith and Philosophy 7.4 (1990). It was
reprinted in Philosophy of Religion: an Anthology of Contemporary Views, 1st
edition by Melville Y. Stewart. ©1996. Reprinted with permission of
Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning: www.thomson rights.com.
Fax: 800-730-2215.
Chapter 10 was originally published in The Journal of Faith and
Philosophy 5.1 (1988). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 11 is reprinted with permission by ©Rainer Berndt (Hg) from
Vernunftig (Wurzburg: Echter Verlag, 2003).
Chapter 12 was originally published in International Kierkegaard
Commentary: Fear and Trembling and Repetition (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1993). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 13 was originally published in Christian Theism and Moral
Philosophy, edited by Michael Beaty, et al. (Macon, Ga.: Mercer University
Press, 1998). Reprinted with permission.
Philosophy 17.1 (2000). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 15 was originally published in Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook
1997 (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1997). Reprinted with permission.
Chapter 16 was originally published in Kierkegaard: Poet of Existence
(1989). Reprinted with permission of C. A. Reitzel.
Chapter 17 was originally published as “Does Kierkegaard Think Beliefs
Can be Directly Willed?” Philosophy of Religion 26 (1989): 173–84.
©Kluwer Academic Publishers. Reprinted with kind permission of Kluwer
Academic Publishers.
Chapter 18 is reprinted by permission from Writing the Politics of
Difference, edited by Hugh J. Silverman, the State University of New York
Press, ©1991 State University of New York. All Rights Reserved.
It seems like a long time since I first read Kierkegaard as a freshman at
Wheaton College. I remember the course well: Stuart Hackett’s “Introduction to Ethics,” and the book read was Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing,
the Douglas Steere translation in the Harper Torchbook edition. I later
passed the book on to the woman who would become my wife, and it served
as her introduction to Kierkegaard as well. (She has since gone on to publish
a book on Kierkegaard’s influence on Miguel de Unamuno.) The year was
1965, which means that I have been reading Kierkegaard for forty years, give
or take a year.
My devotion to Kierkegaard, however, has never prevented other interests, and even my doctoral dissertation, later published as Subjectivity and
Religious Belief, only dealt with Kierkegaard in one chapter. Two years after
completing my dissertation, I was floundering as a scholar, lacking a clear
direction and research agenda. Someone—I wish I could remember who it
was—told me I should focus on one historical figure. I chose Kierkegaard,
and it is a choice I have never regretted. After making a trip to St. Olaf to
meet Howard Hong, I was inspired to learn Danish. My wife Jan joined me
in this quest, and two years later we were (temporarily) living in Denmark,
and I was writing my first scholarly book on Kierkegaard.
Over the years I have found Kierkegaard a fecund source of inspiration
and ideas on all kinds of issues. Though I have often found myself disagreeing with him, I have never found him dull and never found him less than
provocative. I think there are few philosophers I could have read for forty
years with delight and continual surprise.
Through these years I have published a lot of essays on Kierkegaard.
Many of these appeared in obscure places and are now hard to find. When I
recently went back and reread some of them, it seemed to me that they possessed a consistency of purpose and interpretive vision that made it worthwhile to put them together in book form, and that is what I have done. I
have of course revised most of the essays for this volume. But the revisions,
for the most part, are not major, because they embody a common vision that
has developed but not fundamentally changed over the last twenty-five years.
Kierkegaard himself, in reflecting on his own authorship in The Point of
View, claims there is a unity of purpose to be found in his works. However,
he does not claim that this unity was the result of any plan he had from the
beginning, but rather he attributes it to the work of “Governance” or providence. When I look back on my own scholarly achievement, which would be
laughable to compare with Kierkegaard’s, I feel driven to make the same kind
of attribution. When I began to write these essays, I was very far from having
a detailed plan of attack. Nevertheless, in retrospect, my interpretive labors
with respect to Kierkegaard constitute a consistent program to me. I feel a
certain wonder when I read my own work. Through the years my thinking
about Kierkegaard has surely developed, as my knowledge of his works and
the secondary literature has grown. However, the kernel of my way of reading Kierkegaard was present from the beginning. The intuitions that guided
my early work have been fruitful—at least to me. I hope that others will find
them so as well.
I owe a huge thank you to Sean Riley, who performed the herculean task
of converting Kierkegaard references to the system of SIGLA used. I must
also thank the staff of Baylor University Press, who have labored over the text
in many ways. I am grateful as well to James Bouwmeester, who prepared the
I must close by thanking my wonderful wife, who has shared so much of
her life with me, and shared so many of my loves, including my love for
Kierkegaard. The essays that compose this book would not have been possible without her.
The essays that compose this book were written over a thirty-year period.
During that period, new translations of Kierkegaard’s works appeared in
English. This has led to differences in how I cited Kierkegaard in these
essays. Some of my earlier essays drew on the older translations of David
Swenson and Walter Lowrie. Some of the newer essays cited the new Hong
edition of Kierkegaard’s Writings from Princeton University Press. In many
essays I used my own translations directly from the Danish, employing the
first edition of the Samlede Værker (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1901–1906).
For this volume, I have retranslated all direct quotations from Kierkegaard
using this edition.
Since many of the Lowrie and Swenson translations are no longer in
print, I wanted in this book to give a reference to the Princeton edition of
Kierkegaard’s Writings, for the convenience of readers, since this edition is
currently both available and the best scholarly edition in English. Hence I
have decided to standardize references to Kierkegaard, and to cite the pagination of the Hong edition in every case. This will allow the reader always to
be able to find the relevant passage in an available English edition to examine the context of a quotation. Since the Hong edition contains the pagination of the first edition of the Samlede Værker in the margins, readers who
wish to consult the Danish for themselves can easily do so. Allow me to
repeat for emphasis that the actual translations for quotations of Kierkegaard
used for this edition are my own in all cases, though I have no doubt been
influenced by both older and newer existing translations.
I am a great admirer of the system of SIGLA developed by Robert
Perkins for the International Kierkegaard Commentary series published by
Mercer University Press, and I decided to employ it in this work, thus greatly
reducing the number of footnotes. Kierkegaard’s works are cited by giving an
abbreviation for each in parentheses in the text, followed by a page number.
I am grateful both to Robert Perkins and to Mercer University Press for permission to use the SIGLA. On the following pages I append a list of
Kierkegaard’s works cited and the corresponding abbreviations for those
“Armed Neutrality.” See The Point of View (PV).
The Book on Adler, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995.
The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of an Actress. See Christian
Discourses (CD).
The Concept of Anxiety, trans. Reidar Thomte in collaboration
with Albert B. Anderson. Princeton: Princeton University Press,
Christian Discourses and The Crisis and a Crisis in the Life of an
Actress, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1997.
The Concept of Irony and “Notes on Schelling’s Berlin Lectures,”
trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1989.
The Corsair Affair, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, 2
vols., trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton:
Either/Or, 2 vols., trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
Early Polemical Writings and From the Papers of One Still Living,
trans. Julia Watkin. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990.
Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna
H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990.
FPOSL From the Papers of One Still Living. See Early Polemical Writings
(EPW).
For Self-Examination and Judge for Yourself!, trans. Howard V.
Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press,
Fear and Trembling and Repetition, trans. Howard V. Hong and
Edna H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983.
Johannes Climacus or De omnibus dubitandum est. See Philosophical Fragments (PF).
JFY
Judge for Yourself! See For Self-Examination (FSE).
Søren Kierkegaard’s Journals and Papers, ed. and trans. Howard
V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, assisted by Gregor Malantschuk.
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, vol. 1, 1967; vol. 2, 1970;
vols. 3– 4, 1975; vols. 5–7, 1978.
Letters and Documents, trans. Hendrik Rosenmeier. Princeton:
Newspaper Articles, 1854–1855. See “The Moment” (TM).
NSBL
“Notes on Schelling’s Berlin Lectures.” See The Concept of Irony
(CI).
OMWA On My Work as an Author. See The Point of View (PV).
Prefaces and “Writing Sampler,” trans. Todd W. Nichol. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998.
Practice in Christianity, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H.
Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991.
Philosophical Fragments and Johannes Climacus, trans. Howard V.
The Point of View for My Work as an Author, “The Single
Individual,” On My Work as an Author, and “Armed Neutrality,”
Repetition. See Fear and Trembling (FT).
Stages on Life’s Way, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
The Sickness unto Death, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna Hong.
TDIO
UDVS
Two Ages: The Age of Revolution and the Present Age. A Literary
Review, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Princeton:
Three Discourses on Imagined Occasions, trans. Howard V. Hong
and Edna H. Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993.
“The Moment” and Late Writings and Newspaper Articles, 1845–
1855, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong. Prince-ton:
“The Single Individual.” See The Point of View (PV).
Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits, trans. Howard V. Hong
Without Authority, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
Works of Love, trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong.
“Writing Sampler.” See Prefaces (P).
There are almost as many ways of reading Kierkegaard as there are readers of
Kierkegaard. Bursting onto the English-speaking intellectual world in the
forties and fifties of the twentieth century like a long-delayed time bomb,
Kierkegaard was first read as the “father of existentialism,” the inspirer of
Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, and Unamuno. In the contemporary intellectual
world, philosophers such as John Caputo and Merold Westphal see
Kierkegaard as a proto-postmodernist.1 The “multivocity” that is displayed
in the panoply of pseudonymous “characters” that Kierkegaard employed
makes such a reading understandable. Another large group of Kierkegaard
interpreters see him as linked to Wittgenstein. Some, such as James Conant,
are enamored with the early Wittgenstein, and see a strong similarity
between Wittgenstein’s distinction between what can be said and what
can only be shown and Kierkegaard’s reflections on the limits of human
thinking.2 Others, such as Robert Roberts, are more drawn to the later
Wittgenstein, with his detailed attention to “language games” and attempts
to discern the “deep grammar” embedded in our linguistic practices. They
see a parallel with Kierkegaard’s attempts to distinguish carefully between the
“grammar” of authentically Christian ways of talking about the ethical and
the self and the forms of thought characteristic of paganism and
“Christendom,” that confused form of paganism.3
All of these ways of reading Kierkegaard have led to illuminating discoveries. Perhaps it is one sign of the greatness of Kierkegaard that he seems to
have something to say to almost everyone. Secular existentialists and postmodernists, neo-orthodox or dialectical Christian theologians, Catholics and
Anabaptists—all have found Kierkegaard to be a “spiritual brother.” Without in any way denying or minimizing Kierkegaard’s genius, which continues to produce amazement and awe in me after reading him for forty years, I
am convinced that the heart of Kierkegaard’s thought lies in the “mere
Christianity” that lay so close to his own heart. Kierkegaard himself found it
ironical that he should be the object of interest because of his aesthetic and
philosophical brilliance, when in reality this aesthetic brilliance was merely
an appearance in which “the religious author hid himself ” (PV 69–70).
Kierkegaard saw himself as one who was “duty-bound to the service of
Christianity” and whose task as an author was to “set forth this simple issue:
to become a Christian” (PV 93–94). What he really wanted to communicate
was “the old, well-known text, handed down by the fathers” (CUP 1:630).
Part of Kierkegaard’s genius is his ability to see and dramatize the power and
relevance of ancient ways of thinking. Some of his inspiration surely came
from the Greeks, particularly the figure of Socrates, but anyone who notices
the massively Biblical content of his writings will recognize that the
Christianity he learned from his father was by far the preeminent influence.
If this is correct, then the vitality of Kierkegaard’s thought is testimony to the
power still present in the Christian message.
From my earliest encounter as an undergraduate with Kierkegaard, I
have been convinced that Kierkegaard had something important to say as a
Christian to the contemporary world. From the beginning it seemed to me
that he had two fundamental messages: One, directed primarily to the
Church, concerned the deadening effects of “Christendom,” and the need to
clearly understand that becoming a Christian is not simply to absorb a particular culture, whether that culture be construed as Danish, European,
“Western,” American, Texan, or whatever. For Kierkegaard, when Christianity is identified with culture, the “second birth” is confused with being born;
in such a situation it is difficult for anyone to become a Christian in truth
because everyone is a Christian of a sort. Being a Christian is confused with
being a nice, respectable person, the kind of person who works hard, fulfills
family responsibilities, and perhaps even goes to church on Sundays now and
then. Such a Christianity makes no real difference to anything or anyone,
and Kierkegaard saw very clearly that its major function was simply to legitimize the status quo of an emerging bourgeois culture.
The second message, directed primarily at the secular world, concerns
the causes for the post-Enlightenment decline of Christian faith. As
Kierkegaard saw things, the common diagnoses of this decline are wrong-
headed. Christian belief has not declined because people have become more
rational or more scientific, or because philosophers such as Hume and Kant
attacked the philosophical arguments for theism. If faith has ebbed, it is not
because people are generally more enlightened, but because they have
become more impoverished in their grasp of what human life is about and
why it should be lived. Rather than seeing contemporary Europeans as intellectual giants in relation to their forebears, Kierkegaard saw them as people
who were imaginative midgets, lacking the capacity for the deep “passions”
that make human life worth living.
These are important messages indeed, and in my own work on Kierkegaard I have seen it as my primary task to help my readers hear Kierkegaard
speak to them directly. One might think that such work on my part, however humble, would be superfluous. After all, Kierkegaard has been translated, and in the case of many of his books, more than once. However, I
believe that for some Kierkegaard’s voice has not been heard clearly, primarily because of deeply rooted traditions of misinterpretation. These readers of
Kierkegaard do not really understand him because they approach the text
with the illusion that they already understand him. This is true for both secular and religious readers.
A classic example of this kind of misreading is found in the work of theologian and Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer. However, before criticizing Schaeffer’s reading of Kierkegaard, I first want to express a word of
appreciation. I myself heard Schaeffer give several series of lectures during
my years as an undergraduate, the contents of which later appeared as Escape
from Reason and The God Who Is There.4 Those lectures were electrifying.
Like many young Christian intellectuals of my era, I was excited by
Schaeffer’s attempt to understand the crisis of Western civilization as spiritually rooted. Having grown up in a family of modest intellectual ambitions, it
was transfixing to see a Christian mind engaged with philosophy, art, science, and culture at large. I am sure that I owe to Schaeffer some of my own
interests in doing philosophy as a Christian.
Ironically, however, the Christian philosopher who has come to mean
the most to me was portrayed by Schaeffer as one of the villains in his grand
story of how Western culture turned away from orthodox Christian belief.
As Schaeffer told the story, Western culture bifurcated faith from reason,
leaving reason to go its autonomous way. In moving away from a Christian
worldview, reason gradually moved towards a mechanistic perspective that
left no room for meaningful and purposeful human existence. Unable to
live in such a mechanistic, meaningless world, modern humans have themselves embraced the irrational, with a bifurcated worldview. Symbolizing this
bifurcation with a horizontal “line of despair,” Schaeffer claimed that below
this line modern humans embrace a scientistic, mechanistic world that offers
no moral values and no reason for living. Above the line, in the “upper
story,” modern humans have embraced a variety of spiritual options, such as
“new age” religion and Western versions of Eastern religions. These upperstory commitments have no rational backing; they are grounded in an irrational leap of faith, motivated by the need for meaning and the inability to
accept a mechanistic world.
For Schaeffer, Søren Kierkegaard was the first thinker to recognize the
bankruptcy of the mechanistic worldview and posit “the leap of faith.” It is
true that Kierkegaard’s leap was to Christian faith and not some new age
substitute, and Schaeffer recognized Kierkegaard’s Christianity and even
praised some of Kierkegaard’s devotional writings. However, as Schaeffer saw
things, Kierkegaard tried to ground Christianity in an irrational leap of faith;
he was the author of the bifurcated universe that has become the home of the
modern intellectual.
As a result of Schaeffer’s treatment of Kierkegaard, several generations of
evangelical Christians have been taught that Kierkegaard is part of the problem rather than the solution. In teaching these students, at institutions such
as Wheaton College and Calvin College, I have had to first help them
unlearn what they “knew” about Kierkegaard. When I get these students to
read Kierkegaard with fresh eyes, they invariably see that Schaeffer’s reading
of Kierkegaard is flawed. The irony is that at certain points Kierkegaard’s
reading of the history of Western culture parallels Schaeffer’s own view.
Certainly, a serious encounter with Kierkegaard could have deepened
Schaeffer’s understanding, both of the problems and the cure.
It would be a mistake to lay too much blame at Schaeffer’s feet, however.
In many ways Schaeffer simply reflects the popular view of Kierkegaard, one
that is derived largely from Albert Camus, and which I am confident
Schaeffer encountered in the young intellectuals influenced by existentialism
from Europe and American who showed up at L’Abri (Schaeffer’s intellectual
mission) in Switzerland in the 1950s and 1960s. As Camus tells the tale,
Kierkegaard was the first to recognize the absurdity of human existence, the
incongruity between human beings who demand meaning and purpose and
a world that offers none.5 Camus accuses Kierkegaard of embracing “the
leap” because of an inability to face this absurd universe. Camus himself
wants to live life “without appeal,” courageously recognizing the absurdity of
existence, but continuing stubbornly to struggle and revolt, like his absurd
hero Sisyphus, endlessly pushing his rock up the mountain only to see it
return to the bottom after every struggle to reach the heights.
It is noteworthy that this irrationalist reading of Kierkegaard does not
only come from his enemies. Some of his friends are only too happy to see
Kierkegaard as someone who gives overrated reason an energetic spanking.
Such a perspective is understandable. After all, if Camus is right and the universe is absurd, what is so wrong about taking an irrational leap of faith?
However, it is a mistake to criticize or praise Kierkegaard for saying things he
does not say. The crucial point is that Camus fundamentally misconstrues
what Kierkegaard is all about. The French existentialist does not understand
the nature of Kierkegaard’s leap nor its motivation. For Kierkegaard, as I
shall try to show in detail in this volume, the leap is not a dishonest evasion
of the human condition, but stems from a courageous attempt to face the
truth about who we are and who we should be.
In more academic circles Kierkegaard’s reputation as an irrationalist is
hardly less prominent. Generations of philosophers have been educated to
see Kierkegaard as the archetypal “fideist” who rejects reason on behalf of
faith. The theologians have been a bit more lenient, but even so, many have
seen Kierkegaard only as the inspiration for the “dialectical theology” of
Barth and Brunner. For critics of Barth and Brunner, this will hardly seem a
virtue, but even their friends will know that Barth himself, perhaps concerned about Kierkegaard’s apparent fideism, increasingly distanced himself
from Kierkegaard as he worked on his massive Church Dogmatics.
What are the specifics in the bill of indictment that charges Kierkegaard
with being an irrationalist? Since reason is both theoretical and practical,
there are two spheres in which irrationalism can manifest itself; Kierkegaard
has been criticized both in his account of beliefs, particularly religious
beliefs, and in his account of choice, particularly ethical choice. As we shall
see, the two types of criticism are linked, because for Kierkegaard our ethical
choices cannot be divorced from our relationship with God. The essays in
this volume represent a sustained attempt to rebut both kinds of accusations
and to show that Kierkegaard is not really an enemy of rationality.
But is such an endeavor worthwhile? Will a Kierkegaard who is not an
enemy of reason be a sanitized Kierkegaard, a Kierkegaard who no longer
interests us? To the contrary, I am convinced that removing the misconceptions allows Kierkegaard’s authentic voice to disturb us in helpful, if sometimes painful, ways. Instead of pigeonholing him as an irrational fideist
whom we may ignore, we are forced to listen to what he actually has to say
about ourselves and the modern world.
When we hear those real messages, there is little chance that Kierkegaard
will not interest us as well as trouble us. The last thing I would want to do is
present a Kierkegaard who is missing his polemical edges. Kierkegaard is a
sharp critic of rationalism, and he forcefully reminds us of the limitations of
human reason. Hence my task is really twofold. At the same time that I dispel the myths about Kierkegaard the irrationalist, I must clear the way to
hear the Kierkegaard who demands that we reject the view that human reason is a timeless godlike faculty. Instead of talking about Reason, we need to
focus on the actual reasoning of historically situated, subjectively conditioned, finite human beings.
There is no contradiction between arguing that Kierkegaard is not an
enemy of reason while at the same time trying to present Kierkegaard as a
critic of what we humans call “Reason,” where this abstraction stands for our
human efforts to pretend that we have a godlike “view from nowhere.” It is
not irrational for human beings to recognize that human reason is finite and
thus is limited in various ways. The Kierkegaard we need to hear is a
Kierkegaard who has a keen eye for those limits and also for the way we
humans want to hide them.
The essays in this volume fall into four sections. The first group of essays
has the goal of displaying the value of taking Kierkegaard seriously as a
thinker. Although Kierkegaard was anything but an academic philosopher,
and though his interests were not primarily theoretical in nature, he did have
a wonderfully supple mind with many philosophical virtues. In the course of
his attempt to help his contemporaries understand what it means to be a
Christian, he engaged many important philosophical issues and interacted
with many of the greatest Western philosophers, both from ancient and
modern times. Despite this, Kierkegaard is often not taken seriously as a
philosopher. The situation is aptly captured by a comment from a distinguished philosopher whom I count as a friend, who said on one occasion
that as a teenager, he too “went through a Kierkegaard phase.” This view
depicts Kierkegaard as big on adolescent angst, rich in images and powerful
poetic descriptions, but not a serious thinker.
In a way this book as a whole is an attempt to show how rewarding it
is to engage Kierkegaard as a serious philosopher, perhaps the greatest
Christian thinker since the Middle Ages. But the essays in the first section of
the book are particularly apt for displaying the way Kierkegaard does his
philosophical work. They show Kierkegaard thinking about a variety of
philosophical problems in some of the core areas of philosophy and utilizing
an array of philosophical methods.
“Realism and Antirealism in Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific
Postscript” plunges into one of the most heated and vital philosophical
debates of our time, the debate about the nature of truth. Is truth “objective,” somehow independent of us human beings, as realists claim, or is
truth somehow a product of human thinking, as the “antirealists” say?
Surprisingly, I argue that despite the well-known Kierkegaadian thesis that
“truth is subjectivity,” Kierkegaard is uncompromisingly on the side of realism. The claim that truth is subjectivity pertains to what makes it possible
for a person to live truly. Merely having objectively true beliefs does not
make a person’s life true, but so far from denying the existence of such objective truth, Kierkegaard expressly affirms its reality.
All of this is linked to a becoming modesty about the powers of human
reason. We humans cannot produce “the final system.” Our beliefs, at least
about the most important things, are approximations of the final truth, and
as unfinished beings, our beliefs are subject to revision. However, it is important that reality is a system for God, and thus there is an ideal truth for us to
approximate. The world actually is the way God sees it, though we must
never lose sight of the fact that we are not God.
For Kierkegaard, epistemological modesty does not lead to skepticism
about objective truth. He rejects a crucial assumption, made both by dogmatic realists and antirealists: that if there is objective truth, there must be an
objective method that guarantees us access to that truth. The dogmatist
affirms there is truth and so there must be such a method; the antirealist says
there is no such method and so we must say good-bye to objective truth.
Kierkegaard affirms that there is truth but we humans have no risk-free
access to that truth. We cannot find the truth that really matters by following the siren song of “pure reason,” but by becoming the kinds of human
beings who are capable of grasping and living in the truth.
The next essay, “Kant and Kierkegaard on the Possibility of Metaphysics,” looks at the implications of this kind of epistemological stance for
metaphysics, developing an account of Kierkegaard’s attitudes on this subject
in dialogue with Immanuel Kant. Both thinkers are usually regarded as critics of metaphysics, and under the onslaught of such criticism the word has
taken on negative associations for many. I begin with a careful look at the
varied senses of “metaphysics” and agree that for many of these senses
Kierkegaard is an opponent of metaphysics. However, if we think of metaphysics, following William James, as an attempt to clarify a person’s deepest
beliefs about what is real, those beliefs that both stem from and shape a person’s actual life-choices, Kierkegaard and Kant must be understood to be
doing metaphysics. Kierkegaard is opposed to speculation that presumes to
be disinterested, but vigorously defends the importance of what he calls
“subjective reflection,” which does not mean thinking that is biased and
undisciplined by a concern for truth, but rather reflection that is focused on
questions about who I am and should be.
Such questions cannot be divorced from my convictions about God, nor
should they be. Kierkegaard does not think that the question of God can be
a purely speculative question; it cannot be divorced from the question of
how I relate to God. Surprisingly, Camus’s picture of Kierkegaard turning to
God in a desperate leap of faith when reason has shown God does not exist
turns out to be completely false. Kierkegaard thinks that human beings can
know God’s reality, and in fact the reason no rational proof of God’s reality is
necessary is because God can become present to human beings. This is only
possible, however, when humans are spiritually and inwardly developed.
Thus, the discovery of metaphysical truth cannot be divorced from the process of personal transformation.
A crucial issue if Kierkegaard is to be taken seriously as a philosopher, as
I have done in looking at his views in epistemology and metaphysics, concerns the role of irony in his writings. Some critics have charged that to take
Kierkegaard seriously as a philosopher who provides claims and arguments
of various sorts is fundamentally to misunderstand the literary character of
his work, which is pervaded by irony. In the thrid essay, “The Role of Irony
in Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments,” I look at how irony functions in
this key book of Kierkegaard’s as a test case to discern the place of irony in
the authorship as a whole.
The critics are quite right to see that irony is a crucial dimension of
Kierkegaard’s thought. His own dissertation was on The Concept of Irony and
he clearly relished the use of irony, both as a pervasive feature of many of his
works and in many individual asides and flourishes. I argue, however, that
paying attention to the ironical character of Kierkegaard’s works does not
evacuate them of their philosophical character. Kierkegaard himself makes
two important distinctions in his own discussion of irony. The first is a distinction between “common” and “rare” irony. The more common type of
irony, he says, is irony in which something that is a jest is said as if it were
meant seriously. The rarer type of irony, the type he himself exemplifies, is
when an author says something serious but does so in the form of a jest. In
such a case the ironical form does not abolish the serious content but actually presupposes it. The irony of the work sets a riddle and a challenge for the
reader: can the reader see through the jesting form to grasp the serious point?
When Philosophical Fragments is read in this light, the ironical form is
apparent. Johannes Climacus, the pseudonymous author, pretends to
“invent” as a thought experiment something that suspiciously resembles
Christianity. The content of his thought experiment (as well as Christianity),
however, is supposed to be something that no human being could have
invented but that only could have been revealed by God. The irony is trans-
parent, since Climacus is inventing something that on his account cannot be
invented. However, the irony does not undermine but presupposes the claim
that Christianity is a revealed faith that could not have been the product of
human reason.
The second important distinction Kierkegaard makes is between what
he calls “controlled” or “mastered” irony and irony that turns into “absolute,
infinite negativity.” I try to show that this distinction in Kierkegaard corresponds to one that Wayne Booth draws between “stable” and “unstable”
irony. Unstable irony is irony which leaves the reader no place to stand.
When the speaker’s apparent meaning ironically unravels, no serious purpose
emerges as the real point. Rather, every attempt to reach some stable meaning gets undermined in turn, and the reader is left with nothing at all. This
unstable irony is surely close to the Romantic ironists whom Kierkegaard
criticizes for their infinite negativity. It is true that existing human beings are
never finished, and therefore there is always room for the negativity that
undermines the status quo and pushes us onward. But the existing individual
must have a place to stand in order to go forward. Kierkegaard’s own irony is
irony in the service of a commitment to his ethical and Christian ideals. It is
what Booth calls stable irony, irony in the service of a moral and religious
viewpoint. His purpose cannot be to leave the reader in what Kierkegaard
himself often calls the “vortex” of modern thought.
It is natural to move from a look at the irony that pervades Kierkegaard’s
work to the humor that is equally evident in it. I would in fact defend the
claim that no other philosopher in the West is so funny a writer as
Kierkegaard.6 Not even Nietzsche’s sharp wit can compare with the humor
that Kierkegaard displays in most of his work. But Kierkegaard not only uses
humor; he thinks about its nature and its role in human life. This is a profoundly important philosophical topic, though it is one to which most
philosophers have paid scant attention.
“Kierkegaard’s View of Humor: Must Christians Always Be Solemn?”
looks at Kierkegaard’s account of humor and tries to make sense of his puzzling claim that there is an essential connection between humor and the religious life. Contrary to the stereotype of the religious person as dour and
somber, Kierkegaard thinks that the highest and deepest kind of humor
requires a life view that is at least in the neighborhood of a religious perspective. Humor is made possible by certain deep truths about the human condition, and a recognition of those truths turns out to be one of the essential
components of the religious life.
Humor in general for Kierkegaard revolves around the recognition of
what he calls a “contradiction,” something that we would probably term an
incongruity. (It is worth paying attention to Kierkegaard’s linguistic usage
here, because his understanding of the incarnation also involves seeing it as
containing a “contradiction.”) The contradiction must be one that is experienced as “painless” because the humorist sees this discrepancy from a “higher
perspective” that gives the individual a “way out.” Even trivial forms of
humor can be understood in this way. For example, there is a contradiction
between the downward ascent in the pratfall of a physical comedian and that
comedian’s upward gaze prior to the fall (Kierkegaard’s own example).
Not all humor is as silly as a pratfall. The kind of humor that strikes us
as deep humor does so because it reminds us of or even illuminates the deep
incongruity that lies at the base of our own nature. Every honest human
being experiences a “contradiction” between the ideal self and the actual self.
The people whom we regard as the greatest saints are precisely those who do
not view their own accomplishments all that seriously because they are
keenly conscious of how far short of their ideals they fall. The guilt we feel
when we perceive this moral gap constitutes the ground of the religious life
according to Kierkegaard.
Of course religiousness requires more than guilt; it involves the discovery of an apparent way out of the problem, a higher standpoint that allows us
to accept ourselves again, and smile at the goodness of life. We can thus see
why Kierkegaard sees the life of the person he calls “the humorist” as someone who lies at the boundary of authentic religious existence, and why he
says that humor will be the “outer costume” of the truly religious individual.
An examination of Kierkegaard’s view of humor not only illuminates that
subject, but helps us understand his famous theory of the “three spheres of
existence” or “stages on life’s way.” We can better understand what he means
by his typology of aesthetic, ethical, and religious existence if we see humor
as both a pervasive feature of human existence and a special “boundary zone”
that lies between the ethical and the religious spheres.
Chapter 6 concludes this examination of Kierkegaard as a philosopher
by looking at some of his thinking on a fundamental question of religious
language. A good part of philosophy of religion in the twentieth century
was devoted to discussions of religious language, and what it means to use
such language. In “Misusing Religious Language: Something about
Kierkegaard and The Myth of God Incarnate,” I look at what was for
Kierkegaard a crucial issue: the nature of the incarnation and how our language about the incarnation functions. In the next chapter I give a sustained
treatment of what Kierkegaard means by calling the incarnation the
“Absolute Paradox,” and why he thinks that this paradox always presents
human reason with “the possibility of offense.” In this chapter I deal with
the more restricted issue of how the language of the incarnation functions
for the believing community.
Many contemporary theologians have proposed that the traditional
understanding of Jesus as the Son of God, the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity, is no longer tenable. The authors of The Myth of God
Incarnate here serve to illustrate a tendency that continues to be widespread:
to reject any belief that Jesus was metaphysically God and instead see the traditional Christian doctrine as a myth that needs to be reinterpreted or translated for the modern world. It is at this point that I find Kierkegaard’s
treatment of the concept of the incarnation relevant to the contemporary
debate.
Kierkegaard saw the Hegelians in his day as treating the incarnation as a
myth. As he saw it, the Hegelians viewed the story of Jesus as one that
embodies the truth that the divine expresses itself most fully in human life.
Of course for the Hegelians, Spirit understood as divine is expressed most
adequately in the state and in the activities of “Absolute Spirit”—art, religion, and philosophy. The biblical story of Jesus is one where a particular
human first comes to be aware of the divine as something immanent in
human consciousness. As Kierkegaard sees things, the Hegelian account cannot be right. For even if we take the incarnation merely as a fictional story,
the meaning of the story cannot be that we humans have godlike potential,
and that ultimately each of us has the divine within. Rather, the point of the
story is that we humans lack the truth, and that we need a divine Teacher
who not only brings us the truth, but transforms us into the kinds of beings
who are capable of receiving the truth. In effect, he accuses the Hegelians of
being bad readers of the story. Another way of putting his criticism is as follows: Hegel essentially accepts the Platonic standpoint which posits that we
humans have the truth within us. That standpoint may be the true one, but
it cannot be true that this standpoint is Christian, as Hegel maintains.
Contemporary theologians who wish to interpret the incarnation as a
myth are in the same position. Even if they are right in their metaphysical
views, they cannot be right in maintaining that the views they are putting
forward are truly Christian. For they are misusing religious language: using
concepts and metaphors to advance a position that those concepts and
metaphors were expressly designed to exclude.
Having seen that it is indeed fruitful to take Kierkegaard seriously as a
philosopher, the second group of essays takes dead aim at the charge that
Kierkegaard was an irrationalist by examining his views on faith, reason,
and the central Christian claim: that Jesus was God in human form. The
essays in this section make a case that Kierkegaard is best understood not as
an opponent of reason, but as a critic of Enlightenment conceptions of reason. As such he can be fruitfully compared to the “Reformed Epistemologists” who have criticized “evidentialism” and developed an account of
religious faith that sees it as something that is “epistemologically basic” and
not dependent on evidence or arguments. The Reformed Epistemologists,
such as William Alston, Alvin Plantinga, and Nicholas Wolterstorff, have
argued that such a stance is not irrational or contrary to reason; and if their
arguments are convincing, then there may be a way of understanding
Kierkegaard that similarly absolves him of the charge of misology.
“Is Kierkegaard An Irrationalist? Reason, Paradox, and Faith” is the essay
that most directly takes on the primary task of the book. One of the most
well-known parts of Kierkegaard’s authorship is his treatment of the incarnation as the “Absolute Paradox” (by Johannes Climacus) or “the sign of
contradiction” (by Anti-Climacus in Practice in Christianity). Many commentators have interpreted Kierkegaard to mean that to believe in the incarnation is to believe what is logically contradictory and thus contrary to
reason. Christian faith then involves a crucifixion of the intellect, a heroic
attempt to believe what is logically impossible.
I argue, however, that this interpretation is plainly wrong. Though there
are passages that could be read as suggesting this is Kierkegaard’s view, there
are decisive arguments, both textual and drawn from the overall structure of
Kierkegaard’s thought, to show that this cannot be his meaning.
I begin by showing that Kierkegaard does not usually employ the word
“contradiction” to refer to a formal, logical contradiction but rather to some
kind of tension-filled incongruity. For example, human existence in general
is said to include a “contradiction.” There are several passages where
Kierkegaard distinguishes between a formal, logical contradiction and the
kind of contradiction that characterizes the incarnation. Furthermore, to
know that the idea of the “God-man” was a logical contradiction, we would
need to have a kind of clarity about the nature of God and the nature of
human beings that Kierkegaard says we lack. We know that a “square-circle”
is a contradictory concept because we understand what a square is and what
a circle is, but Kierkegaard thinks we do not understand either ourselves
or God. Finally, thinking of the incarnation as a formal contradiction
would destroy one of its most crucial characteristics, according to
Kierkegaard: its uniqueness. There is nothing unique about the notion of a
logical contradiction.
It is true that for Kierkegaard the incarnation is incomprehensible to
human reason, and thus may truly be said to be above reason. We do not
understand how God could become a human being, and when we try to do
so, the event may appear to us to be a contradiction. However, when we recognize the limits of our reason, which we do when we relate to God in faith
and recognize that God is God and we are not, then we can understand that
it is to be expected that we will fail to understand God. It is not irrational for
reason to come to understand and accept the limits of reason.
Why then is there a tension between reason and faith? For Kierkegaard
the tension arises because of human sinfulness. Because of our sin we pridefully think that whatever we cannot understand can be dismissed as absurd.
The proper response of Christianity to the charge that we cannot understand
the incarnation is to point out that this is simply an echo of Christian teachings, rather than an objection to them. Christianity itself maintains that sinful humans will necessarily see the incarnation as absurd. The alternative to
faith is not a neutral reason that dispassionately is guided by evidence but an
offended reason that rejects faith out of pride and selfishness.
The relation of faith to reason in Kierkegaard is further illuminated in
the essay “Apologetical Arguments in Philosophical Fragments.” There is a
paradox attached to Kierkegaard and the idea of a defense of the Christian
faith. On the one hand, Kierkegaard is well known as a critic of such arguments, going so far as to say that the person who invented the idea of proving God’s existence is “Judas Iscariot Number Two.” On the other hand,
Kierkegaard himself seems to give arguments for Christianity in a number of
places. Furthermore, a large number of readers find that after an encounter
with Kierkegaard, Christianity makes sense to them in a way that it did not
previously. Both of these elements are present in Philosophical Fragments,
which rejects the idea of basing Christianity on arguments, but which also
gives several arguments that seem to support Christian faith. To many readers the book as a whole appears to constitute one sustained argument that it
is reasonable to believe in a Christianity that transcends human reason.
I try to resolve this tension by distinguishing different kinds of apologetic
arguments. If we mean by “apologetics” arguments that are supposed to begin
with evidence that is accessible to anyone and arguments that make the truth
of Christianity evident to everyone, Kierkegaard thinks there are no such
arguments. Furthermore, the attempts to construct such arguments backfire
because trying to make Christianity acceptable to the unbeliever tempts the
arguer to falsify the character of Christianity to make it more palatable.
Kierkegaard rejects apologetic arguments in this sense because they are
attempts to make faith superfluous. They presuppose the kind of epistemology associated with “classical foundationalism,” in which knowledge and
belief must be rooted in a body of propositions known objectively and with
certainty. The rejection of this kind of apologetics, however, does not require
the rejection of all kinds. Arguments that do not replace or supplant faith
and which preserve the character of genuine Christianity, thereby leaving
“the possibility of offense,” would be a different matter entirely. An argument that appeals to evidence that requires faith to discern or accept, and
which preserves the possibility of offense would then be consistent with
Kierkegaard’s intentions. I try to show that such arguments may have great
value if we reject classical foundationalist epistemology, as many contemporary philosophers have done, and move towards a view of knowledge that
recognizes the role subjective qualities play in grasping truth. Faith may be
understood as a kind of skill that enables us to see things that would otherwise be missed.
Chapter 9 carries forward this concern with apologetic arguments by
examining “The Relevance of Historical Evidence for Christian Faith: A
Critique of a Kierkegaardian View.” Consistent with his depreciation of
apologetics, Kierkegaard consistently pours scorn on attempts to give historical arguments for the truth of Christian faith. Kierkegaard does not believe
that whether or not a person should or will become a Christian might hinge
on the role of some scholarly debate about, for example, the historicity of
Luke’s gospel. Such scholarly debates never end and can never be resolved
with the kind of certainty required by a decision to stake one’s eternal destiny
on a belief in Jesus.
I argue that Kierkegaard is right to maintain that no amount of historical evidence is sufficient to produce faith in an individual, and also right to
maintain that no particular amount is necessary for faith. Faith is the work of
God, produced in the individual when God encounters that individual in
the person of Christ. It is not the outcome of some scholarly debate. I argue,
however, that it is not legitimate to infer from these justifiable claims that
historical evidence is simply irrelevant for faith, something that Kierkegaard
appears to imply. Insofar as faith has historical content, and for Kierkegaard
it does, it is vulnerable to claims that it can be historically disproved. The
believer could not be indifferent if it were really shown by irrefutable evidence (as it has not been and could not be) that Jesus never existed or never
did or said the kinds of things attributed to him in the gospels. Furthermore,
though God is the author of faith, there is no reason that God could not use
historical evidence as one means whereby faith is produced in the individual.
This does not make faith hostage to some endless scholarly debate so long as
we recognize why faith is itself one of the factors that help us to understand
and appreciate the historical evidence.
Chapters 10 and 11 attempt to put these reflections on Kierkegaard’s
view of faith and reason into the context of the contemporary movement
known as Reformed Epistemology. “Kierkegaard and Plantinga on Belief in
God: Subjectivity as the Ground of Properly Basic Religious Beliefs” compares Kierkegaard’s thinking about belief in God with Alvin Plantinga’s
attempt to argue that “the correct or proper way to believe in God . . . is to
take belief in God as basic.” Although Kierkegaard is well known for his
claims that faith in Christ requires a “leap” and for his attacks on arguments
for God’s existence, he does not think, contrary to readers such as Camus,
that belief in God requires a leap. It is only faith in the incarnation, belief in
the God in time, that requires the leap. The reason why proofs of God’s existence are a bad idea is not that we cannot know God’s existence, but just the
reverse. Attempting to prove God’s existence makes it appear that something
that should be certain, if the individual is properly spiritually developed, is in
reality doubtful.
With respect to belief in God, then, it makes sense to see Kierkegaard as
holding to a “non-evidentialist” view that is similar to Plantinga. Belief in
God can and should be properly basic, rather than something that is derived
from arguments or proofs. Plantinga himself says that such beliefs are not
necessarily arbitrary or irrational. Some of our beliefs must be basic in this
way if they are not the product of an infinite series of arguments. If we reject
classical foundationalism, which holds that only beliefs that are self-evident,
incorrigible, or evident to the senses should be basic, then the possibility of
holding to belief in God in this way is open to us.
Plantinga himself stresses that though belief in God is not based on evidence, it does have grounds. Belief in God is grounded in such experiences as
perceiving an act I have done as one that requires forgiveness, or seeing a
flower as beautiful, or a mountain as sublime and spontaneously being
moved to think of the greatness of God. It is at this point, I argue, that
Kierkegaard has something to offer Plantinga. These experiences that ground
belief in God are experiences that require a certain receptivity; our capacity
for them cannot be divorced from the kind of people we are. Kierkegaard’s
stress on subjectivity can be seen as attention to the subjective aspects of
these grounding conditions.
The final essay in this section, “Externalist Epistemology, Subjectivity,
and Christian Knowledge: Plantinga and Kierkegaard,” moves on from the
consideration of mere belief in God to the question of how a Christian
believer comes to grasp the distinctive doctrines of Christianity as true. To
understand the accounts offered by Plantinga and Kierkegaard we must
understand what is usually termed “externalist epistemology.” The externalist
in epistemology puts forward a type of however, “modest” epistemology that
abandons the idea that epistemology is a foundational discipline that will
somehow offer a certificate of authenticity for dubious knowledge claims.
Instead, the externalist says that a theory of knowledge must begin by assuming we have some examples of knowledge and trying to learn from those
Rather than viewing knowledge as something that we must be able to
certify by reflection on our own internal states of mind, the externalist thinks
that knowledge is a matter of being properly related to external reality. We
have knowledge not when we hold true beliefs by mere accident, but when
those true beliefs in some way stem from an ability to “track” with reality.
When our true beliefs are the result of reliable belief-forming mechanisms or
are the product of faculties whose purpose is to help us reach truth and
which are functioning properly in the right kind of environment, then such
beliefs amount to knowledge.
We may not have any guarantees or proof that our senses are reliable or
that we are not victims of a Cartesian evil demon or that we have not been
kidnapped by alien scientists who are electrically stimulating our brains to
produce the illusion that we are having the experiences we seem to be having. For the externalist, if any such conditions prevail, then we are in trouble
and will fail to have knowledge. When we are rightly related to reality, however, knowledge happens, and our inability to prove that we are in such a
relation does not invalidate that knowledge.
This kind of epistemology is explicitly embraced by Plantinga, but I
argue that it provides an illuminating way of understanding Kierkegaard’s
nonevidentialist account of Christian faith as well. The distinctiveness of
Kierkegaard’s account comes through in his stress on the role that subjectivity (or “the passions”) plays in helping us become the kinds of persons who
can be rightly related to the reality of God. Such an account has little value
for evidentialist apologetics, but it has great value for the reflective believer
who wishes to understand her faith, and who can thereby come to see how a
faith that is not the result of “reasons” is nevertheless not irrational.
Part 4 of this volume goes on to examine the charge that Kierkegaard is a
practical irrationalist, someone who rejects the role of reason in our ethical
lives. Kierkegaard’s reputation as an immoralist who claims faith could justify
an evil act is probably rooted in Fear and Trembling, a pseudonymous treatment of the “binding of Isaac” story from Genesis 22, in which Abraham is
tested by God by being asked to sacrifice his son. Philosophers such as Brand
Blanshard have claimed that Kierkegaard’s treatment of this story shows that
Kierkegaard is a “moral nihilist” whose views imply that our “clearest and
surest judgments about values are worthless and it is no longer possible to
hold that anything is really better than anything else.”7
In “Faith as the Telos of Morality: A Reading of Fear and Trembling,” I
try to respond to Blanshard. Fear and Trembling does present the life of faith
as contrasting with a life that is rooted in the ethical, but critics such as
Blanshard do not recognize that the term “ethical” is here being used in a
special way. In Fear and Trembling, Johannes de Silentio, the pseudonymous
author, thinks of the ethical in a Hegelian way, as those approved patterns of
conduct that are embedded in human social practices and institutions. The
ethical in the book refers to the Hegelian concept of Sittlichkeit, a social ethic
that is embodied in the laws and customs of a people. In arguing that faith is
not reducible to ethics, and may even require that one go against ethics,
Silentio is holding out for the possibility that God may require a person to
go against what his or her culture demands.
There are of course other conceptions of the ethical, and in other works
Kierkegaard himself does not use “the ethical” in this limited way. Thus, the
possibility opens of rethinking the nature of ethics in such a way that the
ethical is itself grounded in God; faith would then ground ethics rather than
being opposed to it.8 Such an ethic may appear “absurd,” but not to reason
in general—only to that form of human thinking that is opposed to faith. To
the person of faith, a relation to God may give rise to obligations, just as any
other relation might. If God asks me to do something, and my trust in God’s
goodness is great enough, I may be convinced that it is right and good to
obey God. Attention to such Kierkegaardian works as Practice in Christianity
and Works of Love gives us a picture of the ethical life that differs drastically
from the caricature presented by Blanshard.
The next essay, “A Kierkegaardian View of the Foundations of Morality,” begins to develop the broader Kierkegaardian picture of the ethical life.
The essay begins with a look at the difference between two types of Christian
ethical theories: It distinguishes “human-nature” theories, which see morality as rooted in the human nature God gives in creation, and “divine-command” theories, which ground ethics in the authoritative commands God
gives his creatures. Though these views are often seen as rivals, in this essay I
argue that the two types of theories are much closer than many imagine,
because God’s commands may be seen as fitting the nature he has given us,
and the fulfillment of the nature God has given us may require a relation to
God that depends on obedience to divine commands.
Kierkegaard offers, I argue, a kind of divine-command theory of moral
obligation that unites the virtues of both types of theory. God’s fundamental
command is to become the self God created us to be; thus moral obligations
are indeed shaped by our created nature. Our nature, however, is such that
we cannot fully be ourselves without a relation to God, a relation that
requires obedience to divine commands as a grateful response to the goodness a loving God has lavished upon us. Yet God’s commands cannot simply
be deduced from a general knowledge of human nature, because God had
created us as unique individuals. To become our true selves we must be willing to respond to God’s unique commands to us as individuals.
The kind of ethic Kierkegaard himself defends is thus one that sees obligations as grounded in the commands of a loving God. It presents the ethical life as grounded in a higher authority, but the whole notion of authority
is problematic to many modern moral theorists, who see autonomy as the
essence of the moral life. “Kierkegaard on Religious Authority: The Problem
of the Criterion” shows the fundamental importance of authority for
Kierkegaard, not least in the ethical life, and defends authority as an indispensable concept, even while acknowledging the epistemological dilemmas
authority presents to us. In contrast to dominant modes of thought in both
modern and postmodern philosophy, Kierkegaard considers the religious
authority inherent in a special revelation from God to be the fundamental
source of religious truth.
The question as to how a genuine religious authority could be recognized is particularly difficult for Kierkegaard. He rightly recognizes that if I
accept an authority only when I can independently give reasons for believing
that authority, then I do not really accept the authority as an authority.
Rather, I have subordinated the presumed authority to the authority of my
own reason. Nevertheless, there are many rival candidates for religious
authority; at least some must be spurious, and so criteria for a genuine
authority are needed.
Kierkegaard does offer some criteria that he thinks are helpful, at least in
ruling out some imposters, though he says no criteria can give us any guarantees about such matters. The criteria he cites for the most part focus on the
prophet or apostle who is the bearer of the alleged revelation. A true prophet,
says Kierkegaard, will appeal to authority and not try to make a philosophical or aesthetic case for the truth or profundity of his or her message. The
Apostle Paul should be believed because he has apostolic authority, not
because he is a clever logician or excellent tentmaker. A second criterion is
that the true prophet will reject any appeal to force or power, relying on the
providence of God and accepting the fact that people may not listen.
Suffering or even martyrdom may be the fate of the prophet, and the genuine prophet can accept this outcome. An alleged prophet who uses power
politics or manipulates people is thereby disqualified. A third criterion is that
a genuine revelation would contain something paradoxical, something that
human reason could not have discovered on its own.
All these criteria are helpful and in fact are employed by other theologians. Nevertheless, I argue that Kierkegaard’s reasons for rejecting another
traditional criterion, namely that a genuine revelation would be accompanied by miracles, are unjustified. Kierkegaard is worried that an appeal to
miracles would make faith unnecessary, but, as he himself says, faith may be
required even to discern and believe in the miracle. A miracle could function
as a sign that a message really comes from God, and this is something that a
faithful person would want to know. However ready a person may be to
believe what God says, he or she needs good reasons to believe that the message truly does come from God. Miracles, like the other criteria Kierkegaard
does offer, would not amount to a proof, but miracles could function as signs
that help the person of faith recognize that it is indeed God who is speaking.
In conclusion I try to show that the criteria offered by Kierkegaard as well as
the method by which they are derived require us to question certain
Enlightenment views as to what should count as rational. Once more we are
pointed away from Enlightenment epistemologies, with their demand for
certainty, and towards an epistemic stance that accepts our finitude and recognizes that we begin our epistemic lives with commitments that cannot be
given incorrigible foundations.
Part 5 of the book again shifts focus slightly to examine some of
Kierkegaard’s reflections on the human person. Philosophical psychology is
implicit in many of the earlier essays in the book, because Kierkegaard’s
reflections on faith and reason, as well as those that deal with the ethical life,
always are carried on with an understanding that these are human activities
that reflect the nature and character of existing human beings. It is fitting
then to conclude with a group of papers that highlight Kierkegaard’s understanding of the human self.
The first essay in this section, “Who is the Other in The Sickness unto
Death? God and Human Relations in the Constitution of the Self ” asks
whether the textbook caricature of Kierkegaard as a radical individualist who
did not grasp the importance of relationships is correct. I argue that
Kierkegaard does understand that the self is fundamentally social in nature;
we only become a self through a relation with other selves. For Kierkegaard,
a self is both something that a human being is and something a human being
must become. We are created by God as selves; to that degree our selfhood is
an ontological fact. However, God extends us freedom and thereby makes it
possible for us to participate in our own becoming. God creates us with possibilities whose actualization depends on us, and therefore our task as human
beings is to “become what we are,” to realize the possibilities that God has
granted us to become fully personal, a task we could not undertake if we
were not already selves of a sort.
In The Sickness unto Death, the pseudonymous author Anti-Climacus
says that human beings are fundamentally relational: a human self “relates
itself to itself by relating itself to another” (13–14). This other provides a criterion of identity, an ideal of selfhood by which we measure ourselves.
Many commentators have thought that this other is God and therefore
that Kierkegaard’s concept of selfhood still does not do justice to human
relations in the formation of the self. A close reading of part 1 of The Sickness
unto Death, however, shows that Kierkegaard is all too aware of the power
human relations have for selfhood. The question is not whether we are
formed by relations to other humans, but whether our identity is wholly
constituted by such relations. God is the ontological foundation of selfhood
and is the Other we must know to become our true selves fully, but God has
given humans the freedom to ground their selves in what is less than God.
Kierkegaard argues that it is possible for the self to be more than an ensemble of social relations, to become “the individual.” However, even this individuality is made possible through a relationship—one to God, whose call to
me is to become the self God created me to be.
Chapter 16 continues this exploration of human selfhood by looking at
Kierkegaard as a depth psychologist. Though the ideal for Kierkegaard is
transparency, much of the self is opaque to itself. We have great powers to
deceive ourselves and suppress the truth about ourselves. “Kierkegaard’s
View of the Unconscious” attempts to clarify Kierkegaard’s understanding of
this aspect of selfhood.
Kierkegaard’s account of the unconscious is marked by its Christian
character, as he sees the human attempt to hide from ourselves as a manifestation of human sinfulness, and gives this diagnosis with a view towards a
Christian “therapy” that points us towards human wholeness. As such, the
Kierkegaardian account might appear less scientific than its Freudian rivals.
However, I argue that no account of the “dynamic unconscious” will be free
of moral and religious assumptions; as soon as we say what “human health”
and “pathology” are we have left the realm of value-free objectivity behind.
Thus Kierkegaard’s view should be considered in the marketplace of ideas
along with its secular rivals.
The essay begins with a consideration of the tensions that inhere in the
Freudian view of the unconscious. At times Freud views the unconscious as
something that is rooted in our biology and that we have little control over.
We are lived by the Id, literally “the It.” However, the unconscious is also
dynamic, something we have some responsibility for. We repress aspects of
the self, and this repression reflects the relationships we have, particularly
relationships with parents, who give us our initial sense of identity.
What is called “object-relations theory” develops this second aspect of
Freudian thought. Object-relations theory sees our sense of self as rooted in
our early relationship with a caregiving parent; we identify with this parent
and internalize his or her ideals. Those who experience “good-enough mothering” are relatively healthy, but all of us, according to theorists such as
Harry Guntrip, have some degree of “splitting” or dissociation, the result of
disowning the part of us derived from “the bad parent.”
Kierkegaard’s view of the unconscious is closely related to object-relations
theory. Like this view, he holds that our sense of self is grounded in a relation
to others, and that various forms of pathology result when those relations are
poor or when our sense of self is derived from relations to something that cannot bear the weight of the self ’s identity. Insofar as I am unwilling to be
myself I find myself deceiving myself over myself; the self becomes opaque to
Kierkegaard sees the developmental task as one that applies to human life
as a whole, not merely to early childhood or even to adolescence. In a way, the
object-relations theorist agrees. Guntrip thinks that a good therapist can provide the unconditional love and acceptance that can heal the effects of inadequate parenting. Kierkegaard, however, thinks that no human being can do
this job; a secure identity that allows us to become fully transparent to ourselves requires a relation to the God who loves us unconditionally and offers
us grace and forgiveness. Therapists may certainly be helpful to many people,
but a therapist who sees me for an hour a week and does so for remuneration
can hardly substitute for the God who was willing to suffer and die for me.
Kierkegaard’s reflections on the self were certainly influential on the
existentialist philosophers of the twentieth century, who emphasized the idea
that human beings form themselves through their choices. It is therefore not
too surprising that some have read the existentialist notion of “radical
choice” back into Kierkegaard himself. The final two essays in part 5 examine Kierkegaard’s understanding of the place of the will in human existence.
“Does Kierkegaard Think Beliefs Can Be Directly Willed?” looks at the
role of the will in the development of religious faith in the individual.
Kierkegaard is well known for his discussion of faith as requiring a leap. What
is this leap and how do we make it? Philosophers such as Louis Pojman have
thought that Kierkegaard held that beliefs were under our direct, voluntary
control. Religious faith is simply something that must be chosen on this view.
It is a difficult choice because it requires beliefs in a paradox that human reason cannot comprehend. Pojman thinks that this “direct volitionalism” is
psychologically mistaken. We have no power directly to decide what to
believe. And he argues that we should form our beliefs only on the basis of
rational evidence; choosing to believe for any other reason is wrong.
I argue that Kierkegaard is not a direct volitionalist at all. He is fully
aware of the fact that our beliefs are often not under our control. It is just for
this reason that he claims that the universal doubt that modern philosophy
pretends to begin with is impossible. Sometimes it is hard or even impossible
to doubt; sometimes it is hard or even impossible to believe. However, when
we are dealing with beliefs about existence or what David Hume would call
“matters of fact,” there is always a logical gap between evidence and belief. It
is this gap that makes skepticism possible, however difficult it may be. On
Kierkegaard’s view, the skeptic is ultimately a skeptic because he or she wills
to be a skeptic. This implies that those of us who are not skeptics are not
skeptics because we do not want to be skeptics. In general, anyone who looks
at human beliefs cannot help but recognize the massive role played by our
desires, hopes, and fears in their formation. Think for example of the contradictory beliefs about who won a political debate formed by observers of the
debate, most of whom usually firmly believe that the candidate they want to
win actually won the debate. It is not surprising, then, that even though faith
cannot simply be willed into existence, whether a person attains faith or not
reflects their deepest desires and commitments. We must choose to give up
our resistance to God and allow God to create faith within us if we are to
become believers.
The concluding essay in this section, “Where There’s a Will There’s a
Way: Kierkegaard’s Theory of Action,” tries to give a general account of
Kierkegaard’s understanding of the will and its role in human action. The
essay begins with a critique of Alasdair MacIntyre’s popular picture of
Kierkegaard as a proponent of “radical choice,” a fundamental life choice
which must be made without reasons. MacIntyre’s reading of Either/Or rests
on a faulty picture of the book. It is true that no external result is given for
the argument between the aesthete who loves seduction and the older married ethicist, Judge William, who urges the young aesthete to choose responsibly. However, the arguments of the ethicist by no means presuppose an
ethical point of view. Rather, Judge William gives good reasons why the ethical life is superior to the aesthetic life even when judged on aesthetic
grounds. The choice of the ethical is hardly a radical “criterionless choice,”
made for no reason.
Kierkegaard’s understanding of human action is best understood as
standing in the tradition of Aristotle, which views an action as the result of a
choice that is itself the outcome of deliberation. In this Aristotelian picture
human action begins with something like a desire or a wish, which in the
paradigm case leads to deliberation about how to bring about the desired end,
culminating in a choice. Kierkegaard accepts this general picture of things but
insists that the will is not necessarily completely determined by this process of
reflection. A person can know what is right or good but not do it. If we do not
insist on this point, Kierkegaard thinks that we lose sight of the place played
by the will; a human being becomes a purely intellectual creature.
Reflection for Kierkegaard has a potentially infinite quality. Anyone who
has agonized over ordering from a menu in a restaurant understands that the
reflection that precedes a choice can be indefinitely extended and the choice
postponed. Thought never brings itself to a close. Rather, the person must
choose to end the process of reflection, and this happens when a person is
motivated to act and thus brings deliberation to closure. One element that is
required is affective; Kierkegaard rejects the idea of a liberum arbitrium, a
disinterested will that is objective and neutral. Rather, our willing is always
done in the context of our desires and passions. Nevertheless, the will is not
simply the outcome of the desires a person feels at a given moment; we have
some ability to weight our desires and—over time—to form them, through
repeated choices of the will.
It is this power to will that gives us ultimate responsibility for our lives.
A comparison with the well-known theory of action developed by Donald
Davidson shows that Kierkegaard shares the fundamental intuition of contemporary libertarian philosophers of action: we are ultimately responsible
only for what we can will or not will, or that is the result of past actions that
we could have willed or not willed. Such a concept of will implies that there
is something mysterious about the human self, which is the province of the
leap, Kierkegaard’s general term for a significant free act. Human acts are not
radical choices. They are performed for reasons. The reasons, however, do
not in the end determine what we do and thus do not fully explain what we
do, at least in the scientific sense of “explain.” Yet failure to accept this mystery ultimately leads to a view of the self that eliminates any sense of the self
as a meaningful agent.
In conclusion, I suggest that the demand for a full explanation of human
action is akin to the demand of the classical foundationalist that our reasons
for belief be absolutely certain. Both in the cases of action and belief, we are
creatures whose reasoning plays a fundamental role in our lives, but whose
reason must be understood as the reason of creatures who are fundamentally
passionate beings.
The overall picture of Kierkegaard that emerges from these essays is not
a picture of an irrational fideist who rejects reason, but a picture of a
Christian philosopher who sees the limits of human reason, limits that must
be recognized in the context of human finitude and sinfulness and divine
revelation and authority. I am convinced that if we read Kierkegaard with
this kind of picture in the background, we are better positioned to hear the
twin messages I have claimed he has to offer the contemporary world. To the
secular world Kierkegaard does indeed offer a powerful account of faith,
including a diagnosis of why faith in the contemporary intellectual world has
ebbed and a prescription for recovery of faith’s vitality. To the Church he
offers a stinging rebuke of “Christendom,” whether that be in the form of an
established Church or an unofficial “civil religion.” It is only when we understand that to be a Christian is to respond to the call of a God who speaks, not
simply through human culture or philosophy, but through Jesus of
Nazareth, that we can be prepared to be salt and light, or—as Kierkegaard
himself thought would be the case—suffering “witnesses to the truth” in a
time of great cultural and political darkness.
Kierkegaard the Philosopher
Realism and Antirealism in
Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific
If a reader should go into a good library and browse through the books about
Kierkegaard, she would, I think, be struck immediately by a significant difference between most of the older books and quite a few, though certainly
not all, of the more recent volumes. Older books, such as James Collins’s The
Mind of Kierkegaard,1 tended to see Kierkegaard primarily as a philosopher,
albeit an unusual one with poetic gifts and religious interests. By and large,
they approached Kierkegaard as one would approach other philosophers,
inquiring as to his views on ethics, epistemology, and other standard philosophical issues. The underlying assumption is that Kierkegaard had convictions about such issues, and that those convictions might be, in part or as a
whole, true or false, correct or incorrect.
Roger Poole’s Kierkegaard: The Indirect Communication may serve as a
good example of the type of later book I have in mind, though works by such
authors as Louis Mackey, Sylviane Agacinski, John Vignaux Smythe, and
John D. Caputo would serve equally well. Poole explicitly distances himself
from the tradition—one that he stigmatizes as “theological”—that understands Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous works as containing philosophical doctrines.2 On his view, “Kierkegaard writes text after text whose aim is not to
state a truth, not to clarify an issue, not to propose a definite doctrine, not to
offer some meaning that could be directly appropriated.”3 Kierkegaard cannot offer us objective truth because he is seen as committed to a view of language and meaning similar to that of Derrida and Lacan. In order for
propositions to have fixed truth values, they must be about something, and
Kierkegaard’s texts do not refer in this way. “The texts demonstrate to a
nicety the Lacanian perception that all we are ever offered in a text is an endless succession of signifiers.”4
One way of understanding the difference between these two approaches
is in terms of the contemporary philosophical debate between realism and
antirealism. I mean by this the debate as to whether there is a mind-independent reality, a reality that exists independently of human judgments and
by virtue of which those judgments are true or false. Of course the antirealist
accepts what we all call “the real world” in one sense. What the antirealist
denies is that human language can refer to the world as it is in itself, apart
from our human concepts and classifications, which in turn reflect our
human activities and interests.
This debate could be characterized in terms of a disagreement about language, a dispute about meaning and reference, or as a disagreement about
truth and the existence of mind-independent reality. Although each way of
describing the dispute could provide a basis for an illuminating look at
Kierkegaard, I wish to focus on the concepts of truth and mind-independent
reality. That these concepts are central to the debate can hardly be denied.
For example, William Alston describes realism as the claim that “whatever
there is is what it is regardless of how we think of it,” combined with the
belief that there is in fact something.5 Alvin Plantinga says that the dispute
centers on the antirealist claim that “objects . . . are not ontologically independent of persons and their ways of thinking and behaving.”6 Sometimes
the dependence of truth on human knowers is characterized epistemically.
Thus, Hilary Putnam describes the realism he wished at one time to reject in
the following terms: “a distinguishing feature of the realistic sense of ‘true’ is
it is logically possible for even the best attested statement to be false.”7
Despite the fact that Kierkegaard is famous (or infamous) for the claim
in Concluding Unscientific Postscript that “truth is subjectivity,” the contemporary debate about realism and antirealism has not paid a great deal of
attention to Kierkegaard.8 There are occasional references and hints that
Kierkegaard has something to say about these issues. For example, Richard
Rorty identifies Kierkegaard as one who rejects the Socratic assumption that
humans have a timeless “truth-tracking faculty called Reason” in favor of the
view that the point of departure of human knowers may simply be a contingent historical event.9 Still, by and large, Kierkegaard’s voice has not been
prominent, at least in the Anglo-American venue for the debate. So it seems
quite appropriate to take a closer look at Kierkegaard, and particularly at
Concluding Unscientific Postscript, to see what Kierkegaard might have to say
about this dispute. Such a look may have the added bonus of clarifying the
Realism and Antirealism
way we read Kierkegaard himself, and giving critical perspective on both of
the streams of scholarly literature that continue to appear about him. Is
Kierkegaard a realist or is he better understood as at least a precursor of contemporary antirealism?
Antirealistic Tests in Postscript
It is hardly surprising that Kierkegaard should be read as an antirealist in the
sense of someone who denies there is any mind-independent reality. After
all, Kierkegaard is known preeminently as the philosopher of subjectivity,
and so it seems reasonable to take him as agreeing with Putnam that “the
worm of the human” lies over everything, including our knowledge of reality. Nevertheless, such a general impression of Kierkegaard as a philosopher
of subjectivity hardly settles the issue, since it leaves vague the nature of subjectivity and what Kierkegaard’s emphasis on subjectivity means and implies.
We must therefore look at specific texts.
I should like to say at the outset that the question as to whether
Kierkegaard is a realist or antirealist in Concluding Unscientific Postscript cannot be settled in a simple proof-text manner by producing passages that
appear to favor one view. For one thing, as I shall presently show by illustration, there are passages that appear to support each side of the debate, as well
as plenty that are ambiguous. For another, as we shall see, there are plausible
explanations each side can give of the passages that appear to support the
other side. Nevertheless, it is helpful to begin by considering some passages
that appear to support both antirealism and realism, to give some content to
the argument. I shall begin with some passages that appear to be antirealist
in their thrust.
An important test case concerns the nature of God and knowledge of
God. Is God a metaphysical reality who exists independently of human consciousness? If so, some kind of realism would seem to be presupposed.
However, there are numerous passages in Postscript that appear to take an
antirealist view of God. In these passages, God is not regarded as an objective
reality existing independently of human consciousness, but is in some way
“constituted” by subjectivity: “But freedom, that is the wonderous lamp;
when a person rubs it with ethical passion: God then comes into existence
for him” (CUP 1:138).
How can God “come into existence” for a person? One possible answer
is suggested somewhat later: “For God is not something outward, like a wife,
whom I can ask whether she is now satisfied with me . . . because God is not
some outward thing, but is the infinite itself, is not something outward that
quarrels with me when I do wrong but the infinite itself that does not need
scolding words, but whose vengeance is terrible—the vengeance that God
does not exist for me at all, even though I pray” (CUP 1:162–63). Though
this passage is, to say the least, somewhat obscure, one might construe it to
mean that awareness of God’s reality is simply awareness of some infinite
idea in consciousness, perhaps consciousness of an infinite moral demand,
which has no existence independent of consciousness. On this reading, belief
in God would be something rather like belief in an absolute moral standard.
Of course one might construe this moral standard as an objective reality and
thus assume a realistic posture toward it, but one might also think of it in
quasi-Kantian terms, as a moral law that the moral agent himself creates. (Of
course Kant himself also says that moral duties are to be seen as divine commands, but one could imagine someone who interpreted such talk as being a
poetic way of emphasizing the objectivity or absoluteness of the moral law.)
Such passages can be construed in ways consistent with realism. One
might say, for example, that Kierkegaard means only that God comes into
existence for a person in the sense that the person first becomes aware of
God’s reality when she acts freely and responsibly. And we have just seen
that the “infinite” that consciousness discovers could be construed metaphysically as having some ontological status independent of the consciousness that conceives of the demand. Nonetheless, I think one must admit
that these passages, taken alone, do not require such a realistic reading, and
that an antirealistic construal might be regarded as providing a more natural interpretation.
One might also argue that even if Kierkegaard takes an antirealistic view
of God, this does not imply any general commitment to antirealism. Perhaps
it is only moral and religious truths that are to be construed in an antirealist
manner. Such a position is suggested by passages like the following: “If now
Christianity is essentially something objective, it is right for the observer to
be objective; but if Christianity is essentially subjectivity, it is a mistake if the
observer is objective. In relation to all knowing in which it holds true that
the object of cognition is the inwardness of the subjective individual himself,
it holds true that the knower must be in this condition” (CUP 1:53). The
commitment to antirealism seems very strong here; in the case of
Christianity, the “object of cognition” is not a reality existing independently
of the knower, but something internal to the consciousness of the individual.
Nevertheless, one might argue that this does not involve any general commitment to philosophical antirealism. On the contrary, there is in the passage an implied contrast between knowing that has a realistic object and
knowing that takes “inwardness” itself as its object. Nevertheless, such an
antirealism about moral and religious truth, even if it is not a universal
antirealism, is very significant, since for many readers of Kierkegaard and
doubtless for Kierkegaard himself, moral and religious truth is fundamentally important.
Realistic Texts in Postscript
From a purely textual point of view, such antirealistic passages are by no
means the whole story, however. There are many texts that, on the surface at
least, seem to presuppose a more traditional, realistic view of God. For example, God is frequently described as the creator of the natural world, but it
seems evident that only an objectively existing being could create a world.
An infinite moral demand that I place upon myself hardly seems capable of
the job of creation. Though God is not straightforwardly present in his creation, it is nonetheless his creation: “Nature is certainly the work of God, but
only the work is directly present, not God” (CUP 1:243). Subjectivity, on
this view, does not bring God into existence, but is rather the condition for
epistemic awareness of God: “Nature, the totality of creation, is God’s work,
and yet God is not there, but within the individual human being there is a
possibility (he is spirit according to his possibility) that in inwardness is
awakened to a God-relationship, and then it is possible to see God in everything” (1:246–47).
There are many similar passages that describe God as Creator, as the one
who needs no human person to carry out his plans, and as the one who
assigns to humans tasks that may or may not have world-historical significance (see, e.g., CUP 1:136, 137, 139). Nevertheless, such passages, while
certainly appearing to presuppose a realistic view of God, are no more decisive than are those that appear to take a more antirealistic view. Readers who
view Kierkegaard as thoroughly elusive may well read such passages ironically and suggest that it is a mistake to try to read his texts “straight,” as if
they contained doctrines. (Of course taking this line implies that one must
be similarly suspicious of passages that appear to propound in a straight
manner antirealistic views.) Even if one does not assume that a kind of global
ironical perspective undermines the possibility of taking such apparent assertions as assertions, one might still hold that the apparently realistic language
is not to be taken literally. Rather, Kierkegaard may be using traditional religious language but infusing it with radically new existential and pragmatic
content, speaking poetically and not literally.
The Question of Method
One might think that the question of Kierkegaard’s view of the realism
debate could be resolved if we had some general guidance as to how such
texts as the ones disputed above should be read. Can we presuppose some
hermeneutical method, some theory as to how to approach philosophical
texts in general and Kierkegaard’s texts in particular? There are of course general interpretative perspectives that will resolve the issues, but the adoption
of one such perspective is hardly the adoption of a neutral method that will
resolve the dispute impartially. Rather, in this case it is clear that the interpretative perspective one takes presupposes some view on the very issues
under consideration.
For example, if one argues that every text in some sense deconstructs’
by failing to communicate what the author intended, and that it is impossible for a text to affirm propositions that are objectively true, then it is quite
clear that Kierkegaard’s texts will not function in the way realists assume.
Furthermore, if one assumes that Kierkegaard himself realized this, then
one can go on to interpret his whole edifice of pseudonyms and irony and
humor as attempts to express this insight, perhaps as an attempt to “show”
what cannot be “said,” to use Wittgenstein’s language. On such a reading
Kierkegaard is an antirealist who recognized that it would be incoherent to
assert the objective truth of antirealism and hence tried to express his
insights in an appropriately elusive manner. That such an approach is possible is demonstrated by the newer type of literature I began by describing,
but the perspective adopted by this mode of reading is hardly dispassionate
and objective with respect to the dispute about realism. Rather, it amounts
to a demonstration that if one assumes the truth of antirealism, and
assumes that Kierkegaard realized this truth, then one can read Kierkegaard
as an antirealist.
Of course, realist readings may be equally question-begging. To go to the
opposite extreme from radical deconstructionism, if one assumes that the
meaning of a text is fixed objectively by the author’s intentions and assumes
there is a fact of the matter as to what Kierkegaard intended, then presumably
one can take seriously some of Kierkegaard’s seemingly objective claims about
God. (At least one can do this if one has reason to think that Kierkegaard
intended those claims to be read as objectively true.) But once more a realistic
account of truth seems to be presupposed by the hermeneutical theory
employed, and it is also assumed that Kierkegaard accepted such a view. It is
hardly surprising that if we assume realism and assume that Kierkegaard
accepted realism, we can successfully read Kierkegaard as a realist.
Obviously there are theories of meaning that lie between radical deconstructionism and objective authorial intent. However, my point is that there
are no neutral, noncontroversial theories that will give us a method for objectively settling the question as to how Kierkegaard should be read. One’s readings of Kierkegaard will inevitably be shaped, to a greater or lesser degree, by
one’s global commitments about meaning in general and Kierkegaard’s literature as a whole.
I do not believe that the impossibility of a method in this case means
that meaningful conversation and dispute between the antagonists is impossible. Rather, it seems to me that each differing view can develop both overall comprehensive readings as well as readings of particular texts and books.
Opponents can imaginatively “try on” alternative readings and test them by
their ability to illuminate and clarify the text and to resolve problems that are
posed therein. Although no neutral ground can be found to resolve the dispute once and for all, conversions may happen, and even without conversion, give and take is possible in which each side may learn from others in
the conversation.
The story that follows is one that fits with the broader story I have elsewhere given about Kierkegaard.10 It is in one sense a realistic reading in that
I take seriously the philosophical claims made in the text as claims that can
be defended or criticized by arguments. Pragmatically, this seems to me to be
the best approach to the text, since even if Kierkegaard’s writings are ironical
through and through, there is a sense in which the irony will be undermined
if we do not “play along” and take the particular claims and arguments seriously. A global sense that everything in the text is ironical can, ironically
enough, make it impossible for us to recognize whatever ironical elements
are present. Roger Poole’s claim that Kierkegaard’s texts consist of “literary
machines that . . . actually work but carry out no function at all”11 can be
just the kind of a priori straightjacket that Poole argues characterizes what he
calls ‘‘theologically driven” readings of Kierkegaard. I believe that taking
Kierkegaard seriously as a philosopher can illuminate the realism debate,
because Kierkegaard seems to accept the kinds of epistemological premises
that are often regarded as justifying antirealism, but he combines these epistemological views with a quite traditional acceptance of realism.
Kierkegaard on Kant and Hegel
The contemporary debate about realism and antirealism is preeminently a
debate about Kantian issues. Antirealists such as Putnam are not Berkeleyan
idealists; in some sense they recognize that there is a “real world” that is
objective over against the individual, and that in ordinary life we distinguish
between true and false statements about that world. The debate concerns the
status of that world. Is it in some sense the world as it appears to us, a phenome
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Anonymous asked in Science & MathematicsZoology · 2 months ago
Do whales have penises?
The males do..
Because they're mammals.
YearoftheRat
Yep. They're mammals. Freaky, huh?
Yes they do. There was a nature special on PBS called Inside Nature's Giants, where they dissected a dead whale cadaver on the beach, the penis was.......very long and rubbery. It was the third season, special on Sperm Whales, done August 2011.
It's probably on Youtube. The penis part is in the last quarter of the show.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Nature%27s_Gi...
They are mammals and males do have a penis. Rather different in humans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWs8f_KSSJc
JimZ
Half of them do. The other half are females.
As someone who has been anally raped by a whale, let me tell you... they have a penis and it hurts!
Yes, whales, which are mammals, do have a penis.
they might, you never know
Arimatthewdavies
Yes they do and here is a picture I'm a man holding a real stuffed whale penis
Angel Wing1 month agoReport
I can't believe they sell those. Gross
What would you think of a zoo that allowed its predators hunt for their prey?
Are there animals or fish anywhere that haven't been discovered yet?
I was eating some tree bark but a squirrel started slapping me. Why did the squirrel start slapping me? He didn't own the bark. What gives?
Are trees an animal?
Coiw, Chicken, Pig, that's all were mostly eating. Why?
Why is there a need to purify and isolate the Phospholipase 2 in the Honeybee (A. mellifera) venom?
What are the components of the Honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom that have a contibutory effect on the phospholipase activity? ?
What kind of bug is this?
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Stories from the archives
1860 to 1870s
Evie Wyld wins 2014 Miles Franklin Literary Award for All the Birds, Singing.
by Paula | Jun 28, 2014 | News | 5 comments
Miles Franklin
Congratulations to Evie Wyld for her Miles Franklin win with her novel All the Birds, Singing.
The novel was judged as being ‘of the highest literary merit’ and presents ‘Australian Life in any of its phases’ in accordance with Miles Franklin’s guidelines for the Award.
Perpetual’s General Manager of Philanthropy, Andrew Thomas, said the Miles Franklin Literary Award is a fantastic example of philanthropy for the arts in Australia.
“As an author Miles Franklin has made an impact on all of her readers and as a philanthropist she continues to make her mark on the literary community,” Mr Thomas said. “In 2014 this Award continues to make a difference to talented writers such as Evie Wyld.
“We’re delighted to have the honour of being the Trustee of this Award, growing Miles Franklin’s initial investment of $17,844 in decimal currency to its current position of more than $1.3 million. This growth has allowed us to continue to deliver the current prize money and ensure we keep Miles Franklin’s legacy alive.”
Evie Wyld’s novel was selected from a shortlist of authors which included Richard Flanagan, Fiona McFarlane, Cory Taylor, Tim Winton and Alexis Wright.
Commenting on behalf of the judging panel, State Library of New South Wales Mitchell Librarian, Richard Neville, described Wyld’s writing as “spare, yet pitch perfect”, with her novel being both “visceral and powerfully measured in tone”.
“All the Birds, Singing draws the reader into its rhythm and mystery, through wonderfully and beautifully crafted prose, whose deceptive sparseness combines powerfully with an ingenious structure to create a compelling narrative of alienation, decline and finally, perhaps, some form of redemption,” Mr Neville said.
“Flight from violence and abuse run through the core of the novel, yet never defeat its central character. All the Birds, Singing, an unusual but compelling novel, explores its themes with an unnervingly consistent clarity and confidence.”
Richard Neville was joined on the judging panel by The Australian journalist and columnist, Murray Waldren, Sydney-based bookseller, Anna Low, biographer, book historian, publishing editor, and Queensland Writers Centre founding chair, Craig Munro, and Emeritus Professor, Susan Sheridan.
As I’ve said, probably ranted, before — I fell in love with All the Birds, Singing when I read/reviewed it last year over at the Newtown Review of Books so, was delighted to find out it had won the Miles Franklin this year. I confess I was on duty at the library at the time and my double squees of delight at the Information Desk were audible to library patrons (how embarrassing). So far, we’ve had seven other reviews of the book (some excerpts below) and all AWW reviews are accessible here.
Julia Tulloh enjoyed the book and wrote: “I was excited when I heard that Evie Wyld’s second novel, All the Birds, Singing, was a contemporary gothic thriller about a woman in the wilder parts of the English country side who is haunted by a strange beast in the woods. I love scary novels with female protagonists, and having lived in Scotland, was excited to see how the landscape might be used to explore psychological terror. … it’s just that my hopes of a scary landscape were met in the outback, rather than the English hills.”
Candace at Word Engineer said: “It’s been a long time since I’ve genuinely enjoyed a book as much as I did All the Birds, Singing.” Despite finding it “bleak at times”, she writes that “Wyld, a gifted storyteller, knows when to take a break and integrate moments of kindness and warmth to soothe her readers.” Candace was also “intrigued by the abrupt ending.”
Orange Pekoe Reviews said it was “a short, almost perfect novel.” She went on to say that “ Jake’s character was superbly created. No specific physical description of Jake is included but the tiny snippets provided along the way made me want to know more. By the end it is clear that her physical appearance added complexity to everything she experienced and you are left wishing more detail was provided yet the novel does work better without any background expository. The flashback chapters that spun in reverse chronological order were highly addictive to read. Just when you thought you were getting close to finding out about Jake’s secret and her scars, the author takes you back even further in time. The final revelation isn’t what I expected either and I liked the fact it wasn’t predictable.”
Sue at Whispering Gums writes: “All the Birds, Singing is about how the past cannot “be left alone”. “We’ve all got pasts”, the shearers’ boss tells Jake early in the novel, but for some people the past must be dealt with before they can move on. The novel is also about redemption. It’s not the first novel about the subject, and neither will it be the last, but it is a finely told version that catches you in its grips and makes you feel you are reading it for the first time.”
Biblionetworker reviewed the novel saying: “This was definitely a book that I was very sorry to come to the end of, because I was sorry to be leaving Jake’s story and was still not sure of its conclusion. I can’t wait to talk to other readers of this book to hear their ideas about it!”
The Miles Franklin Award was established by My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin to support Australian literature and over the past 58 years has maintained her literary legacy.
I’m a freelance book reviewer, journalist, editor, and librarian. I blog over at Wordsville and can be found on Twitter @PaulaGrunseit
whisperinggums on June 28, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Lovely announcement-cum-roundup Paula. Seems like a lot of us liked the book and yet for different reasons. For example, I didn’t really see it as a scary book. Somehow, I didn’t really focus on the sheep killing issue. I was too interested in who Jake was to worry about her sheep! Hmmm …
Jessica White on June 30, 2014 at 5:45 pm
If this book is making Paula scream I had better add it to my TBR list! I’ve been writing on rural masculinity lately so that’s another reason why I’ll pick it up. I know it’s bad that it takes the hype of a literary award to make one pick up a novel but there needs to be some sort of a sifting mechanism!
whisperinggums on June 30, 2014 at 6:25 pm
Not a scream, Jessica, just a “squee” or two. Is a “squee” a half-scream do you think? Anyhow, I think using awards as “one” of our sifting methods is ok. I’ll be interested to hear what you, with your writer’s eye, think of it. Lisa at ANZLitLovers didn’t get past 50 pages, finding it “dreary”, and I’ve heard other negatives, but like Paula, I greatly enjoyed it.
Jessica White on July 1, 2014 at 10:38 pm
I confess I had to consult Urban Dictionary (useful for those of us born in the 20th C!) which says to squee is ‘to squeal with glee; from a combination of the two words; the sound of an excited fangirl’. No screaming, then 🙂 And yes, I’ve heard about the controversy, so I’ll let you know what I think!
whisperinggums on July 1, 2014 at 10:46 pm
Ah thanks Jessica, that makes sense. My daughter uses it a lot. I look forward to hearing what you think when you get to read it.
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Brooke and Jubal MorningsBrooke and Jubal Mornings
Selena Gomez Debuts Enchanting ‘Rare’ Music Video: Watch
Selena Gomez surprised fans with a music video of the title track of her third studio album, Rare.
The singer surprised fans with the release of the music video the day her album dropped.
The video begins with psychedelic moments with the 27-year-old in a dreamlike sequence surrounded by a garden and rainbow lights with bubbles floating around her.
We then find Gomez staring at a statue of herself before putting a chrome-like liquid onto her skin making her shine like the rarity she is. The video is nothing short of magical.
Watch the music video, below:
The song itself had significant meaning for Gomez. “I just felt like that was me if that makes sense,” she told Spotify in an interview. “Obviously, I've had a lot of self esteem issues in the past,” she explained. “I still struggle with confidence and you know, it's going to be something that I'm always working on. Rare made me feel incredible. That name was so important to me the moment I heard it.”
Selena Gomez's Best Red Carpet Photos
Source: Selena Gomez Debuts Enchanting ‘Rare’ Music Video: Watch
Filed Under: Selena Gomez
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Cowboy SEAL Christmas by Nicole Helm, giveaway, spotlight
Three former Navy SEALs
Injured in the line of duty
Desperate for a new beginning…
Searching for a place to call their own.
Single mom and Revival Ranch’s on-site therapist Monica Finley has dedicated her life to helping brave servicemen and women, but former Navy SEAL Gabe Cortez is the one man whose shell she just can’t crack. Yet with the holidays fast approaching, she may finally have a plan. In a bid to get Gabe to open up, she’ll ask for as much help as possible—cutting down the Christmas tree, stringing lights, the whole nine yards.
Who could possibly be a Grinch with so much holiday cheer in the air?
Gabe has always hated Christmas—the holiday never fails to remind him just how alone he truly is. But the more time he spends with Monica and her young son, the more he finds himself drawn to their cozy little family…and the more he begins to realize his long-suppressed Christmas dreams may finally be coming true.
Amazon: amzn.to/2MShW02
B&N: bit.ly/2PMd4Iy
iBooks: apple.co/2MSmCD7
Kobo: bit.ly/2MZvvdY
IndieBound: bit.ly/2MAr3TC
“Yes. Picking out a book for someone shows that you know them, and you have some clueas to what they like. It shows you’re paying attention, and that you like them.”
“So, what book are you going to get me?”
She tapped her chin, pretending to ponder it. “Maybe I’ll find one on the great art of narcissism.”
He chuckled good-naturedly.
“You can stay here and play your video games.”
“Nah, I’ll look at books.”
So they walked over to the book section of the store, and Monica tried very hard to concentrate on finding a book that her mother would like, and then her father. It was admittedly hard to concentrate with six-foot-something of former Navy SEAL just…lurking.
Which was silly. She was used to tough military men in her life. She’d been raisedwith one, then married to one, and none of that lurking had ever affected her. Not like this.
Sex camel. Sex camel. Only one cure for a sex camel.
“Hell,” she muttered.
“Nothing. Nothing. I think I’m going to have to order something for my dad. None of this really works. Besides, it’s nearly five, and we should head over to the florist.”
“Here. Try this one.” He handed her a book.
She took the heavy, dry-looking tome. She wrinkled her nose at the black-and-white picture on the front. It was some complicated-looking nonfiction book about the role of presidents during wars of the twentieth century.
Damn Gabe Cortez.
“How did you know he’d like this?” she demanded.
Gabe shrugged, taking it upon himself to push the cart toward the front of the store while she trailed behind.
“Marines are all the same. Like all that bullshit about politics and war. Like it’s complicated and not always a dick-measuring contest.”
“Is that all war is?”
“Is to me.”
“I don’t believe that.” He looked sharply over his shoulder at her, but she simply held his gaze. “You don’t join the military if you think that.”
“First of all, you don’t know the first thing about why I joined the military. Second, a lot of guys think it once they’ve been through one. Because you don’t come out unscathed from that. You either double down on what you believe, or you realize it’s all a bunch of bullshit.”
“So, you’re the enlightened, I suppose.”
“No, it’s not enlightened. It’s just how you deal. One way’s not better than the other.”
He always managed to surprise her. She was used to uncompromising military men, and there was an element of that to him. But it was somehow…open-minded. There was a lack of judgment. Gabe seemed to believe in survival however you managed it. Considering that was at the heart of her therapy mission, it was impossible not to admire him for it.
“So why did you join the military?” she asked, unable to resist. It wasn’t a therapist’s question either. No, this was a Monica question. Shewanted to know, as a person, about his person.
She wasn’t sure what to do with that, but he smiled. Not those bitter ones meant to push her back a few paces, but one of his charming smiles. The ones he flashed her before he said something…suggestive. Her cheeks heated against her will and that foreign flutter from last night was back in full force.
“Sorry, sweetheart. That’s not a question I answer for just anybody.”
“Oh,” she said, trying to sound calm and not at all affected as she started putting her items on the conveyer belt of the checkout line. “What would an anybody have to do to become a somebody?” She steeled all her courage and calm and self-possession and looked pointedly at him.
But that grin didn’t change any, except maybe turn the air a little hotter. Which was impossible. All this heatwas a figment of her over-wintered imagination.
“I’m not sure. No one ever has. But you’re more than welcome to take on the challenge.”
That word wound though her. Challenge. She never, ever backed down from a challenge. It was one of those things her parents had insisted she learn to do: face any challenge, any hardship, any responsibility.
And she had. Over and over again. But this was different, because she had a bad feeling his challenge would involve nakedness.
Oh, remember male nakedness? That was nice. His would be very, very nice.
The cashier cleared her throat and Monica blushed even deeper. “Sorry,” she mumbled, fumbling to pull her credit card out of her purse. She centered herself with the rote actions of sliding the card through the reader and taking the receipt as Gabe loaded up the cart with her bags.
As they walked out of the store, side by side, Monica kept her gaze forward. “I might take that challenge,” she said hastily as they reached the truck.
“You might fail.”
She looked up at him and gave him a very carefully blank smile. She knew it irritated him by the way his lips firmed and his jaw tightened.
“I might,” she agreed, validated somehow when he was the one to break eye contact and finish loading the bags into the truck bed. “But I also might not,” she added, heading for the passenger side door.
The fact that Gabe didn’t slide into the driver’s seat for another minute or so was very validating indeed.
Cowboy SEAL Christmas by Nicole HelmGiveawaySpotlight
Deadly Dram: A Whisky Business Mystery by Melinda Mullet, spotlight
Decorative Butterfly Garden Stake With Solar Lights
BLIND SIGHT (Lucille Pfiffer Mystery Series) by Tanya R. Taylor
Give the Devil His Due by Steve Hockensmith with Lisa Falco blog tour, giveaway and review
Bat Wings, Rings & Apron Strings: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Spells & Caramels) by Erin Johnson
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Balkan Talk
Aston Villa enter the battle to sign £100,000-a-week Chelsea star
December 12, 2019 December 11, 2019 admin 0 Comments Pedro
Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea forward Pedro in winter. Currently valued at €20m former Spain international has played 192 matches for the London club since joining them from Blaugrana scoring 42 goals and providing 26 assists. He was a key figure for the Blues, but now Christian Pulisic is a referred option in the club.
This campaign, Pedro hasn’t been much of a regular under Frank Lampard. Rodríguez has played only nine games in 2019/20, scoring and assisting against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup. Aston Villa are interested in signing the 32-year-old winger in winter. Dean Smith wants to bolster the front-line during the summer transfer window.
The Spanish forward’s current deal with the London club expires next summer and given the current attackers they have, there’s an excellent opportunity that he may not receive many first-team chances this campaign. Hence, a move away from Stamford Bridge might do good for him.
Having an experienced footballer like Pedro could be suitable for Aston Villa who are currently 17th in the Premier League table. If Blues are to let go of Rodríguez, there’s every chance that they will try to sell him in winter for a transfer fee rather than let go of him in the summer for nothing.
Pedro won many titles during his career like Champions League, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012 and Premier League. Villans signed several footballers during the summer transfer window like Wesley from Brugge, Tyrone Mings from Bournemouth, Douglas Luiz from Man City, Matt Targett from Southampton and Trezeguet from Kasimpasa.
← Barcelona in pole position to sign €150m-rated Liverpool star
Arsenal held talks with 30-year-old England international →
Man United keen on signing 23-year-old Premier League star
Liverpool ready to break bank to sign €120m-rated Bundesliga forward
West Ham United are desperate to sign €30m-rated Chelsea midfielder
Man United keep a close eye on €35m-rated French defender
Arsenal in pole position to sign €20m-rated Ligue 1 defender
Liverpool planning shock move for 22-year-old La Liga striker
Chelsea eager to sign 22-year-old South American striker
Man United are closely monitoring 25-year-old Liga NOS attacker
Liverpool in the battle for €75m-rated Bundesliga centre-forward
Chelsea enter the battle to sign 20-year-old Ligue 1 rising star
Balkantalk.com All Rights Reserved 2019
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Glyphosate use rises and you need to be careful how you test for it
Big Pharma is big on pollution
Ultraprocessed foods increase risk of death by 62%
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide — identified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015 — is the most heavily used agricultural chemical in history
A 2016 study revealed use of glyphosate rose nearly fifteenfold between 1996 (when Roundup Ready crops were introduced) and 2014, and a recent data analysis by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting shows usage has dramatically increased across the Midwest in recent years
In 2016, Midwest farmers used an estimated 188.7 million pounds of glyphosate, a fortyfold increase from 1992, and the Midwest accounts for 65% of the total glyphosate usage in the U.S.
Some states have seen an even greater increase. In Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, glyphosate usage was about 80 times greater in 2016 than in 1992, and 15 times higher than in 2000
The glyphosate market is predicted to continue growing, potentially doubling by 2021, from the current $5 billion per year to as much as $10 billion
According to polls, the No. 1 reason people choose organic food is to avoid pesticide exposure.1 Not only do these chemicals threaten the environment, but they also pose a very clear and direct risk to human health.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide — identified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)2,3 in 2015 — is the most heavily used agricultural chemical in history.4
A 2016 study5 published in Environmental Sciences Europe revealed use of glyphosate rose nearly fifteenfold between 1996 (when Roundup Ready crops were introduced) and 2014. Between 1974 and 2014, 1.8 million tons of glyphosate were applied to U.S. fields. The global total for that timeframe was 9.4 million tons.
Mounting evidence shows the weed killer is nowhere near as effective as it used to be, thanks to mounting resistance, and there are more than 13,000 pending lawsuits6 charging Monsanto's (now Bayer's7,8) herbicide Roundup caused the plaintiffs' Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Despite that, a recent data analysis9 by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting shows usage hasn't dropped off. On the contrary, glyphosate use has dramatically increased across the Midwest in recent years.
Glyphosate use shows no signs of decline in Midwest
Writing for the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, Christopher Walljasper and Ramiro Ferrando point out that "Nationwide, the use of glyphosate on crops increased from 13.9 million pounds in 1992 to 287 million pounds in 2016, according to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey."10
In 2016, Midwest farmers used an estimated 188.7 million pounds of glyphosate, a fortyfold increase from 1992, and the Midwest accounts for 65% of the total glyphosate usage in the U.S. Some states have seen an even greater increase.
In Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, glyphosate usage was about 80 times greater in 2016 than in 1992, and 15 times higher than in 2000. According to a 2018 glyphosate market report, the glyphosate market is also predicted to continue growing, potentially doubling by 2021, from the current $5 billion per year to as much as $10 billion.11
GMOs have been a primary driver of toxic weed killer use
One of the reasons for this massive increase is that genetically engineered corn and soybeans dominate this agricultural area, and glyphosate is routinely used on these crops as they are designed to survive direct application. Walljasper and Ferrando write:12
"Once thought of as a miracle product, overreliance on glyphosate has caused weeds to grow resistant to the chemical and led to diminished research and development for new weed management solutions, according to Bill Curran, president-elect of the Weed Science Society of America and emeritus professor of weed science at Penn State University.
'We're way overreliant on roundup,' Curran said. 'Nobody thought we were going to be dealing with the problems we are dealing with today' … James Benham has been farming in Southeast Indiana for nearly 50 years. Benham said, as resistance grew, Roundup went from a cure-all to a crutch. 'Sometimes if you timed it just right, you could get away with just one spraying. Now we're spraying as often as three or four times a year,' he said.
Benham said farmers continue to spend more on seed and chemicals but aren't seeing more profit. 'That puts the farmer in that much more of a crisis mode. Can't do without it, can't hardly live with it,' he said. As glyphosate became less effective, farmers also turned to even more pesticides to try and grow successful crops each year."
Be very careful how you measure your glyphosate levels
There are only a few companies that test not only for glyphosate but its breakdown product AMPA. I have had many tests for glyphosate from HRI Labs. It is my absolute most preferred lab to use for this toxin. They use state of the art mass spectroscopy and have incredibly accurate results.
In every HRI test I have done, both glyphosate levels were either undetectable or were trace. HRI is in the process of doing hair testing for glyphosate, which is a better test for long-term exposure. I was surprised when mine came back higher than trace as I only eat organic.
But the really important point of this section is to warn you that if you use a lab other than HRI, you need to be really careful. Just for grins, I sent a sample to a popular lab for glyphosate and was shocked when I received my results in the absolutely nonstandard cryptic units of micrograms/gram of creatinine.
What was even more surprising was that it was seriously higher than any test I had done at HRI. So, I dug deeper and called the owner of the lab and conference called in with the director of the HRI lab and we found out the problem. They are using a vastly inferior RIA test for glyphosate. The test is very accurate in water, but when testing for glyphosate in urine like they do, it comes back falsely high.
So, the bottom line is be careful out there. If you are using a lab other than HRI for testing for glyphosate, look at the units that your test results are reported in. It needs to be in parts per billion (ppb). If it is in micrograms/gram of creatinine, please realize that your results are seriously misleading. I have encouraged the owner of the lab to switch but, sadly, he refused. So, your best approach right now is to avoid using labs that don't measure in ppb.
Will billions in legal damages taper glyphosate sales?
As noted by Walljasper and Ferrando, a number of lawsuits against Monsanto/Bayer have resulted in high damages, but while Bayer's stock price has dropped by more than 44% since its takeover of Monsanto in 2018,13 there's not yet been a noticeable slowdown in Roundup sales.
Not surprisingly, since IARC linked glyphosate to an increased risk for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015,14,15 cancer victims suing for damages has skyrocketed, and the link between glyphosate and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has only grown stronger.
Most recently, a meta-analysis16,17,18,19 of six epidemiological studies published between 2001 and 2018 found glyphosate increases the risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 41% in highly exposed subjects. Of the six studies included in this new analysis, five showed a positive correlation.
One of the studies, known as the Agricultural Health Study,20 published in 2018, found no effect. However, the researchers point out that results were watered down in that study due to the inclusion of people with very low exposure. It's only when you look at high-exposure groups independently that a clear link between exposure and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma emerges.
The first case against Monsanto to go to court resulted in 46-year-old Dewayne Johnson, who is dying from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, being awarded $289 million in damages. The judge reduced the total award to $78 million.21,22,23 Bayer/Monsanto is currently appealing the case, arguing for a further reduction in damages as Johnson is near death.24
In the second case to be heard, the jury awarded 70-year-old plaintiff Edwin Hardeman $80 million in damages.25,26 The third case, brought before the Alameda County Superior Court of California, involved a married couple, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, both of whom claimed they developed Non-Hodgkin lymphoma after regular, long-term use of Roundup.
As in the previous two court cases, the jury found Monsanto acted with negligence as they chose not to warn consumers about cancer risks, and the Pilliods were awarded $2.055 billion in combined damages.27,28,29
So far, the three cases heard have all involved patients with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but glyphosate-based herbicides have also been linked to several other types of lymphatic cancers and blood cancers.30
As reported by Bloomberg,31 a class-action lawsuit filed against Monsanto February 13, 2019, specifically focuses on glyphosate's effect on gut bacteria, which we now know play vital roles in human health and can influence everything from mood to chronic diseases of all kinds.
According to this lawsuit, Roundup's label falsely assures consumers that the product works by targeting an enzyme not found in people or animals. Research has proven this false, as this enzyme does exist in human and some animal gut bacteria.32 To learn more about this, see "Research Reveals Previously Unknown Pathway by Which Glyphosate Wrecks Health."
The many ways in which glyphosate harms your health
Were the full ramifications of glyphosate fully understood, there's no doubt it would be banned. The question is, just how much evidence do we need? There's already ample research showing glyphosate can harm health in a wide variety of ways. For example:
Research33 published in 2007 found that aerial spraying of glyphosate in combination with a surfactant solution resulted in DNA damage in those exposed.
Research34 published in 2015 found that glyphosate in combination with aluminum synergistically induced pineal gland pathology, which in turn was linked to gut dysbiosis and neurological diseases such as autism, depression, dementia, anxiety disorder and Parkinson's disease. According to the authors:
"The pineal gland is highly susceptible to environmental toxicants. Two pervasive substances in modern industrialized nations are aluminum and glyphosate … In this paper, we show how these two toxicants work synergistically to induce neurological damage.
Glyphosate disrupts gut bacteria, leading to an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile. Its toxic product, p-cresol, is linked to autism in both human and mouse models. p-Cresol enhances uptake of aluminum via transferrin.
Anemia, a result of both aluminum disruption of heme and impaired heme synthesis by glyphosate, leads to hypoxia, which induces increased pineal gland transferrin synthesis. Premature birth is associated with hypoxic stress and with substantial increased risk to the subsequent development of autism, linking hypoxia to autism.
Glyphosate chelates aluminum, allowing ingested aluminum to bypass the gut barrier. This leads to anemia-induced hypoxia, promoting neurotoxicity and damaging the pineal gland.
Both glyphosate and aluminum disrupt cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved in melatonin metabolism. Furthermore, melatonin is derived from tryptophan, whose synthesis in plants and microbes is blocked by glyphosate.
We also demonstrate a plausible role for vitamin D3 dysbiosis in impaired gut function and impaired serotonin synthesis. This paper proposes that impaired sulfate supply to the brain mediates the damage induced by the synergistic action of aluminum and glyphosate on the pineal gland and related midbrain nuclei."
Glyphosate also inhibits pituitary release of thyroid stimulating hormone, which can lead to hypothyroidism.35
Glyphosate mimics glycine (the "gly" in glyphosate stands for glycine), an amino acid your body uses to make proteins. By acting as a substitute for glycine in your body, glyphosate can cause damaged proteins to be produced. As noted in the 2017 paper,36 "Glyphosate Pathways to Modern Diseases VI: Prions, Amyloidoses and Autoimmune Neurological Diseases":
"In this paper we explain how glyphosate, acting as a non-coding amino acid analogue of glycine, could erroneously be integrated with or incorporated into protein synthesis in place of glycine, producing a defective product that resists proteolysis. Whether produced by a microbe or present in a food source, such a peptide could lead to autoimmune disease through molecular mimicry."
Glycine also plays a role in quenching inflammation, as explained in "Glycine Quells Oxidative Damage by Inhibiting NOX Superoxide Production and Boosting NADPH," and is used up in the detoxification process. As a result of glyphosate toxicity, many of us may not have enough glycine for efficient detoxification.
Glyphosate chelates important minerals, including iron, cobalt and manganese. Manganese deficiency, in turn, impairs mitochondrial function and can lead to glutamate toxicity in the brain.37
By impairing serotonin transport and killing beneficial gut bacteria (glyphosate is in fact an antibiotic), glyphosate may also contribute to a wide range of mood disorders, including major depression.38
By interfering with the function of cytochrome P450 enzymes, glyphosate also interferes with the activation of vitamin D in the liver and the creation of both nitric oxide and cholesterol sulfate, the latter of which is needed for red blood cell integrity.39
According to research40 presented at a 2017 Children's Environmental Health Network conference in Washington, D.C., women exposed to higher glyphosate levels during pregnancy had babies born earlier and with lower adjusted birth weights. What's more, the chemical was detected in more than 90% of the mothers in the study.
A thorough review of published studies41 showing human and animal health effects has been compiled by Drs. Alex Vasquez and Eva Sirinathsinghji, and can be accessed on I-SIS.org, hyperlinked above. It contains 220-pages' worth of research — more than enough to satisfy most critical thinkers.
Another illuminating and heavily referenced 80-page report42 is "Banishing Glyphosate," written Drs. Sirinathsinghji and Mae-Wan Ho, with cooperation from six other researchers, including Dr. Don Huber and Dr. Nancy Swanson.
(Huber has also written a 42-page report43 titled "Ag Chemicals and Crop Nutrient Interactions," in which he explains how extensive use of glyphosate and the adoption of glyphosate-tolerant GE crops have resulted in essential micro- and macronutrient deficiencies in plants, and the increased need for micronutrient remediation in the soil.)
In the 2015 paper44 "The High Cost of Pesticides: Human and Animal Diseases," Judy Hoy, an expert on Montana wildlife, along with Swanson and Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., poured through data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's database, looking for correspondences between animal- and human disease, and correlations with pesticide usage.
Several of the plotted charts show animal- and human diseases rising in step with glyphosate usage on corn and soy crops. This includes conditions such as failure to thrive, congenital heart defects, enlarged right ventricle, liver cancer, and in newborns: lung problems, metabolic disorders and genitourinary disorders.
Testing reveals widespread contamination of food supply
All of this evidence raises serious questions about the safety of glyphosate-contaminated foods. Testing has revealed more than 70% of Americans have detectable levels of glyphosate in their bodies,45 and food testing shows surprisingly widespread contamination of the food supply. For example:
A limited food testing program by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016 revealed virtually all foods tested were contaminated with Roundup.46
Test results47 published in August 2018 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) showed 43 out of 45 food products made with conventionally grown oats tested positive for glyphosate, 31 of which had glyphosate levels higher than EWG scientists believe would be safe for children.
A second round of EWG testing48,49 revealed glyphosate is a staple contaminant in Cheerios breakfast cereals and Quaker oats products. All 28 samples contained glyphosate; 26 at levels suspected to be harmful to children's health. Five of 16 organic oat foods also contained low amounts of glyphosate, even though glyphosate is prohibited in the U.S. organic standards.
Testing50 done by Friends of the Earth found glyphosate in 100% of the 28 oat cereals sampled.
Testing by the Health Research Institute Labs (HRI Labs), an independent laboratory that tests both micronutrients and toxins found in food, confirms reports of severe contamination, showing that people who eat oats on a regular basis have twice as much glyphosate in their system as people who don't, and people who eat organic food on a regular basis have an 80% lower level of glyphosate than those who rarely eat organic.
Testing51 by Moms Across America found glyphosate in PediaSure Enteral Formula nutritional drink, which is given to infants and children via feeding tubes; 30% of the samples tested contained levels of glyphosate over 75 ppb — far higher levels than have been found to destroy gut bacteria in chickens (0.1 ppb).52
Testing by The Detox Project shows glyphosate contamination is rampant in organic plant-based protein supplements as well.53,54 When testing eight of the most popular pea protein brands sold on Amazon.com as of March 2019, one organic brand was found to contain as much or more glyphosate than conventional brands.
Two conventional (nonorganic) brands, Naked Pea and Anthony's Pea Protein, had 39 ppb and 80 ppb respectively, while two separate batches of a top-selling organic brand, Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, contained 83 ppb and 281 ppb. According to The Detox Project,55 zero to 9 parts per billion (ppb) of glyphosate is a nondetectable level of no concern; 10 to 79 ppb is trace amounts of slight concern; anything above 80 ppb is of high concern.
Why such widespread contamination?
One of the reasons so many processed foods are contaminated with glyphosate has to do with the fact that most contain GMO ingredients. Roundup Ready GMO crops are designed to survive direct dousing of Roundup, which gets incorporated into every cell of the plant. Since the glyphosate cannot be washed off, and every part of the final grain is contaminated, it ends up in the final food product as well.
However, it has now become clear that the problem is not restricted to GMO ingredients. Farmers are also using glyphosate as a desiccant or drying agent to speed up harvesting and increase yield of non-GMO grains and legumes.56,57 This is why we find glyphosate even in non-GMO products.
It's still unclear how the chemical is ending up in some organic products. Possible causes include drift from nearby conventional and/or GE crop fields, contamination during processing, and fraud (where a nonorganic crop is sold as organic).
While glyphosate is commonly used as a preharvest drying agent,58,59 it's not a registered (i.e., approved) desiccant.60 Farmers who use glyphosate anyway, and douse their crops at the wrong time, can cause their crop to be heavily contaminated.
As explained in "Clarification of Preharvest Uses of Glyphosate,"61 if glyphosate is applied too early (while the grain has a moisture rate higher than 30%), the glyphosate is absorbed through the leaves and stems and translocates throughout the plant.
How much glyphosate do you have in your body?
Considering how pervasive glyphosate is in the U.S. food supply, chances are you and your children have been exposed. The only way to determine to what degree your diet is exposing you to this toxic contaminant is to get tested. HRI Labs has developed home test kits for both water and urine, available in my online store. I do not make a profit from the sale of these kits. I only provide them as a service of convenience.
If your glyphosate levels are high, you would be wise to address your diet and consider buying more organic foods. Studies62,63,64,65 have demonstrated organic foods significantly lower your exposure to toxic pesticides and lower your overall toxic burden.
The most recent of these studies66,67 was published in the journal Environmental Research, February 12, 2019, showing just how rapidly you can lower your pesticide load by switching to organic.
On average, pesticide and pesticide metabolite level for neonicotinoids, organophosphate pesticides, pyrethroid, 2,4-D and others (14 compounds in all, representing about 40 different pesticides) were reduced by more than 60%, on average, in just six days of eating an all-organic diet. As a group, organophosphate pesticides (such as glyphosate) were reduced the most, dropping by 70% overall.
Many studies68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75 also show organic foods contain higher amounts of valuable nutrients, so going organic makes for a more nutritious diet overall. You may also want to consider some form of detoxification protocol, and take steps to repair the damage to your gut caused by glyphosate and other agrochemicals.
Chances are, if your glyphosate levels are high, you probably have a number of other pesticides in your system as well. Fermented foods, particularly kimchi, are potent chelators of these kinds of chemicals. Taking activated charcoal after a questionable meal can help bind and excrete chemicals as well. Remember to stay well-hydrated to facilitate the removal of toxins through your liver, kidneys and skin.
Glycine is an important detox aid for glyphosate in particular. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, recognized as an international authority on metal toxicity and its connection with chronic infections, recommends taking 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of glycine powder twice a day for a few weeks and then lower the dose to one-fourth teaspoon (1 gram) twice a day.
The least expensive way to do this is purchase glycine bulk powder,76 which is very inexpensive. This forces the glyphosate out of your system, allowing it to be eliminated through your urine. Using a sauna on a regular basis is also recommended to help eliminate both pesticides and heavy metals you may have accumulated.
Organic food resources
While most people tend to think of organics only in terms of produce (fruits and vegetables), it's important to remember to buy organic, grass fed beef, poultry and dairy, as well, as conventionally raised animals are routinely fed a diet of genetically engineered grains that are loaded with glyphosate and other potentially hazardous ingredients. If you live in the U.S., the following organizations can help you locate farm-fresh foods:
Demeter USA — Demeter-USA.org provides a directory of certified Biodynamic farms and brands.
American Grassfed Association (AGA) — The goal of the American Grassfed Association is to promote the grass fed industry through government relations, research, concept marketing and public education.
Their website also allows you to search for AGA approved producers certified according to strict standards that include being raised on a diet of 100% forage; raised on pasture and never confined to a feedlot; never treated with antibiotics or hormones; and born and raised on American family farms.
EatWild.com — EatWild.com provides lists of farmers known to produce raw dairy products as well as grass fed beef and other farm-fresh produce (although not all are certified organic). Here you can also find information about local farmers markets, as well as local stores and restaurants that sell grass fed products.
Weston A. Price Foundation — Weston A. Price has local chapters in most states, and many of them are connected with buying clubs in which you can easily purchase organic foods, including grass fed raw dairy products like milk and butter.
Grassfed Exchange — The Grassfed Exchange has a listing of producers selling organic and grass fed meats across the U.S.
Local Harvest — This website will help you find farmers markets, family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass fed meats and many other goodies.
Farmers Markets — A national listing of farmers markets.
Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals — The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, hotels and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) — CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.
The Cornucopia Institute — The Cornucopia Institute maintains web-based tools rating all certified organic brands of eggs, dairy products and other commodities, based on their ethical sourcing and authentic farming practices separating CAFO "organic" production from authentic organic practices.
RealMilk.com — If you're still unsure of where to find raw milk, check out Raw-Milk-Facts.com and RealMilk.com. They can tell you what the status is for legality in your state, and provide a listing of raw dairy farms in your area. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund77 also provides a state-by-state review of raw milk laws.78 California residents can also find raw milk retailers using the store locator available at www.OrganicPastures.com.
1 Organic Consumers Association May 24, 2017
2 The Lancet Oncology March 20, 2015
3, 15 Institute of Science in Society March 24, 2015
4 Newsweek February 2, 2016
5 Environmental Sciences Europe February 2, 2016; 28:3
6 USRTK Monsanto Papers
7 Fortune April 10, 2018
8 Justice.gov May 29, 2018
9, 10, 12 Investigatemidwest.org May 26, 2019
11 Market Watch August 20, 2018
13 Fortune.com May 14, 2019
14 The Lancet Oncology March 20, 2015
16 Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research February 10 2019 [Epub ahead of print]
17 The Guardian February 14, 2019
18 Sustainable Pulse February 14, 2019
19 GM Watch February 12, 2019
20 J Natl Cancer Inst. 2018 May 1;110(5):509-516
21 Washington Times October 22, 2018
22 Reuters October 22, 2018
23 GM Watch October 23, 2018
24 Court of Appeals A155940 & A156706
25 Reuters March 19, 2019
26 CNN March 20, 2019
27, 30 Consumer Safety Watch Compensation for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Victims
28 USRTK.org April 4, 2017
29 New York Times May 13, 2019
31 Bloomberg February 13, 2019
32, 38, 39 Entropy 2013; 15(4): 1416-1463
33 Genetics and Molecular Biology 2007: 30(2); 456-460 (PDF)
34 Agricultural Sciences 2015: 6; 42-70 (PDF)
35, 37 Glyphosate Pretending to Be Glycine: Devastating Consequences, Stephanie Seneff
36 Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry March 2017, DOI: 10.4024/25SA16A.jbpc.17.01
40 Environmental Working Group April 12, 2017
41 I-sis.org Glyphosate Studies
42 Banishing Glyphosate Report (PDF)
43 AG Chemicals and Crop Nutrient Interactions, Current Update by DM Huber
44 Poultry, Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences May 30, 2015; 3:132
46 The Guardian April 30, 2018
47 EWG.org August 15, 2018
48 EWG.org October 24, 2018
49 EWG.org October 24, 2018 Press Release
50 Friends of the Earth, Toxic Secret
51 Moms Across America January 5, 2015
52 Natural Society January 13, 2015
53, 55 Detox Project, What’s Really in Our Food and Supplements?
54 Mamavation, Hidden Ingredient in Organic Pea Protein
56 JAMA 2017;318(16):1610-1611
57 Field Crop News August 25, 2016
58 Environmental Sciences Europe 2016; 28(1): 3
59 Producer.com August 1, 2015
60 Roundup.ca, Preharvest Staging Guide
61 Glyphosate.eu, Clarification of Preharvest Uses of Glyphosate (PDF)
62 Environmental Health Perspectives 2006 Feb; 114(2): 260–263
63 Environmental Research 2014 Jul;132:105-11
64 Environmental Health Perspectives 2015 Oct; 123(10): 1086–1093
65 European Parliament, Human Health Implications of Organic Food and Organic Agriculture (PDF)
66 Environmental Research February 12, 2019 [Epub ahead of print]
67 Civil Eats February 11, 2019
68 Orv Hetil. 2006 Oct 29;147(43):2081-90
69 Nutrition Journal 2010; 9:10
70 PLOS One December 9, 2013
71 Br J Nutr. 2014 Sep 14;112(5):794-811
72 British Journal of Nutrition 2014 Sep 14;112(5):794-811
73 Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
74 PLOS One September 1, 2010; 5(9): e12346
75 Mother Jones November 2007
76 Amazon.com, Glycine Powder
77 The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
78 The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, State by State Review of Raw Milk Laws
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I recently finished reading Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Cerreyrou. The book details the inner workings of the (once a unicorn) startup Theranos and how the its founder Elizabeth Holmes tried to dream, build and eventually brought a disgraceful end to Therenos. Holmes, along with her #2 Sunny Balwani created an elaborate smoke and mirrors dream, misleading the investors and business partners as well as playing with the health of actual patients! The book also e...
Today I want to talk about the Threshold Series by Peter Clines. This has three books todate v.i.z. 14, The Fold , and Dead Moon. Clines has built not only an amazing universe in the first two books but also created a set of very likeable and relatable characters in these 2 books. Without giving away any plot spoilers 14 can be best described as a weird mystery, to the likes of thebTV series Lost while The Fold is a solid sci-fi story with interdimenstional travels et al. In short both the books...
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The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers
Carl L. Becker, Johnson Wright
CLAS-SS: Civic and Economic Thought, School of (SCET)
CLAS-H: History, Philosophy and Religious Studies, School of (SHPRS)
Here a distinguished American historian challenges the belief that the eighteenth century was essentially modern in its temper. In crystalline prose Carl Becker demonstrates that the period commonly described as the Age of Reason was, in fact, very far from that, that Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, and Locke were living in a medieval world; and that these philosophers "demolished the Heavenly City of St. Augustine only to rebuild it with more up-to-date materials." In a new Foreword, Johnson Kent Wright looks at the book's continuing relevance within the context of current discussion about the Enlightenment.
Arts and Humanities(all)
Becker, C. L., & Wright, J. (2003). The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers. Yale University Press.
The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers. / Becker, Carl L.; Wright, Johnson.
Yale University Press, 2003. 168 p.
Becker, CL & Wright, J 2003, The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers. Yale University Press.
Becker CL, Wright J. The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers. Yale University Press, 2003. 168 p.
Becker, Carl L. ; Wright, Johnson. / The heavenly city of the eighteenth-century Philosophers. Yale University Press, 2003. 168 p.
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AB - Here a distinguished American historian challenges the belief that the eighteenth century was essentially modern in its temper. In crystalline prose Carl Becker demonstrates that the period commonly described as the Age of Reason was, in fact, very far from that, that Voltaire, Hume, Diderot, and Locke were living in a medieval world; and that these philosophers "demolished the Heavenly City of St. Augustine only to rebuild it with more up-to-date materials." In a new Foreword, Johnson Kent Wright looks at the book's continuing relevance within the context of current discussion about the Enlightenment.
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End of Term Report Part 1 29/05/2017
You know the form by now. A trot through the season’s roster, most of it. Some will still be here next season, some will go over the summer, some will leave at the end of August… those that did so this year tend to not feature in this write-up, much as the likes of Almen Abdi, Ikechi Anya and Matěj Vydra all merited more than just slipping out of the door. They all feel like characters from a story half-remembered, and we watch on in puzzlement at their different flavours of underachievement in the championship. Anyway…
1 – Heurelho Gomes
It’s been mentioned at this stage before, but in recruiting Gomes from a long way down Spurs’ pecking order three years ago we were working from a tried and tested template. Manuel Almunia had been similarly discarded at Arsenal, similarly unreasonably tainted in the eyes of the watching public. As with Almunia, Gomes reminded everyone straight away why he’d been such a prized asset in the first place, that he’s a very fine goalkeeper.
But Gomes has moved beyond that now. Beyond simply a goalkeeper who proved to be a better player, with more left to offer than many had lazily concluded. He’s a leader, and suddenly in our hugely transient squad he’s a stalwart, three years in. You wouldn’t have it any other way. Throughout all of our ups and downs in form this season Gomes has been a constant; he started every League fixture and at the times when things were getting a bit edgy, when the side was at its less convincing the sight of Heurelho between the sticks exhorting teammates and fans to further efforts was hugely reassuring. Like Tommy Smith in the Vialli season, a reason to believe that Everything Will Be Alright In The End. At the end of games, whatever the result, Troy and Heurelho saluting the crowd; in interviews manifestly evident that he gets it, fully professional and a thoroughly decent bloke.
Next Season: This season has seen Heurelho make more errors than in his previous seasons, which merely means more than one; he was nonetheless indisputably one of the stars of the campaign. With Big Pants seemingly out of favour it seems reasonable to expect stiffer competition to be brought in over the summer, but Gomes remains our number 1. Hurrah.
3 – Miguel Britos
At the end of last summer I took my daughters to the club’s Open Day at the Fullerians rugby club. Long queues had formed by the meet-the-player tents in the sunshine by the time we arrived, queues formed of children and parents more experienced in these events than I was. Foolishly I decided that our time queuing was better spent collecting and printing new home shirts; by the time we decided to join the back of the meet-the-players queues, we’d missed the boat and harried looking club staff were fending people off.
Feeling guilty at making such a gross strategic error and wondering whether an ice cream would quite cut it as compensation I eventually took the girls back towards the big tent to pick up our name-printed shirts and ran into Miguel Britos. The coach was leaving, and Miguel would have been forgiven for apologising politely after an afternoon of relentless autographs and selfies but he was as accommodating as could be. He didn’t know that the girls had been let down by their inept father, that he was the only player they were destined to meet; he gave us his time anyway. The photo is amazing… Daughter 1 retains a semblance of almost-a-teenager cool, betrayed by a giveaway smile. Daughter 2 makes no such pretence, her eyes are about to pop out.
Being a good bloke doesn’t qualify you for playing centre back in the Premier League, but it helps in my book. Or at least, it helps to want to root for someone. Miguel has looked nervy at times this season but there’s context… regularly switching from a three to a four, injuries meaning that the make up of the central defence changed from game to game. Miguel was generally picked when available though, only once slipping to the bench when available. Still a solid option.
Next Season: Left-sided defenders aren’t easy to come by. Might be high on some fans’ hit-lists, but I can see him still being around in August. Good job too.
4 – Younès Kaboul
The signing of Younès Kaboul was a fine thing for a number of reasons. Firstly, signing Younès Kaboul announces you as an established mid-table Premier League club as well as anything I can think of. We Have Arrived, and are here to stay. Second, the reaction on Wearside – nothing against Sunderland, but the ex-club’s messageboards are a pretty reliable indicator. (It can work the other way too… my excitement at Lewis McGugan’s signing lasted as long as it took for me to glance at the Forest reaction. I was expecting hysteria. There wasn’t any).
Thirdly, because big, bootery defenders, particularly big bootery defenders who look pretty scarey, are something that you can’t really have enough of. I’m all for them.
And if Kaboul hasn’t been an unqualified success – whilst he’s terrifying in a back four he’s looked vulnerable as part of a three, particularly in a wide position – he’s still a Good Thing. He’s got a big personality, more than a decade’s worth of Premier League experience and he kicks the ball really hard. What’s not to like?
Next Season: As above, quite how vital Kaboul will be rather depends on how Marco Silva plans to line us up – significantly, his Hull teams appear to have switched between defensive formations too. Difficult to imagine a world in which Kaboul won’t be at the very least a Useful Thing to Have, tho.
5 – Sebastian Prödl
Here’s a strange thing: Seb Prödl isn’t thirty yet.
Pausing only briefly to acknowledge that “getting on” for a footballer really isn’t very old at all and that I should really get on with doing “things that I’ll do when I grow up” rather than vaguely thinking about them… it remains a fact that Prödl isn’t very old, even by a footballer’s standards.
Why, then, does he seem older? Maybe in part because he came to us an established international defender; he’d captained Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, and was a senior player in the Austrian side. He plays like a veteran, with the absolute assurance of someone who’s been there, done that, dealt with anything you can throw at him before.
But there’s something else, I think. Because the fact is that whilst Seb narrowly, deservedly walked off with the Player of the Season award (and named after GT or not I can’t help but feel a little uncomfortable at the unexplained sidelining of the Watford Observer) he was actually looking like winning the award by a country mile halfway through the season, based on that monstrous performance against Manchester United and others like it.
Then we switched to a back four, which rather exposed the bits that Seb isn’t quite so good at. He’s not the quickest on the turn… in the middle of the three he’s in his element, furiously and defiantly in control with quicker legs doing the running either side of him. In a four… well, he’s almost the ying to Kaboul’s yang. He moves like an older man.
A very fine season nonetheless, and another player you instinctively warm to.
Next Season: He did seem to be waving goodbye when he went off at Stamford Bridge didn’t he? You hope not… and, you know, three years on his contract and everything. But still…
Helping Hands 2016/2017 25/05/2017
I don’t care, I enjoy it.
(insert the standard bit about what qualifies as an assist on this here site)… the last pass, obviously, but also the shot that was parried for a follow-up, being taken down for a penalty, both the flick-on to a cross AND the cross itself, and so on.
Amongst the stories the table tells is that of the contrast between this season and last. Last year Troy and Iggy dominated the charts, being involved in the vast majority of our goals one way or another. This year 18 players provided assists as compared to 13 last season, but whilst Troy tops the table for the third season running his five assists is an unprecedented low to top the table. To set this in context, Mark Yeates got eleven in 2011/12, admittedly from a larger number of games.
This rather sets into context that Nordin Amrabat comes in second with four, albeit four rather challenges the “no end product” theory. Miguel Britos’ three puts him perversely high in the table but three for a centre-back is decent in any season; it rather puts our central midfield to shame, whilst highlighting the lack of creativity that has been a central theme to the season. Abdoulaye Doucouré is yet to contribute in this regard (but he’s ace, so we let him off), ditto Valon Behrami in both respects, whilst Tom Cleverley’s set pieces yield a disappointing one and Etienne Capoue’s tally is three in two seasons, all away from home.
Meanwhile the absent Roberto Pereyra’s rate was a pretty healthy one every four games, which would have put him clearly top if sustained over a season. M’baye Niang’s rate wasn’t much worse, albeit there was less to enjoy in between.
Elsewhere, Juan Camillo Zuñiga’s spasmodic season yielded one goal and one assist, each occurring within twelve minutes in mid-September, whilst the Gillingham League Cup game and the number of kids rotated in later in the season contributed to an extraordinary eleven players turning out for the Hornets but starting no more than once across the campaign.
Will return soon with the End of Term Report. Enjoy the summer…
Assists Apps Gls Assists vs
Deeney 5 33+7 10 Sot (A), Gil (H-LC), Lei (H), WBA (A), WBA (H)
Amrabat 4 25+4 0 Sot (A), Bou (H), Liv (A), Eve (A)
Holebas 4 33+0 2 Bou (H), Eve (H), Eve (H), Bur (H)
Pereyra 3 12+1 2 WHU (A), MaU (H), Lei (H)
Niang 3 15+1 2 Bur (H), WBA (H), Che (A)
Britos 3 29+0 1 BuA (H-FAC), Bou (A), Sot (H)
Janmaat 2 18+10 2 MaU (H), Hul (H)
Prödl 2 32+2 1 Lei (H), CrP (H)
Capoue 2 38+1 7 WHU (A), Ars (A)
Success 1 2+17 1 Sot (H)
Zárate 1 3 0 WHU (H)
Mason 1 3+1 0 BuA (H-FAC)
Zuñiga 1 6+16 1 MaU (H)
Guedioura 1 11+3 0 Che (H)
Okaka 1 11+9 4 Sot (H)
Cathcart 1 14+2 0 Sun (H)
Ighalo 1 15+5 2 WHU (A)
Cleverley 1 16+1 0 Bou (A)
Eleftheriou 0 0+1 0
Folivi 0 0+1 0
Kenedy 0 0+1 0
Stewart 0 0+1 0
Pereira 0 0+2 0
Hoban 0 1 0
Nyom 0 1 0
Paredes 0 1 0
Anya 0 1+1 0
Dja Djédjé 0 1+1 0
Vydra 0 1+1 0
Watson 0 2+4 0
Pantilimon 0 3+2 0
Sinclair 0 3+4 1
Mariappa 0 7+1 0
Kabasele 0 9+9 2
Doucouré 0 17+6 1
Kaboul 0 24 2
Behrami 0 26+1 0
Gomes 0 38+1 0
Check out the 2015-16, 2014-15, 2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10, 2008-09 and 2007-08 equivalents by clicking on the links.
The List 2017. 22/05/2017
Watford 0 Manchester City 5 (21/05/2017) 22/05/2017
Chelsea 4 Watford 3 (15/05/2017) 16/05/2017
1- This kind of doesn’t need an intro does it? Whether you’ve been experiencing the last few months by attending games or watching on from greater distance you can’t have been looking forward to this. Chelsea’s title having been confirmed on Friday didn’t help matters at all… it removed the final straw to be clung to, the one where there might be a nagging nervousness in the home stands, something that still needed sorting if we could just hold out for 20 minutes or so.
So much for that. Now it was going to be a party. The Underground screwing around didn’t improve our mood, nor did the drizzle. Gallows humour was in full flow by the time we got to Stamford Gate; we navigated a bizarrely well-manned but porous corridor of stewards that seemed to have been planned by the guy who designed games for Gladiators. Analogies about our defence’s capabilities immediately presented themselves, one thunk sorted before kick-off. Any lingering good humour was extinguished once inside by news of our starting line-up. Shackles off, Premier League status finally definitively secured, and no proper striker. Bloody hell.
2- An aside here to discuss Chelsea’s catering. You’ll appreciate that as a travelling football fan with a healthy appetite one’s bar of acceptability is necessarily quite low. Given a captive audience the food is invariably pricey, and the quality hugely variable. Genuinely, variable… some places get it right, but we’ve generally been trained to accept anything edible albeit at prices that no sensible person in any other environment would ever contemplate.
But this was spectacular. Will, first to the counter whilst the rest of us addressed other priorities, quickly and darkly warned us off the pasties. “Inedible. Genuinely inedible,” he exclaimed whilst brandishing something that looked like an old shoe containing an insole of dry mud. Forewarned, I went instead for an object advertised as a tandoori chicken roll. An inner layer of foil wrapping guaranteed that the contents remained hotter than the sun, but absolutely devoid of either flavour or texture. The closest comparison I can draw is of strands of soggy, watery lettuce and lumps of soft chalk wrapped in baking paper and heated to a point that would strip the plaster off your walls. And I paid six pounds for it. Naturally, this improved our mood still further. It was going to be a terrible evening.
3- Which just goes to show how wrong you can be. The first surprise was quite how warm May suddenly was… we located our seats and removed several obsolete layers until we were in t-shirts. The home side, as anticipated, were in party mood; their side contained a vast number of changes as anticipated, but retained a core of the senior side in Kanté, Hazard and Azpilicueta. It’s tempting to view what follows through that prism of course… “we lost to Chelsea’s reserves”, but that would be misguided. These are still excellent players, and we were missing a large number of players ourselves, injuries depriving us of four centre backs and two of our more creative weapons. Chelsea made changes, but had the luxury of picking them voluntarily rather than botching a side together.
Meanwhile, further insight into our trajectory and some of that Modern Football stuff in the fact that the Chelsea line-up contained no less than three former Watford loanees of varying vintage, two of whom have seen significantly more action in yellow than in the blue of their parent club. Nathaniel Chalobah was making his first Premier League start for Chelsea, four seasons after looking so elegant at the back of Gianfranco Zola’s midfield. He was the pick of the three on the night, looking far from out of place in his surroundings. Nathan Aké is a more recent Hornet of course; his performance was decent enough though not flawless, a fair précis of his loan spell last season. Kenedy, the most recent of the three, was afforded an inconsequential fifteen minutes at Turf Moor in his Watford career and did little here to suggest that we’d underutilised his talent. In contrast, Adrian Mariappa demonstrated that he’s come full circle since the days when he captained Sean Dyche’s necessarily pragmatic Watford side in the second tier. Via Reading and Palace he’s back at Watford and now “Adrián” Mariappa, with a hispanic flourish, according to the tannoy announcer’s proclamation bellowed mercilessly into the away end.
4- So, that no-strikers thing. Strictly speaking we weren’t playing with no forwards; Niang was nominally employed in a lone striker role, albeit he’s rarely suggested that he’s suited to such a job. He provided no compelling support for the decision here either; our attacks, such as they were, frequently foundered on no target presenting itself in the box as the Frenchman too often chased involvement and the ball rather than providing that option.
That aside, the formation worked rather well for the most part which once again demonstrates how little I know. It wasn’t just the formation though, albeit that might have provided a platform. More remarkable, more rewarding, was the fight. The guts. The spirit. There’s been a suggestion, not entirely unreasonably, that whining about being mere also-rans in the top flight is a bit rich. I can cope with the relatively mundane target of mid-table obscurity if it comes with a bit of welly like this, rather than the soporific acceptance we saw at Hull. The opening 20 minutes or so were Chelsea’s but we were scrapping and fighting. Seb Prödl kicked off an eventful evening by decisively winning the opening rounds in a heavyweight battle with Batshuayi, dismissively brutal in extracting the ball from the striker’s feet. No less aggressive was Mariappa, who flew in with a laser-guided tackle on the briefly bewildered Hazard. Defiance on the pitch bred the same in the away end.
5- All of which could have been rather undone by our complete failure to defend a corner. Scrapping as we were, Chelsea were nonetheless creating chances when they got the ball wide and from their first corner Mariappa bounced unconvincingly under the ball, others stood around looking lost and John Terry took advantage at the second attempt. Of course it was Terry. The inevitable procession suddenly stretched tediously in front of us; fortunately Chelsea’s skipper, who occasionally seemed to be depending on his more nimble minders either side, himself afforded us an immediate route back in. Capoue was the grateful recipient, it’s quite conceivable that the game wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if he hadn’t done so. It was our first attempt of any description, and it was a gift.
Nonetheless we were behind by half time. A corner, again, after we’d defended slicker, less formulaic threats more competently. A near post corner this time, Janmaat flicked an inadequate header across the face of goal to where Azpilicueta waited to drive the ball home. Down, then. But not disgraced. We’d probably have taken that.
6- So when Chelsea got a bit of a lucky break and went 3-1 up early in the second half we were once again lurching towards the humiliation we’d feared. Lucky in the sense that they got a kind deflection from a long-range shot that set up Aké, no luck in him taking advantage and teeing up the finish. It felt as if we were in danger of being overwhelmed again.
And this is where this stopped being just another game, a game in which we put up a bit of a fight but got dicked anyway, and entered the sphere of games that just need to be enjoyed independent of context. Stuff the result, if you can’t enjoy nonsense like this just go home. It turns out that Chelsea didn’t touch the ball in the two minutes between their goal and Daryl Janmaat bundling through to skim the ball into the net but that detail didn’t register at the time. What registered was that we weren’t rolling over. This is what Watford have been about, what we’ve missed. Not bloody giving up. Janmaat has had ups and downs and bumps and bruises over the season, he’s manifestly a better attacking wing-back than he is a defender, but with this one we passed the point where we give much of a toss about what he’s good at or not. This was bloody-minded take that you bastards. We rose from our resigned stupor as he progressed into the area and as the ball hit the net we were screaming again. More of this. More of this.
7- At this point detail becomes fuzzy since we re-entered what was always the traditional away-day mindset, the anything’s a bonus determination to enjoy ourselves. So the stuff on the pitch was incidental, although I suspect that this was the bit where Heurelho Gomes excelled himself. Eventually, we brought on a proper target man…. Stefano Okaka and Troy had staged a particularly half-arsed warm-up on pitch during the interval but there was nothing half-arsed about the Italian’s approach to his twenty-odd minutes. The game had descended into that very British high-speed wide-open frenzy; within a minute GT was getting his minute’s ovation (with significant Chelsea acknowledgement), within another Okaka was thumping a neglected ball low past Begovic. In the stands, all hell broke loose. On the pitch, it all got a bit narky… Pedro added himself to the list of people you’d like to kick up the arse, given half a chance. Batshuayi got off without censure when Prödl opted against collapsing in a heap on getting the Belgian’s forehead in his face. The Austrian eventually saw red, cruelly if not undeservedly. His was a Trojan’s performance in a side suddenly short on muscle; he waved as his season ended, what flavour of goodbye we’ll find out in time. It’s Mapps, Holebas and Walter Mazzarri at the back for Man City.
8- By which time Cesc Fabregas had struck the decisive goal. Cesc Fabregas is a dick. Not because he struck this fine and deserved winner, painful as it was. Not because there’s any question about his playing ability. But because he’s a dick. Stop by on Sunday and I’ll explain why, and my daughters will think I’ve got a load of mates’n’that.
9- Not a lot to be drawn from this. A unique game in unique circumstances. A feather in Walter’s cap in this most bewildering of seasons, despite the result. A decent showing, we’re still capable of it. But most of all, this was fun. That’s what I want from a night out. A good bellow and a sore throat. Give me a proper pie next time and I’ll be well happy.
Leicester City 3 Watford 0 (06/05/2017) 07/05/2017
1- There are days when it’s just a bad idea all round. The great empty swathes of seats in the away end for what should be a popular trip – local-ish, easy to get to, against the League Champions to boot – suggested that plenty had had the same thought. Dad nearly didn’t make it, Daughter 1 pondered whether she should forego the afternoon in favour of preparation for her forthcoming SATs. Meanwhile the pre-match pub turned out to be closed; we opted for an alternative next to the station, but beat a disorientated path from the pub in entirely the wrong direction until we sorted ourselves out. Sometimes the world is trying to tell you something.
2- Whilst appreciating that survival in itself is an achievement, and the injuries, and the fact that winning away in the Premier League is a very difficult thing to do I can’t tell you how bored I am of this. Of games like this. Our season has been an extension and elaboration of Niang’s loan spell… occasional sparks of brilliance with quite a lot of drab, shapeless nothingness in between. You have to imagine that the rest of the Premier League wouldn’t really have missed us had we gone down, for all that everyone likes a routine home win against a toothless opponent. Why on earth would you spend time, money watching such miserable, spiritless inevitability? (On the money front, incidentally… East Midland Trains. Good God. I can get the three of us to London and back for under £20. Three times that for a shorter distance to Leicester. Criminal. Bastards.)
3- Actually the first half wasn’t that bad for the most part. For much of the season our midfield hasn’t ever seemed quite right and it still doesn’t, but nonetheless it’s the bit that kinda looks closest to fully functional at the moment. Doucouré, again, was majestic and looks like the engine of a much better side. Tom Cleverley’s form has wandered off of late but this was his most dynamic outing for a while… and we were well in the game, having more of the possession. It was scruffy and untidy and the final pass was inevitably missing but we were holding our own.
The thing is, an opponent competent enough to dominate possession but too blunt to do anything with it is pretty much exactly what this Leicester side, defined by their ability to counter-attack, would choose to play against. Stefano Okaka, restored to the side in eye-catching fashion in place of Troy, worked hard in displaying a willingness to take on all comers but in similar fashion to Deeney against Liverpool was too isolated, the flickering Niang always happier pulling wide. When we got bodies into the box we looked vaguely threatening but our best chance of recording our first away goal since January came when Cleverley latched onto a ball and thundered a rising drive goalwards. Had it been a bit further from Schmeichel it would have caused problems.
Instead, the breakthrough came at the other end where Leicester’s attacks were already looking more venomous than our own. So they didn’t really need the helping hand of a silly free kick conceded by Prödl on bar-of-soap Okazaki, nor of an inexplicable leaden touch by Capoue to the resulting corner that teed up Ndidi. All he had to do was swing a leg at it.
4- In the stands, we entered a sort of Twilight Zone. Our afternoon had already taken another downward turn in the discovery that our seats located us behind an explosively angry, foul-mouthed gentleman who persisted in berating both teams and all officials loudly and crassly and, in the absence of a companion with whom to share his opinions, turning and elaborating in our direction. We relocated in stages and watched as successive groups took up temporary residence in the same seats.
As the game progressed there were more and more angry men dotted around the stands, if none as spectacularly unpleasant. Mariappa was having the first poor game of his second wind in the side, albeit he was slightly unfortunate that the beneficiary of his error was the elegant Mahrez; he might have gotten away with it with half a second more to recover. Gomes, also, bore no small responsibility having been beaten at his near post. But the core problem was the lack of spirit, of ideas, of fight in the Watford ranks. It wasn’t as stark or miserable as Hull but it was the same narrative. Out for the first time came the “Quique Sanchez Flores” chant (and, more arbitrarily, odes to Aidy Boothroyd and Al Bangura), ostensibly provoking angry disputes within the stand. Nordin Amrabat – whose second half performance showcased the frustrating contradictions of his Watford career, willing running combined with hesitancy and hugely variable end product – became the focus for the boo-boys, the first in a few years. Calls for his removal – and the introduction of the underused Success – were ignored as Niang was withdrawn for debutant Dion Pereira. His first contribution was an instant, arcing left footed cross from the right that Okaka couldn’t quite get over. He got a raucous reception in response, but there was never a suggestion that we’d get back into the game. Instead Leicester got another fine goal on the break. The stand emptied.
5- If the treatment of Amrabat, however inadequate his performance, seemed harsh – he was a potential player of the season before his injury – the resurrection of the Flores chant is revealing. Looking back, Flores’ departure could not be justified based on our league performance; 45 points and 13th place absolutely more than fine. What did for Flores, ultimately if not exclusively, was the trajectory of the season. 29 points in the first half, 16 in the second with performances that didn’t suggest that we’d merited any more. There’s been no such schism this time (22/18 as we stand) but the recent performances have been poor, the defeats more absolute than the victories with few exceptions. The trajectory argument still holds, I think… I’m certainly very happy that we’ve already got 40 points; if we had as few as 38 at this stage I think we’d be in serious trouble. That’s not beating Swansea, for example, in particular. Fine margins.
But that doesn’t justify chanting Flores’ name in itself. You can argue that both sides nosedived, but what makes Flores a more attractive prospect?
The answer, beyond the grass-is-greener argument that always holds, is that Flores was manifestly a nice bloke. Mazzarri may be a nice bloke but we just don’t know, we have no relationship with him and therefore no instinct to side with him. A big element of supporting a team is being part of it, feeling you’re on the same side. Mazzarri simply hasn’t prioritised that, it’s not important enough to him. You can argue that it’s not his job to be everyone’s mate, but a consequence of the path he’s chosen is that nobody instinctively sides with him when the going gets tough.
6- And critically that appears to include the team. These recent performances haven’t been as poisonous as the notorious Huddersfield game under Sannino in 2014 but there’s a manifest lack of team spirit, lack of belief, lack of evidence of everyone singing from the same sheet. The discord is most evident in the relationship between head coach and captain in particular… it seems inconceivable that both Troy and Mazzarri will be at the club next season, and for all that Troy has had a few of his less effective games recently, he was still there at the end of the game ushering Dion Pereira towards an ovation that completely changed the tone in the away end where boos had been echoing again. The point is, Troy gets it… he’s a great captain but a better diplomat than Mazzarri. I want to root for him, I’d rather support a team captained by Troy than one managed by Mazzarri if that’s the choice.
Either way, it seems quite possible that we’ll end the season with six straight defeats. Something needs to fundamentally change over the summer… it’ll be fascinating to see what decisions Pozzo and Duxbury make.
Watford 0 Liverpool 1 (01/05/2017) 02/05/2017
1. I had intended to begin proceedings in rib-tickling and topical fashion with some sort of mock election manifesto. However, I quickly realised that my policy platform comprised little beyond a desire to roll back thirty years’ worth of progress: no substitute goalkeepers, an offside law that Alan Shearer can understand, compulsory Bovril, proper kickoff times, proper tackling, proper pitches, that sort of thing. Common sense. Back to basics. Take back control. Make football great again. You can do your own punchline.
I had second thoughts. Partly because it’s essentially just the same old guff that I’ve been writing and re-writing for the last decade or more. That clearly hasn’t stopped me before, though, so there must’ve been something else. And that something else was this: it struck me that I’ve come to really actually believe in at least some of this stuff and that perhaps I ought to challenge it more before it turns into ranting at strangers on a bus. Before I start denouncing anyone apologising for the backpass rule as a stooge of our capitalist oppressors and refusing to pass through the turnstiles unless I can pay in those triangular vouchers you used to cut out of the programme. After all, if I’m going to point out to others that everything else wasn’t a dish of peaches in the good ol’ days, I should apply the same critique to my own views on football: piss-flooded toilets, barbed wire, racism, violence, Bradford, Heysel, Hillsborough. Never again.
It seems that football has formed itself into a small but significant enclave of conservatism in my largely liberal, outward-looking world. The modern game has left me behind, bitter and betrayed and boring. I’ve become a dyed in the wool Plexiteer. I need to lighten up. I need to live in the moment rather more.
2. And, indeed, this was a moment which promised to be worth living in. The season’s main objectives already achieved; famous opponents with well-established weaknesses rather dovetailing with our well-established strengths; an away hammering to avenge; an away capitulation to make up for. The floodlights are on, although modern floodlights can hardly be…oh, for pity’s sake, I can’t help myself. Ross Jenkins is here, with a grandson in tow and full of high spirits and brilliant memories. The scene is set.
3. And cue Watford.
4. And cue…Watford.
5. And…
6. Perhaps we should begin by saying that there ought to be no shame in being out-played and out-thought by a team with superior players and by a club with vastly superior resources. The truth is that we tend to forget that most encounters with top four-ish sides turn out like this, preferring instead to remember the occasions when logic is overthrown and everyone dances barefoot on its grave. We remember those occasions because they’re relatively rare: for a mid-table side like what we appear to be, once a season is about par, and we’ve already had that Manchester United game back in September. We’re owed nothing.
The form book is not re-written, then. Instead, we spend really rather endless periods of this match playing second fiddle to a confident, cohesive Liverpool; there are other bits where we’re doing nothing more than sheepishly shaking a tambourine somewhere at the back. There’s not a single spell of the game when you could argue that we’re the better side, even if the scoreline remains tight and there’s nearly an unexpected twist in the tale. It’s the game it ought to be, the gulf in class and stature laid out before us. Like I say, there’s no shame in that. But that doesn’t mean you can’t criticise it either, of course.
7. The good news is that we do plenty to ensure that this isn’t another 6-1 annihilation. We set out – rather optimistically, if I’m honest – to play out from the back of our three-man defence; we get chased about relentlessly, hunted down with a regularity that becomes tiresome within fifteen minutes and leads to us largely abandoning the whole idea within twenty. Barely able to get the ball over the halfway line without losing it, we’re under almost ceaseless pressure once the game settles into a pattern; for twenty minutes either side of half-time, we’re doing nothing more than stopping the ship from sinking, all hands to the pumps.
That we very nearly survive is admirable, especially bearing in mind the early departure of Miguel Britos. Liverpool lose a hobbling Coutinho too, but replacement Lallana, even short of fitness, is hardly any easier to police; he hits the bar with a dipping volley from a half-cleared corner, Can forces the first of countless strong saves from Gomes with a swerving drive from distance. But that’s all, that’s the sum total. Lucas is booked for a ludicrous, shameless dive on the corner of the box, and you realise that this is all starting to look a little bit desperate. We’re doing absolutely nothing ourselves – Troy Deeney might as well be in the pub – but no matter, we’ll take a goalless half, we’ll see what we can build on that.
Then Lucas drifts a cross into the box, and Can drifts into a couple of yards of space, and somehow twists his body upside down and inside out, and his overhead is directed very precisely and rather gently into the top corner. Overhead kicks of old used to be products of athleticism, a spring let go, a somersault with a flailing leg. These days, players seem capable of defying gravity altogether, and this is purely balletic rather than acrobatic, the Guardian’s photo perfectly capturing the poise and the grace. Good toes, naughty toes. A goal worthy of winning a far better game than this one, in all honesty. Yes, the marking could’ve been better. Yes, yes. A thing of exquisite beauty nevertheless.
8. Whatever’s said in the dressing room at half-time, whatever tactical tweaks are made, there is absolutely no change in direction: if anything, Liverpool strengthen their grip on the game and our forays into their half become even less frequent. We continue to defend purposefully, but need to call upon Gomes with increasing regularity. His final save of the evening, a reflex fingertip stop low to his right to prevent Sturridge from squeezing in the decisive second, is most astonishing of all.
When we do find ourselves with the ball, when we sometimes even find ourselves with the ball and a yard of space, the mistakes – unnecessary offsides, poor touches, over-ambitious passes – are amplified and echoed back by the crowd, desperate for something to get behind and frustrated by its absence. Referee Craig Pawson offers a masterclass in getting nothing important wrong while being really sodding irritating.
9. This ought not to have been a close game. But it is, still. Eventually, triumphantly, we force ourselves up the pitch enough to claim a part in it all. We bring a couple of saves from Mignolet, tipping over a rising drive from Capoue and just reacting quickly enough to avoid being caught out by a cheeky dart at his near post by Janmaat. We bring on first Success and then Okaka, big bloke changes which are immediately matched and negated as if foreseen by the highly animated, occasionally furious Klopp, who often appears as if he’s doing an impression of himself doing an impression of himself. We fall some way short of really giving it a go, but do at least raise the possibility, pencil it in the diary. It’s a bit of a contest, at last.
10. And then, finally, as time is nearly up, we expose their failings at set pieces, and Seb Prodl swivels to bang a fierce half-volley against the face of the crossbar. All of that hard defensive graft and commendable goalkeeping is nearly rewarded with a ludicrous point and a joyous bundle of celebration. It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t deserve to. Nobody would’ve cared, clearly. Rightly.
11. And so I feel as if I’ve probably been more charitable in defeat than I was in victory last time, sniffing haughtily at our failure to beat Swansea more convincingly. If you’re of a critical bent, you could have a bloody field day here: we were utterly disjointed in midfield and scratchily ineffective in attack, leaving only the defence (and I include the terrific Doucoure in that) and the goalkeeper emerging with much credit. And I realise that my desire for more ambition to be shown, to avoid simply playing the percentages in the hope of finishing thirteenth every season, means that these are very fixtures on which we ought to be making more of a mark.
But still, but still. We’re well beaten here. We barely manage to lay a glove on Liverpool; we’re not at their level, not in their class. Somehow, I don’t mind that so much. We ought not to be satisfied with it, but it feels honest, at least.
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When we first moved to Staunton, VA with our grand idea to create a luxurious Staunton B&B we decided to get to know the best downtown Staunton restaurants. After all, guests desiring 5 star luxury accommodations would also want to dine in 5 star restaurants. Well we soon discovered that our guests were in luck. The best restaurants are also walking distance from Berkeley House Bed & Breakfast. Below is a list of our favorites and what to expect when you dine at these fine restaurants.
Berkeley House’s List of Best Restaurants in Downtown Staunton, VA
Aioli Mediterranean Cuisine – Aioli is definitely a treat. Said Rhafiri is an amazing chef. He’s from Morocco and brings many very tasty Mediterranean dishes to our town. Said prepares Tapas and mouth watering entrees. One of our favorite entrees is the Pan Seared Maple Leaf Duck Breast. We’ve tried duck all over the world and Aioli’s is right at the top. Aioli is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Phone: (540) 885-1414. Location: 29 N Augusta Street (3 Blocks from Berkeley House).
Emilio’s Italian Restaurant – If you’re looking for authentic Italian or Sicilian Cuisine, Emilio’s is the place. Emilio is another great chef and you have an opportunity to taste his fine cuisine for lunch or dinner. Chef Emilio has a large menu selection of Antipasti, Zuppe, Insalate, Pasta, Secondi (Vitello Alla Saltimbocca is one of Jeff’s favorite mains), Sides, and Dolci. You’re not going to leave hungry from Emilio’s. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. Tuesdays through Sunday and reservations are recommended. Phone (540) 885-0102. Location: 23 E Beverley St. (2-1/2 blocks from Berkeley House).
Mill Street Grill – If you gotta have ribs, Mill Street Grill is your place. As it says on their site, “We are well known for our Barbecue Baby Back Ribs, which are tender, fall off the bone, and glazed with a barbecue sauce that we make ourselves.” Of course, you can get appetizers and sides but we have to warn you, their portions are very large. The atmosphere is quite lively; the restaurant used to be an old flour mill and has very high ceilings. Mill Street Grill is open from 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. Sunday and they don’t take reservations. Phone: (540) 886-0656. Location: 1 Mill Street (about 5 blocks from Berkeley House).
The Shack – Ian Boden is Staunton’s classically trained chef and this small 26 seat restaurant is where he performs his magic. His menus are constantly changing and on Fridays and Saturdays you can even order a three or four course prix fixe menu with a series of starters, entrees and desserts. Ian also makes one of the best burgers on the planet. The Shack is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. and has a special brunch from 10:30 to 2:00 p.m. on Sundays (you’ll probably be too full from your breakfast at our B&B to partake). Reservations recommended. Phone: (540) 490-1961. Location: 105 S. Coalter St. (1-1/2 blocks from Berkeley House).
Zynodoa – The Indian name for Shenandoah is Zynodoa and they sound almost the same. This is a must try farm to table restaurant and almost everyone’s favorite pre-show and post- show (Blackfriars Playhouse performance) restaurant. Zynodoa offers inspired southern cuisine in a stylish, metropolitan setting. They change their menu frequently but always have the most delicious cornbread as a starter dish. There may be prix fixe options as well. Zynodoa is open from Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. and reservations are recommended. Phone: (540) 885-7775. Location: 115 E Beverley St (just over 1-1/2 blocks from Berkeley House).
That’s our top five favorite downtown Staunton restaurants in alphabetical order. There are certainly other places to eat within walking distance of Berkeley House. We list some of them below.
Other Staunton Restaurants to Consider
Baja Bean Co. Restaurante Y Cantina – Mexican cuisine open daily for lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 885-9988. Location: 9 W Beverley St.
Byers Street Bistro – Southern style American cuisine open daily for lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 887-6100. Location: 18 Byers St.
Clocktower Restaurant – Mostly American cuisine open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 213-0665. Location: 27 W Beverley St.
Cranberry’s Grocery and Eatery – Healthy options cuisine open daily for breakfast, lunch and early dinner. Phone: (540) 885-4755. Location: 7 S New St.
Depot Grille – American cuisine open daily from 11 a.m. Phone: (540) 885-7332, Location: 42 Middlebrook Ave.
Gloria’s Pupuseria – Authentic Salvadoran cuisine open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and early dinner. Phone: (540) 280-1142. Location: 300 N Central Ave.
Shenandoah Pizza & Taphouse – Craft pizza place open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 213-0008. Location: 19 E Beverley St.
Snapdragon Pho – Vietnamese cuisine open daily for lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 712-0262. Location: 12 E Beverley St.
Table 44 – American cuisine open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for brunch. Phone: (540) 885-5026. Location: 300 Church St.
Taste of India – Authentic Indian cuisine open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Phone: (540) 213-8882. Location: 105 W Beverley St.
The Pampered Palate Cafe – American cuisine open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday. Phone (540) 886-9463. Location: 26-28 E Beverley St.
Yelping Dog Wine – Wine bar with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and light fare open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m., from 12 p.m. on Sunday. Phone: (540) 885-2275. Location: 9 E Beverley St.
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The History of Baylis Brothers Limited
Richard’s father, Frank senior, wanted a well on the family property in Greenmeadows and engaged a local drilling contractor Mr T. G. Willan. Unfortunately, Tom Willan was unable to start drilling due to the lack of an assistant, so Frank senior volunteered Richard. Richard turned out to be very capable and was taken on permanently. Six weeks later, Tom had a heart attack and at age 17, Richard took over the business. Shortly after Richard and brother Frank, formed a partnership with their father as a sleeping partner and so Baylis Bros was formed. Dick and Frank snr bought out Frank jnr after a year or so, and then in 1954, Dick bought out Frank snr.
The New Workshop
A new workshop was completed at Puketitiri Road in December 2005.
Puketitiri Road Workshops
Russell and his wife, Lynette, purchased a farm in Puketitiri Road and in 1996 moved the company to these premises. This yard has slowly been renovated over the years and now has a modern new workshop and storage space.
First 40 Year Celebration
There was a small celebration in 1986 to mark the company’s first 40 years.
Formation of NZ Drillers Federation
In the early 1970’s, Richard and a few others in the drilling industry saw the need for a collective to be set up in New Zealand, and so evolved the New Zealand Drillers Federation. The first ever convention was held at Baylis Bros yard in June 1975.
Workshop Extension
During the 1970’s some additions were added to the front of the workshop. This expanded the office and stores area.
Shell BP Todd Oil Exploration
During the late 1950’s, Shell BP Todd, an oil exploration company, conducted a large seismic survey in central Hawkes Bay. They used Baylis Bros yard as a depot for the duration of this job.
Teaching the Boys
Dick (foreground) teaching the “boys” how to drill. Sometimes safety equipment was not taken too seriously back then.
Greenmeadows
In 1954, Dick purchased some land and built a workshop in Gloucester Street, Greenmeadows. The company continued to operate from these premises until 1996 when it moved to Puketitiri Road.
Kennedy Road
The company operated out of Frank Senior’s wool scouring property in Kennedy Road until 1954. This property was opposite Anderson Park.
Dick and Albei
In 1948, Dick moved to New Plymouth for a short while, to work as a roughneck for Dobson Bros – the New Zealand Oil and Petroleum Company. This gave Dick work experience and knowledge in oil drilling and petroleum production. Albie (left) and Dick at work on “Eddie”
Our First Drilling Rig
Baylis Bros’ first drilling rig with Dick (working) and Frank senior on the left.
Baylis Bros is a member of the New Zealand Drillers Federation
Bore Maintenance
Baylis Bros Ltd.
902 Puketitiri Rd. RD2
E: admin@baylisbros.co.nz
© Copyright – Baylis Brothers 2018 | Design by Trafik
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S.D.S. (Live)
Label: Rostrum Records
Mac Miller is at his most emo on these concert performances with neo-soul band The Internet. He skips over well-known tracks (save for "S.D.S.") for deep album and mixtape cuts that display his earnest thoughts on life and, less impressively, his thin singing voice on "Youforia." The Internet is a stolid presence; their highlight comes during "Objects in the Mirror," which features Syd the Kyd's backing vocals and ends with Tay Walker singing a bit of D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." Live from Space includes five new studio songs, including "Earth" with Atlanta rapper Future.
The Star Room / Killin' Time (Live)
BDE (Best Day Ever) (Live)
Bird Call (Live)
Watching Movies (Live)
REMember (Live)
The Question (Live)
Objects in the Mirror (Live)
Youforia (Live)
Eggs Aisle
Earth (feat. Future)
Black Bush
In the Morning (feat. Syd & Thundercat)
Derniers albums de Mac Miller
Best Day Ever (5th Anniversary Remastered Edition)
Macadelic
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Thank you for visiting the PROJECT: Not Guilty website.
A very wise man once said,
"Invitations to the revolution are not engraved"
Dedication -
The PNG Team proudly dedicates this project to the victims of the Texas criminal justice system unfortunate enough to have been falsely arrested, wrongfully convicted, and/or subsequently denied consideration for a Full Pardon - for innocence.
Victims of the System -
You are hereby encouraged to consider sharing your personal experience(s) regarding a false arrest and/or wrongful conviction with the public at large in our BLOGABOUTIT Forum. It’s completely understandable that the fear of embarrassment, ridicule, and having to explain, and/or defend, prevents the majority from speaking out. Honestly, keeping a false arrest and wrongful conviction to yourself isn’t right or healthy.
Time to Name Names -It's time to name names, so that those guilty of these atrocities have an opportunity to: explain themselves, deny any involvement, and/or apologize to their victims, their own families, and to the public they serve(d). Patterns of Police and Prosecutorial Misconduct can be revealed when the public learns the names of the individuals responsible for false arrests and wrongful convictions.
PNG will publish the certified Case Files, the Police Incident Reports, the Mug Shots, including: the names of all parties, along with any and all correspondence submitted. The PNG Team offers you unlimited space at the PNG Forum to share your story and evidence showing a false arrest, wrongful conviction, and/or subsequent denial of a Full Pardon.
We invite those public servants named in the documents to consider taking time to publicly apologize to their victims that include letters of recommendation for Full Pardons for innocence.
History Repeating Itself or a Vicious Cycle? -
The wronged community has consisted of human beings from every class, race and political afiliation from day one. The historic and catastrophic failure to officially unite as one, simply allows the Bad Cop(s) to get away with falsely arresting at will. It leaves the rogue Assistant District Attorney(s) to continue enjoying a life of Prosecutorial Misconduct supported by immunity loopholes. The citizens of voting age will continue to: receive Jury Duty notices, avoid or accept the duty, miss work, etc... All along with the plan being to dismiss the Jury due to the Prosecution Team and Defense Team plea-bargaining with the innocent at lunch recess.
Incompetent Attorneys/Lawyers/Public Defenders will simply move on to the next case as they attempt to forget about their personal role and involvement in the game. The majority will dump Case Files after only three to five years in an attempt to clear their conscience and distance themselves. All along, none of this could possibly happen without the Judge's cooperation, for it is he/she that allows and/or denies. *Worst of all: the rogue, the bad, and the incompetent, aspire to become judges themselves, therefore, the vicious cycle never ends.
Crime Victims Have Rights Both: Legal & Moral -
We have the right to report it to the authorities in a timely fashion and hopefully ASAP. We also have a moral obligation to be truthful while in the process. (Insert relevant Biblical verse here.) The information provided to the officer becomes part of the Police Incident Report, including description(s) of suspect(s), description(s) of weapons used and lists any items taken.
Picking & Choosing –
If suspect(s) are found in the area fitting the original description(s) they’ll: be arrested, searched and taken to jail. If someone is later found to be in possession of any of the items taken, they and everyone with them will be: arrested, searched, and taken to jail.
The crime victim will be shown a photo array and allowed to pick out the suspect(s). If a suspect(s) is picked/chosen from the photo array, the victim will have another opportunity to pick the suspect(s) out of a live Show-Up. Fillers are used both times and should be comprised of five individuals with similar features such as: *race, *height, *weight, *hair type, color and length. In some cases the suspect(s) are driven to the victim’s location (crime scene) for immediate identification.
No matter which method is utilized there are only three acceptable options for the crime victim to consider:
*Opt. A - No suspect(s) fit description(s).
*Opt. B - Positive Identification one or more.
*Opt. C - Tentative Identification one or more.
When Crime Victims & Cops Conspire to Convict -
Like it or not, every single day someone becomes a victim of a criminal act. Unfortunately, many are easily convinced by the police and the ADA that the real perpurtrator(s) was arrested. Generations of holdouts in the belief that police don't lie or arrest the wrong people (on purpose) are eager to assist them in obtaining a conviction.
In Case after Case, the Team has received Police Incident Reports clearly showing crime victims providing detailed description(s) of suspect(s) moments after the crime occurred. These same victims go on to Positively Identifying suspect(s) from Photo Arrays and live Show-Ups having absolutely nothing in common with the Original Description(s).
As unbelievable and outrageous as this maybe, it's mind-boggling to turn the page and see Detectives confronting the victim(s) about the gross descrepentcies between the Original Suspect(s) Description(s) and the Suspect(s) he/she Positively Identified moments earlier. In particular, Cases out of Harris County, Texas, clearly show Dectectives ignoring the gross descrepentcies and seeking felony charges.
Despite these obvious differences ex: wrong skin color, wrong hair color, type & length, the D. A's. 'Intake' seals the deal over the phone. Something similar to - "Hey Bob, how's the wife? Good, well we gotta Positive Identification on one suspect & a Tentative Identification on one suspect. We need felony charges on both." "Ok, Bye."
WTF? -
When the Detectives bring these gross description descrepentcies to the crime victim’s attention, one would think that it’s obvious that the suspect(s) would ultimately be released. Here in Texas, we have witnessed just the opposite as Detectives are shown in Case after Case literally ignoring the fact that they themselves just confronted a crime victim about gross description descrepentcies. Despite all of this, it is very disturbing to know that the Supervisors happily sign off on the report(s) as Closed/Cleared.
*Even more alarming is when the D. A’s. ‘Intake’ is shown systematically agreeing (usually over the phone) to file felony charges. Five minutes of comparing the information prior to taking charges and/or having a citizen sit in during live Show-Up operations could possibly prevent this type of conspiracy from resulting in a wrongful conviction. Too Easy?
What Do You Get When The District Attorney Encourages His Assistant D. As. to
“Do The Right Thing”?
When two or more individuals are shown to have knowingly & willingly worked in unison to: *file false arrest charges, *disregard gross suspect description discrepancies, *perform improper Photo Array, *perform improper live Show-Up, *present bogus/false evidence to the Grand Jury, fabricate false State’s Exhibits documents, introduce faked evidence into Case Files, *present to the court and display falsified evidence to a jury, intimidate witnesses to not testify, pick a jury only to plea-bargain at lunch recess, etc...?
When Crime Victims
are 100% Wrong About Being 100% Positive?
When the real/actual culprits are blatantly ignored and allowed to continue in their criminal enterprises: the joke is on the Crime Victim(s), their families and the public at large. Thus, leaving the taxpayers to pick up the entire tab. Shame on the crime victim(s) that realizes that the wrong person(s) is in custody but yet conspires with the authorities to obtain a conviction.
I Know Nothing -
When Detectives, Assistant D. As. and Crime Victims are confronted about their actions recorded in Police Incident Reports & Case Files they either: stick to their story, play dumb, or ignore it.
Imagine what it must feel like to be told that the documents clearly show them conspiring to: file false charges, prosecuting the innocent, falsifying evidence, and refusing to acknowledge that they Positively Identified the wrong suspect(s). They all have and will claim ignorance, and/or harassment in hopes that it all goes away.
*If anyone ever comes across information showing any of these three entities:'doing the right thing for the right reasons' via: publically opologizing to the wronged, the citizens and offering to assist the wronged, please forward it to the Team.
Taxpayers Accountability - We all share partial blame for the causes of each and every false arrest and wrongful conviction. Therefore, we end up paying for the side effects experienced by the wronged individuals and the unnecessary burden placed on society as a whole. From day one: salaries are being collected, expenses are being paid, fees are being charged, the employed become unemployed and man hours are lost. Lives are further turned upside down in the form of: divorces, foreclosures, bankruptcies, etc…
As families of the working wronged are forced to turn to assistance from the State, County and Public Utilities the taxpayer is forced to pick up the tab. When and if the falsely arrested and wrongfully convicted collect from a settlement, it is the taxpayer that funds the account. The Tim Cole Act makes those eligible for a financial apology from the State of Texas $80,000. per year of wrongful incarceration plus-plus. The annual cost of housing the rightfully and wrongfully alike is not cheap when factoring in: education, expected and unforeseen medical/dental issues.
Voter Accountability –
Voting Just to be Voting Syndrome -
You can make a difference by simply taking time to teach yourself and others how to stop voting just to be voting. Who knew that it could be that simple?
Research and learn about a candidate’s stance on false arrests, wrongful convictions & plea-bargaining abuse. Inquire if they have any solutions and intentions to implement them once in office. Hold them to their word. Remember, it’s very easy to vote especially when it’s done just to be voting. It's takes courage to confront candidates about what they are going to do about the historically ignored issues. It’s even harder to confront them once in office.
Bless those voters that step up, speak up and take a stand. Bless those that listen, research and implement workable solutions benefiting the public at large. Shame on those that don’t.
"Plead ‘em, If You Got ‘em" -
When the Supreme Court gave the green light to Plea-Bargain and let the taxpayers of tomorrow worry about the tab, it essentially gave the policing authorities the thumbs up to arrest at will. The Courts placed the detainees either on Probation or in Jail and/or Prison. This led to a massive prison expansion program and strained the welfare system as rolls grew due to bread winners being locked-up.
Police Reports and Case Files indicate that the permission to - Pled 'em If you got 'em the the Police and Courts recieved from the Supreme Court knowingly included scores of innocents. In Texas this led to the Profiling of those having long hair, facial hair, unemployed and homeless. This resulted in a state-wide masss round up and arrest of those found being in possession of just one joint. Other state's have reported harsh sentences for having seeds or residue in the ashtray. Would you believe that this is going on right now, today? Your tax dollars are still hard at work and you have no one to blame but yourselves.
A Round-Up Campaign lasting for decades resulted in what we see today: prison and jail overcrowding, as the Courts clear their Dockets via: Plea-Bargaining in 95% - 98% of all criminal cases. Knowing this makes that little thing called Voir Dire and sitting on jury only to be dismissed a running joke. Not to mention the lost man-hours, the $6.00 per day - plus parking checks, the 20 to 30 mile one-way trips downtown, etc, puts the joke squarely on the public at large. Mean while, Criminal Defense Lawyers/Attorneys/Public Defenders continue to play plea-bargain games with Assistant D. As.
Leaving us wondering - "If everyone is tapping out 95 - 98 percent of the time, does that mean that cases are being defended only 3 - 5 percent of the time?" If so, "then why not hire a Criminal Negotiator?" Note: (a term coined by the Team and future niche to be carved out) What? What? What?
Why Texas?PROJECT: Not Guilty was launched in Texas in 2009, due to the robust criminal justice system reform movement. The universal disinterest in Closed & Cleared NON-DNA related claims of actual innocence by the multitudes of projects and groups that have come before us, has inspired us to focus primarily on these historically ignored cases. The Team prays that its endeavors combined with those across the state, contribute to greatly reducing the amount of false arrests and hopefully prevents wrongful convictions of tomorro by addressing all claims.
It's very clear that Texas' leaders (Mayors, D.As., Governors, TBPP, etc...) have no intentions to honestly address 'all' past, present & future false arrests and wrongful convictions on it's own. Texans deserve to have an honest, transparent and streamlined Clemency / Pardon application procedure that doesn't discriminate against applicants based on the type of evidence proving innocence. With this in mind, true criminal justice system reforms should encompass from the very moment of arrest all the way through the entire Clemency / Pardon application process.
The Team will also study certain aspects of the Texas Criminal Justice System and its relationship with the Clemency Section of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. We will learn how this department operates in relation to being charged with handling the Regular Full Pardon & Full Pardon - for innocence application packets, analyzing, researching and preparing the files for consideration by the Board.
Currently Full Pardons - for innocence applications are considered only on the unanimous recommendation of the applicant's three trial officials (sentencing or current judge, district attorney, and Sheriff). Thus, ensuring that it is virtually impossible to comply with the requirement due to there being absolutely no incentives for any of the three. Eliminating the requirement of applicants seeking a Full Pardon - for innocence should be considered.
In Phase One of PROJECT: Not Guilty, you are invited to follow the Team as we embark on a mission to implement and complete a very unique project. One that will examine all claims of innocence having absolutely nothing to do with DNA, Death Row and/or those Currently in Custody. The Team will also study the many causes of false arrests and the sustained trauma associated with being wrongfully convicted. We will conclude with a study of the Clemency application process, where the Team will research the human cost associated with State(s) that systematically denies all applicants seeking a Full Pardon based on innocence.
Phase Two will involve targeting and researching specific cases of False Arrest and wrongful convictions for patterns of Police and Prosecutorial Misconduct. Cases/Claims having sufficient evidence proving innocence and subsequently denied consideration for a Full Pardon for or based on innocence will be show-cased.
Team members will publish false arrests and wrongful conviction related case files, police reports & mug shots, including the names of 'all' parties involved. If you are a bad cop, a rogue ADA, or a lazy judge that allows the bad and enables the rouge while enjoying the many levels of immunity loopholes, now's the time to 'do the right thing for the right reasons'.
If you and/or a loved one are truly not guilty and/or have been previously denied a pardon based on innocence and believe your claim of actual innocence deserves further recognition, you are encouraged to contact the PNG Team.
PROJECT: Not Guilty is a for profit at this time but will never charge a fee for services rendered. Instead we have chosen to operate by surviving on our own merits, advertising revenue and of course the kindness of others.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE / DISCLAIMER
*Please consider a $5.00 & under non-tax deductable donation.
**You may donate your time in lieu of a monetary contribution.
***Please alert the Team if you would prefer to remain an anonymous donor, for we fully intend on letting the world know the names of those brave enough to sponsor the project.
****By submitting a story, you are not obligated to contribute in any way. There are no written or spoken guarantees that the Team will approve your claim/story for future actions including: placing info. on the cases page and/or improve your chances for obtaining any post conviction relief.
FOLLOW / JOIN THE PROJECT
You have the right to remain silent, as long as you know that you have a civic duty and moral obligation not to. While it truly takes a village to raise a child correctly, it'll take a nation to bring about the correct change we can truly believe in. This is a human issue and the remedy awaits for the unification of mankind, for we've remained separate and silent long enough.
*Please feel free to participate in the Discussions and Solutions about the vast topic of {Not Guilty} in the PNG BLOGABOUIT Forum.
**Attention Spammers, feel free to spamaway. All we ask is that you take time to comment on the topics at hand and/or take part in any poll or Q. & A. series.
The PNG forum just might be the only place on the internet where you are welcome. By choosing to leave an un related comment you forfeit any future opportunities to place your spam here at PNG.
***You are also invited to watch the Team's interviews and participate in the Online Petitions. Surveys, Letters of Recommendation & Letters of Disgust Campaigns at the PNG BLOGABOUTIT BlogCast.
***Consider joining our Services Exchange Program and apply your skills, talents and passions to the goal of righting past wrongs. Join the project's panel of ordinary citizens consisting of both active and retired private investigators, lawyers, police, paralegals, judges, parents, educators, researchers, crime victims and victims of the criminal justice system in an effort to prevent the false arrest and subsequent wrongful convictions of tomorrow by addressing the wrongs of the past.
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