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1L Torts
First-Year Torts at UMass Law School
The Savory Tort
UMass Law School
It is a common misconception that Americans are sue-happy individuals
By Kristin Moller
It is a common misconception that Americans are sue-happy individuals. As Engel writes, “we are not who we thought we were. America isn’t a nation of trigger-happy litigators after all. We are a nation of lumpers” (Engel 37). Americans are generally seen as suing for any inconvenience, but as Engel explains, that is not the case. In fact, he suggests that America is a nation of “lumpers.” “Lumpers” are defined in the book as “to put up with; resign oneself to; accept or endure” (Engel 20). This idea of accepting or enduring the pain instead of seeking monetary compensation is a different concept that what Americans are commonly known for. Engel states that “approximately nine out of ten injured Americans chose to lump rather than to claim” (Engel 22). This statistic does not support the idea that Americans are just looking to sue.
Engel also suggests through his writings that injured people do not make rational decisions, which is a reason they chose to lump. The idea that an injured individual lies in bed and rationally analyses his or her best options is not realistic. Engel states that “this idealized image of the injured victim as intrepid decision maker was utterly false and highly misleading” (Engel 38). He goes on to say that “when people suffer serious injuries, or even less serious injuries that cause pain and disruption, they don’t behave at all like travelers journeying along a branching pathway. Few…engage in anything like a series of deliberate calculations and considered choices” (Engel 39). This idea was very interesting because it views people as individuals instead of the original, though that they would all make calculated decisions in a time where their lives could very well be in array and distress.
Engel goes on to quote Lous Heshusius, who speaks upon the aftermath of injury and how it can exile the victim. He states that “when intense pain takes over, nothing else exists. There is only a spot, a sharped point of nothingness. And yet it is the only spot where one can still be. Where there is still life. Life without thoughts. Without emotions.” (Engel 40). This was a powerful quote, because when generally thinking of victims of injury we envision them just wanting monetary compensation. We don’t generally think of how these individuals may live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in excruciating pain. This type of pain can change their lives forever, daily tasks become something they no longer do. Simple tasks can no longer be accomplished. They no longer are living the lives they once knew.
Engel states that “perhaps the most immediate sensations of the injured person is the shocked realization of existential change” (Engel 41). Pain changes the way individuals live and conduct their daily activities. As Engel goes on to write that “people in pain form a new sense of their bodies and their very identities” (Engel 41). The way people feel from and injury can change the way they see themselves. People can then feel their bodies are strangers to them: “the painful boy emerges as ‘thing-like’; it ‘betrays’ us and we may feel alienated and estranged from it as a consequence” (Engel 41). These types of injuries affect both the body and the mind and can have life changing consequences. People who suffer injuries this severe do not just have a simple broken leg but are suffering from injuries so severe they cannot function in the same way that they did before they were injured. Engel also notes that, “for some people, years may pass after a severely disabling injury before it becomes possible to regain a stable and positive personality” (Engel 41). These injuries are not fixed with simple medical treatment but instead can ruin these people’s lives. Social isolation is also a large issue when these types of injuries occur. “One of the most common consequences of serious injury is the loss of friends and acquaintances” (Engel 43). This can leave victims with serious mental injury as their support systems are no longer present leaving them feeling alone and helpless.
One of the issues individuals failing to state a claim come across, as the book explains, is being able to verbally voice what they are experiencing. “In order to voice a claim, it’s essential to communicate one’s suffering to others” (Engel 45). It becomes very hard for the victims to be able to do this. A victim of extreme pain writes, “whatever pain achieves, it achieves through in part through its unsharability, and it ensures this unsharability through its resistance to language” (Engel 45). The pain for these people is so server it cannot be explained to others. People also self-blame when injured even when it was not their fault (Engel 47). This could be another reason that individuals are not taking their claims to court.
The new information I learned after reading this book influenced the way I viewed civil dispute resolution system in the United States. I though more Americans were willing to bring all of their claims to court seeking a large amount in damages, but this is not the case. I also never thought about the individual victim and their mental state after suffering an injury. It was eye opening to learn how many of the injury victims experience so much pain they cannot describe the extent of it. I also found it heartbreaking that victims who suffer serious injury lose friends and even blame themselves for what happened to them. My previous conception was that there were people who suffered minor injuries and wanted to sue others for a large sum of money. My view was very different from reality, which is people whose lives have changed for the worse and don’t even seek damages because they are consumed with other areas of their lives falling apart.
If I could reform the torts system in the United States, I would make it more user friendly and accessible for average Americans. I would try to bring more support for people who have suffered serious injuries to help them through the process and seek justice. One of the biggest issues that I saw for people who have been though a serious injury was that their lives were changed so greatly that the last thing they should worry about is suing the party that caused this injury. These people have so much more to worry about like taking care of themselves, their families, and their own well-being that they don’t have much spare time. I think it would be beneficial to give support to people who have suffered serious injuries to help them through the litigation process without large cost in order to help them seek justice.
This blog features the work of first-year law students in Torts II. This year's essays reflect on the book by University at Buffalo Law Professor David Engel, The Myth of the Litigious Society (U. Chi. Press 2016) (Amazon).
Lumping and the Default Human Reaction
The Truth of the Fearful American Society
Asking the Logical Folk to Think Illogically
Do We Have To Litigate?: Claiming vs. Lumping
Book uncovers the mistaken world view that America...
Conceptualizing injury: When and who gets to hurt?
Step One: Admitting We Have a Victim Problem
The Social Totem Pole vs. the Magic Wand
Have we muzzled the dog?
Victims of Everything
Reflections on Engel
Engel’s next voyage should head toward #MeToo
A Litigation-Happy Country?
A Journey of a Thousand Steps
Legal stoicism is having a moment
'Why doesn't that dog bite?'
Why does the dog not bark in the night?
'Nothing is real but pain now'
Lumped Up
Where are the lumps?
Against Popular Belief
Lumping or claiming, you choose
It is a common misconception that Americans are su...
Engel's Mind-Body Connection Argument
Americans don't sue as much as people think they do
Does society control how we react to being injured?
Making Litigious Decisions: We Are Not Alone
David Engel (2)
legal education (2)
tort reform (2)
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Products of Iran
Iran is a country with diverse geographical and climatic conditions and this has made it very rich in natural resources. It has rich reserves of oil, minerals and agriculture and has long been the exporter of these items around the world.
Most of the export products are related to mineral products and mineral industries such as cement, petrochemical products, petroleum products, raw materials and agricultural products. Below are the ten main groups of Iranian export products.
Mineral fuels including oil
Plastics, plastic articles
Organic chemicals:
Iron, steel
Fruits, nuts
Ores, slag, ash
Fertilizers:
Salt, sulphur, stone, cement:
Iran is the world’s second holder of gas reserves and the fourth largest holder of oil reserves in the world, which almost owns the first rank in the world in the case of aggregation of oil and gas reserves. The largest share of the export value of Iranian goods is in the field of mineral fuels, mineral oils and their distillation products, bitumen and mineral waxes. Also, plastic materials and objects made from these materials, organic chemical products, cast iron, steel and iron are in the next ranks. In the next category there are plastic materials and objects made of these materials, organic chemical products, cast iron, steel and metal ore are in the next ranks.
After passing through this group of goods, the export of products made of natural leather, edible fruits, citrus peels, vegetables and plants and fertilizers were ranked next in Iran’s exports. Iran, with a share of more than 95 % of the world’s saffron production, exports its products to 45 countries and has the best quality saffron in the world.
Iran has long been one of the largest producers and exporters of dates. The values of the indicators in most years show the relative advantage of Iranian dates. Iranian pistachio is one of the most popular types of pistachios in the world. Also, agricultural products such as medicinal plants, raisins, barberry, cumin and dozens of other various products are cultivated and exported in Iran with the best quality.
Iran is one of the major producers of caviar
the field of handicrafts, Iran, by owning the very rich and diverse scattered cultures that exist in cities and villages and among nomads, as well as the different climatic and environmental conditions, we face the breadth of handicrafts. These industries are usually produced in rural and nomadic areas and in the residence of artisans. It is noteworthy that more than seventy percent of Iranian handicraft producers are women. One of the most important handicrafts in Iran is Iranian handmade carpets, which are ranked as one in the world in terms of quality and are often woven by Iranian women. Other handicrafts include metalwork, pottery, woodwork, ornaments, glasswork, stone works, leatherwork, mats, kilims, and more
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HOME : Coin Jewelry : Jewish Coin Rings : Bronze Coin of the Jewish War Against Rome
Bronze Coin of the Jewish War Against Rome - FJ.2567
Origin: Israel (Jerusalem)
Circa: 66 AD to 70 AD
Collection: Coin Jewelry
Medium: Bronze and Gold
The dissatisfaction of the people during the period of Roman Procuratorial rule in Judea led from time to time to outbreaks and blood shed, and to their suppression by the Roman legions. In 66 A.D., serious rioting broke out at Caesarea, which soon spread. The Jews quickly gained the upper hand and the roman occupation forces were driven out of much of the country, which encouraged the population to openly oppose the roman army. For the next several years, a bitter war was waged in Judea between the Jewish inhabitants and the Roman legions, with the latter slowly regaining the positions they had lost at the beginning of the revolt. Nero, the emperor at the time the war began, sent the general Vespasian to command the roman forces. He reconquered the northern part of the country and then laid siege to Jerusalem. On the ninth of Av, 70 A.D., the second temple was destroyed. By this time, Vespasian had already been proclaimed emperor in Rome, and his son, Titus, had taken over as commander. Many thousands were killed in the fighting and, when the temple fell, aspirations for Jewish independence faded for generations. The coins issued during this dramatic period in history carry "revolutionary" slogans as well as depictions of symbols that are characteristically Jewish. This distinctive coin features the image of a vine leaf, evoking the peaceful abundance that the leaders of the revolt so fervently longed for. The reverse side of the coin portrays a holy chalice. This expressive coin stands as a timeless and significant symbol of age- old ideals and ongoing faith. This distinctive coin features the image of a vine leaf, evoking the peaceful abundance that the leaders of the revolt so fervently longed for. The reverse side of the coin portrays a holy chalice. This expressive coin stands as a timeless and significant symbol of age- old ideals and ongoing faith. - (FJ.2567)
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Supreme Court rules against Surry Hills developers to back out of deals
The Supreme Court gave a landmark decision in favour of off-the-plan buyers which challenges the current property purchases protection legislation.
The developer of Surry Hills building took to court a group of off-the-pay buyers, arguing that he is entailed to rescind buyers’ contracts, after not finishing the project on time. On the other hand, the buyers claim that the developer is just trying to cancel the contract in order to resell at a higher price.
On Wednesday, Justice Rowan Darke rules against the developer stating that it is not justly or equitable to cancel the contracts. He also made the developer pay the difference of cost and trial fees.
Tom Christensen, one of the buyers who put the deposit for a new apartment four and a half years ago said: “Hopefully this will create a legal precedent that will make it so much easier in future for off-the-plan buyers, so they won’t have to go through all the pain and agony that we have.”
The main developer’s office said that Joel Redelman is “traveling and cannot be disturbed”, so there is no declaration from his part.
Finance, Services and Property Minister Victor Dominellowho introduced important changes to the legislation, in order to protect buyers from developer’s abuses, as clawback taxes, is happy with the decision saying that justice was served. “This verdict has shown that justice has been served, and home-buyers can now make their decisions knowing they aren’t defenceless against developers who try to abuse their power.”
He also comments on the precedent this court decision creates: “It gives me enormous comfort to know that they now have a lot more protection,” he said.
It was taken to the court attention that in late July and early August a 16-unit building on Mary Street was being bought from its original developer, who ran out of money, by Mr Redelman, of Parker Logan and OZD Pty Ltd.
The “hopefully scary” letters were sent under his name. But in 2015 the legislation changed, so the developer has to apply to the Supreme Court for permission of rescinding buyers contracts.
Mr Redelman, focusing on profitability, persuaded some of the buyers to rescind their contract, or to pay up more for the same apartment. But 12 of them could not be budged and took him to court.
Mr Redelman sent letter to them stating that the apartments might be smaller or that the company might not finish the project.
After the Court’s ruling, Mr Redelman has to give up his newly completed apartment to the initial buyer in 7 days.
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Cliff Young, The Elderly Ultramarathon Runner From Australia Who Conquered Age
Motivational Personal Success Personalities Sports Personalities May 26, 2015 Oendrila De
All our lives, we work hard, so that our golden years are expended in peace and comfort. It is the time when we are supposed to rest and relax, and enjoy the house and savings and health benefits. We are conditioned to believe that we are too old and feeble to behave otherwise, and even have age limits for our activities – at 60, we retire from our day jobs, and the retirement strikes even earlier in case of other physically demanding activities, like sports.
But, one old man resolved to break all age-related stereotypes and the restrictions thus imposed. He did something that made him a remarkable name in the world of sports. This man’s name is Albert Ernest Clifford “Cliff” Young, and he was an ultra-marathon runner who got awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his extraordinary performance at the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon.
The Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon, held between 1983 and 1991, was an endurance race of 875 km, and was considered the toughest in the world. It used to be a five-day race and was hence one of the most demanding ultra-marathons, with only the world-class athletes daring to attempt running in it. They underwent rigorous training to participate in the event. Most athletes who partook in this ultramarathon were under 30 years of age, and were sponsored by big brand names like Nike.
The almost unknown Cliff Young first participated in the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in its inaugural year, i.e. 1983. Cliff was a potato farmer from Australia. When he partook in the race, he was unlike the other participants, because, he was 61 years old at that time. He had no specialized sportswear. Instead, he wore galoshes overalls and work boots. When he appeared at the venue, the onlookers thought that he was probably there as a spectator. But, to their consternation, Cliff picked up a race number.
Cliff had come to the race, having been trained by his mother who was 81 then, and his informal training regime once comprised chasing sheep as a child. Having grown up on a farm, he had to go out to round up the sheep every time there was a storm churning up, mainly because his family could not afford horses or tractors. Two thousand sheep scattered across two thousand acres of land – it took him as long as three days of chasing the animals, but he always succeeded in completing the ordeal.
Since only well-trained professional athletes were expected to run in such races, Cliff’s decision made everyone fear that he might collapse midway during the race due to fatigue and heat. But, since he could run after sheep for several days at a stretch, Cliff was veritably confident that he could also compete with humans. His only previous brush with a professional race was in 1982 when he had trained around the Otway Ranges to break Siegfried Bauer’s record for 1600 km in 11 days and 23 hours, but he had to opt out of the race after 805 km, because they were inexperienced and under-prepared.
The race began, and the stout and young pro racers started leaving Cliff behind. The live audience, as well as the television viewers, was amused by his performance, as he appeared to be shuffling strangely. The racers had a strategy. They would be running hours each for the five days of the race, and sleep for the remaining 6 hours. Nonetheless,, Cliff’s strategy was different – he had no such strategy! Being an untrained, amateur athlete, he was not familiar with any such game plan. So, he just ran on and on, and the next morning, when the other athletes woke up, they were astounded as they found that just like the slow and steady tortoise, the old man had caught up with the others, by jogging all night, while the ‘hares’ had slept.
When Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race, he shocked everyone when he said that he would run through the entire distance straight to the end, with no plan to sleep. He did continue running, non-stop. And, by the final night of the race, he had surpassed the other competitors, even though they were half his age, and were equipped with twice his training and ability. He was the first competitor to cross the finishing line. He had completed the race in a surprising time of 5 days, 15 hours and four minutes. This was a new record for any other race between Sydney and Melbourne.
Cliff was pleasantly taken aback when he was awarded a whopping $10,000 as the winning prize. He was unaware that there was such a substantial prize waiting for him, and had not entered the race for money. Finally, he did something that was absolutely unexpected – he gave the entire sum of money to several of his competitors. Thus, once again, Cliff Young surprised everyone, and won several hearts.
The following hear, Cliff entered the race again, but this time, he was only able to secure the seventh place. This was quite a few places behind the successful previous run’s result, but he still did a commendable job, because this time, he ran with a displaced hip. Just like he had ignored his age and lack of formal training, the first time around, it was his physical condition that he beat. He entered the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon numerous times after that, but he never managed to repeat his glorious performance.
The next time Cliff caught attention again was several years later. It was 1997, and he was a man of 76. But he still had his indomitable spirit alive inside him. He took up the challenge of running along Australia’s border, across a distance of 16,000 km. And there was an amazing reason for him to take up this herculean task – he wanted to raise money for homeless children. Unfortunately, his crew member fell ill, and Cliff had to pull out of the race, after running for 6520 km. Later, Cliff achieved a world age record in a six-day race in Victoria in 2000.
After the 1983 race, Cliff, who had remained single all his life, got married to 23 year old Mary Howell, with Westfield, the race sponsor, organizing the wedding to entertain the shoppers. The two got separated five years later. In 2003, at the age of 81, Cliff passed away, after suffering from illness for a prolonged period of 5 years. Posthumously, he was honoured with the construction of a gumboot-shaped memorial in Beech Forest. Later, in 2013, a telefilm named Cliffy was made by ABC1, about his fabled 1983 ultramarathon.
Cliff had run 20,000 km in his short racing career. His unique style of racing came to be referred as the Young Shuffle, which was adopted by ultramarathon racers in the later years, since it was considered as an energy-efficient style. At least three Sydney-Melbourne champions have been noted to shuffle. Besides, they also made it a strategy to not sleep at night during the long race, to follow Cliff’s footsteps.
Cliff Young, a simple farmer, created a one-of-a-kind history. He set records that athletes look up to even today. He left a legacy, and created new standards in the field of endurance race. And, he did it all at the age of 61. Instead of withering away, he started his life anew, and showed the world that it’s never too late to start following the heart and pursuing dreams. His story is that of will and courage, and a man’s positive attitude that led him to embrace all that came his way, in pursuit of his desires.
In life, we often hesitate to take a step forward, because we ourselves impose certain limits on ourselves, and condition ourselves that we are not cut out to cross such hurdles. We hold back, in fear of starting anew, too nervous to give life another shot due to a lack of a proper plan and formal training. Nevertheless, there is never a bad time to take a leap of faith. Cliff Young never let his dotage become an excuse to stop him from becoming the elderly ultramarathon runner from Australia who clinched the gold medal. He competed against time, and that is where he emerged as the ultimate winner.
Source: Wikipedia, Self Growth, Elite Feet
Images: Change Minds, Herald Sun, AntonK, Sporteology,Brains and Careers
21 Ways to Dump Pessimism
Solitude: The Singledom where Lies our Inner-strength
Rick Guidotti, Founder of Positive Exposure
Dutch Teen Completes A Year-long Solo Circumnavigation Around The World
Oendrila Email Author
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Dalal al mughrabi ehud barak pronunciation
Posted By: Kajigis 0 Comments
Posts Tagged ‘Dalal al-Mughrabi’ Remembering Dalal al-Mughrabi, symbol of the struggle for liberation (Palestine) Monday, March 14th, Dalal al-Mughrabi, a Palestinian fighter who became a legend for many years, led a group of 12 fighters in one of the most . Jan 22, · How to pronounce Ehud vid. My how to pronounce Ehud vid will teach you how to say Ehud 's name in the right pronunciation. If you want to learn how to pronounce Ehud . Dalal Mughrabi (Arabic language: دلال المغربي , Dalāl al-Muɣrabī; ca. – 11 March ) was a Palestinian militant who was a member of the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and participated in the Coastal Road massacre in Israel. The attack resulted in the death of 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children.
According to some reports, Ehud Barak, the Israeli Defense Minister at the time, led the military operation against Mughrabi in person. The moderate Palestinian Authority has honored terrorist Dalal Moughrabi In March of , Riad al Malki, the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority stated at the. Similarly, around the March 11 anniversary of arch-terrorist Dalal Mughrabi's . In fact, Arabs cannot even correctly pronounce the word Palestine in their After killing Dalal al-Mughrabi, Israeli commander Ehud Barak (now Deputy. Israeli Arab MK: Barak enjoys classical music and killing Gaza children Arab MK Jamal Zahalka directed harsh criticism at Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who 6- Municipality: The Dalal Mughrabi Square in Al Bira, Ramallah region .. from Gitmo went there, and one of them, and I may not pronounce his name correctly. Gaza emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said 15 other people .. suggests that, following US President Barack Obama's offer to help broker a .. the path walked by Dalal Mughrabi, Hanadi Jaradat and Reem Riyashi.” .. The Israeli TV channel's analyst Ehud Yaari says Abbas seems to be. Lebanese-Israeli borderline as viewed from Maroun al Ras. since Ehud Barak, the then-Israeli Prime Minister was voted into office and found The staccato and sober pronunciation of these final words reverberates operation headed by Dalal Mughrabi whose remains were included in the prisoners and. Le persone assassinate a Gaza al 17 luglio , IMEMC .. Anche nella guerra del il premier israeliano pro-tempore, Ehud Olmert, ha ceduto . Those who took up arms or pens — Che Guevara, Ghassan Kanafani, Naji al-Ali, Dalal. Mughrabi, Shadia Abu Ghazaleh, Steve Biko, Salavador Allende, Rosa. President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and US President . Dalal Mughrabi, a female terrorist who participated in the deadliest attack in newspaper Al Hayat Al Jadida in early that, 'Israel has gone beyond all an uncomplimentary drawing, giving him warts, and saying that you pronounce. معاناة المرأة الفلسطينية تحت الاحتلال الإسرائيلي Sami el-Salahat, Mariam of the Jordanian election law of pronouncing the right of a municipal vote Palestinian cause Whereas Dalal al-Mughrabi carried out the operation However, the occupation army under the command of Ehud Barak terminated the deal. The emerging narrative of “al Aqsa is in danger” from the Jerusalem Mufti Amin . the domestic requirement that he must pronounce on Iranian compliance every 90 .. Ehud Barak, with the launch of his terror war (euphemized as the “al- Aksa . Dalal Mughrabi, who led the March terrorist attack on an Israeli civilian.
See This Video: Dalal al mughrabi ehud barak pronunciation
Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Barak on Hafez al-Assad, time: 4:38
Tags: Lagu 6ixth sense 7 kali malam minggu, Inchiesta su maria augias games, Jan 22, · How to pronounce Ehud vid. My how to pronounce Ehud vid will teach you how to say Ehud 's name in the right pronunciation. If you want to learn how to pronounce Ehud . Dalal Mughrabi (Arabic language: دلال المغربي , Dalāl al-Muɣrabī; ca. – 11 March ) was a Palestinian militant who was a member of the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and participated in the Coastal Road massacre in Israel. The attack resulted in the death of 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children. Editors involved with the Dalal Mughrabi page may wish to add a section on the recent White Hands Campaign controversy involving Dalal Mughrabi, or at least link to it in some form. Also, I would point out that there's a mistake in the first paragraph of the DM article: it should say "while in Israel *and elsewhere* she is a figure reviled as a. Ehud Barak: learn how to pronounce Ehud Barak in Hebrew with the correct pronunciation approved by native linguists. Read about Ehud Barak. Posts Tagged ‘Dalal al-Mughrabi’ Remembering Dalal al-Mughrabi, symbol of the struggle for liberation (Palestine) Monday, March 14th, Dalal al-Mughrabi, a Palestinian fighter who became a legend for many years, led a group of 12 fighters in one of the most .
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Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound
Found 8 collections related to Canby, Henry Seidel, 1878-1961
Canby, Henry Seidel, 1878-1961
Henry Seidel Canby letters, 1930-1933
0.1 linear feet (1 folder)
MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-1982
Archibald MacLeish collection of papers, 1923-1981
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature | Berg Coll MSS MacLeish
This is a synthetic collection consisting of typescripts, manuscripts and correspondence.
Day, Clarence, 1874-1935
Clarence Day papers, 1796-1993 [bulk 1890-1953]
The Clarence Day Papers document the literary career, business activity, personal life and family background of the author and illustrator. The papers include personal and professional correspondence; notebooks, manuscripts, typescripts, galley... more
The Clarence Day Papers document the literary career, business activity, personal life and family background of the author and illustrator. The papers include personal and professional correspondence; notebooks, manuscripts, typescripts, galley proofs and publication tearsheets; business and financial records; family papers; news clippings and literary reference files; school and college records; drawings, photographs and artifacts. Correspondents include Helen Dore Boylston, Henry Canby, Paul De Kruif, Francis Hackett, Learned Hand, Carl Hovey, Albert G. Keller, Troy Kinney, Sonya Levien, Rose Wilder Lane, Alice Duer Miller, Elsie Clews Parsons, William Lyon Phelps, Harold Ross, Miriam Finn Scott, Upton Sinclair, Signe Toksvig, E. B. White and Katharine White. The Clarence Day Papers are an important resource for the study of American magazine literature during the 1910s-1930s, and provide essential background information regarding Day's most popular and enduring work, Life With Father. less
Wolfe, Humbert, 1885-1940
Humbert Wolfe collection of papers, 1901-1944
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature | Berg Coll MSS Wolfe
ca. 3,567 items
This is a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts and typescripts, correspondence, a notebook for 1901-1902, legal documents, and portraits.
Thompson, Ralph, 1904-
Ralph Thompson papers, 1929-1960
Ralph Thompson (1904-1979) was an American author, teacher and editor. He was a book critic at the New York Times and a contributing editor at Time Magazine, wrote reference works and translations, and was editor of the Book-of-the-Month Club from... more
Ralph Thompson (1904-1979) was an American author, teacher and editor. He was a book critic at the New York Times and a contributing editor at Time Magazine, wrote reference works and translations, and was editor of the Book-of-the-Month Club from 1951 until 1975. Collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, and printed matter relating to Thompson's work. Bulk of the correspondence consists of letters to Thompson mainly from authors and readers of his reviews while he was a book columnist at the New York Times. Also, original manuscripts by Thompson and others, pamphlets on literary works, and photographs of a mountain-climbing expedition to Mount Everest. less
Letters » CANBY, Henry Seidel, 1878-1961
Railroad Hour Radio Program
The Railroad hour, radio program [sound recording], 1948-1954
Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound | *L (Special) 88-03
490 sound discs, analog 33 1/3 rpm, 16 in.; 490 sound discs, analog 33 1/3 rpm, 16 in.; 42 sound tapes, analog 7 1/2 ips 2 track mono, 7 in.; 42 sound tapes, analog 7 1/2 ips 2 track mono, 7 in.
The Railroad hour was a program which presented excerpts of famous musical comedies, as well as original stories, for radio audiences. Each half-hour episode of the program presented the highlights of one musical. Gordon MacRae was the host and... more
The Railroad hour was a program which presented excerpts of famous musical comedies, as well as original stories, for radio audiences. Each half-hour episode of the program presented the highlights of one musical. Gordon MacRae was the host and leading man for each episode; his leading ladies came from radio and the Metropolitan Opera. less
Series III: Favorite Story (Radio program). » Sire de Maletroit's door.
Anthony, Alfred Williams, 1860-1939
Alfred Williams Anthony collection, 1679-1944
Alfred Anthony Williams (1860- ), theologian, author and educator, was an executive and administrator of the Committee of the Federal Council of Christ, founder of the Federation Committee of Good Will Between Jews and Christians, and treasurer of... more
Alfred Anthony Williams (1860- ), theologian, author and educator, was an executive and administrator of the Committee of the Federal Council of Christ, founder of the Federation Committee of Good Will Between Jews and Christians, and treasurer of the General Conference of Free Baptists. Collection consists mainly of 18th-20th century autographs, with the bulk from the mid-19th to 20th centuries, representing both primary and secondary figures from diverse fields including literature, music, education, politics, and royalty. Names include Susan B. Anthony, John Bigelow, Edwin Booth, Frederick Douglass, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, H.L. Mencken, Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Margaret Sanger, Philip Schuyler, and Daniel Webster. Figures represented are mainly Americans. Many letters are to Anthony. Following the name file is a subject file consisting of miscellaneous autograph letters arranged by profession or institution. Also, two boxes of unsorted material, including photographs usually relating to individuals whose autographs are contained in the collection; an autograph fan; and a glass plate negative. less
I. Prominent Correspondents » Canby, Henry Seidel
Mills, Emma, d. 1956
Emma Mills correspondence, 1920-1946
Emma Mills (d. 1956) was a literary agent in New York City. Collection consists of Mills's correspondence with literary and theatrical figures and relates to her management of banquets, parties, luncheons, and foreign travels.
Canby, Henry Seidel
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Cornish Geothermal: Hello from Francesca Tirotto
I am Francesca Tirotto and I am from the wonderful island of Sardinia! I took my Master’s Degree in Psychology of Social and Work processes at the University of Cagliari (Italy). During my university experience, I developed a keen interest in the research topic of Environmental Psychology. This discipline focuses on the study of the relationship between people and their surroundings. In particular, my aim was to understand psychosocial processes underlying sustainable behaviours. As a PhD student on the geothermalRead more
Director’s Diary – July 2019
11 July Pseudotachylyte film screening Plymouth As part of a NERC-funded research project ‘Geological Record of Earthquakes in the Lower Crust’, principal investigator Luca Menegon (SoGEES) and co-investigator Iain Stewart worked filmmaker Heidi Morstang (Arts) to develop a documentary film based on the research team’s 2016 data collection campaign in Lofoten, northern Norway. The first informal viewing of Heidi’s full-length film will be screened in Jill Craigie Cinema. More details of the work can be found on the website. Friday 5Read more
Director’s Diary – June 2019
Saturday 29 June Devon’s Children’s University University of Plymouth, Plymouth As Chancellor of Devon’s Children’s University, Iain will have the fun job of presenting children from local primary schools with their Children’s University badges at a special graduation ceremony held to celebrate their achievements alongside their friends and family. Wednesday 26 June Environment Platform Wales National Museum of Wales, Cardiff Iain joined researchers, policy makers and environmental professionals from across Wales to celebrate the official launch of a new policyRead more
George Monbiot – Rewilding and its place on the global development agenda
Don’t watch this video if you have (and wish to retain) a romantic attachment to the rural idyll of sheep grazing the upland pastures of Britain. George Monbiot informs us that the maintenance of swathes of upland areas as grassland keeps biodiversity to a minimum and leads them to resemble, in ecological terms, landscapes found in the tundra above the Arctic Circle. In contrast farmers in continental Europe have gradually retreated from the less fertile upland areas, which have reforestedRead more
Cornish Geothermal: Hello from Dr Nicola Langdon
Dydh da! Ow hanow yw Nicola and I’m a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Law, Criminology and Government with a background in International Relations. I have always been interested in issues of social justice, sustainability, as well as the power of language, which has led to a continued research focus on the relationship between the media, public and policy spheres. In 2018 I was awarded my PhD, with a thesis that examined the UK media’s moral framing of conflictRead more
Cornish Geothermal: Talking about United Downs research at EGU
Every year, Vienna in Austria hosts the second biggest meeting of geologists and geoscientists in the world, called the European Geoscience Union (or EGU) General Assembly. During the week of the 7th to 12th of April 2019, the meeting was a melting pot of over 16,000 scientists and researchers from 113 countries across Europe and the world and two of our researchers were lucky enough to go. Dr Hazel Gibson and Francesca Tirotto both presented some initial results at the meetingRead more
Towards a sustainable Earth
The Sustainable Earth Institute is about promoting a new way of thinking about the future of our world. It's about the science of the planet, its health and well-being and what that means for us. It's about understanding the fine balance between using our environment as a resource and maintaining its function as a critical life-support system. It's about recognising the social, economic and political pressures that influence the way society confronts it's looming challenges. And it's about celebrating a complex, dynamic, vibrant and ultimately completely unique human planet.
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Fri, 15 Jan, 2021
Telugu film star Nani’s next film ‘V’ to release on an OTT platform
Back to Regional Filmy Buzz
Ashwin Sheshware | August, 20 2020
Telugu film actor Nani has shared a two minute video about the release of his next film ‘V’ on his Instagram page on Wednesday.
Through the video, Nani has given hint that his next release would be on home theaters, not in movie theaters. “Theater Intikochhindi,” he announced, making it clear that ‘V’ will stream on Amazon Prime. In the video, Nani says there will be an announcement about the film on Thursday.
‘V’ was originally slated for March 25, 2020 release. The thriller also features Sudheer Babu in a lead role.
The multi-starrer is the first major Telugu movie to skip theatrical windows and stream on the OTT platform. This decision was taken after considering the current situation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The makers of ‘V’ were initially not in favor of direct OTT release but they have left with no option.
Directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti, ‘V’ features Nivetha Thomas and Aditi Rao Hydari as the female leads. Dil Raju is the producer of it. Amit Trivedi composed the music of this movie. The trailer of the film will drop in a few days.
Link of the video - https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEpsHgDicH/
एक म्यूजिक वीडियो में साथ नजर आएंगे खुशाली कुमार और पार्थ समथान
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27:16 I also told the priests and all the people, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to what your prophets are saying. They are prophesying to you that 1 the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon very soon. 2 But they are prophesying a lie to you.
27:19 For the Lord who rules over all 3 has already spoken about the two bronze pillars, 4 the large bronze basin called ‘The Sea,’ 5 and the movable bronze stands. 6 He has already spoken about the rest of the valuable articles that are left in this city. 27:20 He has already spoken about these things that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem away as captives. 7 27:21 Indeed, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all 8 has already spoken 9 about the valuable articles that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 27:22 He has said, ‘They will be carried off to Babylon. They will remain there until it is time for me to show consideration for them again. 10 Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’ I, the Lord, affirm this!” 11
1 tn Heb “don’t listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you….” The sentence has been broken up for the sake of English style and one level of embedded quotes has been eliminated to ease complexity.
2 sn This refers to the valuable articles of the temple treasury which were carried off by Nebuchadnezzar four years earlier when he carried off Jeconiah, his family, some of his nobles, and some of the cream of Judean society (2 Kgs 24:10-16, especially v. 13 and see also vv. 19-20 in the verses following).
3 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
4 tn The words “two bronze” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to help identify the referent.
sn The two bronze pillars are the two free-standing pillars at the entrance of the temple (Jakin and Boaz) described in 1 Kgs 7:15-22.
5 tn The words “the large bronze basin called” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to help identify the referent.
sn “The Sea” refers to the large basin that was mounted on twelve bronze bulls. It stood in front of the temple and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21). It is described in 1 Kgs 7:23-26.
6 tn The words “movable bronze” are not in the text. They have been supplied in the translation to help identify the referent. See the study note for further reference.
sn The bronze stands are the movable bronze stands described in 1 Kgs 7:27-37. They were the stands for the bronze basins described in 1 Kgs 7:38-39. According to 2 Chr 4:6 the latter were used to wash the burnt offerings. The priests would have been very concerned especially about the big bronze basin and the movable stands and their basins because they involved their ritual purification apart from which they would have had no sanctity. These articles (or furnishings in this case) were broken up and the bronze carried away to Babylon along with all the other bronze, silver, and gold furnishings when the temple and the city were destroyed in 587 b.c. (see 2 Kgs 25:13-15; Jer 52:17-19).
7 tn 27:19-20 are all one long sentence in Hebrew. It has been broken up for the sake of English style. Some of the sentences still violate contemporary English style (e.g., v. 20) but breaking them down any further would lose the focus. For further discussion see the study note on v. 21.
8 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies, the God of Israel.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
9 sn Some of the flavor of the repetitive nature of Hebrew narrative is apparent in vv. 19-21. In the Hebrew original vv. 19-20 are all one long sentence with complex coordination and subordinations. I.e., all the objects in v. 19 are all objects of the one verb “has spoken about” and the description in v. 20 is one long relative or descriptive clause. The introductory “For the Lord…has already spoken” is repeated in v. 21 from v. 19 and reference is made to the same articles once again, only in the terms that were used in v. 18b. By this means, attention is focused for these people (here the priests and the people) on articles which were of personal concern for them and the climax or the punch line is delayed to the end. The point being made is that the false prophets are mistaken; not only will the articles taken to Babylon not be returned “very soon” but the Lord had said that the ones that remained would be taken there as well. They ought rather pray that the Lord will change his mind and not carry them off as well.
10 tn This verb is a little difficult to render here. The word is used in the sense of taking note of something and acting according to what is noticed. It is the word that has been translated several times throughout Jeremiah as “punish [someone].” It is also used in the opposite of sense of taking note and “show consideration for” (or “care for;” see, e.g., Ruth 1:6). Here the nuance is positive and is further clarified by the actions that follow, bringing them back and restoring them.
11 tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
TIP #26: To open links on Discovery Box in a new window, use the right click. [ALL]
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Advice and tips about life and learning English in the UK.
Learn English with Twin
Twin's English school in London
Twin's English school in Eastbourne
Top attractions in London and Eastbourne
At Twin we have English Schools in London and Eastbourne, giving our students the option of being in the hustle and bustle of England’s capital city, or the quiet and relaxed environment in the seaside town of Eastbourne. What is there to do when you visit these centres though? Obviously everyone knows there are plenty of things to do in London, so only a couple of favourites are mentioned here, but also mentioned are some places worth visiting in Eastbourne you may not yet know about. So, read on and see four of our favourite attractions to visit near our English Schools.
The first attraction is one you’ve probably heard of, but we love visiting the London Eye with our students so it had to be on this list. The London Eye was built to mark the new Millennium, costing a massive £70 million pounds! However, the huge expense was well worth it, as this magnificent structure stands at 135 metres (443ft) tall, and has a diameter of 120 metres, making it the tallest and biggest Ferris wheel in Europe. Facts aside, what makes it so great is its location as it is on the south bank side of the River Thames, right in the heart of Central London. This gives everyone who goes on it an absolutely fantastic view across London. Don’t take our word for it though, see it for yourself and then you will understand why over 3.5 million people visit every year, making the London Eye the second most popular place to visit on this list. It really is a brilliant and unique way to view London, so if you are visiting anytime soon, make sure the London Eye is at the top of your sightseeing list.
For the next attraction on this list we are heading down south, as Eastbourne Pier is definitely worth visiting if you are studying at our nearby school. This traditional Victorian pier, built in the 1870s, is over 1000ft long and a great place to visit with friends to see the views along Eastbourne’s sea front, or to have a quiet walk on your own. With amusements, rides, (which are mainly for children but good fun for adults too), restaurants and even a nightclub, the pier is full of things to do at any time of day! The pier is also thought of as one of the best places to visit in Eastbourne by people that live there, so it is definitely a must see whilst visiting. It also gives you a taste of something that is different to most historical landmarks in the UK, as you can see one of England’s oldest piers and a piece of history while having fun at the same time.
Beachy Head is another fantastic place to visit near Eastbourne, especially if you like to get outside and experience the elements. The peak of the cliff rises to 162 metres above sea level, and gives any visitor a beautiful view across Eastbourne and the surrounding landscape. Beachy Head is a place of real natural beauty, and is a unique site which is well worth a visit. It has also been used in a number of blockbuster films, such as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and one of the James Bond films, so make sure you go and see these chalky cliffs!
The final location is one for those of you who are London-bound, and we have to admit that it is definitely one of the more obvious sights to see; Buckingham Palace. You have to go and see the Royal Family when in London though, don’t you? Possibly the most exclusive building in the UK, going inside to visit the Queen is definitely something most of us won’t be invited to do. However, you can marvel at it from the outside or even book a tour too if you want to see what the Palace is like inside, (don’t expect your tour guide to be one of the Royal Family though). Buckingham Palace is also one of the oldest stately buildings in the UK, which was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1705.
There are also many other top attractions to visit while in London or Eastbourne, too many to fit into this article unfortunately, so here is a shortlist of different attractions that aren’t mentioned above, but are definitely worth visiting:
London – The Tower of London & Tower Bridge, The Palace of Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, Hyde Park, The National Gallery, The Tate Modern and The London Zoo.
Eastbourne – Seven Sisters Sussex, South Downs country park, Towner Gallery, Devonshire Park Theatre, Sovereign Harbour,
It was tough choosing which attractions to write about for this article, and all of those shortlisted above arguably could have been in our favourite four. So, make sure you try and visit these locations if you are coming to London or Eastbourne soon. We hope this article has given you helpful information about some of the UK’s best attractions and that you feel inspired to go and see them!
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The Dilemma by B.A. Paris
Thank you B. A. Paris, HQ and NetGalley for gifting me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published in the US on January 9, 2020.
A couple of words about the digital copy that downloaded to my Kindle from NetGalley as it was a bit of a jumble. There was no title page, just a few pages of reviews, a publishing page and then in the middle of a page the book begins. The bold function often over highlights into portions of the text. The body of the text is often separated out into single sentences. But the most perplexing glitch is that either the title of the book, The Dilemma or the author’s name, B.A. Paris is randomly inserted during paragraphs—often in the middle of sentences. Hopefully all this will be resolved before publishing, my version was readable but these glitches did make for cumbersome annoyances while reading.
This book is billed as general adult fiction. Ms. Paris takes a dramatic look into the domestic human psyche—a study of love, life choices, best intentions, secrets and lies—and it proved to be a “clear all decks” edge of your seat kind of read. This is the first book that I have read by B. A. Paris but I am sure to read more now that I have read this one.
Ms. Paris weaves a tale around a married couple who are each keeping a secret from the other and the efforts made to keep them that way. They both have convinced themselves that they are keeping their respective secret with the purest of best intentions—neither wants to ruin the other’s life and their family—not to mention the party.
The wife, Livia, is turning 40, she became pregnant while an unwed teenager and her ashamed parents disowned Livia and never spoke to her again. She and Adam, the father, subsequently got married after Josh was born— but these life choices totally broke to pieces the type of life that she had imagined leading. One of her biggest regrets was that she never got a “big splashy wedding” the type of which she and her mother had spent hours dreaming of and planning for—some future day.
Livia decides, promises herself, and plans for years in advance to give herself an over the top 40th birthday party instead. While Livia and Adam may have had a quick forced wedding they also had a love that endured, and their relationship grew with them as they matured.
Adam was also forced to make hard choices when the reality of life circumstance stood in front of his dreams, he gave up university and took up a trade. It took Adam a while to grow up and he still has lingering regrets about the road not taken. He only came fully to terms with the realities of fatherhood after the birth of his second child— daughter, Marnie, which has often led to a prickly relationship with his first born son, Josh.
Josh, now a University student, is about to take an internship in America at a prestigious IT firm. Marnie, is also at University and at present is away studying in Hong Kong. Livia and Adam are facing an empty nest for the first time in their marriage.
We quickly find out that Livia is sitting on a secret about their daughter, Marnie. She hasn’t told Adam because she wants to talk to her daughter first and on some level it is not her secret to tell.
All we know at the beginning is that this revelation would destroy Adam, her family, and wreck the party. She is secretly relieved when Marnie tells her she can’t make the party and decides to solve her “dilemma” by waiting to tell Adam after the party.
Of course, Adam, realizing how much this party means to Livia, secretly arranges for Marnie to come home and surprise her mom at the party.
The story takes place over a slightly extended 24 hour timeline on the day of the party and told in a manner that allows for flashbacks and backstory. The story is told in alternating chapters between Livia and Adam. Ms. Paris also gives good denouement, the “after party”, which is an element of novels that I always appreciate.
While Adam is in town picking up his gift for Livia he hears some news that presents him with a potentially devastating secret about Marnie. But because he does not know all the facts Adam also decides to solve his “dilemma” by not telling Livia the news until after the party. Telling could mean the end of the family as they know it and he desperately seeks to give his wife this special night that she has dreamed of for so long.
I feel that sharing my opinions about how things further develop might come at the expense of supplying spoilers and this is not fair to other readers or the author. But I cannot resist a little more commentary on humanity, secrets, and lying.
This book on the surface is about secrets and lies, it is also about families, and friendships, but on a deeper level Ms. Paris is exploring elements of love and the lengths a person might go to keep a loved one from learning harmful truths.
I believe that it is an universal truth that the majority of humans will state that they always prefer to know the truth and that they do not liked to be lied to about anything. I further believe that the majority of these same humans will make the opposite decision when faced with the necessity of telling a damaging truth to a loved one, deciding to withhold the truth—until it can be told with kindness at a better time, or not at all— in order to protect this person.
Sometimes this done out of love, sometimes out of self interest, or more likely, as we see here —a combination of both. I find this contradictory dichotomy in the human brain to be fascinating and the geek science girl that lurks beneath my surface wonders what kind of brain chemistry accounts for this quirkiness.
The notion that while I am capable of knowing this truth I think it is best not to tell *whoever* as this person can’t handle the truth and needs protected does seem a little condescending and patronizing. It deserves noting that both Adam and Livia, to their credit, fully intend to come clean with their other half but both decide to wait before breaking the news— not out of malicious intent but out of perceived kindness.
It is also worth noting that their respective decisions were not always completely altruistic as both held elements of denial as well, that longing to live a little bit longer in the imagined reality of their clueless loved ones.
Part of the “fun” of this book is how the author engages your mind as she fills up with your thoughts with decisions and judgments about how all the various characters handle their various choices surrounding these dilemmas.
For my own part, I can wrap my head around the mind set of Livia and Adam as they decided to keep their dilemma about Marnie secret from each other, but as I imagine being the spouse on the “receiving end” of the news I realized that I would be hard pressed to forgive some decisions not to tell.
How Ms. Paris resolves The Dilemma for all her various characters makes for valuable reading time well spent. I will definitely be reading her previous books.
About this Author:
B A Paris is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown and Bring Me Back. Having sold over one million copies in the UK alone, she is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller as well as a number one bestseller on Amazon and iBooks. Her books have sold in 38 territories around the world. Having lived in France for many years, she recently moved back to the UK.
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Jacquelyn A. Jetton O'Banion, MD, MSc
Director, Global Ophthalmology-Emory (GO-Emory)
Jacquelyn A. Jetton O'Banion, MD, MSc, joined the Emory Eye Center in January 2016 and serves as an assistant professor in the Comprehensive service. She brings a solid foundation in public health to enhance our leadership team and support Emory Eye Center’s growing and expanding international programs in global ophthalmology.
Dr. O'Banion received her MD from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, in 2009. Her residency in Ophthalmology (2013) and a Global Eye Care fellowship (2014) were completed at the University of Oklahoma. She most recently completed a Masters in Public Health, MSc, at the world-renowned London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2015).
Dr. O'Banion's primary practice location will be at the Emory Eye Center and at the Grady Eye Clinic. She is the director for the Eye Center's Global Ophthalmology-Emory program (GO-Emory). Her clinical work includes routine eye exams, cataract surgery and other comprehensive eye care services.
Her research interests include pediatric vision screening and improving access to address health care disparity for underserved populations, both locally and abroad. She has participated several studies in underserved populations such as in Peru and Swaziland. Dr. O’Banion is works with local hospitals, clinics and ministries of health to establish national eye care plans.
Dr. O'Banion is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (inducted 2008, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio); the American Academy of Ophthalmology; and the Oklahoma Academy of Ophthalmology.
She has been an invited lecturer speaking about both eye care for the primary care provider and about global eye care opportunities.
• Routine eye exams
• Cataract surgery
• Comprehensive eye care services
Undergraduate: BA, Spanish and Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, cum laude, 2005
Medical School: MD, University of Texas health Science Center at San Antonio, 2009
Internship: Transitional Year: Legacy Emmanuel Medical Center, Portland, OR, 2010
Residency in Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma, Dean McGee Eye Institute, 2013
Fellowship: Global Eye Care, University of Oklahoma, Dean McGee Eye Institute, 2014
Master of Science: MSc Public Health for Eye Care, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, 2015
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ArtArticlesBody
Cartographer’s Conundrum Revisited – Sanford Biggers Was Right
Cecilia Wong November 29, 2015 October 1, 2020
The Cartographer’s Conundrum (2012), Sanford Biggers (USA b.1970, Installation view from art21)
Church pews ascend towards the heavens as they recede from the altar which is formed of a star-burst of organ pipes emanating from a pile of old musical instruments: trumpet, guitar, French horn… and a baby grand piano hung askew. Those wooden pews become translucent Lucite as they move up, reflecting the colored light coming through the windows. Sounds of spiritual Brazilian music permeate the space…
The environment created by Biggers here is completely engrossing —it is his intention to create an atmosphere where the viewer can be ‘lost’ by being engaged viscerally and emotionally, through the eye and the ear—a deep experiential involvement. But the viewer is not lost for long—for the ‘guiding light’ is on the balcony above the ‘altar’: Here is hung the reproduction of a mural Quilting Party (1980) by John T. Biggers (USA 1924-2001, possibly a cousin). It’s full of geometric patterns and futuristic visions in what is called Afrofuturism. Quilting Party is the backstory for Sanford Biggers’ Cartographer’s Conundrum (2/4–10/31/2012) at MassMoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts. Quilts, in the old American South, were allegedly used by slaves to communicate information about escapes; often by the way they were folded at a certain time.
I wrote about Biggers here three years ago. At the time, I was responding to his assertion that his exhibitions did not need explanatory wall texts. Here after a re-visit (virtually) to Cartographer’s Conundrum and reading the many reviews (of varying quality and understanding) of the show, I try to put his wall text-less art in context.
First, I agree, this exhibition did not need wall text—though he did say that reading the backstory is helpful. So basically he just does not want the reading and the viewing to be in the same room. The reading is sort of ‘priming’ the mind into a receptive mode, like marinating meat before cooking. But also, I think his art is so visually rich and enticing that it etches a deep memory in the viewer—who, once intrigued, may otherwise proceed to read the backstory. The latter is what happened to me after my first experience of his powerful Notions (2006) in London. The refreshing and energetic nature of his installation jolted me into a new state of mind.
The human body-brain together learns slowly; and old habits and viewpoints change even more slowly because they are entrenched, often fortified by hallowed religious rituals, or political and financial enticements. So it follows that the most effective kind of learning involves the changing of these set-habits which are linked to muscle actions programed in our unconscious brain stem—as in the act of praying. The same process also holds many of one’s beliefs, unconsciously picked up over a lifetime: religious, moral, ethical, racial, sexual… that are similarly entrenched and guarded in the body-brain, refusing to budge. Such strong habits are the cause of so much violence in our world because change is so uncomfortable to the point that some people would kill rather than switch.
Sanford Biggers is a multifarious talent, a pianist, composer, bandleader, visual artist, philosopher, teacher, and techno-tinkerer: he has fashioned a baby grand piano into a mini-player piano which can be played or self-play with a pre-recorded CD of his own music. He holds a professorship at New York’s Columbia University and has lectured in many others, including a teaching residency at Harvard. All his activities have one single goal: communication. He believes effective communication can change habits. (Waving arms and screaming ‘peace’ may grab attention but apparently have changed few but facile minds).
His views of the condition of black people in America are nuanced and broad—seeing it as part of the global African diaspora—and through the eyes of a traveler. In addition to travels in Africa, he has spent time in residencies in Europe and Asia: from Florence, Italy, the cradle of Renaissance art; to studying Buddhism in Japan (which he calls his spiritual home). He speaks of a Japanese traveling reggae sound system which clashes with other sound systems: They had a better understanding of Rastafarianism than most people I knew stateside”
Biggers’ art is as wide as it is deep, addressing social, political, historical, racial… as well as philosophical issues. His ultimate aim is to communicate information in such a way that it can become knowledge which is a fluid kind of habit that can respond differently to different situations.
In a far-ranging conversation (2006) with poet and musician Saul Williams, a fellow alumnus from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia,* they revealed a comradery, an agreement on the essence of art, even how an artist could make a living—like at what point does one draw the line between promotion and artistic integrity (authenticity)? Said Williams: “I feel that a lot of the poetry I am writing is really the residue of the work that I am doing to become a more harmonious person.”
Biggers spoke of where art came from and how it could become ‘impotent’ when embraced by the masses, often for reasons beyond art: “…Hip-Hop is like, everything and nothing to me. It is everything because when it first hit, it wasn’t about the fad… [or anything] but being really new and fresh and coming from someplace close to US! Now it often seems impotent.”
Art, for Biggers, is above all communication. In old African traditions “There is no specific name for poetry, or dance, or music, or art, it was all done in the name of communication and sharing…” Music and ritual performance are for him all part of a system of visceral and emotional direct-actions and responses; a communication where language takes a back seat. He believes the audience should first be engaged on a ‘gut’ level. His art aims to first ‘grab’—even on a superficial level—a viewer’s attention; and then it proceeds to reveal further meanings, layer by layer. He uses a ‘coded’ language of metaphors and symbols and wants to explore “how symbols operate within the mind, and that visceral affinity humans have for symbols [e.g. the meditative mandala in Buddhism].”
Learning and memory are much on his mind—how information is transformed into knowledge within a human being. And for him, symbols and rituals are good conduits. (In today’s biology we know that the actions of the body have a direct route to the mind —even though artists and yogis have always known that.) He wants the viewer to come away from his exhibitions with a knowledge—which I certainly did in my first encounter with his work Notions show back in London in 2006 in which a blinding disco ball illuminated lively dance steps on the walls and floor. That memory of glitter and entertainment now represents to me a heart-rending story of the struggle of the slaves for freedom and survival—yet viewed by their masters as entertainment. **
There is no more powerful and explicit example of the nature of knowledge leading to creation than what Marcus Samuelsson (the celebrated Ethiopian-Swedish chef, a fellow Harlem resident) described during a conversation with Biggers at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles (2012) on how he developed a new dish (I’m paraphrasing): “…In the process of cleaning the foie gras, it occurred to me a new way of cooking it. That cleaning action [muscle memory] reconnected the emotions and sensations I experienced growing up working in my grandmother’s kitchen. I was thinking about the liver’s texture and its umami [special 5th taste]. That’s authorship [authenticity].” ***
Sanford Biggers is right after all—art to be effective as a form of communication—should not need verbal explanations alongside, which could detract from a viewer’s in-the-moment, unconscious, visceral immersion that is important for knowledge. But it remains true though, that in today’s world, far from the old village square, the museum is a very different setting for showing art. Most people go to a museum as an occasional event, not as an everyday habit—and reading, before or after, is far from their mind. Furthermore, making Biggers’ kind of art available to large numbers is still a difficult task—museums are physical spaces that can accommodate a very limited number of people compared to the internet.
* The all-male liberal arts college was founded in 1867, two years after the Civil War. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., was an alumnus, class of 1948.
** “…‘Calenda’… makes reference to a dance that slaves adopted and which was initially perceived by their masters as both entertainment and a form of exercise. But it transpired that there were deeper and more subversive thoughts being expressed by their workforce, namely methods of escape… As a traditional spiritual reminded the escapees: “Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd,” an Africanized reference to an asterism within the constellation Ursa Major, or the ‘Big Dipper.’ Two stars in its bowl point to Polaris – the North Star, and for the slaves, freedom via the Underground Railroad” – rovetv
*** Cleaning the precious foie gras in the kitchen is a delicate exercise of pulling out the veins in one piece without breaking the precious goose liver. While he was doing it he thought of why the dish was always served in a tureen (French tradition); and the American young chefs were then serving them pan-seared with figs and mangoes on toast. Such connections led to his own new dish.
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Born: Dec 16, 1775 in Steventon Rectory, Hampshire, England
Died: July 18, 1817 (at age 41) in Winchester, Hampshire, England
Famous For: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma
Regency era author Jane Austen may have penned some of the English language’s most well known novels, but her own private life might be called by some quiet, secluded, and even insular. In fact, however, it is that very closely focused existence that allowed her to scrutinize and study human nature and draw universal conclusions that are as relevant today as they were when her fiction was first published.
Austen’s Early Life
Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, in England. Her father was Reverend George Austen, and her mother was Cassandra Austen, of the Leigh family. She had only one older sister among her seven siblings, also named Cassandra, and the two were close through their lifetime. Among her six brothers, Jane was closest to her older brother Henry.
Jane Austen was raised in a household that welcomed learning, discourse, and creativity. She and her father, who took on side jobs outside of his duties as rector in order to support his family, including farming and teaching, had an extremely close bond.
At the age of eight, Jane and her sister, Cassandra, went to boarding school to begin their formal education. However, at that time a woman’s formal education was limited to foreign language (usually French), music, and dancing. But Jane’s education was thorough, rounded out by her own reading and lessons she learned from her father and brothers. George Austen had an excellent library that was open to all of his children, and Jane took full advantage of it. A forward-thinking man, he also made sure he kept the young writer supplied with paper and writing supplies.
Austen’s Early Writings
By 1787, Jane Austen had penned three notebooks filled with poems and fictional explorations, a body of work that would later be known as the Juvenilia. In 1789, she wrote Love and Friendship, then dove into playwriting.
She gradually took her writing more seriously, and before 1796, she had completed a work she called Elinor and Marianne, from which she would read aloud to amuse her family.
Romance with Lefroy
In December 1795, Jane Austen was introduced to Tom Lefroy, and the two began spending a great deal of time together.
Both families noticed, and Tom’s family was none too excited about a possible match between the two, due to the Austen family’s lack of expansive fortune. They sent Tom away, and the young couple was never to be reunited again.
The author did admit to falling in love with Lefroy, but even though the experience ended with the couple living separate lives, she did not allow her heart to become closed or embittered.
Austen as an Author
Jane Austen was prolific when she settled down to write, usually having several projects actively working at the same time. She began working on serious revisions to Elinor and Marianne, completing the process in 1798. She then turned back to an earlier work, Susan, which would later become the novel Northanger Abbey, while simultaneously polishing an earlier manuscript of a play.
Next, she finished the first draft of perhaps her most beloved work, First Impressions, or as it would later come to be known, Pride and Prejudice, in 1799.
In 1811, her novel Sense and Sensibility was published, and the first edition sold out completely within two years. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published, to both popular success and critical acclaim.
Next came the publishing of Mansfield Park, then Emma, Northanger Abbey, and, after the author’s untimely demise, Persuasion.
Later Years and Legacy
In early 1816, Jane Austen’s health began declining. By early 1817, she found herself unable to walk at the age of 42. In July of 1817, she passed away.
However, though Jane Austen saw some success as a writer during her life, her actual identity was not revealed until after she died, by her brother, Henry. Her siblings, especially Henry and Cassandra, worked hard to keep her works in publication and to ensure that Persuasion was published.
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Home » Controversial Topics » Politics » Congressman Cohen Will Introduce Resolution to Abolish the Electoral College
Congressman Cohen Will Introduce Resolution to Abolish the Electoral College
January 12th, 2021 at 8:35:14 AM permalink
The memphis area elected an African American congressmen, Harold Ford in 1974 and then his son in 1996. In 2006 Harold Ford Jr lost a race for Tennessee Senate. In 2006 Steve Cohen was one of the first white congressmen elected to represent a district that was majority African American, when he defeated a second son of Harold Ford. Steve Cohen has won his 8th election to congress.
Upon election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, Congressman Cohen, immediately distinguished himself on the Hill for his thoughtful legislation and quick wit. He also quickly earned a reputation as a champion of civil rights and justice on the highly influential Judiciary Committee, with then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi referring to him as the “conscience of the freshman class” in 2008. That same year, he was instrumental in passing the first-of-its-kind House resolution apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African Americans.
odiousgambit
I assume he knows that the elimination of the electoral college would mean the two coasts elect the President ... he represents Tenn. That OK in TN?
Beware of Old Wive's Tales. And you better watch what your younger wives are saying too.
AZDuffman
Hillary Clinton did the same when she was first elected. It gets proposed all the time. It is not happening.
Who is John Galt?
SOOPOO
Member since: Feb 19, 2014
Quote: odiousgambit
OMG.... he DOES NOT represent Tennessee! He represents his Congressional District in Tennessee. And yes, the members of HIS district i would surmise would be happy if the winner of NY and California automatically become President.
As far as the resolution.... it is the usual Democrat wanting to impress his party wasting time tactic. He would need Republican support, and he will not get it.
January 12th, 2021 at 12:03:09 PM permalink
Quote: SOOPOO
There is no wide spread support for passing a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Electoral college in either party.
The consititution does not tell the states how to assign their votes. In the 19th century it was often done by state congressional vote and not by popular vote. All states are free to follow the lead of Nebraska and Maine and let individual congressional districts have a vote.
The "all or nothing" method of determining electoral college votes was the decision of each state to maximize the attention they could get from candidates.
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Women’s Service in the IDF: Between a ‘People’s Army’ and Gender Equality
November 10, 2020 | Written By: Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman
Dr. Idit Shafran Gittleman presents an overview of 70 years of women in the IDF
Illustration | Flash 90
With the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces and the dismantling of the underground militias in 1948, the government decided to draft women into the army under a law requiring mandatory service. This extraordinary measure was primarily the result of a shortage of military personnel and of Ben-Gurion’s concept of a “people’s army,” which he tried to instill at the time. Over the years and especially in recent decades, the concept of gender equality has also become relevant to the discussion of military service, and more and more roles have been opened up to women serving in the IDF. While the first two considerations depend on one’s point of view and on the army’s needs, it is clear that in the current debate on women’s military service we must give high priority to the principle of gender considerations.
The IDF is among the only armies in the world that conscripts women into its ranks under a mandatory draft law. Women served in the IDF upon its establishment in 1948, and in 1949 their service in the Women’s Corps –established by women officers who had served in the British army-- was anchored in the Defense Service Law. Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, gave two justifications for the decision to draft women to the IDF under a mandatory draft law. One was that mandatory service served the security needs of the young Jewish state, with these requiring everyone able to serve to do so. The other was the army’s commitment to the principle of social equality.
These two justifications are often seen as the underlying principles of the people’s army model according to which the IDF was established, and which continue to be a matter of almost complete consensus as to the relationship between the army and Israeli society. The view that women are drafted because the IDF is a people’s army and should therefore apply the principle of equality to all segments of society remains unchallenged, as does the approach which holds that security needs require that Israeli society’s man (and women)power potential be utilized to the fullest possible extent.
Yet despite the temptation to see the people’s army model as guaranteeing progress in promoting gender equality, this ethos does not always reflect the actual reality. As we will see, the fact that women are drafted on the basis of a mandatory draft law reflecting the people’s army model does not go very far toward guaranteeing them pro forma equality, to say nothing of equality on the ground. In this essay, I will list three factors that have impacted the integration of women in the IDF for many years, as well as on the decisions regarding opening up military units to them:
1. The perception of the IDF as a people’s army
2. Security needs
3. Social processes that contribute to, or undermine, gender equality
Women’s Conscription as an Obvious Matter
In October 1949, approximately a year and a half after the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel, the Institute for Applied Social Research conducted a poll asking the public whether it was in favor of equal rights for women, and indeed 92% were in favor. However, opinions were divided on the question of whether women should be drafted during peacetime (in other words, whether there should be mandatory conscription for women): 52.5% were in favor and 47.5% were opposed. Israel’s leaders, among them David Ben-Gurion, were unequivocal in this regard: Ben-Gurion believed that the state should both demand as much from women as from men, and at the same time---grant them equal rights.State of Israel, Institute for Applied l Social Research (October 1949). Public Opinion on… Drafting Women into the Army and Equalizing Women’s Rights, Publication 10 (Hebrew).
Yet despite Ben-Gurion’s firm stance regarding gender equality, at first women were allowed to serve in the army only as office workers, nurses, and teachers — positions traditionally perceived as feminine roles. It is interesting to note that despite this inherent discrimination, in the early days, the sense of mission and the motivation of soldiers in the Women’s Corps were relatively high — as demonstrated for example, by the poll conducted in September 1948 in the Women’s Corps Battalion 205, whose findings indicated that 93% of women soldiers reported being proud to belong to the Women’s Corps.
Expanding Women’s Army Service
The view according to which women belonged on the home front, and men-- on the front lines also prevailed after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a time of pronounced gender inequality, despite the fact that a woman was serving as prime minister at the time. During this time, women were excluded from playing a part in the three primary tasks of warfare: military defense, civil administration, and military production.Einat Lachover, “Women in the Six Days War through the eyes of the media.” Israel 13 (2008): 38. After the war, due to the need to build up its troops, the army adopted a new and expanded policy regarding women’s placement in military roles, enabling women to be trained for roles that, until that time, had been open only to men. The opening up of these new roles was based on the view that drafting women should free up men from positions on the home front, enabling them to participate in combat, and so--most of the training effort was directed toward positions such as instructors, drivers, aircraft mechanics, and communication jobs.
Nevertheless, we can identify far-reaching measures that were taken during those years regarding women’s military service, such as lifting the restrictions that had existed until then on women’s presence in combat areas, particularly over the border (1982), and removing the section of the Defense Service Law that listed the positions and roles closed to women (1987).On the relationship between this statistic and the issue of women taken prisoners, see Brig. Gen. Rachel Tevet-Wiesel and Lt. Col. Ariel Weiner, “Forward in spite of everything,” Ma’archot 456 (August 2014): 39 (Hebrew).
To sum up, from the day the IDF was established until the 1990s, commitment to women’s equality was expressed mainly in the mandatory draft for women and the anchoring of their conscription in law. But as for integrating them into units and the scope of positions open to them, the needs of the hour along with gender stereotypes regarding “feminine” roles, dictated the reality on the ground.
The Turning Point: The Alice Miller Case
For the most part, the IDF’s approach to women’s service can be divided up into two periods of time: the first---before the Alice Miller case (1995) — or more precisely, before the Defense Service Law was amended in 2000 following the High Court of Justice’s ruling on the case — and afterward. The significant difference between these two periods does not lie in the number of units that were opened up to women — a process that was accelerated once the ruling was issued — nor in the percentage of women who enlisted, which actually decreased. Rather, what changed was the motivation for integrating women into army units and the principle underlying the integration of women into the IDF and utilizing their potential to the maximum.
As noted, Alice Miller submitted her petition to the High Court of Justice when the army rejected her as a candidate for the pilots’ course because of her gender. The High Court of Justice ruled that women had the right to equality in their military service—both formally and on the ground, and that the army’s policy of barring them from service as pilots was unacceptable. Not surprisingly, this ruling had a profound effect on the various units that the IDF ordered opened to women, including those that until then had been an exclusively male monopoly. But the turning point created by the ruling was not just a matter of procedure. For all practical purposes, the court’s ruling ordered the IDF to integrate women into its ranks not only as a function of defense and security needs, but also based on the commitment to the principle of equality. This historic ruling sought to make it clear to the state that the principle of equality was not being upheld as long as the phrase "defense requirements” was cited; the principle of equality must, for the most part, take precedence. As Justice Tova Strasberg-Cohen wrote: “In the conflict between the value of equality and the value of national security and military needs, national security may be regarded as of higher-priority, notwithstanding the importance of equality. But national security is not a magic word; it does not take precedence in every case and under all circumstances, nor is it of equal weight for all levels of security and for every security threat.”HCJ 4541/94 Miller vs. Minister of Defense, 49(4) P.D. 94 (1995).
From the Ruling on the Miller Case to the Present Day
On January 1, 2000, following the High Court of Justice’s ruling on Alice Miller’s petition, the Defense Service Law was amended to state that every woman, just as every man, had the right to serve in any position in the army unless the inherent nature of the position required otherwise. The first new position to be opened to women was that of air force pilot. This was followed, gradually, by fourteen other positions such as naval officer, combat soldier in the Border Police, anti-aircraft combat soldier, soldier in the Caracal combat unit, and combat soldiers in the Combat Rescue, Evacuation and Airborne Medicine Unit.
Combat Positions Opened to Women, by Year:
Year Position
1995 Pilots
1996 Combat soldiers in the Border Police
1997 Combat soldiers in anti-aircraft units; naval officers
2000 Combat soldiers in the Caracal unit (the first mixed-gender combat unit); combat soldiers in the Combat Rescue, Evacuation and Airborne Medicine Unit; combat soldiers in the Artillery Corps
2001 Parachuting instructors
2003 Combat soldiers in the Oketz (canine) unit; battalion communications officers
2006 Combat soldiers in the field intelligence collection unit
2015 Combat soldiers in the Lions of the Jordan Valley unit
2017 Combat soldiers in the Lion of the Valley unit (the fourth mixed-gender battalion)
November 2018 The first five women were recruited to combat navy positions on “Yasur 6” missile ships. A sixth female soldier will join the other women at the end of basic training.
2019 A woman was appointed to the position of Commanding Intelligence Officer (Central Command)
2019 A woman was appointed Battalion Commander in a regular regiment (Northern Bashan Regiment)
May 2020 1st female Battalion Commander in artillery corps
The first mixed-gender infantry unit, Caracal, was established in 2004. Since then, the percentage of military roles open to women has increased steadily. In the 1980s, 55% of the positions in the IDF were open to women; in 1995—73%; and in 2005—88%, and since 2012, 92% of the IDF’s units have been open to women.Neta Moshe, “Women’s Military Service in the IDF.” Submitted to the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women. Jerusalem: Knesset Research and Information Center, May 2013 (Hebrew). See also: Meytal Eran-Jona and Carmit Padan, “Women’s Combat Service in the IDF: The Stalled Revolution,” Strategic Assessment 20 (4) 2018: 92. In addition, according to IDF statistics, the number of women combat soldiers in the infantry increased by 350% between 2013--2017, and the total number of women combat soldiers has increased sevenfold since 2005, as per the graph below.IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Concomitant with the increase in the percentage of women serving as combat soldiers, IDF officials report a decline in the percentage of women serving in clerical positions (Graph 2).From: A Special Survey: Women’s Service in the IDF. IDF Spokesperson’s Office, July 2009.
Alongside the expansion of roles open to women, the IDF has taken measures to change its overall approach to women’s military service. As a reflection of this change, the Women’s Corps was dismantled in 2001, and the position of Advisor to the Chief of Staff on Women’s Affairs was established in its place (its name was later changed to the Advisor on Gender Affairs). The position was established to reflect the view that there should be no specific gender-based treatment of women’s affairs; rather, that women soldiers—just as their male counterparts—should be subordinate to their commanding officers in every way, except when it came to dealing with characteristics unique to women. The unit’s role includes promoting equal opportunities for women in the IDF.A survey published by the IDF Spokesperson’s Office stated, in part: “Unlike the Women’s Corps, which to a large extent fixed the role of women in the army, the role of the chief of staff’s advisor on women’s affairs is to promote the conditions for equal opportunity, using the talents and abilities of women in the army to the fullest, and providing women serving in the army with an environment that is safe and free of discrimination” (A Special Survey: Women’s Service in the IDF. IDF Spokesperson’s Office, July 2009). Army officials saw this act as a significant milestone in shaping the approach to women’s integration in the army.
The committee charged with defining women’s service in the IDF over the next decade, headed by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yehuda Segev, published its report in September 2007. The committee established the principle of “the right person in the right place”, according to which “the abilities of men and women will be utilized to the fullest extent possible in service in an identical manner, according to objective criteria reflecting the army’s needs, and the energy, abilities, and personal traits of the conscripts, and not their gender.” The committee also stated: “No positions or units shall be categorically closed to women or to men.”From the Segev Committee Report.
Even though most of the Segev Committee’s recommendations were never adopted — due, among other things, to pressure from religious officials who opposed them — since the ruing on the Alice Miller case, commitment to gender equality has been the main motivation underlying the integration of women in the IDF. This holds true despite the fact that all agree that the decision to open up more units to women also stemmed from the army’s need for highly motivated recruits. Evidence of this may be found in the statement of Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi in 2009, when he mandated that the IDF, as a people’s army, give high priority to striving for and implementing gender equality.
In his statement, Chief of Staff Ashkenazi listed three motives for integrating women on an equal footing as men into the IDF: 1) Women must serve in the army because the IDF is a people’s army; 2) As a people’s army, the IDF is committed to the principle to the integration of women; 3) Women are integrated into the IDF as part of operational requirements that are vital for keeping the army strong and professional. Yet despite the obvious trend toward opening up the army to women, this equality is being challenged from new directions.
Defense Needs and the People’s Army: A Twist in the Plot?
In parallel to the opening up of more and more units to women following the High Court of Justice’s ruling on Alice Miller’s petition, the percentage of national-religious men in the officers’ ranks of combat units has increased, as has the percentage of ultra-Orthodox conscripts.See, for example, Yaniv Magal: Srugim Bakane: The Story of Religious Zionists’ Integration into the Army. Tel Aviv: Yedioth Ahronoth, 2016 (Hebrew). It became clear that conflict between the gender revolution in the IDF and the demands of religious male soldiers is unavoidable. For this reason, IDF officials ordered the development of regulations for joint service, with the intention being that these regulations would be anchored as standing orders. At first, in 2002, this order, which was known as the Proper Integration Ordinance, set the rules for separate living quarters and modesty restrictions, while also stipulating the rights of the religious soldiers, such as refraining from certain activities requiring being with women in close quarters. With the increase over time in the number of women’s’ complaints that this order was being interpreted in an offensive manner and was leading to discrimination against and exclusion of women soldiers, the order was suspended. After many versions, and while it still aroused a public uproar of rare magnitude, the order was updated and its final version issued in December 2017 as the Joint Service Ordinance. Its opening statement reads, in part, as follows:
“The purpose of the joint service policy is to meet the operational goal of the IDF and maintain unity in the military environment. It is based upon the fact that the IDF is the army of a Jewish and democratic state — and on the view of the IDF as a people’s army [emphasis mine], according to which soldiers of all types, religions, and ethnic groups serve in the IDF. The policy was established based on an official, egalitarian, and tolerant view, which is anchored in the values of human dignity and the spirit of the IDF.”
The profound debate on the ordinance, which evolved into a fight between the religious Zionist community and women’s rights organizations, was conducted simultaneously along two tracks: a formal track with IDF officials, and a second track that took the form of a large-scale, bitter public campaign. The uproar about the ordinance and the way that it was handled in the army is fascinating, and raises many questions and issues. Of particular interest is the fact that the campaign, led primarily by the national-religious sector, cited both factors — the model of the people’s army and defense needs, which had been the primary motivations for integrating women into the IDF when the state was established — as fundamental reasons to oppose the integration of women into various units. Time and again, the religious officials justified their opposition to the integration of women into operational units by stating that such integration, influenced as it was by radical feminist agendas, violated the principle of a people’s army and jeopardized the operational capabilities of the IDF and the defense of the state.
For example, one of the pamphlets distributed as part of this campaign stated: “The army is not a tool for promoting agendas, but rather –a people’s army.” Another booklet listed the values violated by the trend toward “joint service”.
Although IDF officials report that the Joint Service Ordinance has been updated for the last time, the uproar it caused has not subsided. Alongside clarifications about the IDF’s commitment to equality and its recognition of women’s role in the army’s functioning (as Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot said, “A cutback in women’s service will be detrimental to the IDF and its performance”)https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/514113 (accessed August 26, 2018)., army commanders have recently been making statements that seem to be dragging the IDF backward.
As far as views on women’s service, the two arguments that seem to underlie the integration of women in the IDF over the years—are the people’s army model and defense needs — with the emphasis on one or the other depending on personal points of view. They can be used at will as reasons to support egalitarian integration, or to oppose it. But the commitment to actual gender equality is the only commitment that keeps the idea of women’s integration in the IDF from backsliding — and it was this very commitment that the High Court of Justice cited in its historic ruling, informing the state that it also applied to the army and was not to be left at the gates of the induction center.
Milestones in Women’s Service in the IDF
1949 — The Defense Service Law, making army service compulsory for women, is passed. At the time this law was passed, the duration of military service was 30 months for men and 18 months for women. According to the law, women could ask to be released from the army on grounds of religion or conscience
1952 — Amendments made to the Defense Service Law listed positions open to women — 25 in all. The amendments also stated that women could volunteer for additional positions
1987 — The three permanent restrictions on women’s army service enumerated in the Defense Service Law, barring women from serving in combat roles, in positions in which conditions were not appropriate for women, and in positions that required physical strength, were abolished
1995 — Alice Miller’s petition is submitted to the High Court of Justice. The court rules that women have the right to equal opportunity, both formally and in practice, in their military service, and that the army’s policy of barring women from serving as pilots is invalid
1998 — Sheri Rahat, a combat navigator, becomes the first woman to graduate from the pilots’ course
2000 — An amendment is adopted in the Defense Service Law stipulating that every woman has the right, equal to that of men, to serve in any position during her army service unless the inherent nature of the position demand otherwise
2000 — Ora Peled becomes the first woman graduate of the naval officers’ course
2001 — The Women’s Corps is dissolved
2004 — The first Caracal Battalion is established
2007 — The Segev Committee report is published. The report establishes, among other things, that placement should be based on the principle of “the right person in the right place,” and states that no positions or departments shall be closed categorically to either women or men
2011 — The first woman is promoted to the rank of Major-General: Orna Barbivai, head of the Manpower Directorate
2014 — Or Ben Yehuda is appointed the first woman company commander in an infantry officers’ course
2016 — The title “Chief of Staff’s Advisor on Women’s Affairs” is changed to “Chief of Staff’s Advisor on Gender Affairs”
2017 — The Joint Service Ordinance is updated
2018 — A woman is appointed commander of a flight squadron for the first time
May 2020 — Chief of Staff's decision to extend pilot program integrating women in armored corps
November 2020 — The Supreme Court decided to allow four women to submit a petition for the IDF to allow female conscripts to serve in elite combat units. The Justices also asserted that the IDF must complete the work of the existing committee that is examining the integration of women into combat units.
Security and Democracy,
Equality,
Military and Society,
IDF,
IDF service,
exclusion of women,
Religious-Secular Relations,
The Decade in Review: Women’s Service in the IDF
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The Erosion of the Status Quo in the Relations Between Religion & State in Israel
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Adapting Israel's Education System for the Challenges of the 21st Century
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Wednesday, April 5 - Sunday, April 23, 2017
Anthony Hassett: Last Evenings on Earth
Anthony Hassett's life has been an unceasing and courageous half-century of philosophical inquiry, civil disobedience, defiance of existing socio-political structures, flagrant rebellion, and pursuit of the Real, of which his many ink, marker, and glaze drawings, that combine Hassett's powerful poetic voice with his equally powerful renderer's hand, reflect.
As an "angel-headed" adolescent, Hassett was among the last disciples of the Beats: the mid-century writers and artists whose work shared themes of spirituality, environmental awareness, and political dissidence. He left Venice Beach at the age of fifteen with his thumb pointing skyward. By the time he reached the classrooms of William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg at Naropa Institute in Boulder, Hassett's early life was already one of uncompromised nonconformity, intentional obscurity, and above all, radiant poetry. His life continues to embody Marcuse' "Great Refusal", and has found him variously in jail cells with infamous political dissidents; in the salons of Nepalese poets; deported from Morocco; arrested in Athens; in detention by British military in caves beneath the Rock of Gibraltar; at dinner tables with famed writers and filmmakers in Rome, Paris, Istanbul, NY, and LA; and on the sofas of Chavistas, Panthers, and Weather Underground; in riots in Chile; at Marxist-Lacanian conferences in Berlin; in confinement in Frankfurt during the Chernobyl meltdown; in Beijing and Stockholm with Kung-Fu masters; at tango parlors in Buenos Aires; in Tahrir Square with a million Egyptians...
In recent years, Hassett struggled with late stage cancer, but continued to live his life by his terms: in perfect alignment with his belief system, fearlessly, poetically, and with limitless compassion. Despite his great physical discomfort, he maintained the highest level of grace: acknowledging and thanking, even bringing a smile or a laugh, to every nurse, doctor or human who briefly entered his realm-- just as he had with the many, many people he interacted with all over the world. He was a Bodhisattva among men, and, just as he lived by his terms, he died by his terms: at home, at the precise moment that the sun emerged from a glorious morning sky.
The opening on Sunday April 9, 2017, is an opportunity for the family and greater community to gather in memorial. This event is free and open to the public.
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Mask Up! Don't Let Down Your Guard Against COVID-19
TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Even as the United States reopens, it's crucial that people wear face masks when they can't maintain proper social distancing, experts emphasize.
"While it's tempting to view [things] as being back to normal, that's simply not the case," said Dr. Patrick Gavigan, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Children's Hospital.
"The virus is still out there. We still have cases every day," he said in a Penn State Health news release.
In fact, 36 U.S. states are now seeing increases in COVID-19 infections, with Texas, Arizona and Florida posting record-breaking case counts in recent days. Much of that increase is being fueled by younger people testing positive for COVID-19, experts note. By Monday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 2.5 million as the death toll neared 126,000, according to a New York Times tally.
Wearing a face mask, social distancing and hand-washing are essential defenses against transmission of the coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Face masks or other face coverings are especially important because research shows that people become contagious before they start having symptoms or feeling ill. And some people who test positive never have symptoms.
But Dr. Ping Du said less than half the people she sees -- especially young adults -- are wearing a mask when they should be.
"Current cases indicate that more and more young people are getting the disease. Maybe they feel they're not at risk or they'll only get a mild form of the disease," said Du, associate director of the doctor of public health program at Penn State College of Medicine.
"For whatever reason, they're not wearing their masks. They might have mild symptoms or be asymptomatic, but they can pass COVID onto others who are at greater risk of getting sick. Everyone should be wearing masks," added Du.
Face masks should be worn by anyone 2 years and older whenever and wherever social distancing measures are not possible, the CDC advises.
"It's easy to get mask fatigue and fatigue from all of the COVID-19 restrictions across the nation," Gavigan said. "But we can't let our guard down. Masks right now and for the foreseeable future remain a key part in keeping us safe..."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 protection.
SOURCE: Penn State Health, news release, June 2020
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Free the Princess
Science fiction and fantasy books and other media
About Matthew
Deconstructing Men's Regency Clothing
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period from 1811 to 1837, from the time King George III was declared unfit to rule through the reign of his son, George IV, first as Prince Regent and then as King in his own right after his father's death in 1820. This is the era of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, as well as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and other great literature. The literature of the period isn't my focus today, however. Rather, I'd like to pull apart the common dress of an upper-crust gentleman in the wider Regency era of fashion, which actually runs from 1788 to 1825.
My focus is on the upper crust because they were the only ones who would be able to afford the latest styles coming from London or Paris. Your average drover or textile worker would be lucky to get a quality shirt and trousers handed down several levels from the lord of the nearest manor. In detailing clothing of any particular period then, the best (and really only) recourse one has is to look at images of the upper classes.
The prototype of fashion for men in the early Regency period (1797 to 1810) is one Beau Brummel. In the image at left (Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion), Brummel wears the standard tailcoat cut without a waist seam (all Victorian coats had waist seams), and you can see approximately two inches of his cream-colored waistcoat beneath. The U-shaped way the tailcoat was cut gave the hips their distinctive shape, and also created some bunching in the coat itself, which you can see if you look closely. The sleeves, as you can see, are extraordinarily long. Modern men's shirts and jackets are worn with the cuffs touching the wrist, but these cuffs hang about half-way down the hand. The coat itself would've been made from wool, fancy bengaline, or serge, and it was only the dark blue jackets that had gold buttons. Every other color of tailcoat had buttons the same color as the fabric. Note also the M-shaped lapels of the jacket.
The waistcoat Brummel wears here extends over the pants and slightly below the edge of the tailcoat. Gentlemen's waistcoats in this period would be made of wool, linen, or silk; with a single row of buttons and sometimes sharp collars. More often than not, the waistcoat would be of a brocade or similar pattern, even though solid-colored ones did exist.
A gentleman's shirt, however, would not have a long line of buttons. Rather, there would be a single button near the collar of the shirt, and a ruffle to cover the button when it was worn. A gentleman slipped his shirt on over his head, rather than buttoning it up in the Regency period. Shirts were made from linen or cotton.
To a proper gentleman, according to Brummel, the cravat was one of the most important parts of the outfit. There were easily a dozen different ways to tie a cravat, some very outlandish indeed. The work Neckclothitania (1818) described 14 distinct ways of tying a cravat, with the specific amount of starch, type of material, and color of cloth that should be worn with each. One of these tying styles was the Oriental, which was tied thus: "The Oriental made with a very stiff and rigid cloth, so that there cannot be the least danger of its yielding or bending to the exertions and sudden twists of the head and neck. -Care should be taken that not a single indenture or crease should be visible in this tie; it must present a round, smooth, and even surface - the least deviation from this rule, will prevent its being so named. This neck-cloth ought not to be attempted, unless full confidence and reliance can be placed in its stiffness.-it must not be made with coloured neck-cloths, but of the most brilliant white. It is this particular tie which is alluded to in the following lines. 'There, had ye marked their neck-cloth's slivery glow, Transcend the Cygnet's towering crest of snow.'" (The Regency Collection).
The breeches, worn here tucked into knee-high boots, were either buckskin or nankeen (a fabric originally acquired from Nanking, China). Buckskin was definitely the more common of the two, and nankeen was generally only used for summer wear. The front of the breeches were actually a flap of fabric affixed with buttons. You can see the edge of the flap beneath the curve in the jacket if you look closely; this is in stark contrast to the fly front of today. Breeches were generally light-colored, in contrast to the darker tailcoat, and didn't become fashionable for evening wear until later in the century.
Pants would come more into vogue as the century wore on, and between 1810 and 1825 really came more into prominence, as the image at right (again from Jessamyn) of Lord Grantham shows. How can you tell that Grantham is wearing pants? Look at the height of his boots. They're mid-calf length here, as opposed to Brummel's knee-high boots. If Grantham were wearing breeches, we would be able to see the ends of the legs with boots that low.
A word about boots as well -- good leather boots were essential for the gentleman of the Regency period, even when they went into town on business. According to Jessamyn, this reliance on boots as part of proper attire is the key thing that shows the roots of Regency fashion in the riding dress of the previous century.
Lastly, there's the accessories. Leather gloves, a top hat, and a cane were the proper accessories that no gentleman would be seen around town without. An aside: you might not see it in Grantham's picture, but by the time the 1820s rolled around, the common U-shape cut on the tailcoat had more or less been replaced by a straighter cut across the torso.
One very interesting note is that no Regency gentleman of any social standing would be seen without his coat on. There's an image of Hugh Grant lounging backstage at the filming of a movie version of Sense & Sensibility with his tailcoat off. It's useful so one can get a good look at the shirt sleeves common to the Regency period, but it's something that would never ever have happened during the actual Regency period. It would be a scandal if a gentleman was seen without his tailcoat on.
Now, I can kind of tell what you're thinking. What does talking about Men's clothes in the Regency period have to with Steampunk, seeing as Steampunk is a Victorian aesthetic and not a Regency one? Well, many of today's most formal apparel still has its roots in Regency fashion, and if you have an older man in a Steampunk alternate-history story set in 1865 in England (for example), then that gentleman would probably still wear Regency-style clothing. We see even today that older generations hold on to the clothes that were fashionable when they were young. A Victorian gentleman who came of age during the Regency period might do the same.
Posted by Matthew Delman at 3:51 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Steampunk Fashion
From Natural Philosopher to Scientist
Open the 1818 novel Frankenstein and, though the very plot of the story deals with science, the eponymous Victor is never referred to as a "scientist." This isn't because of a lack of scientific theories in the novel, far from it in fact, but rather because the term itself didn't exist until nearly two decades later. Englishman William Whewell, a gifted polymath and wordsmith, coined the word in 1833, four years prior to his book History of the Inductive Sciences. Whewell was a gifted wordsmith, and in fact suggested the words "anode" and "cathode" to Michael Farraday (one of the first researchers into electricity and batteries).
Prior to Whewell's creation of the term, those few men who investigated the world around them were known as either "natural philosophers" or "men of science." Even that's stretching the definition though, as natural philosophers tended to only craft theories and not perform rigorous experiments to prove their theories. Men placed in the pantheon of scientific achievement, such as Aristotle, saw no need to test their thoughts about the world. Instead they merely crafted the theories and let them stand as is. It wasn't until Alhazen's Book of Optics, written between 1011 and 1021 C.E., that a basic form of the contemporary scientific method was even introduced.
Fast-forward to the 1500s, when Francis Bacon championed inductive reasoning -- conclusions reached by experimentation -- that Europe slowly began getting on the proverbial bandwagon. Even then, the most common form of scientific inquiry was still the deductive reasoning of Aristotle. Bacon stridently rejected the a priori (independent of experience) reasoning that the Church carried through from the ancient natural philosophers and such famous Christian thinkers as Saint Anselm and Thomas Aquinas. Instead, he focused on empirically gathering information from the natural world.
"There are and can be only two ways of searching into and discovering truth. The one flies from the senses and particulars to the most general axioms: this way is now in fashion. The other derives axioms from the senses and particulars, rising by a gradual and unbroken ascent, so that it arrives at the most general axioms last of all. This is the true way, but as yet untried."-- Francis Bacon
Of course, Bacon's methods didn't really begin to gain traction until Robert Boyle (of Boyle's law fame) wrote his 1686 work called A Free Enquiry into the Vulgarly Received Notion of Nature. Inductive reasoning quickly gained prominence after Boyle's work, even though the sciences remained lumped together under the phrase "natural philosophy."
It wouldn't be until around Whewell's time that the scientific method became its modern form, and scientific investigation took on a more divided form. It was actually Whewell himself, in his Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840), that classified the field of scientific inquiry into the divisions we know today.
Whewell's classification of the sciences (from VictorianWeb.org)
This classification system, and Whewell's authorship of one of The Bridgewater Treatises, cement his place in the scientific pantheon. He also famously opposed the concept of Evolution, publishing an 1845 book called Indications of the Creator, which refuted Charles Darwin's theories.
You might perchance be wondering why this all matters to a writer of Steampunk fiction. Truth be told, it's more a matter for the writer of historical fiction set in the years before or immediately after 1833. But, seeing as a lot of Steampunk is alternate history, the fact that the word "scientist" didn't exist until Whewell came up with it is an important thing to note. You can't use the word "scientist" in a pre-1833 story because the word didn't exist then. Also, it wasn't until the 1830s that men of science began to specialize in a set discipline. In other words, it was excessively uncommon for someone to only study biology, or chemistry, or physics before Whewell's period.
Taking this to its (somewhat) logical conclusion, the splitting of science both during and after Whewell's active period means that the writer of alternate history Steampunk needs to take care with what time frame they set their story in. Even though the story is alternate history, that's no reason to use words that didn't necessarily exist in that timeframe, unless you can come up with a very good explanation (and really, "natural philosopher" serves perfectly well for "scientist" for pre-1830s stories. Gives you the writer more freedom.).
Labels: Steampunk Science
Changing Things Up (Yet Again)
I'm back from vacation, folks! Did you miss me?
I know I said my blog break would last a full two weeks, but I'd been sending an idea through the gears in my head while I was gone, and I wanted to get it out in the open (so to speak) as soon as possible.
Effective immediately, Tuesday posts on this blog will no longer be my Writing Thoughts. For that particular brand of musings, you'll have to visit The Secret Archives of the Alliterati every Wednesday. From here on out, you'll see all Steampunk all the time. So, without further adieu, here's my new posting schedule:
Monday: Steampunk Technology/Science/Industry
Tuesday: Steampunk Culture/Fashion/Architecture
Wednesday: Secret Archives Day
Thursday: Steampunk Books (both contemporary and classic)
Friday: Random Historical Nonsense/Whatever Comes Up
This will serve the dual purpose of focusing my blog more, and giving me a clearer idea of what the heck to post about each day in each place. Also, since Steampunk means (at least to me) the period between 1800 and 1920, you'll see a lot of posts about various real bits of history and how it's related to the genre.
Stick around for the ride. I promise I'll try to make it interesting.
Posted by Matthew Delman at 11:12 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: Randomness
REPOST: The Crafting of a City Map
This post originally appeared on March 23, 2010.
My propensity for doing a lot of research is well-known across various people's blogs (and now on Twitter), but perhaps less well-known is my need to do a lot of background figuring because of this.
One of the criticisms I got from my fantabulous betas (you know who you are) was the lack of a sense of place/time differential when Moriah travels through the city of Callarion. The easiest way to fix this is to design a map of the city. However, one of the problems with doing such a thing is my lack of any drawing ability whatsoever. Instead of drawing that map then, I've decided to craft some background information on architecture and distances in various parts of the city.
This amounts to yet more research (and some unrepentant cribbing of real places) to craft the exact city map that I need in order to give the city its verisimilitude. So far, today, I've written capsules on Marketplace, Quayside, and Woodsedge (three districts of the city) and will at some point finish the ones on Lowtown, Academe, and Gardens Hill as well.
The map and geography that I'm using for Callarion borrows from three places -- Rome, San Francisco, and San Diego. San Fran and San Diego provided the proper winding coastline that I imagined, and Rome's Seven Hills provided the basis for what I kind of wanted to do terrain-wise (turns out Callarion's looking more and more like San Francisco by the minute, but that's beside the point).
What purpose does all this serve? Perhaps the biggest benefit to doing this is having a map means I don't accidentally place Thomas's shop in two different sections of Marketplace. It also means Gardens Hill consistently stays in the center of the city, and other landmarks start to gain more and more importance because they're located in a concrete place in the fictional city. Correction: the biggest benefit is that my distances stay the same. That's important, because I can't have Moriah cross Marketplace on foot at two different speeds. There lies inconsistencies my friend.
And I very much dislike being inconsistent (which is why I always like people to point out when I am). What about you, loyal blog readers? Do you craft maps of your settings? Or do you let it fly like Terry Pratchett, who's of the opinion that "You can't map a sense of humor"?
Posted by Matthew Delman at 7:00 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Background Information, Repost, Writing Thoughts
REPOST: Steampunk and Automatons
This post originally appeared on February 12, 2010.
Back in my post about cyborgs in steampunk, I mentioned that the Ancient Greeks had automatons. This is borne out by the historical record: Philo of Byzantium (3rd Century BCE) crafted an automaton maid that would pour water or wine when a cup was placed in its left hand.
The very word, automaton, is derived from the Greek word automatos -- "acting of one's own will." And, as so many cool advances that occurred in Greece during the time of the great inventors, the automatons were considered toys, religious tools to impress worshipers, or even as ways to demonstrate general scientific principles. Hero of Alexandria (who gets more press on this blog than any other inventor besides da Vinci) created siphons, a fire engine, and a programmable cart among other things as examples of his automaton skills.
There's a stanza from Pindar's Seventh Olympic Ode that refers to the island of Rhodes, well known for its proliferation of automatons:
The animated figures stand
Adorning every public street
And seem to breathe in stone, or
move their marble feet.
The Ancient Chinese also had automatons, as evidenced by this excerpt from Lie Ze:
"The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its hand, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time...As the performance was drawing to an end, the robot winked its eye and made advances to the ladies in attendance, whereupon the king became incensed and would have had Yen Shih [Yan Shi] executed on the spot had not the latter, in mortal fear, instantly taken the robot to pieces to let him see what it really was. And, indeed, it turned out to be only a construction of leather, wood, glue and lacquer, variously coloured white, black, red and blue. Examining it closely, the king found all the internal organs complete—liver, gall, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines; and over these again, muscles, bones and limbs with their joints, skin, teeth and hair, all of them artificial...The king tried the effect of taking away the heart, and found that the mouth could no longer speak; he took away the liver and the eyes could no longer see; he took away the kidneys and the legs lost their power of locomotion. The king was delighted."
Automatons have existed in the Middle East since the 9th Century CE, and are described in numerous texts from the time of Islamic scholarship. Al-Jazari, the famous Muslim inventor of the 13th Century, described a boat with four automatic musicians that he used to entertain partygoers. There was even an automaton duck in the 18th Century that mimicked digestion.
Suffice to say, automatons have existed for a really, really long time. What's this mean for the writer of steampunkery?
Playtime! Because the science of how to craft automatons has existed for so long, it's a well-documented method of adding robotics to your steampunk tale without applying too much modern science. Studying the texts of Signore da Vinci and those of Jacques de Vaucanson, the French inventor who crafted the aforementioned Digesting Duck, is a good start for more contemporary designs. Philo's automatic maid is well-documented via translations of his works, if you want to go more ancient.
George Mann's automatons in The Affinity Bridge are controlled via punch cards, if you want a literary example of how to do it. And The Difference Engine has an example of the Japanese Karakuri ningyō, which were designed in the 19th Century.
A tea-serving Karakuri, designed in 19th Century Japan, with the mechanism at right.
It functioned exactly as Philo's automatic maid did.
All you have to do, of course, is to make sure your automaton design makes sense. There's little worse than crafting some awesome technological advance and having it fall flat because the design isn't logical.
Labels: Repost, Robotics, Steampunk Technology
REPOST: The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
This post originally appeared on May 13, 2010.
The Affinity Bridge by George Mann can easily be called a blend of Urban Gothic, Detective Fiction, and Scientific Romance into the milieu that becomes Steampunk. Mann, who is the head of a major British SF/Fantasy publishing imprint, takes tropes from each of the three aforementioned genres, and has a grand old time twisting them into one mystery after another.
Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes, his brilliant assistant, are charged with the tracking down of an escaped automaton, the investigation of a series of strangulations attributed to a glowing policeman, and oh yes, the plague of revenants ravaging London's slums.
Newbury himself is a detective in the vein of Sherlock Holmes -- brilliant, logical, fascinated by the new steam technology spreading around England, and slightly addicted to drugs. Of course, the Holmes enthusiasts among us will correct me that Holmes wasn't actually addicted. He merely experimented.
The story itself is in 1901 London, with airships and other steam-powered and mechanical innovations spreading quickly around the nation. Queen Victoria is kept alive by a rudimentary life support device of bellows and mechanical workings, and is still very much in the thick of the action. Newbury acts on her orders and hers alone -- as an agent of the Crown he goes where the Empire wills him to go. And Hobbes follows behind him, partially to help, but also to make sure Newbury remains a loyal servant.
The "affinity bridge" of the title is a link that allows for transference of a human consciousness from a living person into one of the story's ubiquitous automatons. Newbury and Hobbes uncover the secret behind this act in a factory belonging to some automaton makers, who are also connected to the plague revenants (zombies). We have Urban Gothic from the fog of the slums and the "hidden city" therein, the Detective Fiction piece from Newbury and Hobbes' investigations, and the Scientific Romance from the dark use of technology in the form of the affinity bridge.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this novel is that it ends up being very Victorian in language and grammar. It's a fascinating choice for Mann to make, and one that actually ends up working quite well when you get into the swing of the novel. Mystery, action, science, and a breakneck pace ... what more could you want?
Labels: Repost, Steampunk Books
REPOST: Originality
This post originally appeared on November 25, 2009. Is it still plagiarism if I copy myself?
"Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright." -- Sam Seaborn, The West Wing Season 4, Episode 2 "20 Hours in America."
One of the banes of the writer's existence is the push to produce something that is fresh, new, and original. Some people actively try to write something truly original, and in fact purposely avoid anything even close to what they're attempting to compose.
I can't think of any artist (of any stripe) working in a vacuum that can produce something accessible to the general populace. Even the great epics of ancient history -- Gilgamesh, The Iliad, the creation of myths of Scandinavia and other nations to name a few -- came from rich oral traditions of these same stories. The Iliad and the Odyssey were even spoken for decades before someone wrote them down.
No worthwhile art, I feel, is "original" in the purest sense of the word, i.e. that nothing like it ever came before. Mozart, Stephen King, Archimedes of Syracuse, Leonardo da Vinci, and other artistic and scientific luminaries of the past how-ever-many thousand years of human history all had influences from somewhere. And yet we call the greatest among us "original thinkers."
Because they had the ability to synthesize what was available into something new. Leonardo da Vinci took concepts that already existed in the Renaissance and used them to design his inventions. Archimedes developed weapons of war that held back the Romans through experimentation and study. Stephen King's Dark Tower series was, by his own admission, based off a viewing of Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. And Mozart composed some of his most famous music -- The Marriage of Figaro among that -- while at court in Vienna, where he was exposed to other composers.
This process, synthesizing our influences, is how we create original works. Everything we write is influenced by something else. Accept that, and you'll be better equipped to make a story that shines with the one original element you possess.
Labels: Repost, Writing Thoughts
REPOST: Steampunk Aeronautics
I'm taking a two-week break from the blog. My official vacation starts Thursday, but I want to spend what free time I have this week working heavily on my various writing projects. Hence, you get a look back, on schedule, of my various posts on Steampunk, Writing, and etc. This post originally appeared on November 2, 2009.
Airships such as zeppelins, hot-air balloons, dirigibles, and blimps, which are collectively known as lighter-than-air aircraft, operate based on the principle of buoyancy. The principles of buoyancy were first described by Archimedes (the genius Greek as I call him), and are also the reason why ships float and submersibles sink.
Now, the three above types of airships are also called rigid (zeppelin), semi-rigid, and nonrigid (blimp). The first manned flight of any airship, though the buoyancy concept is several thousand years old, came about in 1783 when the Montgolfier brothers (Joseph and Etienne) flew their hot-air balloon over their hometown of Annonay, France.
The Montgolfiere balloon, 1783.
According to About.com, the first passengers were a sheep, a goat, and a duck. The history of using animals as test pilots goes back quite a bit, apparently. In October 1783, Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d'Arlandes became the first human passengers in the Montgolfiere balloon; the balloon was in free flight during that October journey, meaning that it wasn't tethered to the ground.
Subsequent advances added flaps to control the balloon's flight (Jean Blanchard, 1785), and crafted a silk balloon that was filled with hydrogen gas (Jacques Charles, 1783) instead of the superheated air that filled the Montgolfiere balloon.
Blanchard's hydrogen balloon with flaps, 1785
These early balloons couldn't be navigated very well (at all really), and several advances were made to improve that aspect of their design. One of the first was adding an air screw that operated similar to a rudder on a ship; the balloon's shape was also elongated into the cigar that we know today.
Steam power as a method of propulsion and navigation came into play in 1852, when Henri Giffard's dirigible was the first to add the system onto an airship. Giffard's invention flew from Paris to Trappes, a distance of 17 miles, but didn't have enough power to fly against the wind in order to make the return journey.
Giffard's airship, 1852
The top speed of Giffard's airship was 5 miles an hour, which was the top speed until Brazilian Albert Santos Dumont crafted his gasoline-powered airships in the late 1890s. Airships, for lack of a better phrase, really took off after Dumont's innovations.
In 1900, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a German count, designed and flew the first successful rigid airships. His designs were so successful that rigid airships are commonly called Zeppelins in his honor. It's these rigid airships that figure strongly into steampunk, sometimes with elaborate designs as seen in the Girl Genius online comic (Castle Wulfenbach) and in other literature in the same genre (Keith Thompson's War Zeppelin).
The LZ-126, USS Los Angeles, 1924
The above photo is of one of the Zeppelins that were ubiquitous before the 1937 Hindenburg disaster that pretty much ended the commercial use of lighter-than-air aircraft.
Because of this, in fact, one of the easiest ways to show that you're writing steampunk is to include zeppelins zipping across the skylanes or other aerial vessels that aren't airplanes, helicopters, or gliders.
For design considerations, take a look back at the Steam's Limitations Series.
Labels: Repost, Steampunk Technology
New Project (Because I'm Crazy, Apparently)
So as if writing a Steampunk short story, an academic research article on Steampunk, and a Steampunk novel wasn't enough to keep me busy, I've today (upon coercion from L.T. Host and suggestion by Gail Gray) decided that I'm going to write a non-fiction primer for anyone wishing to write a Steampunk story in any way, shape or form.
The primer will contain, but isn't limited to, the following topic areas:
Major Industries
Factory Conditions
Design of Homes
City Layout
Layout of Homes
Republics
Speech Patterns
Backslang
Slang of the American West
I'm planning on using Steampunk novels of all stripes, and the research I've done for this blog, as a jumping-off point for putting this sucker together.
Why am I telling you about this, loyal blog readers? Well, because I'm curious as to what you'd want to see in a book like this. Is there a particular topic area you'd love to see covered? Something on my list you think should be struck?
Truth be told, you're the reason I'm putting this together. I know there's an interest in Steampunk in place, and I want to contribute the knowledge I've gained over the past year to help further the aspirations of Steampunk novelists everywhere.
Labels: The Steampunk Primer
Resources on the Victorian Era (and Steampunk)
When I talk about the Victorian Era, most people think I'm limiting myself to England. This is partly true, but partly a misnomer as well. The phrase "Victorian Era," for me at least, refers specifically to the events of world history that happened during Queen Victoria I's reign (and what a reign it was). It also refers to specific cultural changes that went on in the latter part of the 1800s across the Industrialized nations.
I limit myself to the Industrialized nations for two reasons: Friend-of-the-blog Ay-leen the Peacemaker has the market cornered on non-Eurocentric Steampunk at the blog Beyond Victoriana, and the requirements of the Steampunk aesthetic almost forces one to pay more attention to the Industrialized nations. Ay-leen will disagree with me, but that's why Beyond Victoriana is so epically awesome. If you're not reading that blog, then you definitely need to. (Ay-leen will also do some guest posts here in a few weeks.)
Anyway, since I first began writing CALLARION AT NIGHT more than a year ago, there have been several websites that have been my go-to sources for Steampunk and Victorian Era information:
Victoriana Magazine -- Kind of an ad-heavy website, but if you want a good resource in terms of furniture, fashion, and general Victorian society then this is the place to go.
VictorianWeb -- This is a very intense research experience; the fine folks at this site have detailed pretty everything you need to know about the Victorian Era in England in one fell swoop. They've also got very detailed sections on primary sources in every topic area on their site. It's helped out of innumerable tough spots to get the sense I want.
About.com's Age of Invention page -- From Benjamin Franklin, through James Watts, and the rest of the manic innovations that peppered the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries, the About.com page on the Age of Invention has showcased a whole heck of a lot about the inventions that flavor the world of Steampunk.
The Computer History Museum -- Charles Babbage theorized the Difference and Analytical engines in the 1820s. At the Computer History Museum's website, you can learn all about the innovations that led us straight into the Computer Age. This includes Babbage, punch cards, and all the other assorted mechanical computer goodness.
Wikipedia -- As a launching point for research, there's few sites better than Wikipedia. Yes, it's user-generated content, and yes it's notoriously unreliable for certain topics, but all that knowledge in one corner of the Internet is astounding.
Gentleman's Emporium --Dozens of photos of actual clothing worn in the 1800s and early 1900s. They also have a Steampunk section, with minimal outfits but certainly enough to get the creative juices flowing. As an added bonus, there's an Old West section for anyone who wants to write Steampunk set in the American West.
The National Maritime Museum (London-based) -- They've got ship plans, weapons of the 19th Century, and all sorts of other fun bits of information you can make use of to suss out your military's culture. Or that of your tyrannical government.
Crabfu Steamworks -- The innovator behind this site is brilliant. I'm not even talking slightly brilliant; I'm talking genius-level. He's designed and built a whole mess of radio-controlled Steampunk vehicles and showcases them on his site here. It's also the place I found resources on how to draw Steampunk tech. His Lobster tank influenced my Turtle tank quite a bit.
And lastly, though this is a new resource, I have to give props to my Twitter friends. You want to talk random knowledge? The folks on there have it in spades. I've asked questions on corsets, the proper use of a grappling hook, gunshot wounds, etc -- you name it, there's probably someone on there who knows the answer.
Posted by Matthew Delman at 10:54 AM 7 comments Links to this post
Labels: Random Historical Nonsense, Research
Mainspring by Jay Lake
Mainspring (2007) is Jay Lake's third novel, and his first offering to the Steampunk subgenre. Like Boneshaker, Soulless, and The Difference Engine, Lake's offering to the subgenre is an alternate history. However, unlike those stories, the point of divergence with our world occurs at the very moment of Creation.
God, called the Tetragrammation in Mainspring, created the world as a giant clockwork mechanism placed on brass tracks. There's an Equatorial Wall that splits the industrialized Northern hemisphere from the agrarian Southern hemisphere, and the tracks that lead the Earth around the lamp of the sun run along it. The Mainspring of the title is the mechanism at the center of the world, which needs to be rewound or disaster will strike.
The story opens with the archangel Gabriel's visit to one Hethor Jacques in New Haven, Connecticut. Gabriel informs Hethor that the mainspring of the Earth is winding down; he charges Hethor with finding the Key Perilous and rewinding the spring before disaster strikes. This is the same action that the Brass Christ (Jesus) performed centuries ago prior to his horofixion (crucifixion) on a wheel and gears. In fact, the wheel-and-gears and not the crucifix are the symbols of Christianity in the Mainspring universe.
The story itself is a classic example of the Hero's Journey blended into a Christ-like, messianic tale. That Hethor will succeed in rewinding the mainspring is never in doubt, and the message of the story seems to be that if God wants you to accomplish a task then by-gum you're going to accomplish that task.
There appears to be some token conflict from the Rational Humanists, a group that wants the mainspring to wind down so humanity can be free, but Hethor never gets into a situation where you think he might fail. There's not even a sense that the "DISASTER!" of the mainspring actually stopping is a real possibility.
The most interesting thing about this story, I find, is the Steampunking out of Christianity. Lake actually makes Intelligent Design theory interesting by making the gears of creation visible for everyone to see. There's no question in Lake's universe that God exists. I mean, look at the brass tracks the Earth runs along around the lamp of the sun. That there are still people who doubt the existence of God in that mechanistic world, even when the evidence is right in front of their faces, is absolutely fascinating.
Also, and this is kind of cool, Lake actually Steampunks the Lord's Prayer:
“Our Father, who art in Heaven
“Craftsman be thy name
“Thy plan be done
“Forgive us this day our errors
“As we forgive those who err against us
“Lead us not into imperfection
“And deliver us from chaos
“For thine is the power, and the precision
“For ever and ever, amen. (102-03)"
That is ten different kinds of awesome, that Lake decided to go full-tilt and Steampunk out a major world religion. Even if Hethor Jacques isn't that interesting of a character, or is in any real sort of danger at all, I'd suggest reading Mainspring purely to get a sense of the sheer scale inherent in wholesale alteration of a religion to fit your fictional universe's worldview.
Labels: Jay Lake, Steampunk Books
The Influences on My Writing Style
Last night on Twitter, I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn't come up with a post for your regularly scheduled Writing Thoughts segment. Then, lo and behold, the talented Cynthia Reese suggested I talk about my writing influences. I figured: "what the heck, I've got nothing else to discuss." And besides that, if you're reading this collection of random ramblings you might want to know about who I can think can rub two words together the best. (Then again maybe not, but I'm nearing 100 followers and figure I've got some breathing room.)
To say my writing influences are many and varied is kind of like saying Thai food is spicy. If you've never tried Thai food, you really really need to. Pad Thai is my favorite dish -- with peanuts and shrimp and rice noodles -- oh so very good. Excuse me while I clean the drool off my keyboard.
Anyway, in the interest of time (and word count), I'm limiting myself to the five major authors that I can say most influenced my style. The reason for this is mostly because these are the authors that I've read multiple books from; every book I've read influenced me, but these five writers more so than others. So here goes:
Glen Cook
Glen Cook is well-known among fantasy readers as the author of The Black Company series of books, among other military fantasy stories. His recent series, The Instrumentalities of the Night, takes place in a world torn apart by religious factionalism and battling against the forces of the Old Gods for control of civilization. The Night, in this context, is the darkness of the Old Gods and their agents.
Cook's fantasy has been described as "Vietnam War fiction on peyote" by several reviewers, and is some of the sparest, tautest writing you'll ever see in a fantasy novel. Heck, the only reason you even know you're reading a fantasy story is because he talks about gods and magic. Pull Else Tage, the hero of the Instrumentalities books, out and drop him in Arabia of the Middle Ages and boom you've got historical fiction.
I've borrowed a lot of Cook's sparse writing style, particularly for fight scenes and for my more militaristic characters. He's one of those authors who's never written a massive bestseller, and yet has quietly changed the face of fantasy fiction irreversibly.
David and Leigh Eddings
The husband and wife team of David and Leigh Eddings wrote the Belgariad and Mallorean cycles -- both about ancient prophecies and how sometimes no matter what you do the prophecy comes true. Their characters carry a uniformly biting wit and refuse to let the main character get away with any sort of childish silliness. Their characters Belgarath the sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara, served as both guides and "controllers" for the main character of both novels -- Garion, who was Polgara's many-times great nephew, and Belgarath's many-times great grandson.
The Eddingses created one of my all-time favorite redeemed hero characters too -- a thief named Althalus, who ended up saving his world from a dread god's servants with the help of the goddess of fertility (who would later become his wife).
Most every fantasy fan has read either The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings or C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia as their introduction to the genre. I'm no different. Tolkien was my first introduction into the wonderful world that fantasy opened up, and I've never looked back. If you want a world of brave warrior kings and hallowed halls of ancient law standing against encroaching darkness, then you could do much worse than Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
King's The Dark Tower series has offered a lot of the dark flavor my writing's taken on in recent years. Prior to when I started reading those stories, I tried to focus too strongly on the "good" side of the good guys and on the "bad" side of the bad guys. Now, after reading those stories, I find myself much more interested in the darkness and light that all sides have.
You'll notice that Moriah, my heroine in CALLARION AT NIGHT, is not the nicest person in the world. She's been betrayed one too many times to keep putting herself out there, or so she thinks, and keeps people at an arm's distance through her (admittedly) bad attitude. She is a hero though, and will do heroic things to save those that need it. Like Roland Deschain, except without the whole letting a boy die because saving him would deter you from your goal thing.
And now we come to the grandmaster of humorous fantasy. Pratchett's Discworld novels are some of the few that I reread over and over again. He lovingly skewers the tropes of fantasy and science fiction, with a skill borne only from someone who knows the styles and cliches backwards and forwards. His sarcastic brilliance has influenced my own snarky characters, and I plan on using Ponder Stibbons as a basis (along with Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who) for the revamped hero of SON OF MAGIC.
I thought I could write mystery stories for awhile, and for that I place the blame squarely at Sir Conan Doyle's feet. I devoured the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was younger, loving every adventure of Holmes and Doctor Watson. Still now, if you hand a book that even obliquely attempts to mimic the Sherlock Holmes stories I will read it quicker than you can say Banana Biscuit.
Conan Doyle's sparsity and logical thrust had a massive influence on my own. Because of his writing, probably more than any other, I find myself leaving out more details than I put in. Of course, later authors have helped to mitigate that tendency. In particular, King, Cook, and Pratchett have crafted tremendously vibrant worlds. In fact, it was Pratchett's detailed description of how much food Ankh-Morporkians consume on a daily basis that really struck home how hard it was to create a fictional city (I think it was in Night Watch he did this; unfortunately I don't have the book in front of me).
So there you go, dear readers, the five primary influences on my writing style. Other authors that I've adopted things from have included Cherie Priest, Simon R. Green, Jim Butcher, China Mieville, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Gail Carriger, and Brian Jacques. And then of course there's the fantastic writers, both pubbed and unpubbed, that I've met through the blogosphere. There are far too many to name.
Posted by Matthew Delman at 7:58 AM 11 comments Links to this post
Labels: Writing Influences
Steampunk Mass Communications
A lot of Steampunk takes place in the latter half of the 19th Century, or possibly the very early days of the 20th. As such, one of the things that takes prominent position -- especially for those stories in the 1890s/1900s -- is the concept of improved mass communication. In The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, which takes place in the 1850s, mass communication innovation takes the form of a machine that can slap handbills up on walls while the worker rides in comfort inside the body of the machine.
In terms of historical innovations, there are several inventions that improved mass communications far beyond what it was for hundreds of years. These include the telegraph, the radio, and improved printing presses as some of the primary changes happening in the 1800s. In the early portion of the 1800s, we also see the invention of the postal system in Britain and the first stamps issued in 1840 -- invented by a schoolmaster named Rowland Hill. Hill was also the first one to design a system where the price of post was determined by weight instead of size.
Samuel Morse invented the electrical telegraph in 1837 while working at New York University as an artist. Yes, Samuel Morse was an accomplished portrait painter, and worked at NYU teaching students how to paint while he also perfected his design for the telegraph. He would eventually receive patents from both the United States government and European nations, and permission to build telegraph lines linking major cities around the world.
In 1843, after receiving permission to connect Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, Morse first attempted to lay telegraph wires underground using a machine designed by Ezra Cornell (the founder of Cornell University). However, experiment soon showed that the underground method was unacceptable. Thus, we see Morse deciding to string the wires along poles. Eventually, telegraph wires would become such an integral part of communications in the United States that the Native Americans cut the lines in order to effectively disrupt any and all communication between outposts.
Newspapers also took a quantum leap forward during the mid- to late 1800s. The New York papers realized that the telegraph would change the way people communicated, and were thus early adopters of the technology. Also at this time, we see Robert Hoe's invention of a double-cylinder, steam-powered printing press that exponentially increased the number of broadsheets a newspaper could print. Then, in 1845, his son Richard developed the rotary press. This steam-driven rotary press could produce 100,000 newspapers per hour, a 250 times improvement over traditional hand-cranked presses.
A second, but no less important, innovation that affected newspapers and communication in general was the typewriter. For the first time, people didn't have to rely on hand-written documentation (which as we all know can be nigh unreadable depending on penmanship). In 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes, in collaboration with Samuel Soule and Carlos Glidden, invented the first usable typewriter.
However, the initial machine was prone to mistakes and could break easily. Eventually James Densmore, an investor, bought Soule and Glidden out, and he and Sholes built several machines in succession to perfect the device. Densmore and Sholes offered the machine to Remington in 1873, who would eventually purchase the patents after the machine was perfected.
By the 1880s then, we have the telegraph, the improved printing press, and an actual postal system that are connecting the world. Move into the 1890s and the early 1900s, and we see Guglielmo Marconi and the invention of wireless telegraphy, which would change the communications landscape yet again. (But that's an entirely different post).
Anyway, what does all this mean for Steampunk? Well, it means several things. First off, you've got a vast array of communications technologies to play with. No television yet, but motion pictures arose in the late 19th Century, and Gibson and Sterling had a kinotrope that was used as a rudimentary projector for presentations.
As with most Steampunk then, you can take these inventions -- printing presses, radio, telegraphs, etc -- and turn them into some sort of entertaining blend of mechanics to craft an innovation that makes sense for your world. Case in point: in CALLARION AT NIGHT, there's a device called a Wireless Aetheric Communicator. Could I have called it a radio? Probably, but that wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining.
Labels: Steampunk, Steampunk Technology
Karl Marx and His Theories
Hal Draper (1914-1990), who was a leading Karl Marx scholar in the U.S., once remarked that "there are few thinkers in modern history whose thought has been so badly misrepresented, by Marxists and anti-Marxists alike." Draper's magnum opus, in fact, was a complete and total re-evaluation of Marxist theory based on extensive study of the writings of both Marx and Friedrich Engels. He eventually postulated the theory of "socialism from below" -- from the working class -- as perhaps the purest form of Marxism.
Karl Marx was born in Prussia in 1818, the son of a lawyer who converted from Judaism to Lutheranism in order to advance his career. Unfortunately, that's pretty much all that's known about Marx's childhood. He was married in 1843 to Jenny von Westphalen. The couple had seven children, but only three survived to adulthood. Perhaps the most interesting part of Marx's life is that his main source of support was from Engels, who drew an ever-increasing income from the family business in England. Marx supplemented this income by writing weekly articles for the New York Daily Tribune for a short time in 1851.
Marx's theories on social evolution were based on several things (from Wikipedia):
Hegel's dialectical method and historical orientation;
the classical political economy of Adam Smith and David Ricardo;
French socialist and sociological thought, in particular the thought of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier;
earlier German philosophical materialism, particularly that of Ludwig Feuerbach
the solidarity with the working class of Friedrich Engels
Marx eventually composed what became known as a "materialist conception of history." This idea is based on the thought that humanity enters into a series of certain productive relations throughout different eras. These relations involve hunting and gathering, master and serf, capitalist and laborer, etc, which then give rise to a certain form of social consciousness. "He maintained that: 'It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness. . . .' (VictorianWeb.org)
One of the more interesting things about Marx is that he advocated social revolution of the masses to move toward his ideal society. He recognized capitalism as a necessary historical step, but did not see it as sustainable because it took too many things from too many people while giving too much to too few. Marx envisioned socialism as the first step after capitalism, where the government allocated resources to everyone and then, when the government was no longer needed, it would disband.
Human nature, however, very much gets in the way of this process. People in power tend to like being in power, and thus make many moves that keep them there. For object lessons, take a look at the numerous "Marxist" governments around the world today. Marx himself was disgusted by these variations on his work, and refused to acknowledge them as anything less than pedantic tripe.
In fact, Marx wrote letters in 1883 "to the French labour leader Jules Guesde and to Paul Lafargue (Marx’s son-in-law) — both of whom claimed to represent Marxist principles — accusing them of 'revolutionary phrase-mongering' and of denying the value of reformist struggle (Wikipedia)." These letters gave rise to the now-famous declaration that "If that is Marxism, then I am no Marxist."
What does the study of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and their theories offer to Steampunk writers? Flavor more than anything, particularly for those writers who play in First-World Steampunk. Seeing as Marx was a prominent thinker during the timeframe, his socialist thoughts would be read by quite a few people. Maybe even some would be attempting implementation of the theories.
Of course, as with any political theory, the more interesting side for writers is how it can go wrong rather than how it can go right.
Labels: Karl Marx, Random Historical Nonsense
A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! By Harry Harrison
Published also as Tunnel Through the Deeps, Harry Harrison's alternate history about the 1970s, A Translatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! was first serialized in Analog magazine beginning in April 1972. With Michael Moorcock's Nomad of the Time Streams series, this is one of the first novels to be considered Steampunk in tone.
Like Moorcock's Warlord of the Air, Harrison's A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! takes place on a world parallel to our own. On Harrison's fictional world, the American Revolution was halted in its infancy and George Washington executed as a traitor to the Empire. However, where many writers would mark that as the point of divergence between our world and the world of the story, Harrison's divergence point occurs several centuries earlier than the late 1700s.
Harrison postulates that Spain never emerged as a world power because the Moors were never booted from the Iberian peninsula. He accomplishes this by having the Moors win the Battle of Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Because of this, the Catholic states in Spain never allied under Aragon and Castille. This then extended to Columbus never getting his funding for the cross-Atlantic voyage in 1492 and left the way open for John Cabot to discover America instead.
This would eventually translate into Britain dominating both North and South America, and creating a worldwide empire of such power and magnitude that it could do pretty much whatever it wanted. From Harrison's 1976 article explaining the genesis of the story:
"Now the idea of the transatlantic tunnel became exciting -- and possible. With the English explorers opening up all of South, Central and North America, as well as India and all the rest, the power of the empire would have been incredible. The African colonies of the other European colonists could be picked off one by one if needs be. If the European countries united early enough they might have stopped the growing British strength, but in my book they never got around to it. Divide and rule is the name of the game, so the European states still exist and monarchy is the rule, with all the royal families united -- as they once were -- and the power of Britain behind each one if needs be."
With this newfound strength on the part of Britain, can you see why the American Revolution failed so utterly in Harrison's world? Which of course immediately brings up the hero of the novel -- Augustine Washington, the descendant of George, who wants to clear his ancestor's name. Gus works with Sir Isambard Brassey-Brune, the descendant of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, on the project of building a Transatlantic tunnel between the heart of the Empire and its far-flung North American colonies.
The story is Neo-Victorian in that it takes Victorian ideals and technologies and places them squarely in the 1970s. Harrison discovered the novel had to be this way based on research he did over the course of a five-year period. He also figured out that he couldn't write a Victorian novel straight, and thus had to make it either humorous or at the very least a parody. Except ... according to the people in the fictional world, the novel would be taken at face value. We, on the other hand, would laugh at the differences -- the burned-out Mount Vernon and the paltry Washington house next to it, secondary characters such as detective Richard Tracy and the minor Royal British Intelligence executive J.E. Hoover.
Through the course of the story, we see coal-powered flying machines among the vast array of late Victorian high technology that makes up part of the Steampunk aesthetic. In addition, we also have a classic tale of engineering that fits quite nicely in with the science aspect of Steampunk novels. As a result of this, and the language of the novel, Harrison fits into the proto-Steampunk canon quite nicely.
Labels: Harry Harrison, Steampunk Books
How I Know What Preserved Frog Guts Taste Like -- My Embarrassing Moment
I place all the blame for this squarely at the feet of one of four women -- Kari Lynn Dell, Tawna Fenske, Susan Adrian, or Linda Grimes.
So, Tawna and Susan today posted on their blogs about some of their most embarrassing moments. Tawna's moment about throwing up in her underwear was pleasantly hysterical, and Susan's rapid-fire embarrassing stories had me fairly well laughing the whole way through. Since Kari Lynn Dell suggested we make it a blog tour, I figured "what the heck? I have no shame left anyway."
Picture, if you will, me in seventh-grade science class. That was the year that we did our first dissections -- Life Sciences was the intro to Biology, which we took sophomore year -- and one of the assignments was to dissect a preserved frog.
Well, yours truly being the awkward smarty-pants 13-year-old that he was, was plugging along with his group pinning back and cutting free the pieces of the frog. I've always loved doing dissections (kind of morbid, I know, but this me we're talking about).
So there I am, awkward, trying to impress the girls in my group (Again: I was 13), and we get assigned by the teacher to blow air into the frog's lungs so we can see them inflate. We were to insert an eye-dropper down the frog's throat and blow. My team chooses me to blow into the eye-dropper, and so we shove the eye-dropper down the frog's gullet.
I take a deep breath and blow, only to have nothing happen. What did I do next you might ask? Take my mouth away, inhale another deep breath and try again, right?
Weeell ... you're half right.
I did take another deep breath. But I ... umm ... kind of forgot to take my mouth off the end of the eye-dropper.
Lo and behold, I get a full-on mouthful of preserved frog guts. Two things happened next -- I hear an "ewwww" from the girls, and I run out of the room to scrub my tongue clean of frog guts. Then I had to go back to class and well, yeah, suffice to say that if the girls in my class already thought me a dweeb they now also thought me a gross dweeb.
And that's just my favorite embarrassing moment out of the myriad in my repertoire.
Posted by Matthew Delman at 4:46 PM 12 comments Links to this post
Labels: Blog Tour, Blogs
REPOST: Books vs. Movies
This post on the differences between books and movies based on books originally appeared on July 20, 2009. I'm reposting it now because I've been thinking about this again lately, and wanted to reference it without rehashing my thoughts (which haven't changed).
I saw the newest Harry Potter movie yesterday, and I got to thinking afterward about the differences between books and movies. J.K. Rowling's books are a perfect guinea pig here because both the books and movies are wildly popular, so a wide swath of the population will see the movies after reading the books and go "wait a second here, they cut x, y, and z out."
That's enough of a lead-in I think, so onto the discussion (read: my thoughts). Books are, by their nature, more detailed than movies. Think about it ... a movie can be at most 2 to 2 1/2 hours long. Any lengthier and people tend to stop paying attention (Lord of the Rings notwithstanding) and begin wondering when they're going to be able to go home. These same people may happily spend 12 hours reading a book however, and there's usually enough detail in the really good stories to keep the average reader entertained for at least that long, between the multiple subplots and supporting character motivations that thread most novels.
Movies can focus on one, maybe two storylines at any given point. Books can have as many subplots and tangents as you the writer can shove into 300 pages, and have those subplots be woven into the fabric of the main story. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the novel does this several times: Remus and Tonks' romance, Fleur and Bill getting engaged, Harry and Ginny getting together, Kreacher is gone, so is anything about 12 Grimmauld Place, and an entire bit with Dobby gets lost. The scriptwriter of the movie decided, rightly, that we want to mostly see the story directly involving the Golden Trio. But to do that, the scriptwriter was forced to cut out huge swathes of the book, losing a lot of the rich characterization those subplots afforded.
Side note: Joe Queenan over at The Guardian wrote an article recently about movie novelizations and how they work (link taken from Pimp My Novel -- thank you Laura and Eric!).
I'm not saying books are better than movies, and if this post came across that way I apologize. Both forms of storytelling have their pros and cons, and there's something magical about watching your favorite books come to life on the big screen (anyone else think Dumbledore looked cool in the scene with the Inferi?) that can't be described. So in the end, movies made from books will almost inevitably leave things out in order to translate the story from one medium to another.
Doesn't mean it's bad. Just means it's different.
Labels: Books, Harry Potter, Movies, Writing Thoughts
What is This Thing Called Steampunk Anyway?
Steampunk, in its most simple definition, is a type of fiction that places contemporary technology in the Victorian Era with Coal (and thus Steam) as the primary power source instead of Gas or Electricity.
Wikipedia defines it as "works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used — usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era Britain — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy." Mike Perschon, The Steampunk Scholar, calls it "an aesthetic that mixes elements of technofantasy, and neo-Victorian retrofuturism."
At Free the Princess, I subscribe to both definitions. Defining Steampunk isn't my concern though: telling you the information needed to write it is. And here I give you this practical literary guide to writing Steampunk. The guide may occasionally deviate into commentary on events in the community, but hopefully not too often.
Visit The Steampunk Writers Guild
The Secret Society of the Allierati
Oh yeah ... we're here
Visit Steampunk Empire
Fellow Writers (and Authors)
A Walk In My Shoes
Stephanie Thornton
Author's Echo
Finding What Works for You
My Life Is (In) A Zoo
Life Update: The Title of This Blog No Longer Applies (Sort Of) Edition
The Public Query Slushpile
QUERY: THE TALISMANS OF SUMER
My Daley Rant
My Unprofessional Bio
Natalie Bahm
Your Unique Writing Journey
Laura's Simple Pleasures
Thoughtful Thursday: A Slew of Firsts in Yellowstone
C'MERE says K. Marie Criddle
It's the most wonderful time of the COUGH HACK..I'm okay...
Bane's Blogging Blues
Stephanie Damore
Update time!
The Literary Lab
Unhinged...Seriously
RENEE PINNER
One Mystake at a Tyme
A dead man fell from the sky...
Fellow Aetheric Travelers in Steampunk
Alex Keller
Author Gail Carriger - Hail the Victorious Parasol
Caught in the Cogs
Dr. Johann von Lithos
Mystice Pieces: Time Traveling Jewelry
S.S. Icarus
Steam Century
Steampunk Empire
Steampunk Scholar
The Wandering Legion
The WriteRunner
Tom Slatter
Matthew Delman
William F Hayek
The Concept Market
conceptmarket
The Secret Archives of the Alliterati
Friends, loyal countrymen/women, Alliteratus, lend me your ears
Gear Bits and Clockwork
Leprechauns Eat Unicorns
Princess Freers Extraordinaire
Publishing Blogs
Things to leave out of your query
Complicated questions for sophisticated writers: Short Stories- how do you make them SHORT!
This week in books 7/14/17
The Rejecter
Pub Rants
Pub Rants Has Moved!!
a very happy New Years update!
Editorial Anonymous
My First App
Editorial Ass
How much does an agent cost?
The Swivet [Colleen Lindsay]
And the winner of the Kelly Gay/Alan DeNiro book set is:
How I Know What Preserved Frog Guts Taste Like -- ...
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Barbourula
kalimantanensis
Barbourula kalimantanensis
Kalimantan Stream Frog
Barbourula kalimantanensis is the sole representative of the family Bombinatoridae on the island of Borneo. The species was described first in 1978 by Iskandar, and until recently was known from only two specimens. A second species, B. busuangensis, is known from the Palawan group of islands of the Philippines.
Barbourula kalimantanensis is strange-looking: it belongs to an archaic family of frogs with many primitive character states in their anatomy, but on the other hand, shows extensive adaptations for an aquatic mode of life in streams.
The reproductive mode and most aspects of its ecology and physiology remain unknown. It is reported to be the only frog species in the world that lacks lungs.
Size of adults: approx. 70 mm
The rare images of living specimens on this web page were kindly provided by ©Dr. Tan Heok Hui of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Singapore and by Lars Fehlandt.
Bornean Bombinatorids
Joomla Templates: from JoomlaShack
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Home > Format >
Bright Young Things
Original album - Format
Producer - Chris Zippel, Pet Shop Boys
Subsequent albums - Release 2017 reissue Further Listening 2001-2004 bonus disc
Other releases - bonus track with single "Numb"
British actor, comedian, writer, and (now) director Stephen Fry asked the Pet Shop Boys to record two songs for his 2003 film Bright Young Things. This track was to have been the title song, but the film's producers decided against using it, opting instead to use period music exclusively. (Incidentally, the other song that Neil and Chris are reported to have recorded for the project is a cover of the Noël Coward classic "The Party's Over Now," which does indeed coincide with the period in which the story is set.) Although an unauthorized audio demo circulated briefly on the Internet soon after it was recorded, it had to wait several years for official release. Neil had stated on the official PSB website that "Bright Young Things" might yet be released as one of the bonus tracks on a single from Fundamental. The "Numb" single provided that opportunity, with the released track boasting a somewhat more elaborate arrangement than the aforementioned demo.
The film—a dark, satiric comedy loosely based on Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel Vile Bodies—concerns a "smart set" of fashionable young Brits living a wild life of parties, booze, and free sex in the period between the two world wars. The label "Bright Young Things," used in the novel but hardly original with Waugh, was often used by contemporaries to collectively describe this set of trendy but aimless youth. (Thanks, by the way, to Jeff Durst for providing information about Waugh and Vile Bodies. I must confess that I've never read the book myself.)
The PSB song bears in many ways a marked similarity to one of their other soundtrack numbers, "Nothing Has Been Proved" (from the film Scandal), most noticeably in the way that its lyrics refer cryptically (from the perspective of anyone who hasn't seen the movie) to various characters in the story, providing tantalizing "snapshots" of their attitudes and actions. It's obvious that these are people who lead lives of scarcely concealed desperation, partying ceaselessly to escape their troubles. ("Sometimes a party's a port in a storm.") Neil's omniscient narrator seems to pity them—"flying," as it were, "on chemical wings"—but it's only an impression; he's too subtle and skillful a lyricist to come right out and say so unambiguously.
Again like "Nothing Has Been Proved," the music could be described as a "slow burn," starting out softly but ominously, building in intensity, employing shifting rhythms (at times noticeably faster in tempo than in the original demo) to evoke different moods while working its way toward several cathartic climaxes. Neil uses his "low voice," à la "Birthday Boy," to add to the overall air of foreboding.
By the way, it's interesting to note the reference in the lyrics to "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," a 1915 romantic standard that would surely be quite familiar to the characters Neil is singing about. Another of Neil's lines from the song, "Nancy's got a monkey on a silver chain," has its origins not with the novel but rather with a letter written by Waugh at around the same time, describing someone he observed "with a pet monkey on a silver harness." Neil has said that "Nancy" is Nancy Cunard, a British writer and activist who was indeed part of that betwixt-the-wars "smart set." And the line about a character named Stephen—who, after all, has a camera—could be an "in joke" reference to the film's director, Mr. Fry himself. But, as one of my site visitors insightfully noted, later confirmed by Neil himself in the Format booklet, it more directly alludes to Stephen Tennant (1906-87), another prominent "bright young thing" who is generally recognized as having served as one of the models for Sebastian Flyte in Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Given their common surnames (though no relation), could Neil resist?
This song was written for (but, as it turns out, wasn't actually used in) the 2003 film of the same name, which itself is loosely based on the Evelyn Waugh 1930 novel Vile Bodies. The title phrase appears repeatedly in the novel, but otherwise the lyrics have little or nothing to do with the book. The term "bright young things" (used alternately with "bright young people") was coined by the London tabloid press of the 1920s to refer to youthful urban socialites of the period.
As briefly touched upon above, the names mentioned in the song—Lucy, Boy, Nancy, and Stephen—are not those of characters in the film Bright Young Things or the Waugh novel on which it's based. They have other sources, some real-life and others fictional. Again, "Nancy" was inspired by writer/activist Nancy Cunard, and "Stephen" alludes to Stephen Tennant. "Boy" could have been inspired by a relatively minor character (Viscount "Boy" Mulcaster) in another, better-known Waugh novel, Brideshead Revisited. "Lucy" is the most problematic of the bunch, although it could have been inspired by the character of Lucy Simmonds in Waugh's unfinished novel Work Suspended. Then again, it's possible (but doubtful) that Neil chose the name Lucy more or less at random.
"Sometimes a party's a port in a storm" – A "port in a storm" is an old English-language metaphorical expression that refers to the fact that, in stormy weather, a ship and its crew are generally much safer docked at port rather than afloat on the rough, open sea. So this line suggests that a party can provide temporary shelter—or at least the temporary illusion of shelter—from the worries and cares of "the real world."
"Listen, a nightingale sings in Berkeley Square" – The popular song “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a romantic standard written in 1915 that has been performed by numerous artists. Its biggest hit rendition was in 1940 by the Glenn Miller Band. Its allusion in "Bright Young Things" serves largely to help "set the period." Berkeley Square is an actual place, a town square in London's West End. Once a fashionable residential area, it's now mostly commercial, though there remains one highly sought-after residential block.
"… flying on chemical wings" – The chemical in question is most likely alcohol, although cocaine was a popular enough drug in the 1920s and '30s to earn a notorious mention in Cole Porter's 1934 song "I Get a Kick Out of You." Other recreational drugs are certainly possible as well.
Mixer: Chris Zippel
Album/b-side version (4:55)
Also on one of the "Further Listening" bonus discs accompanying the 2017 Release reissue
Mixer: [unknown at this time]
Demo (4:26)
On one of the "Further Listening" bonus discs accompanying the 2017 Release reissue
Real places mentioned by name in PSB songs
Real people mentioned by name or title in PSB lyrics
PSB tracks that contain samples of other artists' music (a "negation" entry that refutes alleged sampling)
Pop songs mentioned by title in the lyrics of PSB songs
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Once more on left reformism: A reply to Ed Rooksby
Posted on 9th January 2014 by ISJ
Paul Blackledge
Ed Rooksby’s response to the Socialist Workers Party’s criticisms of left reformism is exemplary both in its aim and its tone.1 I hope that my reply matches the standards he set. In essence, Ed suggests that the SWP’s conception of left reformism is akin to the claim that all cats are grey in the dark; it says more about our perspective than it does about the variety of political formations we criticise. Indeed, Ed accepts many of the specific criticisms we make of older left reformist political formations, but claims that we err in a sectarian direction by assuming that these criticisms can be generalised to more recent political tendencies. If true, Ed’s argument would amount to a devastating critique of our interpretation of Marxism. In what follows I’ll try to show that this analysis is in fact misconceived, and that our criticisms both of left reformism and of the kind of centrist arguments presented by Ed are indispensable to the long-term viability of the socialist left at the present conjuncture.
The core of our argument is that the term left reformism is analytically useful because it allows us to make sense of a whole range of movements that, despite their concrete differences, are united by two common threads. First, they have emerged as organisational expressions of a highly welcome leftist reaction to mainstream social democracy’s embrace of austerity and war. Second, however, these formations have not extricated themselves from the limitations that beset traditional social democratic practices. Consequently, though we welcome these initiatives and enthusiastically work alongside people involved in them and may even join coalitions with them if and when we judge this to be propitious, it would be wrong for us to liquidate ourselves into these formations.
If the validity of our criticism of the limitations of left reformism is most obvious, to take local examples, in the case of Unite leader Len McCluskey’s utopian aim of “reclaiming Labour”, it is also true of formations such as Left Unity and the People’s Assembly. Indeed Left Unity and the project to reclaim Labour can be conceived as two sides of the same coin. Both see Old Labour through rose-tinted spectacles, but disagree about how to recreate something in its mould. Though this is most apparent on Unite’s website, where the union commits itself to a project of “winning a Labour government which will govern in the interests of working people and towards a socialism for the 21st century”,2 Left Unity’s project is based upon similar foundations. Thus in their original appeal for a new party of the left, Ken Loach, Kate Hudson and Gilbert Achcar operate with a simplistic contrast between “Labour’s past achievements” and its more recent “embrace [of] cuts and privatisation”.3 If Loach et al at least recognise that the Labour Party isn’t ever going to be much use as a vehicle for socialist advance, like McCluskey they do not begin to address the question of why Old Labour failed and how it morphed into its present state. This is an important issue because the record of Labour in office is, notwithstanding Loach’s attempt to mythologise the 1945-51 Labour government, a history of dreams betrayed.4 Meanwhile the People’s Assembly has effectively tried to tie the fortunes of the anti-austerity movement to leftist sections of the same trade union bureaucracy, including pre-eminently McCluskey, that remain the (essentially conservative) social basis of the (Old and New) Labour Party.5
These limitations begin to explain why, as the SWP, we do not liquidate ourselves into these organisations. This is not because we believe either that reforms cannot be won through parliament or that the union leaders will never lead fights. Rather it is because we recognise that alongside their positive anti-austerity politics, these new formations tend to reproduce the weaknesses that undermined traditional social democracy in the first place.
Traditional social democracy failed as a vehicle for socialism for two main reasons. First, trade unions generate bureaucracies that tend to institutionalise workers’ struggles within capitalism. Rooted in negotiations over the terms and conditions of the sale of labour power, these bureaucracies are essentially reformist in nature. This means that their vision of a better world tends to be of a better version of capitalism, and by narrowing the parameters of change in this way they tend to function as a conservative force within the labour movement. Second, social democratic parties emerged as the political expression of this type of reformism. At their best they aimed to win radical progressive change through the state. But as I pointed out in my article in International Socialism 139, the belief that socialism can issue from this kind of project underestimates the strength of the ties between states and capital.
Now of course, as Ed writes, reforms are possible and the class struggle mediates the exact contours of these possible reforms. But it is a big and unjustifiable leap to move from this claim to the utopian belief that a socialist transition could be executed through a strategy that has at its centre the goal of capturing parliament. This is in large part because the structural interdependence between states and capital means that states rely for their reproduction on the health of the underlying capitalist economy. What is more, their key institutions function to reproduce these structures: the Treasury, the armed forces, the judiciary, the police, etc are organisations built to maintain, not to challenge, capitalist relations of production. Taken together these considerations mean that in the event of an electoral victory, any socialist party that attempts to bring about radical social change will have to confront the fact that it will control the government, not the state. And state institutions are not only designed to maintain healthy capitalist social relations, because they rely for their continued functioning on a healthy capitalist economy it is also the case that these institutions are largely staffed by people who think that maintaining these capitalist relations is the right and proper thing to do. Indeed, when seen from the perspective of the state, politics tends to naturalise capitalist parameters of change, and this standpoint has informed generations of social democratic retreats from radical aspirations to support for austerity and war.
Unfortunately, because left reformist formations share social democracy’s orientation to change through the existing state machinery, they tend to reproduce social democracy’s naturalisation of the capitalist parameters of politics. This is reflected in the way left reformists typically operate, as I wrote in my original article, with weak accounts of the failures of social democracy. In place of deep structural analyses of these failings, left reformist currents instead tend towards various superficial and descriptive criticisms of traditional social democratic politics. A parallel weakness is evident in leading Left Unity member Kate Hudson’s The New European Left. Though this book includes descriptions of the failings of some previous left reformist initiatives, Hudson does not offer anything amounting to an adequate explanation of these failings.6 Unfortunately, the political consequence of this type of superficial critique is a tendency to repeat past mistakes. Thus it is that recent developments with Syriza (whose leadership shares with Hudson a background in the Eurocommunist wing of the Communist movement) highlight the fact that the closer these formations come to office the more they tend to reproduce the failings of social democracy.7
In fact, the history of left reformist groups points to the conclusion that, despite emerging as expressions of popular demands for progressive change, they eventually tend to undermine their own social base. Thus from the collapse of the Second International in 1914 through the debacle of Eurosocialism and Eurocommunism in the 1970s and 1980s to the capitulation of the Unite union leadership at Grangemouth in 2013 these political forms have repeatedly undermined the social movements they once fostered.
This is not to say that we merely dismiss these movements, far from it. For instance, in the case of Len McCluskey’s leadership of Unite it is clearly true that over the last few years his leftist rhetoric has helped create a space that is more conducive to socialists and other militants agitating for action than has been the case in unions led by more conservative voices. However, as became glaringly obvious at Grangemouth, there are profound limitations to his brand of leftism. How should socialists relate to him? Plainly, if in the past we had followed those who had focused only on McCluskey’s positive leftist rhetoric we could easily have found ourselves in a situation in which we subsequently became associated with his capitulation. This would have severely undermined our attempts to offer an alternative strategy for the union. Conversely, over the last few years we might have dismissed McCluskey’s leftism by one-sidedly focusing on an expectation of betrayal. The problem with this approach is that it would have acted as a barrier to us working alongside those elements who had become enthused into activity by his leadership. Our approach, by contrast, has been to work alongside McCluskey so long as he fosters workers’ self-activity while maintaining our political independence from him so that we are better positioned to struggle to maintain and extend that self-activity as and when he acts as a brake on it.
A variation on this stance frames our relationship to left reformist groupings more generally. Be it Syriza in Greece, Die Linke in Germany, the Front de Gauche in France or Left Unity in Britain, our aim is to work alongside these formations so long as they encourage workers’ self-activity while recognising that their orientation to reforms within the system will help foster a tendency for them to move from promoting social movements towards acting as a brake on their further development. Generally speaking, our relationship to these groups involves creative applications of the united front tactic. At its heart this method requires a form of political independence that is compatible with participation in left reformist electoral coalitions but which is incompatible with sowing illusions in them.
Unfortunately, Ed’s approach is typical of a strand of leftism that risks sowing such illusions. This is the essence of centrism—the use of radical, and even revolutionary, rhetoric to cover what is effectively a (left) reformist practice. The academic end of this spectrum is characterised, as I noted in my original essay, by a revival of interest in a number of centrist political theorists including, pre-eminently, Nicos Poulantzas. For his part, Ed based the arguments of his initial essay in Socialist Review on related themes from the work of Boris Kagarlitsky.8 However, rather than address the criticisms I made of the way that Kagarlitsky came to apologise for François Mitterrand’s attacks on the French working class in the 1980s, in his article in International Socialism Ed shifts the theoretical focus of his argument from Kagarlitsky to his forebear André Gorz, and in particular Gorz’s strategy of “structural reform”.
Gorz’s strategy, or something like it, became popular in the 1970s and 1980s among a layer of socialists who were looking to give some leftist theoretical weight to what was in effect their reformist practice. In essence, Gorz claimed that it was possible to use the state to institute reforms that differed from mere reformism by being irreversible while simultaneously whetting the appetite of the mass of the population for even deeper reforms.9 If it had worked, this approach would have seen the local variations on the social contract implemented across Europe in the 1970s act as stepping stones to socialism.10 In practice, however, quite the opposite was the case. Any significant reforms instituted by left governments immediately came under pressure from capitalist interests while workers’ movements were disempowered by labour leaders keen to maintain their side of the deal with capital. Indeed, far from acting as a stepping stone to socialism these approaches played a crucial role in weakening the workers’ movement in a way that opened the door to full-blooded neoliberalism.11
Ed not only defends Gorz’s approach, but also claims that the logical conclusion of Alex Callinicos’s discussion of “transitional demands” would lead him and the SWP to similar conclusions about the need for a left government to push for increasingly radical reforms.12 This argument confuses an approach which involves making demands on the state with one that reduces socialism to a statist political project. Ed provides a left gloss to this argument by relating his claim that “the core objective of such a [workers’ or left] government would be to prepare the conditions for the revolutionary seizure of power” to debates at the fourth congress of the Communist International (Comintern).13
It is indeed true that in 1922 the Comintern came to the conclusion that “the slogan of the workers’ government flows unavoidably from the entire united front tactic”.14 Unfortunately, notwithstanding differences between the latest English language translation of the Comintern debates on this issue and earlier translations used by critics of the Comintern’s policy, this argument is utterly confused. Most importantly, the Comintern resolution suggests that: “the entire state apparatus can pass over into the hands of the workers’ government, thus strengthening the power of the working class”.15 Not only does this nonsense betray an utterly simplistic and instrumental conception of state power, but it completely misses the point, as Chris Harman and Tim Potter argued in a fundamental discussion of the concept of a workers’ government first published in 1977, that “the democratic principles on which the government would be based are precisely those of working within the framework laid down by the state—structures designed to make impotent ministers with radical ideas”.16
This problem was to surface when this idea was first tested in practice during the German Revolution. Against his better judgment Heinrich Brandler, the leader of the German Communist Party, was bounced by the Comintern leadership into taking a position in the government of Saxony alongside left social democrats in 1923. This government was clearly a thorn in the side of the authorities in Berlin, and Brandler aimed to turn the defence of it (and a similar government in Thuringia) into a revolutionary opportunity. His idea was that when Berlin’s troops intervened in Saxony the Communist Party would call a general strike to defend the left government and then swiftly move towards insurrection. Though a similar defence of a left government against counter-revolutionary forces had allowed the Bolsheviks to move to a position of challenging for state power in 1917, the way this approach was executed in Germany was characterised by at least three problems.
First, as Brandler himself had warned, with the entry of Communists into the government of Saxony ordinary workers tended to develop illusions in the “workers’ government” rather than rely on their own collective strength. This helped foster passivity just as more action was needed. Second, this problem was compounded by the fact that the leaders of both the Comintern and the German party were confused as to the nature of a workers’ government. Third, to maintain their position within the government the Communists had to formalise a political alliance with the left social democrats, who, despite their fine rhetoric, were not revolutionaries. These problems came to a head in October 1923 when troops loyal to Berlin moved into Saxony. Brandler expected the left social democrats to support his call for a general strike to defend the government against this military threat. But, ever the compromisers, the social democrats threatened to resign from government if Brandler made the strike call. To maintain the unity of the left government he thus called off the strike, and with it the plan for insurrection. So despite having a real possibility of a victorious revolution in their grasp, the German Communist Party gave up without a fight and the German Revolution ended not with a bang but with a whimper.17
The way the Bolsheviks had approached things in 1917 was fundamentally different. As Tony Cliff points out, though the Bolsheviks stood against Kornilov’s proto-fascist coup that threatened Kerensky’s left reformist government, they did so without actually offering any political support to the government itself. This meant that the Bolsheviks never compromised their ability to act independently.18 The principles underlying this approach inform Alex Callinicos’s position that “the anti-capitalist movement should not be afraid of putting demands on states, but it should maintain its independence of them”.19
Moreover, Alex’s position is at one with Harman and Potter’s discussion of the idea of a workers’ government. In this article they denied neither that left parties could win government nor that they would never introduce significant reforms. Given that I made a similar point in International Socialism 139, Ed’s discussion of Fred Block and the possibility of (at least short-term) anti-capitalist reforms is beside the point. The key issue is not whether reforms are possible—of course they are; it is rather how should socialists relate to prospective and actual left governments? The problem with Ed’s formulation—”if the political executive among those state managers was made up of socialists with a transitional perspective, they would be much more likely to respond positively to demands which run counter to the interests of capital”—is that it profoundly underestimates the barriers to socialist advance through the existing state.20
The beginning of an answer to the question of how socialists should relate to a left government flows from an analysis of the dilemma that would be confronted by any government that aimed to introduce radical progressive reforms through the existing state—either cooperate with those elements of the state that demand these reforms be sacrificed, or confront and destroy these parts of the state to maintain the reforms. In this context, Harman and Potter argued convincingly that socialists would be most effective if they maintained their independence from a left government. Political independence would allow socialists to support any progressive reforms without tying them to political formations whose relationship to the state would tend to pull them to the right.
This point is of the first importance. Though examples of left parties moving to the right after winning elected office in a bourgeois parliament are legion, there are no examples of the opposite where a left government has acted as a stepping stone towards the socialist reconstruction of society.21 So, while Ed’s alternative of joining the government sounds reasonable, historical experience suggests that to do so would have devastating consequences for the left. Moreover, it is not only the case that the elected deputies of left governments tend to be pulled to the right; the same is true of the base of such parties. Indeed, it is at those moments of crisis when it is of the utmost necessity for the base of left reformist parties to break with their parliamentary leaders that the left tends to come under intense pressure not to do this for fear of creating an electoral opportunity the right could exploit. This is one reason why it makes sense to create an alternative pole of attraction earlier rather than later. And if we are wrong and Ed’s more optimistic scenario for a left government pans out, an independent socialist party could easily play the role of what Lenin called a “loyal opposition” to such a government.22 Indeed, because the focus of a revolutionary party will be on building roots within the working class it will be better able to deliver meaningful solidarity than will a primarily electoral organisation.
If it is a great strength of Harman and Potter’s article that it orients socialists to the agency capable of withstanding attacks from capital, it also points to a possible solution to the question of how to relate to radical electoral coalitions prior to the formation of such governments. In both instances the most important question to answer is: Does participation foster or retard the movement from below? It is because the experience of (left) reformist parties and governments is one of eventual betrayal of the movements from which they arose that we insist on maintaining our independence from them, even if we might give support over particular issues.
The problem with the kind of centrism characteristic of Ed’s essay is that it effectively deploys Marxist terminology to justify a variant rerun of the social contract. Whichever theorist is employed in this way, the use of Marxian rhetoric to cover what is in essence a reformist practice has in the past tended to drag the socialist left into the mire alongside more explicitly reformist currents. Regrettably, this approach is characteristic not merely of Ed’s argument; it also applies to the perspectives of those associated with a number of recent splits from the SWP including Counterfire, the International Socialist Group and the International Socialist Network. In each case, revolutionary rhetoric sits alongside an increasingly rightist political perspective. For instance the People’s Assembly, launched by comrades around Counterfire, has effectively tried to tie the anti-austerity movement to the left bureaucracy of the trade union movement generally and to McCluskey more specifically in a way that has left them ill-positioned to stand against McCluskey when he acts as a barrier to action.23 This general approach has recently been defended by Unite’s chief of staff Andrew Murray in an article published in the Socialist Register.24 And though Murray provides a powerful critique of Left Unity, the fundamental weakness of his alternative—People’s Assembly plus reclaim Labour—has been cruelly highlighted by the Unite leadership’s capitulation at Grangemouth.
Conversely, the International Socialist Group has effectively liquidated itself into the Radical Independence Campaign in Scotland while the decision by the International Socialist Network to join Left Unity has been justified, at least by the most right wing elements in this new formation, through a tacit break with revolutionary politics. Thus Richard Seymour has taken the argument first presented on these pages that “in practice, we are all pursuing ‘left reformist’ agendas” to the absurd conclusion that “we are all reformists”. Moreover, he has done so by reference to one of Alasdair MacIntyre’s reasons for saying goodbye to the working class.25 In a critical review of Paul Foot’s study of Harold Wilson’s politics, MacIntyre claimed that there existed what he called a “law of diminishing socialist returns” according to which “everyone’s actions tend to be to the right of their principles” such that revolutionaries are limited to promoting “genuine left wing reforms”.26
Now, to the extent that revolutionaries operate within united fronts there is an element of truth to this claim. However, Seymour’s approach is innocent of any sense either of how social movements are terrains of struggle in which competing political tendencies (revolutionary and reformist) operate for influence or of how social movements on a large enough scale can open up horizons far beyond the nominal reformism of their original mobilising demands. This is why it is important to remember, as I stressed in my original essay, that the struggle for reforms is very different from either left or right wing reformism. It is not simply that reforms are best won through revolutionary means while reformists tend to undermine these struggles by limiting them to change within the system; it is much more important that the experience of collective struggles for reforms creates a space within which participants can begin to recognise their own power to fight for more radical, indeed revolutionary, change.
It is because all varieties of reformism eventually come to act as a block to this process that revolutionaries must maintain political independence from left as well as right wing reformist tendencies. The differences between Left Unity and the People’s Assembly and the more mainstream attempt to “reclaim Labour” are thus of secondary importance when compared to the more fundamental problems associated with not merely fostering illusions in reformism but in tying the workers’ movement to one or other type of reformist politics. In each case, these formations essentially risk sacrificing the long-term viability of the anti-austerity movement to structurally conservative forms of politics. This is not to say that left parties cannot win elections and form governments—clearly the example of Syriza shows that this is a far from unrealistic possibility. Rather, as I showed in my survey of the historical experience of similar leftist governments and movements, in the long run they have had devastating consequences for the workers’ movement. It is not that they have never introduced significant reforms; it is rather that they sooner or later turn from policing the labour movement to attacking it in the name of “realistic” politics. In this context an independent socialist left is essential both because it is more able to exert pressure on left governments from below and because it is better placed to fight against them if and when they turn to the right.
While this is a Leninist argument, it is nonetheless silly for Ed to claim that we assume “Leninism comprises a series of complete and final truths”.27 Indeed the issue of left government highlights the fact that we are critical of many of the arguments developed within the international socialist movement in Lenin’s time. As I see it, Ed has picked up on one of the weakest aspects of socialist politics from this period while we have broken with it on the basis of Lenin’s more lasting insights. For whatever criticisms we may have of Lenin, it would be disastrous for us to forget his key contributions to Marxism. These include the revival of Marx’s critique of the capitalist state, the argument that socialist politics must be oriented to workers’ power organised through workers’ councils or soviets, and the realisation that this goal could not be won through parties which, despite a raft of radical rhetoric, oriented to winning parliamentary elections. Lenin broke with social democracy in 1914 because the latter had become a bulwark of imperialism. He similarly insisted on a break with centrism because, in practice, centrists reproduced the flaws of social democracy. For her part Rosa Luxemburg pointed to the material roots of this conservatism in the role of the labour and trade union bureaucracy within social democracy.
Clearly an approach which builds upon Lenin’s and Luxemburg’s insights runs the risk of retreating into sectarianism, and there is no doubt that there are a myriad of “Leninist” sects out there touting their “programme”. Nevertheless, the tendency towards sectarianism can be overcome through an approach that stresses the flipside of Lenin and Trotsky’s model of an independent workers’ party: the united front tactic. On this issue, because the context in which socialists operate constantly changes, our concrete application of the united front tactic must similarly change. Apart from anything else this means that we take from Lenin and Trotsky not detailed lessons extracted from their context but rather their generally unsectarian and open methodology. At its core this approach starts from the insight that revolutionary socialists need to build parties that are independent of reformism, but also that for these parties to be anything more than sects they must win their relevance to the movement through engagement in real progressive struggles alongside other forces to their right.
To work with people to our right is an elementary and fundamental aspect of revolutionary politics because, as I argued in my original article, reformism of one form or another is the initial common sense starting point of most social movements; it is the flipside to the more normal forms of apathy that characterise the standpoint of the individual within civil society. But because movements move and because they can involve large collectives of people they potentially create a space within which revolutionary politics can become a real force within society. In this situation it is important also to recognise the limitations of the united front tactic. The united front is in essence a defensive tactic through which broad numbers of people are brought together through a limited demand. The Stop the War slogan, for instance, could pull together much wider layers of activists than an approach which detailed the imperialist nature of the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. However, though an essential mobilising tool, there is an ever present pressure on revolutionaries working within united fronts to accommodate to the dominant reformism of the broader movement. And because agreement must be reached on a wider range of issues this danger is multiplied within “political united fronts”—those coalitions in which revolutionaries might join with forces to their right to help build left electoral alternatives to social democracy. The danger of accommodation to reformism becomes most apparent at moments when shifts in the class struggle require sharp political turns among socialists. Because the united front approach is essentially a defensive tactic, a shift onto a more offensive footing often demands a sharp break with ways of operating that were essential during the preceding united front work.28
This need to move from defensive to offensive tactics means there are potentially catastrophic long-term consequences if revolutionary socialists succumb to the short-term desire to paper over political differences in the name of unity with groups to their right. This is why revolutionaries should enter such coalitions on the understanding that in all probability they will sooner or later have to break with their reformist partners. In this context, perhaps the greatest danger in a political united front is that revolutionaries will be drawn towards the illusion that they can use the state to begin a process of socialist reconstruction. This is the direction that Ed would take us in, and I think the evidence I marshalled in my previous essay alongside Harman and Potter’s analysis of the workers’ government slogan points to the simple fact that to do this would be a disaster for the left. The reason we as revolutionaries have joined electoral coalitions to the left of social democracy is not that we believe that by winning office we might begin the revolutionary reconstruction of society. It is rather that we aim to upset the typical electoral consequence of social democrats attacking their own base—swings to the right and/or to apathy. Our aim has been to give an alternative left voice to the sense of mass disillusionment with social democracy.29
One has only to imagine the positive impact on the political discourse about immigration in Britain today if Respect had gained the kind of foothold on the left that UKIP has on the right to recognise why joining Respect was generally the right approach for the SWP to take. However, had Respect flourished rather than ending in fiasco this would have generated problems of its own. Such a situation would undoubtedly have served to embolden both reformists and revolutionaries within the coalition. On the one hand, this would have probably helped foster a greater confidence to challenge the government’s austerity programme. But, on the other hand, it would also embolden reformist elements within Respect to try to ensure, as seems to have happened in Syriza, that such militancy is curbed as part of a focus on the parliamentary game. Unfortunately, Ed’s argument tends in this direction. And in so doing it illuminates a real danger associated with any strategy that reifies the united front tactic: beneath his revolutionary rhetoric there lies a relatively tame reformist practice.
Our approach, by contrast, is founded on the belief that there are limits to the applicability of the united front tactic, and the concept of a left or workers’ government is well beyond those limits. If a workers’ government seems a long way off in contemporary Britain, the emergence of Left Unity following on the heels of the debacle over Respect alongside more promising developments elsewhere in Europe nonetheless demands that we develop a clear analysis of these left reformist formations. Unfortunately, I believe that if we followed Ed’s advice we would risk liquidating the revolutionary left into a left reformist formation whose project is essentially utopian. The alternative is not to dismiss these formations; it is rather to accept that if we join one it must be as a politically independent group within a coalition. At the moment Left Unity does not allow this, and that is a fundamental weakness. Meanwhile we need to tread a path between sectarianism and accommodating to reformism. This is difficult, but it is essential if we are serious about fighting for the socialist reconstruction of society.
1: Rooksby, 2013b; see also Blackledge, 2013a; Thomas, 2013; Molyneux, 2013; Callinicos, 2012, and Callinicos, 1999, and Harman, 2004, for earlier formulations.
2: Formby, 2011.
3: Loach, Hudson and Achcar, 2013.
4: See, for instance, Miliband, 1972; Coates, 1975; Cliff and Gluckstein, 1996.
5: Snowden, 2013.
6: Hudson, 2012; see my review of this book-Blackledge, 2013b.
7: Kampagiannis, 2013.
8: Rooksby, 2013a.
9: Gorz, 1975.
10: The social contract was one of a number of deals between capital and labour as mediated through the trade unions on the one side and social democratic and Communist parties on the other-Blackledge, 2013a, p47.
11: Blackledge, 2013a. I heard the sad news of Nelson Mandela’s death when I was completing this article. Despite his personal heroism, the awful truth is that since it came to power in 1994 the ANC’s social contract like policies have acted exactly as I suggest above-helping make South Africa one of the most unequal nations on Earth (Ashman and others, 2011, p177).
12: The term transitional demand was used by Trotsky to describe the kind of concrete demand that, while rooted in the immediate needs of ordinary people struggling within capitalism, opened a space to push beyond these limits to a more general struggle against capitalism (Hallas 1979, p104).
13: Rooksby, 2013b, p99.
14: Riddell, 2011, p1159.
16: Harman and Potter, 2010, p94.
17: Harman, 1982, pp254-260; 273-291; Broué, 2005, pp791-816; Hallas, 1985, pp73-74.
18: Cliff, 1987, p386.
19: Callinicos, 2003, p140, see also Callinicos, 2010.
21: There are, however, numerous examples of governments instituting reforms that lead in a more statist direction that have been supported by many on the left in the mistaken conflation of socialism with state capitalism. This is why the theory of state capitalism retains its importance to this day (see Harman, 2009).
22: Riddell, 2011, p458.
23: See, for instance, Richard Allday’s apologetic account of the Grangemouth debacle- Allday, 2013.
24: Murray, 2013.
25: Seymour, 2012; 2013.
26: MacIntyre, 2008, p371.
28: Hallas, 1976.
29: Harman, 2008, p30.
Allday, Richard, 2013, “Taking Stock of the Grangemouth Defeat”, Counterfire (2 November), www.counterfire.org/index.php/articles/opinion/16784-taking-stock-of-the-grangemouth-defeat
Ashman, Samantha, Ben Fine, and Susan Newman, 2011 “The Crisis in South Africa: Neoliberalism, Financialization and Uneven and Combined Development”, Socialist Register 2011: The Crisis this Time.
Blackledge, Paul, 2013a, “Left Reformism, the State and the Problem of Socialist Politics Today”, International Socialism 139 (summer), www.isj.org.uk/?id=903
Blackledge, Paul, 2013b, “Review of Kate Hudson’s The New European Left”, Studies in Marxism 14.
Broué, Pierre, 2005, The German Revolution 1917–1923 (Brill).
Callinicos, Alex, 1999, “Reformism and Class Polarisation in Europe”, International Socialism 85 (autumn), http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj85/callinicos.htm
Callinicos, Alex, 2003, An Anti–Capitalist Manifesto (Polity).
Callinicos, Alex, 2010, “Austerity Politics”, International Socialism 128 (autumn), www.isj.org.uk/?id=678
Callinicos, Alex, 2012, “The Second Coming of the Radical Left”, International Socialism 135 (summer), www.isj.org.uk/?id=819
Cliff, Tony, 1987, Lenin: Revolution Besieged (Bookmarks).
Cliff, Tony, and Donny Gluckstein, 1996, The Labour Party: A Marxist History (Bookmarks).
Coates, David, 1975, The Labour Party and the Struggle for Socialism (Cambridge University Press).
Formby, Jennie, 2011, “Introduction to Unite Politics”, at www.unitetheunion.org/campaigning/unitepolitics/
Gorz, André, 1975, Socialism and Revolution (Allen Lane).
Hallas, Duncan, 1976, “On the United Front Tactic: Some Preliminary Notes”, International Socialism 85, old series (January), www.marxists.org/archive/hallas/works/1976/01/unitedfront.htm
Hallas, Duncan, 1979, Trotsky’s Marxism (Pluto Press), www.marxists.org/archive/hallas/works/1979/trotsky/index.htm
Hallas, Duncan, 1985, The Comintern (Bookmarks), www.marxists.org/archive/hallas/works/1985/comintern/index.htm
Harman, Chris, 1982, The Lost Revolution: Germany 1918–1923 (Bookmarks).
Harman, Chris, 2004, “Spontaneity, Strategy and Politics”, International Socialism 104 (autumn),
www.isj.org.uk/?id=12
Harman, Chris, 2008, “The Crisis in Respect”, International Socialism 117 (winter),
www.isj.org.uk/?id=396
Harman, Chris, 2009, “State Capitalism—The Theory that Fuels the Practice”, Socialist Review (November), www.marxists.org/archive/harman/2009/11/statecap.htm
Harman, Chris, and Tim Potter, 2010 [1977], “The Workers’ Government”, in Chris Harman, Selected Writings (Bookmarks), www.isj.org.uk/?id=295
Hudson, Kate, 2012, The New European Left (Palgrave Macmillan).
Kampagiannis, Thanasis, 2013, “Greece, Politics and Marxist Strategy”, International Socialism 138 (spring), www.isj.org.uk/?id=889
Loach, Ken, Kate Hudson, and Gilbert Achcar, 2013, “The Labour Party has failed us. We need a new party of the left”, Guardian (25 March), www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/25/labour-party-left
MacIntyre, Alasdair, 2008 [1968], “In Place of Harold Wilson”, In Paul Blackledge and Neil Davidson (eds), Alasdair MacIntyre’s Engagement with Marxism (Brill).
Miliband, Ralph, 1972, Parliamentary Socialism (Merlin).
Molyneux, John, 2013, “Understanding Left Reformism”, Irish Marxist Review, volume 2, number 6, www.irishmarxistreview.net/index.php/imr/article/view/68/70
Murray, Andrew, 2013, “Left Unity or Class Unity?: Working Class Politics in Britain”, Socialist Register 2014: Registering Class.
Riddell, John (ed), 2011, Toward the United Front: Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the Communist International 1922 (Haymarket).
Rooksby, Ed, 2013a, “Why it’s Time to Realign the Left”, Socialist Review (May),
www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=12302
Rooksby, Ed, 2013b, “’Left Reformism’ and Socialist Strategy”, International Socialism 140 (autumn),
Seymour, Richard, 2012, “A Comment on Greece and Syriza”, International Socialism 136 (autumn), www.isj.org.uk/?id=854
Seymour, Richard, 2013, “In Practical Terms Today, We are all Reformists”, http://links.org.au/node/3395
Snowden, Alex, 2013, “People’s Assembly: We Need Unity to Stop Austerity”, Counterfire
(15 May), www.counterfire.org/index.php/articles/opinion/16465-peoples-assembly-we-need-unity-to-beat-austerity
Thomas, Mark L, 2013, “Which Strategy for the Left?”, Socialist Review (June),
Feedback Reformism
Clear red water or Fabianism with a valleys accent? Wales and the politics of devolution
A history of struggle
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Posted in Carolina Beach • History Shorts • Myrtle Grove – Monkey Junction
Seabreeze – March 16, 2006 (6:33am – 8:25am)
[Click any image – for a larger image or full-screen slide show]
Posted in Monthly Meeting Reports
Peter and Cathy Meyer – Coastwalk North Carolina
[Peter Karl Meyer MD died on April 12, 2016, at the age of 63. He was a loving husband, exceptional father, dedicated physician, talented writer, inquisitive coastal naturalist, and an exemplary role model to many. StarNewsOnline April 17, 2016 ]
Background: Peter and Cathy Meyer – ‘Coastwalk North Carolina’
by Nancy Gadzuk
Rebecca Taylor introduced the main speakers of the July 20, 2015 FPHPS Open Meeting , Peter and Cathy Meyer with ‘Coastwalk North Carolina‘.
Rebecca first met Peter when she was a New Hanover County librarian and Peter’s best-selling Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast was regularly stolen from the library by discerning patrons and regularly replaced by library staff as a must-have reference volume. Peter and Cathy have extensive knowledge of the North Carolina coast, and the Nature Guide is filled with photographs, drawings, and information on the flora and fauna of the region.
Cathy and Peter Meyer
Several years ago, Cathy proposed that the couple walk the entire length of the North Carolina shoreline. So, over the course of 18 months, the Meyers walked every bit of the North Carolina coastline (with the exception of off-limits Browns Island at Camp Lejeune), from South Carolina to the Virginia border: 425 miles of coastline along 21 barrier islands.
Tonight they presented an informative and inspiring talk—complete with numerous photographs, short videos, and shells and other artifacts they collected on their walks—to chronicle their forays along the barrier islands, which Peter referred to as “the necklace gracing the neckline of the mainland.”
The Meyers divided their presentation of their Coastwalk into four sections, based on the titles of their four e-books ‘Coastwalk North Carolina’:
* SOHO—Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Oak Island (the shortest section, at 4.5 miles)
* Between Capes—Cape Fear to Cape Lookout
* The Wild Banks—Cape Lookout to Hatteras Inlet (5 islands, very much undeveloped)
* Out There—Hatteras Inlet and Bodie Island to the Virginia border (the longest section, with 56 miles)
Coastwalk North Carolina – Outer Banks
The Meyers’ knowledge and appreciation of the Carolina coast was evident in their Coastwalk experience and presentation.
Their talk, incorporating both photographs and videos of the shoreline wildlife they encountered, as well as maps and diagrams detailing the logistics of how they completed sections of their walk, was varied, informative, and made several important points.
Some of their presentation highlights:
First, the North Carolina coastline belongs to all of us. According to the North Carolina Public Trust, all beach lands up to the vegetation line are public lands and we all have the right to access these beaches. That means there are no private beaches in North Carolina (unlike some other states) and we are all able to take advantage of the entire coast (with the exception of Browns Island.)
Second, Coastwalk North Carolina can be done in any way that works—as much or as little as anyone wants to do, or is able to do. The Meyers showed us various ways they put together pieces of their coastline walk: sometimes they approached a segment by car, sometimes by boat, sometimes with the assistance of a bicycle to keep from having to double back by foot to their starting point for the day. As Peter put it, “It is like the Appalachian Trail but shorter, flatter, kinder, great for beachcombers and the public can access every beach with the exception of Browns Island.”
Third, beaches should not become piles of rocks. They should be allowed to be the wide expanse of sand they are naturally, serving as barrier islands.
Finally, the Meyers reminded us to appreciate our coast for all that it is, and preserve it. As they quoted Thoreau, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”
The presentation ended with a lively Q&A session. One of the young people in the audience asked if they considered doing a coastline walk from Florida to Maine and Peter answered that it was up to the questioner’s generation to make that walk. Passing it forward!
Posted in Carolina Beach • History Shorts
Seabreeze and Carolina Beach
Click – for detailed map
Images of Seabreeze – taken on March 16, 2006 – 6:33am – 8:25am
Source: Our State, North Carolina – Oceanside Divide – By Herbert L. White
A small strip of land near Wilmington entertained thousands of visitors — some famous — during the Jim Crow era in North Carolina.
That was the allure of Seabreeze when it was a resort for African-Americans during the Jim Crow era. The place was born out of necessity: Segregation was the way of life then.
African-American men riding through Carolina Beach to access black-owned Bop City, now called Freeman Park, were required to wear shirts over their swimsuits. African-American swimmers could access the ocean from Carolina Beach on Mondays only, although it was directly across from Seabreeze.
Monte Carlo at Seabreeze
In many ways, Seabreeze and Carolina Beach, resorts separated by a half-mile — one for blacks, the other for whites — were in different worlds. Seabreeze, a nearly two-mile strip of unincorporated hamlet, was a busy seaside retreat tucked among mossy oaks and crape myrtles. It was the place to see and be seen.
Seabreeze was home to 31 juke joints, or taverns, where jukeboxes supplied the soundtrack of American culture and attitudes.
…. then ….
Seabreeze, 2008
On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel blew in from the Atlantic. Hazel’s estimated 140-mile-per-hour winds and 18-foot storm surge devastated Seabreeze. The hurricane littered the sound with debris from trees torn from their roots; homes caved in or blew from their foundations.
Rather than rebuild, many property owners shuttered entire lots, hastening Seabreeze’s demise with the loss of businesses.
… continue reading this interesting history of the people of Seabreeze … from Our State Magazine
Source: Our State, North Carolina: Oceanside Divide – By Herbert L. White
A Reader Response: to Oceanside Divide
D Franklin Freeman PhD says:
Alexander Freeman was actually not a “Freed Slave” but a Free Person of Color i.e. Black and American Indian – our dates for him are 1788-1855. He is the son of Abraham Freeman (and a brother of my 6th Great Grandfather Moses Freeman) who is listed in the books as a Free Person of Color; and owned much land (thru land grants) around Columbus, Brunswick, Bladen and New Hanover, NC as well as Craven County, SC. We are apart of the currently named Waccamaw-Siouan and Lumbee Tribes. We are proud of our contributions to North Carolina. We just had family from Wilmington, Delco, Leland, Bolton and Buckhead visit our remaining family at Seabreeze last month. I hope that we are able to save this as a major part of North Carolina history.
…. But Wait! … There’s More …… local content
From: Oral History – Fessa’ John Hook – ‘Jim Hannah, One of the Two Original Beach Music Pioneers’
Seabreeze was the black resort just up the coast across the Intracostal Waterway at Snow’s Cut. Originally called Freeman’s Beach from the 1920’s to the 1950’s, locals made a living serving black tourists with sandwiches, beer, and plenty of room for family picnics in the day and adult entertainment at night. Chicken Hicks found his way to Seabreeze in the early 40’s, returning often for white hot Carolina moonshine, and even hotter music on the piccolos (jukeboxes) at places like the Ponco, The Big Apple, the Daley Breezey Pavilion, Bruce’s, Ponco #2, the Monte Carlo, and as Jim recalled, “a place called Big Mama’s.” … more »»»
From: Oral History – Dorothy McQuillan – Part 4: ‘Freeman’
Daley Breezy Pavilion
SeaBreeze had some boats that went across the water and you would dance til you got ready to come back over to this side.
It was an evening thing and a weekend thing, not an everyday thing. Everybody at Seabreeze worked weekends and holidays.
There used to be a place over there just for Blacks called Bop City. A lot of Black soldiers from Ft. Fisher used to come up to this neighborhood. Matter of fact, Dot’s sister married a soldier that used to be at Ft. Fisher in the service. Some of the Freemans married some of the guys that used to be down at Ft. Fisher.
Dot remembers Hurricane Hazel going through here tearing everything up. She saw the buildings from Carolina Beach floating down the Inland Waterway – refrigerators, stuff that come out of some of the businesses at Carolina Beach, furniture and big stuff from the houses came floating down the river. And at Seabreeze that water was almost to her mother’s house. … more »»»
What is Seabreeze?
by: Ben Steelman, May, 2009, Wilmington StarNews
“White kids from nearby Carolina Beach, such as Malcolm “Chicken” Hicks, would cross over to check out Seabreeze’s night spots and the local dance steps. Local historians such as Jenny Edwards — who wrote a master’s thesis on the history of Seabreeze for the University of North Carolina Wilmington — credit this musical cross-pollination with promoting, if not inspiring, the later crazes of shag dancing and beach music.” … more »»»
Freeman Beach\Seabreeze, Wilmington, North Carolina (ca. 1885- )
by: Stephens, Ronald J. Blackpast.org
“Between the 1920s and the 1960s Freeman Beach\Seabreeze developed rich cultural traditions and history as blacks from across eastern and central North Carolina traveled for miles to experience the wooden dance floors and jukeboxes. With Freeman Beach they found a place to vacation, relax, and play. From the 1920s through the 1960s, the beach had three hotels, ten restaurants, dozens of rental cottages, a boat pier, a bingo parlor, and a small amusement park, complete with Ferris wheel. During the summer months thousands of visitors flocked to the area. ” … more »»»
Brown. Girl. Farming
“As I got older, I learned more of my family history. For all of us, the only thing worse than not knowing our history is believing we have no history. My parents were from a small farming town in the Wilmington area called Lake Waccamaw, located on the shore of the largest natural lake in the eastern United States by the same name. Some historians claim Osceola, the great war chief of the Seminole Nation (of mixed Native American and African ancestry) was born on Lake Waccamaw. The lake feeds south and into the great Okefenokee Swamp which stretches through Florida.
During slavery, many Africans and Native Americans escaped into these swamps. Their descendants cultivated farm land around the lake and throughout the Wilmington area. There is also a town in that area called Freeman, NC, founded by my grandmother’s great-grandfather, Alexander Freeman.
Following Alexander Freeman’s death, his son, Robert Bruce Freeman (b. 1830) inherited the land, and parlayed the investment to become one of the largest landowners in New Hanover county. In the 1920’s, [Robert’s heirs] began to develop a recreational community known as Seabreeze. During the Jim Crow years, Seabreeze was the only beach community in the state that black families could visit. When black people were forbidden from even traveling through Carolina Beach to get to Seabreeze, the Freeman family bought a boat to ferry people back and forth to the resort.” … more »»»
Posted in Federal Point • Fort Fisher • Historic Features – from Newsletters • History Shorts
Fort Fisher Revetment Project Nears Completion (March 1996)
[Originally published in the March, 1996 – FPHPS Newsletter]
At last month’s [Feb, 1996] meeting of the Federal Point Historic Preservation Society, Mr. Bill Dennis, a civil engineer with the US. Army Corps of Engineers – Wilmington District, presented a thorough site history and review of the Fort Fisher revetment project to a well-attended audience. Mr. Dennis, a native of New Jersey, began his slide presentation and discussion with a quick overview of the Federal Point area and how changes in its shape led to a need for a protective seawall to save the fort.
In 1761 a hurricane drastically reshaped Federal Point when it opened a passage known as New Inlet between the ocean and the Cape Fear River.
New Inlet, however, later played an important role during the Civil War as an entrance for sleek, fast blockade runners to slip past the Union fleet and enter the river under the protective guns of Fort Fisher. These ships were able to successfully deliver their valuable cargoes to Wilmington and on to the rest of the Confederacy until early 1865.
‘The Rocks’ from Battery Buchanan to Zeke’s Island
Following the war, Federal Point again underwent a major transition in appearance when the US. Army Corps of Engineers closed New Inlet to improve river navigation. During the 1870s and 1880s the Corps built a stone structure known as “The Rocks” in two sections across the inlet and swash that still exists today.
The upper section of the dam extended from Battery Buchanan on Federal Point to Zeke‘s Island, a distance of 5,300 feet. The continuation of the lower section known as the Swash Defense Dam from Zeke’s Island to Smith’s Island [Bald Head Island], a distance of 12,800 feet, made the entire closure just over 3 miles in length.
Erosion at Ft. Fisher
In addition to the natural deterioration of Federal Point, serious erosion problems occurred near Fort Fisher alter the state intentionally removed coquina rock from the shore just north of the earthworks during the 1920s for use as road construction fill. Since that time approximately 200 yards of sea front has been lost to wave action.
This loss forced the state in the early 1950s to realign the very same highway that had been built with the use of the coquina rock. The North Carolina Highway Department, and later aided by local communities, then began dumping concrete and other large construction debris along the sea front near Battle Acre. As a further means of slowing erosion at Fort Fisher, the state placed a line of rocks along the shoreline in 1970. Storms since that time showed the revetment to be too short. Shoreline erosion continued at a rate of nearly 10 feet per year.
Since the end of the Civil War the ocean has claimed nearly half of the fort.
A more substantial solution to the site erosion problem came in 1995 when matching federal and state funds for a larger revetment project became available. The state and Corps of Engineers approved a plan for a permanent seawall based upon a design of Mr. Dennis.
After two years of planning, an acceptable design called for the construction of a 3,040-foot seawall to extend from south of Battle Acre to north of the Fort Fisher mounds.
Bids went out for the construction of the seawall. Selected for the construction project was Misener Marine Construction, Inc. of Tampa, Florida, at a bid of 4.6 million dollars.
Work on the project began in June 1995, and included a multi-layered rubble revetment with circular tie-ins to natural ground on both ends of the site.
Beginning on the south end, the construction company dug a trench to 3.5 feet below mean sea level in which to lay the revetment ends. Within the trench at both ends, and along the shoreline, a fabric liner was first applied topped by a layer of gravel. Slightly larger bedding stone was then applied and finally a layer of armor stone.
The armor stone, weighing approximately two tons apiece, came from a quarry near Raleigh, while the smaller bedding stone was mined near Castle Hayne.
Approximately 68,000 tons of rock form the seawall. Along Battle Acre the revetment overlaid most of the preexisting rubble. To prevent the new stone from washing into the sea from the sloping shoreline, Misener Marine placed a line of concrete sta-pods at the toe of the protective stone. Nearly four hundred of the pods, weighing 5 tons each and shaped like a tri-pod, were interlocked in a parallel row to the shoreline.
Sticking slightly above the water, marine algae soon covered the sta-pods. On December 15 , 1995, Misener Marine placed the last rock in the revetment—nearly three months ahead of schedule.
The revetment rises slightly above the natural ground elevation at about 12-15 feet above sea level. Behind the revetment, sand was placed to form a gentle slope from the crest of the revetment to the existing ground. Currently landscaping with trees and scrubs is occurring near the revetment.
3,200-foot seawall completed (April, 1996)
at Fort Fisher Museum and Earthworks.
A security fence, walkway with stairs leading down to the beach on either end, and two observation gazebos are being constructed. The landscaping and construction projects are expected to be completed by April.
The new revetment should halt the ocean-side erosion of Federal Point for the next fifty years.
Mr. Dennis summarized his work on the design and construction of the seawall project when he jokingly indicated, “It took a Yankee to finally save Fort Fisher.”
March 1996 Newsletter (pdf) – Federal Point Historic Preservation Society
Changes to the Federal Point Landscape – webpage – Federal Point Historic Preservation Society
US. Army. Corps of Engineers:
Revetment stability study, Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Posted in Federal Point • Oral History
Oral History: Abundant Seafood on Federal Point – 1948-1956
by: Howard Hewett, Jones Creek, TX – July, 2015 – Part 7
Some of the following background information is from my recollection of the events as I grew up on Federal Point between 1939 and 1956, and what my father, Howard Curtis Hewett Sr, and my grandmother, Addie Jane Lewis Hewett, related to me. Other background information is from research and is so noted.
A major portion of our seafood came out of the bays south of where we lived in Fort Fisher. But first, it is important to understand how those bays were formed.
A major Atlantic storm in 1761 opened an inlet that crossed the peninsula south of the current Fort Fisher monument. The New Inlet had a major impact on the main channel or ‘Bald Head’ channel of the Cape Fear River resulting in the significant decrease in depth.
By 1839, sand, silt and forming shoals from the New Inlet threatened the southerly approach to the river from the Bald Head channel. There were concerns that the Bald Head channel would not be available to shipping coming into the river from the southerly approach. The alternate route would force shipping to go out around ‘Frying Pan Shoals’ and enter the river through the New Inlet. This added to their passage time into Wilmington.
Northerly shipping traffic could enter the New Inlet, which avoided the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals, located 29 southeast of Smith Island.
New Inlet as recorded in Civil War mapping records, 1864
(Cowles, Davis, Perry, & Kirkley, 1895)
In 1870 funds were appropriated to close the New Inlet and other breaches that occurred as a result of storms and gales. The land mass was a narrow strip of sandy beach with very low swampland on the river side. The map above is an excellent representation of the topography of Federal Point in 1864. By observing the map, one can see what a formidable task the closing of the New Inlet and breaches were.
In 1871, another storm further deepened the New Inlet. Actual construction work to close the New Inlet took place from 1870 to 1891. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were the overseers of the rock dam project.
They sank wooden cribbing and then added stones to bring the dam to sea level. Asst. Engineer Henry Bacon suggested that they add heavy granite capstones to bring the structure to two feet above sea level.
In 1877, a storm opened a breach between Smith Island, commonly called ‘Bald Head’ and Zeke’s Island which Civil War Military Maps recorded as ‘Zeeks Island’ (see the map above).
From 1881-1891, a dam similar in construction to the one built between Buchanan Battery to Zeke’s Island dam was built from Zeke’s Island to Smith Island.
When all the construction was completed, the upper section from the Buchanan Battery to Zeke’s Island was approximately 5,300 feet. The Swash Defense Dam from Zeke’s Island to Smith’s Island was 12,800 feet. The total distance of the project was over three miles (Reaves, 2011).
In 1891, the New Inlet was declared officially closed (Jackson, 1995). This rock dam is known by the locals as “The Rocks.” With the closing, tidal basins formed between The Rocks and the Atlantic. For our family, these bays became a plentiful source of shellfish.
During the time that I was growing up on Federal Point, there was the existence of another inlet south of the original New Inlet. We called it “Corncake Inlet.” I do not know exactly when Corncake Inlet opened, but it was a much smaller inlet. I do recall that Corncake Inlet would be wider and deeper depending on storm activity. Corncake Inlet was the source for fresh seawater for the bays.
My best recollection from stories told by my dad is that a schooner carrying corn went aground on a shoal while entering the inlet and remained there for a several days. These schooners were called corn-crackers because of their cargoes. I always wondered if that is how the inlet received its name. I assume it was opened before The Rocks were completed, but these breaches opened and closed depending on storm activity.
Dad liked to take our boat up toward the Corncake Inlet to fish for sheepshead at a place that he referred to as the “cribbing.” As I can best remember, it was east of the rock dam, basically located in the direction of Corncake Inlet. I believe that the cribbing was the remains of a temporary cofferdam that controlled some of the water flowing through the inlet into the river during the rock dam construction. I based this on the heavy flow of water traveling through this cut when we were fishing at this location.
However, after completing some research, I discovered another possibility. The cribbing may have been the remains of a stone dike cribbing built in 1853 by Captain Daniel P. Woodbury (Rayburn, 1984). What I recall seeing was mainly a wooden structure at water level. There could have been stones under the water.
Seafood on Federal Point
Acquiring seafood on Federal Point was a family affair. On a falling tide or low tide, we would head for the bays located just south of where we lived at 833 S. Fort Fisher Blvd (images).
Our family believed that what we called the upper bay was a clamming paradise. The upper bay was east of the Fort Fisher munition bunkers.
Clamming Rake
When the tide was out, the large sand flats would yield clams about the size of a small to medium fist. Our tools of the trade were four-prong rakes. You did not have to rake very deep – usually less than an inch. A bubble hole would sometimes indicate the presence of a clam.
The resulting designs in the sand from the raking process were quiet similar to “Karesansui” as in Japanese Zen garden art. I assure you that at the time, I did not have any idea what a Zen garden was.
The only way our family prepared clams was by making clam chowder. You could go to the bays and get a “mess” of clams and have clam chowder for dinner. Chicken soup was a well-known combatant for the common cold, but in our family clam chowder was used exclusively.
Oysters for Dinner
There were two methods of oystering that we used. The favorite and most productive was chipping oysters off the rocks with a homemade chipping hammer. With approximately three miles of rocks, there were ample surfaces for oysters to grow. Most of the oysters grew on the bay side of the “Rocks.” The accessibility to the rocks was made available by a concrete cap that was installed in the 1930’s by the Corps of Engineers (Jackson, 1995). The farther you walked out on the rocks, the availability and quality of oysters increased.
Prior to moving to Texas in 1956, we went oystering on the Rocks for the last time. On this trip, we came off the rock with four bushels of oysters. Dad and I each carried the inside handles of two bushels while Grandmother and my brother Tom Hewett carried the outside handles. We had to stop from time to time to rest, but we were able to make it to the trailer.
The reason I share this particular event is that Grandmother had been claiming her hip had been hurting for a couple of weeks. A couple weeks after the oystering trip we found out she was suffering from a broken hip. My grandmother, Addie Lewis Hewett Todd, was around 70 years old at that time; it could be said that she was cut from some very good cloth – one tough pioneer grandmother. Grandmother lived to be 96 years old.
The other oystering method required a boat and a clam basket device that had long handles. Mechanically the mechanism was similar to a post-hole digger. However, instead of two shovel devices there were two baskets that opened and closed with the movement of the handles. I would refer to them as long-handle tongs. This method required positioning the boat over an oyster bed that was maybe two to three feet under the water. You could locate these beds at low tide so at high tide we could position the boat over the top of the bed. This method was more of a hit and miss operation because you could not see exactly what you were doing and you brought up a lot of mud and shells.
North Carolina Oyster Roast
We had a fire pit made of brick that had a metal plate over the pit. Oysters were placed on the plate with the oyster’s mouth pointing down; joints were in an upward position. Wet burlap bags were placed over the oysters. A fire was started in the pit and when the metal plate became hot a little water was poured over the burlap to get the process started. As steam was created, the oysters would open up their mouths resulting in the liquid inside draining down on the plate, which converted to more steam. Dad would monitor the oysters and would enhance the steam process by adding more water as needed. He always liked to see a lot of steam. Within a short time all of the oysters would be opened and very tender.
Oystering Knives
The oysters were then brought to the table. If wanted you wanted to eat, each individual had to shuck his or her own oysters. When we had guests that were not familiar with the methods of shucking oysters, someone in the family would get them started; most folks were able to quickly get a feel for the process and could be left alone.
The shucked oysters went into a cup containing each individual’s favorite sauce mixture. Our family was partial to a melted butter, heated ketchup and vinegar mixture with a little hot sauce. Crackling cornbread was the family’s favorite accompaniment to be eaten along with the oysters.
Shrimping on the Cape Fear River
Some of my fondest memories are of late afternoon trips to the river. Dad had purchased some fairly good shrimp nets on one of our trips to Holden Beach in Brunswick County. With the panels from the net he made a seine net with lead on the bottom rope and corks on the top and two staffs on each end. It is hard to say how long it was, but my guess it was approximately four feet high and 150 feet long. We would load the whole family, along with those who happened to be visiting on the flat-bed trailer pulled by our Cub Cadet Tractor and head over to the river using Davis Road.
The Davis’ river front property was adjacent to the Hewett’s river front property. Living on a beach with the Atlantic at our door, we had a lot of summer visitors. Visitors who wanted to help would split up into two groups with Dad (Howard Curtis Hewett Sr.) manning the staff closest to the shore. Dad was the director of operations and I was in charge of the other end. We would pull the net out into the river until it was approximately 3-1/2 feet deep. Then we would pull the net parallel to the shore for 50 yards or so; finally, we headed for the shore.
The key was to have both staffs arrive at the same time. This process would yield (depending on the conditions) anywhere from a 2-1/2 to a 5-gallon bucket of shrimp. On lean days more pulls were required. Sometimes the Cape Fear River had such an abundance of shrimp that only a short-haul was necessary to fill a 5-gallon bucket.
On one occasion, I remember a small wave from a ship going down the channel causing shrimp to jump up on the shore, but I only recall seeing that once. By suppertime, we had shrimp peeled and ready for the frying pan.
An eight-foot long sink that was purchased from the surplus sold at the closing of the Army base after the war enhanced processing the shrimp. I recall it being a four-person process consisting of a couple of peelers, a person to devein, and a quality control inspector. The inspector was usually my grandmother because she was noted for her food preparation quality control. When it came to seafood, Grandmother’s seafood preparation techniques put her in a league of her own.
I have a special memory about Grandmother Roebuck (Meme) on one of the trips to the river. It was one of those times that we did not have a big group so Meme wanted to help on my end. Actually, I think she just wanted to get out in the water to cool off. On our second pull, we had moved farther down the beach than normal. This area of the beach had more of a muddy bottom than the usual sandy bottom.
As we started to shore, Meme got bogged down to her knees in the shallow water. To help her, I had to drop the staff. After getting her legs back on the surface of the bottom, she still could not stand up so I rolled her out of the area until she could stand up. Of course, she was laughing all the way. Now leaving the staff did not make my “no-nonsense” dad happy and I can’t write what he said to me but Meme sat down on the beach and roared with laughter. The more dad fussed with me, the more her laughter increased. To this day I have a hard time not smiling when I think about that afternoon at the river.
There was an abundance of fish, but the variety depended on the time of year. The fall mullet run provided the family fish for a good part of the year. It was the only seafood that we salted down for short-term storage. When needed, the mullet was removed and soaked in fresh water until most of the brine was removed. Regardless of the soaking, the fish was always on the salty side.
The surf provided trout, blue fish, some flounder, croakers and Virginia mullet. Offshore there was an abundance of black bass around the wrecks of the blockade runners.
Clam Diggers: Mr Todd, Danny Orr, Addie Jane, Mrs Orr
The most prolific flounder fisherman of the family was my Uncle Crawford Lewis. Dad may have been a close second. Their method was to pull a small skiff with a rope tied to their waist along the shallow waters of the bays.
Their gigging tools consisted of a three-prong pitchfork and a gas lantern. With one hand holding the lantern and the pitch fork in the other, they would gig a flounder, set the lantern down on the bow of the skiff and in one fluid motion flip the flounder in the boat without actually reaching down into the water. The quantity was not what floundering was all about. Quality and size were more important. They would be looking for large flounders around 4-5 pounds.
Just enough for three families to have baked flounder and sometimes maybe a little fried fish. If the moon and the tide were right, it seemed like they would go every night. This might seem strange, but there was no television back in those days so when it got dark, it was time to go floundering. Providing food for a growing family was paramount. The favorite way to prepare the flounder was to bake the whole flounder in a roasting pot with onions and potatoes.
I think it is important to say that regardless of the abundance of seafood, we only took what we needed.
Davis G. B., Perry, L. J., & Kirkley, J. W. Compiled by Cowles, C. D. (1983). The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. New York, NY: Fairfax Press.
Hewett, H.C. (2014). Fishing off Fort Fisher in a Small Boat in 1940s and 50s. Oral History, Federal Point Historical Preservation Society.
Jackson, S. (1995). The Closing of New Inlet (The Rocks) 1870-1881 … and the Swash Defense Dam 1881-1891.
Rayburn, R. H. (1984). One of the Finest Rivers in the South: Corps of Engineers Improvements on the Cape Fear River below Wilmington, 1870-1881. Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, Inc., Volume 27, Number 2, May, 1984.
Rayburn, R.H. (1985). One of the Finest Rivers in the South: Corps of Engineers Improvements on the Cape Fear River below Wilmington, 1881-1891. Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, Inc., Volume 28, Number 2, February, 1985.
Reaves, Bill. (2011). Federal Point Chronology 1725-1994. New Hanover Public Library & Federal Point Historic Preservation Society. Wilmington, NC. (Compiled by Bill Reaves from Wilmington newspapers articles.)
Tagged Howard Hewett
Posted in FPHPS News • Upcoming Events
Events Calendar: 2014 and 2015 Presentations
—— Past Meetings: 2014 and 2015 ——
2014 and 2015 events ..
Posted in FPHPS News
Coast Walk North Carolina
The Federal Point Historic Preservation Society will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, July 20, 7:30 pm at the Federal Point History Center, 1121-A North Lake Park Blvd., adjacent to Carolina Beach Town Hall.
This month Peter and Cathy Meyer will present “Coastwalk North Carolina.” The program will chronicle their walk along North Carolina’s barrier island beaches. In all, the Meyers walked 425 miles, starting at the South Carolina border and finishing at the Virginia border.
Enjoy the story of their hikes, along with the observations and discoveries the authors make along the way. They will use photos and video clips to bring their trip into sharp focus. Journey with the Meyers, and become inspired to take your own coastwalk of North Carolina.
Peter grew up in Columbus, Ohio, the youngest of four children, three of whom went to medical school following in their surgeon father’s footsteps. Peter received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Miami University in Ohio and his doctor of medicine degree from Ohio State University. After his residency at Bowman-Gray Hospital in Winston-Salem, he accepted a position as emergency room physician at Cape Fear Hospital. More than 20 years later he left the hospital and was Student Health Center physician at UNCW for seven years.
Cathy grew up in Fairmont, West Virginia, the third of four children. Cathy and two of her siblings entered the medical profession following their mother who was a nurse. Cathy received her training at Fairmont State College then continued taking classes and earned a bachelor’s degree in English, concentrating on technical writing.
When she came to Wilmington to visit her brother, Cathy fell in love with the coast and accepted a position at Cape Fear Hospital. Within months she began working at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She had met Peter at Cape Fear Hospital but didn’t see him at a social event until seven months later. Now they’ve been married 29 years.
Starting from the South Carolina border on Sunset Beach, the Meyers used cars, boats and ferries to access the islands until they reached the northern end of the Outer Banks at the Virginia border. The Meyers broke the trip up into segments, and the entire hike took 18 months to complete. They reached the Virginia border sooner than 18 months, but they had to return to some of the islands they were forced to skip along the way due to logistical issues and weather.
Peter says, “It is like the Appalachian Trail but shorter, flatter, kinder, great for beachcombers and the public can access every beach with the exception of Browns Island.”
An e-book (in 4 volumes) of their trip is available for download at: www.aviancetaceanpress.com .
Posted in From the President • Kure Beach
From the President: July, 2015
From: Elaine Henson
Last month I wrote about Big Daddy’s at Kure Beach on the corner of K Avenue and Fort Fisher Boulevard. If you look closely you can see that the restaurant was actually two buildings housing a seafood restaurant (behind Tommy Lancaster) and steak house (one story on extreme right) sandwiched together. The family lived upstairs.
In 1963 Tommy Lancaster started out on that corner serving short order food in a much smaller building called the Sea Isle Pavilion. He also had a miniature golf course, an arcade with pool tables and rented motor scooters and bicycles. It quickly became a hangout for local and visiting teenagers. They thought that Tommy resembled the “Big Daddy” character, played by Burl Ives, in the 1958 movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and began calling him by that name. It stuck and he changed the name to Big Daddy’s Pavilion and later it became the name for the new restaurants he built on that same corner.
Tommy Bryant Lancaster was born in Wayne County on June 20, 1918. As a husband and father, he would take his family to Kure Beach for summer vacations and decided to open a business there which grew into Big Daddy’s Restaurant. His son Bryant Fred Lancaster or “Bud” grew up working in the restaurant at Kure Beach. Tommy bought a restaurant at Lake Norman near Mooresville, NC sight unseen in 1974 and named it Big Daddy’s too.
Bud’s son and Tommy’s grandson, Freddie Lancaster, grew up in the Lake Norman restaurant and is the present owner/operator. Freddie is assisted by his wife Susie and two daughters Sarah and Nikki and son-in-law, Marcus Young.
The family sold the Kure Beach Big Daddy’s in 1981 to Doris and Joe Eakes.
Their patriarch, Tommy Lancaster, died March 28, 1995 in Wayne County and is buried in the Pikeville Cemetery.
Many thanks to Nikki Lancaster Young and her dad, Freddie Lancaster, who are my sources for much of the information in this article.
2015-2016 Nominations for Board and Officers
Voting will take place at the July 20 meeting.
President: Elaine Henson Board Members: Jim Dugan
Vice-President: Tony Phillips Chris Fonvielle
Secretary: Nancy Gadzuk John Moseley
Treasurer: Demetria Sapienza Skippy Winner
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Tag Archives: Aidan Moher
Pixel Scroll 8/26/20 Down To Starseeds And STEM Again
Posted on August 26, 2020 by Mike Glyer
(1) ROFCON 2020. Eric Flint and Ring of Fire Press will host the inaugural Ring of Fire Con (RoFCon I), a virtual convention, from September 11-13, with panels, guests, and signing opportunities. Attendance is free – register at the link.
Among the guests attending will be: Steven Barnes, David Brin, DJ Butler, Eric Flint, Charles Gannon, Cecelia Holland, Tom Kidd, Mercedes Lackey, Jody Lynn Nye, Christopher Ruocchio, Tom Smith, David Weber, and Toni Weisskopf.
Walt Boyes, Editor, Grantville Gazette and Ring of Fire Press adds:
Not only do we have a great guest list, but we are also teaching marketing for authors, how to get published, and recruiting new authors. We have dealt with issues of race, sex, gender, and nationality and prejudice around the world. We are looking for authors to write in the 1632 Universe who are non-traditional. We encourage women, LGBTQ+, and Persons of Color to look at writing for us. We publish bimonthly, The Grantville Gazette, which is a SFWA approved venue that pays SFWA professional rates.
(2) BRADBURY CENTENNIAL RECORDING STILL PLAYING. You can hear last Saturday’s Ray Bradbury Read-A-Thon of Fahrenheit 451 anytime through September 5.
Readers from across the United States will join William Shatner (actor), Neil Gaiman (author), Marlon James (author), Marjorie Liu (author), P. Djèlí Clark (author), Dr. Brenda Greene (author), Alley Mills Bean (actress), James Reynolds (actor), Tananarive Due (author), and Steven Barnes (author) to bring this relevant work to social media. Susan Orlean (author) provides an afterword.
(3) ONLINE BRADBURY EXHIBIT. The South Pasadena Public Library provides a virtual tour of its Bradbury holdings in “Ray Bradbury: Celebrating 100 Years”.
…Bradbury, in his later years, was a frequent visitor to South Pasadena. In fact, Bradbury chose the South Pasadena Public Library as the location of his 90th Birthday Celebration. In 2010 South Pasadena City Council declared August 22nd Ray Bradbury Day….
In 2013 the South Pasadena Public Library named the conference room in honor of the late Ray Bradbury, for his work as lifelong advocate for public libraries. The Ray Bradbury Conference Room currently hosts a collection of Bradbury books and artifacts, including ephemera, photographs, artwork, and first edition prints. On the walls of the Conference Room hang a brick from Ray Bradbury’s home in Los Angeles (now demolished) and a portion of drywall from Bradbury’s home office, where much of his writing was conducted….
(4) 2020 HINDSIGHT. Few fans really expect science fiction writers to predict the future. But what about mainstream authors who can’t even predict the present? Consider this Amazon customer review of Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor.
This novel is set in Virginia during two time periods: the early 1940’s, and the summer of 2020. Chapters alternate between the two time periods. The story was enjoyable, but every time I came to a chapter set in 2020, I asked myself, “when is the author going to say something about Covid-19?” The answer is — never. I found that very disturbing and distracting. The author apparently wrote the book before the pandemic, and made the assumption that summer 2020 would be just like other summers, with large wedding parties, no social distancing, etc. Bad assumption.
(5) WORLDCON PUBLICATION ARCHIVE. Fanac.org is making the move to a different interface for accessing Worldcon Publications. (And it looks very good!)
If you’ve been paying attention to recent newsletters and flashes, Mark Olson has put together a new, easier-to-love format for Worldcon pubs. All the worldcon pubs are searchable PDFs and you’ll also find bidding material, and even ephemera. You can find it all at http://fanac.org/conpubs/Worldcon/.
The format and the link for photos and audio stay the same for now, and over the next few days (or maybe weeks) we will migrate completely to the new approach. For a little while, worldcon pubs may be available the old way as well, but one by one those will be cleared out. If you have any worldcon pubs bookmarked, then please be aware that those bookmarks will not be valid for too much longer. All hail Mark Olson, king of the Worldcon pubs! And most seriously, a heartfelt thanks to Mark from a webmaster who really didn’t want to start coding again. (Aug 22)
(6) EVERMORE ASKS FOR HELP. Yesterday’s Scroll reported Utah’s Evermore Park is in financial straits. The owners have launched a GoFundMe appeal: “Helping Evermore Park Through COVID-19”. It’s raised $13,693 of the $100,000 goal in the first 24 hours.
Evermore Park is small business in Pleasant Grove, Utah that creates an immersive experience that exists purely to allow everyone who enters to discover their own imagination. We aim to tell unique stories that inspire, educate, and allow guests to escape–even just for a little while–to a world that allows you to be the hero. We need your help to keep this project going during COVID-19.
We opened our doors in September of 2018. From the moment the doors were officially opened, we have been creating magic and allowing guests to interact with our characters and park in ways that few other businesses have even come close to attempting….
(7) POST-APOCALYPTIC HOLLYWOOD. “A World Like This Deserves Contempt: Adapting Harlan Ellison’s A Boy and His Dog” in Bright Lights Film Journal is Stephen Harris’ fine-grained and thoroughly disturbing study of the story’s evolution to a film by L.Q. Jones.
…Alternately humorous, disturbing, satiric, violent, tender, vicious, somber, fantastic, and familiar, A Boy and His Dog and its adaptations have become the most referenced and influential landmarks of a sub-genre that has often been disregarded as escapist, clichéd, and one-dimensional. In order to understand how the text became so important, the history of Ellison’s original story and its film adaptation must be traced and explicated. In this article, I will compare and contrast Ellison’s definitive novella, L. Q. Jones’s early screenplay draft, and his final film adaptation and its promotional campaign to show how content is transformed, often radically, once it leaves the hands of its creator, and how certain differences in these texts come to exist.
(8) MEDIA BIRTHDAY.
August 26, 1953 — War of The Worlds premiered. It was produced by George Pal, and directed by Byron Haskin. It starred Gene Barry and Ann Robinson with narration by Sir Cedric Hardwicke. The Martian war machines were designed by Al Nozaki, and the sizzling sound effect would be used again as the first Trek phaser sound. (You know what novel it was adapted from.) The film was both a critical and box office success with its earnings making it the top SF film of the year. Audience reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes currently give it a 71% rating.
[Compiled by Cat Eldridge and John Hertz.]
Born August 26, 1901 – Earle Bergey. A hundred sixty covers for us, a handful of interiors; much more, thousands all told, adventure, aviation, detective, sports, Western. He was a prominent – hmm – “pin-up” artist; but look at this cover for Zane Grey’s Spirit of the Border. This famous cover for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes may arouse – ahem – indignation now, but is very funny if you’ve actually read the book, and if I may, suggests – sorry – the question “Who’s exploiting whom?” and the realization that we heterosexual men have more to be ashamed of than we thought. He could also do this. (Died 1952) [JH]
Born August 26, 1904 — Christopher Isherwood. I’ll first note, though not genre, that he wrote Goodbye to Berlin, the semi-autobiographical novel which was the inspiration for Cabaret. Genre wise, he co-wrote Frankenstein: The True Story with Don Bachardy, The Mortmere Stories with Edward Upward, and one short story in the Thirties, “I am Waiting”. (Died 1986.) (CE)
Born August 26, 1904 — Peter Lorre. I think his first foray into genre was in the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea film as Comm. Lucius Emery though he was in Americanized version of Casino Royale which an early Fifties episode of the Climax! series as Le Chiffre. (James Bond was called Jimmy. Shudder!) Other genre roles were in Tales of Terror as Montresor in “The Black Cat” story, The Raven as Dr. Adolphus Bedlo and The Comedy of Terrors as Felix Grille. (Died 1964.) (CE)
Born August 26, 1911 — Otto Oscar Binder. He’s best remembered as the co-creator with Al Plastino of Supergirl and for his many scripts for Captain Marvel Adventures and other stories involving the entire Marvel Family. He was extremely prolific in the comic book industry and is credited with writing over four thousand stories across a variety of publishers under his own name. He also wrote novels, one of which was The Avengers Battle the Earth Wrecker, one of the series created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby. (Died 1974.) (CE)
Born August 26, 1911 – Gerald Kersh. He has been described as “hammering out twenty novels, twenty collections of short stories and thousands of articles”. Harlan Ellison wrote, “you will find yourself in the presence of a talent so immense and compelling, that you will understand how grateful and humble I felt merely to have been permitted to associate myself with his name as editor.” The Secret Masters is ours, as are a hundred seventy shorter stories. (Died 1968) [JH]
Born August 26, 1926 – Thomas Clareson, Ph.D. Edited Extrapolation 1960-1987; essayist, correspondent, there and elsewhere, Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, NY Rev SF, Riverside Quarterly. Bibliographic studies, critical anthologies. First President of the SF Research Ass’n; its Clareson Award, named for him, began 1995. Pilgrim Award. Robert Silverberg’s Many Trapdoors may be the title of the year for 1992. (Died 1993) [JH]
Born August 26, 1949 – Fred Levy Haskell, 71. Involved at the start, therefore a Floundering Father of Minn-stf (stf from Hugo Gernsback’s word scientifiction, pronounced “stef” or “stiff”, the latter funnier since false) though he later said he was out getting a sandwich at the time. Fanziner, chaired Corflu 6 (fanziners’ con; corflu = mimeograph correction fluid, once indispensable). Fan Guest of Honor at LepreCon 4, Archon7 (which for years I’ve been saying should be pronounced Arch on, but what do I know?), Minicon 22. Note his two-part unhyphenated surname. Recently, see here. [JH]
Born August 26, 1949 — Sheila E Gilbert, 71. Co-editor-in-chief and publisher of DAW Books with Elizabeth R (Betsy) Wollheim. For her work there, she has also shared the Chesley Awards for best art director with Wollheim twice, and has received Hugos by herself for Best Professional Editor (Long Form). (CE)
Born August 26, 1958 — Wanda De Jesus, 62. She’s Estevez in Robocop 2, a film that had its moments but rarely, and she has two other film genre roles, Lexie Moore in Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys, and Akooshay in Ghosts of Mars. Series wise, she has a number of one-offs including Babylon 5, Tales from The Darkside, SeaQuest DSV, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and voicing a character on one of the Spider-Man series. (CE)
Born August 26, 1965 – Elizabeth Isaacs, 55. Four novels for us. Runs an authors’ group Writers, Etc. going between writers and motion pictures. Master’s degree magna cum laude (and Phi Beta Kappa) from Austin Peay State U., studied classical opera. Ranks Great Expectations about the same as The Time Machine, both below Nineteen Eighty-Four; fear not, all three below Blueberries for Sal. [JH]
Born August 26, 1970 — Melissa McCarthy, 50. Yes, I know she was in the rebooted Ghostbusters. Fanboys across the net are still wetting their pants about that film. I’m much more interested in Super Intelligence in which she is playing a character that has an AI who has decided to take over her life. It reminds me somewhat of Naomi Kritzer’s Hugo Award winning “Cat Pictures Please” premise. (And we are not talking about The Happytime Murders in which she was involved.) (CE)
Born August 26, 1993 – Nancy Yi Fan, 27. First novel at age 12, NY Times Best Seller. Oprah Winfrey said this showed NYF was smart, which misses the point, but Errors in the direction of the enemy are to be lightly judged. A prequel and sequel followed. Her pets, suitably, are birds. [JH]
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal finds trolley problems…uh… problematic.
Grant Snider did this comic for the Bradbury Centennial:
Happy 100th birthday to the late Ray Bradbury! Here's a Bradbury-inspired comic from my new book, I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF pic.twitter.com/RLwNNrmJyV
— Grant Snider (@grantdraws) August 22, 2020
(11) MUSIC FOR THE SPHERES. Pitchfork invites readers to “Meet the Man Who Used Kraftwerk, Fela Kuti, and Other Fascinating Music to Try to Lure Aliens to Earth”.
When NASA launched the Voyager spacecrafts to explore the cosmos in 1977, they sent along the Golden Record—and with it, music from around the world—as a snapshot of humanity, should intelligent lifeforms ever find it. But what if the aliens tuned in to the radio instead?
From 1971 to 1998, a man named John Shepherd probed that hypothetical question with astonishing dedication. Aiming for interstellar contact, he beamed everything from reggae to Steve Reich straight from his grandparents’ living room in rural Michigan, broadcasting between six to eight hours every day. He then expanded his operation—called Project STRAT—into a separate building on his grandparents’ property, complete with scientific equipment of his own design. Though Shepherd eventually ended the radio arm of Project STRAT due to the high cost of maintenance, he is now the subject of a touching new short film, John Was Trying to Contact Aliens, which recently arrived on Netflix…
(12) CANON CAN NOT. Aidan Moher seeks to obliterate the very idea — “Personal Canons: There Is No Universal Canon”.
I am not the same person I was yesterday, and tomorrow I will be a new me.
Over time, my personal SFF canon has changed and evolved as I’ve grown older, discovered new writers, and pushed myself into corners of the genre that I would never have experienced if not for my involvement in the broad and diverse SFF community. As time flows, we’re changed by our experiences, our values adapt to encompass new thoughts and emotions, and so canon is always evolving to envelop who we are becoming….
Even canon lists generally accepted at the time they’re published become defunct just a few years later, and, as the genre adapts, new works draw on new influences. Just go look at some old lists of “SFF canon” from earlier decades, or even 11 years ago on the web. I haven’t even heard of half those books, let alone read them. If SFF canon looks like a reading list for a History of Science Fiction 101 course, it’s missing the point of how the genre is a conversation with itself and the outside world of politics, sociology, and humanity.
As DongWon Song said, “The idea of the canon is outdated, colonialist, racist, sexist, and anti-queer. It’s easy to say that this is only true because old stuff is colonialist, racist, sexist, and anti-queer, but that’s a bullshit cop out.”
There is no universal SFF canon.
(13) SOUTH ASIAN SFF. “What South Asian sci-fi can tell us about our world” is an unsigned 2019 article attributed to the Asian News Network.
My first encounter with a work of desi science fiction was very much by accident.
During my undergraduate studies at the English department at Karachi University, while idly browsing through a professor’s personal collection on her desk, I came across Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Sultana’s Dream, a English-language short story set in a feminist utopian world written by a Bengali Muslim woman in 20th century colonial India.
Up until then, my study of literature had been mostly white, mostly male authors, an unsurprising fact when we take into account the (Western) literary canon’s inherent whiteness and maleness, as well as the institutional history of English departments as tools of the colonial project — teaching works of English literature in the British Empire’s overseas colonies was originally part of the overarching goal of “civilising the natives.” In the words of 19th century British politician Thomas Macaulay, “a single shelf of a good European library is worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia” (gotta love that British sense of entitlement and arrogance).
… This dismissal of the genres of science fiction and fantasy (SFF) as low-brow, trashy or pulp or, at the very least, unimportant, is not just a desi stance, although it might be a bit more pronounced here. The snobbish attitude towards SFF has historically been prevalent in academic and literary circles (although things seem to be changing in the West now), even as popular culture is filled with beloved works of science fiction and fantasy films and television shows.
But the dismissal of the SFF genre, or the broader umbrella of speculative fiction, has excluded from the South Asian literary discourse a rich tradition of desi works of science fiction and fantasy, as well as the fascinating speculative fiction words being written by contemporary South Asian writers today. This makes conversations about South Asian literature woefully homogenous and, frankly, much more uninteresting than they might otherwise be.
(14) LUCRATIVE FAILURES. Sarah A. Hoyt, who often has bad things to say about traditional publishing, added some more today in “Docking Author’s Tails” at Mad Genius Club.
…But why would publishers want properties that aren’t selling that well? Why not just give the IP back, after they set the book up to fail? Why set the book up to fail at all?
Ah. Because of the long tail. In the era of ebooks, which you don’t need to store in warehouses, and which you can have out in unlimited numbers with no additional cost, the more books you have in your catalogue, no matter how little each of them sells, the more money you make.
Say you have 50k books in your catalogue, some of them so old you’re interpreting ebook rights from penumbras and emanations, and each sells two copies a month, and makes you $4 apiece…. You’re getting a very healthy income.
Heck, it’s better than having a mega bestseller. Because a mega bestseller might get uppity and sue. But if each of those books is making under $5 a month, chances are you don’t even need to send out a statement.
Honestly, ponzi scheme architects go in awe of traditional publishers in the era of ebooks.
And, you know, when I realized that, everything fell into place: why careers keep getting shorter and shorter. Why, even with indie competition, writers are treated worse and worse. Why some publishers are buying the things they are (well, you know, if you don’t mean each book to make a lot of money, you might as well promote your comrades. Besides, they need publishing credits, so they can get teaching jobs.)
Is my insight necessarily true? I don’t know. It fits my experience and that of other midlisters. And — if the older authors I heard are right — it explains why bother setting books up to fail.
(15) THIS SCOTTISH DINOSAUR DID NOT HAVE A KILT. “Dinosaur fossil dating back 166 million years found by academic on remote Scottish island” – Yahoo! News has the story.
A stegosaurian fossil dating back 166 million years was stumbled upon by an academic as she ran along a remote island beach, proving dinosaurs roamed further in Scotland than first thought.
Scientists say the 19-inch fossil found on the Isle of Eigg is “hugely significant” as it is the first unearthed outside the Isle of Skye, a neighbouring island in the Inner Hebrides.
The object is believed to be the limb bone of a stegosaurian dinosaur, such as a stegosaurus, which are known for their plate-backed appearance and herbivore diet…
(16) WON’T WALK AWAY FROM THIS ONE. “Tenet: Behind The Scenes” on YouTube is a promotional feature that lets people know that when a 747 crashes into a building in the film, it’s an actual 747.
John David Washington is the new Protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi action spectacle “Tenet.”
Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.
[Thank to Cat Eldridge, JJ, John Hertz, John King Tarpinian, Martin Morse Wooster, Dan’l Danehy-Oakes, Michael Toman, Mike Kennedy, Lise Andreasen, Walt Boyes, rcade, David Doering, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Daniel Dern.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, dinosaurs, Evermore Park, Fanac.org, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Ring of Fire Press, ROFCON, Sarah A. Hoyt, Walt Boyes, War of the Worlds | 54 Replies
Pixel Scroll 8/6/20 The Scroll With The Twisted Pixel
Posted on August 6, 2020 by Mike Glyer
(1) SHARKE SIGHTING. Nina Allan has been doing an interesting series of posts on both Hugo nominees and Clarke Award nominees; she wrote one on all of the Hugo-nominated novellas, for example. Her most recent is on Kameron Hurley’s The Light Brigade. “Weird Wednesdays #9/Clarke Award #3: The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley”.
…What a ride, what a charge. Kameron Hurley was last shortlisted for the Clarke Award back in 2014, for her debut novel God’s War. I enjoyed and admired God’s War, but had fallen somewhat out of touch with Hurley’s work since, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to read her latest within the context of the Clarke. What a delight it is to see a writer fulfilling her potential. What I loved most about God’s War and the short fiction from Hurley that I’d read in the interim was its densely textured language, and The Light Brigade is immediately, thrillingly identifiable as by the same hand. Time (and increasing fame) has done nothing to slow or flatten the vividness and immediacy of Hurley’s approach, nor compromise its intelligence or conceptual ambition.
… Although The Light Brigade works perfectly well as a standalone novel – you don’t need to have read any of Hurley’s other work or even any science fiction to get on board – it is important to note the many and clever ways in which it is directly in conversation with older works of SF. …
(2) SUBSCRIBE TO ASTROLABE. Aidan Moher will launch a new newsletter— Astrolabe — on Friday
Astrolabe covers all the stuff I love—from science fiction and fantasy, to retro gaming, parenting, and personal news about my work. It’s about talking my stuff and professional news, but also building a community of readers, and sharing the love by highlighting and sharing all the other great work and books I come across.
Why wait? Here’s the link to subscribe.
Aidan Moher, who won a Best Fanzine Hugo in 2014 for A Dribble of Ink, which really was a beautiful publication, has gone on to author “On the Phone with Goblins” and “The Dinosaur Graveyard,” and write for Kotaku, VentureBeat, EGM, Uncanny Magazine, Cast of Wonders, Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, Tor.com, and various other places.
But Aidan has not forgotten my teasing from back in 2014. He ended his email:
I see your absolute glee that I’m starting a issue-based fanzine, Mike Glyer. I SEE YOU.
(3) NUMBER NINTH, NUMBER NINTH. NPR’s Jason Sheehan warns us that “Whatever You’re Expecting, ‘Harrow The Ninth’ Is Not That Kind Of Book”.
You know how sometimes people say, Oh, it’s okay. You don’t have to read the first book in this series to dive right into the second.
This is not that kind of book
You know how sometimes people say, It’s like everything you loved about the first book, only MORE.
This is not that kind of book.
Last year, Tamsyn Muir absolutely owned the lesbian-necromancers-in-space genre. She created a crumbly, dusty, deeply haunted and wonderfully goopy horror-universe with Gideon the Ninth, peopled it with creepy, sepulchral wizards, dipped it all in the reverential tones of quasi-Catholic religious fanaticism, wrote it like a science-fantasy parlor romance full of murder and then gave it to us, still warm and dripping, like a cat bringing home a particularly juicy mouse.
…I loved Gideon. Loved everything about it. It was just so much of a book — so strange, so full, so lush, so double-bats*** crazy and so unerringly cool — that I didn’t think anything could top it.
And Harrow the Ninth, second in the series, doesn’t.
Because it is not that kind of book.
Gideon was the perfect surrogate through which to experience Muir’s creation — a brash, foul-mouthed, anarchic guide who was just as wonderstruck as we were by the gory weirdness happening at every other breath, but never so serious about it that any piece of the story felt logy with funereal detail.
Harrow, though? Harrow is all black crepe and rosaries. She’s that one goth girl from high school gone full dark supernova with her sacramental face paint and unfathomable necromantic powers. A bone witch (and don’t think Muir doesn’t have some fun with that), she can construct a skeleton from a chip of tibia and have it tear your arms and legs clean off. She vacillates wildly between breathless (though exceptionally prudish) teenage passion for a corpse (that would take pages to explain), fervent prayer and drear musings on death — her own and everyone else’s. At one point, she carefully (and explosively) poisons someone with a soup made from her own bone marrow and it’s passed off like, Oh, that’s just Harry, exploding one of God’s own hit men at the dinner table, the kooky kid!
(4) FAN PIPES UP. Speaking of Tamsyn Muir, she did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit yesterday: “I’m Tamsyn Muir, author of HARROW THE NINTH, second book of the Locked Tomb trilogy. AMA!”
[Question] … I have been telling all my friends that Alecto the Ninth is going to be a heist novel. Can you please confirm this, and if so, also confirm that there will be many heart crimes. Thank you for writing these books, they are fantastic….
tazmuir
AMA Author Tamsyn Muir
I had to go back and look to see if I’d ever mentioned that I wanted a heist in Alecto, because otherwise you are 1. psychic or 2. hiding in my drywall — there IS actually a heist in Alecto. It’s not the world’s greatest heist, and is undertaken by idiots, but there’s a heist. If you’re in my house, can you tell me if turning off the boiler at night has helped the pipes? I assume you’re between the walls.
(5) OPENING A FRESH DECK. NPR’s Glen Weldon reports that “With ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks,’ A Venerable Franchise Loosens Up”.
The prospect of spoofing Star Trek represents nothing new under the (binary) sun(s). The franchise has become an institution, and mocking institutions remains a thriving American cottage industry. Saturday Night Live started taking whacks at Trek way back in the ’70s, as did MAD magazine, and the short-lived sitcom Quark. As a piece of cultural furniture, Star Trek’s ubiquity, driven by multiple television series, movies, books, games, comics and fan-fiction, means its tropes have entered the collective consciousness, and have thus become easy to recognize — and to make fun of.
Why, one could even construct an entire, very-good movie just by riffing on Trek (1999’s Galaxy Quest), as well as an entire, not-very-good television series (FOX’s mystifying The Orville).
The difference between all these previous efforts and the one represented by Star Trek: Lower Decks, premiering Thursday August 6th on CBS All Access, is a simple one:
This time, the comm signal is coming from inside the house.
True, the franchise has poked the gentlest of fun at itself, over the years — a throwaway line here, a winking reference to previous Trek series there. But Star Trek: Lower Decks is an official Trek property, its yuks are both nerdily meta and rigorously in-canon, and they go — more broadly than boldly, it must be said — where no Trek has gone before.
The premise is such stuff as comedy sketches are made on: Starships are huge, and staffed by hundreds of officers and crew members, so why does every Trek story need to revolve around the bridge, and the same 7 or so characters? Why not focus instead on the grunts doing the tedious, everyday work?
Creator/showrunner Mike McMahan made his bones on the animated series Drawn Together and Rick and Morty — shows whose darker, more cutting humorous sensibilities would seem to clash with Trek’s traditional commitment to ennobling, optimistic uplift. But that disconnect turns out to work for the new series, in most respects. For the nerds, in-jokes and easter eggs abound, testifying to the creators’ fondness for the source material, while viewers who don’t know a nacelle from a Jeffries Tube will likely appreciate the show’s sheer joke-density — and the fact that, as an animated series, it comes outfitted with an unlimited special effects budget.
That’s important, because despite its bright, broad, cartoony look, the planets of Lower Decks can appear legitimately otherworldly, instead of all looking like the Vasquez Rocks outside of Santa Clarita, California. Alien races can look alien — obviating previous series’ need to, as one wag (me) once put it, “Grab a dayplayer, slap a hunk of spirit gum between their eyebrows, paint ’em Prussian blue and shove ’em in front of the camera”.
(6) I WRITE THE WORDS. NPR reveals how “A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance”.
Alan Menken composed the song “Prince Ali,” memorably sung by Robin Williams in Disney’s 1992 animated feature Aladdin, while sitting at the lyricist’s hospital bed. His friend, Howard Ashman, was dying.
“His life was pitifully cut short, unfortunately, as were many at that time,” says Menken. “But Howard’s [death], for me, is the most personally difficult and his spirit remains very, very present still; there’s something about Howard that is not just a statistic in the battle against AIDS. But as an artist, he’s extremely vital — even now.”
Howard, a documentary about Ashman and his work as an award-winning lyricist, is coming to streaming August 7 on Disney+. It also shows the friendship between Ashman and Menken, who met in New York City in the 1970s, where Ashman was the artistic director of a black box theater, the WPA, near Union Square. Menken had been working as an accompanist for singers and writing songs for Sesame Street, and they immediately gelled like Rodgers and Hammerstein. Together they wrote the musicals Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and the unlikely hit, Little Shop of Horrors — a monster mash parody of American musical comedies, which won several Drama Desk Awards and was adapted into a film in 1986 – before going on to work for Disney.
The documentary tracks Ashman’s rise from a theater-obsessed kid in Baltimore, to his musical highs and lows (including the ill-fated Broadway show Smile with composer Marvin Hamlisch), and to his untimely death. It’s told through archival photos, song demos, new interviews with family and friends and a filmed recording session from Beauty and the Beast — a Disney-lover’s treasure trove….
(7) ABOUT ASIMOV. In the comments on LitHub’s article “What to Make of Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi Giant and Dirty Old Man?”, posted in May, former SFWA President Marta Randall told about the time Isaac Asimov assaulted her:
“In general,” writes Nevala-Lee, “Asimov chose targets who were unlikely to protest directly, such as fans and secretaries, and spared women whom he saw as professionally useful.”
I have to take exception to this. In the mid-1980s I was serving my first term as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), the first woman to hold that office, and attended the Boskone convention, as did Dr. Asimov. He showed up in the organization’s suite and I thought it proper to introduce myself, so at a suitable break in the conversation, I held out my hand for a shake and tried to say, “Dr. Asimov, I’m Marta Randall, the president of SFWA.” I didn’t make it to the second syllable of his title before he grabbed my hand, jerked me to him, and tried to stick his tongue down my throat. We were in a suite run by our professional organization, but apparently it never occurred to him that his actions might be inappropriate. Luckily a number of members who knew me pried him off of me before I tried to deck him.
We met again years later, when I was protected by carrying a baby on my back. He was perfectly cordial, but never apologized, if he even remembered the assault.
The man was a pig.
(8) VIRTUAL OXONMOOT. The UK’s Tolkien Society will hold “Oxonmoot Online” from September 18-20. Full details at the link.
…Clearly Oxonmoot Online will be a very different event from a normal Oxonmoot, but our aim is to bring you a busy and engaging weekend of Tolkien related activities. In addition, the online nature of the event offers new opportunities for international members who are normally unable to travel to Oxford to take part….
…Thanks to the actions of Ar-Pharazôn at the end of the Second Age, we find ourselves living on a round world – which means we have to deal with the complexities of time zones. To make the event as accessible as possible to as many of our members as we can, the “core” time for the keynote events and larger activities will be 18:00-22:00 UK time.
Outside these hours, we will run an engaging programme of talks, papers, activities and social gatherings – the exact timing of which will depend on the offers we get from you, our members. We intend to record talks and papers so that delegates can watch the presentations which are delivered at a time which is difficult in their time zone…
(9) THE GOAL IS MONEY. Trailer for the Korean sff movie Space Sweepers. “Are lots of trash worth a fortune?”
(10) MEDIA BIRTHDAY.
August 6, 1955 — Science Fiction Theater’s “The Stones Began to Move” first aired. Starring Truman Bradley, Basil Rathbone, and Jean Willie, a discovery inside the just-opened tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh may hold a clue as to the construction of the pyramids, but a murder is committed to keep that secret from being revealed. You can watch it here,
(11) TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS.
Born August 6, 1809 – Alfred, Lord Tennyson. (His name was Alfred Tennyson; he was later made 1st Baron Tennyson.) Poet whose engagement with quest and fantasy point us to him (“To follow knowledge like a sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought” – speaking of which, don’t neglect the highly strange Frank Belknap Long story “To Follow Knowledge”, 1942). See “Ulysses”, “Tithonus”, Idylls of the King (the Matter of Arthur). (Died 1892) [JH]
Born August 6, 1874 — Charles Fort. Writer and researcher who specialized in anomalous phenomena. The term fortean is sometimes used to characterize such phenomena. No, not genre as such, but certainly an influence on many a writer. The Dover publication, The Complete Books of Charles Fort, that collects together The Book of The Damned Lo!, Wild Talents and New Lands has a foreword by Damon Knight. L. Sprague de Camp reviewed it in Astounding Science-Fiction in the August 1941 issue when it was originally published as The Books of Charles Fort. (Died 1932.) (CE)
Born August 6, 1877 — John Ulrich Giesy. He was one of the early writers in the Sword and Planet genre, with his Jason Croft series He collaborated with Junius B. Smith on many of his stories though not these which others would call them scientific romances. He wrote a large number of stories featuring the occult detective Abdul Omar aka Semi-Dual and those were written with Smith. I see iBooks has at least all of the former and one of the latter available. Kindle has just the latter. (Died 1947.) (CE)
Born August 6, 1911 — Lucille Ball. She became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which is where Star Trek was produced. Her support of the series kept it from being terminated by the financial backers even after it went way over budget in the first pilot. (Died 1989.) (CE)
Born August 6, 1917 – Barbara Cooney. Author and illustrator of a hundred children’s books, some fantastic. Two Caldecott Medals. National Book Award. Here is a picture that might simply be entitled “Fantasy”. Here is a cover for Snow White and Rose Red. Here is Where Have You Been? Here is “The Owl and the Pussycat” (note the runcible spoon). (Died 2000) [JH]
Born August 6, 1955 – Judith Bemis, 65. Co-chair (with husband Tony Parker), Tropicon 8-9. Fan Guest of Honor (with Parker), Concave 16. Treasurer of MagiCon (50th Worldcon), Noreascon 4 (62nd). Active getting fanzines into FANAC.org database. [JH]
Born August 6, 1955 –Eva Whitley, 65. Chaired Paracon 1, Disclaves 26 & 34. Widow of Jack Chalker; says ”Possibly the only person in fandom to meet spouse by making him GoH (Paracon 1)”. Fan Guest of Honor at Balticon 17 (with Chalker) & 21, Norwescon XXII (with Chalker). Active in WSFA (Washington [D.C.] SF Ass’n) and BSFS (Baltimore SF Ass’n). [JH]
Born August 6, 1962 — Michelle Yeoh, 58. Ok, I have to give her full name of Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng. Wow. Her first meaningful genre roles were as Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies and Yu Shu Lien in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I actually remember her as Zi Yuan in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the first film of a since cancelled franchise. And then there’s her dual roles in the Trek universe where she’s Captain Philippa Georgiou and Emperor Philippa Georgiou. The forthcoming Section 31 series will involve one of them but I’m not sure which one… (CE)
Born August 6, 1969 – Álvaro Enrigue, 51. Novel Sudden Death for us, Herralde Prize. Six novels, three collections of shorter stories and one of essays. Mortiz Prize. Carlos Fuentes said E’s novel Perpendicular Lives “belongs to Max Planck’s quantum universe rather than the relativistic universe of Albert Einstein, a world of co-existing fields … whose particles are created or destroyed in the same act.” Translated into Chinese, Czech, French, German. [JH]
Born August 6, 1972 – Paolo Bacigalupi, 48. Six novels, a score of shorter stories, translated into French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Romanian, Spanish. Interviewed in Electric Velocipede, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Interzone, Lightspeed, Locus, NY Review of SF, SF Research Ass’n Review. First novel The Windup Girl won Hugo, Nebula, Campbell (as it then was) Memorial, Compton Crook, Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, Ignotus, Laßwitz, Prix Planète, Seiun; also a Printz, a Sturgeon, another Seiun. Toastmaster at MileHiCon 42; Guest of Honor at ArmadilloCon 33, Capclave 2014. Williamson Lectureship, 2014. [CE and I found two different dates for his birthday; since he’s done and won much, we decided to let both notes stand – JH]
Truer cartoon words were never spoken — Ziggy.
(13) US IN FLUX. The latest story from the Center for Science and the Imagination’s Us in Flux project is “Tomorrow Is Another Daze,” a story of Aztlán, creative reuse, and making technology work for you by Ernest Hogan (an Arizona-based writer, often called the father of Chicanx science fiction).
Lalo was in the middle of making Huevos Rancheros Microöndas when the doorbell rattled. The microwave buzzed less than a second after. Yet another quarantine for yet another virus was going on, so he wasn’t eager to answer the door. For all he knew it could be a terminal case, long past the early stages that are said to be similar to what they used to call future shock: the disorientation and hallucinations, the convulsions, foaming at the mouth, about to drop dead on his porch under the decorations his wife insisted on putting up, requiring the services of a hazmat team….
On Monday, August 10 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, they will have another virtual event on Zoom, with Ernest and scholar, author, and editor Frederick Luis Aldama. Register at the link.
(14) EAR TO THE GROUND. Michelle Nijhuis, in “Buzz Buzz Buzz” at New York Review of Books, discusses four recent works about human responsibilities towards animals.
…The scholarly emphasis on negative rights, along with the work of animal-rights and animal-welfare activists, has arguably improved the treatment of domesticated animals in North America and Europe. Public opposition to animal cruelty is now widespread, and recent laws and policies have banned animal blood sports. The insights of advocates such as Temple Grandin have helped us imagine how other species experience the world, and begin to curb some of the most brutal factory-farming practices.
None of these advances, however, has changed our fundamental relationship with animals—which is hardly sustainable, ethically or otherwise. In Slime, when one of the translators finally succeeds in communicating with a bump-nosed parrotfish from the Pacific Ocean, the message is stark, delivered in dramatic terms: “Youare helping Slime to kill us You You You Land Monsters!!! Why? Stop? Why? Change your swimming! Change your swimming! Change your swimming!!!!” Were Slime written today, it might include a line from a pangolin or a bat, warning that our heedless exploitation of animals carries deadly risks for all.
… That animals are in this sense political actors is an underrecognized and, to my mind, potentially powerful point of convergence between the animal-rights and ecological-protection movements: both traditions hold that animals have needs and wants that humans are more than capable of understanding, and should attend to.
(15) BE CAREFUL OUT THERE AMONG THEM ENGLISH. James Davis Nicoll was pleased to get some egoboo from the letters to the editors in the August 4 Sydney Morning Herald:
Hold the phonics
Each of your “o’s”, Kevin Harris, represents different sounds because of the consonants in each word that have individual phonetic sounds; always have and always will (Letters, August 5). Otherwise, we’d all be speaking French, where half the letters aren’t ever pronounced. John Kingsmill, Fairlight
Thirty years ago, one James Nicoll observed that “English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and riffle their pockets for new vocabulary”. With that has come disparate rules of pronunciation, to the annoyance of Kevin Harris’ five-year-old and countless others. For English, basic phonics works for about 40 per cent of words, enough to make it a useful tool. For the rest, plenty of guided reading will make up most of the deficit. Richard Murnane, Hornsby
(16) SURPRISE! – NOT. “Hollywood censors films to appease China, report suggests” – BBC has details.
Hollywood bosses have been censoring films to placate the film market in China, a report has suggested.
The lengthy report says US film companies want to avoid losing access to China’s lucrative box office market.
It said casting, content, dialogue and plotlines were increasingly being tailored to appease censors in Beijing.
The report, compiled by the free speech charity PEN America, claimed China was therefore influencing movies released in cinemas around the world.
China holds the world’s second largest box office market behind the US.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, American films earned $2.6bn (£2bn) in China last year, with Disney’s Avengers finale, Endgame, making $614m (£466m).
PEN is a non-profit organisation that campaigns on free speech and it sponsors the Pinter Prize for literature.
The report said that Marvel’s 2016 superhero film Dr Strange whitewashed a major Tibetan character for fear of jeopardising the title’s chances of success in China.
The forthcoming Top Gun sequel, Maverick, was also criticised for the “mysterious disappearance of the Taiwanese flag” in a 2019 trailer.
“Our biggest concern is that Hollywood is increasingly normalising pre-emptive self-censorship in anticipation of what the Beijing censor is looking for,” said James Tager, author of the report.
(17) HEISENBIRDS. “Attaching Small Weights To Pigeons Helps Them Shoot Up In The Social Hierarchy” – NPR transcript:
Scientists found that attaching small weights to pigeons causes them to shoot up in the social hierarchy. The finding is important because scientists often attach trackers to pigeons.
STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:
It turns out there is a social hierarchy among pigeons, and it definitely pays to be the big bird on campus.
STEVE PORTUGAL: Being top of the dominance hierarchy basically gives you preferential access to everything. It means you get priority access to food, priority access to mates.
SHAPIRO: That’s Steve Portugal, a zoologist and biologist at Royal Holloway, University of London. And contrary to what you may have heard about the early bird getting the worm, in the case of pigeons, it is heavier birds that get all the perks.
VANEK SMITH: So Portugal and his colleagues wondered what would happen if you made lighter pigeons feel heavier. If you beefed them up, would they punch above their weight?
SHAPIRO: They tested their theory in a captive flock of homing pigeons. They identified the birds in the bottom half of the hierarchy and loaded them up with tiny weights – little bird backpacks, actually.
PORTUGAL: And sure enough, when I did that, they became much more aggressive, started much more fights and won many more fights as well.
(18) EVRYBODY MUST BE STONE. ScreenRant luckily didn’t run out of fingers while counting the cast: “All 9 Star Trek Actors In Gargoyles The Animated Series”.
A number of Star Trek actors lent their voices to the animated series Gargoyles. The show followed the adventures of gargoyles, nocturnal creatures who turned into stone during the day. After being transported from their home in Scotland to New York City, the clan were awoken from their 1000-year-long magical slumber and took on the responsibility of protecting the city. The children’s series originally ran from 1994 until 1997, but has been finding new audiences thanks to Disney+.
… Like Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis was a main character on both Star Trek: TNG as well as Gargoyles. Sirtis played Deanna Troi, the empathetic, chocolate-loving counsellor onboard the USS-Enterprise. Troi is half-Betazoid, which grants her empath abilities — which often came in handy in dealings with other alien races. Also like Frakes, Sirtis played a villainous role on Gargoyles: her character Demona despised humans, and is possibly the most dangerous of all remaining gargoyles. She aligned herself with David Xanatos, and was largely responsible for him resurrecting the Wyvern clan, whom she had hoped would join her on her quest for vengeance.
(19) BEEB TRIVIA. Nicholas Whyte told the SMOFs list where they could see this Hugo-related feat:
The UK quiz show University Challenge had three questions about the Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form last night, all correctly answered by the team from Strathclyde University – which, as it happens, is in Glasgow.
[Thanks to PhilRM, JJ, Chip Hitchcock, John Hertz, Mike Kennedy, Cat Eldridge, Michael Toman, John King Tarpinian, Peer Sylvester, Martin Morse Wooster, Joey Eschrich, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day, verified, blue check Andrew.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, Disney, Ernest Hogan, Glen Weldon, Isaac Asimov, James Davis Nicoll, Kameron Hurley, Marta Randall, Nicholas Whyte, Nina Allan, Oxonmoot, Reddit, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Tamsyn Muir, Tolkien Society, Us in Flux | 19 Replies
Pixel Scroll 7/17/20 Who Will Buy This Wonderful Pixel
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Mike Glyer
(1) TALK AMONG YOURSELVES. N.K. Jemisin has some great news. This is as much of it as she can share.
And on a pleasant work-week-ending note, I've gotten some incredibly good news. At this point every single one of my novels have sold TV/film rights! …Aaaaaaand I can't talk about ANY of it. ::laughs, cries, sighs::
— N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) July 17, 2020
(2) BEST OF THE FIRST HALF. Grimdark Magazine presents its list of “Best Sff Books Of 2020 So Far: Picked By The GDM Team”. Includes –
The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
(PICKED BY MIKE MYERS)
Zen Cho returns with a found family wuxia fantasy that combines the vibrancy of old school martial arts movies with characters drawn from the margins of history.
A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there. Guet Imm, a young votary of the Order of the Pure Moon, joins up with an eclectic group of thieves (whether they like it or not) in order to protect a sacred object, and finds herself in a far more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined.
(3) BEATTS UPDATE. Sponsors of Borderlands Books are among those who have signed “An Open Letter to the Borderlands Books Ownership, Staff, and Community” calling for Alan Beatts to give up ownership of the store.
We, the undersigned, have been sponsors and supporters of Borderlands Books. Alan Beatts asked for community support to keep his business operational; in exchange, we expect him to be accountable to that community.
In light of the accusations that Alan has committed acts of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, we are withdrawing our sponsorship and support for Borderlands Books. We believe the survivors. We want to support them and any others Alan has harmed, whether or not they publicly come forward.
We cannot support Borderlands while Alan might use his position as owner to do and conceal harm. We demand that he relinquish ownership of the store and divest financially from it….
(4) SFF WINS CHINESE AWARD. Congratulations to Regina Kanyu Wang, whose story “The Language Sheath” has been awarded the 2019 Annual Award by Shanghai Writers’ Association. The English version, published by Clarkesworld, is here.
(5) YOUNG PEOPLE. James Davis Nicoll’s Young People Read Old SFF panel encounters Kit Reed:
Dry witted and lethally incisive, Kit Reed (1932 – 2017), was prolific in a variety of genres: speculative fiction, literary fiction, and (as Kit Craig) psychological thrillers. Selecting a particular work out of all the short SFF Reed published over her long career must have been challenging. Nevertheless, editor Marcus assures us
“To Lift a Ship” is my favorite story from this era, and I think you’ll like it, too.
Did my Young People, in fact, enjoy it?
(6) ONE OF THE BIGGER IDEAS. “The Big Idea: Madeline Ashby” at Whatever begins:
“It’s a rape revenge story? Is that what you said?”
It was October of 2016. It was a rainy morning in London just days from Halloween, and I was mind-shatteringly jetlagged, getting ready to give a talk at MozFest, the festival put on each year by the Mozilla Foundation. I was answering questions put to me by a fact-checker from the Wall Street Journal, after Margaret Atwood said they should talk to me about robots, science fiction, and the future. The interviewer had asked about my series of novels called The Machine Dynasty, which started with a little book called vN. This was how Margaret and I met — we did an appearance together with Corey Redekop at the Kingston WritersFest back home in Canada. She had gently steered the interview in the way only she can, and said, “Now, Madeline, having read your book, I must ask: how old were you when you first saw The Wizard of Oz?”
Oh, I thought. She gets it. Of course she does. She’s Margaret Fucking Atwood.
This was my life in 2016. In a week or two, the world would fall apart. So would I. In both cases, it happened slowly, but faster than you might think. In both cases, it started years earlier. Collapse is not a binary state; damage occurs on a spectrum of possible repair. You might not recognize it, at first. You may not yet have the words with which to describe it….
(7) OTHER SNOW WHITES. The Harvard Gazette interviews a scholar about “Snow White and the darkness within us”.
Maria Tatar collects versions of the tale from around the world and explains how they give us a way to think about what we prefer not to
Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was released as the first feature-length animated film in 1937, and decades later, the musical fantasy based on a Grimm Brothers fairy tale about the complications and conflicts in the mother-daughter relationship is still a cultural touchstone. The story has virtually eclipsed every version of the many told the world over about beautiful girls and their older rivals, often a cruel biological mother or stepmother, but sometimes an aunt or a mother-in-law. In her new book, “The Fairest of Them All: Snow White and 21 Tales of Mothers and Daughters,” Maria Tatar, the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Folklore and Mythology and Germanic Languages and Literatures and a senior fellow in Harvard’s Society of Fellows, collected tales from a variety of nations, including Egypt, Japan, Switzerland, Armenia, and India. She spoke to the Gazette about her lifelong fascination with the saga and how we can look to fairy tales to navigate uncertain times.
GAZETTE: Why did you decide to take up the Snow White story?
TATAR: While working on my previous book with Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr., “The Annotated African American Folktales,” I came across a South African story called “The Unnatural Mother and the Girl with a Star on Her Forehead.” It was basically what we call the Snow White story, but in it the “beautiful girl” falls into a catatonic trance after putting on slippers given to her by her jealous mother. That’s when I fell down the rabbit hole of wonder tales and discovered stories from all over the world in which a stunningly attractive young woman arouses the jealousy of a woman who is usually her biological mother. The Brothers Grimm, whose 1812 story inspired Walt Disney to create the animated film, had many vernacular tales available to them, but they chose to publish the one in which the rival is the stepmother, in part because they did not want to violate the sanctity of motherhood. Now, decades later, it is still our cultural story about the many complications and conflicts in the mother-daughter relationship. It has eradicated almost every trace of the many tales told all over the world about beautiful girls and their rivals.
GAZETTE: Why does this particular story remain so resonant?
TATAR: All of the tales in this collection are cliffhangers. They begin with the counterfactual “What if?” then leave us asking “What’s next?” and finally challenge us to ask “Why?” These stories were originally told in communal settings, and they got people talking about all the conflicts, pressures, and injustices in real life. How do you create an ending that is not just happily ever after, but also “the fairest of them all”? What do you do when faced with worst-case possible scenarios? What do you need to survive cruelty, abandonment, and assault? In fairy tales, the answer often comes in the form of wits, intelligence, and resourcefulness on the one hand, and courage on the other. With their melodramatic mysteries, they arouse our curiosity and make us care about the characters. They tell us something about the value of seeking knowledge and feeling compassion under the worst of circumstances, and that’s a lesson that makes us pay attention today.
(8) REPLAY. Aidan Moher has an epic retro game review at Nerds of a Feather: “Beauty, Dragons, and Isometric Horror: Revisiting Breath of Fire IV”. Lots of analysis accompanied by eye-catching art from the game. At the end —
…Despite all that. I’m nine hours into this playthrough of Breath of Fire IV and it’s going to be the first time I complete it. Maybe it’s playing on a CRT monitor, which really allows those sprites to shine. Maybe it’s sheer grit and determination. Maybe it’s a growing understanding of how to appreciate games within their context, rather than expecting them to be something more modern. Nah. It’s the sprite art.
(9) HISTORY OF WATER? Maybe. The Planetary Society highlighted this NASA public domain image of “Curiosity’s View From The Top Of The Greenheugh Pediment”:
Stitched together from 28 images, this recent view from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover was taken from the top of a steep slope, looking out over a sandstone cap and a more distant “clay-bearing unit,” a region which scientists think contains evidence of the history of water in the area.
(10) COLE OBIT. Joanna Cole, author of more than 250 books for children, including the Magic School Bus series, died July 12 at the age of 75. NPR paid tribute: “‘The Magic School Bus’ Series Author Joanna Cole Has Died”.
… She originally created The Magic School Bus in 1986 with illustrator Bruce Degen. The core idea of a sweet and nerdy crew of schoolchildren taking field trips into scientific concepts, bodily parts, into space and back to the age of dinosaurs — and always led by their teacher, the intrepid Ms. Frizzle — eventually spun out into dozens of tie-ins and more than 93 million copies in print, plus a beloved television show that aired for 18 years in more than 100 countries.
In the U.S., the original Magic School Bus TV series was broadcast by PBS for 18 years; in 2017, an updated version launched in 2017 on Netflix, with the first of four specials on the way in August….
July 17, 1987 — Robocop premiered. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and produced by Arne Schmidt, it was written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. It starred Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer. It would lose out to The Princess Bride at Nolacon II for the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo. The movie was first given an X-rating by the Motion Picture Association of America due to its graphic violence, but Verhoeven toned it down and got an R. Most critics loved it and gave it high marks both as a SF film and as social commentary. Director Ken Russell said he thought it was the best SF film since Metropolis It did very well at the Box Office and audience reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes currently give it an 84% rating. (CE)
Born July 17, 1889 — Erle Stanley Gardner. Though best-remembered for the Perry Mason detective stories, he did write a handful of SF stories, all of which are collected in The Human Zero: The Science Fiction Stories of Erle Stanley Gardner. It is not available from the usual digital suspects but Amazon has copies of the original hardcover edition at reasonable prices. (Died 1970.) (CE)
Born July 17, 1907 – Humphry Ellis. Double first in Classics at Magdalen (i.e. Oxford; not Magdalene, Cambridge), invited to teach at Marlborough, 1930; while there submitted to Punch, was accepted; hired there, 1933; deputy editor, 1949; resigned to protest new editor Malcolm Muggeridge, 1953; earned more selling to The New Yorker, 1954; a dozen collections. For us “Trollope in Space”; “The Space-Crime Continuum” and one more in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. (Died 2000) [JH]
Born July 17, 1912 – Barbara Strachey. Journeys of Frodo, an atlas; drew the maps herself. See The Independent’s wonderful obituary, with a doll of Lytton Strachey, wine, Bertrand Russell, gardening. (Died 1999) [JH]
Born July 17, 1936 – John Spurling, 84. Nairobi (not his fault this reminds me of Ernie Kovacs); Marlborough too late for H. Ellis; St John’s, Oxford; Royal Artillery; British Broadcasting Corp.; free lance. Arcadian Nights re-imagining Greek myths; King Arthur in Avalon, play for a ladies’ college – is the Matter of Arthur fantasy? Walter Scott Prize for The Ten Thousand Things, historical fiction about Wang Mêng (1308-1385); three more novels, nine more plays. Franz Liszt Society. [JH]
Born July 17, 1943 – Grania Davis. Two novels (and three more outside our field) plus two with Avram Davidson; a dozen and half shorter stories plus four with him; translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian; her collection Tree of Life, Book of Death; AD collections The Boss in the Wall, The AD Treasury with Robert Silverberg, Everybody Has Somebody in Heaven with Jack Dann, The Investigations of AD with Dick Lupoff, ¡Limekiller! and The Other 19th Century with Henry Wessells; anthology Speculative Japan with Gene van Troyer; essays, letters, on China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia (as it then was), Japan, M.Z. Bradley, C.N. Brown, AD, P.K. Dick, G.C. Edmondson, Judith Merril, Takumi Shibano, in Locus, NY Review of SF, et al. (Died 2017) [JH]
Born July 17, 1944 — Thomas A. Easton, 76. SF critic and author who wrote the book review column for Analog from 1979 – 2009. His Organic Future series is quite entertaining and I’m reasonably certain I read Sparrowhawk when it was serialized in Analog. He appears frequently at Boston-area Cons. (CE)
Born July 17, 1954 — J. Michael Straczynski, 66. Best-known rather obviously for creating and writing most of Babylon 5 and its all too short-lived sequel Crusade. He’s also responsible for the Jeremiah and Sense8 series. On the comics side, he’s written The Amazing Spider-Man, Thor and Fantastic Four. Over at DC, he did the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and has also written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen titles. (CE)
Born July 17, 1956 — Timothy D. Rose, 64. Puppeteer and actor. He was the Head Operator of Howard the Duck in that film, but was in The Dark Crystal, Return to Ewok, Return of The Jedi, Return to Oz, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. He voiced Admiral Ackbar in the latter two and in The Return of The Jedi as well. (CE)
Born July 17, 1971 – Cory Doctorow, 49. Ten novels, five dozen shorter stories. Columnist for Locus, SF Age; anthologist; interviewed in SF Research Ass’n Review, Shimmer, Steampunk, StarShipSofa, Strange Horizons. Finding ourselves chatting about something or other at an SF convention we noticed that others stared; now, really, folks. [JH]
Born July 17, 1976 — Brian K. Vaughan, 44. Wow. Author of Ex Machina, Pride of Baghdad, Runaways, Saga, Y: The Last Man, and his newest affair, Paper Girls. And yes, he’s won Hugo Awards. You could spend an entire Summer just reading those series. In his spare time, he was a writer, story editor and producer of the television series Lost during seasons three through five. And was the showrunner and executive producer of the Under the Dome series. (CE)
Born July 17, 1988 — Summer Bishil, 32. Best-known as Margo Hanson on The Magicians, but she’s also been Azula in The Last Airbender, and Aneesa in Return to Halloweentown. (CE)
Born July 17, 1989 – H.A. Titus, 31. Two novels (Burnt Silver just released in February), ten shorter stories. Paper Tigers proofreading service. Loves legends, Tolkien, Dungeons & Dragons,skiing, rock-climbing, her husband, their sons. [JH]
Tom Gauld captures the spirit of the moment.
From my book of science cartoons 'Department of Mind-Blowing Theories'.
Order links here: https://t.co/4PdfGZyv52 pic.twitter.com/nqJuMDhwCd
— Tom Gauld (@tomgauld) July 17, 2020
(14) TIME FOR A REFILL. Alasdair Stuart’s “The Full Lid for 17th July 2020” takes a look at The Old Guard from the other side, exploring the important choices the movie adaptation makes and what that means for Western action/genre cinema. And after that, says Stuart —
I also take a look at Noelle Stevenson’s vastly impressive The Fire Never Goes Out, a graphic novel autobiography with clear eyes, a wicked sense of humor and incredible emotional honesty. Finally, there’s a look at Concrete Genie, a deeply lovely, and deceptively subtle PS4 game which maps personal and artistic growth onto the renovation of a small town, occasional parkour and adorable grobble monsters. Plus lots of apples.
The Full Lid is published weekly and is free. You can sign up at the top of the most recent issue and view an archive of the last six months.
(15) TRAILER TIME. Here is the Superman Smashes the Klan Official Trailer for Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel from DC.
The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Metropolis’ Chinatown to the center of the bustling city. While Dr. Lee is greeted warmly in his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to their famous hero, Superman! Inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, The Terrifics, New Super-Man) brings us his personal retelling of the adventures of the Lee family as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan!
(16) LEARNING FROM THE CLARKE AWARD NUMBERS. “The Good News and the Bad: the Clarke Award submissions list under the lens”. Tagline: “Author and Clarke Award 2020 judge Stewart Hotston on representation and the state of contemporary SF publishing in the UK.”
…Now the bad news.
To be honest, I thought of writing something witty in place of that last sentence. Maybe ‘now the less good news’ but it’s not less good. It’s appalling and I want to be clear with my language here rather than covering over the situation with typical British understatement.
Let’s take a look at the numbers.
121 submissions.
45 imprints
14 authors of non-white descent (the specific definition of which we’ll discuss below)
3 British authors of non-white descent
Out of 116 authors.
In my view there were actually more books with problematic depictions of race than there are books by authors from those very communities (By my own count there were 9 books submitted from 7 imprints which featured unacceptable racial stereotypes or tropes).
(17) HOLD THE PHONE. “NASA Pushes Back Launch Date On Webb Space Telescope, Citing COVID-19”. NPR’s story includes video of packing the telescope for launch.
The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited — and long-delayed — successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, has been pushed back yet another seven months, NASA said Thursday citing, in part, delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nearly $10 billion project, which scientists hope will see back to the time when the first galaxies were formed following the Big Bang, had been scheduled to launch next March from French Guiana atop an Ariane 5 rocket, but the space agency said it is now aiming for an Oct. 31, 2021, launch date.
“Webb is the world’s most complex space observatory, and our top science priority, and we’ve worked hard to keep progress moving during the pandemic,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement. “The team continues to be focused on reaching milestones and arriving at the technical solutions that will see us through to this new launch date next year.”
(18) LIGHTS OUT. “Scientists shed light on how the blackest fish in the sea ‘disappear'”
An ocean mystery – how the blackest fish in the deep sea are so extremely black – has been solved in a study that began with a very bad photograph.
“I couldn’t get a good shot – just fish silhouettes,” said Dr Karen Osborn from the Smithsonian Institution.
Her detailed study of the animal’s “ultra-black” skin revealed that it traps light.
While it makes the animals difficult to photograph, marine scientists say it provides the ultimate camouflage.
There is, Dr Osborn explained, nowhere to hide from predators in the deep ocean, so this “ultra-blackness” renders creatures almost invisible.
(19) LITTLE TEENY EYES. “Beetle-mounted camera streams insect adventures” — the BBC’s straight-prose version. You can come up with your own filk accompaniment.
Researchers have developed a tiny wireless camera that is light enough to be carried by live beetles.
The team at the University of Washington in the US drew inspiration from the insects to create its low-powered camera system.
Its beetle-cam can stream up to five frames per second of low-resolution, black and white footage to a nearby smartphone.
The research was published in the Science Robotics journal.
The entire camera rig weighs just 250 milligrams, which is about a tenth of the weight of a playing card.
While the sensor itself is low resolution, capturing just 160 by 120 pixel images, it is mounted on a mechanical arm that can shift from side to side.
That allows the camera to look side to side and scan the environment, just like a beetle, and capture a higher-resolution panoramic image.
(20) CHANGING TIMES. BBC explains “Why Monty Python’s Life of Brian, once rated X, is now a 12A”.
In 1979, Monty Python’s Life of Brian was considered so controversial it was given an X certificate and banned from some British cinemas.
Last year, however, its rating was downgraded to a 12A by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
In its annual report, published this week, the BBFC said it now considered the film “permissible at a more junior category” under its current guidelines.
The film returned to cinemas in 2019 to mark its 40th anniversary.
It was rereleased in April last year with a 12A rating for “infrequent strong language, moderate sex references, nudity [and] comic violence”.
…When it was first released, the BBFC – then named the British Board of Film Censors – rated the film AA, which meant those under 14 were not allowed to see it.
Contemporary concerns that the film was blasphemous in nature led to more than 100 local authorities opting to view the film for themselves.
This led to 28 of them raising the classification to an X certificate, meaning no one under 18 could see it, and 11 banning the film altogether.
…It is not uncommon for the BBFC to revisit films that are being reissued theatrically and reappraise their original classification.
Earlier this year Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, released in 1980 with a U certificate, was reclassified as a PG for its “moderate violence [and] mild threat”.
(21) VIDEO OF THE DAY. “’The New World’ from RoGoPaG” on YouTube is Jean-Luc Godard’s contribution to a 1963 anthology film called RoGoPaG where he shows the subtle psychological consequences after an atomic bomb is exploded over Paris. Part I is below. Part II is here.
[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, Martin Morse Wooster, Chip Hitchcock, JJ, John Hertz, Cat Eldridge, Mike Kennedy, Michael Toman, Dann, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Andrew.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, Alan Beatts, Alasdair Stuart, Arthur C. Clarke Award, Borderlands Books, Curiosity, Gene Luen Yang, grimdark, Grimdark Magazine, James Davis Nicoll, James Webb Space Telescope, Kit Reed, Madeline Ashby, Mars Exploration Rovers, Monty Python, N. K. Jemisin, Regina Wang, Robocop, Superman, video games, Young People Read Old SF | 29 Replies
Pixel Scroll 5/22/20 Is A Palindrone An Unmanned Craft That Can Fly Backwards As Well As Forwards?
Posted on May 22, 2020 by Mike Glyer
(1) LETTING THE GENE OUT OF THE BOTTLE. One of the field’s most esteemed writers delivers Whatever’s recurring feature today: “The Big Idea: Nancy Kress”.
At parties in my city—environmentally conscious, crunchy-granola, high-tech and socially activist Seattle—it is easy to start a flaming argument. Just walk up to a group, tilt your head, and say inquiringly, “What do you think of GMOs?” Then stand back to avoid being scorched.
Genetically modified organisms have passionate denouncers and equally passionate supporters. This is especially true for GMO crops, since the genemod bacteria and animals are usually hidden away in labs, ranches, or manufacturing facilities. But there is GMO food right out front on your table, plated in front of your kids. Everybody has an opinion.
Including me.
But I didn’t want my new novella from Tachyon, Sea Change, to be a polemic for one side of the controversy. I wanted to explore in a balanced way both sides of the myriad questions involved….
(2) HARRY POTTER READINGS. This edition is really cool.
All aboard! In case you missed it, the cast of #CursedChildNYC joined @WizardingWorld for the latest #HarryPotterAtHome reading – Chapter Six: The Journey from Platform 9 3/4! Follow along on Harry's journey to Hogwarts by reading along with us: https://t.co/sWNqfCntDt ?? pic.twitter.com/o4dd4863v7
— Harry Potter and the Cursed Child NYC (@CursedChildNYC) May 21, 2020
(3) KEEPING AN EAR ON YOU. Mara Hvistendahl’s article “How a Chinese AI Giant Made Chatting—and Surveillance—Easy” in the June WIRED reports that iFlytek does a really good job of translation — and also allows Chinese authorities to track users by the sound of their voices.
When I mentioned iFlytek’s work to a friend in Shanghai, she said it reminded her of the story ‘City of Silence’ by the Chinese science fiction writer Ma Boyong. The story is set in a future society where speech is tightly controlled. The people are clever at adapting to each new limit, turning to homonyms and slang to circumvent censors, and in time the authorities realize that the only way to truly control speech is to publish a List of Healthy Words, forbid all terms not on the list, and monitor voice as well as text. Anytime the protagonist leaves the house, he has to wear a device called the Listener, which issues a warning when he strays from the list of approved words. The realm of sanctioned speech dwindles day by day.
Eventually the protagonist discovers the existence of a secret Talking Club, where in an apartment encircled by lead curtains, members say whatever they want, have sex, and study 1984, Feeling alive again, he realizes that he has been suppressing ‘a strong yearning to talk.’ This brief encounter with hope is squelched when the authorities develop radar dishes that can intercept signals through lead curtains. By the end of the story, there are no healthy words left, and the hero walks the city mutely, alone with his thoughts. ‘Luckily, it was not yet possible to shield the mind with technology.’ Ma writes.
(4) EMPIRE AT 40. “Star Wars drops 40th anniversary poster for ‘The Empire Strikes Back'” – Yahoo! Movies UK shared the image and some other interesting links.
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
Considered by most to be the blockbuster franchise’s finest moment, the second Star Wars film stunned audiences around the world with a killer twist and the ultimate downbeat ending.
To celebrate the film’s 40th year, Lucasfilm and Disney have gone all out, uploading a wealth of content to StarWars.com including a brand new interview with series creator George Lucas.
(5) YA GOTTA BELIEVE. Inverse has already mined that Lucas interview for a post: “George Lucas reveals a shocking connection between Yoda and Baby Yoda”.
…Frank Oz, the original puppeteer and voice behind Yoda, also created several Muppet characters along with Jim Henson. You don’t think of Oz’s Miss Piggy as a puppet, you think of her as a pig. And, it’s the same with Yoda and Baby Yoda: We think of them as whatever it is they are supposed to be, not as a kooky fake thing.
But, it turns out, that creating that illusion requires a very specific philosophy. And in a new interview celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas touched on one fascinating connection between the original Yoda in 1980 and Baby Yoda on The Mandalorian.
Over on the official Star Wars website, George Lucas is talking about The Empire Strikes Back. For diehards, there’s not necessarily a ton of new information in this interview, after all, people have been meticulously documenting the making of Star Wars movies since Star Wars began. But, in talking about the director or The Empire Strikes Back —Irvin Kershner — one detail about how Yoda was shot on set will raise your eyebrow if you’ve been following all the behind-the-scenes action on The Mandalorian.
From StarWars.com:
“Kershner treated Yoda like an actor on set, sometimes talking to the prop instead of addressing Oz down below.”
This is significant because nearly 40 years later, the exact same thing happened on the set of The Mandalorian. In the behind-the-scenes documentary series Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, director Deborah Chow confirmed what was cropping up in several reports already; cinematic legend Werner Herzog spoke directly to Baby Yoda puppet on the set, and, like Kershner did on Empire, treated the puppet exactly like an actor….
(6) AURORA NEWS. Members of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association will want to know: “Aurora Awards – Voter Package Downloads now available”.
Awards voting opens June 20 and ends July 25 at 11:59:59 EDT.
(7) CASTAWAYS WITH ETIQUETTE. James Davis Nicoll lists “Four SF Stories That Are More Gilligan’s Island Than Lord of the Flies“ for Tor.com readers.
…It turns out that even castaway kids will flout convention, as this Guardian article reveals. With no regard for the feelings of authority figures, six Tongan boys spent over a year marooned on a deserted island without even one brutal murder. Instead they cooperated and survived; they even cared for one of the boys who broke his leg….
(8) MARTIAN MUD PIMPLES. The German Aerospace Center suspects there are “Lava-like mud flows on Mars”.
Laboratory experiments show that at very low temperatures and under very low atmospheric pressure, mud behaves similar to flowing lava on Earth.
Results suggest that tens of thousands of conical hills on Mars, often with a small crater at their summit, could be the result of mud volcanism.
(9) MOVING TARGET. The paradigm shifts! And CNN tries to sort it out — “J.K. Rowling stupefies fans by revealing the truth around the origins of ‘Harry Potter'”
The news came after a fan posted a picture on Twitter of the Elephant House, a coffee shop in Edinburgh which on its website describes itself as the place “made famous as the place of inspiration to writers such as J.K. Rowling, who sat writing much of her early novels in the back room overlooking Edinburgh Castle.”
The fan asked Rowling to explain “the truth about this ‘birthplace’ of Harry Potter.”
Rowling, who is known to drop various bombshells and unknown tidbits about the franchise on Twitter, explained that the real “pen to paper” birth of Harry Potter himself, happened in her flat.
“If you define the birthplace of Harry Potter as the moment when I had the initial idea, then it was a Manchester-London train,” Rowling tweeted.
“But I’m perennially amused by the idea that Hogwarts was directly inspired by beautiful places I saw or visited, because it’s so far from the truth.”
For instance, I never visited this bookshop in Oporto. Never even knew of its existence! It’s beautiful and I wish I *had* visited it, but it has nothing to do with Hogwarts! pic.twitter.com/f83rxBeeyY
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 21, 2020
(10) CHECK YOUR SHELVES. “Harry Potter first edition found in skip sells for £33,000”. No, J.K. Rowling’s revelation above is not the reason that book got chucked. It happened a long time ago. And hey, the librarian was just doing their job when they dumped that worn-out volume!
A hardback first edition Harry Potter book which was found in a skip has sold for £33,000 at auction.
The rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was discovered by a teacher 12 years ago along with two paperback first editions.
The anonymous seller found the books outside a school while tidying its library before an Ofsted inspection.
After the paperbacks went for £3,400 and £3,000, the seller said: “To say I’m pleased is an understatement.”
They were sold during an online auction at Bishton Hall in Staffordshire earlier.
Only 500 hardback first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were printed in 1997, most of which were sent to schools and libraries.
(11) RITA RETIRED. The Guardian’s take on RWA’s new award, “The Vivian” — “Romance Writers of America aims for happy end to racism row with new prize”.
Romance Writers of America is attempting to turn the page on a damaging racism row, abolishing its top literary prizes and replacing them with awards in a new format it hopes will show “happily ever afters are for everyone” and not just white protagonists.
The association of more than 9,000 romance writers is developing proposals to encourage more diverse winners, including training for its judges, an award for unpublished authors and processes to ensure books are judged by people familiar with each subgenre.
The RWA has been at the centre of an acrimonious debate about diversity, criticised for the paucity of writers of colour shortlisted for its major awards, the Ritas, as well as its treatment of Courtney Milan after she called a fellow author’s book a “racist mess” because of its depictions of Chinese women.
(12) TODAY IN HISTORY.
May 22, 1981 — Outland premiered. It was written and directed by Peter Hyams with production by Richard A. Roth and Stanley O’Toole. It starred Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, James B. Sikking, Kika Markham and Frances Sternhagen. According to the studio, it literally broken even at the Box Office. Critics in general liked it (“High Noon in Outer Space”) but audience reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes are meh on it giving a soft 54% rating.
May 22, 2012 — Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls premiered. The fourth film in the franchise, it directed by Steven Spielberg and was released nineteen years after the last film. Produced by Frank Marshall from a screenplay by David Koepp off of the story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson. And starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Shia LaBeouf. Despite the myth around it in the net that it was a critical failure, critics overwhelmingly loved it. And the audience reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes give it a 60% rating.
Born May 22, 1813 – Richard Wagner. His fantasies The Flying Dutchman (“fly” in the sense we still have in “flee”), Tannhäuser, The Ring of the Niebelung (four-opera series), Parsifal, are masterworks of music and theater. Complicated life and opinions less admirable. (Died 1883) [JH]
Born May 22, 1859 – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Famous for Sherlock Holmes, in SF he wrote five novels, sixty shorter stories, translated into Croatian, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish. In fact his surname from birth records to his knighting was only Doyle. (Died 1930) [JH]
Born May 22, 1907 – Hergé. He is best remembered for creating The Adventures of Tintin which are considered one of the most popular European comics of the 19th and 20th centuries. He is much less remembered for Quick & Flupke, a short-lived series between the Wars, and The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko which lasted well into the Fifties. (Died 1983.) (CE)
Born May 22, 1914 – Sun Ra. In the avant-garde of jazz he played keyboards and sang, led a variously-composed band under names more or less like “The Solar Arkestra”, still performing; recorded dozens of singles and a hundred full-length albums with titles like We Travel the Spaceways, Space Is the Place, Strange Celestial Road. Said he was taken to Saturn in a vision, changing his life and art. (Died 1993) [JH]
Born May 22, 1922 – Bob Leman. Fanzine, The Vinegar Worm; two pieces in The Best of Fandom 1958. Fourteen short stories in F&SF, one more in collection Feensters in the Lake, translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese. With Gerald Bishop, “Venture Science Fiction Magazine” , a Checklist of the First American Series and the First British Series. (Died 2006) [JH]
Born May 22, 1930 – Robert Byrne. Editor of Western Construction. Amateur magician, member of Int’l Brotherhood of Magicians. Billiards and pool teacher and commenter; Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool & Billiards sold 500,000 copies; columnist for Billiards Digest; seven instructional videos; Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. Eight anthologies of funny things people have said. Three novels in our field, five others. (Died 2016) [JH]
Born May 22, 1938 — Richard Benjamin, 82. He’s here because he was Adam Quark on the all too short-lived Quark series. He also was Joseph Lightman in Witches’ Brew which was based off Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Wife novel (winner of the 1944 Retro-Hugo Award at Dublin 2019) though that’s not credited in the film. And he was in Westworld as Peter Martin. Finally, he did a stint on the Ray Bradbury Theatre as Mr. Howard in “Let’s Play Poison” episode. (CE)
Born May 22, 1943 – Arlene Phillips. Dancer, choreographer including the film Annie and the Royal Shakespeare production of A Clockwork Orange, judge for Strictly Come Dancing and the U.K. version of So You Think You Can Dance? Ten credited film appearances. For us, six Alana, Dancing Star children’s books. [JH]
Born May 22, 1956 — Natasha Shneider. Her entire acting career consisted of but two roles, only one of interest to us, that of the Soviet cosmonaut Irina Yakunina in 2010: Odyssey Two. Her other genre contribution was she wrote and performed “Who’s in Control” for Catwoman. Cancer would take her at far too early an age. (Died 2008.) (CE)
Born May 22, 1968 — Karen Lord, 52. A Barbadian writer whose first novel, Redemption in Indigo, won the Carl Brandon Parallax Award and Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature for its inventive use of Senegalese folklore. I’d also recommend her The Best of All Possible Worlds novel as it’s as well done as her earlier novel but different and fascinating in its own right.
Born May 22, 1978 – Tansy Rayner Roberts. Ph.D. in Classics from U. Tasmania. Hugo as Best Fan Writer 2013, Ditmar as Best Fan Writer 2015; nine more Ditmars, three of them Athelings (for SF criticism). George Turner prize for Splashdance Silver. WSFA (Washington, D.C., SF Ass’n) Small Press Award for “The Patrician”. A dozen novels, three dozen shorter stories. Served a term as a Director of SFWA (no one made SFWA into Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and Australia; directors were no longer region-specific). Crime fiction as Livia Day. [JH]
Born May 22, 1979 — Maggie Q, 41. She portrayed Tori Wu in the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s novel Divergent, a role she reprised in its sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant. She played a female agent in a comedic version of the Jackie Chan fronted Around the World in 80 Days. And she’s in the recent remake of Fantasy Island that critics hated but was a box office success. On a brighter note, she voices Wonder Woman on the Young Justice series.
Lio references Harlan Ellison.
(15) SPEAK, MEMORY. So does Liza Fletcher McCall:
He laughed *very* hard and replied "He has his uses" and smiled in a way that indicated I wasn't getting more of an answer than that so I changed the subject. I told my dad about it later and he was a perfect mix of horrified and proud.
— Liza (With a Zed) Fletcher McCall (@alllukesfault) May 22, 2020
(16) HUMANITY IS NO LONGER ON TOP. Titan Comics has revealed the Horizon Zero Dawn issue #1 covers. The series, based on the award-winning game by Guerrilla, brings back characters Aloy and Talanah in a new story set after the events of the game. The series launches August 5, 2020.
Set on a far future Earth, where nature has reclaimed the planet but massive, animal-like machines now rule the land, Horizon Zero Dawn follows the story of Aloy, an extraordinary young woman whose quest to solve the riddle of her mysterious origins takes her deep into the ruins of the ancient past.
Titan’s new comic book series – co-created by Anne Toole, one of the writers of Horizon Zero Dawn, with artwork by fan-favorite artist Ann Maulina – takes place after the events of the game as Talanah, a strong and determined hunter, struggles to find purpose after her trusted friend Aloy disappears. When a mysterious threat emerges in the wilds, she sets out to hunt and to defeat it, only to learn that a whole new breed of killer machines stalk the land!
(17) NEW VIEWS. Nerds of a Feather hears about “6 Books with Rowenna Miller”.
How about a book that changed my mind? I’ve never been big on nineteenth century lit—there were books I liked here and there but so often they were just…dull. There, I said it. But I read Dickens’ Hard Times a couple years ago and it was such fun—witty and tongue-in-cheek, with obvious but not moralistic commentary on ethical issues—and found families and the circus! I’m finding that some of the lesser-known, non “canon” lit, and especially short fiction, from that period ticks more of my boxes than I realized.
(18) RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES. Joe Sherry and Aidan Moher are on the party line in “The Modern Nostalgia of Dragon Quest XI: A Conversation” at Nerds of a Feather.
Aidan: Silent protagonists come under a lot of heat, but they’ve never really bothered me in older games. As the level of fidelity and detail grow, however, they make less and less sense, and it feels particularly odd in Dragon Quest XI. With so much voice acting in the game, every time the protagonist (who I’ll call Eleven) responds by awkwardly staring into space or making a weird little gasp feels uncanny. The characters all behave as though he’s this magnetic hero type, but so much of that is personality and charisma—and Eleven has none of that.
I recently replayed Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (and a bit of Grandia before that) and one of the things that really stood out to me in those games was the personalities of the protagonists really shining through. By emphasizing their personalities, they felt like much more engage and proactive heroes, compared to, say, Crono from Chrono Trigger or Eleven from Dragon Quest XI. Those silent types require others to push the story forward and they act as sort of a… defining element for the protagonist’s actions and motivations. It’s almost like they’re the splash of paint revealing the invisible protagonist.
(19) IT’S ONLY NATURAL. CNN reports “A parasite that feeds off of the reproductive organs of millipedes is named after Twitter, where it was found”.
Biologist and associate professor Ana Sofia Reboleira of the National Natural History Museum said in a press release that she was simply browsing Twitter when she came across a photo, shared by her US colleague Derek Hennen of Virginia Tech, of a North American millipede.
Nothing unusual there. But then she looked closer….
(20) A NEW TWIST. “Jason Momoa is a Vampire and Peter Dinklage is Van Helsing in Action-Horror Movie ‘Good Bad & Undead’” – Bloody Disgusting has the details.
Check out this wild plot synopsis, billed as “Midnight Run in a Bram Stoker world“:
“Dinklage will play Van Helsing, last in a long line of vampire hunters. He develops an uneasy partnership with a Vampire (Momoa) who has taken a vow never to kill again. Together they run a scam from town to town, where Van Helsing pretends to vanquish the Vampire for money. But when a massive bounty is put on the Vampire’s head, everything in this dangerous world full of monsters and magic is now after them.”
Momoa and Dinklage are also set to produce.
(21) KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES. In addition to SpaceX’s planned launch, “Virgin Orbit hopes for rocket flight this weekend”.
British businessman Sir Richard Branson is looking to this weekend to debut one of his new space systems.
Virgin Orbit, based in California, will put satellites above the Earth, using a rocket that’s launched from under the wing of a jumbo jet.
The maiden mission, to be conducted out over the Pacific Ocean, could take place as early as Saturday.
Assuming this demonstration is successful, Virgin Orbit hopes to move swiftly into commercial operations.
It already has a rocket built at its Long Beach factory for a second mission.
(22) COPYCATS. There’s no telling what’s likely to come over the transom these days –
This is definitely a new record for us. Three cases of plagiarism in slush this morning. Normally, one in a month is a lot. One of the three was a fairly recent Hugo Award finalist by an author I've worked with. Another was a slightly revised section of a Harry Potter book.
— clarkesworld (@clarkesworld) May 9, 2020
(23) VASTER THAN EMPIRES, AND MORE SLOW. “Herd-Like Movement Of Fuzzy Green ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffles Scientists”.
In 2006, while hiking around the Root Glacier in Alaska to set up scientific instruments, researcher Tim Bartholomaus encountered something completely unexpected.
“What the heck is this!” Bartholomaus recalls thinking. He’s a glaciologist at the University of Idaho.
Scattered across the glacier were balls of moss. “They’re not attached to anything and they’re just resting there on ice,” he says. “They’re bright green in a world of white.
Intrigued, he and two colleagues set out to study these strange pillow-like moss balls. In the journal Polar Biology, they report that the balls can persist for years and move around in a coordinated, herd-like fashion that the researchers can not yet explain.
“The whole colony of moss balls, this whole grouping, moves at about the same speeds and in the same directions,” Bartholomaus says. “Those speeds and directions can change over the course of weeks.”
In the 1950s, an Icelandic researcher described them in the Journal of Glaciology, noting that “rolling stones can gather moss.” He called them “jökla-mýs” or “glacier mice.”
This new work adds to a very small body of research on these fuzz balls, even though glaciologists have long known about them and tend to be fond of them.
(24) KEEPING BUSY. “Bumblebees’ ‘clever trick’ fools plants into flowering”. Yes. Let’s call this “Plan Bee.”
Scientists have discovered a new behaviour among bumblebees that tricks plants into flowering early.
Researchers found that when deprived of pollen, bumblebees will nibble on the leaves of flowerless plants.
The damage done seems to fool the plant into flowering, sometimes up to 30 days earlier than normal.
(25) STINKERS. [Item by Mike Kennedy.] I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never heard of some of these. And that’s a good thing. “The Worst Sci-Fi Movies Every Year Of The Decade (According To IMDb)” at ScreenRant.
8 Area 407 (2012) – 3.6
Who’d have thought a sci-fi-horror found footage film released in the year 2012 could possibly be a critical failure? Believe it or not, that’s exactly what Area 407 turned out to be.
Arguably the most obscure movie on this list, the fact that barely anybody saw this one is likely no accident. The film was reportedly shot without a script, being entirely ad-libbed by its actors during the movie’s suspiciously lean five-day shoot. Whether or not this was down to sheer laziness or a failed attempt to recapture the magic of classic found footage movie The Blair Witch Project is up for debate – but the movie is terrible, regardless.
(26) SEE SPOT HERD. “Robot dog tries to herd sheep” — video.
A robot dog designed for search and rescue missions has had a go at herding sheep in New Zealand.
Technology company Rocos is exploring how the Spot robot – made by US-based Boston Dynamics – might be put to work in the agricultural industry.
(27) MORE BITS, SCOTTY! BBC rushes to judgment! “Australia ‘records fastest internet speed ever'”.
Researchers in Australia claim they have recorded the fastest ever internet data speed.
A team from Monash, Swinburne and RMIT universities logged a data speed of 44.2 terabits per second (Tbps).
At that speed, users could download more than 1,000 high-definition movies in less than a second.
According to Ofcom, the average UK broadband speed currently is around 64 megabits per second (Mbps) – a fraction of that recorded in the recent study.
(28) VIDEO OF THE DAY. [Item by Martin Morse Wooster.] “Fire (Pozar)” on YouTube is a weird film written, animated, and directed by David Lynch in 2015. (I can’t describe it–it’s just weird!)
[Thanks to Chip Hitchcock, Cat Eldridge, John Hertz, Mike Kennedy, Martin Morse Wooster, Andrew Porter, JJ, Michael Toman, Contrarius, and John King Tarpinian for some of these stories. Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editor of the day Daniel Dern.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, Aurora Awards, George Lucas, Harlan Ellison, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, James Davis Nicoll, Joe Sherry, Liza Fletcher McCall, Mars, Nancy Kress, Neil Clarke, Nerds of a Feather, robots, Romance Writers of America, Rowena Miller, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Titan Comics | 31 Replies
Pixel Scroll 2/18/20 They Paved Alpha Ralpha Boulevard And Put Up A Parking Lot
Posted on February 18, 2020 by Mike Glyer
(1) AREN’T THESE LOVELY? “Royal Mail: James Bond stamps released for new movie” – BBC has the story.
Some new stamps have been released by Royal Mail to mark the 25th, and latest, James Bond movie No Time To Die. They’ve all been inspired by the classic opening sequences and feature the six actors who’ve played 007
The Royal Mail is taking orders for the stamps and all kinds of cute Bond collectibles here. For example, the “James Bond Secret Dossier”, “A confidential dossier containing six missions linked to the Special Stamps.”
(2) JOHN SCALZI’S LAST (EMPEROX) TOUR. From coast to coast – and in the middle, too, John Scalzi will be promoting The Last Emperox. Find out when and where: “Tour Dates! Tour Dates! Tour Dates!”.
(3) BANDERSNATCH. Phillip Berry recommends “Surround Yourself With Resonators”. He learned it from a book —
…i recently finished a book called Bandernatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings that struck me with a surprising insight into peak performance. The book is about the creative collaboration among a group of exceptional English writers in the 1930’s and 1940’s and its amazing results. If you are a Tolkien or Lewis geek like me, you’ll love the book for its insights into the story behind the story of their writing. For purposes of today’s post, I want to focus on a particular concept introduced to me by author Diana Glyer: the resonator.
The resonator is “…anyone who acts as a friendly, interested, supportive audience … they show interest, give feedback, express praise, offer encouragement, contribute practical help, and promote the work to others. … they are enthusiastic about the project, they believe it is worth doing, and they are eager to see it brought to completion. But more importantly, they show interest in the writer — they express confidence in the writer’s talents and show faith in his or her ability to succeed. They understand what the writer is attempting. They catch the vision and then do all they can. Resonators help innovators to make the leap from where they are to where they need to be.”
Of course, right? How else would anyone get anything amazing accomplished? We like to talk a big collaboration game but few of us do it and fewer still are good at it. Peak performance in our world is the lone athlete doing the impossible. The brilliant scientist with a break through in the dark, lonely hours of the night. The deft surgeon making all of the right decisions, and incisions, in the OR. The inspired novelist typing away in insolation as she produces a story that touches everyone. We see our best coming in isolation and, like much of the rest of our lives, we approach our best life, best self, and best performance with a lottery ticket mentality: buy the ticket and hope for the best.
(4) A SIMPLE TEST YOU CAN DO AT HOME. Aidan Moher did the math and was stunned by the answer.
*uses the rockety end of his Hugo Award to press the buttons on his calculator*
WELP! Guess I'm not a real writer. Time to give up the dream. https://t.co/zxAL2YovvX
— Aidan Moher (@adribbleofink) February 18, 2020
(5) WEIRD TALES COLLECTIBLES. Doug Ellis calls attention to the Robert Weinberg Estate Auction scheduled for April:
Weird Tales was Bob Weinberg’s favorite pulp and besides the pulp itself, he loved to collect ephemera related to it. Among the items that will be in the Robert Weinberg Estate Auction being held at the 2020 Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (April 17-19, 2020 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center) are not only many issues of Weird Tales, but some related items as well. The auction will be held on the evening of Friday, April 17, 2020.
Bob collected many letters from Weird Tales’ editor Farnsworth Wright over the years, including several from the estate of author Greye la Spina. She was one of the pioneering female writers of horror and fantasy for the pulps.
(6) PICARD. Una McCormack is the author of The Last Best Hope, the first novel associated with the Star Trek: Picard television series. It embraces both a big idea and a big ideal: “The Big Idea: Una McCormack”.
…In Star Trek: Picard, we are presented with a future where the powers that be are no longer committed to these great ambitions. Starfleet, it seems, withdrew from the great challenge of its age, the humanitarian project to save the Romulan people from the effects of their sun going supernova, making a distinction between ‘lives’ and ‘Romulan lives’. We see a man whose values are no longer shared by the institutions to which he devoted his whole life, and who is struggling with this misalignment….
(7) DON’T GET RIPPED OFF. Writer Beware poses the question, “Should You Pay To Display Your Book At BookExpo? (Short Answer: No)”.
Solicitations Your May Encounter
1. You may already have received an email from the Combined Book Exhibit’s New Title Showcase. The CBE, an area of standing bookshelves outside the entrance to the BEA display floor, offers display packages for a few hundred dollars. For a few hundred more, you can buy an ad in its catalog; for many hundreds more, you can buy an autographing session.
Your book will be placed on a shelf with hundreds of others, in no particular order: there are no separate areas for genres, for instance. I’ve attended BEA many times, and the CBE is often completely deserted, with not a customer or a staff person in sight. I’ve never seen more than a handful of people browsing it at any one time. There is definitely no handselling involved.
A number of predatory marketing companies re-sell CBE services for enormous markups. The CBE is aware of this, and has posted a warning on its website (it’s no coincidence that all the companies named in the warning appear on the scam list in the sidebar of this blog).
(8) COYNE OBIT. The Rev. George V. Coyne, a Jesuit astrophysicist and the longtime director of the Vatican Observatory, who defended Galileo and Darwin against doctrinaire Roman Catholics, and also challenged atheists by insisting that science and religion could coexist, died on February 18 at the age of 87 The New York Times tribute is here.
…Recognized among astronomers for his research into the birth of stars and his studies of the lunar surface (an asteroid is named after him), Father Coyne was also well known for seeking to reconcile science and religion.
…Brother Guy Consolmagno, the current director of the Vatican Observatory, said in an email that Father Coyne “was notable for publicly engaging with a number of prominent and aggressive opponents of the church who wished to use science as a tool against religion.”
Among those he engaged on the debate stage and in print were Richard Dawkins, the English evolutionary biologist and atheist, and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, who, in an Op-Ed article in The New York Times in 2005, defended the concept that evolution could not have occurred without divine intervention.
During Father Coyne’s tenure, the Vatican publicly acknowledged that Galileo and Darwin might have been correct. Brother Consolmagno said it would be fair to say that Father Coyne had played a role in shifting the Vatican’s position….
Born February 18, 1908 — Angelo Rossitto. A dwarf actor and voice artist with his first genre role being in 1929’s The Mysterious Island as an uncredited Underwater Creature. His last major role was as The Master in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. He showed up in Galaxina, The Incredible Hulk, Jason of Star Command, Bakshi’s Lord of The Rings, Adult Fairytales, Clones, Dracula v. Frankenstein and a lot more. (Died 1991.)
Born February 18, 1919 — Jack Palance. His first SF film is H. G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come which bears little resemblance to that novel. (He plays Omus.) Next up he’s Voltan in Hawk the Slayer followed by being Xenos in two Gor films. (Oh, the horror!) He played Carl Grissom in Burton’s Batman, and Travis in Solar Crisis along with being Mercy in Cyborg 2. ABC in the Sixties did The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in which he played the lead dual roles, and he had a nice turn as Louis Strago in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. which is worth seeing. (Died 2006.)
Born February 18, 1929 — Len Deighton, 91. Author of possibly the most brilliant alternative novels in which Germany won the Second World War, SS-GB. Itdeals with the occupation of Britain. A BBC One series was broadcast several years back.
Born February 18, 1930 — Gahan Wilson. Author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations. Though the world at large might know him for his Playboy illustrations, I’m going to single him out for his brilliant and possibly insane work with Zelazny on A Night in the Lonesome October which is their delightful take on All Hallows’ Eve. (Died 2019.)
Born February 18, 1954 — John Travolta, 66. Ahhhh, Battlefield Earth. Travolta, a Scientologist, had sought for years to make a film of the novel by Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. Given it is now generally considered one of the worst SF films ever, I do wonder what he thinks of it now. I can almost forgive him for it as he went on to become involved in Chicago which is one of the finest musicals ever filmed.
Born February 18, 1968 — Molly Ringwald, 52. One of her was first acting roles was Nikki in Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone. She’ll later have the lead role of Frannie Goldsmith in Stephen King’ The Stand series. And does the Riverdale series count at least as genre adjacent? If so, she’s got the recurring role of Mary Andrews there.
(10) IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN. In “Love and Loss in the Time of Swamp Monsters” on CrimeReads, Andy Davidson recalls his three favorite Swamp Thing stories, and explains Swamp Thing’s romantic problems because “it can’t be easy falling in love with a vegetable.”
From his first appearance in 1971 in DC’s House of Secrets #92, Len Wein and Berni Wrightson’s Swamp Thing seemed doomed to be the monster lurking beyond the darkened pane.
By the time Swamp Thing #1 hit spinner racks a year later, Wein and Wrightson’s series had revamped and fleshed out the story of Dr. Alec Holland, a research scientist murdered, along with his wife, for his “bio-restorative formula.” Horribly burned in an explosion that destroys his lab, Holland flees into the swamp, where he succumbs to his injuries, only to be miraculously reborn from the bog, “a muck-encrusted, shambling mockery of life.”
(11) WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T PICK YOUR PARENTS? Takayuki Tatsumi, a Keio University English professor and an expert on cyberpunk who has been a frequent panelist at Worldcons, was interviewed by Elif Batuman in a piece that appeared in the April 30, 2018 New Yorker on the Japanese practice of “rental relatives,” where companies rent out actors who pretend to be a client’s spouse, children, or parents. “Japan’s Rent-a-Family Industry”
Rental relatives have inspired a substantial literary corpus. In Tokyo, I met with the critic Takayuki Tatsumi, who, in the nineties, wrote a survey of the genre. He explained that postmodern and queer novelists had used rental relatives to represent the ‘virtual family,’ an idea he traced back to the -ie- of the Meiji period, where adoption of family members was common and biological lineage was subordinated to the integrity of the household. ‘According to Foucault, everything is constructed, not essentially determined,’ Tatsumi said. ‘What matters is the function.’
(12) JEOPARDY! Andrew Porter was perched in front of the TV tonight when all the contestants whiffled on this Jeopardy! answer:
Category: Speaking Volumes.
Answer: Here’s a revelation — it’s the seventh and “last” book in the Narnia series.
No one got, “What is ‘The Last Battle’?”
(13) MAN’S BEST FRIEND. Brad Torgersen recently was a convention GoH. Guess which of his good friends praised the choice in these terms:
The very best part of Brad being GoH however was that it caused several of the Shrieking Harpies of Tolerance to throw a temper tantrum and declare that they were going to boycott the event (and they did, yet absolutely nobody missed them). Upon hearing that I asked if they could make Brad emeritus GoH every year forever, because that’s like putting a tick collar on a dog.
To think he used to be the Sad Puppies’ lead dog. Now he’s just the collar.
(14) MISSED MANNERS. The Genre Traveler calls your attention to “10 Things Not to Do at a Science Fiction Convention”. Uh, yeah?
6. Take flirtation too seriously.
Con-goers flirt a lot, it is part of the fun of the event … and is really meant to be light-hearted, not a promise of a serious relationship.
5. Point and stare at people in costume…
…even if you’re one of them. It may look exotic and strange to you, but for a con, costumes are quite common at science fiction conventions. That said, if you like someone’s costume, you can always compliment. Just be sure it is a costume…
(15) PRACTICING? In the Washington Post, Rick Noack and Stefano Petrilli discuss how the spread of the corona virus has increased interest in plague-related video games, with “Plague Inc.” and “Pandemic” racking up sales around the world. “Virus games are going viral as the coronavirus spreads”.
The popularity of games centered on the proliferation of pathogens has surged in recent weeks.
As officials and experts worked to stem the global spread of the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and has left more than 1,500 people dead, gamers have turned their attention to parallel, imaginary struggles.Foremost among them: Plague Inc., a strategy game that rose to the top of Apple Store charts in China, the United States, and elsewhere as coronavirus fears mounted. First released by U.K.-based studio Ndemic Creations in 2012, the game, of which there are a handful of variants, asks players to take the part of a pathogen, helping it evolve to wipe out humanity.
The popularity of such games makes sense amid efforts to cope with the coronavirus and the fears it has sown, researchers and game developers said.
(16) EX-TERMINATE! Fabrice Mathieu’s new mashup is Terminators:
Several T-800 are sent back in time by Skynet. But their mission is scrambled. And now they are all targeting each other!
(17) DEM BONES. In Iraq, “Neanderthal ‘skeleton’ is first found in a decade”.
Researchers have described the first “articulated” remains of a Neanderthal to be discovered in a decade.
An articulated skeleton is one where the bones are still arranged in their original positions.
The new specimen was uncovered at Shanidar Cave in Iraq and consists of the upper torso and crushed skull of a middle-aged to older adult.
Excavations at Shanidar in the 1950s and 60s unearthed partial remains of 10 Neanderthal men, women and children.
During these earlier excavations, archaeologists found that some of the burials were clustered together, with clumps of pollen surrounding one of the skeletons.
The researcher who led those original investigations, Ralph Solecki from Columbia University in New York, claimed it was evidence that Neanderthals had buried their dead with flowers.
This “flower burial” captured the imagination of the public and kicked off a decades-long controversy. The floral interpretation suggested our evolutionary relatives were capable of cultural sophistication, challenging the view – prevalent at the time – that Neanderthals were unintelligent and animalistic.
(18) FRENCH VIDEO OF THE DAY. “Dans La Nuit” by Agathe Simoulin on Vimeo is a creepy story about ghosts in a graveyard adapted from a story by Guy de Maupassant.
[Thanks to Martin Morse Wooster, Mike Kennedy, Michael Toman, Chip Hitchcock, Cat Eldridge, John King Tarpinian, JJ, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title cedit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Daniel Dern.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, Andrew Porter, BookExpo, Brad Torgersen, Brother Guy Consolmagno, Diana Glyer, Doug Ellis, Fabrice Mathieu, Inklings, James Bond, Jeop, John Scalzi, Neanderthals, Sad Puppies, Star Trek: Picard, Swamp Thing, The Terminator, Una McCormack, Weird Tales, Writer Beware | 43 Replies
Pixel Scroll 11/16/19 It Must Be Pixels, ‘Cause Ink Don’t Scroll Like That
Posted on November 16, 2019 by Mike Glyer
(1) NEBULA ACTIVITY. SFWA is now selling tickets to the 2020 Nebula Conference taking place May 28-31, 2020 in Woodland Hills, CA (part of Los Angeles)
SFWA members and other individuals who are interested in the field of science fiction and fantasy are welcome to attend SFWA’s Nebula Conference. Attendees may participate in workshops, programming and special events throughout the weekend.
You do not need to be a member of SFWA to attend. We encourage anyone with a connection to the field to join us.
And SFWA members can now cast nominating ballots for the Nebulas.
The Nebula Award nomination process is officially open! https://t.co/45lYPOLLVU
— A.C. Wise (@ac_wise) November 15, 2019
(2) HORN TOOTING. A.C. Wise is collecting links to eligibility posts, and already has a great many here – “What Have You Done, What Have You Loved? 2019”.
It’s that time of year again! Editors, publishers, and authors’ minds turn toward Year’s Best list, and awards. Which also means it’s time for said authors, editors, and publishers to get out there and self-promote. It can feel icky or uncomfortable, but it’s a valuable service to those who nominate for awards, and those who just want to catch up reading what they might have missed during the year. So step forward, take a deep breath, and shout about what you wrote this year. While you’re at it, shout about the things you loved too! No one can read everything that comes out in a given year, but together we can help each other find excellent things to read, and perhaps even nominate.
(3) WORDS & MUSIC. The lyric video of Taylor Swift singing “Beautiful Ghosts” from the motion picture Cats is online.
(4) UPON REFLECTION. Some who commented about a new YA Twitter donnybrook linked in yesterday’s Scroll (item #16) have adopted a new perspective, including N.K. Jemisin whose thread starts here.
Something else that needs to be said re the Dessen affair: I need to apologize to Brooke Nelson. I have nothing but sympathy for her as the young woman at the center of all of this. I've been harassed; it's hurtful and scary. If I contributed to that in any way, I'm sorry.
— N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) November 16, 2019
I have issues w/the way this was framed by media venues invested in amping controversy. And I have a *huge* issue w/how Ms. Dessen set this up. But I should've first acknowledged this young woman, who doesn't deserve the flak she's caught.
(5) RAPID CONTRACTION. The B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog reportedly has severed ties with all its freelancers:
All freelancers at B&N SFF Blog were informed today they'd no longer be contracting work and to invoice for outstanding work immediately. I've LOVED my time writing for @BNSciFi, and I'm bummed to see it come to an end. https://t.co/S0HfYM5TSg
— AIDAN (@adribbleofink) November 15, 2019
Didn't wanna be breaking anyone's news for them, but now that others are also sharing, to be clear:
1) "a lot of necks" = every single freelancer at B&N
2) Everyone at B&N Teen Blog was a freelancer
The site will still exist in some capacity. Don't know what.
— Dahlia Adler (@MissDahlELama) November 15, 2019
I think I wrote some good reviews there.
Like THE DRAGON REPUBLIChttps://t.co/H0JzJNRm4B
— Paul Weimer ? (@PrinceJvstin) November 15, 2019
(6) FORD RIGHTS. Will Shetterly’s comment on Slate’s article “The Disappearance of John M. Ford” (linked here yesterday with news that Ford’s books are coming back into print) shed additional light:
I was one of Mike Ford’s friends and editors, and I want to go on record with this: Martha Fry was extremely helpful when we wanted to keep his Liavek stories in print. The breakdown in communication between his original family, his fannish family, and his agent has many reasons, but there are no villains in that story. There are only gossips who love drama, as there are in any community. If anyone claims his first family tried to make his work unavailable, I will point to the Liavek anthologies as evidence that’s not true.
(7) KSR STUDY. The University of Illinois Press has released Kim Stanley Robinson by Robert Markley, the Trowbridge Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Award-winning epics like the Mars trilogy and groundbreaking alternative histories like The Days of Rice and Salt have brought Kim Stanley Robinson to the forefront of contemporary science fiction. Mixing subject matter from a dizzying number of fields with his own complex ecological and philosophical concerns, Robinson explores how humanity might pursue utopian social action as a strategy for its own survival.
Robert Markley examines the works of an author engaged with the fundamental question of how we—as individuals, as a civilization, and as a species—might go forward. By building stories on huge time scales, Robinson lays out the scientific and human processes that fuel humanity’s struggle toward a more just and environmentally stable world or system of worlds. His works invite readers to contemplate how to achieve, and live in, these numerous possible futures. They also challenge us to see that SF’s literary, cultural, and philosophical significance have made it the preeminent literary genre for examining where we stand today in human and planetary history.
(8) DISNEY+. “Disney+ Warns Users About ‘Outdated Cultural Depictions’ in Titles” — The Hollywood Reporter works to discern how the policy is applied.
At the bottom of the description for Disney’s 1940 classic animation Fantasia on the studio’s newly minted Disney+ service, there is a line that is garnering attention from viewers: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.”
The disclaimer can be found in the streaming platform’s synopsis of many of Disney’s classic animated titles, including 1941’s Dumbo, 1967’s The Jungle Book, 1953’s Peter Pan and 1955’s Lady and the Tramp, as well as other offerings like 1960’s Swiss Family Robinson and 1955’s Davy Crockett.
Disney+ features the studio’s massive library that dates back over eight decades, and the verbiage serves as a caution against some racist and culturally insensitive depictions and references in Disney’s older offerings.
While Lady and the Tramp features Siamese cats depicted as East Asian stereotypes and Peter Pan includes a song titled “What Makes the Red Man Red?,” it is unclear what the criterion is for Disney titles to receive the “outdated cultural depictions” disclaimer. Aladdin, which has been critiqued for its racist depictions of Middle Eastern and Arab culture, does not feature the disclaimer in its synopsis.
Disney has not returned The Hollywood Reporter‘s request for comment.
One feature entirely absent from the streaming platform is the 1946 live-action animation hybrid Song of the South. The movie, which inspired the Disneyland ride Splash Mountain, has been widely criticized for its portrayal of African-Americans and apparent glorification of plantation life. It has been the studio’s policy to keep the film from theatrical and home entertainment rerelease.
The new streaming service is also making news for another decision: “‘Simpsons’ Episode Featuring Michael Jackson Kept Off Disney+”.
Disney did not respond to multiple requests for comment as to why the episode is missing and who made the call.
It is assumed “Stark Raving Dad” is off Disney+ because Michael Jackson (not officially credited) was the guest star. Jackson voiced Leon Kompowsky, a man Homer meets while in a mental institution who sounds like Jackson. The episode was a favorite among fans for several years.
In March of this year, “Stark Raving Dad” was pulled from broadcast circulation following the release of the HBO documentary film Leaving Neverland, in which the late pop star was accused by multiple men of molestation when they were boys.
November 16, 1977 — Close Encounters of the Third Kind premiered. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon and François Truffaut, the film is both a financial and critical success. It currently has a hundred percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Born November 16, 1907 — Burgess Meredith. Brief though his visit to genre be, he had two significant roles. The first was in Twilight Zone: The Movie as Narrator although initially he was uncredited. One of his other genre role was a delightful take as The Penguin in original Batman series. He also shows up in Tales of Tomorrow, an anthology sf series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953, and on The Invaders, The Twilight Zone, Faerie Tale Theatre: Thumbelina (with Carrie Fisher!) and The Wild Wild West. Did I mention he voiced Puff the Magic Dragon in a series of the same name? Well he did. Ok, so his visit to genre wasn’t so brief after all… (Died 1997.)
Born November 16, 1952 — Shigeru Miyamoto, 67. Video game designer and producer at Nintendo. He is the creator of some of the best-selling game franchises of the company, such as Mario, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda.
Born November 16, 1952 — Robin McKinley, 67. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast was her first book. It was considered a superb work and was named an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Rose Daughter is another version of that folktale, whereas Spindle’s End is the story of Sleeping Beauty, and Deerskin and two of the stories that you can find in The Door in the Hedge are based on other folktales. She does a superb telling of the Robin Hood legend in The Outlaws of Sherwood. Among her novels that are not based on folktales are Sunshine, Chalice and Dragonhaven. Her 1984 The Hero and the Crown won the Newbery Medal as that year’s best new American children’s book. She was married to Peter Dickinson from 1991 to his death in 2015, they lived together in Hampshire,UK. They co-wrote two splendid collections, Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits and Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits. I’d be very remiss not to note her Awards, to wit a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, then a Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a World Fantasy Award for Anthology/Collection for Imaginary Lands, as editor, a Phoenix Award Honor Book for Beauty and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. Impressive indeed!
Born November 16, 1958 — Marg Helgenberger, 61. She was Hera in Wonder Woman, and also appeared in Conan: Red Nail, Species and Species II, not to mention Tales from the Crypt. Oh, and two Stephen King series as well, The Tommyknockers and Under the Dome.
Born November 16, 1967 — Lisa Bonet, 52. First genre work was isEpiphany Proudfoot in Angel Heart, a decidedly strange horror film. More germane was that she was Heather Lelache in the 2002 A&E adaptation of Le Guin’s Lathe of Heaven. She later played Maya Daniels in the Life on Mars series as well.
Born November 16, 1967 — Eva Pope, 52. Genre is a slippery thing to define. She was a one-off in Adventure Inc. (might be genre) as well the Splinter film (horror with SF pretensions), Life on Mars (SF maybe) and Spooks: Code 9 (alternate UK history). Is she genre?
Born November 16, 1972 — Missi Pyle, 47. Laliari in Galaxy Quest which is one of my fave SF films of all time. Also has been in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, A Haunted House 2, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Roswell, The Tick, Pushing Daisies and Z Nation.
Born November 16, 1977 — Gigi Edgley, 42. Though her genre experiences are varied, I think she’ll be best remembered for her role as a Nebari who was a member of the crew on Moya on the Farscape series. Other genre appearances include Beastmaster, The Lost World, Quantum Apocalypse and she has a role in the web series Star Trek Continues in the “Come Not Between the Dragons” episode.
Born November 16, 1977 — Maggie Gyllenhaal, 42. She’s had some impressive genre appearances in such works as Donnie Darko, The Dark Knight, voice work in the superb Monster House and the equally superb Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
(11) ELLISON REMEMBERED. Fanac.org has uploaded an audio recording of the Worldcon 76 (2018) “In Memoriam: Harlan Ellison” panel.
Worldcon 76 was held in San Jose, CA in 2018. This Memoriam panel (audio, with pictures) features memories and anecdotes from Tom Whitmore, Robert Silverberg (who was a friend of Harlan’s for 65 years), Chris Barkley, David Gerrold, Christine Valada and Nat Segaloff (Harlan’s biographer). Each of the panelists had a close relationship with Harlan, and these loving but clear-eyed reminiscences are a comfort to those that miss him, and hopefully to those readers who never had a chance to meet him. Harlan was an enormous presence in science fiction. His stories, his scripts, his kindnesses and his sometimes unbelievable missteps will be long remembered. Recording provided by Karen G. Anderson and Richard Lynch.
(12) ABOUT LEWIS. Publishers Weekly is right to hedge its bet in the title — “10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About C.S. Lewis “ because I knew three of these, and a few of you probably know them all!
9. Lewis’s first book was a collection of poetry he wrote as a teenager. Before he planned to be a philosopher, the teenage Lewis hoped to become a great poet. He wrote poetry with the hope of publishing his work and gaining fame. He returned to England after being injured in France during World War I and published his collection as Spirits in Bondage under the pen name of Clive Hamilton.
(13) A MEMORY REVERED. “Wales’ Tecwyn Roberts hailed as ‘hero of the space age'” – BBC has the story.
Tributes are being paid to “one of the great unsung heroes of the space age”.
Tecwyn Roberts, from Anglesey, helped set up mission control rooms and enabled astronaut Neil Armstrong to communicate with Earth from the Moon.
Experts have hailed Roberts’ expertise as events are held to mark the 50 years since Nasa’s second lunar landing.
A flag will be placed on his grave during the anniversary of Apollo 12 which flew from 14-24 November 1969.
“Without Tec[wyn], Nasa and mission control as it exists today would probably not have happened,” said Nick Howes, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
“Tecwyn Roberts could rightly be labelled as one of the great unsung heroes of the space age.”
Mr Howes was speaking in an interview published by Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, which has also hailed Roberts as a “pioneer”.
He was chief of the network engineering division by the time of the first landing on the Moon and helped to ensure there was communication with astronauts.
…Gary Morse, a former Nasa space shuttle network director, said Roberts “essentially invented” the flight director position.
“He didn’t say much but when he did it was very important,” he said.
(14) MORE TOR BUCKS. Here’s a number most writers would be happy to sign for – “James Rollins lands huge 7-figure deal for epic fantasy series”. Entertainment Weekly is there when the cash register rings.
The No. 1 New York Times best-selling author best known for his blockbuster thrillers has signed a major seven-figure deal with Tor Books for Moon Fall, a fantasy series that’s been eight years in the making.
Moon Fall opens a riven world trapped between fire and ice, merging his fascination with the natural world, his love of adventure, and his knowledge of the wonders found at the evolutionary fringes of scientific exploration. It centers on a young girl who foretells a new apocalypse approaching, one that will end all life for all time. Her reward is a charge of grave heresy, punishable by death. As she flees, she gathers an unlikely alliance of outcasts to join her cause to save their world. The journey will take them into lands both burning bright and eternally frozen, to face creatures unimaginable and enemies beyond reason. All the while, hostile forces will hunt them. Armies will wage war around them.
(15) R-RATED B.O. Joker is still bringing people through the turnstiles: “The Joker Hits $1 Billion at Box Office — Making It the First R-Rated Movie to Reach the Milestone”.
The movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, has surpassed $1 billion in gross sales at box offices world wide, Entertainment Weekly reports. The milestone makes the blockbuster the first R-rated movie to hit the $1 billion mark, according to the outlet.
It also means that the movie, which tells the tale of the rise of Batman’s arch-nemesis, has now officially beat out Deadpool as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. The Ryan Reynolds-stared film made $783 million.
(16) WELL-KNOWN BRAND. Martin Morse Wooster assures us, “I normally wouldn’t write about Tanya Edwards’s Yahoo! Lifetstyle story ’10 Gifts That Will Impress The Ultimate Star Wars fan’ because it is an Ebay infomercial. BUT the Darth Vader Helmet 2-Slice Toaster is definitely worth a photo!”
(17) PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF. Starlux Airlines is an actual company that begins operations in Taiwan in 2020, with all new Airbus planes. They just launched their safety video:
[Thanks to Cat Eldridge, Andrew Porter, Martin Morse Wooster, JJ, Chip Hitchcock, John King Tarpinian, mlex, and Mike Kennedy for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Kip W.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged A. C. Wise, Aidan Moher, C.S. Lewis, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Dahlia Adler, Darth Vader, Disney, Fanac.org, Harlan Ellison, James Rollins, John M. Ford, Joker, Kim Stanley Robinson, N. K. Jemisin, Nebula Awards, Nebula Conference, Paul Weimer, SFWA, The Simpsons, Tor Books, Will Shetterly
Pixel Scroll 8/22/19 Release The Dungeons And The Dragons
(1) YOUNG PEOPLE READ AGAIN. James Davis Nicoll introduces the next phase of the program: “Young People Read Old Science Fiction: Rediscovery!”
The next phase of Young People Read Old Science Fiction focuses on a single reference text, Journey Press’s Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women (1958 – 1963). To quote from Journey Press’ site:
“The Silver Age of Science Fiction saw a wealth of compelling speculative tales — and women authors wrote some of the best of the best. Yet the stories of this era, especially those by women, have been largely unreprinted, unrepresented, and unremembered.
“Volume one of REDISCOVERY represents a historic first: fourteen selections of the best science fiction of the Silver Age, written by the unsung women authors of yesteryear and introduced by today’s rising stars. Join us and rediscover these lost treasures…. “
James is also recruiting participants:
I am looking for reviewers born after about 1980. The deadline for application is September 1, with a target date for the inaugural Young People Read Old Science Fiction: Rediscovery! post of October 1. If you are interested, please contact me at jdnicoll at panix dot com.
Where previous phases have involved each contributor working on their own, this chapter will feature a round table approach. Each contributor will be provided by me with a copy of the ebook.
(2) IN CONS TO COME. Cheryl Morgan assesses the competition to host a future Worldcon in “The Race for 2023”.
… Prior to Dublin the extant bids for 2023 were Nice (France), Chengdu (China) and New Orleans (USA). The New Orleans bid has, I understand it, collapsed. However, some US fans were busily organising a bid for another city. Apparently they viewed this as essential to prevent yet another non-US Worldcon. I think they have settled on Memphis but it was a bit confused.
The Chengdu bid is controversial for two reasons, one of which is that it is very hard to get into China. Elizabeth Bear told me that she has been denied a visa because she is a writer. That could happen to a lot of us. My own view is that a Chinese Worldcon won’t happen without government approval, and if that approval exists then it should be possible to set up a system whereby visa applications can be expedited. This is China, after all
(3) FINAL FANZINE SOLUTION. Cheryl Morgan also reacts to Nicholas Whyte’s statistics showing that the Best Fanzine Hugo category is skating on the edge of the abyss in “Whither Fanzine?”?
…On Twitter Aidan Moher has been calling for more appreciation for video fanzines. (Booktube appears to be the name for such things.) People making them certainly deserve recognition, but they belong in the Fancast category which is for:
Any generally available non-professional audio or video periodical devoted to science fiction, fantasy, or related subjects
Aidan also suggests collapsing Fanzine and Fancast to create a single category of fan-created works. Much as I would like to see fewer Hugo categories, I can’t see that happening. Neither the podcast people nor fanzine fandom would be happy….
(4) N3F SHORT STORY CONTEST. The National Fantasy Fan Federation’s annual short story contest is accepting entries through December 31, 2019. There are no entrance fees, but there are cash prizes. First prize is $50, second $30, and third $20. Read about it here: “2019 N3F Amateur Short Story Contest”. The judge is SF author Jefferson Swycaffer. Results will be announced by March 2020.
1. This contest is open to all amateur writers in the field, regardless of whether they’re members of the National Fantasy Fan Federation. For the purposes of this contest, we define an amateur as someone who has sold no more than two (2) stories to professional science fiction or fantasy publications or publishing houses.
2. Stories entered in the contest must be original, unpublished, not longer than 8,500 words in length—and must be related to the science fiction, fantasy, or similar genres in the opinion of the judge.
(5) AFRICAN FUTURES. “These Nigerian Teens Are Making Sci-Fi Shorts with Slick Visual Effects” – Kottke.org has the story. Photos of the steps in one of their productions can be seen at the post.
For the past year, a group of teens in Nigeria called the Critics Company have been uploading short sci-fi films to their YouTube channel. Using a smartphone with a busted screen, makeshift equipment, open source 3D tools like Blender, and green sheets hung on walls, the self-taught group has produced some professional-grade special effects. Check out this 10-minute short they uploaded in January, Z: The Beginning.
(6) MORE ON CAMPBELL. Comments by David Bowles, including some quotes from Campbell. Thread starts here.
We ONLY get better, as a community of fans, as a nation, if we confront the dark truths of our past, including the evil of our revered patriarchs, most of whom need to be taken down off their pedestals … some, like Confederate statues, needing to be torn down & shattered.
— David Bowles (Cem?nahuacatl) (@DavidOBowles) August 22, 2019
Addendum 4.
That same collection contains the 1965 editorial "Breakthrough in Psychology!" in which Campbell dismisses the notion of police brutality against Black people and declares that the Black community needs to start disciplining itself. pic.twitter.com/JHmpb761lc
(7) NO BILLIONS AND BILLIONS? The Hollywood Reporter drills into the “‘Spider-Man’ Standoff: Why Sony Thinks It Doesn’t Need “Kevin’s Playbook” Anymore”.
…Rothman will need to deliver Marvel-less fare that lives up to hype of the Spider-Man character’s MCU appearances. “If the two sides don’t come to a compromise, it’s a lose-lose for everybody,” argues Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for industry website Boxoffice. “Marvel won’t be able to resolve the cliffhanger in future movies, which is saying something when it’s their most popular hero. And for Sony, who has had success, Far From Home doesn’t get to a billion dollars without Feige and Marvel’s involvement.”
Adds Robbins, “The other big question is, ‘How are fans are going to react to a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie that is not set in the MCU?’ That is a roll of the dice that no studio should take.”
(8) I THOUGHT BUGS HATE RAID(S). Cnet reports “Spider-Man fans want to ‘storm’ Sony and ‘bring our boy home’ to the MCU”.
First the internet wanted to raid Area 51, now Sony is the target, with over 5,500 Spider-Man fans planning to storm its California offices and bring Spider-Man back to Marvel.
A Facebook event, hosted by three fans, was set up on Tuesday. The event, according to its description, involves dressing up in Spider-Man costumes and bringing “our boy home!” (to the Marvel Cinematic Universe).
The raid is planned for Oct. 31, aka Halloween. The perfect guise.
This fan rage spawned from a report Deadline published Tuesday of a high-level dispute between Sony and Marvel. That dispute means Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige won’t produce any more Spider-Man films and Marvel will no longer be involved in the Spider-Man movie universe.
(9) CRYSTAL CLEARING. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres August 30 on Netflix.
As power-hungry overlords drain life from the planet Thra, a group of brave Gelfling unite on a quest to save their world and fight off the darkness.
Born August 22, 1907 — Oliver McGowan. He played The Caretaker in the “Shore Leave” episode of the original Trek. It must be decades since I’ve seen that episode but I still remember liking it a lot silly though it be. It’s kind of the ancestor to the holodeck, isn’t it? McGowan has one-offs on One Step Beyond, Wild Wild West, I Dream of Jeannie, The Twilight Zone and Bewitched. (Died 1971.)
Born August 22, 1909 — Paul W. Fairman. His story “No Teeth for the Tiger” was published in the February 1950 issue of Amazing Stories. Two years later, he was the founding editor of If, but he edited only four issues. In 1955, he became the editor of Amazing Stories and Fantastic which he would hold for three years. There are several films, Target Earth and Invasion of the Saucer Men, based on his stories, plus some TV episodes as well. (Died 1977.)
Born August 22, 1920 — Ray Bradbury. So what’s your favorite book by him? I have three. Something Wicked This Way Comes is the one I reread quite a bit with The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles being my other go to regularly works by him. (Died 2012.)
Born August 22, 1925 — Honor Blackman, 94. Best known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers, Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger and Hera in Jason and the Argonauts. She was also Professor Lasky in “Terror of the Vervoids” in the Sixth Doctor’s “The Trial of a Time Lord”.
Born August 22, 1948 — Susan Wood. Of extremely fragile health, she received three Hugo Awards for Best Fan Writer in 1974, 1977, and 1981, and a Best Fanzine Hugo as coeditor of Energumen in 1973. In 1976 she was instrumental in organizing the very first feminist panel at a con, at MidAmericon. The reaction to this helped lead to the founding of A Women’s APA and of WisCon. While teaching courses in SF at UBC, one of her students was William Gibson. “Fragments of a Hologram Rose” which is his first published story was written as an assignment in her SF class. (Died 1980.)
Born August 22, 1955 — Will Shetterly, 64. Of his novels, I recommend his two Borderland novels, Elsewhere and Nevernever, and Dogland. Married to Emma Bull, they did a trailer for her War for The Oaks novel which is worth seeing.
Born August 22, 1959 — Mark Williams, 60. He was Arthur Weasley in seven of the Potter films. He also played Brian Williams in the BBC series Doctor Who, appearing with the Eleventh Doctor in “The Power of Three” and “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship”. He was also Olaf Petersen on Red Dwarf. His first genre role was as Fearnot’s Brother in the “Fearnot” episode of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller.
Born August 22, 1963 — Tori Amos, 56. One of Gaiman’s favorite musicians, so it’s appropriate that she penned two essays, the afterword to “Death” in Sandman: Book of Dreams) and the Introduction to “Death” in The High Cost of Living. Although created before they ever met, Delirium from The Sandman is based on her.
Speedbump has a very funny variation on an old theme, with a little environmental message.
In Pearls Before Swine we meet a frog who’s a different kind of prince.
Grimmy serves up a very cheap pun!
(12) BRADBURY REDISCOVERIES. The B&N Sci-FI & Fantasy Blog calls readers’ attention to “8 Lesser-Known Works by Ray Bradbury” on his birthday.
The Green Towns
Green Town is to Bradbury what Derry and Castle Rock are to Stephen King: an invented town that brings to life the community of the author’s childhood dreams, shot through with an undercurrent of the supernatural. The town is based on Waukegan, Illinois, where Bradury spent his boyhood years, and his fond memories and great love for the place shine throughout the Green Town series’ four novels, the most widely read of which is Something Wicked This Way Comes.
(13) BLOW OUT YOUR CANDLE. LitHub declares “Ray Bradbury still deserves birthday sex, even after all these years.”
…I bet you didn’t know that Crazy Ex Girlfriend creator and star Rachel Bloom is quite possibly his biggest fan. In 2010, she went public with her adoration and shared “F*ck Me, Ray Bradbury” with the world. (In 2011, the video was even nominated for a Hugo Award!)
So, celebrate Ray Bradbury today with lyrics like: “Since I was 12, I’ve been your number one fan / Kiss me, you illustrated man. / I’ll feed you grapes and dandelion wine / And we’ll read a little Fahrenheit 69.” You’re welcome.
(14) ON THE AIR. “Fast radio bursts” feature in today’s Nature. Their origin has been a mystery and some have (seriously) proposed ET intelligence origin (like pulsars were but you know how that turned out). There are also repeaters… “Haul of mysterious cosmic bursts excites astronomers”.
Discovery of more ‘repeater’ fast radio bursts should help to reveal signals’ origins…
Astronomers are edging closer to finding out what causes brief, powerful flashes in the sky known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), after a Canadian telescope discovered eight more of the most intriguing type of these blasts — those that repeat their signals. FRBs are intensely energetic events that flare for just milliseconds, seemingly all over the sky and from outside the Galaxy. But their cause has remained a mystery since the first FRB was identified in 2007. Astronomers hope that studying bursts that repeat their flashes, rather than flare just once, can help to elucidate the origins of FRBs. That’s because it’s easier for high-resolution telescopes to make followup observations of ‘repeaters’ and trace their origins compared with one-off blasts.
(15) BOT AND DELIVERED. My cousin Russia Mike, as I like to call him, is on his way to the ISS: “Russia launches life-sized robot into space”. (With photos.)
Russia has launched a rocket carrying a life-sized robot to the International Space Station (ISS).
It was launched from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday and is set to arrive at the station on Saturday.
The robot, named Fedor (Experimental Demonstration Object Research), is the first ever sent into space by Russia.
In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot was the Soyuz rocket’s only passenger.
Fedor stands some one metre and 80 centimetres tall (5ft 11 inches) and weighs 160 kilograms.
During its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills such as “connecting and disconnecting electric cables, using standard items from a screwdriver and a spanner to a fire extinguisher,” said Alexander Bloshenko, the Russian space agency’s director for prospective programmes and science.
It is hoped that Fedor will eventually carry out more dangerous tasks such as spacewalks.
(16) A CITY SAID TO THE UNIVERSE. They hope there isn’t any there there: “City of Bielefeld offers €1m for proof it doesn’t exist” – BBC has the story.
It’s a German city dating back to the 9th Century, with 340,000 residents, a university, a medieval fort… but does it really exist?
Bielefeld is now offering a €1m (£914,000) prize to anyone in Germany who can prove the city’s non-existence.
The city marketing group running the competition wants to disprove a 25-year-old conspiracy theory.
Back in 1994 a student light-heartedly posted the message “Bielefeld? There’s no such thing” on the Usenet system.
Achim Held’s message became a long-running joke in Germany, once it spread virally with the subsequent internet boom
(17) WE KNOW HE IS A WIZ OF A WIZ. Matthem Dessen imparts “A Brief History of Peeing in Video Games” at Slate.
Gamescom 2019 kicked off in Cologne, Germany on Monday night, and as usual, the annual trade fair has been full to bursting with announcements, trailers, and exciting new details about upcoming games. But one development is making a bigger splash than the rest: Visionary video game auteur Hideo Kojima’s next game, Death Stranding, will feature the kind of hyper-realistic urination gameplay action that gamers crave. Drench your eyeballs in this leaked footage from Gamescom’s opening night stream to see Death Stranding star Norman Reedus take the most lavishly digitized piss in video game history…
…Mystery House (On-Line Systems, 1980)
Roberta and Ken Williams are rightfully hailed as two of the most influential game designers in history, but their first attempt to break gaming’s pee barrier was an abject failure. Mystery House, the very first graphical adventure game, was also the very first graphical adventure game to feature a drawing of a toilet….
[Thanks to Rich Horton, JJ, Chip Hitchcock, Cat Eldridge, John A Arkansawyer, Mike Kennedy, DMS, SF Concatenation’s Jonathan Cowie, Martin Morse Wooster, Alan Baumler, George Phillies, John King Tarpinian, and Andrew Porter for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Daniel Dern.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Aidan Moher, Best Fanzine Hugo, Chengdu in 2023, Cheryl Morgan, Dark Crystal, David Bowles, James Davis Nicoll, John W. Campbell, N3F SHort Story Contest, National Fantasy Fan Federation, Rachel Bloom, Ray Bradbury, robots, Spider-Man, video games, Young People Read Old SF
Pixel Scroll 3/27/18 Godstalk It, Jake, It’s Pixel Scroll
Posted on March 27, 2018 by Mike Glyer
(1) READ THE GAME. The Read it Forward site is celebrating Ready Player One’s theatrical debut this week with an interactive 8-bit-inspired excerpt that “gamifies” the prologue from Ernest Cline’s novel. [Click on the GIF to view.]
Read your way to the top of the Scoreboard as you earn points for discovering Easter eggs that bring the content to life. As readers learn of Parzival’s hunt for the keys to OASIS, they’ll maneuver their way around a maze, attend an ‘80s dance party, unlock footnotes, and more. Upon completion, readers can add their name to a Scoreboard and share their score with a link to the excerpt on social media. All of the excerpt’s hidden extras are unlocked once a reader earns the maximum score of 10,000 points.
(2) TV INTEREST IN THREE-BODY PROBLEM. From io9: “Report: Amazon May Pay $1 Billion to Adapt the Hugo-Winning Chinese Novel The Three-Body Problem”.
The Hugo-winning Chinese novel The Three-Body Problem could become Amazon’s Game of Thrones. A new report from Financial Times suggests Amazon is pursuing a deal to make a three-season television show based on the trilogy from Liu Cixin, and it may be willing to pay up to $1 billion to do so.
According to the Financial Times report, international investors say Amazon is negotiating for the rights to produce three seasons based on Remembrance of Earth’s Past, the scifi trilogy more commonly known by the title of its first book, The Three-Body Problem.
In a statement reported by Chinese news outlets, YooZoo Pictures stated that it remains the sole owners for the film and TV rights for The Three-Body Problem, though it didn’t comment on whether Amazon had approached the company or were in talks with them to collaborate on this reported streaming project. Cixin was also asked about this development by Chinese news outlet MTime.com, where he revealed he knew nothing about the project and doesn’t know if he’d be invited to work on it.
(3) DISSENTING VOICE. In contrast to those looking forward to the movie, Vox says “The Ready Player One book used to be considered a fun romp. Then Gamergate happened,” in “The Ready Player One backlash, explained”.
A time traveler from 2011 could be forgiven for being deeply confused by this response. In 2011, Ready Player One was beloved. It was “a guaranteed pleasure.” It was “witty.” It was not only “a simple bit of fun” but also “a rich and plausible picture of future friendships in a world not too distant from our own.”
What gives? How did the consensus on a single book go from “exuberant and meaningful fun!” to “everything that is wrong with the internet!” over the span of seven years?
… But the main thing Ready Player One is doing is telling those ’80s-boy-culture-obsessed gamers that they matter, that in fact they are the most important people in the universe. That knowing every single goddamn word of Monty Python and the Holy Grail can have life-or-death stakes, because why shouldn’t it? (Yes, that is a crucial step in Wade’s battle to save the OASIS.)
For readers in Cline’s target demographic in 2011, that message felt empowering. For readers who weren’t, it felt like a harmless piece of affirmation meant for someone else. Everyone deserves a silly escapist fantasy, right? And since Cline’s silly escapist fantasy wasn’t specifically meant for girls — unlike, say, Twilight, which was getting savaged in popular culture at the time — Ready Player One was largely left alone by the people it wasn’t built for…
(4) ASHBY STORY. This month’s entry in the Future Tense Fiction series, “Domestic Violence” by Madeline Ashby, is a free read at Slate.
A partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University, Future Tense explores how emerging technologies will change the way we live. The latest consumer gadgets are intriguing, but we focus on the longer-term transformative power of robotics, information and communication technologies, synthetic biology, augmented reality, space exploration, and other technologies. Future Tense seeks to understand the latest technological and scientific breakthroughs, and what they mean for our environment, how we relate to one another, and what it means to be human. Future Tense also examines whether technology and its development can be governed democratically and ethically.
And there’s also a response essay from Ian Harris, who works on technology issues with the National Network to End Domestic Violence: “The Complicated Relationship Between Abuse and Tech”.
Violence against women is having something of a moment right now. Which is to say, portrayals of domestic violence in film and TV are gaining critical acclaim. Through shows like Big Little Lies and movies like I, Tonya, popular culture is grappling with more nuanced representations of domestic violence and the humanity of survivors of abuse. These are important conversations, and I hope that this is the start of a profound societal transformation, though time will tell. For me, the most disturbing part of these portrayals is not the brutality of the assaults, but how frequently physical violence is prioritized over other types of abusive behavior. It is what we don’t see that worries me.
We see this distorted prioritization in real life, too. I’ve been a domestic violence attorney for more than a decade. Despite the long list of clients who have struggled to get the justice system to live up to its name, I have found that survivors are much more likely to get help for physical assaults than for other kinds of abusive behavior such as stalking, surveillance, harassment, and intimate image disclosures, which frequently feel more harmful to the survivor.
(5) AVENGERS PLUG. A new TV spot for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War.
The end is near. One month until Avengers: Infinity War.
(6) SEARCH FOR DIVERSE FICTION. Rocket Stack Rank has another new feature. Greg Hullender explains:
In response to readers who wanted a way to find good stories by diverse authors, we did an analysis of the most-recommended short speculative fiction stories written by people of color in 2015 and 2016 — “Best People of Color SF/F of 2015-2016”.
This only looks at stories that got some sort of recognition (e.g. solid recommendation from a prolific reviewer, inclusion in a years-best anthology, finalist for a major award), so just 481 stories across those two years. Of those, 112 were written by people of color.
The credit for this work goes to Eric Wong, who did the hard work of looking up information on all the authors as well as customizing the software to let readers group the data different ways.
(7) BLOWN UP, SIR. In “This teacher aims to get kids fired up about chemistry”, the Washington Post’s Kitson Jazynka profiles University of Texas chemistry instructor Kate Biberdorf, who “breathes fire and makes explosions that blast the eyes out of jack-o-lanterns.”
Or what about one who, with a quick pour of potassium iodide into a mix of hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and food coloring, makes bubbly foam that shoots toward the ceiling? Kate Biberdorf is no imaginary teacher. She’s real, and she’s coming to Washington next month, bringing along her blowtorch and cornstarch, her supplies of liquid nitrogen and dry ice, and a lot of enthusiasm for chemistry.
Bibersdorf’s website is http://katethechemist.com/. How could Filers NOT be interested in a woman who says her goal in life is “to have an explosive science show in Vegas?”
(8) HELP BILL SPENCER. Paul Di Filippo urges readers to support a GoFundMe that will “Give Back to Bill Spencer”.
We all need a little help sometimes. This is one of those times for Bill. He has several different health issues going on right now and the medical expenses he is incurring that are not covered through Medicare are mounting and could get much worse. As well, he’s facing some unforeseeable out of pocket expenses that could potentially end up being a serious problem. Right now, Bill simply doesn’t have enough for monthly bills, day to day living expenses and numerous co-pays that keep coming his way for various medical necessities.
Many readers know Bill as the award-winning writer William Browning Spencer, author of novels like Zod Wallop, Resume with Monsters and short-story collections like his latest, The Unorthodox Dr. Draper and Other Stories.
But Bill has contributed to others in a very different way as well. By freely and graciously donating endless amounts of his time over the years to sponsoring and supporting people who are facing their own daunting problems related to alcohol, drugs and living life. It’s time to give back to Bill what he has so freely given.
This is something Bill would never ask for himself, but he is one of my best friends and I know he is important to folks like yourself, who may wish to help in his time of need. Bill is truly one of the most amazing, caring and hilarious human beings I know and if you’re reading this you most likely feel the same. I think we’d all love for Bill to have the peace of mind of knowing that, whatever happens, he need not be stressed out and worried each day about how he’s going to pay for medication or a test or procedure he needs on top of his modest monthly and day to day expenses.
(9) BISCHOFF OBIT. Writer David Bischoff, 66, of Eugene, OR died March 19. He was a contributor to Doug Fratz’ 1970s fanzine Thrust. His first professional successes included The Seeker, a novel published in 1976, and the Nebula-nominated story “Tin Woodman,” co-authored with Dnnis Bailey, later adapted into both a novel and TV episode for Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also wrote the Star Trek tie-in novel Grounded, which spent time on the bestseller list. His other TV work included Dinosaucers (with Ted Pedersen). Bischoff wrote 75 original novels, and tie-in novels for movies and TV series.
David Bischoff. Photo by and copyright Andrew Porter.
(10) A POLICEMAN’S LOT. Camestros Felapton reacted to Richard Paolinelli’s minor league prank of complaining to the Aussie cops about Felapton’s blog.
A stalwart champion of free speech has attempted to report me to the federal police for the crime of having a blog – once again surpassing satire.
— Camestros Felapton (@CamestrosF) March 26, 2018
Cop’s spouse: did you catch many evil doers today honey?
Cop: Mainly read an advice column on the internet…by a dinosaur…about how t-Rexs drink too much and try to climb trees when they are drunk…
Cop’s spouse: Just another day on the mean crime ridden streets of Canberra
(11) MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE. “The hidden history of the UK’s highest peak”: A tourist hiking trail once led to an early weather station whose records are now being used to trace climate change.
Back in Victorian Britain, science was still largely an amateur pastime conducted by bands of self-financed enthusiasts who formed scientific societies. One was the Scottish Meteorological Society, which set up and maintained a network of weather stations across Scotland between 1855 and 1920.
(12) WAVE GOODBYE. “Stephen Hawking’s final interview: A beautiful Universe” starts from LIGO discovery of grav waves.
Tell us how important is the detection of two colliding neutron stars?
It is a genuine milestone. It is the first ever detection of a gravitational wave source with an electromagnetic counterpart. It confirms that short gamma-ray bursts occur with neutron star mergers. It gives a new way of determining distances in cosmology. And it teaches us about the behaviour of matter with incredibly high density.
(13) MAY THE ODDS BE ALWAYS IN YOUR FAVOR. Don’t look up — “Tiangong-1: China space station may fall to Earth ‘in days'”.
No. Most of the 8.5-tonne station will disintegrate as it passes through the atmosphere.
Some very dense parts such as the fuel tanks or rocket engines might not burn up completely. However, even if parts do survive to the Earth’s surface, the chances of them hitting a person are incredibly slim.
“Our experience is that for such large objects typically between 20% and 40% of the original mass will survive re-entry and then could be found on the ground, theoretically,” the head of Esa’s space debris office, Holger Krag, told reporters at a recent briefing.
“However, to be injured by one of these fragments is extremely unlikely. My estimate is that the probability of being injured by one of these fragments is similar to the probability of being hit by lightning twice in the same year.”
(14) WEDDING BELLS. Page Six headline: “‘Star Trek’ star marries Leonard Nimoy’s son”:
Live long and prosper, you two.
Adam Nimoy, son of the late “Star Trek” icon Leonard Nimoy, and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” actress Terry Farrell married on Monday, on what would’ve been Leonard Nimoy’s 87th birthday.
The couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony at City Hall in San Francisco, according to film critic Scott Mantz, who tweeted a photo of the couple on their wedding day. Farrell retweeted Mantz’s photo and wrote, “Freakin AWESOME day!!!!!!! Love ya all! Aka: Mrs. Adam Nimoy.”
She also changed her Twitter bio to include “Mrs. Adam Nimoy.”
RT BREAKING NEWS!! ADAM NIMOY & TERRY FARRELL got MARRIED TODAY at a CIVIL CEREMONY at CITY HALL in SAN FRANCISCO! Today is the BIRTHDAY of Adam’s father #LeonardNimoy! Big CONGRATS to the happy couple!! #LLAP #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/sGB8OX2Tir
— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) March 26, 2018
(15) COMPLAINTS ABOUT DATE OF HUGO ANNOUNCEMENT. The announcement of the 2018 Hugo finalists wouldn’t be on March 31/Passover/Easter weekend/a Saturday if it was up to these folks:
Do Worldcons get to pick when the Hugo finalists get announced? Because if so I'm going to start exclusively supporting bids that pledge to announce nominees on a weekday, when nominees have a chance of getting press coverage.
— Annalee Flower (@leeflower) March 27, 2018
And yes I realize I'm kicking the hornet's nest of "this is a fandom event" vs "this is a professional industry event." It's both. That's fine. But cleaving to a practice that doesn't serve modern fandom is choosing 'tradition' over inclusivity.
Hey @Dublin2019, PLEASE, Next year, please announce the Hugo Award Finalists on a Monday or Tuesday morning, not on a Saturday.This is a tradition that long since has lost its usefulness. https://t.co/OZn8jADkDu
— Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin) March 27, 2018
Without fail, WorldCon always announces the Hugos on the most inconvinient day possible. It's like they don't want people paying attention.
— Aidan Moher rehoM nadiA Aidan Moher rehoM nadiA (@adribbleofink) March 27, 2018
I think this sends is one or more of the following messages, @worldcon2018 :
"There are no observant Jewish finalists so we don't care"
"We don't care about any observant Jewish finalists"
"We don't care about any observant Jewish fans"
"We don't care"
(choose one or more)
— R. Lemberg (@RoseLemberg) March 27, 2018
Yes 🙁 Unfortunately, a number of us will not be able to be around when the announcement is made. This includes myself, @bogiperson and I believe @navahw and a number of other people. It's upsetting 🙁
Hugo nominations have almost always been announced the day before Easter. It’s a bad day to do this for so many reasons. Last year was a rare and happy exception.
— John Chu (@john_chu) March 27, 2018
Last year was the anomaly. Releasing the info simultaneously on the weekend of multiple Easter weekend conventions has been the tradition as long as I remember. (Not saying it's good or defensible. I was just pleasantly surprised it was a weekday last year)
— Mur: Whacked-Out Tesla of Podcasting (@mightymur) March 27, 2018
It was a good anomaly, and they should have stuck with it. All I'm saying is, if they can break tradition once, it's clearly not that powerful or important a tradition.
— Navah Wolfe (@navahw) March 27, 2018
Part of a longstanding tradition of announcing them the weekend of Easter, so it's always been an inconvenience to observant Christians. This year, by fluke of the calendar, they're discriminating a little bit less.
— rst (@rsthau) March 27, 2018
Nebula finalists are usually announced on a weekday. Makes sense for getting press.
— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) March 27, 2018
March 31 is Passover, during which many Jewish members of the industry and community will be unable to participate. Hope @worldcon2018 reconsiders. https://t.co/Uuz5EIsXuN
— ???? ????????? (@ohseafarer) March 27, 2018
So, here’s a thing i didn’t know: the Hugo Awards are named after Hugo Gernsback, who was Jewish. Odd that this year's Hugo Awards nominee announcement is falling on Passover, then. @worldcon2018
— Rainbow Dash Warrior (@XtinaSchelin) March 27, 2018
OK, while I'm yelling about dumb Hugos things, what the hell is this nonsense? Who thought it was a good idea to put the ceremony on a Sunday night? Most attendees need to be back at work and this makes it that much harder even for pros and industry folk to attend. pic.twitter.com/9LWnJopd8Q
— dongwon (@dongwon) March 27, 2018
1) Announcing on Passover is a terrible idea because it excludes Jewish members/community members.
2) Having the Hugos on Sunday night is a terrible idea – think of all of the people that cannot afford to take the Monday off.
Please reconsider these scheduling decisions.
— Michael R. Underwood (@MikeRUnderwood) March 27, 2018
The ceremony is usually on the Saturday.
Worldcon 76 contact information page:https://t.co/FoGWz43NlE
I'd suggest contacting Events, the Chair, and WSFS. I have no idea if the plans are too mature to change.
Dublin 2019 contacts for pre-emptive lobbying:https://t.co/PwXQtmUTdT
— ULTRAGOTHA [Call Congress: (202) 224-3121] (@ULTRAGOTHA) March 27, 2018
(16) VERTLIEB CANVASSES. Rondo Awards voting closes April 8 at midnight and Steve Vertlieb hopes people will consider his nominated article “Robert Bloch: The Clown at Midnight” for Best Article of the Year.
My published work about the author of “Psycho” … “Robert Bloch: The Clown At Midnight” … has been nominated for a Rondo Award for “Best Article of the Year.” Anyone can vote. This year’s competition ends Sunday night, April 8th, at midnight. To vote for my remembrance of Robert, simply send your choice, along with your name, to taraco@aol.com
This is the story of my twenty five year friendship with acclaimed writer Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho. It is the newly published remembrance of a complex, remarkable man, and our affectionate relationship over a quarter century.
Robert Bloch was one of the founding fathers of classic horror, fantasy, and science fiction whose prolific prose thrilled and influenced the popular genre, its writers, and readers, for much of the twentieth century. An early member of “The Lovecraft Circle,” a group of both aspiring and established writers of “Weird Fiction” assembled by Howard Phillips Lovecraft during the early 1930’s, Bloch became one of the most celebrated authors of that popular literary genre during the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s, culminating in the publication of his controversial novel concerning a boy, his mother, and a particularly seedy motel. When Alfred Hitchcock purchased his novel and released “Psycho” with Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh in 1960, Bloch became one of the most sought after authors and screen writers in Hollywood. His numerous contributions to the acclaimed television anthology series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” are among the best of the director’s classic suspense series, while his legendary scripts, adaptations and teleplays for Boris Karloff’s “Thriller” series for NBC are among the most bone chilling, frightening, and horrifying screen presentations in television history. He also famously penned several classic episodes of NBC’s original “Star Trek” series for producer Gene Roddenberry. Writers Stephen King, Richard Matheson, and Harlan Ellison have written lovingly and profusely of their own literary debt to Robert Bloch. Bob was, for me, even more significantly, a profoundly singular mentor and cherished personal friend for a quarter century. This is the story of that unforgettable relationship.
(17) NUMBER PLEASE. A strange post at George R.R. Martin’s Not a Blog caught Greg Hullender’s eye: “I wonder if this is a coded announcement that Winds of Winter is coming?” “Yowza” consists of a series of pictures of hands with finger extended as though counting. But does the number 4534 really mean anything?
[Thanks to Andrew Porter, Joey Eschrich, Cat Eldridge, John King Tarpinian, Ghostbird, Martin Morse Wooster, JJ, Carl Slaughter, Chip Hitchcock, Mike Kennedy, Greg Hullender, Paul DiFilippo, and Mark Hepworth for some of these stories, Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Kurt Busiek.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Adam Nimoy, Aidan Moher, Annalee Flower Horne, Avengers, Bogi Takács, Camestros Felapton, David Bischoff, DongWon Song, Eric Wong, George R. R. Martin, Greg Hullender, Hugo Awards, John Chu, Liu Cixin, Madeline Ashby, Mark Oshiro, Michael R. Underwood, Mur Lafferty, Navah Wolfe, Paul Di Filippo, Paul Weimer, Robert Bloch, Rocket Stack Rank, Rondo Hatton Awards, Rose Lemberg, Stephen Hawking, Steve Vertlieb, ULTRAGOTHA, video games, Worldcon 76
Patreon Cancels Fee Changes, Will Find A Different Fix
Posted on December 13, 2017 by Mike Glyer
Patreon’s Jack Conte has walked back the controversial new fee structure that was scheduled to go into effect later this month, with the implied promise the company will find a solution to its problems that doesn’t hurt creators.
Conte’s statement, “We messed up. We’re sorry, and we’re not rolling out the fees change”, says in part —
Creators and Patrons,
We’ve heard you loud and clear. We’re not going to rollout the changes to our payments system that we announced last week. We still have to fix the problems that those changes addressed, but we’re going to fix them in a different way, and we’re going to work with you to come up with the specifics, as we should have done the first time around. Many of you lost patrons, and you lost income. No apology will make up for that, but nevertheless, I’m sorry. It is our core belief that you should own the relationships with your fans. These are your businesses, and they are your fans.
I’ve spent hours and hours on the phone with creators, and so has the Patreon team. Your feedback has been crystal clear:
The new payments system disproportionately impacted $1 – $2 patrons. We have to build a better system for them.
Aggregation is highly-valued, and we underestimated that.
Fundamentally, creators should own the business decisions with their fans, not Patreon. We overstepped our bounds and injected ourselves into that relationship, against our core belief as a business.
We recognize that we need to be better at involving you more deeply and earlier in these kinds of decisions and product changes….
Although Patreon folded on their proposed fee changes, the damage to creators’ income has already been done. One author offered this analogy to describe the moral effect of today’s announcement:
I'm not happy about Patreon's announcement about not shafting and devaluing the people it supposedly cared about in the same way I'm not happy if my secretly-a-junkie babysitter apologizes for leaving the kid in a hot car to make a quick score but did return a non-dead toddler
— Jason Scott (@textfiles) December 13, 2017
Webcomic artist Zack Morrison voiced what must be a lingering concern for many creators:
The whole affair was a big reminder that companies like Patreon can blow up what we're building in a day, that they're a shaky foundation. As someone who really values working for themself, it's frustrating to feel so exposed to the impact of their whims.
— Zack Morrison (@paranaturalzack) December 13, 2017
Here are some reactions tweeted by people in the sff field:
Let this also be a lesson: a well-written apology really can work miracles. I'm glad @patreon took the time to get that apology right. A LOT of goodwill hinged on that. I'm very satisfied with this apology and ready to move forward.
— Kameron Hurley (@KameronHurley) December 13, 2017
Public post on Patreon’s decision to roll back their terrible horrible no good very bad fee structure changes: https://t.co/GWaXiQvmWP
— Catherynne Valente (@catvalente) December 13, 2017
We spoke; we were heard; Patreon is not going to make the changes to their fee structure.
THANK THE GREAT PUMPKIN.
— Seanan McGuire (@seananmcguire) December 13, 2017
M.C.A. Hogarth
Wow, I am really impressed at @Patreon's apology and rollback. Nice job, folks. https://t.co/IKaYOK6W5f
— M.C.A. Hogarth (@mcahogarth) December 13, 2017
For my fellow creators though: note that Patreon still apparently has a problem that needs addressing. Don't assume everything's going to be fine, okay?
Kevin Sonney
Now that @patreon has rolled back the new billing policy, I will maintain all my pledges. My offer to help creators move and/or set up secondary streams of income still stands. https://t.co/M5K69UnPZ3
— Kevin Sonney (@ksonney) December 13, 2017
Huh. I did not see that coming.
Good job, @Patreon. https://t.co/zE5CoLPAGw
— Pat Rothfuss (@PatrickRothfuss) December 13, 2017
Apologies and policy reversals are good, but @Patreon needs to send an email to all patrons saying, "Here are the accounts you stopped supporting when we changed our policy. Please consider supporting them again."
— Aidan Moher rehoM nadiA Aidan Moher rehoM nadiA (@adribbleofink) December 13, 2017
Fireside Fiction Company
Looks like @Patreon are walking back their changes. https://t.co/8RNaykRf6D
That’s good. But we’re still out like $700 from where we were before.
If you want to help get us back to where we were, please consider subscribing directly at https://t.co/0Q8Hn93g1Y
— Fireside Fiction Co. (@FiresideFiction) December 13, 2017
[Thanks to Dann and Mark Hepworth for the story.]
Posted in Heard Online | Tagged Aidan Moher, Catherynne M. Valente, Fireside Fiction Company, Kevin Sonney, M. C. A. Hogarth, Patreon, Patrick Rothfuss, Seanan McGuire
Pixel Scroll 6/12/17 Avoid The Green Pixels, They’re Not Ripe Yet
Posted on June 12, 2017 by Mike Glyer
(1) READING SERIES CROWDFUNDING. Less than two days to go in the Fantastic Fiction Kickstarter at KGB and Matthew Kressel says they’re still about $1500 shy of what they need to run for six years.
Here are a few of the clever Facebook appeals made by the Kindling Kris Dikeman to encourage people to squeeze out a few more bucks for the series.
Sick of how things are going? Hoping the singularity hits soon? You can make things better right now by supporting the Fantastic Fiction Reading Series Kickstarter. The Fantastic Fiction series helps writers promote their work and creates a community for genre artists. Pay tribute to our future robot overlords and receive cool stuff at http://kck.st/2rq5KFA
Has the state of our world got you wishing the zombie apocalypse would just start already? You can make the world a better place without the rotting undead’s help by supporting the Fantastic Fiction Reading Series Kickstarter. The Fantastic Fiction series helps writers promote their work and creates a community for genre artists. Plus, you’re going to need stuff to read while you’re cowering in the dark. Check it out: http://kck.st/2rq5KFA
Considering a move to the Shire to escape the current state of the world? Put down that second breakfast and shuffle your hairy little feet on over to the Fantastic Fiction Reading Series Kickstarter. The Fantastic Fiction reading series helps writers promote their work and creates a community for genre artists. Galadriel sez: do it for me, hafling: http://kck.st/2rq5KFA
(2) DISAPPOINTMENT. Mari Ness sent a series of tweets discussing why she isn’t on Worldcon 75 programming.
There's a reason: the deadline for volunteering on panels was March 30.
As of March 30, I did not have a confirmed accessible room.
— Mari Ness (@mari_ness) June 12, 2017
(3) WILD CARDS. In “Something Old, Something New…” George R.R. Martin refutes an old complaint, then explains why readers will have no grounds for it in the Wild Cards book coming out tomorrow.
I’ve had some readers complain about my name being featured on the covers of the Wild Cards books because I “didn’t write them.” That’s a bullshit complaint, IMSHO. No, I am not the sole author of the Wild Cards stories, I am only one of… ah, lemme see, I believe it was forty-one writers at last count.
I am, however, the editor of every single one of the twenty-three volumes published to date, and the new ones in the pipeline as well… the guy who recruits all those writers, determines the ‘overplots’ of the triads, solicits proposals, accepts and rejects, and gives extensive notes on rewrites. (And there’s a LOT of rewriting in Wild Cards, to make all the bits fit together so the whole will be more than the sum of its parts). It’s a lot more work than any other sort of anthology, believe me… though I love it, so I don’t complain… too much. I earn those credits, and to suggest that my name is just being ‘slapped on’ the covers while someone else does the work is as ignorant as it is offensive.
(4) BIRD IS THE WORD. At Tor.com, Aidan Moher makes Yoon Ha Lee’s Raven Stratagem sound irresistible.
Unlike its predecessor, Raven Stratagem requires no warming up period. Very little of the narrative in Raven Stratagem is bogged-down by incomprehensible infodumps about “calendrical rot.” In comparison, it feels open and airy. Through Cheris and Jedao, Lee proved his ability to create complex and interesting characters, and this time around he throws the doors open by introducing several new point-of-view characters, all of whom are engaging in their own way. From the crashhawk Brezan, who’s on a mission to take Jedao down, to General Kel Khiruev, who is reluctantly beholden to the undead general after he commandeers her swarm, to Shuos Mikodez, leader of a faction of assassins, each of the major players has their own well-defined and compelling part to play in Raven Stratagem’s overall narrative. They’re all damaged and dangerous, full of regrets, but they are also vulnerable and likeable in a way that allows readers to connect with them on the right emotional level.
(5) FOOLPROOF WISDOM. Timothy the Talking Cat continues to dispense advice to writers in “More Mentoring from Tim” on Camestros Felapton’s site. It’s all one graphic, so we’ll have to do without an excerpt. But I’m sure knowing Timothy’s track record you have already clicked through before reaching the end of this paragraph.
(6) AUSTIN OBIT. UK comics fan Alan Austin died May 9.
Alan Austin, pioneer of UK comics fandom and a long-time friend of 30th Century Comics, passed away yesterday morning after a long struggle with cancer.
Beginning in the 1970’s, Alan published the long-running fanzine Fantasy Unlimited (later Comics Unlimited), which drew together comics enthusiasts from all over the UK, and indeed, all over the world. He also published Whiz Kids, Golden Age Fanzine, and the Marvel Super-Hero Index, as well as being a co-publisher of the very first Comics Price Guide for Great Britain. For many years, he ran the shop Heroes, in Islington, London, and in later years was a regular feature at UK comic marts.
Neil Gaiman purchased his first Spirit comic book from Austin’s shop in 1975.
(7) VERDUGO OBIT. Actress Elena Verdugo died May 30. Her radio, movie and TV career spanned six decades. Although she was best known for her TV role in Marcus Welby, M.D., her genre work included horror movies like The Frozen Ghost (1945). Here’s an excerpt from her New York Times obituary,
… Because she had a Hispanic surname, Hollywood mostly typecast her in horror movies and comedies as Gypsy girls, Indian maidens, Mexican peasants, harem handmaidens and South Sea islanders. “With that name, they don’t call you up to do little American parts,” she was quoted as saying in “Women in Horror Films, 1940s” (1999) by Gregory William Mank. “They think you’re a black-eyed, dark-haired señorita” and I’m blond. So I put on my wig and tried to live up to what they thought ‘Spanish’ to be or ‘Gypsy,’ or ‘native,’ or something.”
She later played opposite Lon Chaney Jr. and Boris Karloff in Universal’s “House of Frankenstein” (1944), in which a trio of movie monsters collaborate against their makers’ enemies, and in “The Frozen Ghost” (1945), also opposite Chaney.
(8) TODAY’S DAY
Superman Day
What’s that?! There in the sky? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s the Man of Tomorrow! Superman has gone by many names over the years, but one thing has remained the same. He has always stood for what’s best about humanity, all of our potential for terrible destructive acts, but also our choice to not act on the level of destruction we could wreak. Superman was first created in 1933 by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the writer and artist respectively. His first appearance was in Action Comics #1, and that was the beginning of a long and illustrious career for the Man of Steel. In his unmistakable blue suit with red cape, and the stylized red S on his chest, the figure of Superman has become one of the most recognizable in the world.
Mark Seifert at Bleeding Cool News has more:
In 2013, DC Entertainment declared June 12 as Man of Steel day “in celebration of the summer’s most eagerly anticipated film”. The date seems to have stuck, with a name change to “Superman Day” because I’ve seen a whole lot of #supermanday hashtags in my twitter feed this morning. I know that Metropolis, IL just held their Superman Celebration over the past 4 days€¦
(9) TODAY IN HISTORY
June 12, 1968 — Rosemary’s Baby first seen this day.
June 12, 1987 — Predator first played to audiences.
June 12, 2015 — Jurassic World debuted.
(10) PAST TENSE. ComicsBeat tees up an unusual WW2-era critique, “Bennett and Savuage take on Japanese Internment in new BOMBSHELLS UNITED series”.
It was important to Bennett to make her takes on DC’s greatest heroines less inherently perfect and to provide them with the opportunity for improvement and redemption. “I’m very into fallible heroines,” Bennett explained. “I understand why so many inspirational characters are given to girls, whether it’s to make up for the years that their weren’t any or that there were so many damsels in distress, but there’s a degree at which when we only give children– but little girls especially– aspirational heroines, we’re denying them the ability to screw up. To have a complete human experience. Being a child and seeing these role models, I knew that I could never possibly compete or live up, so when I screwed up it was horrible. These characters weren’t afforded the opportunity to fail and come back from it.”
Indeed, the first arc of Bombshells United is all about failure– in particular, America’s failure to protect the rights of up to 120,000 Japanese Americans when the national government imprisoned them in internment camps for the duration of World War II. In Bennett’s exploration of Japanese American internment, she casts Cassie Sandsmark and Donna Troy, two characters who have carried the Wonder Girl moniker, as second generation Japanese Americans whose friends and family are being held against their will. While Cassie and Donna are not Japanese in the mainstream DC Universe, according to Bennett, these are her universe’s “definitive versions” of the characters.
(11) POSTSCRIPT. Abigail Nussbaum has more to say — “Five (Additional) Comments on Wonder Woman”.
My problem, however, with talking about Wonder Woman as a feminist work is that most of that feminism is external to the film. That is, Wonder Woman is feminist because of what it is, not because of what it does. To be clear, I absolutely agree with the statement that being the first movie about a female superhero in the current, mega-successful iteration of superhero movies (and one of only a small number before that) is a feminist act in its own right. But there’s only so much that you can say about that, and that’s a problem that is exacerbated by Wonder Woman herself. More than almost any other character in pop culture, Diana exists outside of patriarchy. And while it’s powerful to see a woman who brushes aside the assumption that she’s not as good as a man because the very idea that this might be true is completely foreign to her heritage and upbringing, what this also means is that a lot of the central questions of feminism are equally foreign to her. I’m not as down on Wonder Woman as Jill Lepore, writing in The New Yorker, but she’s not wrong when she says that “Gadot’s Wonder Woman doesn’t fight for rights because she transcends that fight; she is unfettered by it and insensible to it, an implausible post-feminist hero.” Diana’s journey over the course of the movie involves learning to see humanity–or, as she puts it, “men”–for what it is, with all its strengths and flaws. But left completely unacknowledged is the degree to which the cruelty of men is often visited upon women. How does Diana’s bemusement at the concept of marriage face up to the discovery that almost all of the people she meets in 1918 would consider it acceptable for a man to beat his wife? How does her decision to engage in heterosexual intercourse change in light of the fact that she is moving through a rape culture? How does her joy at seeing a baby withstand the knowledge that most women in that period have no choice in when or whether to have children, and that many of them die in childbirth?
(12) WONDER WHY. Meanwhile, Stephanie Abraham clearly feels there’s no pop culture victory that can’t be pictured as a defeat with a little effort — “When Will Wonder Woman Be a Fat, Femme Woman of Color?”
Why couldn’t Wonder Woman be a woman of color? When it was announced that Gadot would play Wonder Woman, audiences went wild body shaming her for not having large enough breasts. One can only imagine the white supremacy that would have emerged had the announcement said instead that she would be played by a Black woman. On Paradise Island, there are Black warriors in addition to white ones, which is a good start, but other women of color are missing. Also, while the female warriors are strong and ass-kicking, they all have tall, thin body types and they all could be models on a runway. In fact, in a pivotal battle scene, Wonder Woman struts across the battlefield as if on a catwalk. As a result, their physical strength plays second fiddle to their beauty, upholding the notion that in order to access power women must be beautiful in a traditional way. Especially with the body positivity movement gaining steam, the film could have spotlighted female warriors with fat, thick and short body types. While people have said that warriors can’t be fat, some of our best paid male athletes are, particularly linebackers on the football field, and no one doubts their physical strength.
Another problem is that the story’s overt queerness gets sublimated by heteronormativity. Diana comes from a separatist commune of women who have intentionally chosen to live without men. In one of the first scenes between Diana and Steve, she explains that she read 12 volumes of a series on sex that concluded that while men are required for reproduction, when it comes to female pleasure, they’re unnecessary. While a love story develops between them, a requirement in superhero stories, Diana thankfully doesn’t compromise her integrity for him.
(13) GENRE MOVIE POSTERS. Bill recommends Posteritati —
Hundreds of SF movie posters: https://posteritati.com/genre/sci-fi?page=1
Hundreds more Fantasy movie posters: https://posteritati.com/genre/fantasy?page=1
Note: click “In Stock Only” to “off” to maximize browsing.
(14) BIONIC HANDS. Click on “3D printed bionic hands trial begins in Bristol” to see the video report.
The world’s first clinical trial of 3D printed bionic hands for child amputees starts this week in Bristol.
They are made by a South Gloucestershire company which only launched four years ago.
If the trial is successful the hands will become available on the NHS, bringing life-changing improvements for patients.
(15) PROSPECTIVE ASTRONAUTS. NPR’s story “Meet Your Lucky Stars: NASA Announces A New Class Of Astronaut Candidates” comes with pictures and short interviews.
Jasmin Moghbeli, one of the dozen candidates, spoke with NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro from Houston’s Johnson Space Center, where she’ll undertake the training program starting in August.
Moghbeli, who says she’s wanted to be an astronaut since the sixth grade, talked about what kind of candidate it takes to earn the coveted spot.
“Start looking into science, technology, engineering, math, those kinds of fields,” the German-born, New York native says. But whatever you do, she says, love it.
“There were many other applicants that applied who were extremely qualified for this position that aren’t lucky enough to be sitting up here like I am,” she adds. “So make sure you’re doing what you love. If I did not get the call saying, ‘Hey can you join us here at NASA?’ I still would’ve been extremely happy in the career that I was in.”
The seven men and five women of the class bring an impressive resume to NASA: The astronaut candidates are an athletic crew and include former SpaceX employees, a marine biologist and half of them are military officers.
(16) CAPED CLAPTRAP. Glen Weldon claims “Adam West Saved Batman. And Me.” If only by reaction — the author argues that the show was so silly it revived interest in the One True Dark Knight.
In my book, The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture, I attempt to unpack how the show, and West’s performance in particular, are the reason anyone’s talking about the character of Batman today.
Batman comics had languished near the bottom of the sales charts — the publisher even made (likely disingenuous) threats to cancel them outright — before West took the hero into the mainstream. The mainstream embraced him, and — after a brief Batmania fad gripped the country in 1966 — swiftly tired of all things Bat. Batman comics sales plummeted again.
Comics creators and fans resented the clownish version of their hero who’d spent time in the cultural spotlight, and reacted against it by engineering a version of the character who was — specifically and intentionally — everything West’s Batman wasn’t: dark, haunted, gothic, brooding. Obsessed.
A new generation of comics readers — who knew a little something about obsession — saw themselves in this new, grim, self-serious Batman. For better or worse, he’s been DC Comics’ top-selling hero ever since.
(17) NOT FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON. Whenever Larry Correia blows his stack at me, once he finally runs out of obscene things to say, which takes awhile, the next thing he does (like today) is tell people I keep linking to his blog to get pingbacks that will lure traffic from his popular site. Which is not only a lie – I link whenever I have an interest in an item – but is absurd on its face. Below are the Alexa rankings for our two sites. And the fact is that although Correia has repeated this claim several times since 2014, at no time then or now was his site ranked above mine, or anywhere close to it.
(Bear in mind that 1 would be the highest ranking, so the site with the most traffic has the lower rank numbers.)
[Thanks to John King Tarpinian, JJ, Chip Hitchcock, Andrew Porter, Bill, and Cat Eldridge for some of these stories. Title credit goes to File 770 contributing editor of the day Steve Davidson.]
Posted in Pixel Scroll | Tagged Abigail Nussbaum, Adam West, Aidan Moher, Batman, Bill, Fantastic Fiction at KGB, George R. R. Martin, Glen Weldon, Mari Ness, Matthew Kressel, Timothy the Talking Cat, Wild Cards, Wonder Woman, Worldcon 75, Yoon Ha Lee
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Daniel Dern
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Where is Our Absurd?
From Issue #3. Filed under ‘Writing.’ December 17, 2015
There is nothing but. Not this end the ocean of one’s pause. I’m out of the held begins, for must it could. For I may after that will. I need about what but the end that sound. Stick I need, felt be another to me. The old all alike there some. Not this I’m not. It can’t be it will it how will it. All the sorts and that’s but now. Our eyes only swing. Every but on word alone.
—Clark Coolidge, “Beckett,” A Book Beginning What and Ending Away
When Lyn and I thought of the organizing idea for the issue, absurdity in contemporary life, we were drawn to the idea in part because of our sense that absurdity hardly seems like some modernist pre-history to our present situation but rather an ever-encroaching, encompassing condition of our everyday engagements with a finite “reality,” whatever one takes reality to mean.
One apologizes for such flimsy rhetoric hedges—whatever we take reality to mean—but trying to assimilate “the absurd” provokes such equivocations, digressions, willful courting of the anomalous. Is the “absurd” an attitude or a condition, a way of life to be embraced or a historical impasse to be resisted? That contrived common sense of an Internet search suggests “the absurd” has come to mean anything silly, non-sensical, or ridiculous, that one thing that does not belong to the others. And there is delight in this. As the New Yorker says of Ron Padgett’s Collected Poems: “Padgett’s plainspoken, wry poems deliver their wisdom through a kind of connoisseurship of absurdity.” Everything is a cartoon of perfection!
Absurdity has a dimmer and more caustic history, too. The absurd was something of an obsession for European and Anglophone modernisms, particularly postwar drama, but the seeds of that obsession were planted much earlier in debates about how one persists in, and invents new forms of engagement with, realities that seem increasingly irrational, hostile, or pitched to a perpetual state of emergency. In thinking about how “absurdity” might have shifted between “then” and “now,” it also seems important to recognize that we are all limited by how or where we come to recognize what might be glibly generalized as an “absurdity of existence,” particularly when the uneven distribution of environmental and economic risks create new possibilities for solidarity but also make us more aware of our distances from each other.
Implicit in my formulation of the title—”Where is Our Absurd”—is the matter I want to pursue here, particularly the problem of registering both the contemporary character of absurdity—what it is—and how to place it—where it might be—and who belongs to its formulation—mine or yours or ours.
Dialectical Absurdity
Perhaps the most famous philosopher of “the absurd” working in the vein of 19th-century Western philosophy, Søren Kierkegaard, defined “absurdity” has been taken up as a willful impossibility of belief in the face of an intractable, and perhaps radically hostile, reality. Kierkegaard developed this notion of “absurdity” in his “dialectical lyric” titled Fear and Trembling (Copenhagen, 1843)—published under the pseudonym of Johannes de silencio—at a time when he felt that the systemic thought of German idealism and the spurious public of political consensus (see Kierkegaard’s The Present Age (1846)) had diminished the individual’s capacity to have a singular relation to one’s convictions. Kant’s categorical imperatives and Hegel’s Sittlichkeit (usually translated as “ethical life”) had overshadowed the local and irreducibly idiosyncratic problem of pursuing a purpose that no one else can recognize and thus suffering the consequences of deliberately acting in a vacuum of recognition or understanding.
The question of what absurdity might mean, then, was caught up with this broader question of how we differentiate between fanaticism and obstinate belief or individual imperatives and social responsibilities, precisely at times when we might doubt the legitimacy of a sovereign state or “public opinion.” For Kierkegaard, it was actually crucial to resist the force of consensus. In both Fear and Trembling and his later opus, Either/Or, a willful impossibility of belief doesn’t manifest through sublime catharsis but through diminished characters whose passionate “outpourings” are everywhere blunted or misconstrued by their interlocutors. And these outpourings can look like delusional prophecies, as when Abraham believes he has been commanded by god to kill the child him and his wife struggled so hard to conceive. He is committed to carrying out this purpose, his “calling,” without the language to communicate it, and therefore share it, with others.
Without a language for one’s convictions, one finds themselves both out of place and out of time. Borrowing from medieval romance, Kierkegaard defines the absurd artist of everyday life as a Don-Quixote-like figure, an anachronistic “knight of faith,” for whom the “deep sadness of existence” is provoked by a 19th-century reality uncannily like our own: the false public of mass media, the reduction of art to consumer taste and self-affirmation, the allure of total accessibility. But the “knight” remains part of this estranged order of “faith” not because it blesses him in his resignation, like Hegel’s “beautiful soul,” but because it can channels its “worldly sorrow and joy” into the absurd practice of locating “infinity” in the finite, secular, and pedestrian. And Kierkegaard delivers us this absurd character in a signature tone of reprobation and jealous appreciation:
[The knight of faith] lets things take their course with a freedom from care as if he were a reckless good-for-nothing and yet buys every moment he lives at the opportune time for the dearest price, for he does not do even the slightest thing except by virtue of the absurd. And yet, yet—yes, I could fly into a rage over it, if for no other reason than out of envy—yet this person has made and at every moment is making the movement of infinity. He empties the deep sadness of existence in infinite resignation, he knows the blessedness of infinity, he has felt the pain of renouncing everything, the dearest thing he has in the world, and yet the finite tastes every bit as good to him as to someone who never knew anything higher, for his remaining in finitude has no trace of a dispirited, anxious training, and yet he has this confidence to delight in it as if it were the most certain thing of all. And yet, yet the whole earthly figure he presents is a new creation by virtue of the absurd. (Fear and Trembling, 34)[1]
“The absurd” comes to mean not only the anachronistic and misplaced persistence of the knight’s “faith,” but also a rhetorical strategy, lets call it a situation, that presents a variety of passionate figures through the voices of partial and tendentious judges. Unlike a Socratic scene, there is no cool anchor of reason or confident posture of self-knowledge from which to reflect on these swings of pain, sadness, and passionate commitment. It matters too that the tendentious character of this “dialectical lyric” is ascribed to a writerly persona, Johannes de silentio, who declares himself, in third-person, to be a writer who “has not understood the System” and who “already has enough for his weak head in the thought of what huge heads everyone in our age must have since everyone has such huge thoughts” (5). A diminishment of mind is Silentio’s strength because it is enough for his thought, his rebuke to unwavering credulity in “the System.”
Anticipating the present precarity of creative economies, “Silentio” describes his relation to this overwhelming “System” as a “extra-skriver [free-lancer]” who writes because “for him it is a luxury that becomes all the more enjoyable and conspicuous the fewer who buy and read what he writes” (5). We may not trust his assessment of those “others” who read, just as we may not trust the way Abraham heard god’s command, but what I take Kierkegaard to be asking us, as readers, is how we recognize the singular persistence of belief in a climate of mutual resentment, hostility, and suspicion. Absurd belief, we might say, is a way of weathering a deeply polarized world (something that clearly resonates with the current landscape of political rhetoric in the United States).
In undermining the intellectual force of his persona, Kierkegaard is not only pulling our credulous legs—who should we believe?—but also staging a sly critique of those idealist philosophers and public officials who act as if their heads are big enough for a thought that contains “the world.” Conversely, the text never offers us the right response to Abraham’s sacrificial act but rather a partial judge of parabolic episodes we too must contend with. We are caught up within the textures of belief. Explaining away absurdity by naturalizing it to an intellectual or political system comes to seem like an evasion of what is most important of all: paying the “dearest price” of having a conviction.
For Kierkegaard, then, coming to know absurdity is not just about holding a belief, but paying a singular cost for holding on to it. Perversely, it is the cost of losing a son, a community, or a discernible place in the world, that gives one the idiosyncratic measure of what those things truly mean to you.
It is this question of how we recognize both the persistence and costs of belief that I take to be most resonant with contemporary questions of how one makes absurdist art today or, for that matter, simply gets through the “pedestrian” absurdities of a day. In the spirit of historical fidelity, I want to take up this question now in relation to Martin Esslin’s The Theatre of the Absurd (1961), his now canonical take on the absurd tradition in theater during the postwar productions of Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, Harold Pinter, among others.
What struck me in re-reading Esslin in preparation for organizing this issue of FLOOR was how far the literary and dramatic techniques of registering the absurdity of contemporary social and political life have shifted from Esslin’s prewar contexts and postwar examples until now. The purpose of Esslin’s text was not only to argue for a distinct generational “significance” of absurdity for dramatists but also to account for how their interpretation of “absurd” traditions of thought provoked distinct shapes of speech and gesture in response to the traumas of recent war, genocide, and ideological struggle.
Where Kierkegaard countered the exploitative character of systemic thinking through a series of passionate believers and voices, often producing rather florid or devotional prose, Esslin’s dramatists seem to take absurdity as a condition of expressive and epistemological privations. The language of their characters, Esslin argues, is resolutely “anti-literary” and “anti-logical,” so as to register a “radical devaluation of language” in all spheres of private and public life. And where romantics and modernists might have relied on the force of poetic images, there is a commitment in these “playwrights” (with “wright” linking the act of playmaking to a pre-history of physical artificers and journeyman) to the gestural concretions of the stage. As Esslin writes: “what happens on the stage transcends, and often contradicts, the words spoken by the characters” (Theatre of the Absurd, xxi.). Highly symbolic plays, like Eugène Ionesco’s “Rhinocéros” (1959), took their allegories literally, in the sense that the rhinoceroses rampaging the streets are both symptomatic expressions of mass delusion and real threats to individuals within an urban context.
Many critics have contested the coherence of Esslin’s postwar paradigm of the “absurd,” largely because it emphasizes negativity, death, and silence over other aspects of the plays, including their dark humor and sense of play.[2] Surely not every writer shared Esslin’s underlying conviction in a universal humanism or individual psychology beleaguered by mass movements and communication. But even if we read a play like End Game or The Chairs as farces without a metaphysical message, the question remains how we account for repeated, almost ritualistic turns towards questions of reverence and ritualistic devotion (picked up and expanded by Michael Bennett in Reassessing the Theater of the Absurd: Camus, Beckett, Ionesco, Genet and Pinter (New York: Palgrave, 2011)). The “absurd” need not be read as an exclusive category shared by each of its practitioners, but rather a set of formal and gestural responses—iterability, seriality, mnemonic failures, communication breakdowns, comedic transpositions—to measure the gap between one’s idiosyncratic belief and one’s social or historical knowledge. Errant absurdities parade in the grammar of absurdisms, or, as Clark Coolidge shows in his clustering of parts of speech in the shape of a grammatical expression: “I need about what but the end that sound.”
For Esslin, it is no coincidence that “absurdity” seemed to consolidate into a dramatic style or aesthetic condition around the same time that writers were facing a world that had been violently reorganized by the atrocities of the Holocaust, fire bombing and nuclear decimation in the Pacific “theater,” the carving up of the Middle East by European powers, and beginnings of struggles towards the decolonization of Africa. Being “anti-literary,” then, didn’t mean eschewing language for gesture entirely, but that speaking (and responding to speech) had to make incomprehension palpable, often by way of serial repetition and nonsensical transitions that mimicked breakdowns in discursive formations. There was hope in absurdity, too, in that one could make a speech out of a “human condition” (Esslin’s takes existentialism and absurdity to be motivated by a version of humanism) that seemed punishingly irrational and dissociated from both the practical realities of living. By way of idiosyncracies—”idiosyncratic” being perhaps the adjective, along with “sparse,” most often associated with the postwar eras of Anglophone and Francophone absurd theater—one could hear and feel the disjuncts between an individual life and a history of cruelties it may or may not be complicit with. Esslin cites as a processor to the “Theatre of the Absurd” the work of Antonin Artaud (in Theatre de la Cruaute (1935)), who used ritualistic chanting and repetitive gestures to push dramatic action into a more impersonal or transpersonal terrain.
Esslin gives as his opening example a performance of Waiting for Godot in 1957 by the San Francisco Actors’ Workshop at the San Quentin maximum-security prison. What is striking, Esslin notes, is the difference between how the convicts and critics responded. A reviewer for the prison paper noted: “[Godot] was an expression, symbolic in order to avoid all personal error, by an author who expected each member of his audience to draw his own conclusions, make his own errors. It asked nothing in point, it forced no dramatized moral on the viewer, it held out no specific hope… When the scenery gets too drab and the action too slow, we’ll call each other names and swear to part forever—but then, there’s no place to go!” (Esslin, xvi).
The lack of psychological interiority, plot, and character development as well as the mechanical quality of gestures bemoaned by contemporary theater critics was for this prisoner (and others) a kind of realism, albeit of inhuman subjects. That prisoners might be the ideal audience for Beckett’s “anti-literary” style was reflective of the kind of “absurd” position they literally occupied: placed “outside” of social life yet still treated, by way of the rhetoric of rehabilitation, as a potential member of a “human” community. We can see this also in the work of Jean Genet and Harold Pinter, where the overtness of violence paralleled by a slow deadening of the senses extended the poles of captivity to every intimate encounter and walk of life. For example, interior domestic spaces, as in Pinter’s “Birthday Party” (1957), became porous sites in which characters are exposed to intrusion, surveillance, or physical threat but also reflect a more personal struggle to claim or remember the most basic facts of their lives and surroundings. The grounds for resisting these conditions becomes more and more ambiguous as bodies, spaces, and histories unsettle each other. In Beckett’s Godot, there is also the striking moment when Lucky is commanded to “think” by his master (and former slave), Pozzo, mixing rhetorical gestures, academic jargon, and non-sensical grunts into a cascade of language that captures the deeply physical sense of a person struggling to communicate through verbal and mental remnants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-zhUBPDitk.
The “devaluation and disintegration” of language, to use Esslin’s terms, reflect a failure to perceive the outlines of this totalizing violence and the agents who perpetuate it. But it also reflects the fact that property or individual right offer no practical reserve from these intrusions (Esslin, 296). The line between being free and being captive, being safe and being violated, are continually overturned.
When thinking about examples of where, or what, absurdity might be now, and who might be invested in its relevance, absurdity seems less and less to do with a deliberate impoverishment of language (to match the impoverishment of the world). And it almost goes without saying, in the world of extensive social mediation, that public opinion and mass belief constantly produce dangerous forms of immediacy and consensus. Regardless of whether we periodize our present situation as an ongoing modernism or post-postmodernism, cultural production has and will continue to shift in the face of an economy driven by big data, global supply chains, debt service, risk management, and financialization. One is probably more likely to hear the word “precarity” than “absurdity” in contemporary art and criticism.
For these reasons, the commitments of Kierkegaard and these absurd dramatists might seem rather anachronistic. Few bemoan the loss of a sense of the “infinite” or the “absolute,” precisely because these are the kinds of scales that these socio-economic processes aspire to (yet, as the physical limits of micro-trading evidences, can never wholly approximate). Yet, if there is a value to thinking of or practicing “absurdity” now, it would lie in the possible connections between absurd belief and the ways in which these structural realities mediate and migrate through our seemingly private languages. “Absurdity” might help us talk about the nature and costs of belief in the face of the militarization of police, ongoing wars against amorphous targets, climate change, austerity economics, and enduring physical and psychological traumas that demand new ways of speaking and practicing culture.
The closing question we might ask, then, is how the character of impossible belief has changed? And what ways have the usages of language and gesture in “absurd” drama, if we can call it that, shifted to meet the “absurd” character of early 21st century life?
The example I have in mind is a fairly meta-critical play by Jackie Sibblies Drury first staged in New York at the Soho Rep in 2012 with the absurdly long title of “ We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915.” In fact, the play is billed simply as “We are Proud to Present…,” with the ellipse doing both the work of conversational or industry shorthand and notation of historical aporia. Drury notes as much in interviews about the coincidental origins of the play, which she developed as a side project to address a gap in her own knowledge of the events after a Google search for “Black people in Germany” while writing another play.
The play is ostensibly about a genocide undertaken by colonial Germans, in collaboration with another tribe, Nama, of the Herero people in Namibia during the years mentioned—1884–1915. Historically, it offers an African pre-history to World War I in Europe, the conflict ostensibly ending in the same year that W. E. B. Dubois would publish his “African Roots of War” in the Atlantic Monthly (see: http://www.webdubois.org/dbAfricanRWar.html). Most of the Herero were killed and the remaining members of the tribe were forced into unpaid labor. But as Charles Isherwood pointed out in his review of the Soho Rep show (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/theater/reviews/we-are-proud-to-present-a-presentation-at-soho-rep.html?_r=0) in November 2012, the action of the play is not the “presentation” itself but rehearsals for the presentation. These “live” rehearsals are framed by a narrator/director armed with clunky note cards and a Powerpoint slideshow, and undertaken by actors with generic titles: “white man,” “another white man,” “black man,” “another black man,” etc. The irony is, of course, that racialization often functions on this level of abstraction, even if those abstractions operate largely unconsciously.
The stage direction, too, feels like a practical joke about the experience of learning “history” in an elementary school classroom, itself a campy departure from the austere stage conditions we might expect from, say, a Beckett or Pinter play. The “script” for their individual improvisations is somewhere between researched content—the white actors, playing “German soldiers” read from letters home, just as the black actors portray historical aspects of the two tribes—and historically exacerbated stereotypes—every actor, regardless of their personal attitude towards the genocide, slips in and out of hetero-normative, national, and racial ideologies to fill in the general absence of historical documents. Their interpretive and dramatic solutions become increasingly “absurd,” in that they become increasingly divorced from the historical reality they set out to “present.”
I take the core intelligence of the play to be in its insistence to keep with these aporias, adding on multiple levels of mediation, prejudice, and obstruction without settling off into a formuliac postmodern comedy about the endless instability of texts and production of meta-languages. The fact that the play sticks with the conceit—a “blueprint” for a play that never comes but is, at the same time, already happening—foregrounds the struggles these actors have in deciding between how they feel about genocide, colonialism, its racial afterlives and how their characters might best respond, either in fidelity to a largely non-existent historical record or the expectations of dramatic realism. Not surprisingly, the actors’ own sense of their racial position effect the way they approach dramatic techniques, making visible a range of blackness and whiteness caught somewhere between “real life” and “in character.” But there is also a professionalism that borders on liberalism, in that every actor/character, despite their disparate motivations, wants to see the play performed and consistently subordinates their frustrations to the abstract authority of “the director” and “the play.”
But no one ever gets the atrocity right. And rarely one has the same atrocity in mind as one’s fellow players. Watching “We are Proud to Present…” performed at the Shotgun Theater in Berkeley, CA in March 2015, it not only felt like an exercise in absurdity, but a reminder that “absurdity” was not only a diverse fact of productions attempting to represent the problem of historical violence but a resolutely non-generalizable phenomenon. Unlike some postwar absurdists like Ionesco, Genet, or Pinter, there is no background of universal human dignity or hope that this “Presentation” about genocide will produce a special language or psychology from which to address, in this case, the historical oblivion to colonial violence. Neither will it address head on the commensurate inability to imagine a more ethical present or future. Drury consistently plays with the notion of a historical impasse—how we incorporate the internal and external effects of racism and settler colonialism—precisely because these effects seem so unstable in time and space. This instability is heightened by the fact that these actors are being asked to not just reproduce racial examples (German soldiers, tribal warriors, “Africans”) but to use their personal sense of contemporary racial violence to interpret these types. And despite the insistence on typology, there is a persistent emphasis on how the difficulty of mediating between these roles manifests as a physical struggle, as the performers who always seem on the verge of collapse.
Perhaps the hardest note to swallow in Drury’s version if absurd theater, if we want to continue calling it that, is that the absorptive actions of the stage cannot produce some collective change or catharsis. Rather, the play seems more of an interlocutor in an ongoing problem than an expositor of some violent past. Similarly, the absurd conceits of the performance are not about putting aside racial stereotypes but about going inside of them, pursuing their attendant components of sentimental romance, caricature, even slapstick comedy. To call the play absurd, then, is not to say that it repeats the postwar fascination with gestural force, serial repetition, and discontinuous speech but rather experiments with how speaking and acting involve a deep complicity with history. We are endlessly citing crimes we can neither name or remember. But the play also shares a concern with postwar absurdists about how and why one can still believe in the efficacy of speech and actions, particularly in conditions where expression seems increasingly difficult, problematic, maybe even impossible.
Society of the Absurd
What hides under the spectacular oppositions is a unity of misery. Behind the masks of total choice, different forms of the same alienation confront each other, all of them built on real contradictions which are repressed.
—Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle #63
It was the absurdity of belief that offered, paradoxically, a consistently skeptical attitude toward static notions of public opinion or individual right, what Debord would bemoan later as “spectacular” society, precisely because these coherent illusions had nothing to do with the peculiar way that each person was called to action, survived captivity, or maintained even the clunky semblance of mobility. When Esslin wrote “Theater of the Absurd,” he framed the absurdist mode as not just a revolution in
dramatic communication but also a response, however negative and obscure, to the failures of social imagination. In ways that anticipated the present situation of heightened social mediation and economic precarity, Esslin remarked that absurdist authors turned against not only the commodification of mass communication but also the “growing specialization of life” that isolated members of a society to their own “specialized jargon” (Esslin, 299). It doesn’t take too much of a leap of faith to extend this problem to our present situation where such euphemisms as “the sharing economy” or Amazon’s cynical riff on dehumanizing labor, “Amazon’s Mechanical Turk” (https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome), take the notion of a “specialized” labor and industrial jargon to perverse ends. One can’t make this stuff up. On Amazon’s website, Individual tasks are described as “Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs)” performed by “an on-demand, scalable work force.”
One of the most enduring “virtues of the absurd” is that it served as an internal check on the ability to take “the social” or “the individual” or even “the human” for granted. And precisely because it eschews these assumed unities, absurdity demands radical and constant particularization. Both the social whole and the lives that made it up were presented as a series of opposing parts and abandoned possibilities, as if one leg was working against the other. One thinks of the tortured gait of Beckett’s Watt as an expression of just how hard it is to move when no relation is known or assumed between past and future, a thing and its shadow, one direction over another:
Watt’s way of advancing due east, for example, was to turn his bust as far as possible towards the north and at the same time to fling out his right leg as far as possible towards the south, and then to turn his bust as far as possible towards the south and at the same time to fling out his leg as far as possible towards the north, and then again to turn his bust as far as possible towards the north and to flight out his right leg as far as possible towards the south, and then again to turn his bust as far as possible towards the south and to fling out his left leg as far as possible towards the north, and so on, over and over again, many many times, until he reached his destination, and could sit down. (Watt, 23)[3]
What Watt shows us is still a life, but a life lived through an unknown series of parts. Even in this intricate state of exhaustion, one goes on thinking and speaking anyways, with the hope that we will get something right by being or acting wrong, as in Beckett’s Molloy:
All I know is what the words know, and the dead things, and that makes a handsome little sum, with a beginning, a middle and an end as in the well-built phrase and the long sonata of the dead. And truly it little matters what I say, this or that or any other thing. Saying is inventing. Wrong, very rightly wrong. You invent nothing, you think you are inventing, you think you are escaping, and all you do is stammer out your lesson, the remnants of a pensum one day got by hear and long forgotten, life without tears, as it is wept. To hell with it anyway. (Molloy, 27)
Always under intense self-revision, Molloy sets as his aim of his actions neither invention nor escape. From the standpoint of a radically dissociated personality, one body appears like a series of parts arrayed upon a continuum that is at turns impossibly rich or vast and utterly devoid of purpose or content. Like many of Beckett’s nomadic protagonists, Molloy seems homeless in both a practical and spiritual sense, moving from one abuse to another, and yet he can’t shake the feeling that he is at home wherever his dilapidated bicycle carries him: “But Preferred to abide by my simple feeling and its voice that said, Molloy, your region is vast, you have never left it and you never shall.” (Molloy, 60). The feeling of belief persists, it places and traces him, even while he seems to lose every external guarantee that he is moving in a definite direction, that he is real, and that he is a part of some meaningful shift in history.
When compelled to describe the ludicrous, ridiculous, or nonsensical state of affairs as “absurd,” we might think too of how absurdity has and continues to be mobilized not just to make a comedy of our confusion but to show the personal and social costs of inhabiting a violent order of things—and still keeping some semblance of belief. Acting absurdly is not an evasion, a giving in to a state of resignation, as Kierkegaard reminds us, but a conscious decision to dissemble and reassemble the very tissue of social life. Like Coolidge’s long poem on Beckett, one seeks something like a “word” to stand on by taking apart the very structures in which speech happens, showing how something as simple as pointing toward a thing in the world can involve a tremendous series of contortions: “There is nothing but…”
[1] Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, eds. C. Stephen Evans and Sylvia Walsh, trans. Sylvia Walsh (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006). For his take on the instrumentalization of ideas of “the public” for political interests, see The Present Age, trans. Alexander Dru (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1962). Perhaps his best example of his dialogic style by way of a series of textual personas, is: Either/Or, ed. and trans. Howard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987).
[2] Albert Bermel, for example, published an article about humor in Ionesco in 1975 called, “Ionesco: Anything But Absurd,” Twentieth Century Literature Vol. 21, No. 4 (Dec., 1975), pp. 411-420.
[3] Samuel Beckett, Watt (New York: Grove Press, 2009) and Three Novels: Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnameable (New York: Grove Press, 2009). The English edition of Watt was published in 1953 and the English edition of Molloy was published in 1955
Tagged abraham, Absurdity, beckett, clark coolidge, dialectical lyric, either/or, esslin, eugene ionesco, fear and trembling, harold pinter, jackie sibblies drury, kierkegaard, knight of faith, martin esslin, molloy, poetry, silentio, soho rep, soren kierkegaard, theatre of the absurd, watt, we are proud to present
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Groucho Reviews
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Peter Canavese 2012-08-30 16:00:33 -0700
Sleepwalk with Me
Film demonstrably isn't the best medium for this story...but [it] remains resonant, with its hidden-in-plain-sight metaphor of drifting unconsciously through life.
90 min. IFC Films. Director: Mike Birbiglia. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, Mark Maron.
In association with WBEZ Chicago, it's this American life: Mike Birbiglia's. The comedian brings his best-known story to the big screen in Sleepwalk with Me, an indie comedy-drama co-written and co-produced by This American Life host Ira Glass.
That Birbiglia has already told this story before—on This American Life, in his one-man off-Broadway show, and a best-selling non-fiction book—is part of the problem. Film demonstrably isn't the best medium for this story (at least as directed by Birbiglia and written by Birbiglia, his brother Joe, Seth Barrish, and Glass), and the preferable versions, as verbalized by Birbiglia the raconteur, have been on the market for some time.
Nevertheless, Sleepwalk with Me gets by on its humble charms as it tells the story of aspiring stand-up comic Matt Pandamiglio (Birbiglia, natch) and his struggles with commitment and REM behavior disorder. Matt has somehow sustained a relationship of eight years with girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose), but he's pushing his luck by dodging the question he ought to be popping, and his late-breaking upward mobility as a comic increasingly keeps the couple apart.
There's also that little matter of the sleep disorder, which understandably distresses Abby as Matt wanders about the bedroom in the wee hours, pantomiming his dreams and doing himself physical harm. A classic avoider, Matt consistently blows off a sleep study just as he postpones taking his relationship to the next level. In a series of narrative asides, Matt confesses, with hindsight, his failings, shaking his head at his past self and offering, "To be a comedian, you have to be a little bit delusional."
Matt's hapless clambering in the comedy world, a painful ascent that's realistically slow, is the film's most convincingly portrayed aspect and presents the most intriguing dilemma. As a veteran comic (Marc Maron) teaches Matt, if he's to have a breakthrough, he's going to have to stop mere shucking and jiving and actually start telling some hard truths about his life: that's where the good material lives.
But once Matt goes there, he has an act he doesn't feel comfortable letting Abby hear: it's okay for audiences to laugh at his existential horrors, but there's only so much truth he's willing to admit to his girlfriend. That Matt so consistently blocks Abby out highlights another of the film's issues: by resolutely sticking to Matt's point-of-view, Abby comes off as something of a punching bag. Though her puzzling behavior does get a funny-sad payoff of sorts, we still exit the story wishing we were given a chance to know her more fully. At the bottom line, Birbiglia's film version of Sleepwalk with Me may be a bit fitful and tentative, but the story remains resonant, with its hidden-in-plain-sight metaphor of drifting unconsciously through life.
[This review first appeared in Palo Alto Weekly.]
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Learn from how Chicago does culture — Greg Cook
The Boston Globe, 01.12.2017
When Chicago’s Millennium Park turned 10 this month, the Chicago Tribune hailed it as “the best thing former Mayor Richard M. Daley ever did” and “the latest demonstration of Chicago’s audacious ability to invent the urban future.”
The park began as a way to reclaim a 24.5-acre civic dead zone of parking lots and railway tracks between the city’s iconic skyline and lakefront. It’s become a place nearly 5 million people flock to a year — attracted by “Cloud Gate,” a mirrored arch by London artist Anish Kapoor that reflects the skyline and has been affectionately nicknamed “the Bean” because of its rounded shape; the “Crown Fountain,” a reflecting pool between waterfalls cascading from two 50-foot-tall blocks by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa; and a bandshell designed by Los Angeles starchitect Frank Gehry.
Inevitably, there’s been some grumbling; costs to build and operate the park have exceeded initial projections. Yet Millennium Park is viewed locally and internationally as a smashing success. Beyond that, it hints at a broader model to which other communities might aspire. Even as the world’s visual- and performing-arts establishment becomes increasingly centered on a few major media capitals — New York, Los Angeles, London — Chicago exemplifies how other cities can energize the artists in their midst and use the arts to promote a livelier community.
Not coincidentally, the Windy City is one of the places Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration is eyeing for ideas as it looks to hire an arts and cultural affairs commissioner, elevating the position to cabinet level “for the first time in 20 years.” Recently, Boston artist Maggie Cavallo wondered aloud on Twitter if there are any arts leaders with the extensive culture and financial qualifications the city is seeking. Joyce Linehan, a former arts promoter who serves as Walsh’s chief of policy, tweeted back a few names; among them was Michelle Boone, whom Chicago’s current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, appointed commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2011.
Part of the reason Chicago has been able to accomplish things like Millennium Park is because it has a different culture than Boston — in its more daring and playful environment, artists and arts patrons are more willing to risk the embarrassment of falling flat on their faces. “There is this brawling, can-do, ‘City of Big Shoulders,’ Midwestern thing,” says Martha Lavey, artistic director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, known for launching the careers of John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, and Joan Allen, as well as the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play “August: Osage County.”
Indeed, many of the arts executives whom I interviewed emphasized how Chicago’s leadership sees the city as a work in progress, rather than a finished product. “One of the reasons Chicago was able to do it is because of the reason we were able to do a lot of things: the Chicago Fire,” says Kelly Leonard, executive vice president of Second City, the Chicago comedy troupe that gave us John Belushi, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and numerous other actors who’ve risen from “Saturday Night Live” to Hollywood. That devastating 1871 fire encouraged a culture of reinvention. “Innovation, it comes out of the turn of the century attitude of rebuilding the city, and asking ‘Why not?’ instead of ‘Why?’ ” Steppenwolf Executive Director David Hawkanson says. “A lot of that comes out of the Daleys’ attitudes . . . I think a mayor can get people to think and to dream.”
Daley, the son of longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, saw how a 50-foot-tall Picasso sculpture that his father erected in 1967 had become an icon of the city and burnished the politician’s legacy. Chicago mayors became ambassadors for the arts. From the second Mayor Daley’s support, city approvals and private funding followed.
“Rich Daley and his wife, Maggie Daley, were really determined to make Chicago a world city and they believed that a presence in the arts was important in doing that,” says Scott Turow, the Chicago-area author of legal thrillers like “Presumed Innocent.”
“There’s no way you’re going to get a Frank Gehry bandshell and an Anish Kapoor without somebody who wants to get this done, that person being the mayor,” says Hamza Walker, associate curator at the University of Chicago’s Renaissance Society gallery. “Millennium Park doesn’t come about by virtue of a committee.”
Chicago’s investment in the arts is all about attracting business and getting tourists to stay one more day. “When Mayor Daley was trying to entice Boeing to leave the West Coast and move to Chicago, they met in the Art Institute of Chicago,” says Mike Lash, the city’s former director of public art, who now lives in Salem, Mass. “Art is big business in Chicago.”
In that spirit, the city has built on existing infrastructure — the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Art Institute of Chicago, the theater scene. About a decade ago, the city’s theater district was revitalized when city and state funds were poured into new playhouse construction and renovations. Millennium Park is the capstone on efforts to transform downtown from a place that went to sleep after the business day into Chicago’s front yard. “Millennium Park was one of the really good uses of power. The mayor managed to coordinate huge corporate donations for Millennium Park,” Turow says.
Meanwhile, unlike in Boston, Chicago’s public art program is partly supported by a “percent-for-art” ordinance that requires 1.33 percent of the budget of most city construction and renovation projects to go to art. At the major downtown sites, the city programs events from concerts to farmers markets. “You give constant reasons to come back,” says Boone, the city’s cultural affairs commissioner. “You don’t put it up and leave.”
The city, she says, presents nearly 2,000 cultural programs per year, the vast majority of them free — blues and jazz and gospel music festivals downtown; exhibitions and events at the department’s headquarters, the large former central library that became the free Chicago Cultural Center in the early 1990s; as well as music, theater, and film screenings, in parks and libraries around the city. “We’re probably the largest employer of artists in the city.”
Promoting a vibrant arts scene isn’t just about the city’s own programming, it also involves nurturing artists, promoters, and organizations that generate good ideas of their own. The Pitchfork Music Festival, the summer indie rock fest held in Union Park west of downtown, has become one of the standout events in North America since launching in 2005. Coincidentally, that same year, Lollapalooza chose to transform from a traveling music festival into an annual showcase in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park.
Pitchfork festival director Mike Reed says they blossomed under the radar. “We kind of did our thing, and the larger powers that be didn’t really know or understand. People turned their heads and they’re like, ‘There’s this big thing.’ ”
But he says it’s “very dangerous” for the city to do so much programming, to compete so much with private entertainment businesses like Pitchfork. He adds, “Most stuff that’s put on by a municipality is not very good because they don’t have the vision.”
Still, it’s also possible to imagine a cooperative approach between the city and arts organizations. Two years ago, the city unveiled its Chicago Cultural Plan 2012. It was billed as “the first new plan for strengthening the city’s arts and cultural sector in more than 25 years.” Cambridge cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who has participated in music programming in Chicago public schools, was quoted in the city’s announcement saying the plan’s initiative to “reinvigorate” arts education would be “transformational for the students of Chicago.” Ma continues to praise the city’s proposal to make arts part of the public schools’ core curriculum, fund more arts teaching, and distribute that money equitably throughout the school system.
Likewise, in June, the city announced that it would launch a major “Architecture Biennial” in fall 2015 — it’s a partnership between the city and the architecture-promoting Graham Foundation. The idea for the event grew out of the city’s cultural plan, which identified the city’s landmark architectural tradition “as a cultural asset that the city could leverage,” says Sarah Herda, co-artistic director of the biennial and director of the foundation. Organizers are trying to identify unique assets of the community, preferably in territory where there isn’t a lot of competition (Herda says this will be the only architectural biennial in North America), then do something that will grab international attention.
What can Boston learn from how Chicago does culture? “Listen to people. We’ve spent a lot of time listening to what people want,” Boone says. “Don’t look to Chicago. Look to your people.”
In Boston, our staid Brahmins and august academic institutions still too often foster a feeling that “You can’t do that here.” The Second City comedy troupe, which defiantly embraced the insult as its name when it launched in 1959, today runs workshops for companies and government agencies hoping “to be more innovative, creative, and playful.”
“The number one tenet of improvisation is saying ‘Yes, and . . . ’ We live in a world were people love to say ‘No.’ ” Leonard says. “ ‘Yes, and . . . ’ allows a stupid idea or a silly idea or a crazy idea to exist for enough time that maybe it’s just crazy enough to be great. Or enough time to go away. But you can’t even get there if you say no. So try this example: Everyone has to stop saying no for a day.”
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Jackie Chan Jet Li Donnie Yen Bruce Lee
Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Yoga IP man
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From ‘IP MAN 3’, see the spirit of Chinese Kung Fu master
Since the release of Chinese action movies 'IP MAN 3’ which starring Donnie Yen and Lynn hung, the film has set off great waves in entertainment circle.
As the first continuous one-day breaking billion of film since the beginning of the spring in 2016, IP MAN has created two records about the box office of Chinese kung fu movies.
From the reviews of the movie fans, IP MAN 3 has received lots of favorable comments and even there are many people who are good (profound) at writing skills has written the long film reviews in Mtime, Douban community, it expressed that although the text of the film is a little weak, but the action part is absolutely world class, the martial arts choreographer of this film woo-ping Yuan really had a well-deserved reputation and the Donnie Yen’s acting portrays the master style of IP MAN – a humble, kind, unyielding Chinese person.
Most people who have seen IP MAN 3 giving the feedback, said it's s truly great ‘family’ film, and it is more suitable for the whole family to watch because there was not any bad shots from beginning to end of the film.
The director of IP MAN 3 Wilson Yip is a refined and delicate person, he is finely crafted to treat each frame lenses. This is also why IP MAN 3 can get overseas box office champion.
The theme of IP MAN 3 is ‘Fighting for Life’. In the film IP MAN 3, the protagonist return to the common humanity behind a master, protecting school, caring the children, beating off the rogue and keeping the peace, he brings a positive attitude to life and learning through the interaction with his wife, children, neighbors, apprentice, biconditional gate brothers, colleagues.
The film could deeply make people to feel the thoughts and insights to life. It describes the human touch behind the Heroes, up to a certain extent; it also reflects the epitome of the ideal personality in China.
On one side is the challenge of the “authentic Wing Chun”, on the other side is his wife with a terminal illness. Selecting the response or accompany, the answer is self-evident at the later stage of the film, actually, the original intention of the martial arts is to protect the people you loved.
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Renault Reveals Production Versions of All-Electric Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Van Z.E
April 18th, 2010 Team Spiders
Following the Fluence Z.E. all-electric sedan concept’s unveiling at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and last December’s presentation of the Kangoo Van Z.E. prototype at the COP 15 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Copenhagen, Renault today unveiled the finalized designs of both models.
The French automaker said that customers in Europe and in a few more select countries including Singapore, South Africa and Russia, who are interested in the two models can pre-reserve their vehicle at “www.renault-ze.com” with first deliveries expected in the first half of 2011.
The Fluence Z.E. will be built at the OYAK-Renault factory in Bursa, Turkey, on the same production line as the internal combustion engine-powered versions of Fluence.
It is powered by an electric motor producing 70kW / 94HP and 226Nm / 167.7 lb-ft of torque that motivates the front wheels through a direct drive transmission.
The capacity of the Fluence Z.E.’s lithium-ion battery is 22kW/h. The battery itself tips the scales at 250kg and is located behind the rear seats.
The driver can charge the battery in one of three ways: through a household supply, which will fully charge the battery in between six and eight hours; at fast charge stations using a 32A 400V supply in approximately 30 minutes (available from 2012), and via a QuickDrop battery switch system that will enable the car’s battery to be swapped in approximately three minutes at bespoke battery exchange stations.
In addition, an energy recovery system enables the battery to be charged when the car decelerates.
Renault said that fully charged, the Fluence Z.E. has a driving range of up to 160km or about 100 miles, while the car’s top speed is electronically limited to 130km/h or 80mph.
The electric version of Fluence stands at a length of 4,750mm, which is 130mm longer than its internal combustion-engined brethren in order to accommodate the battery behind the rear seats.
Cosmetic changes over the standard model include a blue-hued tint on the headlamps, tail lamps, foglamps, logos and boot trim, gloss black exterior mirror housings, body-colour painted side protective mouldings and the battery charge flaps on both wing.
Also, the rear bumper incorporates a black diffuser, while the wheels have been specially designed to minimize turbulence.
Inside, the rev-counter has been replaced by a bespoke instrument, which displays data concerning remaining range and battery charge, while the decorative trim of the dashboard is exclusive to the model.
Continuing with the Kangoo Z.E., the small van is powered by a 44kW /59HP electric motor with 226Nm of peak torque that drives the front wheels.
It features a lithium-ion battery that is located in a central position beneath the floor, enabling the Kangoo Z.E. to boast the same carrying capacity as the internal combustion-engined model.
The battery can be charged via a household mains supply (16A 220V) in between six and eight hours, offering an operational range of 160 km or 100 miles.
Later on, Renault’s range of electric cars will be enhanced with the presentation of the production versions of the Zoe Z.E. small coupe and the Twizy Z.E. urban vehicle that boasts a tandem seating layout.
The French automaker added that it estimates electric vehicles will account for 10 per cent of the world market by 2020 and that the Renault-Nissan Alliance is investing €4 billion in its zero emissions programme.
Posted in RENAULT
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‘It’s darkening Ireland’s name’: Inside the row between Fyffes and its Honduran workers
Serious allegations have been levelled at the company, one of the country’s biggest corporate successes.
Article reproduced from https://fora.ie
BY PAUL O’DONOGHUE REPORTER, FORA
THOUSANDS OF MILES away from her employer’s Dublin base, Oglis Mejia harvests melons under the scorching Honduran sun, struggling to provide for her five children.
The 35-year-old single mother has spent her entire working life in the employment of Fyffes, one of the biggest multinational companies to ever emerge from Ireland.
She lives in La Permuta, a rural area near the municipality of Choluteca, one of the poorest regions in Honduras. Fyffes subsidiaries employ about 3,000 people, mostly women, in the economically deprived Central American country on a seasonal basis.
Mejia starts work at 6am, but she gets up two hours early to prepare food for her children – aged from three to 18 – so that they have something to eat when they wake.
Most of the money from Mejia’s job goes towards getting her children through school, but she says that poor working conditions make it hard for her to provide them with a good education.
“It’s a very hard working day, we work from 6am until about 3 or 4pm doing different jobs on the plantation,” she tells Fora, speaking through an interpreter.
“The hardest job is when we have to seed the melon, because we are down with our backs bent over for the entire day.
Photo: Oglis Mejia
“In the area where I work there’s about 300 people. We are all under the hot sun, the field I work in is practically a desert and we work under a lot of pressure.
“The work is constant: we get small breaks to drink the water they give us, but we immediately sweat it out.
“They are constantly watching us and if a worker makes a mistake then they’re sent home. There are always threats of being fired.”
Besides the difficulty of the work, Mejia claims that she is paid about 30% less than the minimum wage of 6,848 lempiras (€260) a month and says that she receives no benefits from Fyffes, such as social security.
Besides Fyffes, there aren’t many other local opportunities, and Mejia says that many other companies treat their workers poorly. Not working means living in poverty. In an attempt to improve her situation she decided to join a local union, STAS.
She and other workers say that the Ireland-based firm doesn’t engage with the union and does not give employees protective clothing when they use chemicals, leading to serious incidents – such as one which hospitalised over a dozen workers.
Fyffes has denied all of these claims, saying that it pays the minimum wage, provides decent working conditions and, in general, engages with unions, although it does not recognise the local branch of STAS.
Nevertheless, the row has sparked a major investigation by an independent ethical trading body.
With Fyffes under increasing scrutiny, several large supermarkets that deal with the company are coming under pressure to make sure that the workers are being treated fairly.
Photo: Workers on a melon plantation
An Irish success story
Fyffes is one of Ireland’s biggest corporate success stories. The company was established more than a century ago and began its life as a small London-based banana importer.
A family greengrocer set up by Charles McCann in Dundalk was the first business in Ireland to sell the company’s fruit.
The McCann family took over Fyffes in the mid-80s through their Fruit Importers of Ireland firm. The name of the combined company was changed to simply Fyffes PLC.
Charles McCann’s grandson, David, would go on to lead the company and oversee its growth as it became one of Ireland’s few true multinationals, with thousands of employees around the world, sales of more than €1 billion and annual profits in the tens of millions.
The firm still has strong local and Irish connections, such as sponsoring the League of Ireland football champions Dundalk FC.
It has also had cause for celebration lately with a sale to Tokyo’s Sumitomo Corporation in a deal worth more than €750 million – representing a big payday for the company’s shareholders, including nearly €90 million for the McCann family.
Photo: Fyffes chairman David McCann
However, a cloud is hanging over the firm. Oglis Mejia is one of hundreds of people employed by a Fyffes plantation called Suragroh that has become a flashpoint for worker discontent.
The Honduran workers are tasked with tending to the melons by planting seeds, spraying herbicides and pesticides, and harvesting the fruit when they are ready. The work is mainly seasonal, lasting between four and six months.
Unions says that Fyffes’ success masks the poor treatment of workers in countries like Honduras, and they have called on Irish consumers and supermarkets across Europe to put pressure on the company to improve conditions at its plantations.
The campaign has been led by the GMB, one of the UK’s largest unions, and Banana Link, a UK-based non-profit, along with the local STAS union in Honduras, the US labour rights group LEAP and the International Union of Food Workers.
Fyffes, however, has rejected all of the union’s’ claims of poor working conditions and other abuses, sparking an appeal to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) – a UK state-funded organisation promoting workers’ rights that counts Fyffes as a member.
An investigation
The GMB first called for Fyffes to be expelled from the ETI when over a dozen of the fruit company’s workers in Honduras were hospitalised after being exposed to noxious chemicals in February 2016.
Fyffes said that the incident was an isolated accident, however Banana Link made an official complaint in April 2016 and the ETI launched an investigation into alleged abuses at Suragroh. That probe has dragged on for more than a year.
Photo: The Fyffes logo on bananas
The complaint consisted of three key points: that workers weren’t being paid proper wages, that their working conditions were poor and that they weren’t being allowed to organise and unionise.
Last month Fyffes became one of the only companies to ever be suspended from the ETI.
On workplace conditions, the ETI eventually found that the evidence provided was “not conclusive” that the incident that led to over a dozen workers being hospitalised was any more than an accident, but it said that the company should review its procedures.
On wages, the ethical trade body said that Fyffes should regularly review and audit wage systems and payments, but it did not say that the firm was paying less than the minimum wage.
However, the ETI did say that the firm was contravening the approach to legitimate trade union activities that is expected of members.
It said that Fyffes must ensure that workers “across its Latin American supply chains and not just in Honduras benefit from meaningful and practical action”.
The trading body has now warned that the company has to hammer out a deal with workers or it will be expelled, something that would prove highly embarrassing and troubling for Fyffes. So how did the company end up in this position?
While workers say there have been abuse claims at Fyffes plantations before, notably in Costa Rica, the issues being investigated by the ETI go back about two years ago.
This was when Fyffes workers in Honduras first set up a subsidiary of the agriculture workers’ union STAS after complaining about pay and working conditions.
Since then, local union representatives say that dozens of workers have filed lawsuits for what they claim is the underpayment of wages.
Unions allege that during the 2015/2016 growing season the company withheld bonuses, grants and overtime pay worth about €1.7 million, a huge amount for the Honduran workers.
Staff also claim that they have to buy their own equipment and are not given protective gear when using chemicals, leading to accidents like the one in February 2016 when more than a dozen Suragroh workers were hospitalised after being poisoned by noxious chemicals.
Fyffes did not respond to specific questions about the alleged underpayment, however it previously said it provides all the necessary safety equipment – and that it pays all workers in line with Honduran national regulations.
In the case of the February incident, the company said it was an accident, and that it has acted to ensure that there is no repeat.
For its part, the ETI said “the evidence is clear that the company responded in a responsible way” – although it should also review its practices.
As well as the dispute over work conditions, workers say that there is also a serious issue for those trying to unionise.
They claim the company took a dim view when the STAS branch was formed about two years ago. State officials were also said to be unimpressed, with the Guardian reporting last year that the country’s agriculture minister was worried Fyffes may leave Honduras if workers persisted with the union.
Organising a union in the Central American country is very different to Ireland, or most developed nations. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world and dozens of trade union activists have been killed over the last few years.
Moisés Sanchez, the secretary-general of STAS, worked with Fyffes for more than 20 years, however he claims he was sacked about a year ago when he tried to form the union branch with other local workers.
Photo: Moisés Sanchez
“I was the irrigation supervisor. I’m not a professional, but I learned throughout the 20 years that I worked for the company,” he tells Fora, also speaking via an interpreter.
“I was contracted from June to October and then from November to May. I asked for a permanent contract and that gave them more of a reason to fire me, because I was involved in a union and wanted to be a permanent worker.
“I was told that I had no right to be causing danger to the company and that over 2,000 workers could become unemployed because of the work that I was doing.”
Sanchez, who is married with five children, took his redundancy hard.
“My whole family depended on me. I want to provide the best life I can for my kids, but now I can’t because I don’t have a job,” he says.
Union condemnation
A local union organiser, Ahrax Mayorga, says that of the 165 union member at Fyffes plantations, 35 were not re-hired for the new harvest season in November “as a condemnation for joining the union”.
“The rest have continued working, but they have been slowly phased out. The excuse of the company is that there’s no more work for them to do, however we are aware that they’re hiring new workers to replace the union members,” he says.
Among those claimed to have been dismissed for being union members are the bulk of the company’s security workers at its Melon Export subsidiary in Honduras. They say that 47 of the 65 security staff joined the local union and were subsequently made redundant in March.
Fyffes has said it does not sack any worker for being a member of a trade union, although it admits that it made the security staff redundant. The company said that there has been an increasing trend in violent crime directed at security staff “giving concerns over their safety”.
“Following a trial, the company is transitioning its security services to independent companies registered at the Ministry of Internal Security,” a spokeswoman said.
“For those workers made redundant as a result of the change all entitlements to labour severance and legal benefits have been paid in full as validated by the Ministry of Labour.”
Fyffes has been backed by the Honduran Ministry of Labour in its stance of not recognising the local STAS branch, which the company says was not properly formed.
Photo: A Fyffes workers’ protest
However, the unions are appealing this decision and say that the government favours the company as it does not want it leaving Honduras, something which would cause devastation for the poor country.
The ETI has said that Fyffes and Suragroh need to do more in engaging with the trade union movement and start a dialogue with those who represent workers “whether permanent or seasonal, to resolve outstanding issues and build trust”.
Ethical trade investigation
Against the backdrop of the issues at the Fyffes plantations, the ETI spent more than a year examining the union’s complaints.
It was quiet for a while after problems were first raised in April 2016, however in November it said that, after reviewing evidence submitted by all parties to the dispute, it had upheld “key aspects of the complaint, deeming them substantive and robust”.
In a statement to Fora, it said it found the complaint was “substantive in the way it evidenced poor treatment of workers in Fyffes’ Suragroh melon plantation”.
It didn’t explain the apparent inconsistency in the fact that it found that workers were treated poorly but Fyffes was only officially pulled up on the issue of not engaging with unions.
The company was asked to prepare a remediation plan, however the ETI found that the fruit firm’s proposals failed to fully address the issues raised.
Fyffes was then given until early February to come up with a proper strategy. It instead opted to exercise its right as a member of the organisation to present its case to an ETI committee.
That committee finally recommended that Fyffes be suspended from the ethical trading body – ordering it do hammer out a deal with unions or be expelled.
Lobbying supermarkets
While the dispute has barely registered in Ireland, it has gained more traction internationally.
The unions contacted dozens of supermarket chains across the UK – many of which also have large operations in Ireland – and urged them to raise the alleged labour abuses in Honduras with Fyffes.
They view putting pressure on supermarkets as the best way of resolving the dispute. Unions hope that supermarkets, worried about their reputations, will be less likely to buy Fyffes products if the fruit producer is linked to poor worker treatment.
Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Aldi – all Fyffes customers – told Fora that they do not buy products from the Suragroh plant in Honduras but added that they have been in touch with the company about the issues raised.
Photo: Part of the letter sent to Aldi
Sainsbury’s said that it take its suppliers’ approach to trade “very seriously regardless of where they are sourcing from and are already in close contact with Fyffes about the points which have been raised”.
Aldi said that “as part of its commitment to fair trading, it is currently in conversations with Fyffes around the concerns raised”, while Morrisons simply said that it raised the issue with the firm.
Tesco said it would “monitor progress” on the issue and that it was ”supportive of (the ETI’s) encouragement” for Fyffes to work with unions.
None said what action they might take. However, Fora understands that some of Fyffes’ customers have put pressure on the company to reach an agreement in the wake of the firm’s suspension from the ETI.
Meanwhile, through the Make Fruit Fair campaign, a mix of NGOs that look to improve the conditions of workers who produce tropical fruit, Fyffes chairman McCann has been sent emails by 23,000 people calling for the company to ensure its workers’ rights.
No Irish unions have really been active in lobbying Fyffes, although members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions joined a GMB protest at the fruit giant’s annual general meeting in Dublin in January.
Photo: A protest outside Fyffes AGM in Dublin
Unions used the opportunity to complain that the company’s workers faced financial hardship while the McCanns got a nest egg.
At the meeting McCann said simply that Fyffes “has a different perspective to the protestors” and declined to comment further.
Resolution?
In the time since the ETI started its investigation, the takeover by Sumitomo has been completed and Fyffes has de-listed from the Irish Stock Exchange.
However, it retains its head office in Dublin and the company is still largely an Irish one. It is understood that negotiations between the ETI and Fyffes are being handled by the Irish senior management team, including McCann.
GMB official Bert Schouwenburg, who headed up a delegation to inspect the plantations in Honduras earlier this year, says that, abroad, Fyffes is still viewed as an Irish company.
He claims that the controversy involving the ETI and the Honduran allegations has dented the reputations of other Irish businesses operating overseas.
“Fyffes is synonymous with Ireland, and it is darkening the name of the country,” he says.
“Irish people should complain to their (retailer) selling fruit or to their political reps.”
After being formally suspended from the ETI early last month, Fyffes has 90 days to reach an agreement with unions, meaning it has until the start of August to strike a deal or face being kicked out of the trade body altogether.
This would be almost unprecedented for the ETI, and would be highly embarrassing for the company. However, it would come as little comfort to workers who want to strike a better deal.
Back in La Permuta, Oglis Mejia says some extra money would help her pay for her children’s education and improve their diet, which consists mainly of rice and beans.
She also called on Irish people to help the workers by putting pressure on Fyffes to strike an agreement. Union officials and workers believe that Fyffes will be protective of its image in Ireland and will likely take action if local consumers and supermarkets raise a fuss.
“We want workers in other parts of the world to recognise what we’re doing and to continue supporting us, as workers whose rights are being violated,” Mejia says.
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O-6, r. 13 - Regulation respecting the keeping of records and offices of dispensing opticians
O-6 Dispensing Opticians Act
chapter O-6, r. 13
Regulation respecting the keeping of records and offices of dispensing opticians
DISPENSING OPTICIANS — RECORDS AND OFFICES
Dispensing Opticians Act
(chapter O-6, s. 3).
(chapter C-26, s. 91).
1.01. In this Regulation, unless the context indicates otherwise,
(a) “Order” means the Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances du Québec;
(b) “dispensing optician” means any person whose name is entered on the roll of the Order;
(c) “office” means the place where a dispensing optician provides professional services.
Decision 83-02-09, s. 1.01.
1.02. The Interpretation Act (chapter I-16) applies to this Regulation.
1.03. Nothing in this Regulation may be interpreted as excluding the use of data processing or any other technical means in constituting and keeping the records of a dispensing optician provided their confidentiality is respected.
1.04. Division III applies only to the office where a dispensing optician practises on his own behalf or on behalf of a dispensing optician or a partnership of dispensing opticians.
1.05. Notwithstanding section 1.04, section 3.02 applies to all dispensing opticians.
2.01. Subject to section 2.07, a dispensing optician must keep, at the place where he practises his profession, a record for each of his clients.
2.02. A dispensing optician must enter the following items and information in each record:
(a) the date of opening the record;
(b) the client’s first and last names at birth, his address, telephone number, date of birth, sex and social insurance number;
(c) a summary description of the reasons for the visit;
(d) a description of the optical products provided and professional services rendered, particularly, the steps required for filling the prescription and their date;
(e) the recommandation made to the client;
(f) the prescription, annotations, correspondence and other documents pertaining to the professional services rendered; and
(g) the signature or the initials of the dispensing optician who rendered the professional services.
2.03. The dispensing optician must keep each record up-to-date until he ceases to render professional services to the person concerned by that record.
2.04. The dispensing optician must keep each record for at least 5 years from the date of the last service rendered.
2.05. The dispensing optician must keep his records in a room or cabinet which is not readily accessible to the public and which may be locked by means of a key or otherwise.
2.06. Where a client withdraws a document or a copy of a document from his record, the dispensing optician must insert in that record a note signed by the client indicating the nature of the document and the date on which it is withdrawn.
2.07. Where a dispensing optician practises his profession through a legal person referred to in section 13 of the Dispensing Opticians Act (chapter O-6) or is employed by such legal person or by a retailer referred to in subparagraph a of the second paragraph of section 15 of that Act, the records kept by that legal person or employer concerning the persons for whom services are rendered by the dispensing optician are considered, for the purposes of this Regulation, the records of the dispensing optician if he may enter therein the items or information referred to in section 2.02; if he cannot do so, he must keep a record for each of those persons.
KEEPING OF OFFICES
3.01. The office must be equipped with the instruments appropriate to the professional practice of a dispensing optician.
3.02. The dispensing optician must post his permit in public view.
3.03. A dispensing optician may not keep in his office anything other than ophthalmic lenses, frames, optical products and products used for their maintenance.
3.04. A dispensing optician who is absent from his office for more than 5 consecutive working days must take the necessary measures to inform the persons who attempt to contact him of the length of his absence.
3.05. The dispensing optician must place in public view in the place referred to in section 3.01 a copy of the Code of ethics of dispensing opticians (chapter O-6, r. 3) and of the Regulation respecting the procedure for the conciliation and arbitration of accounts of dispensing opticians (chapter O-6, r. 11). He must also write on each of those regulations the address of the Order.
Decision 83-02-09 s. 3.05.
FINAL PROVISION
4.01. (Omitted).
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A-3.001, r. 8 - Regulation respecting travel and living expenses
Updated to 1 September 2012
chapter A-3.001, r. 8
Regulation respecting travel and living expenses
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS — TRAVEL AND LIVING EXPENSES
Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases
(chapter A-3.001, ss. 115 and 150).
A-3.001
TRAVEL AND LIVING EXPENSES
1. A worker who suffers an employment injury is entitled to reimbursement, in accordance with the norms provided for in this Regulation and in the amounts provided for in Schedule 1, of travel and living expenses incurred by the worker in receiving care, in undergoing medical examinations or in taking part in a personal rehabilitation program in accordance with the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (chapter A-3.001).
Where the physical condition of the worker so requires, the person who must accompany him is entitled to reimbursement of travel and living expenses incurred by that person, in accordance with the same norms and amounts.
Decision 93-06-07, s. 1.
2. A nurse, a nursing assistant or a nurse’s aide providing home care to a worker in accordance with section 150 of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (chapter A-3.001) is entitled to reimbursement of travel and living expenses incurred by that person, in accordance with the norms provided for in this Regulation and in the amounts provided for in Schedule 1.
3. In the case of an employment injury that occurs in Québec, where the worker chooses to receive care or to undergo medical examinations outside Québec and where the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail does not pay the cost thereof pursuant to the Regulation respecting medical aid (chapter A-3.001, r. 1), the worker shall not be entitled to reimbursement of travel and living expenses incurred for that purpose.
4. The Commission shall reimburse travel and living expenses on the basis of the most economical appropriate solution.
§ 1. — Transportation expenses
5. Expenses incurred for public transportation by bus, subway, train or boat are reimbursable.
6. The Commission may authorize a worker to use a personal vehicle or a taxi where the attending physician certifies that the worker is unable to use the means of transport prescribed in section 5 because of his physical condition and where the Commission considers that such incapacity is caused or aggravated by an employment injury.
The physician may indicate how long the incapacity to use public transport is likely to last.
7. The Commission may authorize a nurse, a nursing assistant or a nurse’s aide to use a personal vehicle or a taxi.
8. Only transportation expenses incurred in travelling by the shortest route between the worker’s residence and the place where he must receive care, undergo medical examinations or take part in a personal rehabilitation program are reimbursable, in accordance with the applicable rate provided for in Schedule 1.
A person using a personal vehicle, with or without the authorization of the Commission, is also entitled to reimbursement of parking and toll costs.
9. Where a worker chooses, without the prior authorization of the Commission, to receive care or to undergo medical examinations more than 100 km from his residence when such care could be obtained or such examinations take place within a shorter distance, only the expenses corresponding to a trip of 200 km with an authorized personal vehicle in the case provided for in section 6 or with an unauthorized personal vehicle in every other case are reimbursable.
Such authorization may be granted where those expenses are more economical taking into account all the indemnities to which the worker would be entitled if he received care or underwent a medical examination 100 km or less from his residence.
10. Transportation expenses incurred in going to the residence to eat a meal and to come back therefrom are not reimbursable.
Decision 93-06-07, s. 10.
§ 2. — Meal expenses
11. Only expenses for meals taken during a trip where the destination is more than 16 km from the worker’s residence, by the shortest route, are reimbursable in the following cases:
(1) where the worker had to leave his residence before 7:30 a.m., breakfast expenses;
(2) where the worker had to leave his residence before 11:30 a.m. and where he had to return after 1:30 p.m., lunch expenses; or
(3) where the worker had to leave his residence before 5:30 p.m. and where he had to return after 6:30 p.m., dinner expenses.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, breakfast or lunch expenses are also reimbursable where the worker has to travel 16 km or less from his residence to receive care or to undergo medical examinations and where he has to stay at the destination between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. or between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
12. A nurse, a nursing assistant or a nurse’s aide is entitled to reimbursement of meal expenses provided for in the first paragraph of section 11, under the same conditions, where that person travels by the shortest route more than 16 km from the establishment of his employer.
13. Living expenses incurred in staying at a hotel or at the home of a relative or a friend are reimbursable where the Commission has given prior authorization for the stay.
RETRAINING OR TRAINING
14. Where a worker takes part in a training or retraining program included in his personal rehabilitation program, where the duration of the program exceeds 2 weeks and where the worker must travel or live more than 50 km from his residence, the Commission may, instead of reimbursing the expenses provided for in this Chapter, pay to the worker a weekly lump sum allowance.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a worker is entitled to receive the travel and living expenses provided for in this Chapter for a maximum period of 7 days in order to make arrangements for his accommodation at the planned place of training or retraining.
15. A worker who takes part in a training or retraining program at the establishment where he was working when he suffered an employment injury is not entitled to reimbursement of his travel and living expenses.
EXPENSES FOR TRANSPORTATION BY AMBULANCE, BY AIR OR BY ANOTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORT
16. Subject to section 190 of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (chapter A-3.001), the Commission shall reimburse expenses incurred in transporting by ambulance, by air or by any other means a worker suffering an employment injury and, where his physical condition so requires, the person accompanying him other than a person responsible for the transport, so that the worker receives care or undergoes medical examinations made necessary by the injury, in the cases and in the amounts provided for in this Chapter.
TRANSPORTATION BY AMBULANCE
17. The costs for transportation by ambulance are reimbursable in one of the following circumstances:
(1) a worker suffers an employment injury outside his employer’s establishment or a construction site and his physical condition requires transportation by ambulance to an institution referred to in the Act respecting health services and social services (chapter S-4.2) or an establishment referred to in the Act respecting health services and social services for Cree Native persons (chapter S-5); or
(2) a prescription drawn up by the attending physician certifies that the worker must be transported by ambulance between 2 establishments or institutions referred to in those Acts or between the worker’s residence and such establishment or institution.
18. Expenses incurred for transportation by ambulance are reimbursable in accordance with the amounts prescribed in the Ministerial Order concerning the determining of ambulance service zones and the maximum number of ambulances per area and per zone, the standards for ambulance service subsidies, the standards of transport by ambulance between establishments and rates of transport by ambulance (chapter L-0.2, r. 2).
The amounts shall be revalued in accordance with the amendments that the Minister may make to his Order but, for the purposes of this Regulation, such amendments shall take effect only from the date of their making.
TRANSPORTATION BY AIR
19. Expenses incurred in transporting a worker by air are reimbursable in one of the following circumstances:
(1) there is no other means of transport;
(2) the use of another means of transport would be inedequate or dangerous for the worker because of his physical condition and the length of the journey or poor road conditions; or
(3) using transportion by air is more economical, taking into account all the indemnities to which the worker would be entitled if that means of transport was not used.
20. Expenses incurred for emergency transportation by a means of transport other than transportation by ambulance or air are reimbursable where such means of transport is required in the circumstances.
21. The expenses provided for in this Regulation shall be reimbursed only where the application for reimbursement, supported by vouchers, is sent to the Commission within 6 months following the date on which the expenses were incurred.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Commission may extend that period where a person demonstrates reasonable grounds to explain his late application.
22. The amounts provided for in Schedule 1 shall be revalued in accordance with the amendments that the Conseil du trésor may make to the Règles sur les frais de déplacement des fonctionnaires.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purposes of this Regulation, such amendments shall have effect only from the 1 January following their making by the Conseil du trésor and shall apply only in respect of expenses incurred from that date.
23. This Regulation replaces the Norms and amounts for transportation and travel expenses (Decision 87-10-07).
24. (Omitted).
(ss. 1, 2, 8 and 22)
NATURE OF TRAVEL AND LIVING EXPENSES AND AMOUNTS PAYABLE
Nature of expenses: amount payable
- Public transport: actual cost;
- Authorized taxi: actual cost;
- Authorized personal vehicle: $0.43 per km;
- Unauthorized personal vehicle and taxi: $0.145 per km;
- Parking and toll costs: actual cost;
- Meals: up to:
breakfast: $10.40, lunch: $14.30, dinner: $21.55;
- Hotel accommodation: up to:
Island of Montréal: $126 to $138 per night, Communauté métropolitaine de Québec: $106 per night, Cities of Laval, Gatineau and Longueuil: $102 to $110 per night, Elsewhere in Québec: $83 to $87 per night; Plus an allowance of $5.85 for each day of travel with hotel accommodation;
- Lodging at the home of a relative or friend: $22.25 per night;
- Allowance for travel and living expenses incurred for purposes of training or retraining: up to a maximum weekly allowance of $450.
Decision 93-06-07, Sch. 1.
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Boise State rolls up 705 yards in 55-27 win over Rebels
Football Top News UNLV — 02 November 2015
Senior quarterback Blake Decker returned to UNLV’s starting lineup from a shoulder injury Saturday for the first time since the team’s big Fremont Cannon win at UNR on Oct. 3 and threw for 357 yards. But that was only second best.
Boise State’s Brett Rypien broke the Mountain West Conference freshman passing record, throwing for 469 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Broncos to a 55-27 victory over the Rebels before a crowd of only 14,315 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Rypien, who also caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from junior wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck for Boise State’s first touchdown of the game, completed 35-of-52 passes and was not intercepted. He broke the Mountain West freshman passing mark of 433 yards set by San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley in 2008 against Idaho.
“I think today was another example of his maturity and getting better as a player,” Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said of the 6-foot-2, 199-pound nephew of Mark Rypien, the 1992 Super Bowl MVP with the Washington Redskins. “He’s getting better. That’s the bottom line. I say it every week but as the game goes on there’s not a whole lot of coaching as far as what he didn’t see or any questions. He sees it. He understands it. He can coach himself. … He gets what we’re trying to accomplish.”
“A great player,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “We struggled to put pressure on him and he did a great job of delivering the ball.”
UNLV, which came into the game with just six sacks, failed to garner one against the Broncos who attempted 53 passes.
Sperbeck finished with 10 catches for 163 yards and junior Chaz Anderson added seven receptions for 106 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch with 9:48 to go that upped Boise State’s lead to 41-27. That score came one play after a 16-yard pass from Rypien to Anderson on a 3rd-and-12 pass was initially ruled out of bounds but was later reversed after replay.
“A big, big flip in the game,” Sanchez said. “All of a sudden it just got away from us. I was disappointed with how we finished after that.”
“It was huge,” Harsin agreed. “You always talk about the “nail in the coffin” and try to get separation and especially late when it’s a tight game and get some momentum. When you can get the momentum, and when it’s the last quarter of the game, you’re probably going to be in great shape, and that’s exactly what we did on that play.”
The Broncos (7-2, 4-1), who finished with 705 total yards, tacked on a 40-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jeremy McNichols, who finished with 122 yards on 22 carries, and a 2-yard scoring run by sophomore Thomas Stuart. Boise State closed the game out with a 21-0 run in the final 9:48 to make the final score loss a lot more lopsided than the game really was.
“They had (705) yards of offense,” Sanchez said. “We didn’t play well on defense. At the end of the day, you can’t give all that up. It felt like every time we chipped away they just kept on extending and extending the lead.”
Senior safety Darian Thompson had an interception for Boise State, the 19th of his career, which also set a Mountain West career mark.
Decker completed 25-of-50 passes for 357 yards but didn’t throw any touchdowns and was intercepted twice for UNLV (2-6, 1-3), which dropped its third straight game. The Rebels finished with 487 yards in total offense and wide receivers Devonte Boyd (10 catches, 116 yards) and Aaron Criswell (6 catches, 105 yards) both topped the century mark.
Rypien had 292 yards passing in the first half alone as Boise State jumped out to an early 17-3 lead and looked like it was going to turn the game into a rout. But UNLV capitalized on two fumbles to close within 24-17 at halftime.
The Rebels cut it to 17-10 when senior cornerback Fred Wilson scooped up a fumble by McNichols at the 1-yard line and trotted in for a touchdown.
After senior running back Kelsey Young boosted Boise State’s lead back up to 24-10 with a 2-yard run to cap an eight-play, 72-yard drive, UNLV scored on another fumble when senior guard Eric Noone fell on freshman running back Xzaviar Campbell‘s miscue at the goal line.
The Rebels return to action on Nov. 7 when they host Hawaii at 3 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium.
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Home > News > Malawi: The religious atmosphere is always present in our Marist schools today
THE APOSTOLATE OF THE MARIST BROTHERS IN MALAWI
The religious atmosphere is always present in our Marist schools today
12/07/2004: Malawi
Start of the Marist Brothers’ apostolate of schools in Malawi
The Brothers were invited to Malawi from Zimbabwe by the then Bishop of the Lilongwe Diocese, Bishop Fady, back in 1946. Since then, they have been working in schools and Teacher Training colleges. Mtendere mission station, now Mtendere secondary school on the Mtendere Campus, was the cradle of the Brothers in Malawi.
In 1949, they took over the responsibility of Saint John’s Teacher Training College at Likuni from the White Fathers. The Teachers’ College was then transferred to Lilongwe and in 1975 the Marist Brothers handed over the College to the Diocese of Lilongwe. By that time, Likuni had become a secondary school.
Back in 1953, the White Fathers in the Diocese of Chipata, Eastern Province of Zambia, handed over Chassa Secondary School to the Marist Brothers. The Brothers are still administering this school on behalf of the Diocese.
At the request of the Monfort Fathers at Zomba Catholic Secondary School, the Marist Brothers took over the running of the school in 1954, and they are still managing this school on behalf of Zomba Diocese.
St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Balaka was the last centre to receive Brothers. The Montfort Fathers in the Mangochi Diocese invited the Brothers to work at Balaka.
As the Brothers became involved in the public sector, they also opened a house of formation at Mtendere back in 1949, a few years after their arrival in Malawi. The Juniorate has now become a private secondary school.
Religious dimension in our Marist schools today
The religious atmosphere is always present. Activities such as Young Christian Students (YCS) and other youth groups are doing good work. Prayer sessions are a common activity on specific days. Brothers and lay teachers are often found as monitors of these groups. Groups of a specific religious character, other than Catholic, often receive help from outside the school. A feast like Champagnat Day receives special attention from the Brothers. In short the schools never lack religious celebrations. This includes mass twice or three times a week for the Catholics and those who want to join.
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Law Commission Reports
During the last few years, a series of court decisions in India have strengthened the pro-arbitration stance in the Indian judiciary. In BALCO (2012), the Supreme Court of India limited the supervisory jurisdiction of the Indian courts regarding arbitrations seated outside India. Since BALCO, further decisions of the Supreme Court and High Courts of India have elaborated on issues such as the remit of “public policy of India” in enforcement of foreign arbitral awards (Shri Lal Mahal v Progetto Grano Spa (2013), reference to issues relating to fraud to arbitration (WSG v MSM Satellite (2014) and Swiss Timing v Organising Committee (2014)), and doctrine of severability in arbitration (Mulheim Pipecoatings v Welspun Fintrade (2013)).
However, a number of thorny issues still remain in Indian arbitration. Some of these issues, discussed below, are purely legal. Others relate to larger questions of policy and practice. The Indian Law Commission’s Report on Amendments to Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996, issued in August 2014, as discussed on this blog previously, is a step further in the pro-arbitration trends and the legislative amendments proposed by the Law Commissions appear to reinforce the pro-arbitration practices in India.
The Law Commission’s Report deals with some of the commonplace issues in arbitrations in India, which range widely from cultural issues in the arbitration community (“… culture of frequent adjournment where arbitration is treated as secondary by the lawyers…”) to legal questions such as the scope of “public policy of India” to set aside an arbitral award issued in India. Dealing with these issues, the Law Commission proposes a wide array of legislative amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (“Arbitration Act”).
Source: kluwerarbitrationblog.com
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← Philadelphia History – The World War I Years – March 1, 1916
Philadelphia History – The World War I Years – March 3, 1916 →
TODAY IN PHILADELPHIA – THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1916
The cloudy skies will continue today with moderate winds from the northeast. The temperatures will remain cold with the high reaching 38° and the low about 30°. In the Logan section of the city 27 homes are to be built on land located on the east side of 10th Street below Rockland. The property was purchased by William Davenport from Edwin Wolf. Mr. Davenport believes the homes will cost $100,000.00 to build.
Another smallpox quarantine has been imposed in this city. This one, the 4th, is in the area bounded by 41st Street and Preston Street and Haverford Avenue and Spring Garden Streets. Smallpox was discovered in Armstead Duncan, a Negro minister living at 531 Budd Street, who it is thought contracted the disease during a visit to Delaware. Over 400 people were vaccinated today.
The Walnut Street Business Association is planning a fashion show for March 22nd. Today the Association held auditions for models to appear in the show. Some of Philadelphia’s most lovely young women came to the Bellevue Court Building for the opportunity to be chosen. Statuesque brunettes and strawberry blondes posed in the latest fashions and furs. Tall and short they came, with cherry lips and powdered noses to be judged and scrutinized according to strict standards. The judges made it clear that good looks were not enough to be selected. The models must also be able to walk properly so as to show off the latest creations. Of the 40 candidates today only 5 were chosen today. They are: Olive Egan of 2247 N.15th Street; Blanche Knowles of Warren & Sergeant Streets; Esther Reed of 1930 N. Camac Street; Marion Soule of 22 S. 16th Street and Mignon Billig of 114 N. Edgewood Street. The Association needs 30 models so the search for the final 25 continues.
On the sports beat, Central High School clinched the High School basketball championship yesterday afternoon by defeating West Philadelphia 55 to 29 and bringing the Dutch Company Cup to Broad & Green Streets for 1916. In baseball, Eppa Rixey has agreed to a contract for the upcoming season. Phillies president Baker received a letter from the big lefthander today advising that he had signed the contract offered by the team. Rixey also asked for permission to report to camp a few days after the rest of the squad so he can finish the class he is teaching at the Episcopal High School in Washington, D.C.
In national news yesterday St. Louis, Missouri voted to impose Negro segregation. The ordinances enforcing the segregation had previously been rejected by the Board of Aldermen. However, in a city wide vote the measure passed by a 3 to 1 margin with 52,220 for and 17,876 against. Opponents of the measure have said they will apply for an injunction to halt imposition of the law.
GET YOUR COPY OF PHILADELPHIA: THE WORLD WAR I YEARS BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.
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"Odyssey" Essays and Research Papers
The Odyssey The Odyssey was full of wonder, power, and surprises. It is packed with epic heroes, creatures, gods, and goddesses. The gods, goddesses, and creatures had supernatural powers that effected the lives of Odysseus, his crew, and his family. Their actions proved to be powerful, beneficial , and deadly. The gods, goddesses , and creatures in The Odyssey on many occations proved to be powerful. Zeus, leader of the gods, was a prime example of this. When, "Zeus the lord of cloud roused...
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Rasie Turner Ms. Neff English 1030 22 September 2010 The Odyssey Greek gods and goddesses are very important in the Greek culture. There are a few Greek gods and goddesses that play very important roles in The Odyssey. They are Athena, Zeus, Poseidon, and Circe, and Calypso. The relationship between the mortals and the gods are very interesting. Everything that happens in this poem, dealing with the mortals, is related to one of the gods. Without the gods, Greek culture and literature would...
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Henri Van Lerberghe
Henri "Ritte" Van Lerberghe (1891 - 1966) was a Belgium racing cyclist who raced as a professional form 1910 through 1923. He is most famous for his win of the 1919 Tour of Flanders. The third edition of the race.
His racing style was to attack at the beginning of races. This usually didn't pan out for him, because it left him exhausted at the end of the race and unable to compete for the top places. Van Lerberghe was popular with the spectators, because of his aggressive riding during the early part of races.
"Ritte" won the fifth stage of the 1913 Tour de France. He was racing in the category of an isolated cyclist. (individual cyclist, not part of a team) The "isolated cyclists" started fifteen minutes after the racers that were members of a team. He was able to catch up to the lead cyclists and then go on to win the stage.
Henri finished in second place overall at the 1914 Tour of Flanders. Racing in Europe was put on hold for several years at this time because of World War I.
No one considered Henri Van Lerberghe a possible winner of the 1919 Tour of Flanders. World War I had just ended and he traveled from his military assignment straight to the starting line of the race. He showed up without a bicycle. After borrowing a bike from a local, he announced that he was going to ride all the other racers to death (off of his wheel). His statement amused the other riders and they laughed loudly at him. Van Lerberghe never had many great race results and wasn't thought to be much of a threat to the top racers. His reply to their laughter was that he would 'drop them all at their own front doors on the way to victory'. As soon as the race had begun, in true Ritte fashion, he attacked as hard as he could.
The other riders didn't chase after the attacking rider for a some time. Pitying him, they wanted to allow him a breif moment of glory. Once they decided to catch up to him, it was too late.
Henri Van Lerberghe was intent on not being caught and rode in a fury. He came upon a train stopped across a railway crossing. Determined that nothing would stop him, he dismounted his bike and ran through an open train car with his bike across his back. Once through the train he jumped back on his bike and continued his ride. When he saw the velodrome, where the race was going to finish, he knew he had a huge gap on the rest of the field. He decided to stop at a pub outside of the velodrome and have a beer. It tasted so good to him that he ordered and drank several more. He was finally convinced to finish the race. After making his way across the finish line and winning the race, he was so intoxicated that he had to walk his victory lap instead of riding. He then announced to the crowd of spectators "You can all go home! I have a half a days lead on the others!" He actually only had a lead of 14 minutes on the rest of the racers. 14 minutes remains the biggest lead of a break away rider at the finish of the Tour of Flounders to this day.
Labels: 1919 tour of flanders, Henri Van Lerberghe, ritte, tour of flanders
Gunnar Roadie - Project Bike - Two Year Ride Review
Gunnar Roadie on the scales.
Gunnar Roadie
It's been two years since the build up of my Gunnar Roadie Project Bike. Thousands of miles and many component swaps have taken place on the Roadie in this time.
A quality steel frame and fork, such as the Gunnar Roadie frameset, make for a bike that can be ridden a lifetime. (with reasonable care and baring any major accidents)
Over the past two years I have changed many components on the bike:
Went from Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 speed group to an Ultegra 6800 11 speed group.
Swapped out the Pro Vibe 7 handlebars for FSA SL-K carbon handlebar
Still using a Pro Vibe 7 stem, but added one that is a centimeter longer.
Built up a set of Hed Belgium clincher rims with Powertap G3 hubs front and rear. These took the place of the original wheels that were built with Velocity hubs and A23 rims.
Added a NiteRider Solas rear light.
Added a Bar Fly mount for a Powertap Joule bike computer.
Since this bike is ridden on a CycleOps Virtual Reality Trainer, I added a CycleOps ANT+ cadence sensor.
I expected the bike to have picked up some weight, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it had actually lost one once from the original build. The original build had the bike weighing in at 18 pounds and 13 ounces, now the bike weighs 18 pounds and 12 ounces. Even though I added a few things to the bike the overall weight has gone down. I think part of the lighter weight can be contributed to the Shimano Ultegra 6800 crankset.
The Gunnar Roadie has been my go to bike for the past two years. It has a nice smooth ride, corners like it is on rails, is light enough and very reliable.
This is just one great bike. Several bikes have come and gone from my stable while I have had the Gunnar Roadie. After putting several thousand miles on it, it is just my go to bike and will continue to be so. I highly recommend a Roadie to everyone. Buy one, you'll be glad you did!
NiteRider Solas light is rechargeable using a USB cord.
Bar Fly computer mount for a CycleOps Joule bike computer.
Powertap G3 rear hub.
CycleOps cadence sensor.
Gunnar Roadie by Mallard Lake in Tanglewood Park.
Gunnar Roadie with horses at Tanglewood Park.
This horse is curious about the Gunnar Roadie!
He enjoyed me rubbing his long nose. I hated to say goodbye!
Click here for more information on Gunnar Cycles.
Click here for more information on this Gunnar Roadie frameset before it was built up into a bicycle.
Labels: gunnar, gunnar roadie, gunnar roadie 2012 color of the year english blue with white panels
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall ride bikes.
Antonin Magne
Antonin Magne (1904-1983) was a French cyclist who raced as a professional from 1927 to 1939. After his retirement he became a director sportif for the Mercier team. Magne was a mentor to many great riders.
His original dreams and passion, as a boy, were of locomotives and railroads. He was latter introduced to bicycle racing while working as an apprentice at a bike shop. Through hard work and dedication he was able to begin racing at a professional level in 1926 and the following year competed in the Tour de France.
Through out his life Antonin Magne lived by the prescript: "The glory is never where virtue is not." Integrity, camaraderie, modesty and righteousness were his values.
Magne was one of the first to understand the importance of diet in the practice of high performance sports.
During his career Antonin Magne was very successful racing the Tour de France. He was the overall winner during the 1931 and 1934 editions of the race. Some of his first place finishes and his placings in the overall general classification at the Tour de France are listed below by year.
1st. in stage 14
6th. overall in the General Classification
7th. in the General Classification
3rd. in the General Classification
1st. in stage 9
1st. overall in the General Classification
2nd overal in the General Classification
At the 1931 Tour de France, the French Team was a powerhouse. Antonin Magne was on the team with Andre Leduca and Charles Pellissier. Magne and the French team had to cover many attacks by the Itailian team during the Alpine stages of that year's tour. He never lost his lead during those stages.
The greatest threat to Antonin Magne's lead during the 1931 Tour de France was on the penultimate stage, from Charleville to Malo-les-Bains. This was a day of racing over rough cobblestone roads. Magne was worried the night before this stage and was keeping his roommate, Andre Leducq, awake. Leducq suggested to Magne that he read some of his fan mail. As he read, one letter caught his attention. It read:
"Monsieur Antonin Magne,
"I am writing to warn you that Rebry [one of the Belgian riders] has written to his mother saying that he'll attack with Demuysére on the stage from Charleville to Malo-les-Bains."
The following day, the Belgians attacked over and over, while riding on dangerous cobbles that were wet and slick. Despite falling once, Magne was able to stick with the pair of attacking riders.
He went on to win the 1931 Tour de France. The effort was so fatiguing that Antonin Magne didn't start the tour the following year.
Antonin Magne receive help from a spectator in the 1934 Tour de France
In Antonin Magne's second tour win, the 1934 Tour de France, he took the lead in the second stage and never gave it up through the rest of the race. He wore the yellow jersey of race leader for a total of 22 days that year.
Magne's success at the 1934 Tour de France would have never happened if his teammate Rene Vietto had not made sacrifices.
During stage 15, from Perpignan to Ax-les-thermes, Veitto was first over the big climb of the day. Magne crashed on the descent and broke his front wheel. Veitto dutifully gave him his front wheel and waited for support.
Magne hit a rock and crashed again on a descent during stage 16. This time he broke his rear wheel. A motorcycle marshal rode ahead and told Rene Vietto of his team leader's plight. Vietto turned around and rode back up the mountain and gave his rear wheel to Magne.
Antonin Magne about to start and win an eighty kilometer individual time trial 1934 Tour de France. This was the first individual time trial ever in the Tour de France.
Antonin Magne's bicycle while racing for the 1939 Mercier-Hutchinson team.
Antonin Magne at the 1934 Grand Prix des Nations. He won this event in three consecutive years (1934, 1935 and 1936).
Labels: 1931 tour de france, 1934 tour de france, antonin magne, grand prix de nations
Jean Mallejac (1929 - 2000) was a French Bicycle Road Racer who raced as a professional from 1949 through 1959. Before become a bicycle racer he worked in a munitions factory.
He is best know for his performance in the 1953 Tour de France. That year at the tour he won the 5th stage and wore the yellow jersey of the race leader for 5 days. He finished in 2nd place overall in the general classification.
The 12th stage of the 1955 Tour de France was from Marseille to Avignon and crossed the climb of Mont Ventoux. Mont Ventoux is a barren mountain and the highest in this region of France. The wind blows at over 56 miles an hour at the top for over 240 days of the year. Jean Mallejac was ten kilometers from the summit when he began to zig-zag from one side of the road to the other. He collapsed to the ground with one foot still strapped into the pedal of his bicycle. His free leg was still pedaling in the air. Unconscious on the side of the road, his jaws were forced open to force some fluids into him. After being given oxygen and an injection of solucamphor, he regained consciousness and was hauled to the hospital by ambulance. He claimed he was given drugs against his will and threaten to file charges of attempted murder. Mallejac recovered and rode the Tour de France 4 more times.
Jean Mallejac retired from professional bicycle racing in 1959 and ran a driving school in Landerneau.
Jean Mallejac during the 1953 Tour de France
Jean Mallejac - 1954
Jean Mallejac on Mount Ventoux 1955
Labels: 1953 tour de france, 1955 tour de france, Jean Mallejac
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From the Cluttered Desk . . .
Pearland Oilers
Dawson Eagles
Friendswood Mustangs
Manvel Mavericks
Shadow Creek survives C.E. King 42-28, Katy next
SCORING JAUNT - Shadow Creek senior QB Kyron Drones (1) scored on a 93-yard run against C.E. King.
The Baylor commit was 13-of-24 for 216 yards and three TDs. Drones also led the team in rushing with 171 yards on 13 carries and another score.
Shadow Creek will face state-power Katy Tigers on Saturday, December 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Freedom Field in a Class 6A Region III Div. II semifinal matchup. (Photo by Michael McManus)
SHADOW CREEK — Shadow Creek has done a good job of adapting to playing Class 6A as opposed to playing two years in Class 5A.
The Sharks didn't take the easy road as they scheduled two of the top 6A schools at the beginning of the 2020 football season which included their first non-district game against two-time 6A Div. I state champion North Shore.
They also played a new school like themselves where they faced Bridgeland who also has proven to be one of the top teams in Texas this season.
Both North Shore and Bridgeland have no losses this season.
Now, Shadow Creek is faced with playing against another state power this week when they face the nine-time state champion Katy Tigers.
The Sharks have a current 6-3 mark and have won their first two 6A playoff games with a 55-6 win over Clear Creek and a 42-28 win in the area round over C.E. King.
While the Sharks were challenged by C.E. King, the real test will be on Saturday, December 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Freedom Field when they take on Katy.
SURE HANDED - Shadow Creek wide receiver Greg Hancock caught 10 passes for 136 yards and three touchdown passes for 20, 27, and 19-yards in helping the Sharks defeat the C.E. King Panthers 42-28 in the Class 6A Region III Div. II area round.
The Sharks will face the Katy Tigers on Saturday, December 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Freedom Field. (Photo by Michael McManus)
Katy is quite familiar with an Alvin ISD school when they faced the Manvel Mavericks for several years. Manvel never beat the Tigers in the playoffs and Shadow Creek head coach Brad Butler hopes he can change that trend. But it won't be easy.
Shadow Creek battled with C.E. King and came away with a hard fought 42-28 area playoff win.
Both schools scored once in the first quarter as Shadow Creek scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from QB Kyron Drones to WR Greg Hancock leaving the score tied 7-7 after the first period.
The Sharks took the lead in the second quarter as junior RB Kelvon Brown scored on a 9-yard run and Drones hit Hancock again on a 27-yard scoring strike to build a 21-14 lead at intermission.
Shadow Creek scored two more times in the third quarter while holding the Panthers to one score for a 35-21 advantage heading into the final frame.
Drones threw his third scoring pass to Hancock covering 19-yards and then Drones got loose on a 93-yard scoring jaunt for a two touchdown lead.
Both teams scored a touchdown in the final period giving the Sharks the 42-28 win.
Brown sealed the win with a 29-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring for the Sharks.
Drones was 14-of-24 for 216 yards and three TDs. Drones also led the team in rushing with 171 yards on 13 carries and another score.
Brown had 18 carries for 52 yards and two TDs.
Hancock had 10 catches for 139 yards and three scores.
© 2021 Dr. David Davis
Designed & Maintained by Randy Edens
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James Caughey - 1810-1891
James Caughey was an Irish-born emigrant to the United States who was converted in the times of revival in 1830-31 in the ‘Burned-Over District’ and soon after ordained to the Methodist ministry. He experienced powerful revivals in Canada but it was his revival labours in Great Britain during the 1840’s, for which he is most well known.
His early ministry fitted him for the work that was yet to come. Ordained as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1836 he was groomed in revival practices and camp meetings. In July 1839 after reading and studying about the need of the power of the Holy Spirit in preaching he experienced a personal baptism of the Spirit.
His powerful preaching soon attracted invitations from farther afield and from 1841-1847 he was led to minister in England, mainly among the midlands and north among the Methodists. During this time he earned the title ‘King of Revivalist Preachers.’ It was during this time, when preaching at Nottingham, that William Booth was converted under Caughey’s preaching.
Caughey was a seasoned revivalist with a forceful personality, a sharp mind, a ready wit and an irresistible eloquence. His commanding height, keen eyes and strong features gave him a great pulpit presence. His preaching was simple and orthodox but shot through with insights and persuasive applications to his hearers. He effectively employed the American ‘altar call’ to bring is hearers to a decision for Christ but would also move around the hall passionately inviting sinners to the penitents bench to find freedom and forgiveness.
He claimed over 20,000 converts during this time, nevertheless he found himself out of favour with the ‘High Church’ party within Methodism who frowned upon his conversion contrivances and ‘mushroom converts.’ The more ‘common’ approach to the masses was far too demeaning for the socially advancing Wesleyan establishment. Respectability always was the enemy of revivals.
On his return to America his fame had gone before him, mainly through his ‘Letters’ describing the success of his labours in England. This resulted in innumerable invitations to preach the north-eastern United States as well as in Canada.
He returned to England for a further two years, in 1857, again reaping a great harvest of souls. There were two further visits in 1860 and in the mid-60’s.
He was a great revivalist preacher who is almost totally unknown or ignored, being overshadowed in revival history by the revivalist giant, Charles Finney before him and the towering D. L. Moody afterwards. But Caughey’s influence on the British church was far in excess of both of these men. His unique contribution was enormous. He was mightily used to fan the smouldering embers of a church which had lost its fire and had no memory of its primitive vibrancy. His converts were mainly from the unsophisticated middle and working-class masses. His emphasis on the second work of grace or ‘entire sanctification,’ along with Walter and Phoebe Palmer, did much to conserve the fruits of his evangelistic work and paved the way for the holiness and Pentecostal movements.
Bibliography: Richard John Carwadine, Dictionary of Evangelical Biography 1730-1860, 1995; Earle E. Cairns, An Endless Line of Splendour, 1986.
Tony Cauchi
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Accueil > Actualités ultramarines > Vient de paraître Education and Development in Colonial and Postcolonial (...)
Vient de paraître Education and Development in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa. Policies, Paradigms, and Entanglements, 1890s–1980s sous la direction de Damiano Matasci, Miguel Bandeira Jerónimo et Hugo Gonçalves Dores chez Palgrave Macmillan, coll. "Global Histories of Education", 2020, XIX-321 p. ISBN : 978-3-030-27800-7 Prix : 29,54 €.
La version électronique est en open access, librement téléchargeable.
"This open access edited volume offers an analysis of the entangled histories of education and development in twentieth-century Africa. It deals with the plurality of actors that competed and collaborated to formulate educational and developmental paradigms and projects : debating their utility and purpose, pondering their necessity and risk, and evaluating their intended and unintended consequences in colonial and postcolonial moments. Since the late nineteenth century, the “educability” of the native was the subject of several debates and experiments : numerous voices, arguments, and agendas emerged, involving multiple institutions and experts, governmental and non-governmental, religious and laic, operating from the corridors of international organizations to the towns and rural villages of Africa. This plurality of expressions of political, social, cultural, and economic imagination of education and development is at the core of this collective work."
Damiano Matasci is Research Fellow at the Institute of Political Studies of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. His research focuses on the history of education in Europe and colonial Africa.
Miguel Bandeira Jerónimo is Professor and Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. He has been working on the historical intersections between internationalism(s) and imperialism, and on the late colonial entanglements between idioms and repertoires of development and of control and coercion in European colonial empires.
Hugo Gonçalves Dores is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. His research addresses educational policies, international organizations activities (CCTA and UNESCO), and State-Church relations in colonial contexts.
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shlb
Don Means
Page history last edited by Emily Olson 6 years, 8 months ago
Founder and Principal of Digital Village Associates, a Sausalito, CA-based consultancy founded in 1994 specializing in local community ICT infrastructure policy development and implementation.
In 2007, Means initiated the "Fiber to the Library" (FTTL) campaign to assure next generation broadband connectivity at all 16,000+ U.S. public libraries. As Phase II of FTTL in 2012 Means founded the Gigabit Libraries Network(GLN), an open global collaboration of tech-savvy innovation libraries. In 2013, GigLibraries.Net initiated the "Libraries WhiteSpace Pilot" to explore potential for TV White Space technologies to dramatically widen geographical availability of public library broadband and other library services "beyond the walls."
Means currently serves as board chairman of SHLB.org, the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition; has served as an appointed member of the Information Technology Commission of California; library trustee for Sausalito Public Library; as chair of the Information Technology Association of America’s education outreach program; and as a member of TechNet, a public policy organization of technology CEO's where he has worked on normalizing trade relations with China, education restructuring in California, and US national broadband policy.
In 1992/93, Means served as a member of the Atrium Group, a technology industry advisory group to the Librarian of Congress on digitization strategy.
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Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online
Get access Subject: Biblical Studies and Early Christianity
General Editors: David G. HUNTER, University of Kentucky, United States, Paul J.J. van GEEST, Tilburg University, Netherlands, Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity focuses on the history of early Christian texts, authors, ideas. Its content is intended to bridge the gap between the fields of New Testament studies and patristics, covering the whole period of early Christianity up to 600 CE. The BEEC aims to provide a critical review of the methods used in Early Christian Studies and to update the historiography.
More information: Brill.com
Z - Zg
Zh - Zn
Zo - Zu
Zv - Zz
Author(s): Kowalski, Beate
Zebulon (zebulon/zaboulwn) can be rendered as “gift.” It is the name of a son of Jacob, an Israelite tribe and a tribal territory in the time before the period of the Israelite kings and can mean a person, a group of people and a place. The term occurs 47 times in the Bible, quite often in the Old Testament and only three times in the New Testament, thereof twice in Matthew (Gen 30:20; 35:23; 46:14; 49:13; Exod 1:3; Num 1:9; 1:28f.; 2:7; 7:24; 10:16; 13:10; 26:22f.; 34:25; Deut 27:13; 33:18: Jos…
Source: Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online
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Home Blogs Hubble detects Buckyballs in space solving mystery of interstellar space
Hubble detects Buckyballs in space solving mystery of interstellar space
Artist's illustration of buckyballs from a dying star and planetary nebula. (Credits - NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed that electrically charged molecules are present in the space, which gives information on the contents of Interstellar Medium (ISM) – the gas and dust particles that fill the interstellar space. The study has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Martin Cordiner, Catholic University of America who is currently at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre said that the interstellar space can be considered as the initial point of the chemical reactions which ultimately leads to the formation of planets and life. As a result, identifying the contents of this diffused medium gives knowledge on the elements needed for the creation of planets.
Cordiner and his team of researchers identified the molecules that are a form of carbon known as “Buckminsterfullerene“, also called Buckyballs. It consists of an arrangement of 60 carbon atoms and is found rarely in rocks and minerals of Earth.
C60 has been identified in space in the past. But this is the first time that there has been confirmation about the presence of an electrically charged version in the diffuse ISM. Ionization of C60 occurs when UV light rays from the stars remove an electron, resulting in the formation of a positive charge (C60+). It was earlier considered that the harsh conditions of diffused ISM are not suitable for the presence of large molecules. Before C60 detection, the biggest molecule to be present in the space had only 12 atoms. The presence of a positively charged C60 shows that astrochemistry is quite complex even in the low density, high UV radiated areas.
Formation of life is based on carbon molecules and this discovery shows that complex carbon molecules can survive even in the harshest conditions in interstellar space. Due to the remote location of interstellar space, scientists study its contents with the help of its effects of light on distant stars. When researchers analyze the starlight with the help of its spectrum, the absorbed colors either appear dim or are not present. Some absorption patterns cover a greater range of colors, which is different from any atom on Earth. These are known as Diffuse Interstellar Bands(DIBs). They were first discovered by Mary Lea Heger in 1922.
There are more than 400 DIBs that are known at present, but they have not yet been identified. But the absorption pattern of C60+ was properly matched with the observations of ISM by Hubble Telescope. The Hubble Telescope had a clear view as it orbits above the atmosphere in space, which most of the ground-based telescopes did not have.
The team now aims to detect more C60+ to identify how widespread it is in the Universe.
carbon-60
interstellar space
Previous articleUnlocking secrets of the ice worm
Next articleResearchers shine light on black hole origins
http://sciencehook.com
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Janney coupler
Title: Janney coupler
Subject: SA3 coupler, Dual coupling, Railway coupling conversion, Tightlock coupling, Railway coupling by country
High-speed railways
Couplers by country
Coupler conversion
Variable gauge
Gauge conversion
Dual gauge
Bogie (truck)
Dual coupling
The Janney Coupler, the earliest commercially successful version of the Knuckle Coupler, was a semi-automatic coupler patented by Eli H. Janney in 1873 (U.S. Patent 138,405).[1] Prior to the formation of the AAR these were known as MCB Couplers (Master Car Builders Association).[2] In the United Kingdom, where it is fitted to some rolling stock, mostly for passenger trains, it is also known as a "Buckeye Coupler", possibly originating from the coupler's manufacture as early as 1890 by the Buckeye Steel Castings firm in Columbus, Ohio. The AAR/APTA Type E, Type F, and Type H tightlock couplers are all compatible Knuckle couplers, but are employed on specific types rail cars (general freight, tank cars, rotary hoppers, passenger, etc.).
Early knuckle couplers using a variety of proprietary head designs, but all using the most up to date MCB contour when cast, were the MCB; JANNEY (later version), TOWER, SHARON, CLIMAX, GOULD, BURNS, MILLER, and as many as 100 others.
After 1910 the MCB (Master Car Builders Association) reconstituted itself into the AAR (Association of American Railroads).
In 1913 ASF had developed the new Type "D" coupler that was accepted as "The" standard coupler for the USA, and no new equipment could be built using any other coupler. This standard design ended the market for couplers with a proprietary head design, that were common in the MCB days, to all but those exported from the USA to other countries not governed by the AAR standards.
The Alliance coupler, named after the ASF owned foundry in Alliance, Ohio. was developed as a lighter build than the AAR Type "D" coupler, and was marketed by the Amsted Corporation, the parent corporation over ASF, as the "Standard Coupler for the World". It was and is still the most used knuckle coupler in the world. The modern Alliance coupler still use the modern AAR -10 and/or 10A contour, and others, but can not be used in the USA on an "interchanging" RY.
Brand names of the now standard AAR; Type "E", "F" and "Tightlock" couplers are; ASF, Buckeye (now known as Columbus Castings), McConway & Torley.[3]
The Interlocking contour of knuckle couplers was the first aspect to be standardized. In the MCB years, prior to about 1910, and as early as the first Janney in 1873, there were many proprietary "head" designs, and many MCB standard contours which were constantly evolving and changing (as the approved standard contour for new couplers) every few years. In about 1910 the producers were all using the then standardized the MCB -10 contour, soon to become the AAR -10. In the 1930s the AAR Type "D" was improved and became the Type "E", the contour stayed the same. A few years later the -10 contour was modified into an then optional standard called the 10A contour.
The most modern contour, for a plain Type "E" knuckle coupler, is still the (AAR)-10 and 10A, which are indistinguishable from the 1910 era MCB-10 contour. The same MCB 10 contour has been an approved standard for interchange service for over 100 years now, with only the slightest dimensional changes.
The Type "H" "Tightlock couplers which are used on passenger carrying rolling stock also use slight revisions to the old 10A contour.
The purpose of couplers is to join rail cars or locomotives to each other so they all are securely linked together. Major Eli Janney, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, invented the semi-automatic knuckle coupler in 1868. It automatically locks the couplers on cars or locomotives together without a rail worker having to get between the cars, and replaced the "link and pin" coupler, which was a major cause of injuries to railroad workers. The locking pin that ensures Janney couplers remain fastened together is withdrawn manually by a worker using the "cut lever", which is operated from either side of the railroad car and does not require the person to go between the cars. The only time the worker has to go between cars is after they have been securely coupled, to hook up the air lines for the pneumatic brakes, and the head end power cables in the case of passenger cars.
Janney couplers are usually attached to draw gear but sometimes, in the case of locomotives, the Type E is bolted directly on the headstock.
1 Janney/MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA Coupler
2 Gooseneck coupler
3.1 Changes since 1873
4 Bazeley Coupler-MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA
4.1 The National Malleable Castings Bazeley Coupler
4.2 The STANDARD COUPLER AGREEMENT 1916: Development and History
Janney/MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA Coupler
The Janney coupler is used in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Chile, Brazil, China and elsewhere. Among its features:
Maximum tonnage as high as 32,000 metric tons (35,000 short tons; 31,000 long tons) such as on the Fortescue Railway.
Minimum ultimate tensile strength:
Grade E knuckles:650,000 pounds-force (2.9 MN)[4]
Grade C or Grade E knuckles are required [5] for interchange service.
Grade E coupler bodies:900,000 pounds-force (4.0 MN)[4]
Several Janney coupler types exist to accommodate various cars, but all are required to have certain common dimensions allowing for compatibility.[6]
Lighter weight railways, notably narrow gauge lines with no need for interchange, sometimes use smaller (three-quarter- or half-size) versions of the Janney MCB coupler.[7] Such as Victorian narrow gauge lines.
Janney couplers are always right-handed.
Required coupler heights, in North America[5]
Empty cars: 33.5 inches (850 mm) ± 1-inch (25 mm)
Loaded cars: 32.5 inches (830 mm) in ± 1-inch (25 mm)
Janney couplers are uncoupled by lifting the pin with a lever at the corner of the car. This pin is locked when the coupler is under tension, so the usual uncoupling steps are to compress the coupling with a locomotive, lift and hold up the pin, then pull the cars apart. Side operated variants are called the "Sharon" or "Buckeye" coupler.[8]
Most Janney couplers are now bottom operated.[9]
Trains fitted with Janney couplers can accommodate heavier loads than any other type of coupler. Thus the heaviest coal trains in New Zealand use Janney couplings even though the remainder of the fleet has the "meat chopper" kind. Also, long-distance freight trains in North America are commonly more than 1-mile (1.6 km) long, whereas this is not seen in Europe, where most freight trains still use English buffers and chain couplers.
Gooseneck coupler
Gooseneck couplers are designed for low floor freight cars to lift the coupler head high enough to match the couplers on other rolling stock. The horizontal center line of the coupler shank, or shaft, and of the draw gear are lower than that of the coupler head. Victorian large bogie boxvans for car parts used them for that reason.
Janney was a dry goods clerk and former Confederate Army officer from Alexandria, Virginia, who used his lunch hours to whittle from wood an alternative to the link and pin coupler. The term Buckeye comes from the nickname of the US state of Ohio, the "Buckeye state" and the Ohio Brass Company[10] which originally marketed the coupling.[8][11]
In 1893, satisfied that an automatic coupler could meet the demands of commercial railroad operations and, at the same time, be manipulated safely, the United States Congress passed the Safety Appliance Act. Its success in promoting switchyard safety was stunning. Between 1877 and 1887, approximately 38% of all railworker accidents involved coupling. That percentage fell as the railroads began to replace link and pin couplers with automatic couplers. By 1902, only two years after the SAA's effective date, coupling accidents constituted only 4% of all employee accidents. Coupler-related accidents dropped from nearly 11,000 in 1892 to just over 2,000 in 1902, even though the number of railroad employees steadily increased during that decade.
When the Janney coupling was chosen to be the American standard, there were 8,000 patented alternatives to choose from. The only significant disadvantage of using the AAR (Janney) design is that sometimes the drawheads need to be manually aligned.
Changes since 1873
The Janney coupler has withstood the test of time since its invention, with only minor changes:[7]
The current AAR contour dates back to the 1888 Master Car Builders Association (MCBA) design, which, in turn is based on the 1879 Janney patent.[2]
Buckeye coupler, a side-operated version of the MCBA coupler[8]
Type D coupler, adopted in 1916 by the MCBA (predecessor of ARA), had individual parts interchangeable, simplifying maintenance. Earlier designs had compatible profiles, but component parts differed between manufacturers, creating maintenance problems when cars were interchanged with other railroads.
Type E coupler, adopted in 1930 by the ARA (predecessor of AAR), also had individual parts interchangeable, though not with Type D due to improvements. Still the most widely use design today.[12] Tank cars carrying hazardous materials are equipped with Type E double shelf couplers[13][14]
Type F coupler, a vertically interlocking variation to prevent accidents, derailments and wrecks from disconnecting the coupler. Type F also includes versions with rotating shafts for hopper car rotary dumpers, such as on the Pilbara railways.
Type H coupler, a "tight-lock" variation to reduce slack action and improve safety for passenger cars. Now under the supervision of the APTA (American Public Transportation Association).
Improvements in metallurgy and casting techniques to increase maximum trailing load.
Narrow-gauge railways such as the Victorian Puffing Billy Railway use a three-quarter-[7] or one-half-scale version of the Janney/MCB coupler.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bazeley Coupler-MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA
The National Malleable Castings Bazeley Coupler M.C.B. D Type adopted as the Universal M.C.B. Standard (1915)
Bazeley MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA Railway Coupler Patents, over 90 U.S.A./International Patents 1906-1954
The National Malleable Castings Bazeley Coupler
M.C.B. Type "D" Railway Coupling Standard 1915/1918 with Bazeley Mechanical Design Improvements Patented from 1906-1954
Arthur James Bazeley (1872-1937), Railway Couplings Inventor/Design Engineer; was born in Bristol, England in 1872, and worked for the Great Western Railway until the age of 34 when he immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio in 1906, where he worked as a mechanical engineer for National Malleable Castings, Co., inventing and designing improvements in the function, strength, and durability of the (MCB/ARA/AAR/APTA) Janney, Knuckle, Alliance couplers and other coupling devices/draw gear for the evolving heavier demands by U.S.A. Railways, as well as, National Malleable Castings' international customers in the U.K., England, India, and many other countries building and expanding their railway systems. A.J. Bazeley, USA was directly responsible for over 90 registered U.S. patents for railway automatic coupler improvements through design, under the coupler type names which included the "Buckeye Coupler", the "Sharon Coupler" PAT APP Nov. 10, 1910, 1911,1913, 1914, the "Simplex Coupler" PAT APP May 3, 1903, the " Climax Coupler", the "Latrobe Coupler", the "Tower Coupler", the "Major Coupler", the "Gould Coupler", the "Pitt Coupler", the "R.E. Janney Coupler", the "Kelso Coupler" and others. A.J. Bazeley related railway inventions, U.S. Patents and Railway Coupler Mechanical Drawings and Illustrations filed and assigned to National Malleable Castings Company can be referenced by a GOOGLE search under "Bazeley, Railway Couplings" or "Arthur James Bazeley, Railway Couplings Patents" which have been drawn/filed and provided by Roger Bazeley-USA, M.S.T.M, M.S.I.D., C.H.S.R.M. Mineta Transportation Institute, Transportation Industrial Designer. A.J. Bazeley Railway Coupling, Construction/Design Improvements and Draft Rigging related patents include: US 1193222 August 1, 1916; US 124622 Patented November 13, 1917; US 1932719 October 31, 1933; US 1518299 December 9, 1924; US 1932503 October 31, 1933; US 2235194 A March 18, 1941; US 1932440 October 31, 1933; Bazeley Car Coupling and Supporting Apparatus US 2281662 May 5, 1942 and many others.
National Malleable Castings, Co. in 1891 absorbed the Chicago Malleable Iron Co. which was founded in 1873 by Alfred A. Pope and John C. Coonley, who operated similar companies in Ohio and Indiana. By the late 1880s, the company employed nearly 1,000 men at its 26th and Western Chicago works, which manufactured various railroad couplers and steel products for the railroad industries. In 1891, Chicago Malleable became part of the new National Malleable Castings Co., the Cleveland-based company, where Arthur J. Bazeley-USA was employed as a Senior Design Engineer, had additional manufacturing plants across the Midwest. National Malleable purchased the Latrobe Steel & Coupler Co.'s plant in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1909. In 1923, when it had begun to supply the automobile industry, the company changed its name to National Malleable & Steel Castings Co. Its stock was listed on the New York Stock Exchange beginning in 1936 [15]
The STANDARD COUPLER AGREEMENT 1916: Development and History
At a joint M.C.B. Coupler Committee meeting on July 15, 1913 out of numerous studied competing railway coupler manufacturers and designs two couplers were selected for the new proposed universal U.S./Canadian coupler design standard, adopted, June 15, 1916 by the M.C.B. The two couplers accepted were the Malleable Castings Company Bazeley Coupler, and the American Steel Foundries No.3 modified Alliance Coupler, out of nine couplers submitted to the committee as embodying the joint specification of design, The TYPE D coupler design based on The National Malleable Castings Bazeley Coupler patented designs and improvements was selected as the standard M.C.B Association’s standard from 1918., after M.C.B. performance tested it along with the Type C designs.
The Type “D” Experimental Standard M.C.B. Coupler was unanimously recommended by the Master Car Builders. Association and it’s Coupler Committee for adoption as the National/International (United States/Canadian) standard for coupler design and manufacturing specification uniformity by the M.C.B. Master Car Builders’ Association on June 15, 1916 after its 1915 Convention. This resulted in the sharing of U.S. Patent improvements and agreed to by The National Malleable Castings Company, Henry Pope President; The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, The Gould Coupler Company, American Steel Foundries and The Monarch Steel Castings Company, and to be the active standard M.C.B. D Type forward from January 1, 1918. Buckeye Steel Castings Company was founded in 1881 as the Murray-Hayden Foundry before changing to The Buckeye Automatic Car Coupler Company and in 2002 after filing bankruptcy was reformed as Columbus Castings.
Railway couplers were manufactured in accordance with the Standard Specifications of the American Railway Association (A.R.A.) covering the purchase and acceptance of couplers, knuckles, locks and other working parts as shown in their "Mechanical Division Manual of Standards and Recommended Practice". Specifications as of March 1939 required that the fabrication casting material be of open hearth of electric furnace grade "B" steel with specific metallurgic requirements to insure proper tensile strength and reliability of the coupler and its moving parts. In order to govern uniform standards for the interchangeability and the proper relation between fitting parts, the A.R.A. Committee on Couplers and draft gears designed and distributed templates, gauges, and master guides to assure the proper interchangeability and fitting of parts to maintain the proper operation of various multi-source manufactured railway couplers.[16] _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Modern Janney/AAR Type E couplers, note that these are bottom operated
Regular Janney/AAR Type E couplers as seen from above. The left one is top operated and the other is bottom operated.
AAR Type "E" coupler serving as a tow hitch on a mobile crane. Pulling up on the link at the rear releases the knuckle allowing uncoupling.
British-style dual buffer-and-chain/Janney coupler with knuckle swung out of the way.
A British Railways Mark 1 coach fitted with a British-style dual buffer-and-chain/janney coupler with knuckle swung out of the way.
Standard AAR Type E couplers in a freight train. The upper coupler is bottom-operated, while the near coupler (on the locomotive) is top-operated by the chain.
MBTA commuter rail car Tightlock coupling, with head end power and train control connections.
Janney couplers were required by the 1893 Safety Appliance Act. An older, top operated, type is shown to the right.
Early Janney-type AAR coupler with a slotted knuckle which allowed unmodified link and pin equipped cars to still be coupled to the updated equipment.
Diagram of the top view of Janney's coupler design as published in his patent application in 1873.
Syracuse Malleable Iron Works - 1894. The gap in the knuckle accommodates the link of a link and pin coupler and the vertical hole in the knuckle accommodates the pin. This design was used in the transition period\
Buckeye Steel Castings
Gangway connection
Length over coupler pulling faces
Railway coupling
Railway coupling by country
SA3 coupler
Slack action
South Station (Boston), includes a sculpture built of railroad car couplers
^ Eli Janney — The Janney Coupler
^ a b MCB
^ McConway & Torley Group
^ a b AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Section S, Part I:Casting Details, Issue 06/2007
^ a b AAR 2011 Field Manual
^ AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, Section S, Part III:Coupler and Yoke Details, Issue 06/2007
^ a b c DATA SHEETNATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION
^ a b c Buckeye coupler (scroll down)
^ Bottom operated
^ Ohio Brass Company
^ http://cprr.org/Museum/Ephemera/Link-Pin_Couplers.html
^ Type E and Type F couplers
^ Safety and research
^ Wilson, Mark R. "Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
^ The A.R.A. STANDARD Type "E" COUPLER March 1931, page 9
[1] Trains (magazine)
Railway coupling conversion
Buffers and chain
Janney / AAR coupler
Type F & H : Tightlock coupling
C-AKv coupler
Scharfenberg coupler
Norwegian coupling
New York City Subway, Track gauge, PATCO Speedline, Scharfenberg coupler, Pittsburgh
Tightlock coupling
Railway coupling, High-speed rail, Track gauge, Railway coupling by country, Janney coupler
United Kingdom, Australia, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Canada
Columbus, Ohio, Democratic Party (United States), Indiana, Virginia, Cleveland
Ukraine, Russia, World War II, Armenia, Azerbaijan
Janney coupler, High-speed rail, Track gauge, Indian Railways, Hinge
Railway coupling, Janney coupler, SA3 coupler, Russian Empire, Soviet Union
Russia, Sudan, Togo, United Kingdom, Canada
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Previous Roster
Blis. announce debut LP ‘No One Loves You’ out October 6 on Sargent House
Atlanta rock band Blis. announced their long-anticipated debut full-length yesterday. Sargent House will release No One Loves You on October 6, 2017 and Stereogum is sharing a new track from the album, titled “Stale Smoke”.
“guitars clash, fire and sting like faulty synapses and frayed nerve endings…it’s potent stuff” – Pitchfork
“uplifting, sorrowful, and utterly riveting.” – Consequence of Sound
Debut albums are rarely fully-formed. They’re ground zero for artists to experiment, breathing room to allow musicians to form identities within their project. Atlanta, GA’s Blis. debut LP, No One Loves You, avoids the trope: it’s an album of a band that’s lived a lot of life, exploring sonic realms that on the surface, should not go together, but manage to find cohesion. The record mosaics their influences—the intricate rock riffs of American Football, Pedro the Lion’s midtempo balladry gone awry with crucial aggression, indie rock sensibility that has mainstream press publications referencing Modest Mouse and Silversun Pickups. It was their 2015 Starting Fires in My Parents House EP that inspired Sargent House Records to sign them, a cathartic, unexpected release that garnered press from the likes of Pitchfork, Stereogum and Consequence of Sound. It’s easy to see that something’s in the water—and Blis. have come to prove that it’s not just hype.
The band officially started recording under the Blis. name a few years ago, but frontman/primary songwriter Aaron Gossett has been pursuing the project for much longer. “It’s pretty much the first musical endeavor I did after high school,” he recounts. “I started biting off more than I could chew so I had a couple of friends help me. We did a record that has since been taken offline. After that we kept going, certain people worked out, certain people didn’t and we finally solidified our lineup around 2012.”
The quartet—drummer Jimi Ingman, bassist Luke Jones, guitarist Josiah Smith and Gossett—have found a system that works, though the process was arduous. In the two years since their last EP, they’re at home with their lineup, they’ve spent an impossible amount of time on the road (including a two month U.S. tour with now label-mates And So I Watch You From Afar) and the most life-altering: Gossett became a father, having a son with his long-term girlfriend from a very different background—she grew up in a very wealthy, very white and very Christian household. “That’s the only thing I have to write about,” he says. “We kind of created our own family.”
No One Loves You is a record of complex musicianship and even more complicated emotional development—despondent songs that criticize the negative forces in Gossett’s life while never feeling particularly hopeless. Almost every track mentions God or religion. “You have these groups of people who feel obligated by tradition and habits to follow a belief system,” he explains. “If you get to the core of a lot of religions, they’re kind of awful: really disgusting homophobic, misogynistic shit.” It’s harsh, but near the heart of Blis. —there’s loving sentiment beneath the percussion, beneath the moments of riotous riffing and explosive texture. Even the title of the record itself reflects the duality of Gossett’s interpretation. “Lost Boy” is a love letter to his partner and a criticism of blind belief: “No one loves you / Like I do,” he sings, later “No god loves you like I do.” As a stand alone phrase, it’s something much darker.
After recording the album in the mountain home of drummer Jimi Ingman, Gossett is happier with this record than anything the band has done before, the kind of joy that comes from making something beautiful after growing pains. “Prior to this…I don’t think I had really been tested by life. I was a totally different person,” he pauses. “I hope that people who listen to it think for themselves. Question the things you’re submitting yourself to.” Perhaps those are ambitious aims for a debut, but Blis. is coming out of the gate swinging. The questions is, are you with them?
+44 (0)20 7502 0240 rachel.silver@silverpr.co.uk
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The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Ass...
A definitive, authoritative and up-to-date resource for anyone interested in the theories, models and assessment methods used for understanding the many factes of Human personality and individual differences. Volume 1: Personality Theories and Models deals with the major theoretical models underlying personality instruments.
Chapter 8: Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Psychology
By: Richard L. Michalski & Todd K. Shackelford
In:The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 1 — Personality Theories and Models
Chapter DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781849200462.n8
Subject:Personality & Individual Differences (general), Research Methods in Psychology (general)
Keywords:betrayal; evolutionary psychology; human personality; natural selection; offspring; personality; sexual selection
Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Psychology
In this chapter, we argue that the development, structure, and processes of human personality have been crafted over hundreds of thousands of generations by natural and sexual selection. We argue that there is no scientifically viable alternative framework for understanding the historical origins of human personality and that human personality is thus best conceptualized with the theoretical tools developed in the evolutionary sciences. Personality, from this perspective, represents a meta-category of the output of a suite of species-typical, relatively domain-specific, evolved psychological mechanisms designed in response to the social adaptive problems recurrently faced by our ancestors throughout human evolutionary history. This conceptualization of human personality provides for a novel and valuable reinterpretation of several ...
Behavioral Genetic Studies of Personality: An Introduction and Review of the Results of 50+ Years of Research
Modern Personality Theories: What Have We Gained? What Have We Lost?
Michalski, R., & Shackelford, T. (2008). Evolutionary perspectives on personality psychology. In G. J. BoyleG. Matthews, & D. H. Saklofske The SAGE handbook of personality theory and assessment: Volume 1 — Personality theories and models (Vol. 1, pp. 174-189). SAGE Publications Ltd, https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781849200462.n8
Michalski, Richard L., and Todd K. Shackelford. "Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Psychology." In The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 1 — Personality Theories and Models, 174-89. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781849200462.n8.
Michalski, R. and Shackelford, T. 2008. Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Psychology. In: 2008. The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 1 — Personality Theories and Models, London: SAGE Publications Ltd. pp. 174-189 Available at: <http://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781849200462.n8> [Accessed 15 Jan 2021].
Michalski, Richard L. and Todd K. Shackelford. "Evolutionary Perspectives on Personality Psychology." The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 1 — Personality Theories and Models. Gregory J. BoyleGerald Matthews and Donald H. Saklofske. Vol. 1. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2008, pp. 174-89. SAGE Knowledge. 15 Jan 2021, doi: http://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781849200462.n8.
Link to this page directly with a permalink: http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/hdbk_personalitytheory1/n8.xml
The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment: Volume 2 — Personality Measurement and Testing
Boyle, Gregory J, et al. October 1, 2010
Handbook of Collaborative Management Research
Shani, A.B., et al. June 22, 2009
The Psychology Research Handbook: A Guide for Graduate Students and Research Assistants
Leong, Frederick T. L., et al. June 22, 2009
The SAGE Handbook of Methods in Social Psychology
Sansone, Carol, et al. June 22, 2009
The SAGE Handbook of Personality and Individual Differences: Volume I: The Science of Personality and Individual Differences
Zeigler-Hill, Virgil, et al. May 24, 2018
The SAGE Handbook of Personality and Individual Differences: Volume II: Origins of Personality and Individual Differences
The SAGE Handbook of Personality and Individual Differences: Volume III: Applications of Personality and Individual Differences
The SAGE Handbook of Child Research
Melton, Gary B, et al. March 11, 2014
A Cautionary Note on the Use of the Vale and Maurelli Method to Generate Multivariate, Nonnormal Data for Simulation Purposes
Olvera, Oscar June 25, 2016
Encoding Strategies and Trait Conscientiousness
Delaney, Peter F June 25, 2016
Measurement Theory in Action: Case Studies and Exercises
Shultz, Kenneth S, et al. May 31, 2012
An Introduction to Psychological Assessment and Psychometrics
Coaley, Keith May 31, 2012
Analyzing Qualitative Data in Psychology
Gough, Brendan June 25, 2016
Beyond Individual and Group Differences: Human Individuality, Scientific Psychology, and William Stern's Critical Personalism
Lamiell, James T May 31, 2012
Cognitive Neuropsychology Methods
Jansari, Ashok January 28, 2016
Culture & Cognition: Implications for Theory and Method
Ross, Norbert May 31, 2012
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snowdeal.org
Tag Archives: wired
the eric update – day 59: even more weight gain. too big for bedding. impending transfusion and guessing games.
September 1, 2004 snowdeal Leave a comment
sniff. they grow up so fast. it’s hard to believe that it was on day 26 that eric received his custom bedding and he looks like he was swimming in it on day 28. but now, he’s so big, at 3 pounds 8.3 ounces or 1595 grams ( yes, he gained over two ounces in 24 hours ) that he can’t fit in his bedding anymore! we decided to give his bedding to some new neighbors who just arrived with a 24 weeker. we remembered how nice it was to have his own bedding from a thoughtful stranger, so hopefully in some small way, it’ll help the new parents transition into the nicu and their own long road ahead.
one of the nurses told us that during “rounds” today the neonatologist commented how very happy he was with eric’s progress and that he thought he had “turned a corner” and was looking very, very good lately. it’s going to be quite difficult to manage our expectations in the coming weeks now that we know that he, himself is being so optimistic – all the more so because the nurse said that he never makes predictions.
as i mentioned earlier in the week, he is looking increasingly pallid as the days goes by due to his decreasing amount of hemoglobin in his blood, which means he is getting closer and closer to needing a transfusion. for a variety of reasons our neonatologist lets hemoglobin run down farther than perhaps is done in other nicus, in an attempt to see if babies can increase their production on their own. often he’ll even go so far as to let the alarms start to increase before he’ll begin another transfusion, so i guess i’d expect to see the rate of alarms pick up over the next few days, due to the decreasing number of “boxcars” ( nurses term for red blood cells ). while he doesn’t seem to be alarming more than usual, his supplemental oxygen is gradually being increased, as a consequence of his decreased oxygen carrying capacity.
i like to play games with the nurses by “forcing” them to guess when they think certain events will occur, such as when eric will get his transfusion. normally the nurses hate answering the “when do you think such and such will happen game” but i make it so much fun to play that most of them eventually play along ( in fact, i believe i may have developed quite a reputation for being able to cajole normally retrained nurses into playing ). being the veterans that we are, they know that i don’t really believe a word that comes out of their mouths and that it’s just a way to pass time. today, eric’s day nurse was quite sure that eric would get the transfusion tommorrow. or, i think it might be more correct to say that she was advocating that eric get the transfusion so that he could get it done before he goes to “full feeds” and is therefore be able to get rid of his intravenous line that much sooner ( i.e. if he went to full feeds before he got his transfusion, they’d keep his IV line in for the impending transfusion, which she was presumably trying to avoid ). however, eric’s night nurse laughed at the speculation and said that maybe the day nurse didn’t work in the same nicu as she did. the day nurse was still talking with us at the time, so it was all in good fun and i got they impression that they were gently expressing their impressions of the neonatologist’s transfusion policy.
in addition to playing games with the nurses, we stuck to our increasingly normal routine of holding and kangaroo care, with and afternoon bath from kris and reading from both of us. tired of all the other reading, i decided to read to him about “mr. craigslist, master of the nerdiverse”.
craig newmarkday59ericivkangaroo carekrismagazinemeodinreadingwired
Conflux :: A Confluence of Curiousness
wongblog: why smart people are better off with fewer friends
i’m not sure how to square these findings with the fact that i’ve long said that in a parallel universe very close to our own i live alone in cabin in the middle of nowhere writing manifestos: “The effect of population density on life satisfaction was therefore more than twice as large for low-IQ individuals than for high-IQ individuals,” they found. And “more intelligent individuals were actually less satisfied with life if they socialized with their friends more frequently.”
everything you think you know about thanksgiving is wrong.
the heart warming fable of thanksgiving, unsurprisingly, ends up being a whole lot more complicated than some of us were taught and answers the nagging question of how squanto spoke perfect english when the pilgrims arrived and what was happening during the 100 year interim between columbus and the pilgrims ( spoiler: it involves human trafficking, enslavement and villages being wiped out ). and if you’re a stickler for tradition, you should put ditch the turkey and cranberry sauce for salted pork and olives since the spanyiards were the first to celebrate thanksgiving 50 years before the pilgrims.
i, for one, welcome our herbicide-free giant weed punching robot overlords.
“…researchers from a Bosch startup called Deepfield Robotics presented a paper on “Vision-Based High-Speed Manipulation for Robotic Ultra-Precise Weed Control,” which has like four distinct exciting-sounding phrases in it.” IEEE Spectrum
cracked: We Built Their Death Squads: ISIS’s Bizarre Origin Story
“We learned that, if we’re not the father of ISIS, the United States is at least some sort of uncle.” cracked
i’m suuuuuuure it’s an honest mistake on apple’s part.
after updating to iOS 9 and el capitan i’ve been having troubles synching photos from my iphone to my macbook air. the mac would recognize the iphone but no photos would show up in the photos application or image capture. it was driving me nuts. turns out, if you have non-apple services like dropbox running that sync your photos to non-icloud services you have to turn them off.
Penn Live: Leroy Stolzfus clocks a 3:05 at Harrisburg Marathon in full Amish garb.
having run a half a dozen marathons, i can’t imagine finishing in 3:05. even more unimaginable in full amish garb so kudos to leroy stolzfus. the whole article is great read but now i want to know more of the backstory on why he started to run: “A few years ago, Stolzfus got “involved with some stuff” he said he shouldn’t have. His brother-in-law suggested he start running instead when he was tempted. He took the suggestion to heart, and went out for a run.”
some of you will be deciphering cuneiform tweets this christmas
i think i know what some of you will be getting for christmas! dumb cuneiform creates clay tablets of tweets. you’ll have big fun guessing if you got a trump tweet or a neal degrease tyson tweet. [ via Waxy links ]
nyt: Viewfinder: Hogpen Hill Farm
huh, who knew edward tufte has a farm with 234-acres of landscape sculpture fields that he opens to the public once a year. i’d love to make a trip. and i also love the article’s description of tufte, “[he] is also known as a genius of data visualization, professor emeritus of political science, statistics, and computer science at Yale, an author of books on information design, and a hater of PowerPoint.
the new yorker: what we think about when we run.
so very, very true. “To run five or ten or twenty-six miles is, as much as anything else, to engage in a sustained way with the deep strangeness that is the human mind.”
The story of .io | Citizen Ex
“The Chagossian people have a word, in their Creole language, for heartbreak: sagren. It is a profound sorrow which refers to the loss of a home, and the impossibility of returning to it. As we build new worlds with our technologies, knitted from fiber-optic light and lines of code, it is incumbent on us to ensure it does not reproduce the erasures and abuses of the old, but properly accounts for the rights and liberties of every one of us.” citizen-ex
{ intertwingled since 2000 }
snowdeal
husband. dad. organic valley brand manager. been writing stories on the web since 2000.
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The end of the American Revolution in 1783 resulted in a mass migration of loyal British subjects living in the United States to British colonies in the north. Within the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve, significant loyalist towns developed in Digby and Shelburne.
Shelburne, with the third best natural harbour in the world, saw its population explode to nearly 10,000 in 1784 – larger than Halifax or Montreal at the time. With poor soil for agriculture and little employment, the population dwindled to about 300 by the 1820s. Other settlers came to the area from Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The town of Digby was named for Rear Admiral Sir Robert Digby, captain of the Brigantine HMS Atalanta and leader of the first settlers from New York and New England. The town was one of many fortified with blockhouses and guns during the war of 1812.
Learn more at:
https://www.town.shelburne.ns.ca/shelburnes-history.html
https://www.digby.ca/town-history.html
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The other poll fraud EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 11/11/2011
The other poll fraud
It is quite ironic that the current administration is running after Gloria, Mike and some former Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials over massive and orchestrated fraud in the 2004 elections while Noynoy hasn’t come clean yet on similar allegations of computerized large-scale cheating to win the presidency.
The ghost of the 2010 automated fraud returned to haunt Noynoy the other day after the group called Tanggulang Demokrasya (TanDem) enumerated clear pieces of evidence that were already raised in the past but nonetheless remained unresolved until now.
It cited several violations of the automated election law, including the Comelec’s decision to disable digital signatures in violation of the requirement in the law that election returns be transmitted electronically and digitally to be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of a candidate..... MORE
Posted by Jesusa Bernardo at 7:45 PM 1 comment Links to this post
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 11/11/2011
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’
This century began with hopes of lasting peace as the threat of a nuclear MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) came to an end. Only one superpower was left; and in its hands, the peace that could prosper. But no sooner had the new century limped through toddlerhood that this lone superpower staged a “false flag” operation against its own people.
Supposedly to avenge the three-building 9/11 World Trade Center “terror attacks,” the US pounded heavily on the medieval nation of Afghanistan in order to flush out the attacks’ alleged mastermind, Osama bin Laden. But it was too small a war.
In his 2002 State of the Union Address, then US President George W. Bush lashed out against the “Axis of Evil,” shattering all dreams of world peace. The following year, his country attacked another nation (Iraq) under the pretext of securing Saddam Hussein’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMD), which scenario turned out to be a “Weapon of Mass Distraction.”
Ten years later, and with $1.2 trillion spent, 30,000 civilian casualties (including disproportionate number of children and women); 20,000 Taliban and 2,700 coalition forces’ deaths in Afghanistan; 650,000 (according to a Lancet study) to 1.5 million dead Iraqis; mounting Pakistani civilian drone killings; and an expansion of the conflicts into Côte d’Ivoire and Libya, now coming to be known as the new colonial resurgence, there is no end in sight to the Western powers’ 21st Century wars.
The peoples of the world should take heed: There is planning for all these wars and more to come. This was already detailed in the 1990s by US neoconservative think tank, PNAC (Project for a New American Century), which drafted the plan “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” that called for a “New Pearl Harbor” to justify US military resurgence.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), a military alliance against a bygone Soviet regime, then shifted its support to US military aggression and went off to start its own adventures in Côte d’Ivoire and Libya, with current US President Barack Obama “leading from behind.” The whole of Africa is now even threatened by the US’ own Africom (Africa Command) as interventions in Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen loom.
Even the much ballyhooed “Arab Spring” was a component of the plan with Arab Spring NGOs and “civil society” now shown to be funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and Freedom House, and trained in Serbia’s CANVAS (Center for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies), with experience in the Balkanization of Serbia.
Now, Egypt is far more repressive than ever, with sham elections bringing in worse dependency on the West, as in Tunisia and Libya. Then there’s the US-Israeli thrust through Syria and then Iran.
The drums of war against Iran have been beaten for years now. Previous IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) heads, though, from Hans Blix to Mohamed El Baradei, have never given credence to claims of Iran’s nuclear capability for military use.
But suddenly, with a new Japanese nuclear watchdog chief who was aggressively lobbied for by the US, the agency is now producing a “laptop” of weapons of mass distraction.
The latest came in 2004 when “a mysterious figure handed over to the CIA a laptop he had purloined from an Iranian technician, purportedly working at a nuclear plant in Iran. (It was) said to contain pages and pages of top-secret information in English detailing Iran’s lust for attaining technical knowhow to produce nuclear payroll for Shahab III missile” — this, according to Iranian scholar and author Ismael Shalabi on the Center for Research on Globalization Web site.
Furthermore, “non-proliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis of the New America Foundation says the biggest loophole in the claim is the crude manner in which the laptop documents were constructed… (with reports indicating that) ‘some of the view graphs were done in Power Point, which suggested to me that the program was not terribly sophisticated.’ Another fault… is that the documents were written in English, a language barely used in official Iranian documents, let alone in documents of such paramount sensitivity. In 2005, the US officials briefed the IAEA of the contents of the documents, but they declined to provide the IAEA officials with any actual documents. In 2008, a battle ensued between IAEA chief Mohamed El Baradei and George W. Bush… (as El Baradei) thought Iran should be given a fair chance to see at least some of the invisible documents” (Inter Press Service, Dec. 9, 2006; New York Times, Dec. 4, 2007). But the US would not oblige.
According to a cable released by WikiLeaks in October 2009, “(Yukiya) Amano (current IAEA chief) reminded (the US) ambassador on several occasions that he would need to make concessions to the G-77 (the developing countries group), which correctly required him to be fair-minded and independent, but that he was solidly in the US court on every key strategic decision, from high-level personnel appointments to the handling of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program.”
Furthermore, “Amano recently delivered, reporting that Iran had carried out activities ‘relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device’ with ‘evidence’ provided by ‘more than 10 member states as well as its own information’ which turns out to be the US ‘laptop of WMD.’”
All these remind us of Bush’s infamous “Sixteen Words” in his 2003 State of the Union speech: “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
Those 16 words were about the Niger “Yellow Cake” Colin Powell said before the UN that Saddam obtained for his WMDs. After, the CIA sent US Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate and found the allegation to be false, the US eventually had to admit that Saddam had no WMDs. It was a barefaced lie told to 300 million Americans and 6 billion people of the world.
We have an obligation today to inform our fellow human beings of this new US lie for war — this “laptop Weapon of Mass Distraction.” We must take our role seriously as peacemakers and stop the warmongers-for-profit from destroying more than they already have. A war on Iran will raise oil to $300 per barrel that would devastate our already suffering nation.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
Noy in big Blunderland FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 11/11/2011
Noy in big Blunderland
It has been one big blunder after another that Noynoy and his Palace aides have been committing, giving themselves more problems they themselves create.
The latest blunder is the way Noynoy and his Injustice Secretary Leila de Lima have been handling the case involving the travel appeal of Gloria Arroyo for her medical needs.
If they don’t know it yet, the whole shebang is boomeranging on them. Not only are they being seen by many Filipinos as being vindictive, but also that they are being seen as usurpers of judicial power, making it appear that a Department of Justice (DoJ) circular is higher than the law and the Constitution.
It has been noted that while Noynoy and De Lima keep on claiming that there are pending charges of plunder and electoral sabotage against her which are all non-bailable crimes, the nation knows that this is not so, because there have been no charges filed in court at all against Gloria and even her spouse, Mike Arroyo. What exists are complaints and even in the case of electoral sabotage, the preliminary investigation on this has not even been finalized..... MORE
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111111com2.html/
W/ Video: Make money, make war: UK profits from Libya mess
NATO may have ended its operations in Libya, but the Western presence is far from over, with big companies replacing the warplanes. The countries that bombed the oil-rich state are now getting lucrative contracts to rebuild it.
First, British bombs tore it apart. Now, British companies will get paid to put it back together. Libya is open for business, and UK firms are being encouraged to join the gold rush.
“Libya is a relatively wealthy country with oil reserves, and I expect there will be opportunities for British and, indeed, other companies to get involved in the reconstruction of Libya,” British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond has said. He is urging CEOs and sales directors to “pack their suitcases” and head to the North African country..... MORE
Source: RT.com
URL: http://rt.com/news/profit-libya-companies-british-067/
11/11/11: Eleven craziest facts you need to know about it
From Freemasons, spiritualists to RPG-fans around the world, this day has something to offer to everyone.
1) First and foremost – the date’s number is a full palindrome (reads the same from left to right, and right to left), which occurs only once per century. Nothing crazy about this one, it's just plain math. Rather, it’s the date’s palindromic qualities that get people stirred up. Occultists, Freemasons and numerologists each have their own connotation for the number. Oh, and lotto players often refer to 11 as “the drumsticks”. The Last time a full double-figure palindrome date occurred (November 11, 1911), US citizens in Missouri witnessed an extraordinary temperature drop from 80F to 10 F. Friday will show if it had anything to do with the date or was mere coincidence.
2) Russians get married en masse. Registry services in various Russian towns will be working overtime and setting up additional offices to cater for all the couples who wish to tie the knot. The other popular wedding days – like January 1st, or August 28th – are given a run for their money, as the trend doesn’t stay exclusively Russian. There was also a funny coincidence concerning divorce: trying to stand out in the happy crowd, one Russian couple got married on 09/09/09…and got divorced on 11/11/11!.... MORE
URL: http://rt.com/news/11-november-date-numerology-freemasons-041/
The right to travel C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 11/11/2011
The right to travel
C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S
Jonathan De la Cruz
The 1987 Constitution upholds the right to travel as inviolable subject only to considerations of national security, public safety and public health as maybe determined by competent authorities. International law recognizes this right as well as provided in Article 12, Section 3 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states in part that “...everyone shall be free to leave any country including his own and return to it...” save only in “...times of emergency which threatens the life of the nation and the existence of which is officially proclaimed...” So, what compelling reason or reasons within the ambit of these “prohibitions” have P-Noy and his advisers offered thus far to bar former President Gloria Arroyo from availing of her right to travel? Well, despite their best efforts we have yet to be shown one..... MORE
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 11/11/2011
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President
Today, we do the 73rd episode of what first started as your pet project as mayor of your beloved city, an early National Heroes Month production, entitled Aawitan Kita sa Makati: Mga Bayani ng Bayan, at the program’s regular venue at the University of Makati’s 6th floor auditorium, 5:30 p.m., featuring the talents of Bimbo Cerrudo, Cris Villonco, Richard Reynoso, Bayang Barrios, Miguel Castro, Bangge Mabanta, Joel Villaflor and I. The decision to do an advance show was to accommodate our Middle East performances in December, but as it falls also on your birthday, how perfectly right to likewise have it as a tribute to you.
AKSM has gone a long way since you first put it on stage, in July of 2005, at around the same time the nation was glued to the revelation of the “Hello Garci” CDs. It is almost seven years old..... MORE
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA 11/11/2011
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has scored the administration of President Aquino for not filing a single case against former President, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo despite so much noise and after more than 500 days in office.
In a statement, the CPP noted that the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) denial of Arroyo’s request to travel abroad to seek medical treatment only opened the possibility that the former President could leave the country for good and evade criminal proceedings following the filing for a temporary restraining order before the Supreme Court.
“The more important issue is that the Aquino regime has wasted its almost 500 days in office in failing to file a single case against Gloria Arroyo and prosecute her for the high crimes of plunder and electoral fraud as well as war crimes committed against the Filipino people during her nine-year rule,” said the CPP..... MORE
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top Army pick By Mario J. Mallari 11/11/2011
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top Army pick
By Mario J. Mallari 11/11/2011
President Aquino’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as commanding general of the 86,000-strong Philippine Army has drawn some questions on how he would lead officers in the field who are mostly his upperclassmen in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) where seniority is “sacred.”
As Army chief, Bautista has supervision of the 10 Infantry Division (ID) commanders throughout the country and all major support units of the Army such as the Army Support Command (Ascom), Light Armor Division (LAD) and the Special Operations Command (Socom), among other units.
At present, all division commanders except one, 6th ID commander Brig. Gen. Rey Ardo, are senior than Bautista, a member of the PMA Class of 1981 where Ardo also belongs..... MORE
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Navy boodle fight 11/11/2011
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Navy boodle fight
Vice President Jejomar Binay will celebrate his birthday today, Nov. 11, 2011 — or “11-11-11” — with a boodle fight with 1,111 Marine and Navy personnel at the Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
Binay is a reservist colonel in the Marines.
The boodle fight will be followed by the awarding of financial assistance from the Alay sa Kawal (ASK) Foundation, which Binay chairs, to families of 69 Marines who were killed in action.
The Vice President said he intends to celebrate his next birthdays with the military..... MORE
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking buses 11/11/2011
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking buses
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco yesterday lauded the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) decision penalizing the bus lines which participated in a strike on Nov. 15 last year in protest of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)’s new number coding scheme implemented on that same day. The strike resulted in hundreds of commuters stranded along Edsa.
“It was a fair decision,” said Tiangco on the LTFRB decision cancelling the franchise of Philippine Corinthian Liner as well as suspending the licenses of 15 other bus liners that also participated in the strike..... MORE
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao fight 11/11/2011
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao fight
A ranking official of the Catholic Church has advised lawmakers, who will watch the boxing match of their colleague, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao on Sunday (Manila time), to refrain from using public funds in placing their bets.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said instead of engaging in gambling, solons should just allot their money to help the poor.
“Hindi natin sila hinuhusgahan pero sana lang huwag naman sa ganitong sitwasyon na kung saan hinirang sila ng bayan, dapat maging mabuting ehemplo pero ipinapakita pa nila na sila ang nangunguna sa sugal (We are not prejudging them, but they should set a good example as they were elected by the people),” Arguelles said over Church-run Radyo Veritas..... MORE
The other poll fraud EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 1...
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu L...
Noy in big Blunderland FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Oliva...
W/ Video: Make money, make war: UK profits from Li...
11/11/11: Eleven craziest facts you need to know a...
The right to travel C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan D...
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President NO HOLDS BARRED...
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA ...
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top ...
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Nav...
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking...
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao ...
Why hasn't the UK banned all international flights? - Unlike many countries, the UK has not banned travel despite new variants emerging here and overseas.
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Foo Fighters Share Artsy Black-and-White "Shame Shame" Video
Alt-rock lifers Foo Fighters have stopped dropping teasers and decided to properly announce their new album Medicine at Midnight. We've already heard lead single "Shame Shame," and now it's been treated to a proper music video.
The video was directed by Paola Kudacki and stars Dave Grohl alongside Sofia Boutella (who you may recognize from Climax or Atomic Blonde). Shot in black-and-white and displayed in cinematic widescreen, the video portrays a recurring nightmare that Grohl has had for years.
Watch the video for "Shame Shame" below.
In addition to the new video, Foo Fighters are doing a livestream event on November 14, when they will play a full set streamed live from the Roxy in Hollywood. You can get tickets for the event here.
Medicine at Midnight will arrive on February 5 through Roswell Records/RCA.
Foo Fighters Are Releasing Their Very Own "Midnight" Sake
Foo Fighters' promo game for their upcoming album Medicine at Midnight has been going into overdrive recently. And for further proof of that...
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365 Things I Believe: Home
Wait…who did you say was taking the money out of Medicare?
People we love: Alice Ghostley
Alice Margaret Ghostley, August 14 1924 – September 21, 2007
Born on this day in 1924.
We loved her as Esmerelda on Bewitched, Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D. and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women.
She first came to Broadway in Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952 and in the film version in 1954. In 1965 she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her rold as Mavis Parodus Bryson in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. In 1978 she followed Dorothy Loudon, creator of the role, as Miss Harrigan in the Broadway musical Annie.
Ghostley also appeared on screen as Stephanie Crawford, the neighborhood gossip in To Kill a Mockingbird and as shop teacher Mrs. Murdock in the film version of Grease.
Alice Ghostley died at home on September 21, 2007. She was 83.
Alice Ghostley, Born on this Day, People we love
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Oh, Susanna! (1936)
Director: Joseph Kane
Cast: Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Frances Grant
Synopsis: While riding to Mineral Springs Autry is robbed by thieves and then tossed off the train.
Two years into his movie career and the formula for singing star Gene Autry’s westerns was already pretty much set in stone. Autry was Poverty Row studio Republic’s cash cow back in the 1930s and ‘40s, and Oh, Susanna! provides a decent example of exactly why. The storylines were simple and fast-paced — at just 53 minutes long, Oh, Susanna! barely qualifies as a feature — and provided a reliable mix of action, songs, comedy and rodeo stunts.
As usual, Autry plays himself, only in Oh, Susanna! he becomes an early victim of identity theft when he’s clubbed on the bonce by escaped bad guy Wolf Benson (Boothe Howard, who would die in a road accident a couple of months after this movie was released). Not only does Benson steal Autry’s ID, he also swaps clothes before throwing the singing cowboy from the moving train onto which he’d climbed when escaping a pursuing posse. Amongst Autry’s papers, Benson finds a note from Jefferson Lee thanking Autry for lending him $10,000, even though they hadn’t seen one another for fifteen years. Seeing as how Autry’s clothes fit him perfectly, it’s only natural that Benson should feel confident about passing himself off as Autry and reclaiming that loan from Benson.
While Benson’s making nefarious plans, Autry’s being rescued from the trackside by the obligatory comic relief in the form of Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) and Professor Daniels (Earle Hodgins — Cause for Alarm!, East of Eden). To be fair, Frog and the Prof are a lot less annoying than most of the comic relief you find in 1930s movies, and prove useful in aiding Autry’s release from jail when a dunderhead sheriff (Walter James — Little Annie Rooney, Battling Butler) mistakes him for Benson (presumably, Benson’s clothes were more famous than him because, although Autry and Howard look nothing alike, everyone in Sage City runs a mile when they see Autry striding down the Main Street). By then, Autry has cottoned on to the fact that Benson has assumed his identity and is no doubt on his way to Jefferson Lee’s place to get his hands on that $10,000. “Do you know the way to Mineral Springs?” he asks Frog. “Sure,” replies Frog, pointing to his left, “It’s 300 miles that way.” Autry’s right, as well, because as they’re travelling to Mineral Springs, Benson is hooking up with his old partners-in-crime and making a beeline for that money.
Oh, Susanna! is a modern day Western that throws up all kinds of curious hybrids, so that we get a guy like the Professor wearing 19th Century Western garb in a town in which 1930s motor cars traverse the streets. The movie even ends with an incongruous car chase — complete with what sounds like aircraft sound effects at one point! — that somehow only adds to its cockeyed charm. It’s just a shame that things slow down so badly in the middle section while we’re ‘treated’ to a succession of musical numbers that start off as quaint but which quickly lose their charm as we wait for the plot to recommence. At 53 minutes, though, it’s worth a look…
(Reviewed 4th April 2014)
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Perry the Platypus Goes Missing in the Epic Disney XD Adventure: Where’s Perry?
posted in Disney on July 27, 2012 by bassgiraffe
TWO-PART SPECIAL PHINEAS AND FERB EPISODE PREMIERES JULY 28, CONCLUDES AUGUST 25
Toronto, July 18, 2012 – Perry the Platypus is back in the spotlight this summer as Disney XD debuts the two-part Where’s Perry? special. When an encounter with Dr. Doofenshmirtz goes awry, Perry disappears leaving backyard inventors Phineas and Ferb without their beloved pet. The first part of this action-packed cliffhanger premieres on Saturday, July 28 at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the conclusion airing in late August. Viewers are invited to search for Perry throughout the summer with new games available online and via mobile platforms at DisneyXD.ca.
In the episode premiere “Where’s Perry?, Part One,” Phineas and Ferb embark on an African safari vacation while their loyal pet platypus Perry stays back in Danville to handle a secret agent emergency mission involving Dr. Doofenshmirtz. As the story unfolds, Dr. Doofenshmirtz tries to take over with his Ultimate Evil-inator, but it accidentally zaps Carl the Intern, turning him evil. Several of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s “-inator” machines hit Perry causing him to disappear and prompting the infamous question: where’s Perry? Meanwhile, in Africa, Candace frantically searches for a cell phone signal to get through to Jeremy back in Danville while Phineas and Ferb build a highly unconventional vehicle to explore an unchartered gorge. Perry’s fate will be revealed during “Where’s Perry?, Part Two” airing Saturday, August 25 at 8 p.m. ET on Disney XD.
Viewers can catch all the marsupial mishaps from the “Where’s Perry?, Part One” special when it debuts on Disney XD OnDemand on August 7, as well as the “Where’s Perry?, Part Two” conclusion beginning September 4. Phineas and Ferb fans are encouraged to make the most of their summer vacation by tuning in to dedicated Phineas and Ferb-themed weekday morning marathons from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET daily.
The adventures continue for Perry with the recently launched “Where’s My Perry?” game accessible by visiting DisneyXD.ca on iOS and Android mobile devices. The game challenges players to guide water across multiple levels of game play and features skill-testing encounters with Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s diabolical “Crazy-inators,” which transform the water into steam, ice or keeps it as a liquid. On DisneyXD.ca, visitors can play the brand new hidden object game, “Find Perry.”
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That’ll Be 150 Fajitas And A Side Of $1,200, Please – November 24, 2010
• Thursday, October 21 1:24 p.m. A $2,000 light blue Surley Long Haul Trucker bicycle with front and rear racks was left unlocked on the Plaza.
3:32 p.m. A $200 to $300 Specialized bike with head and taillights left on an F Street porch may or may not have been locked, but certainly was stolen.
4:26 p.m. A one-woman anger machine stormed down H Street toward the Plaza, clad in dirty jeans and white sweater and starting fights with random passersby. Given her demeanor and “black and blue” face, someone suggested that she might be fit for the bin. Police found the woman just mighty peeved about something or other, and the facial injury was something that happened in Eureka.
• Friday, October 22 2 a.m. Gunshots were reported fired on G Street in Arcata Heights, and a Glock .40 clip was found there. One subject was detained and searched behind a theatre lounge, but then released. The investigation and witness testimony added up to someone throwing an M80 out a car window.
2 p.m. A woman in ripped jeans sold magazines door to door on upper I Street, since they’re so hard to find by any other means. She told one customer she was from Vancouver and needed to sell mags to gain “points” and win a trip.
• Saturday, October 23 12:41 a.m. After a man was kicked out of a Plaza tavern, he realized that he’d left his wallet inside. He called police to see if they could stand by while he retrieved it. An officer arrived 14 minutes later, but the walletless bar refugee was nowhere to be found.
1:35 a.m. A wrong-way driver at Eighth and G streets was found to be drunk, was arrested and the vehicle towed.
2:28 a.m. A male-female domestic dispute in a Samoa Boulevard apartment followed the usual script: yelling, banging then the sound of a woman crying. Another mandatory plot point was his committing violence against an inanimate object – in this case, a mirror – and injuring his hand in the process. Police extensively counseled both individuals.
4:08 a.m. A dreadlocked man was observed attempting to pry numbers off the doors at a Valley West no-budget motel.
4:38 a.m. A 911 caller from Stewart Court was well beyond drunk, and into the alcohol poisoning category.
5:03 p.m. You wouldn’t say he was the ideal driver, that man in a gray Subaru on the Plaza, the way he sped up and slowed down and flipped off that lady.
5:30 p.m. A man taking refuge in a Valley West liquor store was thoroughly convinced that he was about to be kidnapped. Police took him to a safe place where no one could harm him, even himself.
8:43 p.m. A fairly spectacular, alcohol-related three-vehicle car accident took place at 11th and B streets. As police administered a “chemical test,” traffic was blocked from the debris-strewn roadway. Flatbed trucks towed away the vehicular wreckage, and the City’s mighty Tymco Regenerative Air 600 Street Sweeper was awakened and brought to the scene to remove the glistening glaze of granular glass and shards coating the street.
9:17 p.m. A 93-year-old gentleman passed away at his Beverly Drive home with his family in attendance. The coroner was summoned.
9:39 p.m. A video was slipped from a case and stolen at a Seventh Street shop.
10:35 p.m. A Valley West resident reported her frying pan and “chicken pan” missing.
• Wednesday, October 24 12:48 a.m. Police visited a party in the 900 block of I Street, advising calm. Things quieted down.
12:56 a.m. A woman was reported on a riverside trail by a mobile home park in far northernmost Arcata. An officer found her clad in raingear. She said she’d missed the bus and was looking for an out-of-the-way place to spend the night. Morning would bring arrangements for a ride home.
1:42 a.m. Police revisited the I Street party, issuing a citation, and things calmed down.
1:44 a.m. A youth – estimated age 18 years old – snabbed a can of “beverage” and scooted from a Uniontown supermarket in the company of a cohort of similar age. Fleeing toward the freeway overpass, he ditched the bev, which was recovered and returned, and was last seen in a t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase, “Go ahead and run your mouth.”
2:05 a.m. As soon as police left the I Street party, it started back up, so this time three officers returned and stood around while celebrants dispersed. The host will be getting a bill for their time.
2:08 a.m. A berserkers man stormed HSU residence halls, assaulting students. APD and UPD located and arrested a suspect.
2:44 a.m. Back at the I Street party zone, the embers of the mostly-quenched wingding flared anew in the form of one noisy drunk who couldn’t let go. He was arrested.
11:51 a.m. A petrol-swiping slithy tove worked the parking lot of a riffraff-saturated Valley West motel the previous night, draining one car of its dinosaur juice.
12:41 p.m. Jacoby Creek flooded and police were called in to… what? Dust for flooding? Handcuff the water?
3:25 p.m. A man at the transit center auditioned for the role of howly growler of the day, but when police arrived he turned out to be a more conventional kind of street screecher, arguing with his girlfriend into a cell phone.
9:38 p.m. A man called an Alliance Road resident and addressed her by name. He then asked her if it was raining and if it was movie night, then advised her that he was touching himself.
• Thursday, October 25 2:33 a.m. A man tried to buy beer at an Alliance Road stop ’n’ rob, but was refused due to the time, and settled instead for cigarettes. But matters took a larcenous turn when he threw the cig money on the counter, grabbed the beer and ran out the door. He was last seen in a green Chevy headed northbound on Alliance Road.
3:40 a.m. A camper on the north side of a mold-encrusted house of worship on A Street was shuffled along.
9:33 a.m. A middle school student was caught with pot.
10:13 a.m. As a man walked down Crescent Lane near Grotzman Way, a loose pit bull exploded out of a nearby yard, then charged and attacked him. An officer found two dogs, one aggressive and one not, and took the dangerous one to the county shelter. A neighbor was to care for the other animals while the owners were away.
11:48 a.m. A heated argument first reported as a fight broke out on Davis Way. The dispute had to do with doors being left open.
1:42 p.m. A gaggle of goodtimers set up a customer-deterring dope-smoking, guitar-playing party zone in front of an H Street business. Trouble was, the people inside the store were trying to earn a living.
2:10 p.m. If he was trying to pick up chicks, the man lying alongside a Samoa Boulevard tax preparation business with orange hair, dirty pants and his shoes off was going about it all wrong. For one thing, he was so booze-blasted that he wouldn’t have known anyway whether any passerbabes were enamored of his soiled britches, since you kinda hafta be conscious to properly woo damsels. Police scraped his bulk off the roadside.
2:58 p.m. How was the driver who had aimed her car down K Street and then turned east on Samoa Boulevard supposed to slow down for or otherwise regard pedestrians? She was talking on her cell phone, and it’s simply too hard to jabber and drive competently at the same time.
4:13 p.m. An officer was called in to pick up some hashish discovered at a 13th Street market place.
5:07 p.m. A woman awoke at a Boyd Road mobile home park and wasn’t sure what had happened, but suspected that she may have been violated since her pants and shoes were off.
5:22 p.m. A woman who claimed that someone had stolen her baby’s blanket somewhere between Arcata and McKinleyville was deemed unable to care for herself and transported to a mental health facility.
7:16 p.m. A hoodie-clad couple went into a Northtown business in fairly obviously chemically modified condition, but maybe not sufficiently so, because they went straight into the bathroom and took more of something. They then wandered away, she bearing the logo of the Los Angeles Dodgers on her dodgy garment.
7:59 p.m. A caller to a Valley West restaurant used a credit card to order 150 fajitas and $1,200, with the money to be wired back to him. The restaurant not being either a bank or a branch of Western Union, its employees called police. It turned out to be a scam originating in Texas, inhabitants of which probably have little use for Northern Calfornian fajitas anyway.
• Friday, October 26 9:30 a.m. A woman said she ended her relationship with her father in July because he’s a marijuana grower. But he’s not as willing to choose between the two. She said he follows her around and continues to try to contact her, and last night had followed her into a store. She told him she was going to call the police on him, but he told her that if she did, he could send her boyfriend to jail.” She was provided restraining order information.
9:50 a.m. An apartment complex manager reported that the two children of a man who lives with them in a van urinate on the property, and he’s worried about the kids’ welfare.
10:22 a.m. A Todd Court goat was attacked by dogs which continue to run loose, regardless of the owner’s promise to restrain them.
10:24 a.m. A woman reported being stalked by her father, whom she says has an extensive prior history of harassing her. Now he has gotten a job in the same building in which she works.
12:54 p.m. A woman reported concern about the well-being of her neighbor, an elderly gentleman. His hearing and eyesight isn’t what it once was, and he seems to be struggling with living alone. The woman’s husband had visited the fellow and noticed an empty kettle on a stove burner which was turned up high, with the man unaware of this. The neighbor asked that police visit the man and notify Adult Protective Services.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Police Log. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Honoring Professor Hans Küng
Pictures of Award Dinner Honoring Professor Hans Küng
Pictures of Professor Küng's Lecture
ORIGINAL INVITATION/ANNOUNCEMENT
HANS KÜNG: Brief Biography
Hans Küng was born March 19, 1928, in Sursee, Switzerland, studied for the priesthood in Rome, and earned a Th.D. at the Institut Catholique in Paris. After his doctoral dissertation comparing the doctrine of justification in the theology of the then most influential Protestant theologian, Karl Barth, with that of the Council of Trent in the 16th century (finding them compatible!), his fame earned him a call in 1960 to the University of Tübingen as the successor to my Doktorvater Professor Heinrich Fries, who had moved to Munich. That was when I first had contact with him
The following year Hans published a small (one of a few!) book urging reform at Vatican Council II (1962-65), which brought him not only further fame, but also “notoriety.” As a consequence, when he was invited to lecture in the U.S. in the spring of 1963, on freedom in the Catholic Church, it was like a triumphant tour (spiced with his being forbidden to speak in several dioceses - including Philadelphia). He was made an expert (peritus) at the Council and played a significant role in that watershed experience.
After the death of John XXIII, Hans often ran into difficulties with the conservatives of the Vatican. This reached its apogee December 18, 1979, when the Vatican declared that he could no longer be considered a Catholic theologian. Result: instead of 150 students at his lectures, he then had 1500! Hans had always worked for the reform of the Catholic Church and for ecumenism. Then he turned more and more of his energy to dialogue with world reli-gions, and since 1990 to Global Ethics. It is for these two poles of his life - Reform of the Catholic Church and Interreligious Dialogue, and their intimate linkage, that we honor him. Leonard Swidler
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Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++
Volume 26 No. 1, October 2016, Pages 1-19
K. R. Mahmud1,*, M. M. Rhaman2, A. K. Al Azad1
1Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Faculty of School of Science and Engineering, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh
2Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science & Information Technology, American International University-Bangladesh, Dhaka-1213, Bangladesh
*Corresponding author: raqib.mahmud@ulab.edu.bd
Navier-Stokes equations, Newtonian fluids, incompressible flows, pulsatile flow, finite element method, FreeFem++
We present the analysis and numerical simulations of incompressible Newtonian fluids for unsteady flows in a straight pipe and in deformed pipe with concave and convex deformation of the upper wall. An approach of modeling of blood flow is considered with an unsteady Navier-Stokes problem with a pulsatile flow for which we can establish analogy with existing cardio vascular systems. We apply the Finite Element Methods to obtain solutions and analyze the evolution of the flow over time. For the numerical simulations of fluid flows in complex geometries, FreeFem++ based on finite element method is used and we analyze the behavior of velocity and pressure qualitatively along time.
Mahmud, K. R., et al. “Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++.” Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 26.1 (2016): 1-19.
Mahmud, K. R., Rhaman, M. M., & Al Azad, A. K. (2016). Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences, 26(1), 1-19.
Mahmud, K. R., M. M. Rhaman, and A. K. Al Azad. “Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++.” Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 26, no. 1 (2016): 1-19.
Mahmud, K.R., Rhaman, M.M. and Al Azad, A.K., 2016. Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences, 26(1), pp.1-19.
Mahmud, KR, Rhaman, MM, Al Azad, AK. Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Incompressible Newtonian Fluid Flows Using FreeFem++. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences. 2016;26(1):1-19.
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[12] Shaughnessy, Edward J., Ira M. Katz, and James P. Schaffer. Introduction to fluid mechanics. Vol. 8. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
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[18] Ern, Alexandre, and Jean-Luc Guermond. Theory and practice of finite elements. Vol. 159. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.
[19] Bathe, Klaus-Jürgen. “The inf–sup condition and its evaluation for mixed finite element methods.” Computers & structures 79, no. 2 (2001): 243-252.
[20] Hecht, Frédéric. “New development in freefem++.” Journal of Numerical Mathematics 20, no. 3-4 (2012): 251-266.
[21] Wong, M.K., Sheng, L.C., Nor Azwadi, C.S., Hashim, G.A., “Numerical Study of Turbulent Flow in Pipe with Sudden Expansion” Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 6 (2015).
[22] Sapee, S. “Computational Fluid Dynamics Study on Droplet Size of Kerosene Fuel” Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences 16 (2015).
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Women Out Loud: New UNAIDS/UNWomen Publication Cites Our Chanura Kol Project
Home > Advocacy > Women Out Loud: New UNAIDS/UN…
UNAIDS and UN Women recently released Women Out Loud, a new report on women living with HIV and the key role that they play in ending the epidemic. A UNAIDS feature on the document’s release notes the following:
In a new report, entitled Women Out Loud, UNAIDS explores the impact of HIV on women and the instrumental role women living with the virus are playing to end AIDS. It includes the latest data and commentary from some of the leading advocates on women and HIV.
The report includes the voices of some 30 women living with HIV who have given their personal insights into how the epidemic is affecting women and on how women are actively working to reduce the spread and impact of AIDS.
HIV is continuing to have a disproportionate effect on the lives of women. It is still the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age, and gender inequalities and women’s rights violations are persistent in rendering women and girls more vulnerable to HIV and preventing them from accessing essential HIV services…
Marginalised women remain the most impacted by HIV
Sex workers and people who use drugs are particularly vulnerable to HIV. When sex is exchanged for money or drugs, women often exert little influence over a partner’s condom use. Female sex workers are 13.5 times more likely to be living with HIV than other women. Some countries reported an HIV prevalence of more than 20% among female sex workers in capital cities. Studies conducted in nine European Union countries have indicated on average a 50% higher prevalence of HIV among women who inject drugs than in men who inject drugs.
On page 21 of the report in the chapter on people who use drugs, the following point is made: “Women who use drugs are widely reported to experience disproportionate levels of stigma and discrimination, often compounded during pregnancy, and as mothers.” One of the three references for this observation is In the Shadows, the baseline findings report from our Chanura Kol project.
India HIV/AIDS Alliance is grateful to UNAIDS and UN Women for this citation of our work. Many thanks to the Chanura Kol team and particularly to our implementing partners, SASO and Shalom, for their many contributions to the report and to the project overall. To read more about our baseline findings, click here or on the report cover below.
Chanura Kol is funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation and serves to expand interventions to decrease HIV transmission and reduce drug relapse among women who inject drugs. Based on a holistic and sustainable approach, the project was initiated in 2010 to address the root causes of vulnerability and the primary causes of relapse post-detoxification for women who inject drugs in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, many of whom are also sex workers. Chanura Kol provides these women with long-term shelter, creates opportunities for income generation outside of sex work, and helps them rebuild family relationships.
Chanura Kol is one of a handful of efforts in the region to address the distinct needs of women who inject drugs and reduce their vulnerability to HIV. To learn more, please see a recent slide show about the project:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO0kfUI3CWc&w=560&h=315]
Tags: Chanura Kol, FSW, Harm Reduction, PLHIV, UNAIDS
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Tag: GZA
Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”
This week, I’ve been listening to the Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” from 1993. I was completely unaware of the Wu-Tang Clan until around 1997; even then, I didn’t actually hear any of their stuff until very recently. This week introduced me to their ground-breaking variety of East Cost hardcore hip hop. In the 90s, a East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry in hip hop made mainstream news. Wu-Tang’s raw beat-driven music contrasted with the more melodic West Coast style of the time. While still prone to braggadocio, their lyrics were darker; less triumphant and more ambitious. The clan was not small. On this album, Wu-Tang Clan consisted of vocalist Inspectah Deck, vocalist GZA, vocalist Masta Killa, vocalist Raekwon, vocalist U-God, vocalist and producer Method Man, vocalist and producer Ol’ Dirty Bastard, vocalist, producer, and arranger RZA, vocalist and producer GhostfaceKillah, and turntablist 4th Disciple.
I ‘m not a rapper and I’m not equipped to discuss hip hop even though I do enjoy listening to it. I don’t expect to draw much from this album for my own music; However, I do believe that exposure to a great variety of art enriches one’s own work. In addition, I just really like listening to music and hearing new things. Each week, I listen to an album considered to be one of the greatest, because there must be something there worth learning from.
Bring Da Ruckus
After some sampling from kung-fu movies with a little bit of booming bass, the percussion and vocals begin. The first lines open the album appropriately, repeating “Bring the motherfucking ruckus.” This serves as the chorus between verses. Across the verses, we hear multiple vocalists rapping
. Throughout this album, the percussion beats right in the front right behind the vocals. It is the most important part of the accompaniment; the other musical elements provide more of an atmosphere than a more traditional purpose. Most of the music comes from samples of “Synthetic Substitution” by Melvin Bliss. The percussion is a mix of the drums of that song plus a drums-only “CB#5” from the “Funky Drummer vol. 1” collection made specifically for DJs and rap artists.
Wu-Tang work primarily with one or two bar looped samples to provide support for their vocals. Generally speaking, we don’t have chord progressions to speak of. That’s not the point. They’ve built a dark musical atmosphere with a heavy beat to support the rap vocals.
Most of the lines are rhyming couplets, though they are not strict about rhyming every line. The Wu-Tang Clan proves to be clever in their use of slant rhyme. We see not just the ends of lines rhyming, but plenty of assonance and internal rhymes. These lyrics combine wordplay and cultural references with rhythm. For example the lines “Redrum, I verbally assault with the tongue; Murder one, my style shot ya knot like a stun-gun.” The lines end with the rhyming “tongue” and “stun-gun”, but these also rhyme with “Redrum” and “Murder one”, shot rhymes with knot as well as the earlier :assault.” “Redrum” is a reference to Stephen King’s “The Shining” where it is “Murder” spelled backwards. These lines are tightly packed, appropriate for a song that largely brags about their ability to do so.
I rip it hardcore like porno-flick bitches
I roll with groups of ghetto bastards with biscuits
Check it, my method on the microphone’s banging
Wu-Tang slang’ll leave your headpiece hanging
Bust this, I’m kicking like Seagal, Out For Justice
The roughness, yes, the rudeness, ruckus
Redrum, I verbally assault with the tongue
Murder one, my style shot ya knot like a stun-gun
Can It Be All So Simple
“Can It Be All So Simple” opens with a the group reminiscing vaguely about the past which leads into samples of “The Way We Were” by Gladys Knight & The Pips. They combine music samples from different parts of the song with mild use of a drum machine. The result reminds me of Portishead, whose debut album “Dummy” came out a year later.
Raekwon starts by reminiscing the past, but also talking about how difficult it was. He describes how they had to turn to violence, because it was required of their situation. Ghostface Killah then describes their dream successful life. The chorus is a list of dedications, which makes use of anaphora, which is a poetic technique of starting a series of lines with the same word or phrase. In this case, “Dedicated to the..” starts each line of the chorus, interspersed with a manipulated sample of Gladys Knight, “Can it be that it was all so simple then?” Anaphora gives lines an automatic sense of rhythm, creating a catchy hook that can draw first-time listeners in.
Dedicated to the winners and the losers
Dedicated to all Jeeps and Land Cruisers
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Dedicated to the 5’s, 850i’s
Dedicated to niggas who do drive-by’s
Dedicated to the Lexus and the Ac’s
Dedicated to MPV’s: phat!
C.R.E.A.M.
Perhaps my favorite track on the album, “C.R.E.A.M.” bemoans the influence of money’s importance in a Capitalist society. In particular, they focus on the people on the streets; Inspectah Deck tells his story as a young man returning to society after spending teen years in jail for selling drugs. He went to jail for a crime committed to make ends me, and comes out to see that money continues to cause problems for those around him. It’s the struggles of the have-nots in a society rules by the haves.
Method Man delivers the great hook of this song, the chorus. It consists of an acronym and a rhythmic repetitive phrase. As is often the case in a well-written song, the verses tell a story and the chorus delivers the message of the story. The repetition of “Dollar dollar bill” followed by “ya’ll” is extremely catchy and I found myself singing it throughout the day after the first couple listens. The cadence of this line works perfectly against the piano line sampled from the Charmel’s “As Long As I Got You.”
Cash rules everything around me,
cream, get the money
Dollar dollar bill, y’all.
Posted on 2019-11-17 2019-11-17 Categories To My EarTags 1990s, 1993, 4th Disciple, Chris Gehringer, Ghostface Killah, Gladys Knight, GZA, hip hop, Inspectah Deck, Isaac Hayes, Masta Killa, Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Oli Grant, portishead, Prince Rakeem, Raekwon, rap, RZA, the charmels, U-God, wu-tang clan
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Posted in Personal by Will on Friday, November 28th, 2008 ~ 6pm
So… I “braved” the non-existent crowds today, the supposed uber-shopping day of the year. The crowds were not around, at least not in this hamlet. I set out with the intent not to succumb to low prices for things that I do not need. And I succeeded. When everyone is saying “times are tight”, it reinforces restraint. I spent only $20 — on four used CDs and 1 dvd.
My Music Discovery of the Day is different, in that here I am only saying that I liked some cover songs, NOT that I liked the bands beyond their covers.
I was searching for cover versions of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and the other Queen ballad “Who Wants To Live Forever”. There are many cover performances of these songs, and about a third of them are good! (I was reading about Highlander recently, thus the interest in the signature song from the films and tv series.)
Xiu Xiu do a nice cover of “Under Pressure”. I found their album Woman As Lovers today at Bart’s for $4. UPDATE: The rest of Xiu Xiu’s album is just noise. Only the cover song is any good.
Jennifer Rush (with guest Brian May from Queen) does a strong version of “Who Wants To Live Forever” that is only marred by supporting vocals that sound as if they’re by someone who studied under Andrew Lloyd Webber. I don’t plan to explore Ms Rush beyond that one song, because her collagen-injected lips frighten me — however, of all the bands mentioned in this entry, she appears to be the most professional singer.
Dune, a now-defunct Swedish group, does a new age version of “Who Wants To Live Forever” that sounds just like — but predates — Sarah Brightman‘s version of “Who Wants To Live Forever”. Both Dune and Brightman’s versions are worth keeping but neither “own” the song. I listened to some other music by Dune and I can’t recommend them. Sarah Brightman — a Broadway performer who, come to think of it, has sung in several Andrew Lloyd Webber productions — has the better voice, but be warned her albums are adult-contemporary.
Breaking Benjamin does a strangely accented version of “Who Wants To Live Forever” with a male lead, and though it threatens to be radio-friendly, I want to check out more of Breaking Benjamin in case some of the quirky bits indicate that the band has some original style. See comments for more about them — I am endorsing them in an extremely limited fashion: only for angry moods. They’re too heavy metal for me, though some reviewers suggest they are starting to mellow.
Moral of this blog entry is that cover tune performances cannot be used to judge music groups, but, sometimes even bands that one does not like can turn in a cover that will be worth hearing.
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bassist said,
on November 28th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Xiu Xiu is some rough music. They were THE indie show to go to several years ago when I caught them live. I hadn’t actually listened to their stuff, so I was stunned when they were so out there and experimental, with screeching sounds permeating the entire venue. It’s possible you’ll like them, but for me, it was painful.
Breaking Benjamin surprised me with how solid they were. Some of their stuff was just reasonable, but most was pretty good. Even my Dad liked them.
on November 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I listened to Xiu Xiu’s music, and it was painful and sounded really self-indulgent of the singer — he gasps his lyrics as if they were so important that they cause him to shudder, while various noises happen around him. Bleh.
I will pick up the used Breaking Benjamin disc (I believe it was priced low) per your liking them well enough.
on November 30th, 2008 at 2:01 am
…I am listening to We Are Not Alone by Breaking Benjamin and although much of it is sort of heavy metal, the singer only uses a Cookie Monster voice some of the time. Other times, he actually sings properly, and there are interludes of quieter, non-metal material. I think I’d like this for certain moods (angry moods). I think the used CD I spotted at Bart’s CDs is Phobia (2006). I wonder if Phobia is less metal than We Are Not Alone… ah yes, here’s a customer review on Amazon that says “Frontman Ben Burley’s voice has changed up a bit …Instead of mumbling or yelling the majority of the vocal parts, he has comfortably settled into a great singing voice, which makes these songs sound even better than much of what the band has recorded in the past.”
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Labrador Retriever Puppies For Sale in Frankfort
According to registration statistics recently released by the American Kennel Club® (AKC), the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America for the 21st straight year. More than twice as many Labs were registered than any other breed making it a likely leader for many years to come.
Regular dog-walking increases social interaction for children–especially those who have just moved to a neighborhood and are feeling homesick for their former home.
A child who might not want to go out into the neighborhood alone, feels that he or she has a purpose in walking the dog, and therefore can face unfamiliar faces or places more easily than when alone. Doing activities with a dog such as playing frisbee in the yard, or jogging, or merely walking your pooch on a leash is a great way to “break the ice” with new neighbors or other kids on the block. It’s also a good conversation starter like: “Where’s the nearest park?” “Do you know what the Leash Laws are?” “Do you have a dog?” A study by Britain’s Warwick University found that 49% of people reported making friends much easier as a result of owning a dog. Walking the dog could be the perfect way for a shy or awkward adolescent to meet new friends in the neighborhood.
The town of Frankfort likely received its name from an event that took place in 1780s. American Indians attacked a group of early British-American pioneers from Bryan’s Station, who were making salt at a ford in the Kentucky River. After the pioneer Stephen Frank was killed, the settlers called the crossing “Frank’s Ford.” This name was later shortened to Frankfort.
During the American Civil War, Union forces built fortifications overlooking downtown Frankfort on what is now called Fort Hill. The Confederate Army occupied Frankfort for a short time.
On February 3, 1900 Governor-elect William Goebel was assassinated in Frankfort while walking to the capitol to be inaugurated. Former Secretary of State Caleb Powers was later found guilty in a conspiracy to kill Goebel.
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Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General Remarks at the 71st UNCA Anniversary Celebration
Editor's Note: The United Nations Journalists Association held the 71st annual celebration at the entrance hall of the U...
Read more: Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General Remarks at the 71st UNCA Anniversary Celebration
Candidate Prof Tijjani Muhammad-Bande for the President 74th UNGA Reception Speech
Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tijani Muhammad-Bande, hosted grand reception to the permanent...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks with global youth participants in the UN General Assembly Hall
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Remarks 播放器加载中.... jwplayer('vp0').setup({ "file": "http://video.jiuan.org/2019/Fe...
UN Secretary-General António Guterres presents the Award to the Amal Clooney and Amal Clooney wonderful speech
Famous lawyer Amal Clooney Speak after the award UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is awaiting award to Amal Clooney...
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Turn 70 Today But Is it Still Relevant?
From AMERICAN TELEVISION NEWS This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by...
Street art Exhibition at the UNHQ The François Delattrem of French Ambassador to the UN Welcome Speech
Welcome Speech from the François Delattrem French Ambassador to the United Nations The Deputy Secretary-General of the U...
IPI “Nonviolent Action vs. Violent Extremism: The Strategic and Appealing Choice for Addressing Grievances.”
H.E. Ms. Mari Skåre, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN Mr. Jake Sherman, Director,...
American Television News founder and editor-in-chief Ahmed Fathi talks about the killing of Saudi journalists
Editor's Note: In recent weeks, the American resident "Washington Post" contributor, the 59-year-old Saudi journalist Ka...
Mr. António GUTERRES, UN Secretary General Attend & Opening remarks on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty at United Nations
Message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mr. António GUTERRES, at the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Decla...
International Labour Organization, Office for the United Nations High-level Launch of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)
The Equal Pay International Coalition(EPIC) launching summit at the UN Headquarters. 播放器加载中.... jwplayer('vp0').setup({...
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By Examples From Different Decades Since 1950, It Is Clear That The International Policing Role And Strategy Of The United States Was Once Essential, But Should Be Discarded As Ineffective And Counterproductive.
No Comments on By Examples From Different Decades Since 1950, It Is Clear That The International Policing Role And Strategy Of The United States Was Once Essential, But Should Be Discarded As Ineffective And Counterproductive.
America as the World’s Police
As one of the main aim of a superpower, the United States has presumed the part of world’s policemen. Referring to a moral duty to maintain freedom and democracy all over the world, America takes part in external battles and exerts unparalleled global power. Ullman (2018) says that the word ‘world’s policeman’ triggers different reactions though almost no one denies that police are needed. This is mainly because no country has ever taken the position of being the world’s police or elected by a majority. Like other nations before it, the United States just assumed the role of upholding global law enforcement and carried it in its personal self-interest (Beckley, 2018). This began during the Cold War, which offered the United States a good reason to assume the world’s policeman role. Through the use of examples from different decades since 1950, it is clear that the international policing role and strategy of the United States was once essential, but should be discarded as ineffective and counterproductive.
First, during the cold war, the world was bipolar with two military giants which were competing – America and the Soviet Union. The America associates were weak comparatively since they were still recuperating and upgrading their economies after the World War II, due to this U.S required to be ubiquitous everywhere in the world to retain Soviet imperialism in check since security was perceived as a useless game: again by one side was a proportionate defeat by the other (Ullman, 2018). Secondly, in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the U.S saw this as a test of its willingness to use the military force. The actions taken by the United States and its associates suggested that to the international community that the U.S had the will and capability to respond to severe aggression and some other threats to international order.
Recently, according to Russett, (2018), the United States took part in the cooling of the Syrian war with the intervention of the U.S military, which was authorized by Congress. They pointed security reason as the reason for bombing Syria, but no one considers that Assad threatened Americans. He never said it or took such actions. Equally, the U.S rule for many years now it has been providing weapons to ruthless and unethical kingdoms in the Arab states and autocrats in Asia and Latin America. Most of the time, when these governments want to repress its population, it applies the types of equipment made by the United States. This selective outrage is not a true agent or a retaliator of sufferers of prejudice. It is just a global hamhanded hegemon, who has autonomous geopolitical and economic benefits that control what it does in any situation (Andrade, 2016).
America was not appointed by anybody to be the world’s policeman, and by taking this role, the government destabilizes the morals that it purports to defend like privacy, liberty, impartiality, and even harmony. The attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan left many people dead, most who were seriously injured, and left unethical authoritarian governments in control of the societal remains. Although this is the case, the law of accidental outcomes cannot be cancelled, and the threat cannot be compared to the interventions that begin modesty since no one knows what is on the other side which is comprised of Iran and Russia (Russett, 2018).
In conclusion, assuming the role of world policeman affects other conflicts of other people, and a self-proclaimed leader leads to bitterness and a desire for vengeance, which may lead to further tensions. No person loves an intimidator, particularly if it is an arrogant superpower equipped with weapons of mass destruction.
← View The Scenario Called “Critical Decision Making For Providers” Found In The Allied Health Community Media → For This Assignment, Research A Minimum Of 5 Recent Scholarly Articles That Relate To The Concept On Which You Wish To Focus Your Research: Joint Venture
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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Society of Turkey
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Symposium
Home → About us → Honorary Members
Anders Götherström
Dr. Götherström’s research is focused on retrieving information on history and prehistory through genetic data from archaeological remains.
For more information please visit here.
Alexey Kondrashov
Alexey Simonovich Kondrashov (born April 11, 1957 in Moscow) worked on a variety of subjects in evolutionary genetics. He is best known for the deterministic mutation hypothesis[1] explaining the maintenance of sexual reproduction, his work on sympatric speciation, and his work on evaluating mutation rates.
Originally from the Soviet Union, A.S. Kondrashov has been working in the United States since the early 1990s. His work currently focuses on measuring rate of spontaneous mutation in Drosophila. Also, he studies selection at the sequence level and protein evolution. He founded the laboratory of evolutionary genomics in the College of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics at Lomonosov Moscow State University. source
Claus Wedekind
Claus Wedekind is a Swiss biological researcher notable for his 1995 study that determined a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) dependent mate preference in humans.
Wedekind completed his PhD in 1994 with a dissertation on “The Extended Parasite Hypothesis for Sexual Selection: Selection for Complementary Disease” at the University of Bern. Currently, he is a professor of biology at the University of Lausanne, with research focus on the selective forces that currently act especially on fish populations, e.g. the effects of human activities in interaction with natural and sexual selection; and the evolution of cooperation in conflict situations.
Juli G. Pausas
Juli G. Pausas is a plant ecology scientist at Centro de Investigación sobre Desertificación (CIDE, Valencia, Spain) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). His research focuses on ecology and evolution of mediterranean and fire-prone ecosystems, and specifically on understanding the role of fire in shaping populations, species (i.e., fire traits), communities (i.e., assembly processes), landscapes, and biomes. He has most experience in the Mediterranean Basin, but without forgetting the global perspective. He has participated in several successful international research projects and has experience in both field and modelling studies. He has written more than 150 scientific papers, co-edited an international book on the ecology of Cork oak woodlands (Island Press), co-authored a book on Fire ecology in Mediterranean ecosystems (Cambridge Press), and book in Spanish on fire ecology.
Luigi Boitani
Luigi BOITANI is Honorary (Emeritus) Professor of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology at the University of Rome, Dept. of Biology and Biotechnologies. He has been Chair of the Department of Animal and Human Biology for 10 years (2000-10) and President of the Society for Conservation Biology (2009-11).
His main scientific interests are on a) the social ecology of carnivores, particularly wolves and bears on which he has been working since 1972; b) patterns and models of species distributions based on GIS tools; and c) planning and conservation of protected areas, with emphasis on Africa and Europe where he has contributed to the management plans of more than 25 national parks. He has lectured widely in North America and Europe.
He has been member of the IUCN’s SSC and WCPA since 1973 and has served as member of the SSC Steering Committee since 1994. He received several award including, in 2012, the Peter Scott Award for Conservation Merit. He is the Chair of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe, a SSC Specialist Group that is a regular advisor to the European Union on carnivore conservation issues. He is CEO of the Fondation Segré in Geneva. He is author of more than 360 scientific papers, 10 books and 80 technical reports.
Matteo Fumagalli
Matteo is a biomedical engineer interested in applying computational tools to address questions in evolutionary biology. His works mainly focus on the identification of signatures of natural selection in genomes and on the development of methods to process large-scale sequencing data. His studies contributed to the understanding of adaptive events in non-model species as well as the relationship between human evolution and disease susceptibility.
Nick Barton
Nicholas Hamilton Barton FRS FRSE (born 30 August 1955) is a British evolutionary biologist. Barton was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge where he graduated with a first-class degree in Natural Sciences in 1976 and gained his PhD supervised by Godfrey Hewitt at the University of East Anglia in 1979. After a brief spell as a lab demonstrator at the University of Cambridge, Barton became a Lecturer at the Department of Genetics and Biometry, University College London, in 1982. Professor Barton is best known for his work on hybrid zones, often using the toad Bombina bombina as a study organism, and for extending the mathematical machinery needed to investigate multilocus genetics, a field in which he worked in collaboration with Michael Turelli. Concrete research questions he has investigated include: the role of epistasis, the evolution of sex, speciation, and the limits on the rate of adaptation.
Barton moved to the University of Edinburgh in 1990, where he is said to have been instrumental in attracting to the university Brian and Deborah Charlesworth, with whom he had previously collaborated, thus complementing the university’s strong tradition in quantitative genetics with a population genetics side and making the University of Edinburgh one of the foremost research institutions of genetics in the world. In 2008 Barton moved to Klosterneuburg (Austria) where he became the first professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
Barton was made a professor in 1994. In 2007, Barton, along with Derek E.G. Briggs, Jonathan A. Eisen, David B. Goldstein, and Nipam H. Patel, collaborated to create Evolution,[1] an undergraduate textbook which integrates molecular biology, genomics, and human genetics with traditional evolutionary studies. Source
Philipp Khaitovich, born in Moscow, Russia in 1973.
Philipp completed undergraduate studies in molecular biology at Moscow State University in 1995 and PhD in biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1999.
From 2000 till 2006 Philipp worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology at the department of Evolutionary Genetics headed by Prof. Svante Pääbo.
In September 2006, Philipp took a faculty position at the Institute for Computational Biology jointly established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Max Planck Society in Shanghai China. In 2012 Philipp was promoted to an institute director position.
From 2012, Philipp is a fellow member of Max Planck Society of Germany, as well as adjunct Professor at ShanghaiTech University in Shanghai, China. source
Reşit Akçakaya is an ecologist and conservation biologist with expertise in species extinction risks. His current research focuses on assessing the vulnerability of species to extinction due to climate change, and evaluating different approaches to species conservation. He chairs a committee of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) that develops guidelines for the global ‘Red List’ of threatened species, and evaluates petitions against the assessment of species as threatened.source
Rasmus Nielsen received his PhD in 1998 from UC Berkeley, and did a postdoc at Harvard 1998-2000. He has since then held faculty positions at Cornell University, University of Copenhagen, and UC Berkeley, and is currently a Professor of Computational Biology in the Department of Integrative Biology and the Department of Statistics at UC Berkeley. Much of his work is on statistical and population genetic analyses of genomic data, in particular methods for detecting natural selection, describing population genetic variation, inferring demography, and methods for association mapping. Much of his current research concerns statistical analysis of next-generation sequencing data, both in the context of medical genetics and population genetics. Many of the methods he has developed are heavily used by other researchers, including the phylogeny based methods for detecting positive selection implemented in PAML, the methods for inferring demographic histories implemented in the IM and IMa programs, the method for detecting selective sweeps implemented in SweepFinder, and the methods for analysing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data implemented in ANGSD. He has published >250 peer reviewed papers, invited book chapters and review papers since 1997 (including 41 in Science or Nature) with a total H-index of 106.
Sergey Gavrilets is a Russian-born physicist turned American theoretical biologist, currently a Distinguished Professor at the University of Tennessee. He is a theoretical evolutionary biologist who has made contributions to the study of speciation, social complexity, and human evolutionary transitions. He is currently Associate Director for Scientific Activities at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis. In 2017, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Gavrilets has contributed to the book Evolution: The Extended Synthesis (Edited by Massimo Pigliucci and Gerd B. Müller, 2010).
Dernekten haberler
Climate Change Board Game
EEBST 2020 – Cancelled
EEBST 2020!
Call for EkoEvo Collaboration Support
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ground fenugreek substitute
The whole seeds can be kept for longer without losing their aroma and flavor. 5 Best Fenugreek Substitutes for Your Cooking Recipes. A teaspoon of honey-dijon mustard can also work instead of an equivalent amount of fenugreek seed. I'm so happy you're here. The next time you run out of this ingredient, simply use maple syrup, mustard powder, celery leaves, fennel seeds, or masala curry powder. To get the desired bitter, nutty, and sweet flavor, consider using maple syrup at the end of the cooking time, as its flavor easily fades when cooked. Yellow mustard seeds are very spicy and flavorful, but when used in small quantities, they can be a fantastic fenugreek alternative. SUBSTITUTES. Celery Leaves. In the comment section below this post, Ann has suggested wild alfalfa as a viable fenugreek substitute, however, I have moved mountains to find it and use it, I couldn’t, I even tried shopping online with different websites, no luck! It smells sweet due to the sotolon chemical although it has a bitter flavor. 1/4 teaspoon sugar. If the dish calls for fenugreek as a vegetable, then I substitute spinach. Fenugreek tea can be made by infusing teaspoon of seed with two cups of water. Curry Powder. When using maple syrup as a fenugreek substitute, it is important to use it sparingly. Maple syrup is, in my opinion, the best substitute for fenugreek. One of the components of curry powder is ground fenugreek seed, so there are already elements of the flavor in this spice mix. Itâs used in many dishes from the Indian Subcontinent and is a key component of several spice blends â including sambar, panch phoron (Indian five spice), and berbere.. Mustard greens are the leaves of the brown mustard (Brassica juncea) plant. Saffron. Fenugreek compliments biryanis, fish, brines and chutneys beautifully and is also found in niter kibbeh, an Ethiopian spiced butter. Fenugreek compliments biryanis, fish, brines and chutneys beautifully and is also found in niter kibbeh, an Ethiopian spiced butter. Fenugreek (Kasuri Methi) is short, upright plant (related to spinach) with oval leaves. People use its fresh and dried seeds, leaves, twigs, and roots as a spice, flavoring agent, and supplement. Fenugreek is a herb, or spice, that offers a slightly sweet and nutty flavor to dishes. The ingredient balances out the flavor and provides an aromatic smell. In a later section, I’m going to show you what to use to replace fenugreek leaves. However, the fenugreek substitutes you are going to learn about in this post are going to make your recipes smell and taste as if they were prepared with authentic fenugreek. Thank you … this is the information I am looking for.. Aside from using fenugreek for sauces, it is also applied directly to meat as a dry rub. â rackandboneman Apr 27 '17 at 23:53 Ground fenugreek (seeds) has a warm, yellowish-brown color with a strong curry-like taste. 4 Best Horseradish Substitutes for Home Cooking, 4 Best Tomato Purée Substitutes for Cooking, 5 Best Port Wine Substitutions for Cooking, The 6 Best Substitutes for Fennel for Home Cooking. Here is a little recipe I’ve used in the past: take half a teaspoon of yellow mustard seeds, crush them and heat them a little, this will reduce their overpowering aroma and make the taste similar to fenugreek seeds. In powdered form, fenugreek is one of the main ingredients of curry powders. Check out our blog to see the latest articles. Without further ado, here are the topics we are going to deal with in this post: Fenugreek is very difficult to substitute, however, with the right flavor profile and spice combination, this can be achieved, to some extant. In India, roasted ground fenugreek seeds seeds are infused for a coffee substitute or added with flour to make bread. Depending on the exact purpose of fenugreek in a dish, ingredients such as fennel, imitation maple syrup or bitter leafy greens also can be used. The whole seeds can be kept for longer without losing their aroma and flavor. Fennel seeds come from the green fennel plant and have a pungent, spicy, aniselike flavor. This month we're featuring recipes from the North Indian cookbook, Just a Dash, with plenty of flavorful vegetarian and vegan recipes. When you click on product links on this website and buy them, in many cases I will get a commission. It’s very easy to substitute fenugreek leaves if you have dry seeds available, or maple syrup. Do buy fenugreek powder in moderation. Fennel seeds are a pretty divisive ingredient in the culinary world. Look for mace at an international grocery store, or purchase it from the bulk bins at a health food store. The substitute #5 may blow your mind. My name's Sahar and I'll help you get natural and larger breasts. Kasoori methi is sun-dried fenugreek* leaves (Trigonella Foenum Graecum).They are used in Indian cooking and taste similar to a combination of celery and fennel with a slightly bitter bite. Can I Substitute Ground Fenugreek for Fenugreek Seed? One common substitute for fenugreek seed is mustard seed, while the fresh leaves are sometimes compared to watercress. Also known as Greek hay, fenugreek is an annual plant native to Asia and the Mediterranean that is used as a spice or for medicinal purposes. Hi friend! Can I Substitute Ground Fenugreek for Fenugreek Seed? Fenugreek is both a spice and a medicinal supplement commonly used in regions of the Middle East, Egypt and India. Fenugreek is used as both a herb (dried leaves) and a spice (seeds). Fenugreek is also common in Southern Europe, especially for making mango chutneys and maple syrup imitation. Or butter, for example, as the flavonoids found in fenugreek will stick to the fat in the oil or butter and give you a long-lasting fenugreek taste. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Each vegan-friendly capsule has 750 mg of raw fenugreek seed, which is certified organic. LEARN MY SECRET FORMULA TO INCREASE YOUR BREAST SIZE IN, https://rawspicebar.com/blogs/spices-101/fenugreek-substitute. It has the same taste quality as fenugreek: mildly bitter with earthiness. SUBSTITUTES. And in a pinch I just leave it out. If you have trouble locating this ingredient, or if you are allergic and need a fenugreek substitute, keep reading. Aside from chutney, this spice is also used for biryanis , fish , brines, niter kibbeh , ⦠Always look for freshly made curry powder as the fenugreek aroma tends to fade away very quickly. i hear that fenugreek seeds/powder are not the best substitute for dried leaves, but I have only the powdered seed and canât find the leaves near me. 0. Add a pinch of sugar to sweeten the sauce and you’re good to go. However, for many people, because they are going to use spice blends that contain fenugreek seeds or dry fenugreek leaves, they are going to associate fenugreek’s taste with spiciness. so, always use as little as possible otherwise, you are going to end up giving your dishes a slightly bitter taste. You could try a substitution using ground, starting with about 1/3 the volume specified for fresh fenugreek. Join the mailing list and receive our free newsletter with recipes to your inbox! Use 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves to replace 1 tablespoon of fresh fenugreek. Mix fenugreek powder into water to make a face wash. Take 1 tablespoon (5 g) of fenugreek powder and stir it into about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of water. Or, fresh parsley or cilantro (same volume) instead of the fenugreek. A great tip to using curry powder as a fenugreek replacement is cooking it first. Posted by November 3, 2020 Leave a comment on substitute for fenugreek seeds in dosa batter The in-build timer of the Instant Pot doesn't work on steam mode, so set an external timer for 12 minutes. The mature leaves have the bitter taste. Still, it will fade very quickly; this is why you need only to add maple syrup at the end of the preparation. fenugreek seeds are NOT a good substitute for leaves. Thank you! ground seeds . Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals ... this recipe is a good substitute that is easy to make. In reality, fenugreek is used as an artificial maple syrup because of the similarity in taste. Anyhoo, fast forward, I increased my breast size through a lot of hard work and trial and errors and I'm going to teach you how fenugreek helped me do it. Fenugreek is also an excellent source of selenium, an anti-radiant which helps the body utilize oxygen. Fenugreek is an herb in the same family as soy. Typically the leaves are crumbled and sprinkled over meat and vegetable curries before serving. One of the best substitutes for Fenugreek is a yellow mustard seed. Curry powder is a common spice that gives food a great flavor. But what if, in the middle of cooking a dish, you suddenly run out of fenugreek? If you need fenugreek seeds, please get them from this link! I will let you decide for yourself if you ever find wild alfalfa sold, please, use it in your dishes and see for yourself whether it’s a viable fenugreek replacement or not. 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder. Curry powder is a mixture of several ingredients like powdered fenugreek seeds, coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, ground cloves, and other natural spices. One more very important thing, when cooking with fenugreek, always start with a small amount as using too much will result in a bitter taste. I personally take one 2500mcg pill once a week and the last time I checked my reserves, they were optimal according to my doctor. This spice can also be found in ground form. 0. It is a popular spice widely used in curry powder blends such as garam masala. 1. Anise For Desserts And Pastries ... Interestingly, Amchar Masala or spice is a mixture of a number of different spices like fenugreek seed, brown mustard seed, black peppercorns, coriander, and obviously fennel seed. Fenugreek is used for Indiaâs garam masala or a ground spice that makes dishes savory. Fenugreek supplements are often used by those looking for a natural way to increase testosterone levels. For soups, the traditional Indian dal stew comes with sautéed fenugreek leaves. People use its fresh and dried seeds, leaves, twigs, and roots as a spice, flavoring agent, and supplement. Before using any advice or material from this website or any linked here, you should first consult with a doctor. Chinese Celery Leaves. Fenugreek is used as a herb (dried or fresh leaves), spice (seeds), and vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens). Whenever I’m making a curry dish, which is usually Saturday evening, and I don’t have fenugreek nearby, which is very rare, I will use one of these ingredients, especially the first two, maple syrup and curry powder. 3. Sotolon is an extremely powerful aroma compound. Once cooked, the flavor mellows out. Allrecipes has more than 50 trusted fenugreek recipes complete with ratings, reviews and cooking tips. 1/4 teaspoon coriander powder. One of the most neglected vitamins in my opinion is vitamin B12; its deficiency can cause serious medical issues ranging from hair loss, anemia to permanent nerve damages. Fenugreek is a very versatile plant; it can be used both as an herb and a spice. Added the clarification because in most English speaking countries "5 spice" will be understood to mean chinese five spice, which is a completely different mixture that doesn't substitute for panch phoron and does not contain any fenugreek. However, once you grind them, they are going to change the flavor profile of your dishes very fast literally. Depending on the exact purpose of fenugreek in a dish, ingredients such as fennel, imitation maple syrup or bitter leafy greens also can be used. Stick around as we provide you some of the best alternatives for fenugreek. For Indians, this seed makes a powerful flavoring element for slow-cooked dishes. I, Sahar Perske, am not a doctor. 0. Aside from chutney, this spice is also used for biryanis, fish, brines, niter kibbeh, and Ethiopian spiced butter. Fennel seeds, in my opinion, are sweet tasting and a little overwhelming, but some people have successfully used them in place of fenugreek seeds, and they seem to be quite popular. 1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder. However, the third ingredient, yellow mustard, is also very close to fenugreek seeds in terms of taste. You could also use milk or ⦠I have tasted alfalfa sprouts in the past. Describing the taste isn’t complicated because fenugreek is both sweet and nutty, replicating the taste of maple syrup and burnt sugar. I’m not going to talk here about fenugreek powder substitutes, what I’m going to talk about here are substitutes to fenugreek leaves. Fresh Chinese Celery Leaves: This will reduce the strong aromas of the other spices in curry powder. This makes a good substitute because of its wide availability in the market. 1. Fenugreek is a plant that has multiple uses, including cooking. Hence, you need substitutes. To describe fenugreek flavor is a bit complicated; however, what you need to understand is that it has a slightly sweet taste, with a nutty aroma as well, fenugreek is the perfect bittersweet counterpart. There are a number of substitutes for Fenugreek you can find in your kitchen. To maximize the taste and aroma, you need to use curry powder during the initial cooking time. Itâs also a rich source of vitamins, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Fennel seeds. Utilized fresh or dried, the leaves of the plant offer seasoning flavor for cheeses, rum and maple syrup and can also be used as a coffee substitute. If you need something else to substitute with fenugreek, you might want to use curry powder. In its raw form, it is bitter and unpleasant for many â it benefits from being cooked. While buying the powder does eliminate the work of grinding the seeds, fenugreek will lose its flavor quickly after being ground. Rice, slow-cooked casseroles and soups will all benefit from saffron which provides a similar vibrant hue. Ground Fenugreek Substitute. Therefore, maple syrup is the perfect substitute you can use in place of fenugreek. I don’t think they are a great substitute for fenugreek because the aroma is different, but if combined with maple syrup, for example, they are going to add a wonderful savor to your dishes. The entire plant has a strong, sweet aroma. Fenugreek is extensively in use in Indian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, and Turkish meals. Still, for now, Iâm going to reveal to you the most important fenugreek seeds substitutes you can use that are available yearlong and can give you a similar taste to that of fenugreek ⦠Fenugreek Substitutes for The Spice 1. Fenugreek seeds have a bitter taste, with the same flavor compounds as maple syrup. Adding one tablespoon of maple syrup to your dishes will give them a distinctive fenugreek aroma. A great way to obtain the same texture and a resembling aroma to that of fenugreek leaves is to use spinach, for example. It has slightly bitter notes but is incredibly sweet so it balances out the taste. To get the best results when using curry powder as a substitute for fenugreek, consider cooking it first. Welcome to my site! You can substitute ground for seeds when using fenugreek. Although fenugreek is primarily grown in India, itâs used in cuisines around the world â including Egyptian, Georgian, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Turkish. It is important that you check your vitamin B12 reserves, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, and if you have low appetite and energy levels, you have to start supplementing as soon as possible. Mustard greens also make a great replacement for fenugreek leaves. Well, this is not a great Fenugreek substitute. Something went wrong. I cook Indian all the time and have the same issue. For instance, if you are making a dish, add the powder first, then proceed with cooking with vegetable or olive oil. The best option is ⦠Can be used as a substitute for maple syrup. 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fenugreek Substitutes. With the combination, you can get a nutty and sweet flavor similar to that of fenugreek. The majority of fenugreek is cultivated in India, where fresh leaves are used for culinary dishes. People either ⦠It’s a bit close in taste, but it’s not a very reliable fenugreek flavor substitute. Thanks for subscribing! In a later section, Iâm going to show you what to use to replace fenugreek leaves. Indian cuisine’s rich flavor and aroma usually come from a wide selection of herbs, spices, and seeds. No matter what youâre looking for, itâs impossible to go wrong with this fenugreek supplement. And, luckily, you can always use this ingredient as a replacement for that nutty and distinct spice. Fenugreek is an herb in the same family as soy. Fenugreek Substitute Alternatives - Fenugreek, both as leaves and seeds, is one of the widely used herbs or spices in culinary and therapeutic fields. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent.Also used in traditional medicine, fenugreek can increase the risk for serious ⦠1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves / kasoori methi. Although many articles are going to suggest combining it with mustard seeds, for example, or other spice. Fenugreek is a popular ingredient in Indian dishes. I was very shy and no one seemed to like me! When I was a kid, I always dreamed of having nice breast, I never wished for anything D, but when I reached puberty, I was in shock, I had no chest and even worse, I couldn't make friends easily! Omit from recipe if without fenugreek, otherwise, to substitute fresh fenugreek, use fresh spinach. Read on as we discover the best fenugreek substitute you can use for your cooking. It is perfect for soups and dishes that have a savory sauce. Celery leaves are plucked, rinsed, and chopped to mimic fenugreek leaves. Both fenugreek and maple syrup contain a compound called sotolone. The internet is the only place to find it where I live!!! One common substitute for fenugreek seed is mustard seed, while the fresh leaves are sometimes compared to watercress. ⦠This backup option wonât mimic the flavor as saffron has a ⦠It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Sotolone is responsible for the similarity in flavor and aroma. To substitute ground fenugreek, try curry powder, as many curry powders contain a good amount of fenugreek. Ground fenugreek (seeds) has a warm, yellowish-brown color with a strong curry-like taste. Do buy fenugreek powder in moderation. This spice is typically made using coriander, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, and chili powder. Especially fenugreek sprouts, however, since I haven’t tried this fenugreek substitute myself. As mentioned, the seeds and leaves taste incredibly bitter when eaten raw, but it tastes sweeter when cooked. To make the seeds taste like fenugreek, simply heat them slightly. The best fenugreek spice substitutes include mustard seeds, curry powder, maple syrup, and fennel seeds, among others. 3. The soup is silky and has bitter hints from the leaves. Fenugreek (/ Ë f É nj Ê É¡ r iË k /; Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. HealthAid fenugreek is a standardized extract of 200mg with 400mg of raw fenugreek powder. If you lack fenugreek in your kitchen, you can use the following ingredients as substitutes. A teaspoon of honey-dijon mustard can also work instead of an equivalent amount of fenugreek seed. The closest fresh fenugreek leaves substitute is the dried fenugreek. Curry powder Most curry powders contain powdered fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek leaves and seeds lend flavoring to Indian cuisine; the ground seeds are in the spice blend garam masala. Fenugreek is rich in a chemical compound called soloton, which is the one responsible for giving fenugreek its very distinctive flavor. Many recipes, including recipes for Chinese and Indian dishes, call for ground fennel seed as a spice. Please check your entries and try again. Fenugreek stimulates the production of mucosal fluids. Ground fenugreek leaf is a popular base for dry rubs. In hot weather with long sunny days, the leaves simply donât seem to get that large and the area looks very bare if you plant that far apart. In this article, we have listed a few substitutes for Fenugreek leaves in cooking. Your support in buying using links on my website provides me with resources to pay for some of this website’s costs. You could try a substitution using ground, starting with about 1/3 the volume specified for fresh fenugreek. The thing you have to understand about fenugreek is that it’s very hard to substitute as it has a strong and spicy flavor that’s very difficult to replace even when combining many spices and ingredients. People are often going to describe the taste of fenugreek as a mixture of sweet and nutty flavors mixed with celery and maple syrup. My recipe calls for ⦠Boasting some of the same chemical components as fenugreek, maple syrup has ⦠Fenugreek is bitter tasting. Dietary supplements and changes can cause serious harm if you are suffering from a condition, so please, always check with a professional caregiver. I have also divided these substitutes into two categories, ground fenugreek seeds substitutes and fenugreek leave substitutes. Roasted fenugreek is a great substitute for coffee. Adding curry powder to your dishes will give them a distinctive fenugreek taste; however, this aroma is going to be weak because of all the other overpowering spices present in curry powder. It is also widely used in Middle Eastern, African, and North African cuisine; it’s also a main spice blend ingredient in many countries such as Ethiopian cuisine. Look for fenugreek (methi) in stores that sell Indian cooking ingredients or even in a well-stocked grocery store. Thanks, but it’s very rare in shops! Many recipes, including recipes for Chinese and Indian dishes, call for ground fennel seed as a spice. The leaves help to balance spicy, peppery flavors, with a similar leafy taste to celery flakes. The taste of maple syrup and fenugreek are almost the same because the two share the same chemical compound called sotolone. In powdered form, fenugreek is one of the main ingredients of curry powders. You can also sprinkle it on yogurt and other dishes for added flavor. At least now you know there's a good substitute if ⦠LEARN MORE. I have tried this fenugreek substitute in cooking many dishes, it has a great flavor, and I think it can be a great replacement as well, but only use a small number of mustard seeds as they are very overpowering. I still remember that there were many similarities between their taste and that of fenugreek. If you know other substitutes, please share them in a comment. More... 10 Incredible Fennel Seed Substitutes - #5 Will Blow Your Mind. While the ground/seeds of fenugreek and leaves are from the same plant (like coriander seeds and fresh cilantro), they have different tastes and textures in cooking. I feel that using it alone at the end of your dishes is going to do the trick and is largely going to overpower their aromas with the distinctive fenugreek taste more. However, this substitution will not work if you do not have fenugreek seeds, as spinach leaves are going to be overwhelming, the best thing I’ve found is to grind some fenugreek seeds and add them while the spinach leaves are cooking. Make your own fenugreek powder instead of buying the pre-ground powder, if possible. While the ground/seeds of fenugreek and leaves are from the same plant (like coriander seeds and fresh cilantro), they have different tastes and textures in cooking. The results are guaranteed to be satisfactory. In India, this plant creates an aromatic dish with tasteful flavor. “Sotolon is the major aroma and flavor … of fenugreek … It is also present in molasses, aged rum, aged sake and white wine, flor sherry, roast tobacco…”. Fennel seeds work best for meat rubbing spices. But if you taste fenugreek on its own, it’s absolutely not spicy; it resembles the taste of very strong celery drizzled with maple syrup. ⦠Start cooking new dishes with our monthly spice subscription. I have managed to get some ground fenugreek from Penzey's spices that I use as a substitue for seasoning purposes. Here are the fenugreek seeds I buy, they are excellent, CLICK HERE! Take note that the Masala variety has a stronger pungent spice of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, as compared to regular curry powder. Are you looking for a good substitute for fenugreek in your recipe? Please check your email for further instructions. However, be careful; maple syrup tastes very sweet, so if you are making a salty dish or anything spicy, it will change the way your food taste. Best fenugreek substitutes are yellow mustard seeds, masala curry powder, maple syrup or burnt brown sugar. Both fenugreek and maple syrup share a common chemical compound called sotolone as mentioned before, it’s the one responsible for the distinctive fenugreek and maple syrup aroma. I am obsessed with all things food! I asked myself this question over and over when I first started using fenugreek in my dishes; I thought that both had the same effects on my cooking, well, I was completely wrong. In fact, fenugreek seeds are often toasted and ground up with other spices for use in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Fenugreek (Kasuri Methi) is short, upright plant (related to spinach) with oval leaves. Fenugreek stimulates the production of mucosal fluids. They are related plants. Many people use this alternative with a bit of maple syrup to complete the palate. Recipe Marker provides you with the best information about home cooking tips, recipes, ingredient substitutes and more. Stephiii/iStock/Getty Images. Fenugreek powder, also known as methi, is a spice grounded from the seeds of the fenugreek plant. While buying the powder does eliminate the work of grinding the seeds, fenugreek will lose its flavor quickly after being ground. This helps to reduce the aromas of other spices in fenugreek. Still, for now, I’m going to reveal to you the most important fenugreek seeds substitutes you can use that are available yearlong and can give you a similar taste to that of fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek is widely used in different cuisines, for example, Indian cuisine relies a lot on fenugreek especially in making spice blends such as garam masala or curry. For a spice mix alternative, you can try Chinese celery leaves. ground seeds . Mustard Greens. The annual fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L), widely used as a medicinal plant, animal forage and culinary additive, grows native in Asia and southern Europe. Fenugreek is a natural source of iron, silicon, sodium and thiamine. However, it is a good option for a ⦠Fenugreek powder is a fun addition to an Indian dish, or can be used to spice up a tea. Curry powder is a mixture of several ingredients like powdered fenugreek seeds, coriander, turmeric, ground cumin, ground cloves, and other natural spices. ... Add 2 pinches ground fenugreek, 2 pinches licorice root, 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds. Maple Syrup. Although they are sweeter, the fact that they replicate the nutty and sweet taste of fenugreek goes a long way in the kitchen. In India, roasted ground fenugreek seeds seeds are infused for a coffee substitute or added with flour to make bread. You can also use them as suggested in this post: https://rawspicebar.com/blogs/spices-101/fenugreek-substitute , by adding a pinch of maple syrup. Maple Syrup is a great substitute for Fenugreek! Using Fenugreek Powder on Your Skin Mix fenugreek powder into water to make a face wash. ⦠This vegetable isnât higher on the list because it isnât as common or ⦠If you are making butter chicken, for example, it will be a great idea to add the curry powder first and to cook it a little bit with olive oil. Maple Syrup. The capsules themselves are made from pullulan, a plant-derived compound, and aside from that, there are zero additional ingredients in this supplement. Due to the presence of ground fenugreek seed, this spice mix may bring a similar flavor in a dish that calls for it. Copyright © 2020 Recipemarker.com | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms | Contact. Kasoori methi is sun-dried fenugreek* leaves (Trigonella Foenum Graecum).They are used in Indian cooking and taste similar to a combination of celery and fennel with a slightly bitter bite. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional.
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Home›Op-Ed›Disinvesting from our future
Disinvesting from our future
So much budget talk, and not a student in sight./ Alec Salloum
In cutting off student cheques, the Sask. government undermines province’s prosperity.
Author: Sonia Stanger
The changes made to the Graduate Retention Program in the last provincial budget are bad news for Saskatchewan students. On Mar. 18, 2015, the government announced that the program would be changed from a fixed and automatic tax rebate, regardless of income level, to a non-refundable tax credit model. This means instead of automatically receiving a cheque to rebate money spent on tuition with their tax return, graduates will have to be making enough to pay income tax before receiving the credit.
As it happens, a student with no children would have to be making $36,000 to be eligible to receive money back. Likewise, a student with children has to make $55,000 annually to meet the threshold. These are the figures the provincial government came out with to explain their changes. Luckily, it is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone gets a great-paying job right out of school. Right?
The government says that because of the economic growth that the province has seen, the change shouldn’t impact many grads, as jobs are so widely available. This seems like a flimsy generalization to me. A single mother is certainly not going to find herself making $60,000 in the years immediately following graduation. I have friends who have been working in the private sector for years and still don’t make the threshold. I am graduating this year and will have a full-time job as of May. But I will still likely not make enough to qualify for the non-refundable version of the tax credit for a few years. Once I start receiving the credit, I’ll already be established and straights won’t be as dire as I’m sure they will be come next tax season.
This difference between the rebate and the non-refundable credit makes a huge difference to students in their first few years out of school. I talked to many friends who have graduated in the past five years and every one said that the rebate they received was a lifesaver and a big incentive to stay in Saskatchewan. The reality is that a non-refundable tax credit just isn’t as much of an incentive.
The Wall government estimates that this change will save $33.5 million in the short term. Part of these savings comes from the fact that those whose incomes don’t qualify for tax payments won’t get the full $20,000 amount, despite now having three more years to do so. And the idea that the Sask. Party is once again cutting costs at the expense of students leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For years, the rhetoric that we’ve heard from this government has been one of growth and prosperity; our province supposedly has an economic boom. And yet, not only did students receive this bad news on budget day, but the government also revealed that universities would also only be receiving a one per cent funding increase. This can only mean one thing: a ferocious tuition increase, the latest in a several-year trend of skyrocketing tuition.
The cost of oil is down, and that has affected our province’s revenue. But why does it always seem to be the least wealthy who are forced to pay when austerity becomes the name of the game? Brad Wall’s Sask. Party have fettered away all of the province’s money and, according to CTV News, racked up over $13 billion in provincial debt; this almost matches Grant Devine’s amount. And now, shamefully, students are paying for it. Students and young workers are vital to a healthy economy and society. Without incentives like the original iteration of the GRP, why should young people want to stay in a place where housing is increasingly expensive and the job market is increasingly competitive? Saskatchewan’s students deserve encouragement and support from their government, not the cold shoulder.
To anyone who feels jilted by the way the provincial government treats us young folks, I would remind you that there is a provincial election this year. The Wall government is counting on the traditionally low voter turnout among young people that you won’t show up to vote. Let’s prove them wrong, and show them that we will not be ignored and shorted.
TagsBrad WallEconomicsGraduatesGrant DevinepoliticsProvincialSask PartystudentsTaxationU of R
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Broadway Blessing
I'll be performing an excerpt from Beyond the Chariots, about Olympic champion Eric Liddell at this year's Broadway Blessing, in anticipation of performances during the Winter Olympics.
Posted by Rich Swingle at 7/26/2013 09:28:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Beyond the Chariots, Olympics
Art Invites us to the Promised Land
Dick Ryan of InterVarsity preached at the MasterWorks Festival one Sunday morning. He challenged us to consider our God-given gifts, artistic as well as spiritual. He challenged us to embrace and hone our gifts. He dipped into Exodus 31:1-11, the first time the phrase, "I have filled them with my Spirit," about the artists Bezalel and Oholiab. Also, he had us consider Exodus 28:1-2 describing how a costumer brought his beauty and glory through what the priests wore. He said sometimes when art is right we see a glimpse of Heaven, a sliver of our future. Then he used Exodus 25:1-9 to show how God asked the people to bring what they had: Give me your gifts and I'll show you how to create a place for us to dwell together. Give your gifts to Him, and He'll create a place of beauty where He dwells. He challenged us to give our gifts to God, inviting Him to dwell with us. What we get in return is not rules, but freedom to do all He's called us to do. The golden calf, though beautiful, was dead art. God wants us to have living art that will draw people to the Promised Land.
Labels: MasterWorks
Joyce's report on MasterWorks
Pastor Linda Warren prayed over Joyce and I this morning: For refreshing from our full schedules at MasterWorks and for upcoming projects, including Polycarp, the film in which I'll be performing on Tuesday, and for the trip we're leading to Russia during the Winter Olympics. Joyce also gave her report from The MasterWorks Festival. Rich's report on MasterWorks can be found here.
Afterward Pastor Linda preaches on Matthew 6:19-24. Bill H. opens.
This service is available for download free on iTunes, where you can also subscribe to our podcast. Search for "Westchester Chapel" on the iTunes Store.
WCCC Worship 7/21/13 by RichS on Grooveshark
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Fifteen years of MasterWorks Theatre
[To share this page, send people to RichDrama.com/MWF.]
This year marked the fifteenth year of the MasterWorks Festival theatre program, and we celebrated with our second trip to New York City!
Our play, Twelve Angry Jurors, allowed cast members to stay in character every second of the show. We set it in the round so audience members felt like they were right in the jury room.
Patricia Mauceri (Juilliard trained, she's shared the stage and screen with Johnny Depp, James Earl Jones, Christopher Plummer and many others) returned for her ninth consecutive year to co-direct the play. She was also on the directing team for The Cross and the Switchblade, which we saw at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, a Broadway house now run by Times Square Church.
Susan Somerville Brown (CATS on Broadway) returned to our faculty after taking a year off for her family. Her ebullient personality had our whole company bubbling over once again.
Our MasterClass instructors were led by Muse Watson, who has 82 titles in his filmography. He was a regular on NCIS, the number one television show in America, and performed with me in A Christmas Snow, which was why he was kind enough to coach our actors via teleconference. After he was done he said, "I saw more talent in the last 45 minutes than I have in the last month in Hollywood."
Next was Roger Nelson, who performed much of The Confession of St. Patrick during a Sunday morning service. During the faculty recital that night he performed a brief excerpt from The Man from Aldersgate, about John Wesley. Roger was the second person I ever saw perform a one-man play. The first was Curt Cloninger, who was a MasterClass instructor a couple of years ago. I saw Roger perform Aldersgate in Vancouver, BC, at a Christians in Theatre Arts event, and that performance was one of the things that tipped the scales for me deciding to move to NYC. Then, once I'd moved there, Roger performed St. Patrick in NYC and let me shadow him through the prep and teardown process. He answered all my questions and told me what year it was that he became a full-time actor. He inspired me to quit my day job, and now I haven't had a 9-5 since '95, and I've never looked back! It's my prayer that his performances, his clear presentation of the Gospel (one student said all the music that came after his presentation of the Gospel had a deeper meaning for her), and his testimony and MasterClass coaching will inspire a new generation of actors for Christ.
After our performances in Winona Lake, IN, where the Festival takes place, we hit the road for performances in Bethel Park, PA. We warmed up that morning overlooking Pittsburgh.
The morning after arriving in NYC we had breakfast with over a dozen professionals in the media and performing arts, most of whom were members of Mastermedia. Among them were actress Shannon Moore and Faith Reel, Director of Admissions and Outreach for Actors, Models & Talent for Christ. The professionals introduced themselves, and then we opened it up to questions from our students. They spoke mostly about what it's like to live and work as a Christian in this city and industry both known for being tolerant of everything but Christianity. My sense was that the professionals came away as encouraged as the students, hearing story after story of God working in the lives and careers of those who put Him first.
That night we put together a unique evening of entertainment. Our students opened with some comedy improv, followed by Jeannie Ortega, a singer who used to open for Rihanna. Jeannie wove her testimony into a beautiful concert, and after she was finished our students did an enacted praise and prayer for how the Lord worked in her life and will continue to work through her to bless many. After a brief intermission Broadway performer Stephen Trafton performed the Book of Philippians. The way he set it up and delivered it was masterful. Afterward we did an enacted prayer showing the Lord how we'd like him to continue to use Stephen's gifts and the letter from two millennia ago to impact the world today.
You can hear our reports about MasterWorks at our home church, Westchester Chapel, below:
Here's what some of our students said about the program this year:
I must say MasterWorks was so amazing and life changing. I gained awesome new friends, grew in my acting, learned a ton, got to perform Off-Broadway in the city I've always wanted to go to, and most importantly I grew closer to God in ways I never imagined. Definitely the best four weeks of my life so far.--Christina Doerr Lafayette, IN
When I was going to come to MasterWorks, I was expecting either very strong Christians, or fabulous actors. I never expected to receive both!--Cody Arn Bryan, TX
We’ve been pleased to watch our students get into well-respected acting programs like the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Biola University, Regent University, Belhaven University, Gordon College, Azusa Pacific University, University of Southern California, the American Shakespeare Center, Media Village in South Africa, Melbourne’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Academy of Art University's School of Acting, Stella Adler Studio (where another alumna teaches), Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the list keeps growing.
I’m thrilled that we’ll be heading back to New York next summer!
Watch MasterWorksFestival.org/theatre.html to see when applications can be accepted, and sign up for updates at RichDrama.com/Updates. Posters are already printed, so order yours today: MasterWorksFestival.org.
For a report from last year's program, click here.
Posted by Rich Swingle at 7/21/2013 12:52:00 AM No comments:
Labels: Indiana, MasterWorks, New York, Pennsylvania
Polycarp
I'm thrilled to have played the role of a slave auctioneer in the film Polycarp: Destroyer of Gods. It follows the story of Polycarp, who ministered alongside the Apostle John, who's story I tell in my one-man play The Revelation. I'm actually thrilled to play someone involved in the slave trade, because I pray it will bring greater awareness of the realities of the modern human trafficking. Another of my one-man plays tells the story of John Woolman, a Quaker who spoke against slavery a century before the Civil War: A Clear Leading.
The film's world premiere was February 20, 2015, at the Creation Museum. It's now available to be screened in churches. Click here to register to show it at your church. And you can now find it in Christian bookstores nationwide and can order it online at www.HenlineProductions.com.
ChristianCinema.com posted a thoughtful review of the film: Polycarp: Exposing the Vanity of Fear.
The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a great article on the Henlines and how Joe and Jerica, and later this film, came to be: "Local pair produce award-winning feature film."
The film received the "Family-Approved" and "Faith-Friendly" seals from The Dove Foundation. You can read their review here: Polycarp.
Polycarp won the Best Feature, Audience Choice, Best Original Music Score, and Runner Up for Best Gospel Presentation at the 2015 Christian Worldview Film Festival. At the International Christian Film Festival Gary Nation won Best Actor in a Feature Film for his portrayal of Polycarp.
Mary Smit (Mom's Night Out, Princess Cut, Courageous, Fireproof, Facing the Giants) is treating Rich Swingle's teeth.
Photo by Courtney Vetter, © Copyright 2013, Henline Productions, used by permission.
Here's Indy Christian Review's take on the film. I got to reprise the role of the slave trader in the opening sequence, filmed at The Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Read why that was so great for our students here.
Posted by Rich Swingle at 7/18/2013 03:04:00 PM 4 comments:
Labels: Garry Nation, movie recommendations, Nato Jacobson, Ohio
Treasure in Heaven or Treasure on Earth
Pastor Jim Warren preached on Matthew 6:19-24. Rich Swingle brought the MasterWorks theatre department to the service after they closed Twelve Angry Jurors in an Off-Broadway theatre. They all sang in the service, led by Robyn Haley. Josh Knox performed excerpts from Freud's Last Session with Rich. The piece shows an imaginary conversation between CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud. After their performance (not included in the recording due to copyright restrictions) Rich talks about how he and Josh performed it the night before for one of Rich's grad school professors, Eric Bentley, who had CS Lewis as his advisor at Oxford. He met with Lewis for an hour every week.
Labels: Westchester Chapel
We closed in Winona Lake
I wept at our curtain call of Twelve Angry Jurors because our cast did such a great job! Now we're heading to Bethel Park, PA, where we'll perform tomorrow night. Then we're off to NYC for performances in an Off-Broadway theatre: www.RichDrama.com/Schedule. If you're anywhere close you shouldn't miss them! Our MasterClass instructor Muse Watson (NCIS) said, after coaching our students, "I've seen more talent in the last 45 minutes than I've seen in Hollywood in the last month."
We took a team of performing artists to Sochi, Russia, during the Winter Olympics!
Watch our performance and read about why we chose the piece at www.WhoistheFish.com.
You can see more photos here.
Here's a report the organizers sent out...
Engage Sochi partners and friends -
We have just finished working through all of the contact sheets for the Engage Sochi project and have been crunching the numbers. As you know, it was our goal that Engage Sochi would be primarily about church planting, specifically in the host city of Sochi. And, the goal of this phase of the project was to generate new contacts so that IMB church planters in Sochi could follow-up and host events that will draw these new people into English Clubs, Bible studies, etc. While statistics do not always paint a complete picture, I think that you can see that the goal was achieved.
Through February and March we hosted approximately 230 volunteers, 14 IMB personnel, and 2 MKs. We estimate that the combined group distributed between 17,000-17,500 evangelism pins.
During the Olympic period, we saw 5 people make professions of faith!
The group recorded approximately 400 individual contacts, some of which did not contain enough information for church planters to be able to make follow-up contact, so 371 contacts.Of those contacts, 94 percent of the people came from Russia. Of that 94-percent, 47-percent (164 people) were from Sochi; 33-percent (115 people) were from European Russia. Siberia and the Far East each had 3-percent of the contacts. And 14-percent (50 people) gave contact information but did not include from which city the contact came.
Six-percent of the contacts came from countries outside of Russia and included: Kazakstan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Australia, Latvia, England, Spain, France, Turkey, Canada, and Japan.
Kellye reports "Every one of these folks was interested in being contacted, especially about English clubs. But reading the stories was a holy experience, as time and time again, people were interested in how God is at work in the lives of His people. I have cried some tears of real joy. To God be the glory--great things He has done!!"
Thanks to each of you for the role you played in making this project possible. It has been exciting to see God’s hand at work through this entire project and know that there is much more fruit that will come to bear as a result of the Engage Sochi project.
Two of those five professions of faith came through our team, one of dozens! One profession of faith happened while a Ukrainian-American on our team was shopping for Olympic gear and a Ukrainian agreed to pray with her. The second was when we stopped for dinner. I bought some glow-in-the-dark helicopters for my nephews...and me, and I told the Ukrainian-American in our group that the fellow who sold me the helicopters is Ukrainian. She wanted to grab food before I introduced her to the young man, but as we walked to the restaurant a glow-in-the-dark helicopter landed on her purse! That same young man came running up to apologize, so I introduced him to our Ukrainian-American friend! She said, in Ukrainian, "We're praying for the Ukraine." Kiev was under attack by Russia at the time, so when he heard those words in his native tongue he burst into tears. He said that his grandmother taught him about God, but she died. I told him the Lord sent us to him to teach him more about God. While we were leading him in a prayer to give his life to the Lord one of his friends came running up to us, but the young man waved him away. He was doing serious business.
Between the two of us, Joyce and I have been to Lillehammer, Barcelona, Beijing, Vancouver, Singapore, London, and now Sochi during the Olympics or Youth Olympics. In London we counted people from 30 nations from all inhabited continents that we spoke to after my performances in those cities.
Labels: Olympics, Russia
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WGBH Boston Selects Convio for Stronger Constituent Relationships and Increased Fundraising
Leading Public Broadcasting Producer Will Use Convio Internet Tools to Help Build Loyalty and Communicate More Effectively With Supporters
Austin, Texas (October 2, 2006) —
WGBH Boston, one of the nation's preeminent public broadcasting producers and the source of one-third of PBS's primetime lineup, has selected Convio Internet tools to help strengthen relationships with the station's viewers and listeners, cultivate new supporters and accelerate online giving.
Convio is the leading provider of online constituent relationship management solutions (eCRM) for nonprofits and works with many of the country's elite public broadcasting stations. The company's on-demand software and services help organizations use the Internet for developing strong constituent relationships that drive fundraising and other forms of mission-critical support.
WGBH will use Convio to help strengthen the station's fundraising program and increase membership. The station will use Convio tools to easily create customized online donation forms to help drive more targeted marketing and fundraising campaigns. Personalized, more targeted communications help engage supporters, increase loyalty, generate more effective membership drives and encourage giving.
"While our station has always had what we consider strong fundraising and marketing programs, we realize that an opportunity still existed to improve our use of the Internet to better serve our supporters and increase our membership support," said Roberta MacCarthy, Senior Director of Marketing and Development, WGBH. "Convio provides us with the right tools to accomplish this. WGBH looks forward to using the online channel in new and creative ways to provide more services to our members while building valuable relationships with them."
WGBH also will be using real-time integration technology jointly developed by Convio and Target Software to help the station conduct more effective integrated marketing campaigns.
"WGBH Boston is demonstrating its leadership in the public broadcasting market by implementing a strong Internet strategy to support the station's communications and fundraising programs," said Gene Austin, CEO, Convio. "By leveraging Convio's market-leading online tools, the station is better positioning itself to drive stronger and ongoing support from its viewers, listeners and donors."
In addition to WGBH, Convio works with a growing list of public television and radio customers including Thirteen/WNET New York, Chicago Public Radio, KCET Community Television of Southern California, KCRW in Santa Monica, KPBS in San Diego, Austin's KUT and KLRU, KUHF/Houston Public Radio, Houston PBS and Oregon Public Broadcasting.
About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of fully one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup, along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle shows and children's programs and many public radio favorites. WGBH is the number one producer of Web sites on pbs.org, one of the most trafficked dot-org Web sites in the world. WGBH is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards…even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH was honored with a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of excellence. For more information visit http://www.wgbh.org/.
Convio is the leading provider of on-demand software and services to help nonprofits use the Internet strategically to build strong relationships with constituents for driving fundraising, advocacy and other forms of support. Convio has online solutions for fundraising, advocacy, Web content management, event fundraising, ecommerce and email communications. All solutions include the Constituent360™ platform, a sophisticated, online marketing database that centralizes constituent data and integrates with offline databases.
Convio has been named one of the fastest growing private companies in the nation by Inc. magazine. In addition to WGBH and many other public broadcast customers, Convio's clients include American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, AVON Foundation, Easter Seals, Farm Aid, Hackensack University Medical Center, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Trust For Historic Preservation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please visit www.convio.com.
WGBH Boston Selects Convio for Stronger Constituent Relationships and Increased Fundraising | Convio
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Appeal of DAN BONANNO from action of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York regarding the selection of a school principal.
Hon. Paul A. Crotty, Corporation Counsel, attorney for respondent, Daniel S. Feder, Esq., of counsel
SOBOL, Commissioner.--Petitioner appeals the decision of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York ("respondent") to appoint Marc Harris as principal of a school within the district. The appeal must be dismissed.
The Regulations of the Chancellor of the New York City schools establish a three level process for the selection of school principals within a community school district. Level I is a committee comprised of the community superintendent or designee (who acts as a non-voting chairperson), a supervisor, two teachers from the school and between six to ten parents of students attending the school. Level II is the community superintendent who recommends at least two candidates to Level III. Level III is composed of the community school board which considers the Level II recommendations, has discretion to interview those candidates and ultimately selects one for appointment.
Community School District No. 31's Office of Equal Opportunity ("OEO") directed the chairpeople of all Level I committees to interview up to fifteen candidates, in lieu of the ten specified in the Chancellor's regulations. On February 7, 1992, the Level I committee agreed to interview ten candidates. That committee later added four additional candidates, including Marc Harris. After the interviews, five candidates, including Mr. Harris, were recommended to Level II. The superintendent at Level II then recommended two candidates, Mr. Harris and Ms. Fonallosa, to the community board for Level III action.
On February 28, 1992, a member of the Level I committee contacted three members of the Level III committee. On March 9, 1992, a majority of the Level III committee selected Mr. Harris as the candidate for principal. Responding to a complaint that a Level I member attempted to improperly influence the Level III decision, respondent directed its Office of Special Investigations ("OSI") to investigate the allegations of impropriety. On April 14, 1992, after interviewing all community school board members, OSI concluded only three members had been contacted and that the contact did not influence their decision to recommend Mr. Harris for the position. On April 23, 1992, then New York City Chancellor Joseph Fernandez denied a grievance filed by two parent members from the Level I committee challenging the selection process.
On July 27, 1992, petitioner appealed Chancellor Fernandez's decision to the community school board. On October 16, 1992, the appeal panel of the community school board directed the OEO to conduct an investigation into petitioner's discrimination complaint. On November 19, 1992, the OEO report concluded that the selection process did not appear discriminatory. On April 14, 1993, the community school board issued an interim decision, highlighting deficiencies in the selection process. In its report of the decision, the board specifically ordered that the Level I committee member who contacted the Level III board members be prohibited from participating in any selection processes for three years and that the ISO be informed of two board members' failure to report the contact. The report also recommended that the Chancellor issue a letter of censure against a Level III board member found to have made inappropriate remarks. The report further recommended amending the Chancellor's regulations to prevent future abuses. However, the report did not find the improprieties sufficient to void the selection process. Instead, the report ordered the matter remanded to the Chancellor to determine what would be in the best interests of the students and whether Mr. Harris' selection should be voided.
On April 26, 1993, the Chancellor found that since Mr. Harris had been serving in the position for more than a year, the voiding of his appointment would be detrimental to the students. On September 22, 1993, the board upheld the Chancellor's decision allowing Mr. Harris to retain his appointment. This appeal ensued.
Petitioner seeks to have me declare the selection process null and void. Respondent contends that although it is clear the process was flawed, it did not affect the outcome. Respondent further urges that since the determination not to invalidate the appointment was not arbitrary and capricious, it should not be set aside.
As a threshold matter, the appeal must be dismissed because petitioner has failed to join Mr. Harris, the individual appointed as principal, as a necessary party. A party whose rights would be adversely affected by a determination of an appeal in favor of petitioner must be joined as a necessary party (Appeal of Chaney, 33 Ed Dept Rep 12; Appeal of Basile, 32 id. 330; Appeal of Osterman, 30 id. 290; Appeal of Como, 30 id. 214; Appeal of Fitzpatrick, 30 id. 124; Appeal of Giglia, et al., 27 id. 453). Petitioner alleges that Ms. Fonallosa rather than Mr. Harris should be the principal at P.S. 4. If petitioner prevails, Mr. Harris' appointment would be voided. Therefore, the appeal must be dismissed for failure to join Mr. Harris as a necessary party.
Even if the appeal were not dismissed on procedural grounds, I would dismiss it on the merits. I will not substitute my judgment for the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York when the board sits as an appeal board, unless the challenged decision is arbitrary, capricious or in some manner contrary to law or the dictates of sound educational policy (Matter of Boards of Education of Community School District 25 and 26, 23 Ed Dept Rep 298). The record reflects that respondent has thoroughly investigated petitioner's allegations that the selection process was tainted and that Mr. Harris is therefore not the appropriate candidate for the position. The ISO investigated the complaints alleging inappropriate contact of Level III committee members and concluded that such contact occurred. They further concluded, however, that this contact did not involve the majority of the committee or affect its decision. This conclusion was subsequently supported by the Chancellor. Finally, the improper conduct was not ignored. The record reflects that action has been taken to discipline the individual involved in the improper conduct. Furthermore, recommendations for modifying the selection process have also been made. Additionally, the record reflects that the Level I committee was authorized to interview more than ten candidates. Clearly, then, the subsequent referral of Mr. Harris to Level II was not improper, and his final selection at Level III was likewise authorized.
Because the selection process was not inherently flawed and action was taken regarding specific improprieties, respondent's action can hardly be deemed arbitrary or capricious merely because it was not the specific result sought by petitioner.
I have reviewed petitioner's other claims and find them without merit.
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Appeal of J.B., on behalf of his children, from action of the Board of Education of the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District regarding residency and transportation.
Ferrara Fiorenza PC, attorneys for respondent, Colleen W. Heinrich, Esq., of counsel
Berlin, Acting Commissioner.--Petitioner challenges the determination of the Board of Education of the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District (“respondent”) that his children (the “students”) are not eligible to attend the district’s schools tuition-free or receive transportation pursuant to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 USC §11431 et seq., “McKinney-Vento”). The appeal must be dismissed.
The students were enrolled in respondent’s district on or about August 27, 2012. On or about December 19, 2015, petitioner informed the district that he had moved to his mother’s house in Farmington, New York (the “Farmington address”), which is located in the Victor Central School District, due to “relationship issues.” Petitioner further indicated that his mother resided at the Farmington address and that the family would be sharing the house with her. Respondent subsequently deemed the students homeless and allowed them to continue to attend its schools.
In spring 2016, a bus driver informed the district’s homeless liaison that, contrary to petitioner’s assertions, petitioner and the students lived alone at the Farmington address. The homeless liaison attempted to contact petitioner in July and August 2016, but petitioner “was not responsive.”[1]
The record indicates that, in early September 2016, petitioner informed the homeless liaison that he and the students continued to reside at the Farmington address. Petitioner indicated that his mother resided in Florida for several months each year but otherwise resided at the Farmington address.[2] Petitioner further indicated that he financially contributes to the household and that he planned to return to the district, but stated that he had not made efforts to do so since December 2015.
On an unspecified date, the homeless liaison spoke with petitioner’s mother, who stated that she spends six months of each year in Florida.
In a letter dated September 23, 2016, respondent’s superintendent informed petitioner of her determination that the students were not homeless and, accordingly, not entitled to attend respondent’s schools tuition-free. This appeal ensued.
Petitioner alleges that he and the students are currently homeless as defined by McKinney-Vento because the students are “[l]iving with their father and grandmother in [their] grandmother’s home.” Petitioner further asserts that he is a “current student and single father” and that he and the students became homeless due to “an unheathy [sic] living environment and financial hardships.” Petitioner requests a finding that the students are homeless and, thus, entitled to attend respondent’s schools tuition-free and receive transportation.
Respondent contends that petitioner has failed to demonstrate that he and the students are homeless within the meaning of McKinney-Vento. Respondent specifically argues that petitioner has failed to prove that the Farmington address is inadequate, temporary or transitional.
At all times relevant to this appeal, Education Law §3209(1)(a) defined “homeless child” as:
(iv)awaiting foster care placement;[3] or
(ii)a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings....
Here, petitioner has failed to meet his burden of proving that the students are homeless under State or federal law. Although petitioner indicates that he is a “current student and single father” and that he left the in-district residence due to “relationship issues,” an unhealthy living environment and “financial hardships,” there is no evidence in the record explaining these vague and conclusory statements.[4] Therefore, petitioner has not shown that they are sharing the housing of others due to a loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason which would render the students homeless within the meaning of McKinney-Vento and State law (see Appeals of V.C.B., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 17,038; Appeal of E.M.F., 53 id., Decision No. 16,538).
Petitioner has also failed to demonstrate that the students lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. The record shows that the students have resided at the Farmington address since December 2015. The record contains no further evidence about the Farmington address, and petitioner does not allege that it is inadequate. Therefore, on this record, petitioner has not met his burden of proving that the Farmington address is not fixed, regular and adequate (see e.g. Appeal of D.W., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,924).
Finally, there is no evidence in the record that petitioner and the students’ residence is temporary or transitional. Petitioner and the students have resided at the Farmington address since December 2015 and the record contains no evidence that petitioner or the students need to vacate their current residence or that there is a fixed time limit as to how long they may remain (see Appeals of S.R., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,987; Appeal of A.N.Z., 53 id., Decision No. 16,537; Appeal of a Student with a Disability, 52 id., Decision 16,404).
Although the appeal must be dismissed for the reasons described above, I note that petitioner has the right to reapply for admission on behalf of his children at any time should circumstances change and to submit any documentary evidence for respondent’s consideration.
[1] It is unclear from the record whether or to what extent the homeless liaison was able to contact petitioner during this time period.
[2] In a September 23, 2016 letter, the superintendent indicated that petitioner informed her that his mother spends five months per year in Florida. However, in a sworn statement submitted in support of its answer, the superintendent states that petitioner informed her that his mother “is purportedly in Florida three (3) months each year.”
[3] Effective December 10, 2016, children or youth awaiting foster care placement are no longer included in the definition of “homeless children and youths” under McKinney-Vento, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (42 USC §11434a). Effective April 20, 2017, children or youth awaiting foster care placement are no longer included in the definition of “homeless child” in Education Law §3209(1)(a), as amended by Part C of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2017. However, those changes are not relevant to a determination in this appeal.
[4] Moreover, I note that proof of economic hardship, in and of itself, is not sufficient to establish homelessness (Appeal of T.J.G. and D.G., 54 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,652; Appeal of G.S. and M.S., 52 id., Decision No. 16,388; Appeal of J.B., 50 id., Decision No. 16,221).
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Appeal of S.Y., on behalf of her children, from action of the Board of Education of the Commack Union Free School District regarding residency and transportation.
(August 8, 2017)
Lamb & Barnosky, LLP, attorneys for respondent, Mara N. Harvey, Esq., of counsel
ELIA, Commissioner.--Petitioner appeals the determination of the Board of Education of the Commack Union Free School District (“respondent”) that her two children (“the students”), are not homeless within the meaning of the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 USC §11431 et seq.) (“McKinney-Vento”) and are, therefore, not entitled to attend the district’s schools or receive transportation. The appeal must be dismissed.
The petition asserts that the students have been living within respondent’s district for seven years. Petitioner asserts that she was forced to leave her apartment (the “in-district address”) because of multiple instances of stalking and harassment by strangers beginning in early October 2016. Thereafter, she moved into and “doubled up” in her parent’s home (the “out-of-district address”) for an unknown period of time. Petitioner claims that returning to the in-district address is not feasible because an alleged stalker lives nearby, the rent has since been raised beyond her financial abilities, and her hours at work have been reduced to only eight hours a week.
Apparently, sometime in January of 2017, respondent’s Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Business (“assistant superintendent”) learned that petitioner may not be living within the district, and conducted an investigation. The district learned that petitioner moved out of her in-district address on December 1, 2016, and surveillance of petitioner was conducted by respondent. Petitioner was notified by letter dated January 13, 2017 that the students were no longer legal residents of the district and that petitioner had until January 19, 2017 to submit additional information. Having received no additional information, by letter dated January 20, 2017, petitioner was notified that the students were deemed non-residents, effective on or about January 30, 2017.
Apparently, petitioner never responded to the January 20, 2017 letter, but on January 29, 2017, petitioner contacted the assistant superintendent and was reminded of the above determination and that petitioner should enroll the students in the school district serving the out-of-district address. No further response was received by the assistant superintendent. On January 31, 2017, in response to an email from one of her children’s school principals reminding petitioner that she should not send her child to the school the next day, petitioner responded that she “was not aware why this schould [sic] have been an issue when our place is in reno.”[1]
On February 2, 2017, petitioner re-registered the students with respondent’s schools, asserting for the first time that they are homeless. Respondent asserts that petitioner also stated that she moved out of the in-district address because she was afraid and because renovations made at her apartment complex made the rent exorbitant. The students were re-enrolled in respondent’s schools based on the assertion of homelessness. By letter dated February 13, 2017, respondent determined that the students were not homeless as defined under McKinney-Vento and New York State Education Law §3209. Furthermore, respondent stated that petitioner provided no information to support the assertion that she is homeless or that her residing in the out-of-district address was temporary in nature, and this determination would go into effect on March 30, 2017. This appeal ensued.[2]
Petitioner asserts that she and the students are homeless because they lack a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence and are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing and economic hardship or similar reason, as summarized above. Specifically, petitioner asserts that she lost her housing within the district, and that she and her children are temporarily residing with her parents (the students’ grandparents) outside of respondent’s district.
Respondent asserts that petitioner has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, and that petitioner and her children do not meet the definition of homeless pursuant to McKinney-Vento under State or federal law. Specifically, respondent contends that the students do not meet the definition of a homeless child because they are not temporarily housed as defined by McKinney-Vento. Respondent further contends that petitioner has not provided any evidence that the residence is inadequate, temporary or transitional. Respondent also notes that petitioner raised homelessness as a claim only after the district’s January 20, 2017 determination that the students are not district residents.
I must first address a procedural issue. In a submission dated June 12, 2017, petitioner requests consideration of additional documents. Additional affidavits, exhibits and other supporting papers may only be submitted with the prior permission of the Commissioner (8 NYCRR §276.5). While this provision permits the submission of additional evidence, it cannot be used to add new claims against a respondent for which notice has not been provided (Appeals of Gonzalez, 48 Ed Dept Rep 405, Decision No. 15,898; Appeal of Marquette, et al., 48 id. 193, Decision No. 15,833). I will not accept materials that raise new issues and introduce new exhibits that are not relevant to the claims originally raised in the appeal (Appeals of Gonzalez, 48 Ed Dept Rep 405, Decision No. 15,898; Appeal of Marquette, et al., 48 id. 193, Decision No. 15,833). Respondent raises no objection to these submissions. Therefore, while I have reviewed these additional submissions, I have not considered those portions containing new allegations or exhibits that are not responsive to new material or affirmative defenses set forth in the answer.
Turning to the merits, at all times relevant to this appeal, Education Law §3209(1)(a) defined “homeless child” as:
(iv)awaiting foster care placement[3]; or
(ii)a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings ...
Based on the record before me, I find that petitioner has failed to meet her burden to establish that the students are homeless under State or federal law. The record indicates that petitioner moved out of her in-district address in December 2016, approximately two months after the alleged stalkings and harassments began and also before her hours of employment were reduced in January 2017. The record further indicates that, subsequent to leaving the in-district apartment, petitioner and her two children moved into the home of petitioner’s parents outside of respondent’s district. While petitioner refers to being “doubled up” at her parent’s house and not having the “freedom like in your own home,” the petition does not include any description of the students’ current living arrangement and petitioner has provided no evidence that such residence is inadequate. Thus, petitioner has not met her burden of proving that the students lack a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence (see Appeals of S.R., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,987; Appeal of D.W., 55 id., Decision No. 16,812; Appeal of S.T., 53 id., Decision No. 16,619).
Moreover, petitioner has not established that her current residence is temporary or transitional. The record indicates that petitioner and her children have been residing at the out-of-district address since approximately December 1, 2016.[4]
While petitioner makes conclusory allegations that her family’s current living situation is temporary and she does not yet have a permanent residence, she has not established that her current residence is temporary or transitional. It is clear that the out-of-district address is not the kind of shelter or other temporary accommodation described in Education Law §3209 (see e.g. Appeal of a Student with a Disability, 44 Ed Dept Rep 94, Decision No. 15,108). Moreover, there is no evidence in the record that petitioner or the students need to vacate the current residence or that there is a fixed time limit as to how long they may remain (see Appeals of S.R., 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,987; Appeal of P.B., 55 id., Decision No. 16,804; Appeal of A.N.Z., 53 id., Decision No. 16,537; Appeal of a Student with a Disability, 52 id., Decision No. 16,404).
Therefore, based upon the record before me, petitioner has failed to meet her burden of proving that the students lack a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence or that they are living in the kind of shelter or other accommodations set forth in Education Law §3209(1)(a). Accordingly, I find that respondent’s determination that the students were not homeless was not arbitrary or capricious.
Although the appeal must be dismissed for the reasons described above, I note that petitioner has the right to reapply for admission on behalf of her children at any time, should circumstances change, and to submit any documentary evidence for respondent’s consideration.[5]
[1] The district asserts that “reno” was meant by petitioner as an abbreviation for “renovation.” Petitioner does not dispute this interpretation.
[2] Effective October 1, 2016, §11432(g)(3)(E)(i) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, now requires that if a dispute arises surrounding a child’s eligibility, school selection or enrollment, such student shall be immediately enrolled pending final resolution of the dispute, including all available appeals (42 U.S.C. §11432[g][3][E][i]). Therefore, no application for a stay in this appeal was necessary.
[3] Effective December 10, 2016, children or youth awaiting foster care placement are no longer included in the definition of “homeless children and youths” under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (42 U.S.C. §11434a). Effective April 20, 2017, children or youth awaiting foster care placement are no longer included in the definition of “homeless child” in Education Law §3209(1)(a), as amended by Part C of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2017. However, those changes are not relevant to a determination in this appeal.
[4] This date is based on a report attached to a letter from the superintendent of petitioner’s apartment complex describing the condition of the apartment after petitioner left.
[5] The petition does not allege that the students are district residents or seek to challenge respondent’s January 20, 2017 determination that the students are not district residents. Instead, the petition specifically challenges respondent’s February 13, 2017 determination that the students are not homeless. Therefore, I make no determination as to whether the students are district residents.
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Walgreens Becomes 1st Retail Chain To Diagnose, Treat Chronic Conditions
Published May 11th, 2015 by Devteam
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It’s not just sore throats and flu shots anymore. Walgreens today became the first retail store chain to expand its health care services to include diagnosing and treating patients for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high cholesterol.
The move is the retail industry’s boldest push yet into an area long controlled by physicians, and comes amid continuing concerns about health care costs and a potential shortage of primary care doctors.
“Those two words, diagnosis and treatment, are big words. They show [Walgreens] is coming out of the closet and saying we really are going to do primary care now,” said Tom Charland, chief executive officer of Merchant Medicine, a health care consulting firm.
Nurse Practitioner Vashtina Ellison-Ruddock examines clinic patient Miguel Morales a Walgreens Take Care Clinic in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jack Gruber/USA TODAY).
Other retail store clinics, such as those at Walmart, CVS and Target stores, help customers manage chronic illnesses but generally do so only after they have been diagnosed elsewhere. More than a year ago, Walmart outlined plans to provide primary care in a leaked confidential document – but then appeared to back away from the idea.
Walgreens officials say they will have nurse practitioners and physician assistants at more than 300 Take Care Clinics in 18 states and the District of Columbia to do tests and make diagnoses – and also write prescriptions, refer patients for additional tests and help them manage their conditions.
“We’re not trying to take over primary care, but we think we can help support physicians and transform the way care is delivered to provide more access points at a time when people need it the most,” said Heather Helle, a division vice president at Walgreens.
But that offer was not welcomed by the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, who said it is more difficult to manage patients’ care if they are treated in various settings — and that the clinics may not have some specialty services needed to treat those with complex diseases.
“It ends up being riskier for patients and costlier for the country,” said AAFP President Jeffrey Cain, a family doctor in Denver.
Helle said that in a perfect world all patients would have their own primary care doctors, “but, in reality, they simply do not.”
She said physicians will help oversee Walgreens’ clinics – and the clinics can transmit test results and other information electronically to doctors’ offices. She noted that clinics could help people find doctors too. Many would have an affiliation or other link with the stores’ clinics.
Retail clinics generally appeal to consumers looking for convenience and cost savings. Costs are roughly 30 percent to 40 percent less than similar care at doctor’s offices and 80 percent cheaper than at an emergency room, according to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.
At Walgreens, services will range from about $65 to $122 and will be offered in all Take Care Clinics except in Missouri, where state laws restrict services provided by non-physicians, the company said.
Walgreens plans to expand medical services at more than 300 Take Care Clinics across the country (Photo by Jack Gruber/USA TODAY).
Walgreens’ move puts it in the potentially lucrative business of treating customers with long-term medical problems, which often require prescription drugs or other supplies that could be purchased at its stores.
Expanding services to diagnosis and treatment of chronic conditions that affect millions of Americans is a logical step, because the clinics can not only grow their own business, but also partner with hospitals and doctors’ groups to gain new customers, said Ronald L. Hammerle, president of Health Resources, a Florida consulting firm.
“Everyone is trying to figure out how to get into that space,” he said. “The sophisticated player recognizes that whoever controls point of entry [to health services] manages the downstream referral business.”
In addition to its in-store clinics, Walgreens runs about 350 health clinics at worksites, which are paid for by employers. The retailer also has a program to link patients leaving hospitals with Take Care Clinics and Walgreens pharmacies.
At least one physicians’ group that had been briefed on the expanded clinics took a more conciliatory stance to the retailer’s announcement.
“We understand retail clinics are here to stay and likely to be expanding,” said Steven Weinberger, executive vice president of the American College of Physicians. “We need to figure out how the patient can be best served … in terms of safety, access and communication with the primary care physicians.”
Consumer Reports: Save on prescription drugs
CONSUMER REPORTS - People who regularly take prescription medication spend on average more than $700 per year for drugs. To help you keep more of that money in your pocket, Consumer Reports had its shoppers check out prices at nearly 200 pharmacies.
One simple way to save is just to ask for a lower price. It worked for Consumer Reports' shoppers. In one case they saved $31.
Costco's pharmacy is another good way to save. Consumer Reports priced the cost of five common generic prescription drugs at pharmacies across the country. Costco was substantially less expensive than any other chain store. And you don't have to be a Costco member to fill your prescriptions there.
But don't rule out local independent pharmacies. Sometimes they offer bargain prices as low as Costco's or offer to meet a competitor's price. But you do have to ask.
Wherever you shop, if you have insurance, don't automatically use it. For some medications, if your drug insurance co-pay is more than $10, you might be better off not using your insurance and just paying the retail price.
Walmart, Sam's Club, Walgreens CVS, Kmart, Target and other pharmacies offer hundreds of generic prescription drugs at deep discounts. Prices are as little as $4 per month and $10 for a three-month supply.
If you take medications over the long term, Consumer Reports says you should ask your doctor for a 90-day prescription rather than a 30-day one. If your insurance company allows it, you'll be able to save on multiple co-pays.
Also look into the loyalty programs at many drugstore chains. They will also help you save.
Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars and trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports' website.Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org.
(Copyright © 2015 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
10 Ways to Get Your Medications for Up to 50% Off
10 Ways to Get Your Medications for Up to
I was raised by a doctor -- who is also board-certified in pharmacology -- and by a medical office manager. I also worked in a doctor's office for about a decade before going into journalism. What I learned from those experiences shapes my life, from what I eat to how I purchase medications. Below are prescription purchasing tips many people overlook, even though they can cut costs by much more than 50 percent.
1. Consider Over-the-Counter Options
Few types of prescription medications have over-the-counter competitors. Still, it doesn't hurt to ask your doctor or pharmacist if your prescriptions have such alternatives. These drugs are often cheaper, and they might save you a doctor's appointment. For example, Consumer Reports recently reported that certain over-the-counter antihistamines are generally "equally effective at relieving symptoms" as prescription antihistamines.
2. Try Generics
Generics are one of the best ways to save money on medications. Plus, there's virtually no reason not to at least try a generic drug these days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Drugs@FDA database makes it easy to determine whether a generic is therapeutically equivalent to its brand-name version.
"Drug products classified as therapeutically equivalent can be substituted with the full expectation that the substituted product will produce the same clinical effect and safety profile as the prescribed product," the FDA explains. "Drug products are considered to be therapeutically equivalent only if they ... are pharmaceutical equivalents (contain the same active ingredient(s); dosage form and route of administration; and strength."
Medications in the database have received a therapeutic equivalence code from the FDA and are divided into two main categories based on that code. Drugs that have a code starting with an "A" are considered "therapeutically equivalent to other pharmaceutically equivalent products," according to the FDA's website. Drugs with a code that starts with a "B" are considered "NOT to be therapeutically equivalent."
3. Consider Paying Out of Pocket
If your copay is more than $4, you might be overpaying. For example, big-box stores like Target and Walmart and grocers like Kroger and Winn-Dixie offer a 30-day supply of hundreds of generic medications for as little as $4, and a 90-day supply for $10.
4. Check Online Prices
Prices on the Internet are often lower than those of brick-and-mortar pharmacies. Reputable online pharmacies like HealthWarehouse.com also offer free shipping. Some stores with brick-and-mortar pharmacies have mail-order programs with free shipping. Costco is one example - and you don't have to be a Costco member to use mail-order online.
5. Use Reputable Online Pharmacies
In the U.S., the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program offers online pharmacies a chance to establish their legitimacy. To tell these pharmacies apart from others, look for the VIPPS symbol on pharmacy websites. Also, use the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's verification website to look up an online pharmacy's certification by entering its website address. Prescriptions from outside the U.S. are illegal.
6. Check Strength Prices
Sometimes the per-milligram cost of a medicine varies depending on the strength. For example, HealthWarehouse.com currently sells a 30-day supply of all strengths of the common cholesterol drug Crestor for $243.90. So, the per-milligram cost is as follows:
5 milligram strength: About $1.63 a milligram
10 milligram strength: About 81 cents a milligram
If you take a 20-milligram dose, for example, you would save around 50 percent -- about $126 a month -- by getting 40-milligram pills and splitting them. The same percentage of savings is true of 5- and 10-milligram sizes, respectively, and 10- and 20-milligram sizes, respectively. If you would save significantly by splitting pills, ask your doctor whether your prescriptions can be split safely.
7. Ask for a Larger Quantity
At many pharmacies, purchasing a 90-day supply will get you a discount. If this is true of your medications, nicely ask your doctor to write your prescriptions for larger quantities. Explain how it would save you money.
8. Don't Wait Until the Last Minute
If you wait till you're down to the last pill to ask your pharmacy to refill the prescription, you're limited to brick-and-mortar pharmacies unless you pay extra for expedited shipping. The free shipping option offered by online pharmacies generally takes at least a couple of days.
9. Check Prices Again
When you're down to your last refill or the last month's worth of a prescription, it means your doctor will have to write a new prescription soon. This is a good time to compare prices on that medication because they fluctuate from time to time, especially at online pharmacies. If you decide to use a different pharmacy this time, inform the doctor's office before your physician writes the new script. To facilitate the pharmacy change, provide the new pharmacy's phone and fax numbers to the doctor's office.
10. Save your Receipts
Prescription drugs that you purchase for yourself, spouse or dependents are considered federal income tax deductions in certain cases, according to theInternal Revenue Service. Your total deductible medical expenses must exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income, or 7.5 percent of your AGI if you or your spouse is 65 or older. The latter percentage is only available through December 2016.
What's your favorite way to save money on prescriptions? Let us know onFacebook. And share this story with family and friends who are looking for ways to cut medication costs. Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We'll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson's "205 Ways to Save Money" as soon as you've subscribed. It's full of great tips that'll help you save a ton of extra cash.
More from Money Talks News
•FDA Targets Cosmetics That Make 'Hollow' Promises
•Which Drugs Live Up to Their Advertised Hype?
•The 10 Best Bargains at Drugstores
Whooping Cough Vaccine Readily Available in 139 Washington State Rite Aid Pharmacies
Washington State Department of Health Reports Spike in Whooping Cough Cases for 2015
April 27, 2015 03:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time
CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the number of pertussis (also known as whooping cough) cases increases, Rite Aid is encouraging Washington residents to get vaccinated against the disease if they haven’t already done so. Rite Aid pharmacists are readily available to administer the whooping cough vaccine, Tdap, at all 139 Washington locations. Last week, the Washington State Department of Health reported an increase in the number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases this year1. There have been 319 cases of whooping cough so far in 2015 – a 551 percent increase in number of cases from 2014.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adolescents 11 and above receive the Tdap vaccine. Cost varies based on the patient's insurance coverage and the Tdap vaccines are covered by many insurance plans. Tdap vaccinations are available during pharmacy hours and no appointment is necessary. To locate the nearest Rite Aid pharmacy, visitwww.riteaid.com or call 1-800-RITE-AID.
Although young children typically receive the DTaP vaccine, a series of five shots which prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, from their primary health care providers as part of a regular vaccine schedule, the CDC recommends a Tdap dose between ages 11 and 12; individuals who did not receive a Tdap dose at those ages should receive one as soon as possible. Children between the ages of 7 and 10 who did not receive their full childhood schedule of DTaP may also receive their Tdap vaccine from a Rite Aid certified immunizing pharmacist.
Additionally, the Tdap vaccine is recommended for healthcare professionals and anyone having close contact with a baby younger than 12 months, including grandparents, family members and childcare providers. Women who are pregnant should get a Tdap immunization during every pregnancy to protect their newborn from whooping cough.
Named for the high-pitched “whooping” sound typically accompanying severe coughing fits, whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is particularly dangerous for infants. The CDC says about half of whooping cough patients under a year of age require hospitalization and that getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent the bacterial infection.
In addition to the Tdap vaccine, Rite Aid certified immunizing pharmacists are able to vaccinate patients against more than a dozen diseases based on the CDC’s vaccine guidelines and state regulations.
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with nearly 4,600 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2015 annual revenues of $26.5 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.
1. http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/Pertussis-HCP-KeyMessages2015.pdf
Rite Aid Corporation
Kristin Kellum, 717-975-5713
kristin.kellum@riteaid.com
The Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy Franchisees Go Tobacco-Free
DUBLIN, Ohio, May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, killing more than 480,000 Americans and causing illnesses that cost more than $300 billion to treat each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an effort to combat these trends, nearly all Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy franchises have committed to not sell tobacco or tobacco-related products.
"Each of our Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy franchisees pride themselves on being a community healthcare destination," said John Fiacco, vice president of Medicine Shoppe International, Inc. "As retailers, we believe our franchisees can play a significant role in limiting access to tobacco and tobacco-related products – and in preventing the diseases and health problems those products can cause."
Fiacco says that the majority of Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy locations have been tobacco-free for quite some time, because selling tobacco products simply does not align with the franchise system's goal of promoting healthy communities. However, when managed care organizations began penalizing patients who utilize pharmacies that sell tobacco products with increased co-pays, the franchise system and its franchisees implemented a formal policy prohibiting sales of tobacco and tobacco-related products.
Fiacco also said that many Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy locations sell cessation aids such as nicotine replacement gum and nicotine patches, and many offer comprehensive smoking-cessation education programs. Others partner with local smoking-cessation programs to fill prescriptions for medications that help patients successfully quit smoking.
"At my first pharmacy job, I was at the front register selling cigarettes," said Roger Peltola, pharmacist and owner of the Medicine Shoppe in Hillsboro, Oregon. "It just didn't make sense to me that pharmacists were treating the diseases caused by the tobacco products they sold. I've never sold tobacco products in my store, and am proud of my fellow retail independent pharmacies for finding healthy ways to drive revenue in their stores and promote wellness in their communities."
Fiacco said that removing products that contribute to disease and addiction was a natural transition for Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy franchisees.
"This nationwide initiative marks a continuation of our commitment to improving the health and wellness of the local communities we serve, and our dedication to providing a higher level of patient care," said Fiacco.
About Medicine Shoppe International
Medicine Shoppe International, Inc. (MSI), a Cardinal Health company, is distinguished for its commitment to providing expert, personalized health care. MSI is one of the largest franchisors of independent community pharmacies in the United States, with more than 500 Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy locations across the United States, and more than 200 international pharmacies. Learn more at www.medicineshoppe.com.
About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $91 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical productsand services to more than 100,000 locations each day and is also the industry-leading direct-to-home medical supplies distributor. The company is a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid managementproducts. In addition, the company operates the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #22 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs 34,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.
SOURCE Cardinal Health
http://www.cardinalhealth.com
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Snow on the Danube: a wartime thriller and romance
Francis Gilbert’s novel, Snow on the Danube, published March 2019 is a thrilling historical adventure story set in war-torn Budapest.
Béla has grown up in a cramped East London flat with his great uncle, once a Hungarian count; as far as he’s concerned his elderly relative is eccentric and annoying. But when his great-uncle dies, Béla is bequeathed a mysterious manuscript – a manuscript that reveals a completely different side to the count. For the first time Béla learns about the horrors his great uncle had to endure during the Second World War.
Snow on the Danube evokes the lost world of Budapest during and between two great wars — and is recounted in the inimitable voice of Count Zoltán Pongrácz: a fussy hypochondriac who becomes an unlikely and compromised hero when the Fascists take over his beloved country and he is forced to rescue his adored, wayward sister Anna. An unlikely comedy, a document of filial love and a compelling portrait of the horrors of war, Snow on the Danube is the story of one man’s quest to save everything he loves most: his family, his friends — and, perhaps, soul.
You can buy this book by clicking here.
The Last Day Of Term
Compare in which the poets movingly portray sympathy for the loss of life in wartime in these two poems: The Deserter and The Hero.
The Time Devil: a time-travelling fantasy set in the National Maritime Museum
Who Do You Love: A novel for our times…
The Opening of the Novel — True or false questions, analysing the opening
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Saudi cabinet okays real estate development fund regulation
KSA Business
Thu, 07 Jan 2021 Thu, 07 Jan 2021
The Saudi cabinet, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, has given approval to the Real Estate Development Fund regulation, reported Saudi Press Agency.
The cabinet also approved the setting up of a central risk classification units in the Ministry of Finance as well other ministries and the government agencies, it stated.
A key fund, REDF offers provisions for developing diversified and balanced financing programmes to suit all segments of society in co-ordination with the Ministry of Housing.
The Saudi Cabinet also approved the new REDF law, which comprises 18 articles.
Under the new law, the REDF will stand as a legal personality, and a financially and administratively independent entity, with a similar structure to the National Development Fund, stated the SPA report.
Under the new law, the fund can conclude more partnerships with municipalities and other real estate development companies, in line with the housing development plans, it added.
Email: aliso[email protected] December 5, 2017
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Ham It Up Strategies
406 Woman magazine & Woodinville Weekly
Feature Stories & Editor's Explorations column by Kristen Hamilton
All photos shown are courtesy photos published with original column.
Accidental Tourists-Buon appetite! July/August 2020
I have always wanted to visit Italy. And, on that trip, I thought it would be great to attend a cooking class.
My dream become a realty this winter when my husband and I were able to go to Europe to visit my daughter, Sarah, who was studying in Brussels, Belgium at the time. The first stop was meeting her in Florence, Italy. There we would see the sites and go to one of the original cooking schools in the Tuscany region, the Accidental Tourist.
I chose Accidental Tourist after checking out reviews on Trip Advisor…everyone raved about the hosts, the setting, and the food. The trip included a tour at a nearby winery so how could I go wrong.
Come to find out that the Accidental Tourist is one of the oldest cooking schools in the region and now there are close to 100. The owners, Marco and Majla are involved in every aspect of the operation.
I asked Majla what sets them apart from the other schools.
“I think the key is staying unique. While other cooking classes come and go, we represent a combination of what the other schools offer.” She continued “We have the expertise of a Culinary Academy, without the coldness of steel counters, high hats and big numbers of students; we offer the authentic atmosphere as well as the tradition of generations (like an Italian Nonna’s hearth), with added teaching skills, and without the language barrier; we afford the privilege of very intimate classes (maximum eight people down to just one single traveler), and the very highest quality ingredients available in the country and in the world, without the extra-cost of luxury.”
Having experienced this firsthand, I’d say she hit the nail on the head. We met our van driver (who happened to be Majla this day as her regular girl had the day off) in Florence at an easy to find location just a short walk from our Airbnb. Sarah and I were joined by another American who happened to be on an extended six-month trip in Italy. Together we headed up into the Tuscan hills.
About 20 minutes later we approached this amazing villa on the highest hill complete with a watchtower. The villa is 900 years old and has been in Majla’s family for six generations. It was an orphanage before becoming the farmhouse it is today. During WWII, Rodolfo Paoli (Majla’s grandfather) provided shelter to and saved the lives of many hiding from the Nazis. Majla said “The square in our town is named after my heroic grandfather, as he risked his life during WWII to help others.”
We were escorted into the lower level of the home where there was a comfortable dining area with seating for up to 10 people, along with a small kitchen off to the side where Marco was busy preparing delicious courses for dinner. We were led to the back room there was a large work area with a huge butcher block table. Majla served Chianti and shared stories of the villa, her family, and the area, while we followed instructions and made homemade pasta.
While the pasta was resting, she took us on a tour of the home and up to the top of the watchtower. The views were simply breathtaking.
I could tell early on that creating pasta and enjoying a meal together was only one component of the day. I asked Majla about a favorite experience with a group. She said, “Something really special seems to happen when people spend a few hours preparing together and then sharing food and wine around an old table, where you can FEEL so many other people have sat and shared before! Total strangers to me and to one-another truly open up. At the end of each class and dinner, there are so many hugs and kisses!”
She continued, “We have had three marriage proposals in our kitchen! One was planned, so I knew about it ahead of time but the other two proposals were impromptu. You can imagine the surprise, and cheers, and tears, and oooohs and ahhhhhhs!
“And the fact that a human being in love who plans to spend the rest of his life with another,
walks into my home, and in a matter of hours decides that it is good enough to get on his knee and open a jewelry box by the end of the evening, is the biggest certification of HOME I could ever hope for!”
Philanthropy runs deep in Majla and Marco’s family.
She explains their involvement in Fondazione Progetto ARCA:
“With the premises that you and we are the “upper case Accidental Tourists” the lucky ones who can choose the destination and duration of their wandering, and can set the date of their return home; lower case accidental tourists are the less fortunate, who leave without luggage, itinerary, a return ticket, or a home to return to.
“Over 2 decades of making a privileged living, made it consequential to extend some of that warmth to those who can’t afford it, by supporting Fondazione Progetto ARCA, an organization that assists homeless and people in extreme need.
“For every meal we serve a paying guest, one is donated to the organization. Simple as that: one to one.”
They have also continued her grandfather’s legacy by creating a special space called “The Emergency Room” in the villa. It is a large cozy room that sleeps four and is available for anyone who is - indeed - in an emergency situation including: a missed or cancelled flight; stranded with nowhere to stay; medical staff on temporary duty at the nearby hospital (due to COVID19); and even a solo traveler with a case of loneliness.
Spending the day with Marco and Majla with my daughter ended up being the highlight of my visit to Europe. As their website says “As heirs of this abode, we want to honor its vocation: to treat strangers as guests, turn guests into friends.” I can say they succeeded with us.
The only thing I would change is to have my husband go with us next time. He would have loved it as much as we did!
Addio per ora!
Accidental Tourist
San Donato in Collina, Italy
www.accidentaltourist.com
Office@accidentaltourist.com
The Accidental Tourist is a cultural association, not a business enterprise. 100% of the profit after paying workers is used for projects such as the Emergency Room, supporting the Foundation, the Barter program, etc. Every year we come up with new projects. The yearly membership fee is 15 Euro.
At this time of emergency we would like to ask those who have enjoyed an Accidental Tourist experience, those who would like to in the future, or those who simply like our philosophy, to support us by becoming an Accidental Tourist for 2020.
Traversing the West Coast States, Megan Apple - May 2020
Megan Apple accomplished an amazing fete last summer…she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in its entirety. The trail gained notoriety in the 2014 film “Wild” starring Reese Witherspoon. The PCT’s southern terminus is just south of Campo, California (about an hour south of San Diego on the US-Mexican border) and ends 2,653 miles later in Manning Park, British Columbia (on the US-Canada border). Apple started in April and traversed California, Oregon, and Washington State on her adventure. She turned 28 years old just before she reached the end of the PCT in September.
I’ve known Megan her entire life and although very impressed, I’m not surprised that this determined young woman did exactly what she planned and set out to do.
Her parents, Holly & Andy Apple, have always supported Megan and her adventurous ways. She graduated from Whitefish High School then attended Idaho State University and earned her degree in Outdoor Education. As a youngster, she spent many weekends with her family at their cabin north of Polebridge, MT just a few miles from the Canada border. She was always venturing off into the woods there exploring nature. She recalls, “When I was in 5th grade I had the thought to do a Maine to Washington border walk.”
When asked what her motivation was for wanting to hike the PCT she said, “It is just a cool adventure. One of the biggest that you can do in the U.S.”
Megan hiked for a month on the PCT two years before her 2019 completion. She had the time off work and thought it would be fun, so she wanted to try it out. She really enjoyed her time on the trail and decided to do the whole PCT in the future.
She started preparations months before she took her first step. She gathered gear from her previous trip and did an inventory of what might be needed for her voyage.
Megan said, “I did some hikes, but you can’t really prepare for hiking 20 miles a day for days on end.”
It wasn’t just the supplies she’d need on the journey as there is no way she could start out with the full load. She had to coordinate the delivery of supplies at trail angel houses and post offices along the way. It was just Megan and her pack, so she had to meticulously plan her entire trip.
“Finding the right shoes was my biggest issue,” she said. She explained that trail runners are great, but they rip up easily. Hiking boots are good, but they are heavy. Ultimately, she used five pair of trail runners plus a sturdier boot that she ended up getting rid of on the trail.
When she arrived at the start, she overnighted with a trail angel where she was fed and spent the night.
Trail angels are a significant part of the PCT. They provide numerous forms of assistance to hikers including offering their yards and homes for camping or bunking, rides to and from the trailhead, food, shelter, receiving resupply boxes, stocking water caches in the desert, allowing you to fill up on water at their homes, and so much more.
“The Trail angel community is amazing,” said Megan. She continued, “They take you in, provide food and shelter, and so much more to help you achieve your goal. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
The first 300 miles through the California desert is “really easy” according to Megan. That jaunt took 15 days. The mind-boggling part is that at this point she still has 2,353 miles to go. For the entire PCF, it took Megan 5 months and 3 days. I should also note that although she certainly wasn’t trying, she lost 22 pounds in that period of time.
She has so many incredible memories that she’ll be able to share for a lifetime. She recalled a time in the Sierras at Muir Pass (11,969 feet) with a friend, Lefty. It was a long tough trail in the snow, but the sun was shining, and they ran into some fellow hikers and found a hut to hang out in together.
Like Lefty, Megan received a trail nickname as well…she became known as Sprout. I’m guessing in this circle she will always be known as Sprout.
As you can imagine, Megan said that there was a lot more traffic on the south part of the trail. At that time, she’d pass a couple people each day. As she ventured north there would be longer gaps of seeing civilization, but typically, there would be a town every 3 or 4 days.
Climbing Mather Pass (12,100 feet) was the scariest part of the PCT for Megan. “It was very challenging with a heavy pack,” she said. Then she encountered a stream and added, “I was scooting across a log to cross the stream and if I slipped, I’d be swept up by the current,” she said.
In addition to the trail angels, Megan said she couldn’t have done it without her family including her parents, grandparents, and her aunt. They supplied both moral and supply support throughout the journey.
When asked if she had any advice to pass along to someone considering hiking the PCT, she said, “You don’t have to do the whole thing to experience the PCT. Just a week is enough to experience the culture. Doing any section is totally worth it.”
Is there another hike like the PCT in her future? She said that she is interested in the more remote trails that require more planning like the Idaho Centennial Trail at 900 miles. “If I do 5 months again, I would go to another country that isn’t necessarily in a place that is so familiar,” she added.
How did Megan follow up her PCT fete? This winter the adventures continued when she managed a Heli-ski lodge about 2 ½ hours from Anchorage, AK. She’ll be back in Whitefish for a bit then this summer she’s planning to work at an organic vegetable farm outside of Seattle.
I personally love hearing about her travels and realize she just may be someone that has figured out the key to happiness is living life to its fullest.
Interested in learning more about the Pacific Crest Trail, visit pcta.org.
A Cup of Joe and Then Some for Soldiers - October 30, 2018
Most people pay their respects to our military veterans on Veteran’s Day with good reason…our freedom, our liberty, and for some our lives. There are a few individuals that have made it their mission to go out of their way to thank and treat veterans throughout the year. One of those people is local resident Drea Huck. She does it by sending coffee care packages from home to our troops with inspirational notes and messages. Huck currently supports eight active military personnel groups weekly.
Huck’s ties to the military are not by chance. She is from Slovakia, and her father was in the military there. Her father rose to the rank of Major although he is now retired. She said her connection to the military is “in my blood.” She described herself as a “child of the world,” and her first trip to America was with an exchange program to California over 15 years ago.
Now she is a permanent resident and like many in this area, she has a career with Starbucks. She started as a barista, then she managed her own store for a few years where she said, “you see it all.” In her current position as a Facilities Representative at the SSC (Starbucks Support Center), she handles orders from the field with suppliers and vendors. Although she misses seeing her regular customers day in and day out and the great connections she made with them, her new position allows her to make an impact in a different way.
Huck has embraced the “Adopt a Unit” program. She personally packages up about 125 pounds of coffee, and often other treats, for shipment and travels to the post office weekly to ship to deployed troops. She noted that Starbucks donates the coffee for the packages.
You can hear the emotion in Huck’s voice when she speaks of the program and how she cares for the troops she supports. She wants them to know that they have not been forgotten. “I always tell them to be safe,” she said. Huck receives notes, emails and even gifts from soldiers. One recently sent an email that said, “You have no idea how much it means to us to have you support us.”
Huck also shared her pleasure with the fact that her employer’s support of the military goes far beyond the Adopt a Unit program. Starbucks is committed to veterans and military spouses and in the past five years have hired over 17,000 to work in many different capacities for the company. Huck said that this Armed Forces Network program helps soldiers transition from the military to the corporate world. Soldiers most often make terrific employees as “they are disciplined and make great leaders,” she added.
She is also very proud of her involvement in the Marine Raider Foundation. The foundation was established to provide benevolent support to active duty and medically retired Marine Raiders and their families, as well as to the families of Raiders who have lost their lives in service. Huck stressed that many members of the special forces at times are forgotten because “technically they don’t exist.” She wants to be sure they aren’t forgotten. The foundation aims to meet needs unmet by the government with an emphasis on building resiliency and supporting the full reintegration of Raiders and their families to civilian life.
Huck has become a Miles for Marsoc community athlete raising money for the foundation in memory of a fallen soldier Staff Sgt. Sky Mote and others. Mote was awarded the military’s highest honor, the Navy Cross, following his heroic death in Afghanistan in August of 2012. She says of her involvement, “It is the most incredible thing I have ever done.”
As we wrapped up, I asked what her message was to our readers about soldiers with Veteran’s Day approaching. She said, “We can truly live our lives because of them. Don’t forget about them.”
Marine Raider Foundation, https://marineraiderfoundation.org/
Drea Huck’s page, https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/drea-huck/milesformarsoc
Starbucks Veterans Programs, https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/veterans
The Thompson's Natural Next Step - October 30, 2018
I had a vision of the “Dynamic Duo” when I sat down with Melaine and Chris Thompson recently to chat about their new partnership and how they got to this point.
“It has been a 25 year evolution,” Chris said. “This business is the natural next step.”
The business he is referring to is Thompson Design + Build. A culmination of their talents pooled into a business that is reminiscent of Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame.
Melaine was described to me as “a blogger, home designer (self taught), creative genius…” by Leigh Henderson from Alexa’s Café. After that introduction, I knew I’d better meet her.
Melaine’s blog “My Sweet Savannah” (mysweetsavannahblog.com) started over 15 years ago with primarily hand painted furniture and signs that she was selling to supplement her income and hobby. It has evolved since then to include home design, recipes, DIY projects and more. She also has a very popular Instagram page (also mysweetsavannah) with over 58,900 followers at press time. Country Living Magazine named her one of the Best Design Blogs and her work has been featured in numerous other design sites.
It’s clear that Melaine has a real eye for design but its more than that. She shares the look and the DIY steps for those wanting to give it a try. “You can learn to get a high end look without spending a lot of money,” she said.
To stay relevant and on top of things takes a lot of work. Following our morning coffee at the end of September, she was heading home to bake Christmas cookies for some upcoming blogs for holiday preparations.
Just recently Melaine partnered with Molbak’s Garden + Homes on a front door display. “Molbak’s wanted to make it easy for customers to have a beautiful entryway,” she said. Melaine’s design was featured on Molbak’s website and the store as well as her own blog. Customers could go in and purchase all or part of the display or they could even have it delivered. Many of the pieces of the display sold out in a couple weeks. Melaine plans to continue to work with Molbak’s in the future on projects like this and possible workshops.
Chris has been a contractor and builder his entire adult life. He had been considering branching off on his own for quite a while and he said, “I continued to ask myself, can you do this?” He would be leaving a comfortable corporate job and that prospect was scary.
They knew they had the components of design with Melaine and build with Chris so they decided the (natural) next step was working together. He said, “We want it to be fun. A place where we can showcase our work.” That is how Thompson Design + Build was formed.
Before they even got to this step, they already had a great success “Design + Build” story…their own house.
The Thompson’s were high school sweethearts at Woodinville High School and married 22 years ago. They had a daughter, Savannah, namesake of course of Melaine’s blog and a son, Cody. They loved the Crystal Lake area were Chris’s family lived and knew they wanted to be in that neighborhood but also knew it would be difficult to afford.
They opted for a small affordable 900 sq. ft. fixer upper home and went to work. “The house is a cool story of evolution,” Chris said. I saw the before and after photos of their home renovation and what they did is simply amazing. Melaine added, “We want to inspire people. There are still [affordable] places out there.” Referencing projects in the Eastside that they can definitely help with.
They love the aspect of the business that they can make decisions that are right for them and their family. The challenge to get creative and not spend a fortune (within a clients budget) feeds them both.
When asked about their passions, Melaine said, “Family first.” Then added, “I love inspiring people.” Chris said, “That we’ve always been part of the community.”
Thompson Design + Build
206-915-5070www.thompsondesignbuild.com
Sharing Their Blessings, The Story of Ron & Mike - October 16, 2018
To say I was only a little amazed after stopping by the property of Ron Alessandrini and Mike Osterling would be a huge understatement.
The RAM (Ron & Mike) studio/shop, yard/gardens, and home in Woodinville has so many wonderful features I hardly know where to begin.
But instead of beginning with the place, I should start with my gracious hosts, Ron and Mike. They both can be described as truly the “hosts with the most.” The positive aura and energy that you feel around them is present from the minute you are acquainted. I felt as if I had known them both for years. Genuine, sincere, and caring are just a few of the attributes that come to mind to describe them. (Thanks for the introduction Larry!)
Ron is the Vice President of an import company with an office in Monroe. He visits China often, which is reflected in much of the art I viewed during my tour. Mike is a Realtor. They both are caregivers to the property, artwork and home where they live.
John Clise whose family developed Marymoor Park built the home in 1965. The home was surrounded by 15 acres and “was praised by architects nationwide and recognized for its unique design,” according to Ron. When John Clise passed away his wife Mary sold the property and it went through many hands before Ron bought it. It had been subdivided to the current (close to) two acres and had fallen into almost complete disrepair. Ron said, “[The house was] two weeks away from being tore down.” Ron visited the house with the Realtor. He walked into the living room, with its’ floor to ceiling windows covered in boards, and said he’d take it. Many neighbors, and likely the Realtor, thought he was crazy, but he wanted a place that he could sink “sweat equity” into.
That was 15 years ago, and Ron and Mike have sunk a ton of sweat equity into every area of the (RAM) homestead.
We started our tour in the shop/studio, which has become quite the gathering place for the neighborhood and friends since a snowstorm in 2012 according to Mike.
The studio side is a place where creativity is encouraged. There are antiques and collectibles everywhere and a large counter/table graces the middle to use for work projects. I would call it “art projects” as everything I saw was a unique work of art. There are chandeliers varying in size and design covering the ceiling and wood disks from tree stumps ready to form tables. “We are big on repurposing,” said Ron.
They are not sure as to when it began, but people started bringing stuff in and it has snowballed from there. One thing is certain; they both agreed that it is a lot of fun working on the projects. I asked if they had an outlet to sell their (RAM) art. Ron admitted that they have thought about it but hasn’t happened. For now, they enjoy giving items as gifts or donating them to local auctions that support area schools.
Just off the studio is a big shop area that is more for storage at this time to house the future projects. There are plenty of back up supplies housed here to keep them busy for years!
We next ventured out and around the yard and gardens.
There are so many wonderful sites and hidden gems in their yard. It is really amazing! From monk guardian statues from the Ming dynasty (1,110 years old), to a koi pond, to a graffiti wall (that Ron commissioned to have painted), to sculptures (glass, metal, and wood), to secret sitting areas, a monkey paw tree, and flowers, flowers, flowers, there is much to behold and ponder. Ron and Mike do all of the yard work themselves. “It is a stress release,” Mike said. “It is a ritual and fun to work in the garden,” he added. They said start every morning and end every evening with a walk in the gardens – I would too! I must add that they presented me with a beautiful bouquet to bring home that I enjoyed as I wrote this story.
Ron mentioned that it’s not unusual for them to arrive home to find a yoga class or a bible study-taking place on the lawn or a neighbor picking flowers in the garden. There have been weddings of friends on the property as well. They encourage it all and are happy to share their blessings.
It is not surprising that the gardens/yard have been a favorite on the Woodinville Garden Tour in the past. Next year, they are slated to be a stop again.
We ventured into the house next where I admired a private art collection that rivals many galleries. Artists featured include Picasso, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Dr. Seuss, and the list goes on. “All art has a story,” Ron said. It’s important for him to be sure the art is on display for all to see and enjoy.
The house has definitely been “saved” and looks terrific. A big testament to that would be the kudos they received from Joslyn (JC) Clise, John Clise’s daughter, when she visited some 40 years after she lived there with her family. She drove up and introduced herself after the house appeared in a magazine article.
Ron says he is “very blessed.” He continues, “Look what life has given us…so much.” I would return that sentiment as these two gentlemen give so much back. The law of attraction is at work in a big way at the RAM homestead.
A Star is Born - Brooke Butler, October 9, 2018
From her favorite production at Woodinville High School, Noises Off, to her current role as the young Darlene Snell on the critically acclaimed original Netflix series, Ozark, Brooke Butler is paying her dues and getting noticed.
I caught up with Butler recently to see how she’s faring with her new role and living the Hollywood dream so to speak.
When I mentioned that things seem to be going really well and asked if she feels like she’s paid her dues, she said, “Never. I never stop working to improve. You never think you are good enough. I’m always in class, writing or performing.”
“It [acting] is extremely cut throat,” Butler said. She is grateful to have found a group of wonderfully supportive friends and colleagues but that has taken time and it isn’t easily found in the industry. They are genuinely happy for each other when someone lands a role. “It is a big enough industry and there is a place for everyone if they are willing to work hard,” she added.
Butler knew from a young age that she wanted to be an actor. She said growing up in a smaller town with a “sheltered childhood” with Christian values has given her the foundation to fall back on when things got crazy. She credits her parents for instilling strong values and letting her know that you have choices in life and the path you take will determine the end result. She also praised others in her life that have been her support system and said, “I am grateful for my upbringing.”
Part of that hard work growing up in Woodinville involved drama classes, voice lessons, and dance classes.
She complimented Hjalmer Anderson from Woodinville Repertory Theater as her first acting coach. “He always believed in me,” she said. Butler went on to say that he taught “the method” and that is how she prepares to this day.
Butler fondly remembers Larry Bridges as her first vocal coach. She had to sing Ave Maria during a recent audition and said that Larry would be so proud as to how far she’d come.
Since I wrote a story about Larry this summer, I reached out to him about Butler and he said, “I loved teaching Brooke. She was always open to growing as a singer and actor. She had the drive and discipline. I never doubted she would do something special with her life. I am so proud of her success and expect even greater things from her.”
At WHS, she remembered the play Princess and the Pea and that she was initially disappointed for being cast as the Evil Queen thinking she was more the princess type. Now in hindsight she said, “It really helped in my future
career and is making things more interesting.”
Following high school, Butler attended University of Southern California (USC) where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Dramatic Arts and graduated with honors.
You might recognize her for her breakout role as the flesh-eating cheerleader, Tracy Bingham, in All Cheerleaders Die that premiered at the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) and is currently a Top 5 on Netflix. The role was especially fitting since Butler was nominated as a Top 20 cheerleader in the nation while at USC.
She went on to gain attention in theaters starring opposite Todd Lowe (True Blood) in the haunted house tale, The Remains. Butler has also acted in several television movies and is currently filming the pilot Queen Fur for Showtime.
The role of Young Darlene Snell in Ozark is has been great for Butler. “I love taking someone who is misunderstood and make them relatable. I like playing those characters.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked her if she had any advice for others wanting to become an actor and she said, “Be ready to work really hard. Believe in yourself. Be willing to give up everything for your dream.” Then she chuckled when she added, “Take back streets on the way to auditions to avoid traffic.”
For more about Brooke Butler visit www.BrookeSereneButler.com
BYLAND - Music Should Bring People Together
When we met at a nearby coffee shop, I instantly knew that Alie Renee Byland was an old soul, despite her youthfulness, with a heart of gold.
Alie (Martinez) grew up with her four siblings in rural New Mexico. They were homeschooled, and she told me how her mom would sneak money from the grocery budget to pay for piano lessons. To this day, music is still a very big part of all of their lives.
When Alie was 11 years old, her dad moved the family to Albuquerque where they settled into what she describes as “the ghetto.” It was there that her father, a Pastor, started renovations on a large duplex that was always open to visitors and those in need. “He was an amazing man,” Alie said of her father.
“There were always a lot of different people around—a lot of opportunities to play music.” By age 13, Alie was part of a band and played music in church. She was raised with a strong faith base, but it was “more towards and based on serving,” she added.
To reinforce my comments of the serving and giving nature of her family, in 2008 the Martinez family received an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition complete with Ty Pennington spending a week in Albuquerque. For those unfamiliar with the popular program that was on the air for almost 10 years, families are nominated for the “makeover” oftentimes based on what they have given back to that community. The show’s staff and volunteers in droves come forward to help and together they completely rebuild the family’s home in a week. All the materials and labor are donated.
Alie left home at 18 to attend a Christian college in Seattle, and that is where she met Jake Byland. Jake was raised in Woodinville in very different surroundings than Alie, but that didn’t matter. Alie loves where she comes from and maintains, “we are who we are, and there is no sense in changing.”
Alie recalled a conversation during her second year in college that Jake and her dad had. Her Dad ended the call to Jake with, “Give my baby girl a hug.” Her dad died two weeks later, and she returned to New Mexico to be with her mom and her family. For the next 14 months, Jake was her friend and sent many prayers her way. As time went on, Jake asked Alie’s mom for her daughter’s hand in marriage and on the third request, she finally said yes.
Alie returned to Washington, and to Woodinville, to marry Jake. They lived on his family’s property in a cottage he built.
It was there that Byland (the band) was formed, and they started to perform at wineries in the area.
After her father died, it was different to play music. She was (and still is) grieving. “I don’t believe that time heals. I believe you need to go through the process.” She thanks The Healing Center (in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle) for helping her in that process. “It is an amazing organization. When I walked in, I felt comfortable and loved,” she said.
Part of the healing process was creating music. Together Alie and Jake made the melodies, wrote the lyrics and eventually recorded Byland’s first album called Desert Days. They did it all themselves including building the studio that they recorded the album in to Jake mixing & mastering the entire album. Although Alie is quick to point out though that many people, especially Jake’s family, stepped up to help raise money to support the album. “It is a great community of people and I am really thankful,” she said.
Desert Days memorializes her childhood in Albuquerque and her late father. The song “What a Man” is an amazing tribute to her dad and when I listened to it later that afternoon tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought of my own father. She told me the last song on the album “Lying on the Couch” includes an actual voicemail that her father left her so many years ago.
After listening to Desert Days, I can attest to the emotion that went into the entire album. Alie sings beautifully and the wisdom she shares through her lyrics are a gift to us all.
The Byland band has an upcoming performance on October 20th, and proceeds from both ticket sales and merchandise will go to The Healing Center. Merchandise for sale includes beautiful jewelry that her uncle made. (He used to make jewelry with Alie’s dad.) The money raised will go towards scholarships to help others dealing with grief.
The show will be at the High Dive (513 N 36th St, Ste G, Seattle) and opens with local bands Hallstrom, Temple Canyon, and Skylar Mitchell Raye Band.
Byland will have a seven piece band including Maggiejean Martinez, Alie’s little sister and the drummer in the band; Chris Hanson, bassist; Torry Anderson, keyboards; Bri Bloemendaal, electric guitar; Cameron & Jodi Reed, strings; and of course Alie.
Alie and Jake are already working on another album, and she is continually honing her craft and collaborating with other musicians. She said that she has met so many people that have inspired her and have helped her. “Music should bring people together,” she said.
Visit www.bylandmusic.com for a sneak peak of Desert Days, purchase the album, or learn more about the upcoming show. Music is also available on iTunes and Spotify under Byland.
Kathy Price is Fit and Fabulous in her 60's
Mike Connolly is proud of his wife Kathy Price and for good reason. Kathy is the Owner and Coach at Agoge CrossFit in Woodinville and at 65 years old she looks amazing. Not only does she look 20 years younger than she is but according to Mike she can outperform most women of any age.
Mike speaks the truth, as Kathy placed 2nd in the Northwest and 26th in the World CrossFit Games Masters Division just a few years ago.
I met up with Kathy and Mike at Agoge CrossFit off 144th Avenue NE just a few doors down from Triplehorn Brewing Company. The location is perfectly suited for those wanting easy access and the warehouse space is large and really awesome as a gym.
Health and fitness have always been a part of Kathy’s life. Prior to becoming one of the first CrossFit Level 1 Trainers in 2008 (along with a ton of additional certifications), she earned her BA in Psychology and BS in Nursing and worked as a Registered Nurse.
When she moved to the Seattle area in 2006, she started working with a trainer at a gym in Sand Point and as she says, “It was killing me but I loved it.”
The difference? CrossFit.
CrossFit was new and that location was the only one at that time. “My whole life changed,” said Kathy. She explained that CrossFit is different because you are doing circuits that feature functional movement. “It’s back to basics,” she said. The exercises mimic what you do in everyday life and help you build strength. Like the twisting you may do to get a child out of a car seat or reaching for an item on a top shelf in the kitchen.
Not long after she started with that gym the two owners there, Dave Werner and Nick Nibler, were splitting up and Nick asked Kathy to become a partner. “I never thought I’d be a gym owner but it made me feel so great.”
With her nursing background the answer was definitely yes as she was always interested in the preventative side of medicine. Now she could help people by teaching proper nutrition and exercise to help them stay healthy for their whole life.
Fast forward to present day and Agoge is the oldest CrossFit affiliate in the world. That is pretty impressive considering there are 15,000 now.
Although Mike works outside the gym in his own business they are both very active at the gym and shared that CrossFit is great for couples as you do the same workouts by scaling based on strength and ability. They also stressed the community and supportive nature of the gym. “The community of CrossFit is supporting, fun, and just incredible,” Kathy said.
According to Kathy, it’s really for everyone. She encourages people to just come and talk with her about their concerns and goals for getting fit. They’ve watched shy high school students blossom with their newfound strength and marvel at their oldest member at 77 years old who excels with every workout. They love to hear how healthy and strong their members feel.
When Kathy and Mike aren’t working they enjoy our area by hiking, swimming, and just getting outdoors.
Agoge CrossFit
www.agogegym.com
The Making of a Leader ... Sarah Raza - September 17, 2018
I continue to be inspired by the young adults in our community especially after chatting with Sarah Raza last week. At only 17 years old, she is really making a difference and has the makings to be a leader in the future.
Sarah lives with her family in Woodinville and just started her senior year at Redmond High School (school district boundaries dictated that).
She said she has always enjoyed history classes and attributes that to her love of reading. “With History what you read is true and about our past,” Sarah said. She chuckled when she added that she is enjoying math now as well and that stemmed from taking a Calculus class. I chuckled as well saying that is when many people likely start to dislike math!
Puget Sound area Student Leaders at the Washington D.C. summit from left to right: Sarah Raza, Madeleine Brown, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Winter Holmgren and Youri Babakoff. (Courtesy photo)At school she’s active with the Debate team and is the president for this upcoming school year. In Debate she focuses on the individual events and has attended state in the past for her Oratory, Impromptu, and IR (Interpretive Reading) categories.
Sarah is also Senior Class Treasurer this year and has been part of student government throughout her high school years.
And if those accolades weren’t enough for this bright young lady, in March of 2017 she started a nonprofit organization called Aware. Aware’s mission is to embrace students with special needs. By that she hopes to remove the stigma against students with special needs and include them in day-to-day activities in school that may be taken for granted. She wants the entire student population to be able to participate in activities as simple as eating lunch amongst friends to attending prom.
Sarah’s personal story for creating Aware stemmed from helping a friend babysit her sister who suffered from severe autism. What started out as a one day experiment turned into a full summer of fun spending time with the two girls and coming away with a completely different mindset and new understanding of the numerous obstacles that kids with special needs have to overcome.
Aware is branching out to other schools as well and there is a chapter in both Bothell and Newport at this time. She’s hopeful to get other schools involved with chapters of their own in the future. To help that along, Aware was recently awarded one of the top six T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge Winners and will receive a financial contribution as well as valuable advice from T-Mobile’s legal, marketing, and financial teams.
I asked Sarah about her motivation to give back and get involved. She said, “I have always been a very active volunteer.” She credits her Muslim faith and being involved in the mosque for that foundation. “Helping the community is something that has always been done,” she added. It should be noted that Sarah has also volunteered at the Pacific Science Center, Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, and at the Autism Resource Center in Rawalpindi Pakistan.
I was introduced to Sarah by the management team at Bank of America following her internship this summer.
According to Bank of America Market Executive, Kim Vu, Sarah was part of the “dream team” chosen for Bank of America’s Student Leaders eight-week, paid internship program, which helps develop the next generation of local leaders by recognizing community-minded high school students and connecting them to employment, professional development and service opportunities.
This summer she worked with Special Olympics Washington on a number of different projects from helping put on this year’s USA Games to research and writing to learning the general operations of a nonprofit. During the USA Games she said, “I interviewed some amazing athletes then we posted their stories on social media.”
Sarah Raza (Courtesy photo)Sarah is so proud that she had the chance to be involved in the Bank of America Student Leadership internship. “It was by far the best summer program I have ever done,” she said. She felt it was a great experience with real life work and the networking was tremendous.
She learned about the internship through her school’s website on the career center page. Sarah emphasized that it was a perfect fit for her since it involved community service and nonprofit involvement plus getting paid was a bonus.
In the future, college is definitely on the horizon but she’s not sure where she’ll end up yet. She thinks UW is fantastic and her sister is a student there. She’s also applying at Occidental College in LA along with all the Ivy League schools. Acceptance and financial aid will help make the final decision. When the time comes, she’ll pass the reigns for Aware to another student but will stay on as an advisor.
I asked if she had any final thoughts to give to other students that wanted to get involved and she said “Remember that every little bit helps.”
Sarah has done more than a little bit and I’m grateful for students like her that are getting involved every day in making our schools and the community a little better.
Aware – visit awarenonprofit.org
Internship – visit Bankofamerica.com/StudentLeadership
Applications will be due this fall and are open to students in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
From the Frying Pan to the [Board of] Fire [Commissioners] - September 3, 2018
After 28 years of service, Mike Millman retired from his position as Station Captain at Everett Fire Department in February of this year. He is far from done serving the public, however, having recently been appointed as a new Woodinville Fire & Rescue Board of Fire Commissioner.
As a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, he’ll meet with fellow commissioners at Headquarters Fire Station 31. This board oversees all budget and policy decisions for the District.
Each member of the Board of Fire Commissioners is typically elected by the citizens and serves a 6-year term although Millman was appointed to the board after a member resigned when he moved from the district. Members receive a minimal stipend for their services. Other Board of Fire Commissioner Members include: Roger Collins, Derek van Veen, Jim Dorney, and Tim Osgood.
The appointment is so new that prior to press time Mike hadn’t yet attended his first meeting but will do so on September 11th. He has already participated in his first “official duty” however when he volunteered to flip pancakes at the recent Woodinville Fire & Rescue Pancake Breakfast during the Celebrate Woodinville events in August.
I met with Mike and his lovely wife of 21 years last week at their beautiful home in Woodinville. From the accompanying photo, you’ll probably recognize Mike’s wife Michelle as an anchor for KIRO 7 news.
Mike became interested in a career as a firefighter when he was in high school, and his dad was dating a female firefighter in Seattle. He was attracted to the job aspect of helping people, the bonding he witnessed among the firefighters, and the physical aspect of the job. A few years later, he had a neighbor that had just become a firefighter, and his interest was reignited. That neighbor became his mentor in the process to become a firefighter, and the rest they say is history.
“I loved the camaraderie of the fire department,” said Millman. He added that he loved helping people and making a difference. That is what attracted him to the job so many years ago.
He admitted that their station was very busy though and that a fair amount of stress accompanied the job. Millman said, “I don’t miss the sleep deprivation.”
Following retirement, Mike took some much needed time off “to decompress” as Michelle noted. But when the opportunity to join the Fire Board presented itself, he jumped at it. He’s happy to give back to the Woodinville community that has been so good to his family. “I think they [Board of Fire Commissioners] are doing a fantastic job,” he said.
He’s already been working with the staff and is looking forward to getting involved in the meetings and workshops.
The Fire Chief from the Everett Fire Department, David DeMarco, said of Millman, “He was a great employee, and we have all wished him well in his retirement years. I’m happy to hear he is still leading a life of service in his own community. He brings years of expertise and will be a valuable member of your Fire Board.”
Mike bought his home in Woodinville in 1992, and Michelle joined him when they married. He loves the location and that it is close to the mountains, water, work, and town. Plus he said, “the people are great.” Michelle added, “It is not a big city, and we are really part of a community.”
Together the couple have two boys. Jake will be beginning his sophomore year at the University of Washington while Luke will be a senior at Ingelmoor High School. Mike and Michelle both praised the Northshore School District, and they are grateful for the opportunities it has provided.
Michelle wrapped things up by saying how proud she was of Mike. By continuing to serve the community and giving back. “He’s one of the smartest people I know,” she added.
I think Woodinville is lucky to have Mike along with his passion and experience serving the community as a new member of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
For more information about the Woodinville Fire & Rescue and the Fire Commissioners, visit http://wf-r.org/
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Coronavirus: New Caledonia separatists Desire France Liberty vote postponed Because of COVID-19
They are interested in having the vote splitting from Paris, scheduled for September 6 and the second in a couple of decades, to be set back on account of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and also to prevent it overlapping with elections.
“It’s apparent that the first program is somewhat turned upside down,” explained Louis Mapou, head of the National Union for Independence (UNI) movement.
“The next round of the elections will happen in June that we have been supposed to have completed in March,” he added.
France formally annexed New Caledonia in 1853.
However, within its decolonization process, Paris, in 1998, signed up the Nouméa Agreement, which officially gave New Caledonia the best to maintain an independence vote twenty-five decades afterward, in 2018.
This has been held on November 4, 2018. Voters rejected dividing from France by 56.4 percent to 43.6 percent.
President Emmanuel Macron stated that he was”thrilled” New Caledonia had shown faith in the French Republic.
But under the conditions of the 1998 deal, New Caledonia can hold another ballot in 2020 as well as a third in 2022 in the event the land’s legislature agrees.
This past year, another referendum was scheduled for September 6, 2020.
UNI says it’s going to hold discussions about a fresh referendum date on Friday.
Victor Tutugoro, a dominant figure in the pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), stated he’d love to vote from the end of October to prevent overlapping with the civil war effort.
Sonia Backès, president of New Caledonia’s South Province and also anti-independence figure, has compared postponing the date.
“We gave our word for September 6we do not wish to postpone it all,” she told AFP, accusing the separatists of”placing stress on the country”.
COVID-19 warms up New Caledonia’s political worries
Daniel Goa, president of this Union Calédonienne, among the key organizations of the FLNKS, known as the sacking of their high commissioner and his team, in addition to the commander of the armed forces.
He also lambasted the”Jacobin vision” of the country in handling the COVID-19 tragedy, calling it”partisan and disloyal”.
He also accused the military of not respecting the quarantine protocol on birth in the capital town Nouméa.
New Caledonia has been the very first French land to start lifting lockdown limitations, on April 20.
The nation, which has a population of over 270,000, has thus far only had 18 COVID-19 cases, with no deaths listed, based on Johns Hopkins University.
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Oxford English Dictionary (book)
July 1, 2012 / By Jenny Scott / In Teaching Materials / Leave Comment
The Oxford English Dictionary (or OED) is one of the major English language dictionaries. It is published by Oxford University Press (OUP).
Apart from defining words, it also traces their history and is used not only by people wanting to learn word meaning but also by scholars and academics wanting to understand more about the English language and how it has developed over the years.
The OED claims that it will reveal
how a word has been used
where it came from
when it first entered the English language
how its meaning has changed over time and around the world
And since its publication the OED has gained a grand place in the pantheon of English. It is revered amongst academics and many consider it sacrosanct.
However, other criticize it as being elitist. They say, for example, that it will list the words coined by “literary” authors while ignoring those commonly used by everyday publications. They accuse it of being prescriptive rather than being descriptive also. But perhaps the most common criticism is that it is essentially conservative in its approach to language. It is, they say, a product of Oxford rather than the more liberal Cambridge, both of whom were approached to publish it.
The OED, meanwhile, has weathered all storms and has spawned a number of shorter, more specialized versions: The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (leaving out many older obsolete words), The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (without an historical focus) and others.
Statistics & Trivia
The OED is huge.
just over 300,000 main entries
some 600,000 words covered
just under 250,000 etymologies
around 2,500,000 usage quotes
roughly 59 million words in total
The longest entry is for the word, set, which is some 60,000 words long describing the 430 different meanings of the word.
And if you want to buy a set, the full second edition (20 volumes) is £750 or $995. You can also get the second edition on CDROM for around a quarter of the price.
Work began on the OED in 1857 but it was only in 1884 that it was begun to be published in dribs and drabs, a letter or so at a time, until finally, in 1928, it was published in full in 10 volumes. (The image above shows an early set.)
In the early days it was known as A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles; Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by The Philological Society but this was changed to the catchier Oxford English Dictionary in 1933 when it was republished in 12 volumes (plus the frist of many supplements).
In 1989 the second edition was published in 20 volumes.
Finally in 2000 a third edition was begun and now, some 15 years later, it is a third of the way through. The CEO of OUP says the next edition of the OED is likely to be electronic only and no more new editions will appear in print.
On that subject, the first electronic version of the dictionary was made available in 1988 with a version online since 2000. The online version receives some 2 million hits per month.
Dictionaries – a look at dictionaries
Oxford University Press – the publishers of this great work
Descriptive vs Prescriptive Grammars – the difference between the two
Official OED Site – this is a paid subscription site to the most current OED
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Missing Person Brandon Swanson
What Happened to Brandon Swanson?
BRANDON SWANSON
Tipline: 507 694-1664
Vanished: 5/14/2009
From: Taunton, MN
The following analysis by Rebecca Klein, senior psychology major at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., was prepared in fall 2010 as part of a senior research project titled “Brandon Swanson: Missing Without a Trace,” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the capstone course “Psychology Seminar on Personality Assessment in Criminal and Political Psychology” by Aubrey Immelman, Ph.D.
During the early morning hours of May 14, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson disappeared under mysterious circumstances from a rural area northeast of Marshall in southwestern Minnesota. Numerous searches have been conducted of the area and bodies of water surrounding the location where Brandon’s car was found. After nearly three years, those searches have yet to find any physical evidence of what may have happened to Brandon. With no body and very little evidence, it is impossible to know what happened to Brandon, leaving every possibility open for speculation.
David Francis, left, and Brandon’s father Brian Swanson at right with glasses. (AP)
May 13, 2008 marked the last day of classes at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby, Minn., where Brandon Swanson was enrolled in the wind turbine program. That evening Brandon was at a friend’s house in Lynd, Minn., celebrating and consuming alcoholic beverages, but not in excess. Shortly after midnight on May 14 Brandon left Lynd to head back to his parents’ home in Marshall, where he lived. Around 12:30 a.m. Brandon’s car went into the roadside ditch and he placed a call to his parents, Brian and Annette Swanson, asking them to pick him up. Brandon described his location as being on a rural road outside Lynd about 10 miles from his parents’ home. Brian and Annette stayed on the phone with their son while driving to pick him up. They later reported that Brandon seemed certain of his whereabouts and did not seem too disoriented (Divine, 2010; Weed, 2010).
When Brian and Annette arrived at the location described by Brandon, neither Brandon nor his car was there. Brian began flashing the lights of his pickup truck and instructed Brandon to do the same. Neither party was able to see the other’s flashing lights and because of mounting frustration an argument ensued. Brandon hung up on his mother and when she called him back to apologize he told his parents he was walking to Lynd and would wait for them at his friend’s home. Brian then drove Annette back home to Marshall so she could go to bed and then drove back towards Lynd to pick up his son. Once again, Brain remained on the line with Brandon, who was walking towards town; this call began at 2:23 a.m. and would be the last contact between father and son. During the conversation, Brandon described his surroundings to his father, at one point stating he was walking along a fence line and could see the lights of town in the distance. At 3:10 a.m. Brandon shouted an expletive and the call ended abruptly. Brian attempted to call his son back several times but Brandon never answered again (Divine, 2010; Weed, 2010).
The Swansons then contacted Brandon’s friends and they searched the surrounding rural areas for any signs of Brandon. The early morning search turned up nothing and at 6:30 a.m. on May 14 Annette Swanson contacted the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department for assistance. At first, the authorities were reluctant to search because Brandon was legally an adult and they pointed out to that it was not unusual for a 19-year-old to stay out all night. The authorities joined the search later that morning after realizing the seriousness of the situation (Chang, 2008; Weed, 2010).
On the afternoon of May 14, authorities located Brandon’s Chevy Lumina by tracing his cell phone calls to a tower northwest of Marshall. Brandon’s vehicle was found in a rural area on the side of a field approach, near the Lyon and Lincoln County lines, about one and a half mile north of Highway 68. Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Vizecky described the car as on “sort of a sharp incline, nothing major but enough that the car would get hung up so the wheels are too high off the ground to get any traction” (Weed, 2010, p. 2). Brandon’s vehicle was located approximately 25 miles from Lynd, the town he erroneously thought he was outside of. Instead, Brandon was in the outskirts of the small towns Taunton and Porter, Minn., located about 20 miles northwest of Marshall; Lynd is about 10 miles south of Marshall (Weed, 2010; “The Search for Brandon” blog).
No alcohol or illegal drugs were found in the vehicle. Nothing unusual was found in or around the vehicle; there was no significant trace evidence, no signs of blood, and no indication of a struggle. Unfortunately, authorities were unable to find footprints to indicate in which direction Brandon ventured on foot (Brunswick, 2009; Weed, 2010).
After Brandon’s car was located, the Lyon County Sherriff’s Department sought the help of search dogs. The dogs led authorities to the banks of the Yellow Medicine River, which at the time of the disappearance was high and flowing fast. The Yellow Medicine River is knee-deep in some areas and up to 15 feet deep in others (Weed, 2010, p. 2). Because it was assumed Brandon had fallen into the river, the search focused around the Yellow Medicine River and the surrounding area. However, this area has now been ruled out because if Brandon did fall into the river his body would have been washed downriver and eventually found (“The Search for Brandon” blog).
Search photo from the weekend of June 8, 2008
(Photo credit: “The Search for Brandon Swanson” blog)
In the early weeks of the search in May and June 2008, land and air searches were conducted both by community volunteers and individuals from professional search organizations, but with no luck. Numerous searches have been conducted since then, primarily relying on the time and effort of local volunteers. The most recent major search effort was conducted August 7-8, 2010. Current searches are focusing on a specific area of Mud Creek, which is also located in the vicinity where Brandon’s car was found. The focus of the search moved to this area after bloodhounds led searchers there in March 2010. The professional search manager on the case, Jeff Hasse, who writes the blog titled “The Search for Brandon Swanson,” updates the blog with information on the search and believes Brandon’s remains will be found in time. Cadaver dogs have indicated a scent in the area, which is evidence enough, Hasse stated, for the search to continue (“The Search for Brandon” blog).
Searchers work an area just west of Taunton along Highway 68 and to the north, June 21-22, 2008. (Photo credit: “The Search for Brandon Swanson” blog)
Equivocal Missing Person Analysis
When an individual dies and the cause of death is unknown or uncertain, investigators employ the psychological autopsy, or equivocal death analysis. Using the elements of the psychological autopsy, Brandon’s disappearance was analyzed using an “equivocal missing person analysis” (Seifert & Immelman, 2007) in order to explore possible explanations of Brandon’s mysterious disappearance.
Voluntary Disappearance
Although it is possible that Brandon disappeared of his own accord and is alive and well, living in another location — perhaps under an alias — this scenario is extremely unlikely; there is no evidence that Brandon was planning his disappearance and it takes a high level of sophistication to plot your own disappearance and relocation. It has also been nearly three years since Brandon went missing and for a fraud of this nature to last that long without detection is unlikely. It should also be considered that Brandon was on the phone with his father while attempting to walk towards a location so his father could pick him up — hardly the behavior of someone staging his own disappearance (Seifert & Immelman, 2007).
A mental breakdown does not seem like a plausible cause of Brandon’s disappearance, although it cannot be ruled out entirely. Family and friends indicated that Brandon had always been a high-functioning and emotionally stable individual and for his whereabouts not to be discovered for nearly three years makes the mental breakdown explanation highly unlikely.
An accident
Authorities immediately assumed that Brandon had fallen into the Yellow Medicine River. After two years and innumerable searches of the river it is highly implausible Brandon drowned in the river, because his body likely would have surfaced by now. The present search is now focusing on another body of water in the area, Mud Creek. The same argument holds true for Mud Creek, so it would be a mistake to focus all of the search efforts on that location.
It is also not likely Brandon drowned because it was reported that until May 16, 2008 Brandon’s cell phone remained turned on. His phone was thought to have been on for two days after his disappearance because every call made to the phone after his disappeared resulted in several rings and then a voicemail recording. When a cell phone is off or when it is damaged — for example, as the result of being submerged under water — incoming calls go directly to voicemail, either with no rings or just one ring. How could Brandon’s phone still be on for two days after he disappeared if Brandon did indeed drown? It is possible that he abruptly hung up the phone while falling into the river, with the phone slipping out of his hand and falling onto dry land; however, the phone has not been recovered and one can only speculate.
It has also been postulated that Brandon may have sought shelter in a farmer’s outbuilding and perished there. However, the probability of the building’s owner not finding Brandon’s remains after two years is unlikely. The temperature the night Brandon disappeared was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit with light winds — hardly conditions under which one would perish of exposure within a matter of hours. Another possibility is that Brandon could have fallen into a hole or a type of naturally occurring trench encountered while walking in the dark, but if that were the case it would be odd that after nearly three years of extensive searching nothing has been found (“The Search for Brandon” blog).
Suicide is the least plausible scenario because “it is highly unusual for suicide victims to take measures that would prevent or delay the discovery of their remains” (Seifert & Immelman, 2007). If suicide were the case Brandon’s body would have been discovered rather quickly. Brandon did not have a history of emotional instability, nor did he show any signs leading up to his disappearance that he was suicidal or depressed. He also placed phone calls to his parents to pick him up, which is not be the behavior of someone planning to take his own life.
There are no known personal, economic, or social motives that plausibly may have driven someone to murder Brandon; however, there are individuals who murder strangers because of a deep-seated — usually sexual — fantasy. Because Brandon’s fate is still unknown, it can be speculated that he was taken by an offender, murdered, and disposed of so his remains would not be found. The likelihood that an offender — especially one with homicidal fantasies — happened to be driving in rural Minnesota at 3 a.m. on the same road Brandon was on is remote, but still needs to be considered.
Another possibility is that this could be a case of vehicular homicide. An individual may have been driving home intoxicated and accidentally hit Brandon. Gravel rural roads are not illuminated with street lights and visibility is poor. It is possible a possible hit-and-run driver panicked and in fear of going to prison took and disposed of Brandon’s body to avoid detection.
Brunswick, M. (2009, June 29). Parents’ pain helps change how police treat missing adults. Star Tribune. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2010, from http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/49466647.html.
Chang, B. (2008, May 20). Sheriff ‘running out of answers’ in disappearance of Marshall teen. Kare 11 News. Retrieved n.d., from http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.aspx?storyid=511468.
Divine, M. (2010, May 14). Leaving a light on for hope — Two years after Swanson disappearance, search goes on. St. Paul Pioneer Press, p. B1. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2010, from http://infoweb.newsbank.com.
Immelman, A. (2004, November 9). All possibilities should be investigated in Guimond case. The Record. Retrieved December 13, 2010, from http://www.immelman.us/news/missing-person-joshua-guimond.
Rosenblum, G. (2009, July 2). Risk-taking young adults? Brandon’s Law to the rescue. Star Tribune, p. 1B. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2010, from http://infoweb.newsbank.com.
Seifert, J., & Immelman, A. (2007, November 20). Guimond analysis maintains mystery. St. Cloud Times.
The search for Brandon Swanson blog (n.d.). Online at http://thesearchforbrandon.blogspot.com.
Weed, A. (2010, January 18). Teen drove into ditch, vanished as parents searched. CNN Justice, 1-3. Retrieved Nov. 18, 2010, from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-01-18/justice/grace.coldcase.swanson_1_searched-phone-father?_s=PM:CRIME.
Nancy Grace: America’s Missing — Brandon Swanson
Posted by Natisha Lance
When a phone call between 19-year-old Brandon Swanson and his parents ended abruptly they immediately knew something was wrong. That was May 14, 2008. Brandon was making a 30 mile drive home from visiting friends.
He called his parents when his car went into a ditch. His parents set out to look for him but came up empty until later the next day when police located the college student’s vehicle by using cell phone pings. Multiple searches in the area have focused on the Yellow Medicine River which is located 0.2 miles from where the green 2001 Chevrolet Lumina was found. Trained dogs used to search in the area have detected human remains but Brandon has yet to be found. …
College student focusing on Kolodziej murder (Jim Poole, Cobleskill Times-Journal, Feb. 21, 2012) — A Minnesota college student planning a career in forensic psychology found the perfect case to study right here in Schoharie County. It’s the same case police have been studying for nearly four decades: the unsolved murder of Kathy Kolodziej. Kelsea Schneider is a senior at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota. … Full story
Jacob Wetterling Kidnapping Tips (March 2, 2011)
Refer Joshua Guimond Case to FBI (Nov. 10, 2010)
Unsolved Murder of Chris Jenkins (Aug. 6, 2010)
What happened to Chris Jenkins?
Joshua Guimond: Latest News (May 24, 2010)
What happened to Josh Guimond?
Jacob Wetterling: Latest News (Oct. 5, 2010)
Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner said items recovered in a search could not be identified as evidence. (00:46)
Joshua Guimond: New Developments (May 24, 2010)
Josh Guimond (Photo credit: KMSP-TV Fox 9)
Jaycee Lee Dugard Found Alive (Aug. 28, 2009)
Ottis Toole Murdered Adam Walsh (Dec. 16, 2008)
FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — March 8, 2010
Iraq Election Violence
One year ago today, I reported that despite bombings, mortar rounds, and grenades that claimed at least 36 lives, Iraqis voted on Sunday, March 7, 2010 in an election that will ultimately show whether Iraq can overcome the sectarian divisions that have defined it since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Two Years Ago — March 8, 2009
Sunday Bloody Sunday in Iraq
Two years ago today, on March 8, 2009, I reported that a suicide bomber had killed 32 people at the entrance of Baghdad’s main police academy in a chilling reminder of the nation’s still-shaky security. The blast — the second major attack to hit Iraq in three days and the deadliest to strike Baghdad in nearly a month — was a bloody reminder of the ability of insurgents to defy security improvements and stage dramatic attacks as the U.S. begins to draw down its forces.
« Gates Talks Afghanistan Strategy
Can U.S. Hold Afghanistan Gains? »
One Response to “Missing Person Brandon Swanson”
Immelman for Congress » Blog Archive » Unsolved Murder of Chris Jenkins Says:
[…] Missing Person Brandon Swanson (March 8, 2011) […]
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Behind The Skyscraper Soundtrack
Tero Heikkinen
Published in in English on Feb 11, 2011
As we know now, Jonas Bjerre is releasing a full-length soundtrack album for the movie Skyscraper this May, around the same time as the movie’s general Danish release. Next Monday you are able to buy the first single Kids Don’t Fight from iTunes (anywhere in the world), and you definitely should – for this is one beautiful and catchy song. It will make you very happy, honestly. The three-minute danceable (at times) track sounds like a mixture of Mew and Apparatjik. A song with multiple vocal layers, multiple instruments – all of them played by Jonas.
“This song is all me, most of the songs are (including some rather helpless drumming and violin playing), but I have a few musicians here and there on some of the other songs, not many though.”
“The music is all written specifically for the film, both songs and instrumentals, and had to fit within the framework of the picture, but I think it turned out really well. In the film there was a limit to how many “songs” could fit, so a lot of the stuff with vocals on it is just instrumentals in the film, which is also part of the reason I want to put out this as an album, but there’s still quite a few vocal bits in the film too.”
We will also post the lyrics of Kids Don’t Fight very soon – plus we will talk about the current situation with Mew and album #6. They all have been very busy lately. Jonas just spent ten days at MIT working with scientists for the Apparatjik performance/exhibit at Neue Nationalgalerie in March. You’ve probably seen this great photo…?
Recommend0 recommendations
Emmathiesen February 11, 2011 at 11:59 pm
Wow cool. That’s awesome, i’m really looking forward to watch the movie here in Denmark. A mix of Mew and Apparatjik – i’m expecting the best! 😀
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Home > Kolkata > E-mail id of JU V-C hacked
E-mail id of JU V-C 'hacked'
Team MP31 May 2018 5:33 PM GMT
Kolkata: The e-mail id of Jadavpur University vice-chancellor Suranjan Das has been hacked. The V-C, who is a resident of FE Block in Salt Lake, has lodged a complaint with Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police station on Wednesday.
A senior police officer of Bidhannagar Cyber Crime police station has informed that according to Das's complaint, someone has created a profile on Hotmail with the same name as him, while his actual account is on Yahoo. The hacker has been sending frivolous e-mails, seeking personal and professional help on Das's part, from some persons who are in the mail list of the V-C.
When contacted, Das said, "I have a number of respected and renowned persons in my e-mail contact list. I had received calls from some of them on Tuesday night, who enquired whether I am sick and then asked whether I have sought any sort of financial help from them. I informed them immediately that I have sent no such mail and told them not to respond to such requests of financial help. I was relieved that no one had transferred any money and had called me first," Das maintained.
He expressed his apprehension that the hacker might have access to some very confidential e-mails that he has to deal with, being the head of a university. "The police have been very cooperative. They have taken all necessary steps in this regard and I am hopeful that they will soon nab the offender," he said.
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A region and a world on edge By Charlene Muhammad -National Correspondent-
Minister Farrakhan warns Muslim world to reject Western interference, seek a way to peace or face war that will destroy the Middle East
Palestinian protesters take part during clashes after protests near the border with Israel in the east of Gaza Strip, May 14. More protests followed in the Palestinian territories on May 15. At least 58 Palestinian protesters were killed and more than 2,000 others were injured at the Gaza-Israeli border during clashes against the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem as well as marking the Nakba Day.
“And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited. And remember Allah’s favour to you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favour you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes clear to you His messages that you may be guided.” —Holy Qu’ran 3:103, Maulana Muhammad Ali translation
On the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and as trouble unfolds in the Middle East, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered a divine message of guidance and warning to the Muslim World as tension and pressure rises in the region.
During the Ramadan Prayer Line, where Islamic scholars and Believers from different schools of Islamic thought tune in at 5 a.m. for daily spiritual messages, sayings from Prophet Muhammad of Arabia, and recitations from the Muslim holy book. Minister Farrakhan opened by expressing his desire that the divine month of fasting and prayer be a blessing to every Muslim on the planet and a blessing to all who observe.
Ramadan is a month of fasting during the daylight hours and special prayers Muslims are commanded to observe each year. It started May 16 in the Chicago area.
Fasting is a divine prescription from Allah for the Believers to guard against evil, but evil is everywhere in the Muslim world, and the clouds of war are gathering over the Holy Land, Minister Farrakhan stated during his near 30 minute message.
Allah is the Master of the Day of Requital, meaning He can punish whom He pleases and show mercy and forgiveness for those whom He pleases, the Minister continued. Many in the world of Islam have earned the chastisement of Allah as Muslims are now killing Muslims at the suggestion of evil ones and to the delight of Western governments, he said.
Mourners carry the body of a Palestinian, who died during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border, at ahospital morgue in the northern Gaza Strip May 14.
During President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the Holy Land, Minister Farrakhan described how the American president pitted Muslims against Muslims, Sunni against Shia, and now there is the Saudi Arabian promise to spend billions of dollars on American weapons. Mr. Trump was feted by the Saudis and spoke to Sunni nations allied with and under the sway of the monarchy against the Islamic republic of Iran and Shia nations.
Israeli border police officer pulls a sign from a Palestinian protestor outside the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem May 14. Israeli soldiers shot and killed dozens of Palestinians during mass protests along the Gaza border. It was the deadliest day there since a devastating 2014 cross-border war and cast a shadow over Israel's festive inauguration of the new U.S. Embassy in contested Jerusalem.
Now Muslim nations are at odds with nations, said Minister Farrakhan, who was also scheduled to speak at Mosque Maryam, the Nation of Islam headquarters in Chicago, on Sunday, May 27, 2018.
“How can it be a blessed Ramadan with Muslim nations buying weapons from America; training their weapons on fellow Muslims? Muslims in such disagreement with one another that nations are splitting apart from nations and the guns are turning toward Iran and Iran is preparing to fight back?” asked Min. Farrakhan.
“Is this a blessed Ramadan, with blood being shed in the Holy Land over Jerusalem?” he asked. Ramadan is supposed to be a time of great spiritual focus and development, where arguing and fighting is prohibited and Muslims celebrate the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, the Islamic book of scripture.
“Is this a blessed Ramadan when the Muslim world felt the pain of the Palestinians under the tyranny of the Israeli Zionists, but now many of the Muslims have turned away from the suffering of the Palestinians and now their guns are trained at each other?” the Minister continued.
He was referring to the latest deadly violence that broke out in the Gaza Strip, on the Gaza-Israeli border. Thousands of Palestinian protestors gathered near the border March 30 for the “March of Return,” which marked the beginning of a Hamas-led six-week demonstration calling for a return to homes lost 70 years ago during the war connected to Israel’s creation.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen during their meeting at the King David hotel in Jerusalem.
But not only are the Palestinians denied a return to their land. Bloody and deadly encounters erupted this year as Zionists fired live ammunition on those who protested and tried to break though the fence. Gaza has suffered under an Israeli blockade. Israel, according to the Associated Press, said the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas, which opposes Israel, from building up its military capabilities. But the blockade keeps food, medicine and necessities out of the area.
People knew there would be a lot of demonstrations, but those killed were just protesting injustice, argued John Parker, who is a candidate for Senate in California on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket and anti-war activist.
“Just for that, they’re being assassinated and killed, a death sentence for protesting injustice and that’s what Israel is doing,” he said.
The killings occur with U.S. weapons, from Apache helicopters, to depleted uranium bombs to the billions of dollars that America gives to Israel’s military, Mr. Parker stated.
“Israel couldn’t exist and couldn’t be killing children like they’re doing now without the complicity of the United States, so it’s not only Israel that’s committing this genocide. It’s the United States as well,” Mr. Parker told The Final Call.
Israeli gunfire has killed more than 110 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more since the protests began on March 30. On May 14, 59 people were killed in the deadliest day of cross-border violence since a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. Some 1,300 others were wounded by live fire, the Associated Press said.
(L to R): Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, May 14.
But, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said May 18 that Israel had not tried to limit casualties during the border protests. According to Mr. al-Hussein, more than 12,000 people were injured and at least 3,500 were hit with live ammunition.
“This is just a continuation of those genocidal policies, and I think they—the Israeli government and (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu—feel more empowered because of Trump,” added Mr. Parker.
Mr. Parker participated in Los Angeles’ May 14 national “Day of Rage,” meant to raise awareness about the suffering of Palestinians.
Last December, President Trump announced a unilateral decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On May 14, two days before the start of Ramadan and as the Gaza protests were underway, the United States and Israel celebrated moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking additional outrage and violent protests.
No president of a Western country ever dared to do that, observed Minister Farrakhan. President Trump also beckoned England, France, and other nations to move their capitals as well, though wise politicians of the past knew that would disturb and anger the Muslim World, he said. Jerusalem has been long designated an international city with claims to it lodged by the Zionists and Palestinians, and its final status was to be part of a final negotiated peace settlement.
John Parker, candidate for the U.S. Senate on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket, speaks at the May 14 “Day of Rage” protest in Los Angeles against the same day shootings by Israeli snipers of Palestinian demonstrators in the Gaza Strip.
‘When they moved that embassy to Jerusalem, it negated all of the so-called peace efforts by the U.S. imperialist presidents before. They were not very sincere measures in the first place, but this really was a big slap in the face to anyone wanting peace and justice.’
John Parker, Socialist candidate for the U.S. Senate on the Peace and Freedom Party
“When they moved that embassy to Jerusalem, it negated all of the so-called peace efforts by the U.S. imperialist presidents before. They were not very sincere measures in the first place, but this really was a big slap in the face to anyone wanting peace and justice,” Mr. Parker said.
Minister Farrakhan pointed out how Saudi Arabia is displeased with the Palestinians, saying they should have accepted a U.S.-Israeli peace plan, but the plan was “rightly rejected.” Saudi Arabia is a major U.S. ally in the region and is seen as a counterweight to the power and influence of Iran, its regional rival. According to media reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Palestinians should either accept peace proposals or stop complaining.
“I said it years ago, Israel has not had any peace at that time in 40 years and now it’s going near 70 years. Israel has not had any peace,” said Min. Farrakhan. “Israel will never know peace, as long as there is injustice and lying and thievery and murder and using the holy name of Allah to shield dirty practices, unclean practices, false promises.”
A special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 18 ended with a resolution by member states to investigate weeks of violence on the Israeli border with Gaza. Member states adopted the resolution by 29 votes for, two against and 14 abstentions.
“Palestinians have exactly the same human rights as Israelis do. They have the same rights to live safely in their homes, in freedom, with adequate and essential services and opportunities,” said Mr. al-Hussein. Palestinians are “in essence, caged in a toxic slum from birth to death; deprived of dignity; de-humanized by the Israeli authorities to such a point it appears officials do not even consider that these men and women have a right, as well as every reason, to protest,” he said.
Los Angeles was the site of May 14 protests in reaction to Palestinian deaths by Israeli snipers in Gaza.
Israel responded to the special session at the Human Rights Council, saying the meeting was evidence of a politically-motivated “anti-Israeli obsession.”
Minister Farrakhan asked rhetorically: Will the Muslim World be angry at what President Trump and America have done? “Imagine the ambassador to the United Nations saying that Israel has a right to protect her borders. Israel has a right to protect her stolen property? Israel has a right to take that which was granted to her through politics and not from Allah? Do you think that you will stay there?” he asked.
There will be plenty of bloodshed in the Middle East, Minister Farrakhan warned, citing a warning from his teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, patriarch of the Nation of Islam. America will have to come out of the Middle East and if not careful, the cost will be tremendous bloodshed, the Minister warned.
Believe it or let it alone, Minister Farrakhan warned further: “Our world of Islam is in serious trouble, and if we don’t stop and take stock of ourselves and turn back to Allah with sincere repentance, the Middle East will be bathed in blood and that blood will come all the way up to Mecca and the Holy House!”
He also warned Muslim nations to heed guidance coming out of the Nation of Islam, saying the Great Mahdi, the prophetic self-guided one the Islamic world is expecting, has made his appearance in North America and deposited wisdom in the Hon. Elijah Muhammad. The Minister urged Muslims to follow the wisdom his teacher has offered and guidance he is sharing, saying his motivation was neither vanity nor ego. He urged the clashing Islamic leaders to sit down and hash out their problems based on the guidance of the Holy Qur’an.
Minister Farrakhan called on Believers to pray for the Muslim world. Without fail, study the Qu’ran every day, gird up their loins, and let this Ramadan be a noble one, he said.
“I was, as all of us, very informed and inspired by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s message, but honestly, it was no new message, because we’ve been at this point before,” said Imam Amin Nathari, founder of the Islam in America Movement.
He recalled that during last year’s message during Eid festival to close out Ramadan, Minister Farrakhan spoke about the reality of war looming in the Muslim world. Minister Farrakhan has been constantly warning as he has served as the Nation’s representative in the absence of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Imam Nathari emphasized.
A look at the history of Ramadan historically will show that some of the most contentious battles fought in the history of Islam were waged during Ramadan, he said.
“For us, we’re not in a full-fledged war where we’re going into our mosques with people in front with tanks, but we know we’re engaged in another kind of war against our open enemy,” said the Islamic scholar and author.
“For us, our war, our jihad, is the struggle to just do what Allah has commanded us to do and there’s no better time to be reminded of our responsibilities to that struggle than during the month of Ramadan,” he told The Final Call.
He feels the Muslim world is a cautionary tale for Muslims in the West to not be divided. “As the (Quranic) verse tells us, ‘We were on the brink of a pit of fire, and then Allah saved us from it.’ That’s one of the cornerstone verses in the Qu’ran that talks about the unity of the Muslims,” Imam Nathari said.
“We can never overstate the importance and value of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, particularly in this hour that we live in,” he added.
One of the beautiful things about Minister Farrakhan is that he’s un-bought, un-bossed, and un-compromised, so he doesn’t have to take a politically correct position, said the imam.
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Ten weeks in Thailand: Green Beret is first to complete Royal Thai Army’s Ranger School
By Sgt. Anthony Bryant on January 11, 2021
A Green Beret assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), left, stands next to a soldier with the Royal Thai Army before a static line combat equipment jump Dec. 26, 2020, in the Kingdom of Thailand. Photo Credit: Sgt. Anthony Bryant.
Wearing Royal Thai Army (RTA) fatigues and black leather boots, a U.S. Army Green Beret wades waist deep through a swamp carrying a heavy rucksack and an old-fashioned Mannlicher M1888 bolt-action rifle. With soaked feet and pain spreading through tired muscles, there are still miles left to trudge.
The night prior, he slept an hour because of a successful patrol in the swamps. On nights where the patrols are unsatisfactory, he's lucky for a half hour of uninterrupted sleep in the quagmire. Twenty-two hours out of the day are devoted to patrolling.
The other 72 days of the RTA Ranger School are just as relentless. Earning the Royal Thai Army Ranger Badge is a grueling effort, but high attrition rates are unusual for the course. The candidates rely on one another to push each other through to the end, whether it means carrying another's rucksack for five weeks due to a broken ankle or a quick nudge to awaken a tired teammate. From Oct. 17 to Dec. 29, 2020, a Green Beret with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) attended the RTA's Ranger School in the Kingdom of Thailand and earned the Thai Ranger Badge along with recognition as the course's distinguished graduate.
Furthermore, he became the first U.S. servicemember to attend in more than 40 years, and the first to graduate the course in its modern form. Life changing is what Ranger School is, the Green Beret said. You can't write or call your family back home; here, your family are your brothers and instructors.
The Green Beret was recognized as a valued teammate whom instructors came to rely on. As the course progressed, instructors placed him in key positions to facilitate the successful completion of missions within his platoon.
"It's a lifetime bond here," he said. "I will always remember these guys and I will always keep in contact with them. It's like brother-to-brother mentorship."
Ranger School consists of different phases: mountain, forest, swamp, maritime and urban combat. In each phase, a candidate is assessed on the positions of squad or platoon leader, medic, pace man and map, and compass man.
"As a Green Beret, we're supposed to be masters of the basics," the Green Beret said. "This course took me back to the basics. For instance, navigating off one map per platoon...In an (Operational Detachment Alpha), you have eight maps plus GPS."
To pass RTA Ranger School, you must compose operations orders and lead squad or platoon-sized elements on missions. All interactions between teammates and instructors are in Thai.
"You have to be fluent in this language," he said. "The instructors don't speak English and there are no translators here."
As well as being fluent in Thai, the Green Beret is U.S. Army Ranger qualified and drew a contrast between U.S. and RTA Ranger Schools. In U.S. Army Ranger School, a severe enough injury would result in a medical drop from the course, he said. At Thai Ranger School, instructors encourage Ranger Buddies to help one another by shouldering the weight of an injured soldier.
The course was comprised of students from U.S. Army Special Forces, Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Police, Royal King's Guards, and the Royal Thai Special Mission Unit. Of the 198 who started the course, 187 graduated.
According to the award write up given by the RTA, the Green Beret's conduct demonstrates the value the U.S. Army places on equal partnership in support of the U.S.-Thai alliance. His performance set the example for future U.S. Army attendees to the RTA's Ranger School.
"It's not so much what he gives to my formation, but what he gives to our entire force at-large in that he is a tactical and cultural diplomat for our country and Army," said the Soldier's Company Commander from 1st SFG (A). "The skills that he comes back with and the relationships he forged while there will better prepare both countries to operate with each other for our mutual defense."
Nikki Wentling, Stars and Stripes on January 11th, 2021
By Nikki Wentling, Stars and Stripes on January 11th, 2021
Gamechanger for warfighters
By Jeffrey Soares, USAMMDA Public Affairs on January 2nd, 2021
Wahlburgers Coming to Joint Base Lewis-McChord Exchange
By AAFES release on August 7th, 2018
JBLM troops fire HIMARS via C-17
By SGT. JACOB KOHRS/ 17th Field Artillery Brigade Public Affairs on June 18th, 2017
Ranger program wins Army’s top innovation prize
By Army News Service on April 9th, 2017
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Philadelphia (film)
Get Philadelphia Film essential facts below. View Videos or join the Philadelphia Film discussion. Add Philadelphia Film to your PopFlock.com topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media.
Philadelphia Film
1993 film by Jonathan Demme
Edward Saxon
Ron Nyswaner
Tak Fujimoto
Craig McKay
Clinica Estetico
December 14, 1993 (1993-12-14) (Los Angeles)
December 22, 1993 (1993-12-22) (United States)
$206.7 million[1]
Philadelphia is a 1993 American legal drama film written by Ron Nyswaner, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.[2] It was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and homophobia.
For his role as Andrew Beckett, Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 66th Academy Awards, while the song "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Nyswaner was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Jane Campion for The Piano.
Andrew Beckett is a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm in Philadelphia, named Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown. He hides his homosexuality and his status as an AIDS patient from the other members of the firm. A partner in the firm notices a lesion on Beckett's forehead. Although Beckett attributes the lesion to a racquetball injury, it indicates Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-defining condition.
Shortly thereafter, Beckett stays home from work for several days to try to find a way to hide his lesions. While at home, he finishes the paperwork for a case he has been assigned and then brings it to his office, leaving instructions for his assistants to file the paperwork the following day, which marks the end of the statute of limitations for the case. Later that morning, he receives a call asking for the paperwork, as the paper copy cannot be found and there are no copies on the computer's hard drive. The paperwork is finally discovered in an alternate location and is filed with the court at the last possible moment. The following day, Beckett is dismissed by the firm's partners.
Beckett believes that someone deliberately hid his paperwork to give the firm an excuse to fire him, and that the dismissal is actually a result of his diagnosis with AIDS as well as his sexuality. He asks ten attorneys to take his case, including African-American personal injury lawyer Joe Miller. The homophobic Miller appears to be worried that he could contract Beckett's illness. After declining to take the case, Miller immediately visits his doctor to find out if he could have contracted the disease. The doctor explains that the routes of HIV infection do not include casual contact.
Unable to find a lawyer willing to represent him, Beckett is compelled to act as his own attorney. While researching a case at a law library, Miller sees Beckett at a nearby table. A librarian approaches Beckett and announces that he has found a book on AIDS discrimination for him. As others in the library begin to first stare uneasily, the librarian suggests Beckett go to a private room. Feeling discouraged by the other people's behavior and seeing the parallels in how he himself has faced discrimination due to his race, Miller approaches Beckett, reviews the material he has gathered, and takes the case.
As the case goes before the court, the partners of the firm take the stand, each claiming that Beckett was incompetent and that he had deliberately tried to hide his condition. The defense repeatedly suggests that Beckett brought AIDS upon himself by having gay sex, and is therefore not a victim. In the course of testimony, it is revealed that the partner who had noticed Beckett's lesion, Walter Kenton, had previously worked with a woman who had contracted AIDS after a blood transfusion and so should have recognized the lesion as relating to AIDS. According to Kenton, the woman was an innocent victim, unlike Beckett, and further testified that he did not recognize Beckett's lesions. To prove that the lesions would have been visible, Miller asks Beckett to unbutton his shirt while on the witness stand, revealing that his lesions are indeed visible and recognizable as such. Over the course of the trial, Miller's homophobia slowly disappears as he and Beckett bond from working together.
Beckett eventually collapses during the trial and is hospitalized. After this, another partner, Bob Seidman, who had also noticed Beckett's lesions, confesses that he suspected Beckett had AIDS but never told anyone and never gave him the opportunity to explain himself, which he regrets very much. During his hospitalization, the jury votes in Beckett's favor, awarding him back pay, damages for pain and suffering and punitive damages, totaling over $5 million. Miller visits the visibly failing Beckett in the hospital after the verdict and overcomes his fear enough to touch Beckett's face. After the family leaves the room, Beckett tells his partner Miguel Alvarez that he is 'ready'. At the Miller home later that night, Miller and his wife are awakened by a phone call from Alvarez, who tells them that Beckett has died peacefully. A memorial is held at Beckett's family home following the funeral, where many mourners, including Miller and his family, view home movies of Beckett as a happy child.
Tom Hanks as Andrew ("Andy") Beckett
Denzel Washington as Joe Miller
Jason Robards as Charles Wheeler
Mary Steenburgen as Belinda Conine
Antonio Banderas as Miguel Álvarez
Joanne Woodward as Sarah Beckett
Robert W. Castle as Bud Beckett
Ann Dowd as Jill Beckett
Lisa Summerour as Lisa Miller
Charles Napier as Judge Lucas Garnett
Roberta Maxwell as Judge Tate
Chandra Wilson as Chandra
Daniel von Bargen as Jury Foreman
Karen Finley as Dr. Gillman
Robert Ridgely as Walter Kenton
Bradley Whitford as Jamey Collins
Ron Vawter as Bob Seidman
Anna Deavere Smith as Anthea Burton
Obba Babatundé as Jerome Green
Charles Glenn as Kenneth Killcoyne
Tracey Walter as the Librarian
Mayor of Philadelphia Ed Rendell as himself
The events in the film are similar to the events in the lives of attorneys Geoffrey Bowers and Clarence Cain. Bowers was an attorney who, in 1987, sued the law firm Baker McKenzie for wrongful dismissal in one of the first AIDS discrimination cases. Cain was an attorney for Hyatt Legal Services who was fired after his employer found out he had AIDS. He sued Hyatt in 1990, and won just before his death.[3]
Bowers' family sued the writers and producers of the film. A year after Bowers' death in 1987, a producer, Scott Rudin had interviewed the Bowers family and their lawyers and, according to the family, promised compensation for the use of Bowers' story as a basis for a film. Family members asserted that 54 scenes in the movie were so similar to events in Bowers's life that some of them could only have come from their interviews. However, the defense said that Rudin had abandoned the project after hiring a writer and did not share any information the family had provided.[4] The lawsuit was settled after five days of testimony. Although terms of the agreement were not released, the defendants did admit that "the film 'was inspired in part'" by Bowers' story.[5]
Theatrical release
Philadelphia premiered in Los Angeles on December 14, 1993 and opened in limited release in four theaters on December 22, before expanding into wide release on January 14, 1994.[6][7] The LA premiere was a benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles, which netted $250,000 APLA Chair Steve Tisch told the LA Times.[8]
The film was the first Hollywood big-budget, big-star film to tackle the issue of AIDS in the U.S. (following the TV movie And the Band Played On) and signaled a shift in Hollywood films toward more realistic depictions of people in the LGBT community. Extras cast in this film included 53 people who were AIDS-infected as of the time of shooting the film. By the end of 1994, 43 out of those 53 people had died - demonstrating the close linkage between fiction and fact.[9][10] According to a Tom Hanks interview for the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet, scenes showing more affection between him and Banderas were cut, including one with him and Banderas in bed together. The DVD edition, produced by Automat Pictures, includes this scene.[11]
Philadelphia was released on DVD on September 10, 1997.[12]Philadelphia was later released on Blu-Ray on May 14, 2013.[12] To celebrate Philadelphia's 25th anniversary, the film was released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on November 27, 2018.[13]
The screenplay was also republished in a novelization by writer Christopher Davis in 1994.[14]
Philadelphia was originally released on December 22, 1993, in a limited opening of only four theaters, and had a weekend gross of $143,433 with an average of $35,858 per theater. The film expanded its release on January 14, 1994, to 1,245 theaters and opened at number 1, grossing $13.8 million over the 4-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, averaging $11,098 per theater. The film stayed at number 1 the following weekend, earning another $8.8 million.
In its 14th weekend, the weekend after the Oscars, the film expanded to 888 theaters, and saw its gross increase by 70 percent, making $1.9 million and jumping from number 15 the previous weekend (when it made $1.1 million from 673 theaters), to returning to the top ten ranking at number 8 that weekend.
Philadelphia eventually grossed $77.4 million in North America and $129.2 million overseas for a total of $206.7 million worldwide against a budget of $26million, making it a significant box office success, and becoming the 12th highest-grossing film in the U.S. of 1993.[1]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 6.75/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Philadelphia indulges in some unfortunate clichés in its quest to impart a meaningful message, but its stellar cast and sensitive direction are more than enough to compensate."[15]Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[16] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[17]
In a contemporary review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half out of four stars and said that it is "quite a good film, on its own terms. And for moviegoers with an antipathy to AIDS but an enthusiasm for stars like Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, it may help to broaden understanding of the disease. It's a ground-breaker like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), the first major film about an interracial romance; it uses the chemistry of popular stars in a reliable genre to sidestep what looks like controversy."[18]
Christopher Matthews from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote "Jonathan Demme's long-awaited Philadelphia is so expertly acted, well-meaning and gutsy that you find yourself constantly pulling for it to be the definitive AIDS movie."[19]James Berardinelli from ReelViews wrote "The story is timely and powerful, and the performances of Hanks and Washington assure that the characters will not immediately vanish into obscurity."[19] Rita Kempley from The Washington Post wrote "It's less like a film by Demme than the best of Frank Capra. It is not just canny, corny and blatantly patriotic, but compassionate, compelling and emotionally devastating."[19]
8th - Dan Craft, The Pantagraph[20]
8th - Joan Vadeboncoeur, Syracuse Herald American[21]
Honorable mention - Dennis King, Tulsa World[22]
Honorable mention - Bob Carlton, The Birmingham News[23]
Academy Awards Best Actor Tom Hanks Won
Best Makeup Carl Fullerton and Alan D'Angerio Nominated
Best Original Screenplay[24] Ron Nyswaner Nominated
Best Original Song Neil Young
("Philadelphia") Nominated
("Streets of Philadelphia") Won
ASCAP Awards Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures Won
Top Box Office Films Howard Shore Won
BAFTA Awards Best Original Screenplay Ron Nyswaner Nominated
Berlin International Film Festival Golden Berlin Bear Jonathan Demme Nominated
Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actor[25] Tom Hanks Won
Casting Society of America Artios for Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama Howard Feuer Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Director Jonathan Demme Nominated
Best Actor Tom Hanks Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor 3rd place
GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Film - Wide Release Jonathan Demme and Edward Saxon Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Tom Hanks Won
Best Screenplay Ron Nyswaner Nominated
Best Original Song Bruce Springsteen
Goldene Leinwand Awards (Golden Screen) Goldene Leinwand TriStar Pictures Won
Grammy Award (37th annual) Song of the Year Bruce Springsteen
Best Rock Song Won
Best Song Written Specifically for a
Motion Picture or for Television Won
Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Won
MTV Movie Awards Best Song from a Movie Nominated
Best Movie Jonathan Demme and Edward Saxon Nominated
Best Male Performance Tom Hanks Won
Best On-Screen Duo Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Best Original Screenplay Ron Nyswaner Nominated
American Film Institute AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains (Top 50 Heroes) #49
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies #20
National Board of Review Awards Top Ten Films (1993) #7
A soundtrack album was released in January 1994, by TriStar Music containing the main music featured in the film.[26]
"Streets of Philadelphia" Bruce Springsteen 3:56
"Lovetown" Peter Gabriel 5:29
"It's in Your Eyes" Pauletta Washington 3:46
"Ibo Lele (Dreams Come True)" RAM 4:15
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" Sade 3:44
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" Spin Doctors 2:41
"I Don't Wanna Talk About It" Indigo Girls 3:41
"La mamma morta" (From the Opera Andrea Chénier) Maria Callas 4:53
"Philadelphia" Neil Young 4:06
"Precedent" Howard Shore 4:03
The album was re-released in 2008 in France only as a CD/DVD combo pack with the film itself, containing the same track listing (catalogue number 88697 322052 under both Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Sony Classical labels).[] The director deliberately asked Bruce Springsteen to make the feature song for this film in an effort to draw in those who may not know much about AIDS, so as to make their viewing of the film more comfortable, and to raise awareness overall.[19] However, Springsteen's first contribution, "Tunnel of Love," was rejected by Demme.
Certifications and sales
Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[27]
Platinum 50,000*
Belgium (BEA)[28]
Canada (Music Canada)[29]
3× Platinum 300,000^
France (SNEP)[30]
2× Gold 200,000*
Germany (BVMI)[31]
Gold 250,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[32]
Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33]
Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34]
United States (RIAA)[36]
Platinum 1,160,000[35]
Europe (IFPI)[37]
Platinum 1,000,000*
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
LGBT portal
Philadelphia portal
Film portal
1990s portal
List of American films of 1993
Cultural depictions of Philadelphia
^ a b "Philadelphia (1993) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
^ "Philadelphia". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2016.
^ Margolick, David (April 13, 1990). "Law: At The Bar; A Lawyer With AIDS Wins a Legal Victory, and Gives His Employer Some Unwelcome Publicity". The New York Times.
^ Pristin, Terry (March 11, 1996). "Philadelphia Screenplay Suit to Reach Court". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008.
^ "Philadelphia Makers Settle Suit". The New York Times. March 20, 1996. Retrieved 2008.
^ "Philadelphia". AFI Catalog. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2019.
^ Turan, Kenneth (December 22, 1993). "Movie Review: Bittersweet 'Philadelphia': Actors Deliver Strong Performances in Socially Conscious Film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016.
^ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-16-vw-2539-story.html
^ Quinn, Edward (1999). A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. Checkmark Books. p. 10.
^ Rothman, Clifford (January 1, 1995). "FILM; 'Philadelphia': Oscar Gives Way to Elegy". New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved 2020.
^ Philadelphia. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington. TriStar Pictures, 1993.
^ a b "Philadelphia DVD Release Date". DVDs Release Dates. Retrieved 2018.
^ Philadelphia 4K Blu-ray, retrieved 2018
^ Emmanuel S. Nelson, Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States. Greenwood Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-313-34859-4. p. 169-171.
^ Philadelphia. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
^ "Philadelphia reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2019.
^ "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Philadelphia" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved 2019.
^ Ebert, Roger (January 14, 1994). "Philadelphia Movie Review & Film Summary (1994)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2014.
^ a b c d Alexander Ryll. "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Philadelphia". Gay Essential. Retrieved 2015.
^ Craft, Dan (December 30, 1994). "Success, Failure and a Lot of In-between; Movies '94". The Pantagraph. p. B1.
^ Vadeboncoeur, Joan (January 8, 1995). "Critically Acclaimed Best Movies of '94 Include Works from Tarantino, Burton, Demme, Redford, Disney and Speilberg". Syracuse Herald American (Final ed.). p. 16.
^ King, Dennis (December 25, 1994). "SCREEN SAVERS In a Year of Faulty Epics, The Oddest Little Movies Made The Biggest Impact". Tulsa World (Final Home ed.). p. E1.
^ Carlton, Bob (December 29, 1994). "It Was a Good Year at Movies". The Birmingham News. p. 12-01.
^ Cante, Richard C. (March 2009). "Afterthoughts from Philadelphia...and Somewhere Else". Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture. London: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-7230-2.
^ "Berlinale: 1994 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011.
^ "SoundtrackINFO: Philadelphia Soundtrack". www.soundtrackinfo.com. Retrieved 2019.
^ "Austrian album certifications - Soundtrack - Philadelphia" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 2020.
^ "Ultratop - Goud en Platina - albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2018.
^ "Canadian album certifications - Various Artists - Philadelphia - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Music Canada. Retrieved 2018.
^ "French album certifications - B.O.F. - Philadelphia" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2018.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (O.S.T. - Various; 'Philadelphia')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2018.
^ Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959-2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 937. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Soundtrack; 'Philadelphia')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2018.
^ "British album certifications - Soundtrack - Philadelphia". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2018.
^ Basham, David (February 7, 2002). "Got Charts?". Mtv. Retrieved 2019.
^ "American album certifications - Soundtrack - Philadelphia". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards - 1996". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2020.
Philadelphia on IMDb
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Philadelphia at Rotten Tomatoes
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Philadelphia_(film)
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Punk Freedom to Create
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Rock 'n' Roll in my blood - Quotes
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28 years ago Van Halen Released ''5150''
5150 (pronounced "fifty-one-fifty") is the seventh studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records. It was the first to be recorded with new lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth.
It was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, which is a California police term for a mentally disturbed person (a reference to Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code). The 5150 name has been used several times by Van Halen. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing the band's previous album, 1984, which had peaked at number 2 at the same time as Michael Jackson's Thriller album, on which Eddie made a guest appearance.
Before the album was released, Van Halen had considerable difficulty finding a replacement for the popular David Lee Roth. To make matters worse, Warner Bros. Records advised them to discontinue the Van Halen name; in the beginning of 1986, Eddie and Alex Van Halen formally refused. The trio even considered a series of temporary singers to replace Roth, including Patty Smyth, Eric Martin and Jimmy Barnes. However in July 1985, Eddie met former Montrose singer Sammy Hagar while getting a mechanic to work on his Lamborghini. The pair hit it off and the new singer and band immediately began work on new songs.
Van Halen went to work on the album in November 1985; it would be finished in February 1986, just one month before its release.
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Past Crises Have Ratcheted Up Leviathan
COVID-19 has plunged the United States into a national emergency. Initial applications for unemployment insurance benefits increased from 211,000 in the first week of March to 6.6 million in the first week of April, to another 5.2 million in the second week of April, and another 4.4 million last week. Real GDP fell by hundreds of billions in the first quarter, with further—and larger—declines sure to follow.
Written by Robert Higgs and Donald J. Boudreaux
State Governments Are Becoming the Biggest Drug Lords of All
The so-called war on drugs—actually a war on certain people associated in various ways with certain drugs — has served since the Nixon administration as a major profit center for governments at every level. Owing to the ostensible efforts to suppress the possession, use, and commerce in these drugs, governments have been able to justify great increases in their staffs, budgets, and power. Of all the interest groups that have devoted themselves to propping up this social, economic, and political catastrophe, the government itself stands prominently above the others, especially the police, the prosecutors, the prison guards, and the unions that represent the police and the prison personnel.
Despite substantial efforts by various private groups opposed to the war on drugs and despite the growing public disapproval of the war on drugs, especially the marijuana laws, the government groups have remained steadfast in their opposition to any slackening of the established actions to cut off drug supplies and punish everyone engaged in the industry, whether as producer, consumer, or middleman.
At present, President Trump, his attorney general, and his secretary of homeland security are all voicing support for not only retaining, but ramping up the national government’s war on drugs, including its enforcement of the federal marijuana laws.
In recent decades, however, a growing number of states have liberalized their drug laws, especially those related to marijuana.
Written by Robert Higgs
A Sandy Beach and Constitutional Political Economy
Saturday October 8, 2016
I normally walk my dogs twice each day along the beach, which gives me an opportunity to ponder, among other things, issues in constitutional political economy. My late friend James Buchanan, one of the deepest thinkers in political economy during the past century, led the development of this field of study in his time. Jim maintained that both for understanding how the political world works and for constructing better institutions to foster freedom and prosperity, one ought to distinguish between the establishment and maintenance of the constitution, on the one hand, and normal politics, on the other. The idea is that the constitution has more durability and sets more binding constraints, whereas normal political action takes place within these bounds, dealing with less fundamental matters and doing so in a more volatile way.
Against the Feel-Good Study of History and Literature
The educational establishment seems to be expending a great deal of effort these days to excise “offensive” material from the curricula of history and literature. For example, Mark Twain’s great anti-racist novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been removed from the study materials in many schools because of its use of the word “nigger” in the dialogue—as if any accurate representation of the time and place Twain portrays in this book could have been written without this key word.
Recently this censorial campaign has reached such heights of stupidity that new editions of Twain’s books The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are being published with the word “nigger” replaced by the word “slave.” With friends like this misguided editor, anti-racists need no enemies. One is not likely to produce an intelligent end by the use of foolish means.
More generally, the wrongheaded effort to produce feel-good instruction in history and literature undermines the entire purpose of studying these subjects as part of a liberal education; it aims to make the students feel comfortable and unchallenged rather than to help them acquire knowledge and understanding of the human past and human nature with all its potential for both good and evil.
Can the State Enforce Virtuous Behavior?
For thousands of years, states (or equivalent ruling organizations and elites) certainly have acted as if they could enforce virtuous behavior—always of course according to the particular conception of virtue they happened to cherish. And many continue to do so today. Thus, most US states still prohibit possession of, use of, and commerce in a long list of narcotics and other substances deemed bad for people.
Governments have often forbidden free markets in sexual services, gambling, and even doing business on Sunday. They have made various sorts of speech unlawful, along with all sorts of communication in schools and in the labor market. They have outlawed many kinds of interactions, from marriage on down a long list, between adults and persons under a stipulated age of legal consent, sometimes as old of 21 years. So, governments clearly purport to enforce virtuous behavior—or, at least, the avoidance of vicious behavior—among those subject to their rule.
But do they succeed? They obviously do not succeed fully, and in many cases they fall so far short of success that their “virtue laws” are a laughing stock notwithstanding severe penalties provided for convicted violators. Although prostitution has been outlawed far and wide, for example, it has been practiced just as pervasively.
Total National Security Spending Is Much Greater than the Pentagon’s Base Budget
In a recent publication of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, “Defense Spending Extends Beyond the Pentagon’s Budget,” Veronique de Rugy presents a valuable compilation of data for fiscal year 2013, showing how much of the government’s national security spending appears not in the base budget of the Department of Defense, but elsewhere in the government’s budget. This point is important because in debates about Pentagon funding, those who favor giving the Pentagon more money generally rest their arguments on references to the amount appropriated for the Pentagon’s base budget alone, ignoring the substantial amounts that appear under other rubrics in the government’s overall budget.
De Rugy shows that for fiscal year 2013, the Pentagon’s base budget alone amounted to only 68 percent of the grand total for all national security spending. In her accounting, the grand total also includes amounts spent primarily by the departments of Defense (for war, budgeted separately from the base budget), Energy (for nuclear weapons programs), State, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and the Treasury (for a portion of the military retirement budget). By excluding these huge amounts of funding ($358 billion), the drain on the nation’s financial resources is greatly understated and hence the debate badly distorted.
The US Government Makes a Mockery of the Principal-Agent Relationship
The philosophical and legal foundation of the US government (and some other governments) is that government officials are the agents of the citizens—in the familiar phrase, those who govern have the “consent of the governed.” An agent, of course, is someone I authorize to act on my behalf. For a host of reasons, this doctrine has always been more or less absurd, but its absurdity has been placed in stark relief recently by the government’s mass spying, which violates the Constitution, various statutes, and many official declarations and promises.
Imagine that I have an agent—for example, I currently have a building contractor in Mexico to whom I have given a legal power of attorney to act in specified ways for a specified duration in carrying out various transactions related to the construction of my house there. Now suppose that my agent refuses to give me full information on his activities performed on my behalf and—outrageous as it might seem—undertakes to spy on me.
Then, when I challenge his defective agency and his unauthorized actions in court, he has the impudence to defend himself on the grounds that I lack standing to sue him and that the secrets he keeps from me are legally unblemished because they are “state secrets.” Obviously no one would tolerate such an agent; nor would any court uphold such blatant highhandedness.
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which way home where are they now
In 1874 Remington & Sons manufactured the first commercial typewriter, called the Remington Number 1. They did keep some of the signs that Joanna left for them, though. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. Decide which word correctly fills in the blank below ⦠Overnight oil ⦠Most recently she starred alongside Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis in Keeping Up With The Joneses. charmed us on the small screen. Vasquez has returned to the Bay throughout the years, most recently popping up for Alf’s 60th birthday. The coronavirus has upended the lives of millions of Americans. This is a dangerous product and I wonder how ⦠For Extreme Makeover: Home Edition families, life hasn't been easy. Start studying Which Way Home Notes. “I mentioned in an interview my cat had died recently, and not long after a fan sent a photo of a mock-up gravesite with my cat’s name on the tombstone,” he tells news.com.au. Rather, they celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary in 2019, according to a post on her Facebook page. Bass knows the Meeks family from their church as well. since. Commonly Confused Words: were / we're / where Note that these three words have structural or spelling differences were we're where Which Way Home is a 2009 documentary film directed by Rebecca Cammisa.The film follows several children who are attempting to get from Mexico and Central America to the United States, on top of a freight train that crosses Mexico known as "La Bestia" (The Beast).Cammisa received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to make the documentary in 2006. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. They stop cancer cells reproducing, which prevents them from growing and spreading in the body. Now Playing. ... "There's a lot of discussion right now about how sales should be more robust and they⦠Congratulations, you two! If they want to win in House seats, if they want to win in Senate seats, they have to do something that kind of gets at what President Trump has been able to do in both 2016 now and in 2020. Which definition, what one? Like what you see here? The Barndominium from season three has remained relatively untouched, even though the original family sold the house. They've also added another chair where an end table used to be. Whether you loved it or not, My Family was a hugely popular sitcom which lasted for 11 series from 2000. If we've learned anything, it's that Chip and Joanna love open floor plans. With Mama June and Geno continuing to live a sober lifestyle, they are also focused on losing the weight they've gained. It helps make a small space seem larger. “On the last show I was working on [Rescue: Special Ops] the make-up lady from our days back in Home and Away was also working, so that was real nice to catch up and have a laugh about the old times.”. Iâll end with one situation in which âWhere itâs atâ is actually perfectly standard English. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where ⦠Here's the VRBO listing— it lools exactly how the Gaines duo left it. This typewriter was designed by Christopher Sholes and used the "QWERTY" keyboard we are all familiar with.This early typewriter used a mechanism with characters on the end of a bar. As of today, over half the people in this country, across 17 states, are subject to âstay at homeâ orders. The home had been declared "not safe for occupancy" by the city of Waco before Chip and Joanna got their hands on it. That was certainly true for Debbie Oatman, who received a brand new 3,700 square-foot home for her and her children. She and the Batsons essentially traded homes — they were looking for a larger home, so they took over a home she had designed, and she got "The Little House on the Prairie.". Tristan Bancks has moved away from the screen since his tenure as bad boy Tug, publishing two popular series of children’s books: the Mac Slater and My Life series, being short-listed for the Australian Prime Minister’s Literacy Awards for his novel Two Wolves — and even teaming up with former co-star Tempany Deckert to co-write the young adult novel It’s Yr Life, which unfortunately has no mention of Alf Stewart at all. Now Bratcher is the wife and mother she always wanted to be! On House Hunters Where Are They Now, a year after buying a home, D.C. newlyweds enjoy being without roommates but find that renovating and refurbishing a home is more expensive than they could have imagined. I thought Iâd write a quick post to share a documentary that I watched on Netflix the other night. Chip and Joanna had a custom piece made for the Batsons, as the "Fixer Upper" crew does for every family. Still it soon became clear that Wes and Megan, branded #Wegan, were actually a pretty good match and Nationwide News Pty Limited Copyright © 2020. The film premiered on HBO on August 24, 2009. “I wanted to try other things and move behind the camera”, he explains. “One guy said he was a child star, impersonating someone called Chris from an old TV show. On top of running a successful beauty blog, she has recently joined the Home and Away hair and makeup team. The "Barndominium" was a huge undertaking — it went from a horse barn to a home. But we also got to know the families that Chip and Joanna helped during the five seasons of the show. “Every now and then someone will come up to me and say, ‘I know you from somewhere. Big hair, bigger shoulder pads and unrelenting greed were the hallmarks of the 1980s, and no show reflected the signs of the times better than 'Dynasty.' All times AEDT (GMT +11). Although that appearance was over a decade over, she is still regularly recognised. Push one stick into the ground so itâs at eye level. Try our interactive games to practice Question words: Question Words 1 and Question Words 2.. Download our free Question Words Worksheet (in PDF). Watch for five to 10 minutes. They agree that âwhere atâ is almost never used in formal writing, and attribute its growth in popularity in the 1960s to the idiom âwhere itâs atâ that I began this episode with. Account active Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Geno will be getting gastric sleeve surgery and new teeth. Doran played the nerdy Damian Roberts, son of Irene, unlucky in love — the first time he had sex ever, he got Selina pregnant — and permanent resident of the “friend zone”, bouncing around from crush to crush while his mate Shane and foster-brother Jack scored all the Bay babes. So happy, in fact, that she now works from home twice a week. See the grammar rules below, then test yourself with the quiz at the bottom of the page. Despite Selina’s — ahem, shall we say “lack of deportment” — Deckert is somewhat of a polymath, teaching writing courses at UCLA, working as a motivation speaker, and working as an author — having published a massive 18 children’s books. Which do you want? See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. Daniel Amalm had a rough time at the Bay.Source:Supplied. If itâs still night and you canât find the North Star, there is another way. “I’m still in contact with Laura Vazquez who was like my big sister back then”, he tells news.com.au. Almost every wood piece in the home was made from reclaimed wood from walls that were knocked down. The show also took us where no one had gone before, to the Delta Quadrant, where the crew was stranded in the very first episode. The movie paints a realistic picture of the harrowing journey these children undergo as they try to change their lives, reunite with family, and leave poverty and slums behind. Bass is a designer and does remodeling herself. Join now to save favorites and get all member benefits, including over 1,300 reviews. The made-for-cable film Which Way Home is the story of a Red Cross nurse trying to escape from war-torn Cambodia in the late '70s with a group of orphans. A documentary that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States. “It was such a great show with a fantastic cast and crew, some of whom are dear friends of mine to this day. This is why markets are seen as the best way to run society. Not that things didn’t get weird at times due to his role as laid-back fisherman Travis. “I studied filmmaking in New York and returned to make a documentary on Aboriginal art for ABC TV.”. Congratulations, ⦠The home is available to stay in on Airbnb. I feel very grateful to have been cast in such an iconic show.”. They come from all over Mexico and Central America, risking everything for the chance of a better life. Laura Vasquez during her first stint on Home and Away.Source:Supplied, Laura is now a makeup artist on set.Source:Supplied. Join Now. A marijuana bust at the height of his fame didn’t damage his reputation, but in the years since Brummer sometimes struggled to find acting work, with his mum telling 2DAYFM in 2007 that he worked as a window cleaner between gigs. One justification for the high asking price could be its location. They have dealt with truly tough circumstances, and those can weigh on you. Kalani, from Orange County, California, and Asuelu, from Samoa, wed in September 2018 and are now raising two sons: Oliver, born in January 2018, and Kennedy, born in May 2019. The Batsons, who owned it at the time, own Common Grounds, a Waco coffee shop. The first thing the Barretts changed was the accent wall in their bedroom from a lighter gray to black. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/APSource:AP. Companies are certainly catching onto the trend, and most have the flexibility to work from home, if not at all the time, at least when needed. Luckily things have picked up in recent days, with Brummer scoring a principal role in Underbelly: The Golden Mile, and even crossing over to the dark side, joining the cast of Neighbours. Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educatorsâteachers, administrators, counselors and other practitionersâwho work with children from kindergarten through high school. The children in Which Way Home are hopeful -- fundamentally and persistently. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants. You can also spy some shiplap in the back room, a "Fixer Upper" staple. And sure, a brand new house can change your life, but it can't fix everything. They’ve heard the United States offers hope, whether they yearn to ⦠Courtesy of Charmaine Hooper They did keep some of the signs that Joanna left for them, though. The show also took us where no one had gone before, to the Delta Quadrant, where the crew was stranded in the very first episode. NextAdvisor, in partnership with TIME, is a free resource to help you make smart money moves that make a big impact on your wealth. Take a second, slightly taller stick and push it into the ground behind the first one, until they line up with a bright star from your position. She is based in Los Angeles for most of the year, and in between sharpening young minds, she took time earlier this year to appear in season 4 of FOXTEL’s prison drama Wentworth. Keep scrolling to see what they look like today. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. “Apparently he’d made the real Chris’s life hell ringing up huge credit card debts and taking out loans.”. Matt Doran has done well for himself.Source:Supplied. Bass told Insider, "Both families are my friends and we are all happy that things have worked out and everyone is enjoying the benefits of the Gaines' success.". Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get more of it. It definitely left a lot to be desired, at only 1,290 square feet. When Star Trek: Voyager helped launch UPN back in January of 1995, it broke new ground for the franchise; for the first time ever, the Captain and lead character was a woman. “That was shot really well, and I think won an award.” Quilter speaks of the show fondly, as “a great opportunity to learn about multi-cam, rapid work … and notoriety.”. Nicola Quilter on Home and Away.Source:Supplied, Nicola Quilter still has her trademark blonde curls.Source:Supplied. Kalani, from Orange County, California, and Asuelu, from Samoa, wed in September 2018 and are now raising two sons: Oliver, born in January 2018, and Kennedy, born in May 2019. Now, Rosenthal is married to Monica Horan, has two kids and we will hopefully be hearing more of him in the near future. They Found a Way to Get Married. Shop the Black Friday Sale: Get 50% off Quizlet Plus through Monday Learn more 'We Are the World': Where are they now? OLD episodes of Home and Away from the mid 90s — aka the glory years — are currently airing on 7two each weekday morning, which is the perfect excuse to catch up with past Summer Bay residents to see where they are in 2016. : Which of these do you want? “It always feels like home, and you just slot right back in”, she says. ... Take the There, They're, Their Quiz Now! The only notable difference is the lack of a coffee table. Now Playing. Tempany is now a successful author.Source:Twitter. â Famed composer and producer Quincy Jones oversaw the song. The house had a bunch of nooks and crannies that were perfect for a reading area, a play area, and any other activity a little girl could possibly do. Iraq: Estimated 6,000 troops U.S. officials wonât say exactly how many troops there are in Iraq or where they are based. The film is called âWhich Way Homeâ and follows a few young children as they make the dangerous trip from Guatemala to the US border. You can check the answers to this worksheet here: Answers to the Question Words Worksheet. 3 Ray romano (Raymond Barone) The focal point of the entire show, Ray Barone is a sports writer thatâs doing very well in his career, but things arenât so cut and dry at home. “The story of my abusive partner”, Quilter remembers. But overall, the home remains largely the same as when Joanna and Chip left it in 2016. They spent seven seasons trying to get back, while they ⦠In reality Doran has done quite amazingly for himself, landing roles in The Matrix, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and The Thin Red Line. Unsurprisingly, the Batsons took that with them. There are different types of chemotherapy medicines, but they all work in a similar way. “Over the years I have lost touch with most of the cast but sometimes bump into some old crew, which is cool. Did we go to school together?’”. The filmmakers ride âLa Bestiaâ with them, stay in migrant shelters with them, and share many experiences of fear and anxiety with them. From 1974 to 1983, the main characters (and a few guest stars!) ; children like Jose, a ten-year old El Salvadoran, who has been ⦠3 Ray romano (Raymond Barone) The focal point of the entire show, Ray Barone is a sports writer thatâs doing very well in his career, but things arenât so cut and dry at home. Insider picked five of the most iconic homes that have been renovated on "Fixer Upper," from the "Barndominium" to the so-called catastrophe house, and found out what changes have been made to them since. Hereâs a look at some of these places, which could now be targets. “Melissa [George] and I had a stalker or two”, she tells news.com.au. When Star Trek: Voyager helped launch UPN back in January of 1995, it broke new ground for the franchise; for the first time ever, the Captain and lead character was a woman. "Which Way Home" is a feature documentary film that follows unaccompanied child migrants, on their journey through Mexico, as they try to reach the United States. A great step the team is taking to meet customers where they are is with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, coming free, as always, to every Windows 10 PC starting this month. On the basis of this experiment, they have made a belief that it can also help people in engaging in intense pursuits. That's why we had to find out what they were up to now. Shane and Angel were featured in quite a few copies of TV Hits during the 90s.Source:Supplied. There's another HGTV staple — an oversized mirror. They've changed the gray to a more greenish color, according to Airbnb. Find two sticks and lie down. [108] The abstract to their pending paper states, "These results break the link between Hart's famous 'Fact A' (no interstellar visitors on Earth now) and the conclusion that humans must, ⦠Use this quiz to practice using the right form of there, they're, or their. He was quite sweet but entirely mad. “I have nothing but fond memories”, she tells news.com.au. ... look at the reality of crossing the border into the U.S. The Bells have listed their home on Airbnb, telling Realtor.com in 2017 it had a 90% occupancy rate. We follow children like Olga and Freddy, nine-year old Hondurans, who are desperately trying to reach their parents in the US. “I’m in sales for an events company; present a weekend radio show for WaveFM Wollongong; and married with two kids”, he tells us, “so very busy!”, Dieter Brummer looking worse for wear in the Bay.Source:Supplied, Dieter Brummer recently had a guest role on Winners and Losers.Source:Supplied. OLD episodes of Home and Away from the mid 90s â aka the glory years â are currently airing on 7two each weekday morning, which is the perfect excuse to ⦠She is now happily married to Sacha Baron Cohen — Ali G, Borat, Bruno — and has starred in a string of successful Hollywood comedies — Wedding Crashers, Definitely Maybe, Bachelorette — as well as dramas like I Heart Huckabees, and the Baz Luhrmann helmed The Great Gatsby. Unlike many of the partnerships in My 600-lb Life, Bratcher and her husband didn't break up when she decided to change her life. Here's the house before the transformation. Unlike many of the partnerships in My 600-lb Life, Bratcher and her husband didn't break up when she decided to change her life. Rather, they celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary in 2019, according to a post on her Facebook page. "Fixer Upper" is returning on the Magnolia Network. Which Way Home is a documentary relentlessly focused on its subject matter, but despite this it often seems jumbled; the puzzle pieces of its narrative never quite fall into place, as I suspect they could have with judicious editing, and the film ends with an epilogue conducted worryingly akin to the final episode of a 1970s sitcom.
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Solutions for growth for individuals, couples and families
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Angela earned her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Kent State University; and then her Masters of Education in Community Counseling in December 2001 from Kent State University. She became a licensed professional counselor, LPC, in 2002. She worked in community health agencies before moving to Indiana in 2004. She is a licensed mental health counselor in Indiana, LMHC; and is also a nationally certified counselor, NCC. During her time in Indiana she worked in a residential treatment facility for children and adolescents, while also working in a private practice. Angela moved back to Ohio with her family in 2016 and started working for Psychological and Family Consultants. Over the past fourteen years of being a counselor she has worked with children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional issues such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, oppositional behaviors, physical and sexual abuse, and divorce. She also works with adults on parenting development, divorce, grief/loss issues, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, and physical and sexual abuse.
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“Until death do us part.” That is what most of us said when we got married. Maybe that was thirty years ago or just three, we meant it at the time, then somewhere along the way something changed. You or your spouse began to consider whether you could stay emotionally and spiritually connected and the other did not. If this sounds familiar, and you would like to talk about it, we can help.
Depression…You’re Not Alone.
What is happiness? Everybody wants it, but it seems elusive for many. When people are asked if they are happy they are often not sure because it is so difficult to define. Is it satisfaction, contentment, passion, or meaning in life? Some would say that is it having success and recognition on your job, others have different definitions. If you aren’t sure where you stand or would like to talk about it, we can help.
Your Children ARE Affected.
Many children are being raised in American families today with a much higher standard of living than we ever had. It is understandable that every parent wants to make their children happy, but taking care of children has increasingly become more defined by how much money is spent on them. Its time we focus on what really counts, let us help you and your family set goals and achieve them.
“Psychological and Family Consultants, Inc. is a group of experienced and credentialed professionals dedicated to the needs of individuals, families and institutions in the greater Stark County area, creating an environment of comprehensive healing and health services. Psychological and Family Consultants, Inc. subscribes to an approach that includes the emotional, physical, relational, educational and spiritual elements.”
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Telephone: 330-493-4220 / Fax: 330-493-8850
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You are at:Home»English»Now, the Bubbles Are Really Flying
Now, the Bubbles Are Really Flying
The Dodgers let the corks pop after securing the NL West title.
Posted On September 30, 2014 English, Sports, Featured
Dodger infielder Darwin Barney and pitching ace Clayton Kershaw enjoy the moment, as the team celebrates clinching the National League West pennant on Wednesday. (Photos by MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS/Rafu Shimpo)
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
Rafu Sports Editor
For the 2014 Dodgers, a measure of their success has been how many times they get to crank up the small soap bubble machines they keep in their dugout. After a team home run, someone flips the switch and the team dances with delight.
Last Wednesday, the machines simply couldn’t keep up.
The clubhouse became a cascade of beer and the champagne, with the Dodgers letting go of their emotions after doing the samba all over the San Francisco Giants, 9-1, and clinching the National League West division title.
Pitcher Brandon League opens a bottle of champagne while teammate Yasiel Puig tries to avoid the spray of another.
“This is what you work for every year,” said Dodger infielder Darwin Barney, who was traded to the Dodgers July 28 from the last-place Chicago Cubs. “It’s amazing. To be a part of it … words can’t describe the feeling right now. We’re going to enjoy this and get back to work tomorrow.”
In front of a sellout crowd of 53,387, Clayton Kershaw pitched eight innings for the win, his 21st in a season that could quite possibly end with him taking home both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards.
As good as they are, the Dodgers’ regular season record heading into the playoffs is the league’s second-best at 94-68, behind the Washington Nationals’ mark of 96-66. There are some questions about their pitching – most notably whether Hyun-jin Ryu will be healthy enough to make a postseason start. And who knows what surprises Yasiel Puig has in store?
J-Slanted’s Jordan Ikeda previews the MLB playoffs.
A day before clinching the NL West crown, the slick-fielding Barney said that it helps to be charmed as well as good, when it comes to the postseason.
“I think you need a little bit of luck in the playoffs, but this team is really good. Luck comes with chemistry and this team has been getting better and better on that side since I’ve been here.
At the center of that spray of champagne and beer is a soggy but jubilant Yasiel Puig.
“We throw away the losses a lot quicker. It’s a different mentality. We know that every day is a chance to win a game, and that’s what it’s all about. This game is hard enough, so that definitely makes it easier when the team’s key objective is to win, no matter who steps up on any given day.
“We’re not quite where we want to be yet, and there’s still work to do, but we’re on our way and that’s exciting for a lot of us who have never been here before.”
dodgers clayton kershaw San Francisco Giants Washington Nationals Brandon League Yasiel Puig Hyun-jin Ryu Darwin Barney NL West 2014 Playoffs
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I Want To Be A
with John G. McGinnity and Tim Muma - September 16, 2016
If you're like many people, you've heard of the position of physician assistant, but you probably aren't too sure about what these individuals are tasked with on a daily basis. John McGinnity, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, talks with Tim Muma about the skills and personality traits that fit into this profession. John also fills us in on what it takes to get started on the path to a successful ca...
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Court reporters provide the official record for a wide range of legal proceedings, from high profile criminal cases to depositions. To understand the skills, duties and opportunities for court reporters, Glyn Poage joins Tim Muma to give his perspective. Glyn is an official court reporter in Texas and the vice president of the National Court Reporters Association, positions that have given him tremendous experience and pers...
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with Ted Barrett and Tim Muma - August 2, 2016
Do you think you have what it takes to call strike three on some of the most popular stars in Major League Baseball? This edition examines what it takes to be a professional umpire, challenging all the fans who have said they can do better. Ted Barrett has been a Major League Umpire for more than 15 years, and he joins Tim Muma to give the listeners a glimpse into their world. Ted breaks down the long road to "The Show," th...
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Don't worry if you don't know what this position entails, as that's why LJNRadio brings on experts in each field and career. Tim Muma is joined by Dr. Marcus Nashelsky, vice president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, to discuss the ins and outs of being a forensic pathologist. He breaks down the long educational path and what it's really like on a day-to-day basis, often contrary to what TV and movies depict.
with Alvin Heitmann and Cady Chesney - May 21, 2015
Interior designers are creative, imaginative, artistic individuals who combine an aesthetic vision with practical skills to create functional living spaces. Working in both commercial and residential areas, interior designers must have knowledge of the materials and products used to furnish a space, along with knowledge of how texture, color, lighting and other factors play into a well-designed space. Alvin Heitmann, Design...
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with Debi Zeinert and Cady Chesney - March 23, 2015
You can create a one of a kind introduction to your wedding or event with an invitation created by a professional calligrapher. From wedding invitations, to envelopes, to other announcements Debi Zeinert, owner and Calligrapher at Blooming Quill, does it all. Tune in to find out more about Debi’s successful career and business, how she got started, and how you can walk down the same path.
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with Monica Obniski and Cady Chesney - March 3, 2015
Found in nearly every type of museum there is, including art, history, and even children’s museums, curators are the behind-the-scenes individuals keeping the museum running. Museum curators have many responsibilities, which could include obtaining artifacts and exhibits, arranging those exhibits, and they may even plan and host museum events. Monica Obniski is the Curator of the design and decorative arts collection at the...
with Jzyk Ennis and Tim Muma - January 31, 2015
Some careers, like this one, will always be necessary due to the certainty of death. Thus, we're taking a look at the role of a funeral director by speaking with Jzyk Ennis, funeral director for Carr Funeral Home in Alabama – and an instructor in the mortuary science program at Jefferson State College. Jzyk describes the details of this position to Tim Muma, including what personality works best, why the role is so importan...
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with Kelly Spors and Cady Chesney - January 28, 2015
High school principals supervise and facilitate the daily operations of high schools, which includes working with other district and state education officials, establishing and implementing academic goals and curriculum, and allocating financial resources. Of course, these duties extend to meeting with parents, overseeing disciplinary activities, and they may even be assisted by assistant principals. Kelly Spors, Principal...
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with Dora Woodrum and Cady Chesney - November 13, 2014
The art that hangs in move sets, corporate offices, hotel lobbies, and homes across the world are created by professional artists with an eye for rich, vibrant colors and a keen sense of aesthetics. Dora Woodrum, owner of Nice Modern Art, joins the show to share how she became a successful Contemporary Artist, and what you can do to follow in her footsteps.
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Protect our land and water • Address climate change • Engage young people
Mission statement: To encourage Duxbury to become more sustainable by informing ourselves and the community about practical energy-saving measures, adapting them ourselves, facilitating their use by others and supporting town, state and federal energy independence initiatives.
Sustainable Duxbury was started in the fall of 2005 as a result of meetings with Judeth Vann Hamm, the founder of Sustainable Hull, and the release of the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” A small group of residents felt that we could start a similar group here in Duxbury to address the issues of global warming and sustainability at the local level. At that time many other towns on the south shore were doing the same thing. This group of towns, numbering 14 in all, is now united as Sustainable South Shore and will soon be certified as a nonprofit 501c3 organization. You may contact them at www.sustainablesouthshore.org
Our small group has grown in number with over 80 residents now on the mailing list and a very active core group of 15-25 members ranging in age from 18 to 88. Our meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30, upstairs at the Senior Center. New members are always welcome! Just show up. For information email us at sustainableduxbury@gmail.com.
Let the Sun Shine!
A Panel on Solar Panels
Watch here to see what happened.
See Our Blog for more information about solar energy and what happened at our panel discussion. There will be another panel discussion March 23, 2017 so stay tuned for more information.
April 19, 2015: Earth Day services at First Parish Church, Duxbury
Co-Chair Mike Wilson gave a great sermon and talk about Sustainable Duxbury and our environmental work. It is great presentation on who we are and where we came from. Here is the full text of that speech.
"Good morning. My name is Mike Wilson, a member here at 1st Parish, and current co-chair, with Fenna Hanes, of Sustainable Duxbury. When Carrie Meir approached Jim Savicki about Sustainable Duxbury being involved in the Earth Day service, we jumped at the opportunity.
As I gathered my thoughts as to what I would share with you, two things came to mind. My first introduction to becoming a responsible steward of planet Earth came in the small town of Granby, CT where I grew up, the year 1968. There was a big initiative in town to recycle glass and with 2 large dump trucks parked in the parking lot of the Lost Acres Volunteer Fire Dept, we spent the day collecting glass, filling the trucks while standing in the truck smashing glass with a sledge hammer to make more room. The first Earth Day was still 2 years away.
The other thing that came to my mind had to do with my Dad’s exquisite taste in craft beer: Carling Black Label, at one point locally brewed on the shores of Lake Cochituate in Natick, MA, in its distinct black and red can. Is anyone old enough to remember their advertising slogan, “Mabel, Black Label”? The thing I remember was that the pull tab actually came off and the cans had a 5 cent deposit on them. Way ahead of the curve in the '60s and sad to think it took so long to reinstate it. These were my first introductions, unbeknownst to me, to the UU 7th principal ”Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are all a part.”
In 2005 the film, an Inconvenient Truth, was released and in the aftermath, compelled by what he saw and driven to make a difference on the planet Earth we live on, Jim Savicki along with Duxbury resident Dick Rothschild was inspired to start Sustainable Duxbury as an outgrowth of Sustainable South Shore, to tackle the issues of global warming and climate change. I feel our current mission statement is also in sync with the 7th UU principle: “to encourage Duxbury to become more sustainable by informing ourselves and the community about practical energy-saving measures, adapting them ourselves, facilitating their use by others and supporting town, state and federal energy independent initiatives.”
The birth of environmental activism, according to many, had its start right here in Duxbury. Indiscriminate spraying of toxic chemical pesticides, including DDT, on the bird sanctuary of Powder Point resident Olga Huckins, and I quote from a recent article in Audubon Magazine by Anne Prince, “killing not only song birds but also native bees and countless other beneficial flying insects”, Olga penned a letter to her friend Rachel Carson, a wild life biologist and best selling writer, that activated authorship of a book that would set in motion a series of events sparking the modern environmental movement”. The first paragraph of the acknowledgements in The Silent Spring state: “In a letter written in January, 1958 Olga Huckins told me of her own bitter experience of a small world made lifeless and so brought my attention sharply back to a problem with which I had long been concerned. I then realized I must write this book.” In 1992 a panel of distinguished Americans voted The Silent Spring the most influential book of the past 50 years. In 2010 Judy and Terry Vose purchased the Huckins property and now has a conservation restriction in place to preserve it from any further development, even if the property changes hands. “Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are part.”
Since 2005, Sustainable Duxbury has been engaged in numerous community projects and issues and here are a few highlights:
We raised $22,000 in the New England Wind Fund Solar Challenge and the town was rewarded with a solar array and educational software that was installed at the Chandler School. The array generates approx. $800-1000/yr of solar power and is our lasting contribution to alternative energy sources, like wind and solar, and less reliance on fossil fuels.
We championed the “pay as you throw”, or as we like to say, “save as you throw” blue bag program at the transfer station that saves the town approximately $20,000/month $240,000/yr in tipping fees and has increased town recycling by better than 40%
With assistance from our friends at Island Creek Oyster Co., we installed two hydration stations in the old high school and one in the Middle School, which led to their inclusion in the design at the new high school, trying to cut down and eliminate the use of bottled water and the generated waste of discarded empties, of which 80% don’t even get recycled. Last fall we participated in gathering over 100,000 signatures to place an expansion of the bottle bill deposit law to include sports drinks and plastic water bottles on the ballot. We succeeded in placing it on the ballot but were exponentially outspent by the opposition and soundly defeated at the ballot box.
Last spring we purchased 4 recycling bins for use at the Coppens Field soccer complex and Train field and they were so successful the town bought 6 more to place around town to recycle these plastic bottles and remove them from the waste stream.
In 2013 after years of searching for a location, we spearheaded the development of a Community Garden on the 13 acre Stewart property on Bayridge Lane. When the Stewart brothers died, the land was placed in a trust, was to remain open space and not to be developed. John McCloskey, a Duxbury resident, lawyer and local oyster farmer, was put in charge of the trust and contacted us having heard of our quest for land for a community garden. Now in its 3rd year, we have 23 12x12 plots with incredibly happy people digging in the dirt and many growing their own vegetables for the very first time.
Lastly we have hosted a number of films and panel discussions, many in conjunction with the Duxbury Free Library, to further raise awareness of the many environmental issues we are facing and how people might get involved to make a change. Among the presentations, Sea Change: Reversing the Tide with environmentalist Roger Payne; Crucial Waters: Report of the World Oceans with National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry. Great Migrations with National Geographic film maker David Hamlin. Films Switch, Chasing Ice and our most recently completed film series, in honor of the Year of the Soil, Symphony of the Soil and DIRT: the Movie, sandwiched around a panel discussion that included experts on organic gardening and lawn care and the care of our ground water, one of our most precious natural resources .
Our current projects include preliminary work on addressing the use of plastic shopping bags and the possibility of town wide composting. How can we make it happen here in Duxbury? That is where you come in.
We meet the first Wed of every month Sept-June at the Duxbury Senior Center at 7:30 pm. There is so much to do. We need your help to make the world a better place to live.
After the publication of The Silent Spring Rachel Carson wrote to a friend,” The beauty of the living world I was trying to save has always been uppermost in my mind…that, and anger at the senseless, brutish things that were being done. I have felt bound by a solemn obligation to do what I could…if I didn’t at least try I could never be happy again in nature.”
Won’t you come and help us make a difference? Thank you."
Rachel Carson 50th Anniversary Celebration of Silent Spring
Judi Vose hosted a wonderful event on May 27, 2012. Duxbury High School student Brooke McCarthy spent the day taking photos of the Celebration held at the Spring House on Powder Point where Rachel Carson visited and was inspired to conduct the research that culminated in the publication of Silent Spring. McCarthy was nominated to participate as a photographer by Mr. Joseph Ferguson a teacher in the Audio-visual department. Please go to this link for articles about this event. And there is video on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7tuJ_gNdZk&feature=plcp
Rachel Carson was celebrated in the spring issue of The Planet, an environmental magazine published by Western Washington University. Lauren Owens (daughter of Sustainable Duxbury's Janis Owens) did a video on the topic of DDT and Silent Spring along with the beginnings of the environmental movement. You can see this video by clicking here. And you can visit The Planet by clicking here. The Spring 2012 issue is the one that was dedicated to Silent Spring.
Our thanks goes out to Brooke McCarthy for her wonderful photography!
A warm welcome to the Rachel Carson Sanctuary on a beautiful day in May.
Peter Alden, Author and Naturalist, lead bird watching walks.
Betsy Sullivan declares this day Rachel Carson day.
Members submitted energy saving tips to the local newspaper and one member, Dick Rothschild, started a monthly column entitled “Thinking Green.”
Members arranged showings of the films “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Who Killed the Electric Car” at the public library. Both were well attended.
Members also attended the MCAN conference on global warming at MIT.
Members took part in the “Windmill to Windmill Bicycle Ride” in Hull as part of “step it up 2007.”
Members offered assistance to the town’s Alternative Energy Committee who were looking into possible sites for wind turbines in Duxbury.
Members took part in the Earth day celebration at First Parish Church.
We successfully helped over 200 families reduce their junk mail by taking part in the “Stop Junk Mail” program offered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Members manned a table at town meeting handing out energy saving material.
We participated in the annual Fourth of July Parade with hybrid cars and bicycles and handed out energy saving literature.
We helped convince Selectmen and citizens by speaking at several meetings of the value of a “Save As You Throw” program.This program was enacted and currently saves Duxbury approximately $20,000 per month or $240,000 a year.In addition the program has reduced the annual sticker fee for use of the recycling station.
We took part in the annual Fourth of July parade which used the theme of “Our American Heroes”. We selected as our hero Rachael Carson.Her book, Silent Spring, was inspired by the number of birds killed in Duxbury due to DDT use in the 1960’s.
Thanks to Duxbury citizens, we raised $22,000 for the New England Wind Fund Solar Challenge. As a result, the Town received a solar array and accompanying educational software. These were installed at the Chandler School in June 2009. This software will be integrated system-wide in science and math curricula while also educating students in PC technology.
We organized a “sell out” presentation called “Sea Change: Reversing the Tide” by world renowned environmentalist, Roger Payne and his wife Lisa Harrow. The event also included an environmental fair. Roger Payne is the president and found of Ocean Alliance. He has been studying our oceans for over 50 years and recorded the first whale songs. His wife, Lisa Harrow, wrote the book How Can I Help. She is a world famous actress of stage and screen.
Some members participated in a “Project 350” action on the 350th day of 2008 by ringing church bells 350 times.This world- wide movement staged events like this to raise awareness of the need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to 350 ppm (particles per million).Rates much higher than this would make our planet unsustainable.
Fourth of July celebrating Rachel Carson, 2008
Ringing church bells 350 times for 350.org, 2008
Sea Change with Roger Payne and LIsa Harrow.
In late 2008, Massachusetts began a three-year trial of a public bus service (GATRA) to run from Independence mall through Duxbury to Marshfield. A team of our members actively encouraged ridership through posting bus information around town and handing out schedules at the train station and “Foodies”.
Another team worked with the town’s Agricultural Commission to find land and water for community vegetable gardens in Duxbury.
Sustainable Duxbury made available for members the use of a power-cost monitor and kill-A-Watt-meter. This kit assisted members in reducing their home energy consumption. Members also had access through Sustainable South Shore to a thermal imaging camera that will help homeowners reduce wasted energy/heat in their homes.
In celebration of Earth day 2009 a team of members wanted to bring attention to the number of plastic bags we use and have in our society today. They gathered information on plastic bags and collected all the bags that were put into the recycling area at the recycling station over a five day period. Their plan was to tie the bags together and display them at some visible place in town. As soon as the collecting started it was obvious that tying them together was out of the question. Members collected an estimated 24,150 bags of all sorts and tying them together would have resulted in a chain of bags over five miles long. The bags were gathered at the beach and the recycling station for a photo and information on reusable bags was handed out at both locations. The event was a huge success in pointing out how many bags the average Duxbury home uses in a week.
During the summer crews from NEXAMP and local electrician Orie Fontaine began installing the 2.4 KW solar panel array at the Chandler school. The panels are located in the court yard where they may easily viewed. The panels were activated in August. A "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony is planned for September 2009.
Sustainable Duxbury took part in the annual 4th of July parade for the third time. This year the theme for the parade was "Celebrating our American Heritage" and our float displayed a Duxbury home complete with solar panels, a windmill, and a garden. The float was preceded by a banner that said "Creating a Greener Heritage for the future. along with the usual candy thrown to spectators we gave away roughly 200 reusable shopping bags donated by local markets: Foodies, Stop and Shop, and Hannifords. The float team was headed up by Emily Averna, our youngest member who was a sophomore at American University in St Louis in the fall. It won a fourth place ribbon.
The solar panels at Chandler school were officially presented to the town at a ceremony in September attended by Members of Sustainable Duxbury, town and school officials. Ten High School and Middle School teachers attended a day long in-service training program run by the soft ware provider, Heliotronics. This software was integrated into the science and Math curricula in grades 5-12.
On October 24 we were able to get several other churches, Pilgrim Church and St. Johns Church, to join us in ringing the church bells 350 times at 3:50 pm as part of a global day of awareness. This day was observed world wide and was crucial in getting the number 350 entered into the proceedings at the United Nations conference on Global warming held in December. Scientists world wide now believe that to preserve life on this planet as we know it we need to bring the concentration of CO2 back down to 35ppm. It is presently at 378ppm and climbing.
On November 1 Sustainable Duxbury hosted National Geographic photographer, Brian Skerry, who gave a talk before hundreds of people at First Parish Church. Brian is a world class underwater photographer and his talk was entitled "Crucial Waters: Reporting On The World's Oceans." The talk was followed by a book signing session and environmental fair in the church hall. Many thanks to Judi & Terry Vose for bringing Brian to Duxbury.
October marked the fourth birthday of Sustainable Duxbury and we celebrated the event with a party at the home of Jim and Donna Savicki.
Our Earth Day project was to count the number of plastic bags thrown away in one week.
Solar panels being installed at Chandler School.
Fourth of July Parade, 2009
Lisa, Judi, and Brian Skerry
In April Sustainable Duxbury, as part of its anti-plastic campaign, presented members of the School Committee and Board of Selectmen with green reusable stainless steel water bottles that say "Dux Water" on the side. We asked that they use these water bottles at all future televised meetings so that viewers would not see them using commercial plastic water bottles that are so bad for our environment. They were very receptive to the idea but the selectmen needed to be reminded by an editorial in the Duxbury Reporter in September, entitled "What happened to the bottles?"
On June 26, we were part of a national event called "Hands Across The Sand" when over 200 people gathered on Duxbury beach to hold hands and draw a virtual line in the sand against off-shore drilling. This event was one of hundreds staged simultaneously across the country coordinated by 350.org.
In September we worked on the Island Creek Oyster Festival. A team consisting of Jim Savicki, Mike Wilson, Judi & Terry Vose worked with The Island Creek Oyster Co. for two years helping to green up their annual festival. This "Green Team" has with the help of Island Creek turned the festival into a model for other such events. At this year's festival, which was attended by over 3,000 people, all cups, plates and flatware were compostable. No prepackaged food was sold and all food eaten was cooked at the festival. No bottled water was available at the festival but people could get water "Straight from Duxbury" at several hydration stations. A team of over 50 volunteers helped with composting and single stream operations. For the second year all oyster shells (approx 40,000) were sent to the Jackson Estuary project in NH to help reclaim oyster beds in that state.
In October we participated in the "10/10/10 Green World Wide Work Day" by donating and helping to plant four trees at the newly reopened Tarklin Community Center. This day is meant to say to politicians, "we are getting to work to save the environment—how about you?". Again, in conjunction with 350.org.
Hands Across the Sand
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Karius ‘concussed’ during CL final
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius was concussed during the Champions League final, American doctors have said.
The 24-year old had scans at a hospital in Boston on May 31 where staff concluded that he had sustained a concussion during the match, an injury that may have affected his performance.
Karius made two high profiles errors during Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in Kiev on May 26.
"After carefully reviewing game film and integrating a detailed history - including his reported present and immediate post-contact subjective symptoms - physical examination and objective metrics, we have concluded that Mr. Karius sustained a concussion during the match May 26, 2018,” a statement from the Massachusetts General Hospital read.
It said that Karius had experienced “visual spatial dysfunction” immediately after the blow and that “such deficits would affect performance”.
"Mr. Karius has reported significant and steady improvement since the concussive event, and we expect him to make a full recovery based on the results of the examination", it added.
Footage from the final showed Karius suffering a blow to the head during a collision with Sergio Ramos just after half-time, minutes before his error allowed Karim Benzema to put Madrid ahead.
The German was also at fault for Madrid's third goal later on, when he allowed a Gareth Bale shot to slip through his hands.
Karius was on holiday in the US when Liverpool staff asked him to undertake the tests.
The goalkeeper, who joined Liverpool from Mainz in 2016 was subject to a barrage of abuse following the game - including death threats, apologised for his mistakes after the final.
"I know that I messed it up with the two mistakes and let you all down," he said. "It's even worse as we all felt that we could have beaten Real Madrid and we were in the game for a long time."
Labels: International News, Liverpool, Loris Karius, News, Real Madrid vs Liverpool
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Mark Fish: SAFA Don’t Realise What They Are Doing To Our Football
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, fans and pundits alike eagerly await the tournament to kick-start in Russia. For South Africa, this will be the second consecutive World Cup where they will not be taking part, dating back to 2010, where they were the host nation.
Bafana Bafana legend, Mark Fish, who was part of the first South African group of players to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, didn’t hold back when he gave his reason why Stuart Baxter’s charges do not have a ticket to Russia.
In an exclusive interview with Soccer Betting News, issue 418, Fish put most of the blame on SAFA, while also calling for change at the South African federation.
“Well we not going to Russia, first of all, because of our federation. People keep saying we haven't qualified for a World Cup since 2010, although that doesn't count,” Fish told Soccer Betting News.
“The federation has stayed the same. Players have come and gone, coaches have come and gone, so you've got to say that why we're not qualifying for World Cups, I've got to think that the mentality of SAFA has remained the same, because the people are the same,”
“Unfortunately, we think we're a footballing nation where we think we've arrived once Sundowns won the CAF Champions League, but we haven't,” Fish continued.
With 2018 marking 16 years since South Africa last qualified for a FIFA World Cup, Fish has doubted that vision 2022 will be a success.
“Are we going to qualify for the next World Cup? I can't tell you,” he said.
“Drastic changes need to be made at the head for the body to change, and the mindset of football in South Africa amongst footballers, coaches, ex-players, ex-coaches and amongst fans.”
“You know, SAFA don't realise what they're doing to our football. The longer it carries on, the harder it's going to get.”
Article by Jesse Nagel
Labels: FIFA World Cup, Mark Fish, News, SA News, Soccer World Cup, World Cup News
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Emilio Mola
Title: Emilio Mola
Subject: Spanish Civil War, Francisco Franco, Cuban nobility, Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2007 October 4, Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right-wing Groups
Collection: 1887 Births, 1937 Deaths, Cuban Nobility, Dukes of Mola, Grandees of Spain, People from Placetas, People of the Rif War, Spanish Anti-Communists, Spanish Generals, Spanish Military Personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National Faction), Victims of Aviation Accidents or Incidents in Spain
Emilio Mola y Vidal
el Director (The Director)
(1887-06-09)June 9, 1887
Placetas, Cuba, Spanish Empire
June 3, 1937(1937-06-03) (aged 49)
Alcocero, Burgos, Spain
Buried at
Pamplona Cemetery (1937–1961)
Valley of the Fallen (1961–present) ()
Kingdom of Spain (1904–1932)
Spanish Republic (1932, 1933–1936)
Nationalist Spain (1936–1937)
Service/branch
Commands held
Military Governor of Navarre
Commander of the Army of the North
Rif War
Military Medal
Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand
Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain (June 9, 1887 – June 3, 1937) was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. He was a veteran of the African wars where he rose to prominence serving with the Regulars. He led the military uprising that culminated in the Spanish Civil War.
He coined the term "fifth column".
Early life and career 1
July Rebellion and Civil War 2
Mola was born in Placetas, Cuba, at that time an overseas Spanish province, where his father, an army officer, was stationed. The Cuban War of Independence split his family; While his father served in the Spanish forces, his maternal uncle Leoncio Vidal was a leading revolutionary fighter. In Spain, he enrolled in the Infantry Academy of Toledo in 1907. He served in Spain's colonial war in Morocco where he received the Military Medal, and became an authority on military affairs. By 1927 he was a Brigadier-general.
Mola was made Director-General of Security in 1930, the last man to hold this post under Alfonso XIII.[1] This was a political post and his conservative views made him unpopular with opposition liberal and socialist politicians. When the left-wing Popular Front government was elected in February 1936 Mola was made military governor of Pamplona in Navarre, which the government regarded as a backwater. But the area was a center of Carlist activity and Mola himself secretly collaborated with the movement. He worked with elements of the right-wing Spanish Military Union and by the end of April 1936 was acknowledged as its leader in north-central Spain.[2]
July Rebellion and Civil War
Mola emerged as the chief planner among the plotters. While General
People from Placetas
Spanish generals
People of the Rif War
Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National faction)
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Spain
Dukes of Mola
Cuban nobility
Grandees of Spain
Spanish anti-communists
Spanish nobility
New title Duke of Mola
1948 Succeeded by
Emilio Mola Bascón
^ Payne, S. The Spanish Civil War. Cambridge University Press, 2012. p 66.
^ Payne 2012, p. 66-67.
^ a b Payne 2012, p. 67.
^ Payne 2012, p. 68.
^ Preston, Paul, "From Rebel to Caudillo: Franco's path to power", History Today, July 1986, pp. 24-29 36 (7)
^ a b Jackson, Gabriel, The Spanish Republic and the Civil War 1931-39, New Jersey , 1967.
^ Preston, Paul. 2012. The Spanish Holocaust. Harper Press. London.
^ Unearthing Franco's Legacy, p. 175
^ An early usage of the phrase: "Police last night began a house-to-house search for Rebels in Madrid... Orders for these raids... apparently were instigated by a recent broadcast over the Rebel radio station by General Emilio Mola. He stated he was counting on four columns of troops outside Madrid and another column of persons hiding within the city who would join the invaders as soon as they entered the capital." New York Times October 16, 1936.
^ VIDAL, Cesar. Paracuellos-Katyn: un ensayo sobre el genocidio de la izquierda. Madrid, 2005. p.2164
^ Helen Graham (2002). The Spanish Republic at War 1936-1939. Cambridge University Press. p. 190.
^ Payne 2012, p. 191.
Desaparecidos del franquismo
White Terror (Spain)
In 1948, Franco, as Head of the Spanish State, posthumously granted Mola the title of Duke of Mola and Grandee of Spain. The title was immediately assumed by his son, Don Emilio Mola y Bascón.
Mola died on June 3, 1937, when the Airspeed Envoy twin-engined aircraft in which he was travelling crashed in bad weather while returning to Vitoria. The deaths of Sanjurjo and Mola left Franco as the pre-eminent leader of the Nationalist cause. In the assessment of historian Stanley Payne, Mola had been "the only subordinate capable of talking back to Franco."[14] Although there have always been accusations that Franco arranged the deaths of his two rivals, so far no evidence has been produced.[7]
A junta in Burgos proved unable to set overall strategy; thus, Franco was chosen commander-in-chief at a meeting of ranking generals on September 21. Mola continued to command the Army of the North and led an unsuccessful effort to take Madrid in October. In a radio address, he described Nationalist sympathizers in the city as a "fifth column" that supplemented his four military columns.[11] The Republican government then proceeded to carry out the mass execution of as many as 4,000 suspected civilian and military supporters of the Nationalists. What was later known as the Paracuellos massacres crushed any potential fifth column.[12][13]
On September 5, a Nationalist offensive sent by General Mola under Colonel Alfonso Beorlegui took Irún and closed the French border. Mola's forces went on to secure the whole of the province of Guipúzcoa, isolating the remaining Republican provinces in the north.
The Nationalist coup failed to gain control of either Madrid or other urban areas, though most of the army supported it. As the situation devolved into civil war, Sanjurjo was killed in an air crash on July 20. Mola then became Nationalist commander in the north, while Franco became commander in the south. With the death of Sanjurjo, Mola established a multi-member governing body for the so-called "Nationalist zone" (zona nacional) called the National Defence Junta. Based in Burgos, it was nominally headed by Miguel Cabanellas, the most senior participating general.[10]
... "we must extend the terror; we must impose the impression of dominion while eliminating without scruples everyone who does not think as we do (eliminando sin escrupulos a todos los que no piensen como nosotros)".[9]
After several delays, July 18, 1936 was chosen as the date of the coup. Francisco Franco's participation was not confirmed until early July.[6] Although events ran ahead of schedule in the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco, Mola waited until July 19 to proclaim the revolt.[7] When Mola's brother was captured by the Republicans in Barcelona, the government threatened his life. Mola replied: "No, he knows how to die as an officer. I can neither take back my word to my followers and probably you cannot either from yours." Mola then ordered systematic executions in captured cities for the purpose of instilling fear.[8] He famously declared:
Despite extensive planning, Mola apparently doubted the chances for the coup's success. His dim view of the capabilities of monarchist militias and the conservative Catholic party Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA), as well as only limited support from the Falange, led him as late as July 9 to consider the possibility of having to flee to France if it failed.[5]
[4] The 1931 constitution would be suspended and new elections would be held. Certain liberal elements, such as separation of church and state and freedom of worship, were to be maintained. Agrarian issues were to be resolved by regional commissions with the aim of developing small holdings, but allowing for collective cultivation in some circumstances.[3] Known as "the Director", Mola sent secret instructions to the various military units to be involved in the uprising and worked out a detailed plan for a post-coup government. In a memorandum dated June 5, 1936, Mola envisioned a "republican dictatorship" based on the Portuguese model. The initial government would consist of a "directory" that would oversee a semi-pluralist but authoritarian state. According to Mola: "The Directory will guarantee no change in the republican regime during its administration, with no change in any worker claims that have been legally obtained" but would "create a strong and disciplined state".[3]
Madrid, Andalusia, Portugal, European Union, Barcelona
Spain, Second Spanish Republic, Nazi Germany, Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, Soviet Union
Anarchism, Social democracy, Means of production, Libertarian socialism, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Spain, France, Rif, Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi, Al Hoceima
John Locke, Libertarianism, Socialism, Social liberalism, Adam Smith
Second Spanish Republic, Spanish Civil War, Carlism, Francoist Spain, Soviet Union
France, Puerto Rico, Italy, Germany, Spanish Empire
Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right-wing Groups
Religion, Nazi Germany, Nazi Party, Propaganda, Conservatism
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China Mulls Lowering Age of Criminal Responsibility for Violent Offenses
The draft law is a legislative response to public outcries over several high-profile killings by children under 14.
China’s top legislators will discuss a proposed legal amendment this week that would hold children aged 12 and 13 criminally responsible for acts causing severe injury.
The change is being considered following public outcries over several high-profile killings and sexual assaults by children under 14, none of whom were subsequently prosecuted. The current law would be expanded to also cover the use of “cruel means” resulting in serious injury or disability.
Previously, an amendment proposed following deliberations by the National People’s Congress (NPC) in May and October had allowed the supreme public prosecutor to determine whether children aged 12 or 13 could assume criminal liability for committing “egregious” acts including intentional homicide or intentional injury.
Legislators will discuss the proposed changes in Beijing this week during meetings of the NPC Standing Committee, China’s highest legislative body, Yue Zhongming, a spokesperson for the NPC’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said Monday.
In addition to an expansion of the age at which children can be held liable for violent crimes, legislators will also mull an amendment to the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency that would cause offenders under 16 who do not receive criminal punishment to be subject to “enhanced discipline” from their parents or guardians, and to undergo “specialist correctional education” over a “necessary time period.”
Legislators will be considering these amendments for the third time, and will undoubtedly pass them, according to Yue.
China’s legislators have expressed differing views on lowering the age of criminal responsibility. More than 30 NPC delegates proposed the change at last year’s annual meeting, arguing that it would help deter juvenile delinquency.
Peng Xinlin, a criminal law professor at Beijing Normal University, supported the amendment to lower the age to 12, calling it a “sensible” response to society’s demands that is also consistent with the policy of “tempering justice with mercy.”
Others, however, have suggested that while detention may mitigate juvenile delinquency, it cannot fundamentally prevent future crimes.
Wang Zhenhui, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, told Caixin that individual underage cases do not represent all of society, and should not be a key factor in lawmaking.
This is an original article written by Shan Yuxiao and Ju Yiwen of Caixin Global, and has been republished with permission. The article can be found on Caixin’s website here.
(Header image: E+/People Visual)
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Movie Review: "John Carter" by Alex Schopp
Posted by Alex Schopp on March 11, 2012
I just got back from seeing "John Carter", and I have my qualms with it, but overall, it's the easy-going kind of afternoon action/adventure movie that you can really sit back and enjoy.
"John Carter" is actually a very interesting tale, albeit a very commonly told one. Probably the most interesting aspect of it to me is that it actually took place in the 1800's here on earth. In the midst of a full planetary war on Mars, back on earth we were completely unfamiliar with the alien planet, and just getting over a war of our own. The title character, John Carter, played by Taylor Kitsch, is a man that was just plain born to fight. On our planet he was a highly decorated soldier with a never-give-up mentality. Upon an unlikely encounter, he is suddenly transported to the planet Mars, where he's thrown right back into the middle of another fight. At first he is simply captured and taken as prisoner, but after countless escapes, he soon runs into the Princess of one colony who is in desperate need of a savior. Luckily, Carter steps up to the plate and helps defend the dying race from a man with powers from the Gods, threatening to destroy it all.
There is actually quite a bit more of subtext in that summary than what I put above. There's a pretty decent story-line about Carter and how he lost his humanity during the war back home, and ultimately, through this fight that he had no stake in, finds himself again. It's really the most touching aspect of the entire film, which, not surprisingly, isn't filled with too much character depth and emotion.
The big show-off of this movie though is its effects. Not since "Avatar" have I seen a world brought to life so fully. While many of the landscapes were barren and dry, they were still vast and beautifully defined. And some of the shots of the main city, Helium, were magnificent. All of the different alien species were great as well. While one of the main races were pretty much just humans with tattoos, the other, with it's leader voiced/motion-captured by Willem Dafoe, was completely alien in nature, and came off very approachable - meaning I never felt like Carter was interacting with computer images.
Kitsch himself does a good job as the inter-planetary warrior too. Some of the dialogue is a little cheesy, and they do find ways to sneak in little, unnecessary jokes every now and then, but overall, I was happy with his work. The only thoughts I ever had while watching him were that I bet Timothy Olyphant wishes he were about 15 years younger - the part so would have been his (if you haven't seen the movie yet, when you do, you won't be able to help but think these two are long-lost twins).
The story has been very over-worked for sure, but that doesn't make it bad. Just as "Avatar" had to fight-off arguments of the same nature, this movie might have to as well. And just as with "Avatar", I'll defend this one too. No, it's not telling a groundbreaking story, but that's not the point. It's not what story is told, it's how it's told. Plus this movie is based off of source material much older than any of the movies that seem to get credit for first for using this story arc. John Carter, the character, made his first appearance in a magazine serial in 1912 - so if anything, we can probably say that movies like "Avatar" and "Dances with Wolves" stole their story-line from this.
Overall, this movie ended up doing just about what I've recently expected of it. It was incredibly fun. The visuals were awesome and the battle scenes were really cool. The movie never really captured my heart or anything, but I think if I was familiar with the source material, that may be much different (by the way, if anyone who's reading this has read any of the original 'John Carter' stuff, I'd love to hear your comments below on what you thought of this. Does it stay pretty true to itself?). For me, I went in looking for a good time, and that's exactly what I got. Did I leave with any sort of profound thoughts on the film or the genre? Not really. The story itself is light-hearted in nature and very easy to digest. Upon future viewings, I may end up complaining slightly that it's a tad too long for it's own good - while with my first viewing I was happy to take everything in, I can see some of the middle character definition stuff bogging it down a little. And without the help of 3D, it may lose some of its luster as well.
I cringe slightly at the fact that this movie has a projected $250MM budget, and, as you'll see a little later in my Weekend Box Office post, it only put together a $30MM opening weekend - not what you'd like to see from a film with a budget of this magnitude. So unfortunately, this film will probably go down as a huge failure on the industry side of things, but luckily, I'm not financially attached to it at all, so that's really not my problem. You can see in every scene all of the money that they put into it, and in my opinion it was well worth it.
I would say, especially right now, in a weaker film market, make time to go see this movie. It's a bit lengthy and I can imagine it might not hold up too well in future home viewings, but for this time of year, in theaters, it's good for at least one watch. It's enjoyable and fun to look at, and as long as you're not trying to get too much out of it, you should be able to leave fulfilled.
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Home / Video
Cathal Coughlan of Microdisney and Fatima Mansions debuts first new music in 10 years
Album News, Video
Cathal Coughlan, the Irish singer-songwriter who co-founded Microdisney and went on to lead The Fatima Mansions, returns today with his first new music in a decade, the single “Song of Co-Aklan,” which also is the title track of his forthcoming solo album. Hear the new song here.
Robert Smith performs 3 songs off The Cure’s ‘Faith’ for charity livestream
A couple weeks after playing three songs off The Cure’s Seventeen Seconds for a charity webcast Robert Smith was at it again this week, this time performing a trio of songs off that album’s follow-up, Faith, for a different fundraising broadcast. Watch the full set right here.
Watch: The Clash’s ‘The Magnificent Seven’ gets new Don Letts-directed video
To mark the 40th anniversary of The Clash’s triple LP Sandinista!, filmmaker Don Letts put together a new music video for “The Magnificent Seven,” a clip based on the band’s performance of the song on “The Tomorrow Show” with Tom Snyder and previously unseen footage of the group.
New Order to play huge outdoor homecoming concert in Manchester next September
New Order has announced its first hometown concert in four years, a large outdoor gig with Hot Chip and Working Men’s Club at Manchester’s Heaton Park in September that will precede the group’s rescheduled U.S. tour with the Pet Shop Boys later that month. Full details right here.
Robert Smith performs 3 songs off The Cure’s ‘Seventeen Seconds’ for charity livestream
The Cure’s Robert Smith performed a trio of songs off 1980’s Seventeen Seconds for the Robin Ince-hosted “Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People” 24-hour charity livestream, a set broadcast Saturday that included “In Your House,” “M” and “Play for Today.” Watch the full set right here.
Martin Gore announces ‘Third Chimpanzee’ instrumental EP — hear first track ‘Mandrill’
After a bit of social-media teasing, Mute Records this morning announced the release early next year of a new instrumental electronic EP from Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, a five-song collection that’s preceded by a “ferocious slice of electro” called “Mandrill.” Hear it right here.
Depeche Mode inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — watch their acceptance speech
Honors, Video
Pioneering synthpop outfit turned stadium rockers Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight in a pandemic-necessitated virtual ceremony, with Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher meeting up in a Zoom call to accept the honor. Watch the video right here.
Nine Inch Nails inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — watch Trent Reznor’s speech
Trent Reznor’s speech inducting The Cure into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year was one of that ceremony’s highlights, and he’s back this year not as a presenter but as the face of inductees Nine Inch Nails. Reznor and NIN entered the Rock Hall tonight via a virtual ceremony. See it here.
Oingo Boingo’s Danny Elfman gets ‘Happy’ with first new solo music in 33 years
Digital Music, Single News, Video
Former Oingo Boingo frontman and famed film composer Danny Elfman today debuted his first solo music in 36 years — and first rock music since his band’s 1994 swan song — in the form of “Happy,” a characteristically twisted song he’d meant to debut at his planned performance at this year’s Coachella festival.
Hoodoo Gurus’ new single ‘Get Out of Dodge’ features members of The Bangles, The Cowsills
Two months after their last, Trump-tweaking single, Australian rockers Hoodoo Gurus are back with another new song: “Get Out of Dodge,” featuring backing vocals by Vicki Peterson of The Bangles and John Cowsill of The Cowsills and the current iteration of The Beach Boys. Hear it right here.
Pixies debut new song ‘Hear Me Out’ ahead of release of limited-edition 12-inch single
Single News, Video
The Pixies are back with a brand new single, the Paz Lenchantin-sung “Hear Me Out” that is accompanied by the western-themed video posted here and will appear as the A-side of a new limited-edition 12-inch single the band is set to release later this month. Check out the full music video right here.
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Hispanics receive entertainment awards
John Leguizamo, Penelope Cruz win ALMA Awards
LOS ANGELES — "Nothing Like the Holidays" had a merry time at the ALMA Awards.
The ensemble family drama starring John Leguizamo, Debra Messing and Freddy Rodriguez won three awards at Thursday's ceremony, which recognized achievements by Hispanic artists in film, television and music over the past year. Leguizamo, screenwriter Rick Najera and director Alfredo De Villa were each awarded trophies for their work in the film category.
Penelope Cruz won the film actress award for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" while "Twilight" makeup artist Jeanne Van Phue and hair stylist Mary Ann Valdes picked up awards for their behind-the-scenes work. David Archuleta and Pitbull won prizes in the music category during the ceremony at UCLA's Royce Hall. The show is scheduled to be televised Friday by ABC.
Honorees in the TV category included Benjamin Bratt from A&E's "The Cleaner" as drama actor, Lauren Velez from Showtime's "Dexter" as drama actress, Oscar Nunez from NBC's "The Office" as comedy actor, Selena Gomez from Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place" as comedy actress and Latino Public Broadcasting in the documentary category.
Oscar De La Hoya received the Special Achievement in Sports Television award while Salma Hayek was given the Anthony Quinn Award for Industry Excellence. Rita Moreno presented a tribute to the late Ricardo Montalban. ALMA Awards creator Raul Yzaguirre was awarded the first-ever PepsiCo Adelante Award for his lifetime of service to the Latino community.
The ALMA Awards were created in 1995 by the National Council of La Raza, a national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, as part of its effort to promote diverse and fair portrayals of Latinos in the media. ALMA stands for American Latino Media Arts and means "soul" in Spanish. George Lopez and Eva Longoria Parker hosted this year's ceremony.
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Latinos not reflected on Spanish TV
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Hispanic quarterbacks around since the '60s
The Forgotten Signal Callers Other Minority Quarterbacks in The NFL by Gary Norris Gray, garyngray@blackathlete.com • Feb 9, 2009 CALIFORN...
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Tikalon Innovation Service Model •
Links •
The 1950s may have had their beatniks, but the 1960s were known for their hippies and flower children. Many members of my generation, as we attained college age, were understandably distressed by the state of the world at the time. Our general distrust of politicians fueled a counterculture movement in which many decided to "drop out" and not participate in any of the current social conventions.
Economists have always had their "guns or butter" debate, but in the 1960s it was "guns or flowers," sloganized by the term, "flower power." Flowers were a symbol for peace; but they have been symbols for many things, as their use for such disparate events as weddings and funerals shows.
An Iconic Image
Volkswagen buses were popular among hippies, since they were inexpensive, and you could live inside your vehicle.
(Photograph by Marshall Astor, via Wikimedia Commons.)
As I wrote in a previous article (Flowers, November 1, 2013), flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared at least as early as the Middle Triassic period, about 247.2-242.0 million years ago.[1-2] Flowers exist as a way to attract insects as an aid to pollination.
Because of evolution, nature seems to find the best way to do certain things. Humans have evolved to understand this, so we've developed the science of biomimetics, by which we research the structure and function of biological systems to aid in the design of materials and devices.
Computer scientists have embraced biomimetics in swarm intelligence. I wrote about one method of swarm intelligence, Ant Colony Optimization, in two previous articles (Computational Biomimetics, January 17, 2011, and Ants in My Computer, November 8, 2006).
Ant Colony Optimization uses an analog of the technique that ants use to find the most direct pathway from a food source to their colony. This involves individual ants laying down a scent (pheromone) trail that other ants roughly follow. Since the scent evaporates, the shortest path retains the strongest scent since more ants march over it per unit time interval. This technique has been used to place conductor traces on printed circuit boards, solving the traveling salesman problem, and routing messages in a network.[3-4]
At this point, you might be thinking that there's no logical thread in this article. Sure, you might expect to find ants on flowers, but that's about it. However, Xin-She Yang of Cambridge University has found that flower pollination can be used as the basis for a global optimization algorithm.[5] Yang has published previously on other biomimetic optimization algorithms, such as the firefly algorithm[6-7] and the bat algorithm[8-9].
Pollination is an important aspect of the survival of plant species, so it's understandable that an optimization algorithm based on pollination might be useful. As stated in Yang's paper on this topic, 80% of all plant species, about a quarter of a million, are flowering plants.[5] In a "selfish gene" perspective, the primary purpose of a flower is to reproduce by pollination, and in this task it's assisted by natural agents.
Pollination is aided by abiotic forces, such as water and the wind, and biotic agents, such as insects, birds, bats and other animals. Biotic pollination accounts for 90% of pollination.[5] There are at least 200,000 types of pollinators, the honeybee being the traditional example. Pollination can occur over short distances, as for self-pollination; or, over long distances, in which the biotic pollinators may travel by a Lévy flight. I wrote about Lévy flight in a previous article(Random Walks and Lévy Flights, May 19, 2011).
Yang's flower pollination algorithm is quite simple, and it incorporates both local and distance pollination, as its function shows.[5]
• Initialize a population of gametes with random solutions.
• Find the best solution in the initial population
• Define a switch probability.
• Over the entire population, if a random number exceeds the switch probability, draw a vector obeying a Lévy distribution to "pollinate" another member of the population. This is "distance pollination."
• Otherwise, do a "local pollination" according to a normal distribution (a.k.a., Rayleigh flight).
• Evaluate the new population find the current best solution and repeat.
As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the following figure demonstrates the potential of the flower pollination algorithm. Plotted is the difference D between the current solution and the best mean solution for a genetic algorithm (GA), a particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), and the flower pollination algorithm (FPA).
Performance comparison between a genetic algorithm (GA), a particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), and the flower pollination algorithm (FPA).
The FPA has the best result, and it converged most quickly.
(Fig. 2 of ref. 3, via arXiv.[5]
Peter A. Hochuli and Susanne Feist-Burkhardt, "Angiosperm-like pollen and Afropollis from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of the Germanic Basin (Northern Switzerland)," Front. Plant Sci., vol. 4, no. 344 (October 1, 2013), doi: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00344.
New fossils push the origin of flowering plants back by 100 million years to the early Triassic, University of Zürich Press Release, October 1, 2013.
Marco Dorigo, Mauro Birattari, and Thomas Stuzle, "Ant Colony Optimization," IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine, vol. 1, no. 4 (November, 2006), pp. 28-39.
Ant Colony Optimization Web Site.
Xin-She Yang, "Flower Pollination Algorithm for Global Optimization," arXiv Preprint Server, December 19, 2013.
Xin-She Yang, "Multiobjective Firefly Algorithm for Continuous Optimization," arXiv Preprint Server, March 25, 2013.
Xin-She Yang, "Multiobjective firefly algorithm for continuous optimization," Engineering with Computers, Vol. 29, No. 2 (April, 2013), pp. 175-184.
Xin-She Yang, "A New Metaheuristic Bat-Inspired Algorithm," ," arXiv Preprint Server, April 23, 2010.
X.-S. Yang, "A New Metaheuristic Bat-Inspired Algorithm," in: Nature Inspired Cooperative Strategies for Optimization (NICSO 2010), vol. 284 of Studies in Computational Intelligence (C. Cruz, J.R. González, N. Krasnogor, D.A. Pelta, and G. Terrazas, Eds.), pp. 65-74.
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Africa Media Review for December 17, 2018
Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo Falling Short of Credible
The December 23 presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, being held two years past the end of President Joseph Kabila’s constitutionally mandated second term in office, face serious credibility challenges. Hoped-for improvements in security and stability that could be realized with the election of a legitimate government, therefore, are at risk. As the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, located in the heart of continent, growing instability in the DRC has tangible security implications for all nine of its neighbors.[…] Kabila has been setting the stage to maintain his influence and ensure a favorable outcome for this election for years. Just before the 2011 elections, the rules were changed to a single round format, enabling a candidate to win with only a plurality of votes—and allowing Kabila to claimed victory. This system is likely to be pivotal again in 2018 given ongoing divisions within the opposition, which is fielding 19 candidates. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
U.S. Orders Non-Emergency Staff Out of Congo before Election
The U.S. State Department said on Saturday it had ordered non-emergency government staff and family members of government employees to leave Democratic Republic of Congo a week before a presidential election that it fears could turn violent. Campaigning for the long-delayed Dec. 23 poll to choose President Joseph Kabila’s successor had been mostly peaceful until this week, when security forces opened fire to disperse opposition gatherings, killing at least four people. A fire in the capital Kinshasa also destroyed thousands of voting machines and ballot boxes early on Thursday morning, and Kabila’s ruling coalition and opposition candidates traded blame for the incident. The State Department also said in an e-mailed advisory to citizens that it had “limited ability to provide emergency services” to U.S. citizens located outside Kinshasa, especially in the east and the central Kasai provinces. Reuters
Conditions Improving for a US Return to Libya, Marine Commander Says
The commander of a special Marine Corps task force said Friday that conditions on the ground are improving for the return a U.S. diplomatic mission to Libya, six years after a devastating attack on the American consulate in Benghazi left four Americans dead. Col. Adam Chalkley, commander of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response Africa — the unit created as a result of the Sept. 11, 2012 Benghazi attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans — said he spent much of his time on a recent six-month deployment helping to ensure there would be no repeat of that tragedy. “There were indications that … recent improvements in the landscape and the operating environment of Libya were suggestive that a reintroduction a diplomatic mission was on the near horizon,” Chalkley said during a presentation at the Virginia-based Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Military.com
US Says New Airstrike in Somalia Kills 8 Al-Shabaab Fighters
The US military says it has killed eight members of the al-Shabaab extremist group with an airstrike south of Somalia’s capital. The US Africa Command statement says the airstrike occurred on Saturday near Gandarshe, a coastal community. The statement says no civilians were involved. The US military has carried out at least 40 airstrikes this year against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, Africa’s most active Islamic extremist group. It controls parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to stage deadly attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and other cities. The US airstrikes have picked up dramatically since President Donald Trump took office and approved expanded military operations in the Horn of Africa nation. Airstrikes also target a small presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State group. AP
Nigeria Says Soldiers Who Killed Marchers Were Provoked. Video Shows Otherwise.
The message sent on Twitter was clear: When Nigerian soldiers opened fire on rock-throwing protesters in late October, Nigerian officials swiftly defended them, saying their forces had simply done what President Trump told American soldiers to do in the same situation. Nigeria’s defense came after its soldiers had shot at protesters — members of a minority Shiite organization — marching on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja. The military insisted that the soldiers had taken action only after being provoked by the protesters, who hurdled rocks at them. Ten soldiers were injured in the melee, it said. The military also said a total of six protesters were killed during marches. But a close review of video from the largest and most deadly of the protests, as well as interviews with more than a dozen witnesses, clearly shows the military opening fire on unarmed demonstrators, sometimes shooting indiscriminately into the crowd at close range as people turned and tried to flee.Photos and videos recorded that day show at least 26 bodies. The group said it had collected a total of 49 bodies during four days of protests. The New York Times
At Least 12 Nigerian Soldiers Killed in Fighting with Islamists -Sources
At least 12 Nigerian soldiers were killed and dozens of others are missing after fighting with Islamists in the northeastern state of Borno, three military sources said on Sunday, one of the largest known losses of life by the army in the last month. An army spokesman said the death toll stated by the sources was not true. The fighting followed an attack on Friday by insurgents in Gudumbali local government area – a part of Borno where Boko Haram breakaway group Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) is influential. The sources said the poor communication network in the remote area delayed details of the attack being relayed. The attack, which the sources say was carried out on a military base and a nearby community in the Gudumbali local government area, comes as President Muhammadu Buhari’s security record has become a campaign issue two months ahead of an election in which he is seeking a second term. Reuters
Nigeria Army Lifts Ban on UNICEF amid Spying Allegations
The Nigerian military has lifted a ban on UNICEF in the northeast of the country, hours after accusing the staff of the United Nations agency of “spying” for Boko Haram. Earlier on Friday, the Nigerian military said UNICEF had been training people to sabotage its counterinsurgency efforts by reporting alleged human rights abuses by soldiers. Nigeria’s northeast has been torn apart by a decade-long armed campaign by Boko Haram and its splinter groups. More than 30,000 people have been killed and many more driven from their homes. With millions displaced, the northeast is largely dependent on international aid. In its statement, the Nigerian military said UNICEF staff “train and deploy spies who support the insurgents and their sympathisers”. Al Jazeera
Children among Thousands ‘Slaughtered’ in Clashes between Herders and Farmers in Nigeria, Warns Amnesty
Children have been “slaughtered” and people burnt to death in violent clashes between Muslim cattle herders and Christian farmers in Nigeria, according to Amnesty International. At least 3,641 people have died over the last three years and thousands more have been displaced, the human rights charity said in a report on the growing conflict. “My wife was slaughtered, they opened her stomach and brought out the baby and slaughtered it,” one man who witnessed one of the deadliest attacks on the Fulani herder communities in Taraba state told Amnesty. Recalling the attack, which began on 17 June 2017 and lasted for four days, he added: “My kids were slaughtered also. I was with their dead bodies for three days in the bush before the soldiers came. “My father was burnt in front of the mosque where he prayed. They killed him there and burnt him.” The Independent
Mali to Create Border Guard Corps, Send Reinforcements to Timbuktu Region
Mali announced it will be sending reinforcements to the northern Timbuktu region and will create a new border guard corps amid growing concerns about security. A total of 350 police officers, paramilitary gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed, Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga told reporters in Bamako on Saturday, December 15, after he returned from a visit to the area, AFP reported. He did not specify when the reinforcements would arrive, but his office said they would be deployed at the beginning of 2019. Maiga said the government would also set up a new border guard corps next year, and increase logistical support for the security forces. The Defense Post
2 Killed in Attack in Rwanda, Near Border with Burundi
At least two Rwandan civilians were killed and eight injured when attackers set fire to three passenger vehicles in the southern Nyamagabe district, which borders Burundi, said a Rwandan army official. “We have been watching the situation in this area for some time now and have a good idea of who is behind today’s incident. We are in pursuit of the attackers and action will be taken against those responsible,” army spokesperson Innocent Munyengango said in a statement. He said the army is pursuing the attackers who retreated into Nyungwe Forest, a mountain rainforest area that is home to wild chimpanzees. The attack highlights continuing tensions between Rwanda and neighbouring Burundi and Democratic republic of Congo. Just two days earlier, President Paul Kagame said two or three Rwandan army soldiers were killed by rebels who had crossed the border from DRC. AP
Ugandan Pop Star MP Bobi Wine ‘In Hiding after Police Raid’
The Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Bobi Wine is in hiding after police raided a hotel he was staying in before a concert, his lawyer has said. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, had been due to perform at a concert in Jinja, about 50 miles east of the capital, Kampala, on Saturday night. However, he and his lawyer said police had launched a raid on his hotel, forcing him into hiding. Wine “has been forced to seek refuge from an unlawful midnight raid by police which has seen many of his supporters and colleagues swept up and detained while others were reportedly beaten”, said a statement from his London-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam. Wine said on Twitter on Saturday night that police had arrested some of his team. “So police has raided city hotel where we were resting ahead of the show tonight, arrested many of our team members. As we speak, the police is surrounding the entire neighborhood looking for me!” he wrote. The Guardian
In Cameroon, Journalists Are Being Jailed on Charges of ‘Fake News’
In Cameroon, where English-speaking separatists are fighting the largely French-speaking government to establish a new nation, journalists covering the violence are increasingly finding themselves behind bars on a surprising charge: fake news. The latest case centers on the killing of an American missionary from Indiana, who was shot dead 12 days after his family moved to this central African country in October. In the immediate aftermath of his death, in one of the country’s unstable regions, Cameroonian journalist Mimi Mefo Takambou sought to find out who killed him. But after she cited social media reports that claimed the Cameroonian military had shot Charles Wesco, she was accused of publishing fake news online and later arrested. Mefo, who works for Equinoxe TV, is one of more than a dozen journalists who have been jailed or questioned this year in Cameroon, a once-peaceful country that is spiraling into civil war in its English-speaking regions. The Washington Post
Israel Ex-General under US Sanctions Denies Arming S. Sudan War
A retired Israeli army general hit by U.S. sanctions for alleged involvement in the South Sudan conflict denied the charges on Sunday, saying they were based on false information and that he was available for investigation by the Trump administration. The U.S. Treasury on Friday slapped sanctions on Israel Ziv and three firms he controls, accusing him of using an agricultural consultancy as cover for weapons sales worth $150 million to the Juba government while also arming the opposition. “He (Ziv) has also reportedly planned to organise attacks by mercenaries on South Sudanese oil fields and infrastructure, in an effort to create a problem that only his company and affiliates could solve,” a Treasury statement said. Interviewed by Israel’s Army Radio, Ziv said he had never trafficked in weaponry and called the charges against him “ludicrous, baseless, completely divorced from reality”. Reuters
Could China Squeeze the U.S. Out of Its Only Permanent Military Base in Africa?
When unveiling the Trump administration’s new Africa policy on Thursday, national security adviser John Bolton made a point to speak about a single container port in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti. Officials say the Doraleh Container Terminal is critical for resupplying the only permanent U.S. base in Africa, and Bolton said China could take control of this port. While Djibouti is slightly smaller than New Jersey and has a population of less than 1 million, its strategic location gives it an outsize influence. At the southern end of the Red Sea, Djibouti is on the shipping route between Asia and the Suez Canal. Every day an estimated 4.8 million barrels of oil transit the Bab el-Mandab strait adjacent to Djibouti. Djibouti’s proximity to terrorist havens in Yemen and Somalia also made it an ideal location for the U.S. military. Camp Lemonnier, a former French foreign legion base, became an expeditionary base for counterterrorism operations after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The base, which shares a runway with Djibouti’s only international airport, has grown significantly over the years. The Washington Post
China’s $20 Billion New Egypt Capital Project Talks Fall Through
Talks between Egypt and Chinese builder CFLD for a $20 billion development in the new administrative capital have fallen through over disagreements on how to share revenue from the project, Egyptian officials said. Two years of tough negotiations came to an end after Egyptian authorities sent a response to the final proposal by the Shanghai-listed China Fortune Land Development Co. on developing 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) over 25 years in the new capital east of Cairo. “We didn’t hear back,” Ahmed Zaki Abdeen, who heads the company created to oversee the construction of the new capital, told Bloomberg News. “The talks have stopped.” Failure to reach an agreement will likely raise questions over Egypt’s ability to attract crucial foreign direct investments to propel economic growth. It may not, however, deter state-owned Chinese companies from pursuing other opportunities in the Arab country, thanks to strong ties between the two governments. Bloomberg
Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF to Revive Infamous ‘Green Bombers’
Zimbabwean youths intending to go into government employ or attend state tertiary institutions will from as early as next year have to go through the controversial national youth service. This was one of numerous resolutions passed at Zanu PF’s 17th annual people’s conference held in Esigodini 49km outside Bulawayo. The youth service was initially introduced in 2000 by the late Border Gezi, who at the time was minister for gender, youth and employment. Its stated purpose was to “transform and empower youths for nation building through life skills training and leadership development”. However, instead of sticking to teaching life skills, the project became a training ground for the infamous Zanu PF youth brigade that came to be known as the “green bombers”. The green bombers, along with state security departments such as the police, army and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), were used to crack down on opposition politicians. Times Live
Sudanese President Makes Surprise Visit to Syria
Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir paid a surprise visit to Damascus on Sunday, expressing readiness to improve bilateral relation with the isolated Arab country. The one-day visit was the first since the imposition of Arab sanctions against Damascus as a result of the repressive campaign of the Syrian uprising against the al-Assad regime started in March 2011. Al-Bashir is the first Arab leader to visit Syria since the start of the Syrian crisis in March 2011. “President al-Assad and President al-Bashir affirmed that the circumstances and crises experienced by many Arab countries require new approaches for Arab action based on respecting the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs,” said a statement released by the Sudanese and Syrian official news agencies. The statement further said that these approaches, “should improve inter-Arab relations and serve the interests of the Arab people”. Sudan Tribune
Ethiopia Jails Soldiers Who Protested for Better Pay
An Ethiopian court has jailed 66 soldiers over a rare protest in the capital in October demanding better pay, state media reported on Saturday. The Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reported that the soldiers would be jailed from five to 14 years each. In October, hundreds of elite soldiers staged a protest in Addis Ababa over “inadequate” salary and benefits, briefly blocking a road around the national palace and marching on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office. Mobile and WiFi internet connections were cut for several hours as confusion and panic gripped the capital. The Ethiopian army, one of the strongest and largest in Africa, is known for strict discipline, and protests by soldiers are practically unheard of. AFP
Ethnic Violence in Southern Ethiopia Kills and Wounds Dozens
At least 21 people have been killed in two days of intense fighting between ethnic groups in southern Ethiopia amid escalating violence that has sent hundreds fleeing across the border to neighbouring Kenya. The violence broke out on Thursday and Friday near the town of Moyale, on the border with Kenya, in a region claimed by both the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in the country, and the Somali ethnic group. The fighting also wounded 61 others, the state-affiliated Fana radio reported, citing the Oromia regional state communication office. Outbreaks of violence in the south between Oromos and other groups escalated since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed – the first Oromo leader in Ethiopia’s modern history – assumed office in April. Al Jazeera
Cambodia’s Largest Ivory Bust Sees Tons of Elephant Tusks Seized
Cambodia has seized more than 3.2 tons of elephant tusks that were smuggled into the country from Mozambique. Some 1,206 tusks were hidden inside an abandoned shipping container when the authorities made Cambodia’s biggest-ever ivory bust. “The elephant tusks were hidden among marble in a container that was abandoned,” Sun Chhay, director of the Customs and Excise Office at the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, told the AFP news agency. The official said the ivory was sent from the southern African nation of Mozambique and it arrived in Cambodia last year. He also said the owner of the shipment did not show up to collect the cargo. Officials said the tusks were discovered after a tip-off from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh. It was unclear whether the smuggled ivory was destined for markets other than Cambodia’s. Deutsche Welle
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