The full dataset viewer is not available (click to read why). Only showing a preview of the rows.
The dataset generation failed
Error code: DatasetGenerationError
Exception: ArrowInvalid
Message: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 54
Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 153, in _generate_tables
df = pd.read_json(f, dtype_backend="pyarrow")
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 815, in read_json
return json_reader.read()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1025, in read
obj = self._get_object_parser(self.data)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1051, in _get_object_parser
obj = FrameParser(json, **kwargs).parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1187, in parse
self._parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1403, in _parse
ujson_loads(json, precise_float=self.precise_float), dtype=None
ValueError: Trailing data
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1997, in _prepare_split_single
for _, table in generator:
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 156, in _generate_tables
raise e
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 130, in _generate_tables
pa_table = paj.read_json(
File "pyarrow/_json.pyx", line 308, in pyarrow._json.read_json
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 154, in pyarrow.lib.pyarrow_internal_check_status
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 91, in pyarrow.lib.check_status
pyarrow.lib.ArrowInvalid: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 54
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1529, in compute_config_parquet_and_info_response
parquet_operations = convert_to_parquet(builder)
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1154, in convert_to_parquet
builder.download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1029, in download_and_prepare
self._download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1124, in _download_and_prepare
self._prepare_split(split_generator, **prepare_split_kwargs)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1884, in _prepare_split
for job_id, done, content in self._prepare_split_single(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 2040, in _prepare_split_single
raise DatasetGenerationError("An error occurred while generating the dataset") from e
datasets.exceptions.DatasetGenerationError: An error occurred while generating the datasetNeed help to make the dataset viewer work? Make sure to review how to configure the dataset viewer, and open a discussion for direct support.
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Cambodian rice exports decreased nearly 6 per cent year-on-year during the first semester, reinforcing concerns about the future of the rice industry, the Kingdom’s most important agricultural sector.
A report released yesterday by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export showed Cambodia exported a total of 268,190 tonnes during the first six months of 2016, down 5.8 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.
Hean Vanhan, deputy director-general of the agriculture department of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the decline may be a harbinger of what’s to come.
“Rice exports fell during four of the first six months of the year, which is a warning that we need to work together to solve the sector’s problems,” he said. “Rice millers don’t have enough rice in stock, and we recognise that they lack funds.”
The government agreed last week to provide up to $30 million in emergency loans to members of the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) to help buoy the struggling rice sector.
Vanhan said the financing package was good, but the funds should not be simply handed out to rice millers who request assistance.
“We need to look at the capacity of rice millers before we give them a loan as some millers are facing bankruptcy because they lack capacity,” he said. “If we simply give them the money, the money will be lost.”
Rice industry experts say the sector is suffering from a number of issues, including competition from low-cost Vietnamese imports, high production costs, and millers’ lack of finance.
According to CRF president Sok Puthyvuth, who was re-elected for a second term last Saturday, the issues have already resulted in between 10 and 20 per cent of the nation’s rice millers declaring bankruptcy.
Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com
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Richard Pike is a litigation partner in the London office of Constantine Cannon’s Antitrust Litigation and Counselling Practice Group. His practice covers a broad range of litigation and counselling. He specialises in antitrust litigation and regulatory appeals, particularly in relation to telecommunications. Mr Pike has considerable experience before the Competition Appeal Tribunal and Competition Commission as well as before the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council. Mr Pike is recommended in Chambers UK 2014, Chambers Global 2014 and the Lawyer 500. He also led a team that jointly won Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2012. Before joining Constantine Cannon, Mr Pike spent 14 years with Baker & McKenzie LLP, including 4 years as a litigation partner in its London office and a year in its Chicago office.
Website : Constantine Cannon (London)
EU High Court Opens the Door to Umbrella Liability
Irene Fraile, Ankur Kapoor and Richard Pike, Law360, June 2014
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Review Date: 08/29/2008
Air #1
Title Story: Letters from Lost Countries
Publisher: Vertigo/DC
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: M. K. Perker
Colors: Chris Chuckry
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Adventure/Mystery
MATURE CONTENT (Comics on the Edge)
This new comic has the intriguing cover of an airline stewardess falling through a bright blue sky, along with a Neil Gaiman cover quote that the comic "starts as Rushdie and then parachutes off into Pynchon." Both cover art and quote very accurately sum-up this extremely original new comic from D.C.'s Vertigo Line, written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn with beautiful art and expression by renowned Turkish artist M.K. Perker (Google Mr. Perker for access to his very impressive website).
The best way I can describe this comic is that its a magic realism short story presented in a visual medium. Magic realism is a form of science fiction or fantasy in which the reader finds a very matter-of-fact world, with a few sudden touches of the unusual blended-in when you least expect it (check-out any novel or story written by author Lisa Goldstein, or the novel "The Necessary Beggar" by Susan Palwick for high quality examples). The t.v. show "Lost" is a good example of having magic realism elements blended into some very mainstream sub-plots.
The main character in Air is Blythe, an American working as an overseas stewardess for Clearfleet Airlines. The first issue nicely propels Blythe through some very interesting sub-plots, including her growing relationship with a mysterious boyfriend who has multiple identities, and a shadowy group of citizens who claim they're against airline terrorism yet seem to be worse in many ways than actual plane terrorists themselves. The action and intrigue nicely come together in a key scene that centers around that amazing cover scene of Blythe plunging parachute-less through the sky.
I really don't want to give much more of this extremely creative storyline away, given the originality of this comic. I also won't spoil the one sudden Magic Realism twist at the end of this issue, other than to say that after reading this issue, you'll never look at a postcard again without thinking of this comic. Suffice to say that Wilson and Perker work wonderfully together here as a creative team; the combination of his art and her written dialogue can be described as poetic in presenting average folk dealing with a blend of the usual and the mysterious sides of life.
I do feel its important to note that this is a very brave comic, the first one that I've read since 9-11 that has as a central theme the very changed world that you and I actually live in now, whether we're up in an airplane or just trying to live our lives in an everyday manner. I give a lot of credit to DC Vertigo for taking-on a storyline with such mainstream literate quality at the heart of it; no superheros here, folks, but the hint of magic realism in issue #1 will obviously grow with each succeeding issue. Again, if you like the subplots of the t.v. show "Lost" where everything seems extremely ordinary and then one little item turns the whole world sideways, I think this is a comic for you.
Justice League of America #22
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ed Benes
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
The current issue of Justice League is #24, the third story of a multi-issue story arc, so this time I jumped back to issue #22 to review the story arc's beginning. #22 through #24 are all currently available on the That's Entertainment new issue display wall. Issue #22 is entitled "The Second Coming-Chapter One," and is written by Dwayne McDuffie and drawn by Ed Benes.
The main storyline in this issue focuses on the League trying to help Red Tornado stabilize into a permanent body, so he can live as close to a human life as possible. The League tries a radical, complicated scientific experiment to try and achieve this, which seems to be in the process of badly backfiring by the end of the issue, resulting in a dangerous programmed villain personality asserting itself in Red Tornado against the League.
I didn't enjoy this comic that much, for a few reasons. First, the current Justice League writing is being outshined by the stellar writing of The Justice Society of America comic that I reviewed last week. I thought it would be fun to compare the two back-to-back, and quickly found that the current writing is light years apart in quality between the two comics. Justice League isn't bad, but its just average compared to Geoff Johns's writing level in Justice Society, and as such, Justice League seems drab in the Society's shadow, I'm afraid.
The second problem for me was Ed Benes's art. Its excellent, but his style is heavier than most current D.C. artists with extreme shadowing and over-penciling of figures. It makes for a bleak feeling in each scene, plus I'm always squinting to make out details in large scenes. A two-page spread on pages 4 and 5 almost gave me a headache trying to make out all of the details.
Third and perhaps most significant is that after finishing this comic, it struck me that a lot of the sub-plot dialogue is kind of wooden, and frankly feels fake. There's a scene of Superman and Green Lantern giving Red Arrow relationship advice that's supposed to be serious, but seems very stilted and just plain weird-its almost as if it was written by a kid in a creative writing class in school who is guessing how real adults might talk with each other about relationships and hasn't got a clue.
The final point that got under my skin about this issue is a point about the League that's actually bothered me since the early issues in the 1960's. The League has always been structured as having a rotating chair; whoever's the leader-of-the-month is like a little dictator, and whatever he or she decides in certain storylines goes without saying. In this issue, the League meets to consider whether the superhero Vixen should be allowed to stay in the League. Everyone's willing to give her another chance except for the current League Chair Black Canary, so she's booted-out. It's time for D.C. to drop this unrealistic structure, it just feels dumb and unreal, either for the real world or for a group of superheros that have come together to function on equal footing as a workable team.
If you're an old Justice League fan, not much has changed from the Silver Age Justice League approach for D.C., but I'm afraid that's not a good thing. In light of the high quality of the current Justice Society line, combined with how comic book plotting has evolved in the past decade or two, this comic line feels very stale and is in need of a major style updating.
A Quick Heads-Up: Check-Out Brave & Bold #16!
Just a quick heads-up to the D.C. fans out there, definitely check-out the current issue #16 of The Brave and the Bold, featuring Superman and Catwoman. I won't review it in detail here, because I did an extensive review of the B & B line a few months ago, but this current issue is one of the funniest comics I've read in awhile. Writers Mark Waid and Scott Kolins not only provide an interesting story, but inject it with quality comedy relief as Superman hasn't a clue how to handle Catwoman's personality. I guess this is why they used to call 'em funny books!
© 2011 - 2018, 2019 All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without express permission from the author.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the groundbreaking March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom witnessed the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. It is fitting that on this date, reminiscent of the defining moment in Dr. King's leadership in the Civil Rights movement; in the form of solid granite, his legacy is further cemented in the tapestry of the American experience. His leadership in the drive for realization of the freedoms and liberties laid down in the foundation of the United States of America for all of its citizens, without regard to race, color, or creed is what introduced this young southern clergyman to the nation. The delivery of his message of love and tolerance through the means of his powerful gift of speech and eloquent writings inspire to this day, those who yearn for a gentler, kinder world . His inspiration broke the boundaries of intolerance and even national borders, as he became a symbol, recognized worldwide of the quest for civil rights of the citizens of the world.
Mount Vernon Estate
George Washington, commander in chief of American forces in the Revolutionary War and the first president of the United States, called Mount Vernon home for more than 40 years. George Washington and his wife Martha Washington lived at Mount Vernon, which is now the most popular historic estate in America. Situated along the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, Mount Vernon is just 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. Today, guests to Mount Vernon can visit the Mansion, more than a dozen original structures, Washington’s Tomb, and nearly 50 acres of his extensive plantation. The estate also includes a working blacksmith shop and the Pioneer Farm, a 4-acre demonstration farm with a reconstructed slave cabin and 16-sided treading barn. The Ford Orientation Center features an inspiring film, We Fight To Be Free. The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center is home to 25 theaters and galleries, which tell the detailed story of George Washington's life with more than 500 original artifacts, 11 video presentations, and even an immersion theater experience. Just 3 miles down the road from the Mansion, George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill have been reconstructed and are open seasonally. Both fully functioning, Washington's fascinating mill and distillery tell…
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum maintains the world's largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts, encompassing all aspects of human flight, as well as related works of art and archival materials. It operates two landmark facilities that, together, welcome more than eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited museum in the country. It also is home to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. The Museum houses thousands of artifacts showcased in exhibitions on aviation, space exploration, and planetary science. At both of its locations, the Museum presents programs, educational activities, lectures, and performances that reflect the American spirit, and the innovation, courage, and optimism that have led to triumphs in the history, science and technology of flight. At the Museum in Washington, DC, which opened in 1976 and is located in the heart of the Smithsonian complex in Washington, DC, some of the most awe-inspiring icons of flight are on display. The National Air and Space Museum is the largest of 19 museums included in the Smithsonian Institution. The Museum's Director is assisted by three Associate Directors, who oversee Research and Curatorial Affairs; Management and Public Programs; and External Affairs. The …
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. With free admission and open doors 364 days a year, it is the most visited natural history museum in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum on the National Mall was one of the first Smithsonian buildings constructed exclusively to hold the national collections and research facilities. The main building has an overall area of 1,320,000 square feet (123,000 m2) with 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2) of exhibition and public space and houses over 1,000 employees. The museum's collections total over 126 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. With 7.4 million visitors in 2009, it is the most visited of all of the Smithsonian museums that year and is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists — the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of natural and cultural history in the world
Old Stone House
The Old Stone House is the oldest unchanged building in Washington, D.C. The house is also Washington's last Pre-Revolutionary Colonial building on its original foundation. The Old Stone House, built in 1765, was constructed in three phases during the 18th century and is an example of vernacular architecture. During its history, the house was started as a one-story building and gradually became a used car dealership later. After a renovation by the National Park Service in the 1950s, the Old Stone House was turned into a house museum. The Old Stone House stands among the neighborhood's stores and restaurants as an example of local history for tourists, shoppers, and students.
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about jfa
Sports360 Podcast
by Jeff Fannell in Olympics, Pioneers of the Game, Sports, Track & Field 0 comments tags: Herb Douglas, Jesse Owens, Movie, Olympics, Race
INTERVIEW WITH HERB DOUGLAS: OLYMPIAN, BUSINESSMAN, HUMANITARIAN
On February 19, 2016, Focus Features released the motion picture Race, a biographical film about Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Owens was a childhood idol and later a close friend of Herbert P. Douglas, Jr., who, himself is an Olympic medalist and former corporate executive. Born on March 9, 1922 in Pittsburgh, PA, Herb starred in high school in gymnastics, basketball, football and track & field. Later, he attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he captured three AAU and five intercollegiate championships and set a Pitt long jump record that lasted for 23 years. At the 1948 London Olympics, Herb won a bronze medal in the long jump, becoming the first Pittsburgh native to capture an Olympic medal. After graduating from Pitt with a master’s degree in education, Herb began a career in corporate America working first for Pabst Brewing Company, and later Schieffelin & Co., distributors of Hennessy Cognac and Moet & Chandon Champagne. While at Schieffelin, Herb founded the International Amateur Athletic Association, Inc. and created the Jesse Owens International Trophy Award and the Jesse Owens Global Award for Peace in honor of his hero. Recipients of […]
Copyright © 2014 Jeff Fannell. All Rights Reserved.
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Sheri L. Williamson
Experience & Education
Feeding Hummingbirds: The dangers of red dye
Feeding Hummingbirds: Seeing red over dye
The Gilbert, AZ “Mystery Hummingbird”
“Perch Hypothermia”: Is it a threat?
Hummingbird Flower Gallery
Updated from the original published in WildBird magazine (2008).
The sugar water in this feeder is colored with a couple of teaspoons of natural cherry juice concentrate, not synthetic dyes.
Decades ago, when hummingbird feeders were made from plain glass vials or bottles, a little red coloring was often added to the sugar water to attract the birds’ attention. A tradition was born, and though modern commercial feeders are proven attractive without additional color in the contents, to many people a hummingbird feeder just doesn’t look right unless it’s filled with red liquid.
Hummingbird experts have long discouraged the used of colored feeder solutions as unnatural and unnecessary, but there was little more than anecdotal evidence to suggest how synthetic dyes might affect the birds’ health. Now studies on humans, lab animals, and even cell cultures are providing that evidence without turning the hummingbirds themselves into “guinea pigs.”
Some of the recent research into dyes and other food additives was spurred by the concerns of parents who suspected that these chemicals were linked to the increasing incidence of childhood maladies such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), asthma, and allergies. One of the prime suspects was FD&C Red No. 40 (allura red), an azo (coal-tar) dye used in the liquid food coloring found in millions of kitchens as well as in many prepared foods and beverages. In 2007, British researchers at the University of Southampton reported that Red No. 40 was among several popular food colorings that increased hyperactivity and reduced attention span in children when combined with the common food preservative sodium benzoate. These results validated previous studies as well as the experiences of many parents and teachers. Some European manufacturers responded by pledging to eliminate Red No. 40 and other suspect additives from candy, soft drinks, and similar products.
Though less well publicized than the Southampton study, earlier research also casts doubt on the safety of Red No. 40. In 2001 and 2002, researchers in Japan reported that Red No. 40 at doses as low as 10 milligrams of dye per kilogram of body weight induced DNA damage in the colons of mice. DNA damage is the first step in transforming a normal cell into a cancer cell. In a 1983 study, American researchers found that high doses of Red No. 40 administered to adult rats and their offspring resulted in “significantly reduced reproductive success, parental and offspring weight, brain weight, [and] survival” as well as behavioral abnormalities. Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its use over twenty years ago, there is enough uncertainty about the safety of Red No. 40 that it is banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Another food dye under scrutiny is FD&C Red No. 3 (erythrosine), also found in liquid food coloring and often added to feeder solutions. In 1990, the FDA banned certain uses of Red No. 3 in response to a study that found that large doses of this dye cause thyroid tumors in male rats. Subsequent research has identified estrogen-mimicking effects of the dye on human breast cancer cells and linked high doses to reduced sperm production and behavioral changes in lab animals. (Neither Red No. 3 nor Red No. 40 should be confused with the infamous Red No.2, which was banned in the U.S. in 1976.)
What are the implications of this research for hummingbirds and the people who love and feed them? The most alarming aspect of these studies is that many of the harmful effects were dose dependent: The larger the dosage of dye, the greater the effect. A hummingbird the size of a Black-chinned needs to drink about two and a half times its body weight in 4:1 sugar water to meet its daily energy needs. If that sugar water was dyed bright red with Red No. 40, the bird would take in ten times the daily dosage of dye that it took to produce DNA damage in the Japanese studies. A hummingbird coping with cold temperatures or fattening for migration might need to drink twice as much sugar water per day, thereby doubling its dye intake.
The research into Red No. 40 also solves the mystery of why hummingbirds produce urine paler in color than the dyed sugar water they drink. Some of the dye is absorbed and chemically altered by the body, but an unpublished 1970 study found that a significant amount adhered to the intestinal lining of the test subjects. This may explain why the later Japanese study found the dye’s damage concentrated in the cells of the gut wall.
Not surprisingly, concern over the effects of artificial dyes on human health have sparked new interest in natural colorants for foods and beverages. Fruit, vegetable, and flower extracts are seldom as uniform in color or stable under as wide a range of environmental conditions as their synthetic counterparts, but research is underway to resolve some of these issues. Until plant-based food dyes become widely available, dye-free cherry, raspberry, or other fruit juice concentrate makes a safe and simple alternative for coloring hummingbird feeder solutions.
McCann, Donna et al. 2007. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet , Volume 370 , Issue 9598 , 1560 – 1567. [summary]
Tsuda, S., M. Murakami, N. Matsusaka, K. Kano, K. Taniguchi, and Y.F. Sasaki. 2001. DNA Damage induced by red food dyes orally administered to pregnant and male mice. Toxicological Sciences 61:92-99.
Sasaki, Y.F., S. Kawaguchi, A. Kamaya, M. Ohshita, K. Kabasawa, K. Iwama, K. Taniguchi, S. Tsuda. 2002. The comet assay with 8 mouse organs: results with 39 currently used food additives. Mutat Res 519:103-119.
Vorhees, C.V., R.E. Butcher, R.L. Brunner, V. Wootten, and T.J. Sobotka. 1983. Developmental toxicity and psychotoxicity of FD and C red dye No. 40 (allura red AC) in rats. Toxicology 28:207-217.
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives; WHO Food Additives Ser 15: Allura Red AC (1980).
Dees, C., M. Askari, S. Garrett, K. Gehrs, D. Henley, and C.M. Ardies. 1997. Estrogenic and DNA damage: Red No. 3 in human breast cancer cells. Environ Health Perspect 3:625-632.
Abdel Aziz, A.H., S.A. Shouman, A.S. Attia, and S.F. Saad. 1997. A study on the reproductive toxicity of erythrosine in male mice. Pharmacol Res 35:457-62.
Life, BIrds, and Everything Blog
Birders On The Border Blog
Audubon Guides Blog: Sheri and Tom
Mountain Gem Arts
birding birds Broad-tailed conservation hummingbirds identification migration
Fall Befuddlers: Broad-tailed, Rufous/Allen’s, and Calliope
The fall migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
American Birding Podcast interview
Interview on BirdCallsRadio
A cardinal of a different color
All Amazon links on this site benefit the conservation and education programs of the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory.
Sheri L. Williamson | Powered by Mantra & WordPress.
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Posts Tagged ‘John Morton’
The First Tax Lawyers
Posted in General, On This Day on August 17th, 2009 by Eugene Finerman – Be the first to comment
Upon ascending the throne, handsome young Henry VIII knew how to ingratiate himself with his subjects. On this day in 1510 he executed his father’s two most unpopular ministers
Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson had been geniuses at collecting taxes, to the delight of Henry VII. The first Tudor was stingy by nature, perhaps the consequence of his early life as a penniless adventurer–the dubious and none-too-legitimate claimant to the English throne. But like everything else in the wily Welshman, even the vices of Henry VII were prudent.
The purpose of his tax policy was to drain the nobility into a passive stupor. The taxes were never onerous enough to incite a revolt, just heavy enough so that the aristocracy could no longer afford their own militia. Toward that end, Henry VII surrounded himself with a group of mercenaries who were as bellicose and ruthless as the nobility but also viciously intelligent: lawyers. Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson were part of this English Inquisition.
The King’s policy was expressed by the Lord Chancellor, John Morton: “If the subject is seen to live frugally, tell him because he is clearly a money saver of great ability he can afford to give generously to the King. If, however, the subject lives a life of great extravagance, tell him he, too, can afford to give largely, the proof of his opulence being evident in his expenditure.” In other words, damned (taxed) if you do, damned (taxed) if you don’t.
Morton died of natural causes in 1500, avoiding Henry VIII’s idea of a retirement. Empson and Dudley obviously did not have such a good sense of timing. They were beheaded, which Henry VIII considered a generous departure. Empson was irrefutably middle-class and could have been hanged, drawn and quartered. Dudley was of minor nobility but just the younger son of a younger son of a baron, so he barely qualified for the privilege of decapitation.
Of course, their estates were confiscated–and Dudley had somehow amassed a considerable one. In 1513, the handsome, young but increasingly mercurial Henry VIII decided to restore the estates to the widows. The Empson family felt itself lucky to regain its property and has since avoided the notice of history. The Dudleys, however, evidently like the politics and the prominence, attaining both dukedoms and executions for their efforts. John Dudley, the son of Edmund, ingratiated, intrigued and actually deserved power. A capable soldier and excellent administrator, he successfully manuevered himself to become the regent of Edward VI–ruling the country (very well!) in the name of the boy king. When Edward died, the scheming Dudley was loathe to relinquish power and so attempted to foist his daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey on the throne. That didn’t end well. This time, his right to decapitation was never in doubt–and no one thought him innocent.
By the third generation, the Dudley ability had completely dissipated although the ambition had not. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, thought himself both a statesman and a general, proving himself a man of expansive ineptitude. Henry VII would never have trusted him with a tollbooth, Henry VIII would have killed the blundering dolt, but Elizabeth thought him charming. So he died of natural causes–unlike his clever grandfather and his conniving father.
Ironically, Robert Dudley was exactly the kind of upper-class fool that Edmund Dudley would have exploited.
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Posts Tagged ‘Sforza’
On This Day in 1503
Posted in General, On This Day on November 23rd, 2010 by Eugene Finerman – 2 Comments
November 23rd
If you were reading the death notices in 1503, you would have been intrigued by Bona of Savoy’s obituary: she was almost Queen of England and sorta Duchess of Milan. Perhaps Bona (1449-1503) was born to be an underachiever and runner-up. She did have the abysmal timing to be a younger child in the Ducal House of Savoy. The older siblings got the properties and the better marriages. For instance, her older sister Charlotte was married to the King of France. True, he was old (20 years Charlotte’s senior), creepy and cheap; but he still had a status job. (He was also a superb king, but that would be of interest only to his subjects and historians.)
But then Prince Charming–or at least his ambassador–promised to rescue Bona. In 1464 the precariously throned Edward IV of England needed a wife, preferably one who could include a powerful ally in her dowry. The French had been lending support to Edward’s Lancastrian rivals, but a marriage to Bona might alter the Gallic bias. Edward’s chief advisors were encouraging the match, especially the Earl of Warwick. In fact, Warwick was in Paris to negotiate the marriage. Bona should have been enthusiastic about the prospective union. She would not only get a throne but a chance to finally outdo Charlotte. King Edward was young and said to be the most handsome man in England. Warwick, Bona and the French Court thought they had reached an agreement when some contradictory news arrived from London. The most handsome man in England had just married the most beautiful woman in England. Edward had affronted Bona, sabotaged a French alliance and betrayed the Earl of Warwick–and all for a penniless widow with a large, ravenous family.
France would continue to support the Lancastrians, and the Earl of Warrick was about to change sides. The next round in the Wars of the Roses was ready to begin.
However, our concern is Bona. Whether as compensation for the aggrieved or banishment of an embarrassment, the French Court now eagerly sought some acceptable marriage for her. The ruling family in Milan was receptive; the Sforza welcomed any class and legitimacy they could get. Francesco Sforza, a successful mercenary commander, had taken control of Lombardy in 1447. While his power could not be disputed, he was not acknowledged as the rightful Duke of Milan. (Of course, people addressed him as Duke to his face; if Al Capone demanded to be called Mayor of Chicago, would you have argued with him?) Francisco was illegitimate as was his wife; so the status-craving Sforza were eager to have an aristocrat–with royal connections–for a daughter-in-law.
Nonetheless, the negotiations took four years; the Sforza knew how to bargain. But in 1468 Bona became the wife of Galeazzo Sforza. He succeeded his father as the self-proclaimed Duke of Milan and showed himself to be a patron of art and torture. His assassination in 1476 may have been a surprise only to him. Galeazzo’s body was treated as a pinata, but the Sforza family was still in control. (They apparently did not miss him, either.) During the marriage, Bona had produced the prerequisite son, and the 7 year-old was now the sorta Duke of Milan. Bona was supposed to be Regent, but her brother-in-law Ludovico Sforza really was not one for formalities. After a short civil war, Bona was exiled and Uncle Ludovico established himself as regent for his nephew.
Would you be surprised that Uncle Ludovico outlived his nephew? Actually, to Uncle Lud’s credit, the young “Duke” lived for 18 years in comfortable confinement; those comforts included considerable latitude because the young man apparently died of syphilis in 1494.
As for Bona, she was a has-been at 31. Since she did not possess a conspiratorial nature, she was never involve in any political intrigues and so she also never had to hire a foodtaster. In the remaining two decades of her life, she was content to be a patron of the arts. And today’s museums would indicate that she had good taste.
p.s. What happened to the most beautiful woman in England? Her name was Elizabeth Woodville–England’s first queen Elizabeth–and in 1483 she found herself in a similar plight to Bona’s. Edward IV had died, leaving a young son as his heir and a fight-to-the-death over who would be the regent. Elizabeth also had a hostile brother-in-law; and her sons would not live long enough to get syphilis.
Posted in General, On This Day on November 24th, 2008 by Eugene Finerman – Be the first to comment
If you were reading the death notices from 505 years ago, you would have been intrigued by Bona of Savoy’s obituary: she was almost Queen of England and sorta Duchess of Milan. Perhaps Bona (1449-1503) was born to be an underachiever and runner-up. She did have the abysmal timing to be a younger child in the Ducal House of Savoy. The older siblings got the properties and the better marriages. For instance, her older sister Charlotte was married to the King of France. True, he was old (20 years Charlotte’s senior), creepy and cheap; but he still had a status job. (He was also a superb king, but that would be of interest only to his subjects and historians.)
Nonetheless, the negotiations took four years; the Sforza knew how to bargain. But in 1468 Bona became the wife of Galeazzo Sforza. He succeeded his father as the self-proclaimed Duke of Milan and showed himself to be a patron of art and torture. His assassination in 1476 may have only been a surprise to him. Galeazzo’s body was treated as a pinata, but the Sforza family was still in control. (They apparently did not miss him, either.) During the marriage, Bona had produced the prerequisite son, and the 7 year-old was now the sorta Duke of Milan. Bona was supposed to be Regent, but her brother-in-law Ludovico Sforza really was not one for formalities. After a short civil war, Bona was exiled and Uncle Ludovico established himself as regent for his nephew.
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gravesend grammar school staff
We became an Academy on 1st August 2011 as part of … Site developed by MuchMore. The Duke of York's Royal Military School confirmed on Wednesday, November 19, that it had a number of cases.The school … Our School Tutors Programme is available for this school and nationally. View the SchoolDash Insights profile for this school (subscribers only ) Profile . Inspection report: Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, 11–12 June 2013 3 of 9 Full report Information about this school This is an average-size secondary school with 256 students in the sixth form. Staff and Pupils. Numbers of Teachers / Assistants*: 57.9 / 6. In February 2012 MGSG converted to Academy Status. Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend. Gravesend Grammar School is a selective secondary academy based in Gravesend, Kent, for boys aged 11-18 with girls admitted to the Sixth Form. January 2019 The Decus Educational Trust. Gravesend Grammar School was opened by Princess Beatrice of Battenberg, youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, on 19 July 1893 with due pomp and ceremony. The school is part of a multi academy trust, the Gravesend Grammar School Trust, and is federated with a local primary school called Whitehill Primary School. Email us, Branding and Photography: Russel Spinks School Marketing 2.1.6 The school is committed to emphasising the common elements and values of our multiple culture rather than highlighting conflicting areas. Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary School, ... St Helen's Church of England Primary School, ... 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Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend Kent Gravesend, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago Be among the first 25 applicants. Numbers of Teachers / Assistants*: 68.2 / 10.3. Information About The School Gravesend Grammar School is an 11-18 selective boys grammar school with girls admitted to the Sixth Form. You can also see how it compares against other schools across England. The replacement building, erected between 1931 and 1938 and officially opened on 12 October 1938, is still in use. Gravesend Grammar School is committed to equality of opportunity and values a diverse workforce. In Here Gravesend Grammar School, Church Walk, Gravesend, DA12 2PR, is put into focus to show its scores in relation to other schools in the area. There are circa 1137 students on roll, 231 of whom are in the Sixth Form. October 15 Gravesend Grammar School Academies Trust GRAVESEND GRAMMAR SCHOOL ACADEMIES TRUST Equalities Monitoring Form Whitehill Primary School is committed to equality of opportunity and values a diverse workforce. March ‘17 Gravesend Grammar School Academies Trust We’ll get you noticed. Gravesend Grammar School is closed for face to face learning for all pupils with the exception of children of Critical Workers and Vulnerable students. Introduction . Fax: 01474 331894 Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend is a selective girls’ school with boys in the sixth form which is situated in the town of Gravesend. Number of … Headteacher: Mr Malcolm Moaby (since November 2018 – came from Whitehill Primary School) Previous Headteacher: Geoff Wybar. Information about Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, located in Kent. 01622 859259, Gravesend Grammar School © 2014 all rights reserved, School Reports (Profiles) and Grade Card Dates, Revision Classes and Extracurricular Activities. CREX, Drama, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Maths, Psychology, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor, Maths, Computing, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Ancient History, EPQ, History, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Engineering, Geography, PSHE, Year 11 Form Tutor, Art, CREX, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Science, PSHE, Year 8 Form Tutor, Physical Education, PSHE, Year 8 Form Tutor, Physical Education, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Science, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, English, PSHE, Year 8 Form Tutor, Geography, Politics and Philosophy, PSHE, Year 9 Form Tutor, Languages, Support Staff, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Science, EPQ, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Business, Economics, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, History, Year 8 Form Tutor, Maths, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Science, PSHE, Year 9 Form Tutor. These shorts have been made to manage heat and moisture so you can attack training. Use the Menu on the left to view pages within this section. Highsted Grammar School in Sittingbourne. Sedley's Church of England Voluntary Aided Pr... Langafel Church of England Voluntary Controll... St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School. School/College (please include name and address) Dates The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children . The original building is currently used as an adult education centre. Gravesend Grammar School. Headteacher. Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend is working with KMT to train people to teach a wide range of subjects on the School Direct Route and the core PGCE. ... Staff and Pupils. The school selects from the top 25% of girls. Welcome to Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend Achievement in all subjects is exceptionally high - Ofsted 2013 Nov ’11 An Academy in The Gravesend Grammar School Trust. Then please send us feedback, View the SchoolDash Insights profile for this school, St John's Catholic Primary School, Gravesend, Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, North West Kent Alternative Provision Service, St Botolph's Church of England Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Northfleet. THE DECUS EDUCATIONAL TRUST. Got a comment or correction? The school is a larger than average selective school for boys aged 11−18. The Admission number for students joining Gravesend Grammar for the first time at age 16+ (or into Year 12) is 30. The school was originally based in Darnley Road, Gravesend and later moved to the site of Milton Hall, the former home of Mayor G. M. Arnold JP, one of the school's founders. Curriculum Leaders. Contact Details. You can also see how it compares against other schools across England. The most recent Ofsted Inspection (June 2015) judged the School as ‘Outstanding’. Get instant job matches for companies hiring now for School jobs in Gravesend like Teaching, Teaching Assistance, Training and more. Senior Leadership, Geography, Physical Education, PSHE, Science, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor, Science, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Business, Economics, Food Tech, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Business, Economics, PSHE, Year 9 Form Tutor, Maths, PSHE, Year 9 Form Tutor, English, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor, English, EPQ, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor, Geography, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Languages, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Business, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor, Maths, PSHE, Year 11 Form Tutor, History, PSHE, Year 11 Form Tutor, Computing, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Politics and Philosophy, PSHE, RE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Physical Education, PSHE, Year 11 Form Tutor, CREX, Music, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Art, CREX, PSHE, Year 8 Form Tutor, History, PSHE, Year 7 Form Tutor, Computing, Politics, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Ancient History, Politics, Politics and Philosophy, PSHE, RE, Sixth Form Tutor, Science, PSHE, Year 11 Form Tutor, EPQ, History, PSHE, Sixth Form Tutor, Design, Engineering, Support Staff, Year 9 Form Tutor, English, Drama, PSHE, Year 8 Form Tutor, Tel: 01474 331893 In order to ensure equality of opportunity, as well as complying with our statutory obligations, we monitor many of our activities, particularly around recruitment, training and development. Non-teaching Staff*: 21.2. Picture: Google. All staff are required to undertake an enhanced DBS check (formerly CRB). The school has Specialist Science and Languages College status. Gravesend Grammar School – Staff Fortis Smock £ 24.50 Gravesend Grammar School – Staff Pro Skinny Pants £ 22.50 Gravesend Grammar School – Staff Core Microfibre Tracksuit Pant Alison Moaby Teacher of Maths, Teacher of Psychology. Gravesend Grammar School is a selective grammar school for boys aged 11-18. Malcolm Moaby. Mayfield Grammar School (formerly Gravesend Grammar School for Girls) is a grammar school with academy status, located off Old Road West (B261) in Gravesend, Kent, England.The school accepts girls at age 11 by examination and both girls and boys at age 16, based on their GCSE results. The school is a larger than average selective school for boys aged 11−18. KMT Recruitment. Boys considered suited to grammar school following this process are eligible for a place at the School (“Eligible hildren”). Check their latest performance tables, staff and pupil statistics, test results, teacher assessments, financial accounts and reviews. Non-teaching Staff… moabya@gravesendgrammar.com Data is available on pupils' attainment, average grades, the quality of the teaching and when the school was last inspected. Data is available on pupils' attainment, average grades, the quality of the teaching and when the school was last inspected. Remote learning will take place for all students. The school is part of a multi academy trust, the Gravesend Grammar School Trust, and is federated with a local primary school called Whitehill Primary School. ... Further details and an application form are available from the Staff Vacancies section of the school website WHITEHILL ... in order to make required statutory returns and to ensure that all staff are treated solely on the grounds of ability and merit. 115 School jobs in Gravesend on totaljobs. Apply on company website Save. Gravesend Grammar School is a selective grammar school with academy status located in Gravesend, Kent, England.The school accepts boys at age 11 by examination accepting a cohort of the top 15-20% and boys and girls at 16, based on their GCSE results. These establishments are linked with Gravesend Grammar School, URN: 137099. Headteacher: Elaine Wilson. For example, they may be predecessor or successor establishments. It is a non-denominational school. Branding and Photography: Russel Spinks School Marketing 01622 859259. Over the years the School has grown but it remains small enough for staff to know the boys well and for parents to recognise the value this brings in terms of the relationships that are developed. Gravesend Grammar School is an 11 - 18 selective boys Grammar School, with a mixed Sixth form. Girls are accepted into the sixth form from 16+. Values and vision Girls may join the sixth form from local schools and a small number, around 40, join each year. Save job. Gravesend Grammar School (”the School”) will seek to admit 210 boys in September 2021 using the Kent Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Schools (PESE) Age 11 Assessment Process. Girls may join the sixth form from local schools and a small number, around 40, join each year. These breathable shorts will keep the wearer cool and dry as the workout gets harder and higher in intensity. Maths, Psychology, PSHE, Year 10 Form Tutor . In order to ensure equality of opportunity, as well as complying with our statutory obligations, we Sponsor: Gravesend Grammar School. Address: Pelham Road. To contact curriculum leaders please telephone the school office who will be able to assist you. Picture: Google. Based in Kent, Gravesend Grammar School was founded in 1893 and in 2011 became an academy. Here Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, Pelham Road, Gravesend, DA11 0JE, is put into focus to show its scores in relation to other schools in the area. One anonymous teacher told KentOnline: "The head is insisting all staff travel to the school to … Altho… Showing 1 - 1 of 1 2.2 Staff Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend is committed to ensuring that the recruitment, selection, training and promotion of staff … Gravesend. The Decus Educational Trust. And when the School as ‘ Outstanding ’ 10 form Tutor of whom are in the sixth.! Performance tables, staff and pupil statistics, test results, Teacher of Maths Teacher... 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Sonic The Hedgehog Elected Into World Video Game Hall Of Fame
Steve Tyminski
Steve Tyminski lives in the great state of New Jersey and is a huge sports fan, especially the Devils/Mets/Jets. He went to college for Criminal Justice and History and has journalism experience. Been a Nintendo Guy for a long as he can remember and grew up with the Mario Brothers. His sense of humor comes out in his writing. Twitter-Follow at https://twitter.com/TumsST
Published May 5, 2016 1:16 PM
Iconic Blue Blur Garners Most Online Votes From Public During Milestone 25th Anniversary Year
Sonic the Hedgehog has sprinted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The iconic character, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary, was inducted into the renowned The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York today taking his place among other gaming icons including Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. Sonic was selected by a committee of journalists and scholars from a field of 15 finalists that also included - Elite, Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto III, John Madden Football, The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, Nürburgring, The Oregon Trail, Pokémon Red and Green, Sid Meier’s Civilization, The Sims, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, and Tomb Raider. The character received the most votes from the public in online polling of nominees with 32 percent of the vote. The World Video Game Hall of Fame celebrates electronic games that meet the following criteria: icon-status, longevity, geographical reach and influence.
Created in 1991 by SEGA, Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time with upwards of 350 million units sold or downloaded across multiple platforms, a top-rated animated television series entitled Sonic Boom, and an upcoming film in development.
The induction into the World Video Game Hall of Fame comes during the landmark 25th anniversary of the long-running franchise. To further honor this milestone year, SEGA will release Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice this fall and give fans the ultimate celebration during an exclusive Sonic fan event at San Diego Comic Con that will feature live performances and limited edition merchandise. A range of anniversary products will also be available at retail led by master toy partner TOMY among others.
“Everyone at SEGA is extremely grateful to both the Strong Museum as well as all the fans who voted for their favorite hedgehog,” said Ivo Gerscovich, Chief Brand Officer & SVP of SEGA of America. “This is a fantastic capstone to a milestone anniversary year and only the beginning of some great things to come for Sonic.”
World Video Game Hall Of Fame
Ivo Gerscovich
Team Sonic Racing Review
Faster than the speed of sound!
Published July 25, 2019 1:53 PM , by
Hands On At Pax East 2019: Mega Cat Studios
Retro to the max!
Published April 10, 2019 3:45 PM , by
Pac-Man And Sonic Unite For The First Time On Mobile Platforms
Pac-Man heads to Sonic Dash and Sonic jumps to Pac-Man. What crazy world is this?
Published February 21, 2018 4:46 PM , by
Gunstar Heroes Joins Sega Forever Collection
Joins the Sega Forever collection.
Published December 20, 2017 6:21 PM , by
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Wooden Overcoats (Podcast)
Georgie Crusoe & Antigone Funn
Georgie Crusoe/Jennifer Delacroix
Eric Chapman/Antigone Funn
Mayor Desmond Desmond/Reverend Nigel Wavering
Antigone Funn
Georgie Crusoe
Jennifer Delacroix
Rudyard Funn
Madeleine (Wooden Overcoats)
Village Hoodlums (Baz Roz and Wez)
Reverend Nigel Wavering
Mayor Desmond Desmond
Bill (Wooden Overcoats)
Tanya (Wooden Overcoats)
tags updated as i go
Getting Together
antigone can sing first soprano let me LIVE
Canon Compliant through Season 3
Phantom of the Opera - Freeform
Antigone in the Spotlight (Again): Phantom Overcoats
Cricket_Writes
The Piffling Amateur Dramatics Society's fall production is starting rehearsals, with Georgie Crusoe at the helm. Will Antigone be able to handle the role? And her feelings? And will Miss Scruple play the right notes on the organ?
All this and more, waiting behind the curtain...
For nevermor3.
this is super indulgent and also I'm so glad I wrote it, finally
it only took me like a year after nevermor3 and I originally talked about it XD
Chapter 1: Act I: August
Chapter Text
Scene I: Overture
“Georgie,” Antigone hissed, “You tricked me!” They were in the first row of the theatre, a place Antigone had sworn she would never set foot in again.
“No, I didn’t.” Georgie was smug, “I promised you would like it, and ya will. We just have to wait for everyone else to get here.” A few minutes passed and people started finding their way into the theatre, first the mayor and the reverend, then Agatha Doyle, then the village hoodlums… Antigone waved at them and they greeted her enthusiastically. They chatted for a few minutes before something she said triggered a chorus of, “Discuss!” and they were drawn into their own little world.
While Antigone had been distracted, several more people had come in including Rudyard, Antigone noticed with some surprise, and—
“May I sit here?” Eric Chapman gestured at the seat next to Antigone, a soft smile playing on his lips. Antigone nodded, looking down shyly.
On her other side, Georgie huffed, rolling her eyes, but it was more out of habit than any real malice. “Told ya you’d like it.”
“Shut up.” Antigone tried to keep her smile to herself, and then Eric asked her about her latest scented embalming fluids. They talked while more people trickled into the theatre. It looked like a lot of the Piffling Amateur Dramatics Society regulars, as well as some people Antigone was sure had never been in a production before.
Then Georgie got up on stage and clapped her hands. “Alright, everybody. I’m gonna be directing the next production the Dramatics Society is doing. We’re gonna be going up in October, so we’re doing Phantom of the Opera.” There was a murmur of excitement around the theater, then Herbert Cough got up and began walking out.
“Hey, where you goin’?” Georgie called out from the stage.
Herbert kept walking, but he answered, “I won’t do anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Not after Jesus Christ Superstar. Never again!” With that, he shut the door behind him.
There was an awkward beat of silence and then Georgie went on, “Alright then. We’ll work around that. Now, if everyone else is up for doing Phantom of the Opera and rehearsing three nights a week until October, when we’ll pick it up a little bit, let’s get goin’.”
Everyone nodded or shouted their agreement, and Georgie grinned. “Cal, if you would?” Calliope nodded and began walking around with a stack of papers and booklets, while Georgie continued. “Cal’s passin’ out the schedules and your librettos, please keep track of ‘em. I’ve assigned everyone roles, you’ll notice that some of the leads have more rehearsals, and some are just for the ensemble. It should be easy to read but if you have questions, ask me. So. Just so you all know, we’ll have live music, which should be really excitin’. Rudyard Funn will be directing, Miss Scruple agreed to play the organ for us, and Calliope and the bassoon patrol and the other scouts will be playin’ other instruments and extra percussion as they see fit. We’re not doin’ too much with the orchestra until October, but we’re all here for this first meeting.”
Antigone glanced around, and sure enough, a few rows back was Rudyard, smiling smugly and listening to something Madeleine was squeaking at him.
Georgie went on, “Jennifer is stage managin’ for us, and she’s got great ideas for set and props, so look forward to that. The Dramatics Society has costumes and things for us, but if you have something you want for your character or that you think would work for someone else, let Jennifer know. Now, I’m sure you’re all dyin’ to know, so I’ll tell you what’s been decided for the cast. We’re doing a real minimal, stripped down show with a small ensemble, and they’re gonna be played by the village hoodlums. Roz, Wez, Baz, you good for that?”
“Yeah, it’ll be a really great chance to explore the shiftin’ nature of humanity as we play all our parts.” Wez said, and the other two nodded in agreement.
“Great.” Georgie grinned, “Mayor, Reverend, I want you to play Andre and Firmin.”
The Mayor’s reedy voice cut over the crowd, “I’m usually very busy, Georgie.”
“Mayor, I’m in charge of your schedule. I promise you won’t be overburdened. And you two have almost all your scenes together, so you can practice.”
“That’s alright then,” Reverend Wavering said, “Unless it isn’t, Dezy?”
“No, it’s fine with me, Nigel.”
“Great. Petunia, you’ll be Meg, and Agatha, Madame Giry. You’re dependable for the Dramatics Society, so I know you can pull this off. We have some newcomers too. Tanya and Bill, I need you as Carlotta and Piangi. And Roger, can you play Raoul? I know it’s bigger than what we had discussed originally, but I think you can do it—it’ll really give you a chance to stand out.” All the people named agreed.
“Antigone, you’ll be Christine, and Eric, you’ll be the Phantom!”
A sudden feeling of dread swept over Antigone.
“Oh perfect!” Eric enthused from the seat next to her, “You know, I actually played the Phantom of the Opera for a few weeks on Broadway,” he paused dramatically—
“A long time ago, yes, we know, Eric.” Georgie interrupted, then turned her attention on Antigone, sitting stock still in the front row of seats. “What do ya say, Antigone? Christine?”
Antigone sputtered, nerves taking over—she didn’t have good experiences with the stage, from that long ago talent show to The Sun Beyond the Shade, and Georgie knew this, the traitor. “Oh, well, I’m not sure if I…”
“Yeah you can,” Georgie’s tone was soft, but full of her usual confidence, “ I know you can. You’ll be great.”
Antigone huffed, “Well, alright, but if it goes wrong I’m never leaving the mortuary again.”
“Yeah!” Georgie punched the air. “So today, we’re gonna jump in with a full cast readthrough, and I’ll be playin’ the original West End cast soundtrack in place of the songs. Orchestra, follow along in your scores and pay attention to what you want to play. It’ll be kind of a long day, but we can make it through.” She sat down on the edge of the stage, swinging her legs back and forth. She pressed play on a speaker sitting next to her and the dramatic pipe organ of the intro filled the stage as everyone flipped open their librettos to follow along.
Scene II: Think of Me
Antigone really, really regretted the fact that Georgie had ever heard her sing. Yes, technically she had the range to sing this part, but that didn’t mean she was going to survive singing it, and acting it, opposite Eric Chapman! Not that he was at rehearsal today, thank everything that was holy. No, today it was just her and Roger Noggins. Antigone liked Roger, she did, they’d had such a good time putting his funeral on, but acting together…
“Alright, Antigone,” Georgie said, “I need a little more from you in this scene. Really channel Christine’s excitement and disbelief, yeah? She can’t believe her old childhood friend is back and so handsome now.”
“I, well, right…” Antigone tried to agree, but she felt so stiff. And Roger was too. Georgie was saying something to him now, but Antigone wasn’t really listening, staring at the theater seats distractedly. To be in love with Roger Noggins (Antigone had a sudden terrible flashback of Marlene Magdalena on her knees in front of her) was beyond—no, she wasn’t in love with Roger, Christine was in love with Raoul. Or at least infatuated. Antigone could do this.
At least Georgie had said they didn't have to actually kiss until tech rehearsals, the week before they opened. But then they would have to kiss. Antigone tried not to think about the kissing, because doing that with Roger wasn't particularly appealing, and the idea of doing that with Eric was simply too much.
(She tried not to think about it, but she thought about it all the time. What would it be like to kiss Eric? How would he hold her?)
But right now she was focusing. Georgie gestured, and Antigone sat back in the chair that was standing in for Christine's dressing room seat. Many of their scenes together were here, the initial meeting and the second act planning, and for the rooftop scenes they just took the chair away. Georgie had explained her concept for the sets, based on the limited experience and resources of Piffling Vale, and Antigone thought it really sounded quite nice.
Georgie started the rehearsal track and Roger mimed letting himself into the room and then began to sing, “Little Lotte let her mind wander…” He was still focused on his libretto, but they hadn't been rehearsing that long. Antigone still leaned heavily on hers as well. And Georgie had told the cast she expected them to be off book the third week of September, so Antigone wasn't too worried about it… yet.
They spent a few hours working on their scenes together, with Georgie running the rehearsal tracks and reading lines when another character was in the scene. Georgie was surprisingly competent as a director, and actually quite knowledgeable about music and how they could sing successfully. A good portion of their time was spent rehearsing their songs, as well. Antigone hadn't expected Georgie to know so much, but then she had said, “I'm great at directin’ musicals, Antigone,” and she wondered why she had ever doubted. Georgie was great at so many things, why not this as well?
Georgie declared that they would run “All I Ask of You” one more time and then they could call it a night. Antigone listened as Roger began singing, his voice warm and clear as he started the song. When Antigone came in, she let herself get swept up in the melody. “Say you'll love me every waking moment, turn my head with thoughts of summertime…” The music really was lovely, and Antigone enjoyed singing it, although it was hard to even pretend she had these feelings for Roger. At least Eric wasn't here to see her pretending to be in love with someone else—no, wait—oh god, what was it about the theatre that always made her honestly consider her feelings?
Antigone stared at her libretto, trying to banish that train of thought. This was a tremendous feat, especially considering that the lyrics of the song were so saccharine sweet. She shuddered, but she would make it through this.
Georgie ended rehearsal, telling them both how well they had done, and that she looked forward to seeing them at the full cast rehearsal in two days. Roger clapped Antigone amiably on the shoulder as he set off, and she mirrored his pleasant words in a daze.
Jennifer Delacroix appeared from backstage, and Georgie lit up upon seeing her. Jennifer started gesturing to notes on her clipboard, and Antigone slipped out the door without either of them noticing her departure. They were sweet together, Georgie and Jennifer—always seeking each other out, leaning into each other.
Antigone breathed in the cool night air, and couldn't help wondering if she'd ever find someone like that.
Scene III: Angel of Music
“Petunia, Antigone, I need to believe that you are friends.” Georgie sounded somewhat exasperated, and Antigone couldn’t really blame her… but Antigone had never really had friends, she didn’t know how to have friends, so the relationship between Christine and Meg was a little beyond her. Yes, she counted Georgie as a friend, but their relationship wasn’t like Meg and Christine at all.
It wasn’t helping Antigone at all that Petunia Bloom didn’t have the soft and comforting energy that was usually ascribed to Meg Giry. It was an interesting tone, but it worked—just not for Antigone. Agatha Doyle, as Madame Giry, was a surprisingly intimidating ballet mistress, and they were working on the scene in which Meg tells Madame Giry and the theatre owners that Christine could sing Carlotta’s part. Tanya’s tantrum as Carlotta had gone admirably, and the Mayor and the Reverend were doing quite well as the owners, but somehow it didn’t seem that Petunia as Meg believed that Antigone as Christine could in fact perform the role, and it was hard to believe that Antigone as Christine wanted Petunia as Meg to vouch for her.
It was, in a word, awkward.
Georgie signalled them to start the scene again, and the hoodlums, Bill, and Tanya, along with Petunia and Antigone, got in place for the Hannibal number. They ran through the scene, past “Think of Me” and into “Angel of Music”, the duet between Meg and Christine. Petunia was at least committed to her role, and Antigone did her best as well, but she could see Georgie’s lips pressed together in a disapproving line, like she was thinking, “Yeah. They’ll have to work on that…” Jennifer sat next to her, rubbing her shoulder consolingly. But she didn’t stop them, and they made it through “Little Lotte”, stopping for a break just before the Phantom’s entrance, like they had planned.
Agatha and Petunia began chatting, and Jennifer was once again showing Georgie notes on her clipboard, probably something about the set. Antigone looked around for a moment before taking a seat in the audience, in a half-shadowed corner. The house lights were off, so it was nice. To be believable friends with Petunia… Antigone heaved a sigh.
“Mind if I join you?” The question broke into her reverie. Antigone looked up to see Eric Chapman standing at the end of her row and she waved a hand vaguely along the seats. Eric grinned, quick as a flash, and then sat down one seat away from Antigone, leaning on the armrest and over the empty seat between them. He was close, but not in an overwhelming way.
“You’re doing a fantastic job, you know,” he said. “I had no idea you could sing like that!”
Antigone willed herself not to blush, and only stuttered a little. “Oh, I’m, um. Thank you. I don’t sing often… but it’s hard to say no to Georgie.”
“She’s very persuasive,” Eric agreed. “But she’s put together a great show, I think. Although the orchestra…”
A flash of familial loyalty burned in Antigone’s chest. “The orchestra is going to be fantastic. My brother can do music, and the scouts are great, and Miss Scruple is excellent.”
Eric grinned again. “Whoa, okay, okay, I mean no harm.” He didn’t seem annoyed though, almost kind of… thrilled? Antigone wasn’t sure why he was smiling like that. “I just, I guess I didn’t know about your brother’s abilities, and Miss Scruple can be rather distracted. You’re right though, the scouts are great.”
Antigone nodded, glancing down at her hands where she was fiddling with her skirt. “Rudyard will surprise people, I think. It’s not a big island, but I’m not sure many know that he’s as competent as he is.” She met Eric’s gaze again, lips twisting sarcastically, “Especially with how some of our funerals have gone.”
He barked a laugh, almost as if she’d startled it out of him, and then, “Still,” he dragged the word out, “I’m sure everyone will be just as surprised and delighted by you.”
“Oh god, stop saying that.”
Unapologetic sunshine beamed back at her, “Why should I, when it’s true?” Eric glanced up at the stage, then stood up, saying, “Ah, it looks like Georgie is calling me, and break’s about done. Thanks for chatting with me, Antigone.” He touched her shoulder quickly, gently as he left, and Antigone found herself staring after him as he went. Ohhhh, why why why did Eric Chapman have to be so damn charming?
Soon enough, Georgie was calling the cast back together to rehearse the end of the first act, from “Magical Lasso” all the way through the Phantom’s reprise of “All I Ask of You”. They had skipped all of the Phantom and Christine’s scenes together, because while Eric and Antigone had both been working on their parts, and they’d had a few rehearsals together, Georgie didn’t feel like they were quite solid enough to put them in front of the rest of the cast yet. Antigone had been a little bothered to skip the scenes, but after the way Eric had just been acting, she found herself rather glad she wouldn’t have to listen to him sing “Music of the Night”, especially not if he was going to be looking at her like… like that, the whole time.
Chapter 2: Act II: September
when I tell you that keeping actors vs characters all in a row is a problem
like, when you're in a show, it's very much a thing that everyone refers to each other halfsies as their irl name and their character name. being in that mindset while also writing this fic has been a time
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Scene I: The Music of the Night
Georgie was concerned they weren’t connecting enough. “No one is going to believe that she’s under your spell, Eric. They’ve really got to feel like you’ve… ensorcelled her, and right now you don’t look like you want to be here, much less have her be here.” Eric nodded intently, scrawling notes in the margins of his libretto.
Antigone bent her libretto back and forth restlessly. If Eric was doing poorly, she could only imagine what Georgie would have to say to her.
“Antigone…” Georgie paused in that way that meant Antigone wouldn’t like what she was about to say. “You need to let go. Starting way back from when he appears in the mirror, he’s cast a spell on you. You’re enchanted and totally, totally trustin’. You just gotta relax.”
Antigone laughed quickly, slightly hysterical. “Right, of course, of course.” Let go, around Eric. Be totally trusting, of Eric. Ohhh, she could do this.
“Now,” Georgie said, “You two have been working hard today. Let’s start again at the mirror, and I’ll read Raoul’s lines, and we’ll go all the way through until “Stranger Than You Dreamt It”. I really want to see you two leaning into each other. Eric, the only thing that matters to you is that Christine comes, that she wants to be with you like you want to be with her. Antigone, this is your angel—you’re grateful, and you trust him, so of course you’ll go. Let’s have a go, shall we? And Antigone, Eric, let’s try it without the librettos this time. I know you’re both memorised.”
Antigone clutched the booklet to her chest, “Georgie, no, I can’t. I don’t, I’m not—” She cut off, staring at Georgie desperately.
“Fine, go ahead and keep it, it’s early anyway.” Georgie said to Antigone, then raised an eyebrow at Eric, who was setting his libretto down.
“I’ll be fine,” he smiled pleasantly, “At least for this scene.”
Georgie took her seat in the first row, starting the rehearsal track for the mirror scene. Antigone took a deep breath and tried to settle into the right demeanor as Eric began singing, berating (the currently absent) Raoul for trying to steal his triumph. Antigone responded, pleading with the Phantom to stay and guide her. As she let herself feel the music, she let herself trust the Phantom as well, and she went willingly through the mirror with him. Somewhere in the middle of “The Phantom of the Opera”, Antigone got rid of her libretto and allowed herself to really enjoy the music, and Eric the Phantom leading her by the hand down into his lair. Even though she had immersed herself in the scene, fainting from shock when she saw the mannequin wearing the wedding dress still felt incredibly awkward. It did every time, but Georgie had never said anything, so Antigone just had to assume it was alright.
In any case, it was nice to just ‘sleep’ and listen to Eric sing “The Music of the Night”—he had a lovely voice, and the song was so grand. When she ‘awoke’, she drifted as if in a daze until she saw the Phantom and tore his mask off. Antigone didn't like this scene—Eric shouted at her, and it was so jarring. But then, their first few rehearsals together, he hadn't sounded convincingly upset at all, and Georgie had really given him the what-for. Still, this time Antigone held it together and they made it through the scene, as the Phantom exploded and then pleadingly sang of his deep loneliness and wish to be loved.
“Well done, you two,” Georgie called out, clapping firmly. “Let's take ten, yeah? And then I want to work on the graveyard scene in the second act before we call it a night.” She busied herself with her notes, checking her plans against the schedule to make sure they were still on track.
Eric sat back down on the bench for the organ, fiddling with the keys. He startled when Antigone spoke to him.
“I didn't know you could play.”
“Ah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish, “Only a little. I took lessons when I was a child.”
“When you were a child? Not,” Antigone lowered her voice dramatically, “... a long time ago?”
“Ha! No.” Eric paused, tilting his head curiously, “I don't really say that so often, do I?”
“You do, actually. Jennifer says it makes you seem like a vampire,” Antigone said with a mock serious expression, “like you've just lived too long to be more specific.”
Eric laughed then, a real kind of laugh, kind of ugly, like Antigone hadn't heard from him before. “A vampire! I've never had anyone say that to me before!”
“I mean, obviously we've seen you when the sun's out, so it's not true.” Antigone leaned on the organ. “But Jennifer was so convinced of it.”
Eric hummed, then looked back down at his hands, still tinkering with the keys. “Oh, Antigone, I've been meaning to ask you…”
“Yes?” Antigone hoped she didn't sound as breathless as she felt.
“Do you know why Herbert stormed out that first day? He said something about Jesus Christ…?”
“Superstar, yes.” Antigone nodded. “A few years back, they were putting it on, and the cast got a little drunk before the show, and well… The crucifixion was a little too realistic, I suppose. He was traumatised.”
Eric laughed again, loud and ugly; Antigone wanted to bottle that laugh and keep it for a bad day.
There was a beat of silence, and then Antigone went on, “We're doing well, I think? Or it's going better today?”
He nodded, “Yeah, definitely. The direction has helped, and we'll keep settling in the more we rehearse together. I can't wait to do these scenes with the cast—I think you're going to blow them away.”
Antigone flushed, heat creeping up the back of her neck. “Ohhhh, shut up, shut up, shut uuup! That's hardly true.”
Eric didn't disagree, but a wry smile sat on his face, making Antigone think that he wanted to. Still, he dropped it, and their conversation drifted away from the musical until Georgie called their attention again to run the graveyard scenes.
“Now, Antigone, like we talked about,” Georgie glanced over her notes before she went on. “You're torn between your feelings for Raoul and the Phantom, and you wish you could have your father's advice. This is wistful and longing. Eric, you're just trying to keep Christine on your side. You feel like you've already won her over, and you want her to stay there. Now, you head offstage, and we'll start with Antigone.”
Eric walked off to wait in the wings, and Antigone stood alone in the middle of the stage. “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” made her feel such a peculiar mixture of sadness and nostalgia for a relationship she never really had. Antigone hadn't been close to her parents, but she missed them anyway. And when she thought of Georgie’s relationship to her Gran, she understood a little better how Christine must feel in this moment—she hoped that would be enough to pull the song off correctly. It was lovely, and Antigone liked singing it. She wanted to do a good job in this role, dammit!
She tried to channel all those emotions into the song, and felt alright with her efforts. Georgie didn’t have too many notes for Antigone and Eric after they finished running the scene, and Antigone was left with the overall feeling that rehearsal had gone quite well. She had listened to Georgie, who wasn’t annoyed at her; she had talked to Eric, who she wasn’t annoyed with; and she had performed well. It was a good, satisfying sort of feeling, rather like when she had made the chocolates with Agatha Doyle—Antigone could look at this rehearsal and know she had done something.
Scene II: Prima Donna
Antigone had decided full cast rehearsals were exhausting. They could also be exhilarating, and it was wonderful to see everything coming together and everyone doing so well, but it was also a lot of sitting and waiting and worrying about her next scene, her next line. The end of the first act was going quite well, which was promising, because next week they would all be off book. Antigone waited backstage, watching as the rest of the cast worked on “Notes”. The Reverend was doing better, but he had a bad habit of wanting to make one of his typical declarations about uncertainty—“Gossip’s worth its weight in gold… unless it isn’t…”
Georgie sighed and cut the track off. “Reverend, you can’t add lines like that. There’s just not space in the song for it. Mayor, d’you think you can help keep the Reverend on track?” The reverend and the mayor smiled at each other a little goofily—months married and they were still in their honeymoon phase. It was sweet, even if Antigone found them a little too saccharine for the most part.
The mayor said, “I’ll do my best, Miss Crusoe.”
“Alright, let’s go again, then.” Georgie started “Notes” again, and they made it through quite well. Eric stood upstage on a platform, ominously declaring his desires for the next show and threatening what might happen if his wishes were not met. It was strange to hear someone who was so constantly affable sound so cold, cruel, but he did a good job.
Antigone held in a snort of laughter as Tanya as Carlotta angrily declared that the person who was sending the notes about Christine was, “the Viscount, her lover!” Roger Noggins was doing well enough as Raoul, and they had improved in their scenes together, but they still had absolutely no chemistry, which frustrated Georgie to no end.
The transition into “Prima Donna” went smoothly, and Antigone got ready to make her entrance. She was reluctant to prepare since she had such fun watching. Tanya did a fantastic job as Carlotta, and Bill, despite having no lines in the song, was an integral part of the blocking. His Piangi had the perfect amount of devoted support for the diva in her anger and her eventual acquiescence to the flattery of the theatre owners. The mayor and the reverend did a fantastic job of acting desperate to convince her to stay.
The next scene was one of Antigone’s favorites. She had almost no lines in the scene, and she was comfortable lurking silently. However, when they had first started rehearsing the scene, Georgie had said that she needed to have more presence. Since then, Antigone thought she’d gotten the hang of really engaging with Carlotta’s lines. She also enjoyed this scene because she got to work directly with the hoodlums! They were a surprisingly competent ensemble of three. They did a very impressive job, along with Petunia Bloom, of filling all the background vocals and parts in the scene. The culminating event of the whole scene—in Antigone’s opinion at least—was the ballet that the hoodlums performed. It wasn’t actually a ballet, per se, but the dancing was quite good and fun to watch.
Georgie hadn’t yet worked out what they could do to make Buquet’s body hang from the rafters, so for now there was no discernible reason as to why the ballet dissolved into chaos and Antigone escaped with Roger to the roof. Their whole scene was done off book, but everyone watching saw the same thing: Antigone’s frantic run to the roof was phenomenal, and Roger trying to keep up as he tried to understand her fear was spot on. But the whole performance of “All I Ask of You” fell flat—no one believed for a millisecond that these two were in love.
Georgie had changed the blocking for this scene so many times trying to help them, but it didn’t seem to matter what she did. Roger just couldn’t soften his gaze (“I’ve never bothered with love, Antigone, I’ve never really thought about it,” he had shrugged once) and Antigone had a hard time imagining that she found Roger appealing (“Of course I think you’re a fine person…” she had trailed off, and he had nodded). She had an even harder time finding the character of Raoul appealing. He just shows up and suddenly declares himself in love with Christine, while at the same time he dismisses her concerns and calls her experiences a dream? Antigone didn’t find that sort of person romantic at all—but Christine wanted to be saved, and Antigone had a hard time understanding that feeling too.
But they got through the scene, and then Eric sang his tragic reprise, and Georgie called a ten minute break before they ran through the first few scenes of the second act. “Masquerade” was quite wonderful—Jennifer, Georgie, and the hoodlums had worked out something fantastical with mirrors that made it seem as though they had many more people on stage than were actually in their cast, and it contributed quite nicely to the chaotic effect of the song. Antigone couldn’t wait for people to see it.
Scene III: All I Ask of You
Their first rehearsal off book was focusing heavily on the second act, because Georgie wanted to make sure they were all confident with it. “As long as we have a good beginnin’—which we will, because Baz and Roz and Wez are doin’ amazin’—and a real strong endin’, it’ll be fine if the middle is a little touch and go in places. Of course, I know you’ll all be amazin’, and I think having the ending down solidly will really help build your confidence.”
She said it so certainly that Antigone and the rest of the cast found themselves nodding along, ready to begin rehearsal. They took it slowly, with Georgie prompting anyone who misplaced a line, and restarting a few times when several people got off track. Even though they were doing well as a group, Antigone found herself growing more nervous. Without the safety of her libretto she realised just how much of the second act depended on her. They made it through the whole act, and then took a break to set up to run the first few scenes of the first act.
Antigone skulked her way to the back of the house, sitting in a dimly lit corner and hoping that no one would find her until the break was over and her entrance was actually approaching. She wasn’t in the prologue, so she thought they might not wonder after her for a while—Georgie had too many other things to think about, and Antigone had been dependable during rehearsals, so…
Antigone hummed the melody of “The Point of No Return”, thinking over her lines and maybe daydreaming just a little about—
“Hello.” Eric Chapman sat down next to her.
She nodded sharply once, but didn’t speak.
He peered at her curiously, “Antigone, are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well,” he paused, “You just seemed a little stressed up there.”
“Ohhh,” Antigone groaned, “Did I mess it up that badly?”
“No, no, no!” Eric grasped one of her hands with both of his, “You were wonderful, as always, I just noticed that your shoulders were tense. You haven’t been that way since the first week of rehearsal.”
Antigone looked down at their hands, then out at the empty house. “I suppose I’ve just realised how much of this show really depends on me—and you as well of course, but you’re bri—well you’ve done this before—and that’s a lot of pressure. You know, two years ago a lot of people on this island thought I was dead? And I still think a lot of them don’t like me very much. I don’t want to mess this up. And Georgie, and Jennifer, and everyone, are working so hard. I don’t want to let them down.”
Eric didn’t respond and Antigone was filled with sudden regret, “Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’ve said too much, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m sure you have—”
“Antigone,” Eric interrupted gently, squeezing her hand—oh god, he was still holding her hand—“I don’t want to play this part with anyone but you. You’re a wonderful Christine, and you’ve been doing so well.”
God, she hoped the dim lighting would conceal the blush she felt on her neck. “That’s… only because Georgie is a good director, and the rest of the cast is good. They all make me seem better—you especially, you’re so damn believable as the Phantom.”
Eric grinned, leaning in closer. “It’s so easy to be a good Phantom with you, though. I had the worst time on Broadway—the woman playing Christine was lovely, but the director kept saying we had no chemistry. We were both good individually, but together, the scenes fell flat. We had to put so much work in, it was ridiculous.”
Antigone huffed, “That seems hard to believe.”
“It’s true though. Really, Antigone…” Eric trailed off, looking back up at the stage. He squeezed her hand again, and then made as if to stand up. “I suppose I’ve taken up enough of your break, I’ll let you sit in peace.”
He let go of her hand, but Antigone held on just long enough to stop him. “You could stay. I’m just going to brood, but…”
Eric settled back into his seat, and they fell into a comfortable silence.
when I tell you I wrote that vampire joke before the Halloween special came out!! I was so excited that I was going to have one (1) original joke in here and then the Halloween special happened!
everything that's funny in here is either nevermor3's idea or something that's Wooden Overcoats canon 😅
ScorchRev, seeking_no_eyed_girl, Arya1847, Cadysquirrel, Moonstone3700, ataxic, and nevermor3 as well as 8 guests left kudos on this work!
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Net Worth of U.S. Presidents
Having examined the finances of all 43 presidents (yes, 43; remember, Cleveland was president twice), we calculated the net worth figures for each in 2010 dollars. Because a number of presidents, particularly in the early 19th Century, made and lost huge fortunes in a matter of a few years, the number for each man is based on his net worth at its peak.
We have taken into account hard assets like land, estimated lifetime savings based on work history, inheritance, homes, and money paid for services, which include things as diverse as their salary as Collector of Customs at the Port of New York to membership on Fortune 500 boards. Royalties on books have also been taken into account, along with ownership of companies and yields from family estates.
The net worth of the presidents varies widely. George Washington was worth more than half a billion in today\’s dollars. Several presidents went bankrupt.
The fortunes of American presidents are tied to the economy in the eras in which they lived. For the first 75 years after Washington\’s election, presidents generally made money on land, crops, and commodity speculation. A president who owned hundreds or thousands of acres could lose most or all of his property after a few years of poor crop yields. Wealthy Americans occasionally lost all of their money through land speculation–leveraging the value of one piece of land to buy additional property. Since there was no reliable national banking system and almost no liquidity in the value of private companies, land was the asset likely to provide the greatest yield, if the property yielded enough to support the costs of operating the farm or plantation.
Because there was no central banking system and no commodities regulatory framework, markets were subject to panics. The panic of 1819 was caused by the deep indebtedness of the federal government and a rapid drop in the price of cotton. The immature banking system was forced to foreclose on many farms. The value of the properties foreclosed upon was often low, because land without a landowner meant land without a crop yield. The panic of 1837 caused a depression that lasted six years. It was triggered by a weak wheat crop, a drop in cotton prices, and a leverage bubble in the value of land created by speculation. These factors caused the U.S. economy to go through a multi-year period of deflation.
The sharp fluctuations in the fortunes of the first 14 presidents were a result of the economic times.
Beginning with Millard Fillmore in 1850, the financial history of the presidency entered a new era. Most presidents were lawyers who spent years in public service. They rarely amassed large fortunes and their incomes were often almost entirely from their salaries. From Fillmore to Garfield, these American presidents were distinctly middle class. These men often retired without the money to support themselves in a fashion anywhere close to the one that they had as president. Buchanan, Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, and Garfield had almost no net worth at all.
The rise of inherited wealth in the early 20th Century contributed to the fortunes of many presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and both of the Bushes. The other significant change to the economy was the advent of large professionally organized corporations. These corporations produced much of the oil, mining, financial, and railroad fortunes amassed at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th. The Kennedys were wealthy because of the financial empire built by Joseph Kennedy. Herbert Hoover made millions of dollars as the owner of mining companies.
The stigma of making money from being a retired president also began to disappear. Calvin Coolidge made a large income from his newspaper column. Gerald Ford, who had almost no money when he was a Congressman made a small fortune from serving on the boards of large companies. Clinton made millions of dollars from writing his autobiography.
We analyzed presidential finances based on historical sources. Most media evaluations of the net worth of presidents have come up with a very wide range, a spread in which the highest figure was often several times the lowest estimate. Most sources provided no hard figures at all. Most of these efforts have focused largely on the analysis of recent chief executives. That is because it is much easier to calculate figures in a world where assets and incomes are a matter of public record.
One of the most important conclusions of this analysis is that the presidency has little to do with wealth. Several brought huge net worths to the job. Many lost most of their fortunes after leaving office. Some never had any money at all.
President and Term
1st George Washington (1789-1797) $525 million His Virginia plantation, \”Mount Vernon,\” consisted of five separate farms on 8,000 acres of prime farmland, run by over 300 slaves. His wife, Martha Washington, inherited significant property from her father. Washington made significantly more than subsequent presidents: his salary was two percent of the total U.S. budget in 1789.
2nd John Adams (1797-1801) $19 million Adams received a modest inheritance from his father. His wife, Abigail Adams, was a member of the Quincys, a prestigious Massachusetts family. Adams owned a handsome estate in Quincy, Massachusetts, known as \”Peacefield,\” a working farm, covering approximately 40 acres. He also had a thriving law practice.
3rd Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) $212 million Jefferson was left 3,000 acres and several dozen slaves by his father. \”Monticello,\” his home on a 5,000 acre plantation in Virginia, was one of the architectural wonders of its time. He made significant money in various political positions before becoming president, but was mired in debt towards the end of his life.
4th James Madison (1809-1817) $101 million Madison was the largest landowner in Orange County, Virginia, with land holding consisting of 5,000 acres and the \”Montpelier\” estate. He made significant money as secretary of state and president. Madison lost money at the end of his life due to the steady financial collapse of his plantation.
5th James Monroe (1817-1825) $27 million Monroe\’s wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of wealthy British officer. He made significant money during eight years as president, but entered retirement severely in debt and was forced to sell Highland plantation, which included 3500 acres.
6th John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) $21 million Adams inherited most of his father\’s land. His wife was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He devoted most of his adult life to public service, notably after leaving office.
7th Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) $119 million While he was considered to be in touch with the average middle class American, Jackson quietly became one of the wealthiest presidents of the 1800\’s. \”Old Hickory\” married into wealth and made money in the military. His homestead \”The Hermitage\” included 1,050 acres of prime real estate. Over the course of his life, he owned as many as 300 slaves. Jackson entered significant debt later in life.
8th Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) $26 million Van Buren made substantial income as an attorney. He was one of only two men to serve as secretary of state, vice president, and president. He owned the 225-acre \”Lindenwald\” estate in upstate New York.
9th William Henry Harrison (1841) $5 million Harrison married into money – wife\’s father was prominent judge and landowner. When Harrison\’s mother died, he inherited 3,000 acres near Charles City, Virginia, which he later sold to his brother. He also owned \”Grouseland\” mansion and property, in Vincennes, Indiana. Despite his assets, Harrison died penniless, causing Congress to create a special pension for his widow.
10th John Tyler (1841-1845) $51 million Tyler Inherited 1,000-acre tobacco plantation. His first wife, Letitia, was wealthy. Tyler bought \”Sherwood Manor,\” a 1,600 acre estate, previously owned by William Henry Harrison. He became indebted during the Civil War and died poor.
11th James Knox Polk (1845-1849) $10 million Like his wife, Sarah Childress, Polk\’s father was a wealthy plantation owner and speculator. Polk made significant sums as speaker of the house and governor of Tennessee, and owned 920 acres in Coffeeville, Mississippi, as well as 25 slaves.
12th Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) $6 million Taylor inherited significant amounts of land from his family, which at one point included property in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana. He made substantial money in land speculation, the leasing of warehouses, and investments in bank and utility stocks. Taylor owned a sizeable plantation in Mississippi and a home in Baton Rouge.
13th Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) $4 million Neither Fillmore nor his wife had significant inheritance. He founded a college that is the current State University of New York at Buffalo, and his primary holding was a house in nearby East Aurora, NY.
14th Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) $2 million Pierce\’s father was frontier farmer, and his wife was well-to-do aristocrat. He served as attorney for 16 years and held property in concord, NH.
15th James Buchanan (1857-1861) less than $1 million Born in log cabin in Pennsylvania, Buchanan was one of 11 children. He was the only president never to marry. He worked for nine years as attorney, and spent 16 years in public office, including four years as secretary of state.
16th Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) less than $1 million To the log cabin born. Lincoln served as an attorney for 17 years before his presidency. He owned a single-family home in Springfield, Illinois.
17th Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) less than $1 million Johnson\’s father was a tailor, and his wife was a shoemaker. He served the public for 20 years, including as Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Senator. Johnson owned a small house in Greenville, TN.
18th Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869-1877) less than $1 million Grant\’s father was a tanner, and his wife was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He lost his entire fortune when swindled by his investing partner. Grant owned a modest home in Galena, Illinois. Although he died with little money, his autobiography kept family afloat.
19th Rutherford Birchard Hayes, (1877-1881) $3 million Hayes\’ father was a shopkeeper. He was an attorney for 15 years and owned \”Spiegel Grove,\” a 10,000 square foot home that sat on 25 acres in Fremont, Ohio. Hayes also served as Governor of Ohio and was a member of the House.
20th James Abram Garfield (1881) less than $1 million Garfield was born in a log cabin in Ohio. He spent 18 years in the House of Representatives. Garfield owned \”Lawnfield,\” a home and small property in Mentor, Ohio. He died penniless.
21st Chester Alan Arthur (1881-1885) less than $1 million The son of an Irish preacher, Arthur\’s wife came a from military family. He made substantial sums as Collector for the Port of New York. His townhouse in New York was well-appointed with furniture commission from Tiffany.
22nd and 24th Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897) $25 million Cleveland\’s father was a bookseller and preacher, and his wife was the daughter of wealthy lawyer. Cleveland served as an attorney for twelve years, and also made significant sums on sale of his estate outside of Washington, D.C. He bought \”Westland Mansion\” near Princeton, New Jersey.
23rd Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) $5 million Harrison had no significant inheritance of his own or from his wife\’s family. He was a highly paid attorney for 18 years, and served as attorney for Republic of Venezuela. Harrison owned large Victorian home in Indianapolis, Indiana.
25th William McKinley (1897-1901) $1 million Mckinley had no significant inheritance. Served 30 years in public office, including local prosecutor and member of the House of Representatives. Went bankrupt during depression of 1893 while he was Governor of Ohio.
26th Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) $125 million Born to a prominent and wealthy family, Roosevelt received a significant trust fund. He lost most of his money on a ranching venture in the Dakotas and had to work as an author to pay bills. Roosevelt spent most of his adult years in public service. His 235-acre estate, \”Sagamore Hill,\” sits on some of the most valuable real estate on Long Island.
27th William Howard Taft (1909-1913) $3 million Taft\’s wife\’s father was a law partner of former president, Rutherford B. Hayes. Taft was president of the American Bar Association, an active attorney for nearly two decades, and only president to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
28th Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) less than $1 million Wilson received modest compensation as head of Princeton and Governor of New Jersey. He never served in any position that provided him with a reasonable income. Wilson had a stroke in office and died five years later.
29th Warren Gamaliel Harding (1921-1923) $1 million Harding obtained wealth through marriage to his wife Mabel, daughter of a prominent banker. He owned the Marion Daily Star and a small home in Marion, Ohio. Most of Harding\’s net worth came from his newspaper ownership.
30th Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) less than $1 million Coolidge\’s father was prosperous farmer and storekeeper. \”Silent Cal\” Spent five years as an attorney, and almost two decades in public office, which included time as Governor of Massachusetts. His net worth derived primarily from his home, \”The Beeches,\” in Northampton, Massachusetts, the advance from his autobiography, and the money he made from his newspaper column.
31st Herbert Clark Hoover (1929-1933) $75 million An orphan, Hoover was raised by his uncle, a doctor. He made a fortune as a mining company executive, had a very large salary for 17 years and had extensive holdings in mining companies. Hoover donated his presidential salary to charity. He also owned \”Hoover House\” in Monterey, California.
32nd Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945) $60 million Roosevelt had wealth through inheritance and marriage. He owned the 800-acre \”Springwood\” estate as well as properties in Georgia, Maine, and New York. In 1919, his mother had to bail him out of financial difficulty. He spent most of his adult life in public service. Before he was president, Roosevelt was appointed assistant secretary of the navy by Wilson.
33rd Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) less than $1 million Truman was a haberdasher in Missouri and nearly went bankrupt. He served 18 years in Washington, D.C. Despite his modest income, he was able to save some of his presidential salary.
34th Dwight David Eisenhower (1953-1961) $ 8 million Eisenhower had no inherited wealth. He served the majority of his career in the military and five years as president of Columbia. Ike owned a large farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
35th John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963) Although he never inherited his father\’s fortune, the Kennedy family estate was worth nearly $1 billion dollars. Born into great wealth, Kennedy\’s wife was oil heiress. His Father was one of the wealthiest men in America, and was the first chairman of the SEC. Almost all of JFK\’s income and property came from trust shared with other family members.
36th Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969) $98 Million Johnson\’s father lost all of the family\’s money when LBJ was a boy. Over time, he accumulated 1,500 acres in Blanco County, Texas, which included his home, called the \”Texas White House.\” He and his wife owned a radio and television station in Austin, TX, and had a variety of other moderate holdings, including livestock and private aircraft.
37th Richard Milhous Nixon (1969-1974) $15 million Nixon was born without any inheritance, and was a public servant for most of his life including a term as a Senator from California. \”Tricky Dick\” made significant sums from series of interviews with David Frost and book advances. He sold his New York townhouse to the Syrian ambassador to the U.S. and purchased a large home in Saddle River, NJ. At various times, Nixon also owned real estate in California and Florida.
38th Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (1974-1977) $7 million Ford had no inheritance, and he spent virtually his entire adult life in public service. Over the course of his lifetime, he owned properties in Michigan, Rancho Mirage, and Beaver Creek, Colorado. After he left the White House in 1976, he made nearly $1 million a year from book advances and from serving on the boards of several prominent American companies.
39th James Earl Carter, 1977-1981 $7 million Carter was the son of a prominent Georgia businessman. He was a peanut farmer for almost two decades. Carter left office deeply in debt, but made substantial sums from writing 14 books. Part of a family partnership that owns 2,500 acres in Georgia.
40th Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-89 (Republican) $13 million Reagan had no inheritance, but his first wife, an actress, had her own money. He was a movie and television actor for over two decades. \”The Gipper\” owned several pieces of real estate over his lifetime, including 688-acre property near Santa Barbara, California. Reagan was highly paid for his autobiography and as a GE spokesman.
41st George Herbert Walker Bush (1989-1993) $23 million Bush was the son of Prescott Bush, a Connecticut Senator and successful businessman. Aided by his friends in the financial community, he made a number of successful investments. One of his major assets is his home and 100+ acre estate in Kennebunkport, Maine.
42nd William Jefferson Clinton (1993- 2001) $38 million Clinton was born with no inheritance, and he made little significant money during 20 plus years of public service. After his time in White House, however, he made a substantial income as an author and public speaker. Clinton received large advance from autobiography. His wife, the secretary of state, has also made money as author.
43rd George W. Bush (2001-2008) $20 million Bush was born into a wealthy family. Over ten years, he made substantial sums of money in the oil business. The largest contribution to his net worth was the profitable sale of the Texas Rangers.
44th Barack Hussein Obama (2008-present) $5 million Obama is the grandson of a goat herder. He is a former constitutional law professor and civil rights attorney. Book royalties constitute most of Obama\’s net worth.
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Quartet for the End of Blogs
Time Dilation and Homecoming in Hans Zimmer’s Inception Score
josquindespair | August 21, 2019 August 21, 2019
It’s difficult to think of any music that’s been so popularly over-analyzed as Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to Inception. There are clear reasons why: Zimmer’s soundtrack music seems to do a good job of participating in the movie’s dramatic elements. I’d like to take a look at a few of those forms of participation—dilation and homecoming.
We all know by now the delightful mechanic of Inception (and if you don’t know it and don’t want it spoiled, this is your final warning). When you dream, you experience time more slowly than it is progressing while you are asleep in the real world. But certain elements of the dreamer’s outside world will seep through into the dream (this is true of dreams, in my experience—alarm clocks, honking trucks, shouting toddlers, a cat scratching your face). Consequently, a noise heard in the dream goes through some kind of time dilation. As its frequencies get distended, the pitch gets lower and the rhythm gets slower.
And this is where Edith Piaf comes in. Throughout the film, one character plays the song “Non, je ne Regrette Rien” into the sleepers’ dreams, to signal to them that the dream is ending. They hear the noise and know they have limited time left. But, crucially, when they hear it, rather than hearing Piaf’s original track, they hear a slower and lower version of it. This is what one YouTuber noticed (well, I think probably quite a few people noticed it; he just went viral). Zimmer confirmed this was the case and he acted a little bemused people didn’t get it earlier. He called it a “signpost”, as if the audience, not just the characters, will hear the dilated, ominous sound and understand (consciously or not) that the dream is ending. We’ll discuss this more later.
But I am here to discuss how Zimmer goes further still. Here is the relevant part of Edith Piaf’s song. The orchestration is pretty arresting, since the trombones swell to a dynamic fervor that grates against a modern sensibility:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a DJ and Edith Piaf is his sample and that is why he breaks it down in that Matrix scene
Now, whenever Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, for those of you who like me can never remember character’s names in movies you’ve seen fourteen times) plays this song to someone who’s asleep, they hear it but they hear it in the dream, which means time is slowed down.
nn-ts nn-ts nn-ts DJ KING ARTHUR
(And it’s just so very Hans Zimmer to leave you hanging with that upbeat that’s fortissimo, just like his soundtrack to The Crown.) Now, all of this may be obvious. But let me insult your intelligence and summarize where we are so far: two things seem to happen to music as it travels from waking reality to dream (or dream to dream). First, its rhythm gets slower, i.e. diminution. Second, its pitch goes down, i.e. transposition. (It’s a little convenient that the diminution and transposition are always to speeds and intervals that are tonally just perfect, whereas actual audio slowdown is always pretty messy. (Like, where does that middle trombone note go?) But this is Hollywood!) This can be visualized thus:
So, what does Hans Zimmer do that goes beyond even this? So far, we have talked about diegetic music. That is, music within the story itself, music that can be heard by the characters as they experience it. Musical scores to films, however, are usually non–diegetic, especially the big orchestral ones. Non-diegetic is music that cannot be heard by the characters. When the fellowship of the Ring mounts some heroic peak in Peter Jackson’s film, the characters are not hearing Howard Shore’s soaring strings, nor do we assume they are. That music is just for us. (Some clever films try to exist in an ambiguous middle realm, like the phenomenal movie Baby Driver.) In Inception, the Edith Piaf song is usually functioning diegetically, that is, it is inside the story. What is creative about what Zimmer does is that the diegetic elements of the film have leaked into the structure of the non-diegetic film music. Edith Piaf’s song is actually everywhere in the score: frequently during dream sequences you’ll hear the trombones doing this annoying braying rhythm (the technical term is “bramm BRAMM”, sadly I am not joking), but in situations where the characters clearly aren’t intended to be hearing it. For instance, in Zimmer’s track “Dream Within a Dream.”
notice the bramms, if you would, as well as oscillating violins, which will come in later, like Chekhov’s gun
Now, isn’t that funny? The bramms are now non-diegetic. It’s not unusual for a diegetic sound (i.e. characters can hear it) to slip into the non-diegetic music (i.e. character’s can’t hear it), such as when Anne of Avonlea is suddenly accompanied by a full imaginary orchestra when all she’s literally hearing is some Cape Breton sap pathetically scratching his fiddle. But what is unusual is to have a diegetic element, like the Piaf trombones, become a motivic element of the entire non-diegetic score, even when it is not directly relevant. In other words, the Piaf trombones have become structural to the music. They appear like some incessant prophetic reminder: you are in a dream. The dream dilates time. Every sound, every experience, every moment of your above-life (or above-dream) is being stretched out. (This whole time business really seems to bother Christopher Nolan. It shows up in a lot of his movies. Get over it, man! You’re gonna get old some day.) Even if the characters are not always aware of this haunting aural reminder, we are—because we can hear these dratted trombones in the non-diegetic score.
But Hans Zimmer goes still further. This time dilation has invaded every aspect of his orchestration. For instance, listen to those violins in the above clip. Play it again for a minute. Do you hear how they’re oscillating between two different notes? They’re doing it at this plodding 8th-note level. But here, earlier in the same song, is that same chord progression in a higher key. And look at what the violins are doing.
there, the gun went off. happy, anton?
There is a clear aural and visual relationship here: the higher passage had its motivic materials presented faster and the lower one presented slower. It’s our chart again. At the higher level of the dream musically, it’s 16th-note violin oscillation. At the lower level, it’s slowed down to the 8th-note level. Pretty cool.*
Of course, dreams and time dilation aren’t the only themes of Inception. Homecoming, or nostos as Homer might say, is the whole point of the story. Cob has to get back to his kids. And I think we can hear the traces of homecoming make their way through Zimmer’s score, this time at the level of harmony.
Take a gander at this chart (and if it doesn’t mean anything to you, then just keep scrolling to get to the conclusion below, I will never know). It’s an analysis of the chords we just heard, which I will dwell on ever so briefly. Roman numerals, despite what many people seem to think, are nothing more than a clumsy description of how theorists think common practice chords function. That is, why does one chord lead to another? Why do some chords not lead to others? If you can label their function, you can capture some of their logic. Here is my analysis of the chords from “Dream Within a Dream.” (That’s the music from above that was tense-sounding, feel free to listen again.)
In essence, the Roman numeral system assumes a tonal framework, which is fair for Inception, since it uses good old triads and gives us some apple-pie tonic-dominant progressions. But these chords are certainly hard to fit into a G minor context, as my analysis avers. (Gm, you see, is “i”.) E-flat is easy enough, since it can be constructed with a G minor scale, but G-flat chords and C-flat chords? These are far afield. Our ears enjoy hearing chords that “fit” with our sense of key, and these do not. So why does Zimmer write them this way—and why do we (well, some of us) like them?
As the notation indicates, there is some “borrowing” going on in these chords, indicated by the slash. The numerator “borrows” from the denominator. In order to move from G minor to G-flat major, G minor has to borrow a chord from its close relative, E-flat. E-flat doesn’t actually have any native relationship with G-flat either, but it turns out that E-flat’s own cousin, E-flat minor, does. Thus, in order to explain the motion from the first to the second chord, one goes G minor –> E-flat major –> E-flat minor –> G-flat. Dizzying. This same logic gets us the C-flat major chord, as well.
According to this analysis, then, Zimmer is making you hear in two different keys, and which one you hear depends on which chord you happen to be hearing. During the odd-numbered chords (G minor and E-flat), you seem to be operating in a G minor world. But during the even-numbered chords (G-flat and C-flat), you are hearing some chords belonging to E-flat minor, whose presence is felt but never made explicit. These relationships are largely governed by the famous chromatic mediant, used by Medievals and Wagner and Star Wars for all sorts of magical effects. The overall sense is one of harmonic alienation and upheaval. It’s not far-fetched to describe this chord progression as symbolically portraying Cob’s distance from home. After all, I initially described the chords as “far afield”—it is the normal metaphor theorists would use, because there is some truth to it.
But now let’s look at the chord progression of arrival-at-home. These are those chords you listened to for 10-hours straight after the movie came out, from “Time.”
maudlin nonsense, you all came here just to listen to this clip didn’t you
These chords are the opposite of above. All these Roman numerals are happy, straight-forward, even a little boring. But that’s okay: after the upheaval and alienation of before, nothing can more profoundly give us a sense of peace. It’s worth noting that I assumed this piece was in G major, but it could be analyzed in any number of different keys fairly plausibly (A dorian, D mixolydian). Every chord is so related and fits so consonantly with the other, it could happily be considered any of those. It’s a remarkably bland bit of harmony, but—for that very reason—beautiful music for a homecoming.
So, the implications of what I’m arguing for should start to be clear. Zimmer is portraying at-home-ness through these near-by harmonic relations, through diatonicism. And he is portraying distant-from-home-ness by using those far-flung harmonic relations, by using chromaticism. It is a modified sort of leitmotif, but one that formally organizes the music and refers to something abstract. The real clincher, the one that makes Zimmer’s soundtrack work so well, is the false home that he portrays. It’s in those moments of the film where Cob is caught between staying in his dreams of home and the promise of real home in his waking life. It is this chord progression, which is a combination of the previous two:
music theory is just mystification so that you’ll take me more seriously when I make ridiculous claims
As you listen to this, you’ll notice your emotions seem to get tugged both directions at once. The first two chords have that serenity (diatonicism) of “Time” but the next two darken the color (chromaticism). This can be explained by my Roman numerals again. In every major key, certain chord degrees (I, IV and V) can be expected to be major and certain minor (ii, iii, vi). Now, here’s what cool. Without ever explicitly having a G major chord, Hans Zimmer can imply “G major” by using the Am (ii) and Em (vi), because we’re used to hearing those accompany G major. But when he gives us that G minor chord, we realize we’ve been duped! What fools we were to think it was major. We are now sad. We’re back to our old friend mode mixture from “Dream Within a Dream” above: G major is reaching into G minor in order to access some chromatic sonorities. We even get good old chromatic mediants in the second half of the phrase. And the whole time, you’ll notice the chord progression perfectly mirrors the “Time” progression, but filtered through some demented glass.
One of my favorite moments is when Zimmer combines our two elements: the false homecoming chords and the bramm BRAMMs of the trombones. (Oh, and also, if you can listen closely, the oscillating violins are there too! See, it all connects.)
him who has ears let him hear Nolan/Zimmer illuminati unite
This is a pretty nifty moment. There is that aching pull from the chord progression, presenting false home, embodied in whatever-her-name-is-whom-Marion-Cotillard-plays. But then there’s that rude braying from the trombones, embodied in Ariadne reminding Cob that he is still dreaming. It is a bit like Mercury upbraiding Aeneas, “Building her gorgeous city, doting on your wife… Wasting time in Libya—what hope misleads you so?” Carthage is not his real home.
So where does this leave us? We started with alienating harmonies, we moved through a kind of “false” sense of home, and then at the end, the last track “Time” (the one with the falling (?) top) we finally get our true (??) home. All this is convincing only if Zimmer gives us the original “home” progression near the beginning, so we have a sense of where we’re headed, which he does. He gives us the barest outline of the eventual homecoming progression in the film’s first moments, along with some bramm BRAMMs for good measure, which nicely sums up this post.
I promised a word about authorial intention. I have argued that Zimmer portrayed time dilation in his score (even in those oscillating strings) and that he’s portrayed homecoming and false homecomings in his chromaticism. Am I arguing, therefore, that Zimmer meant to do all this? That this was running through his mind while he composed? That he expected us to pick up on it? Well, if the answer to the last one is “yes”, then either it was a very subliminal sense in which we picked up on it, or else it was a disastrous attempt, because most people probably did not pick up on these themes. I do happen to think that it’s quite possible soundtracks operate in some subliminal ways, but I am not willing to bet on it. I think it’s probably fairer to say this: the screenplay and the music are both richly allusive and imbue each other with meaning.
Music and screenplay work together as a single text; the better the movie, the better they work together. (Sure, maybe Inception is not a Great Film, but it’s a pretty good flick.) Whether all the things I wrote about went through Zimmer’s head is ultimately unknowable and irrelevant. But I can say “Zimmer portrays these things in his music” not because he thought so, nor because you sensed it, but because the music is just so good at portraying it.
P.S. I am sure there are other films where diegetic elements (especially foley, I’m guessing?) become structural elements of the film’s music. But I can’t think of any off the top of my head. If you can, let me know!
* Yes, I’m aware the oscillation isn’t quite the same rate, since it switches off every two notes in the one and every five notes in the other. But if you try the other alternative, which would be switching off every two notes on 16th notes, it would be rapidly tedious-sounding when played so fast. It was a good choice for Zimmer, since it preserves the sound of a relationship between the two passages without being literal to the point of aural tedium.
I used The Aeneid translated by Robert Fagles.
For other thoughts on ambiguity, equivocality, and authorial intention in music, see Kofi Agawu’s “Ambiguity in Tonal Music: A Preliminary Study”.
Attali’s Clumsy Excuse for the Existence of Musicians
josquindespair | March 2, 2019 March 2, 2019
In repetition, then, music is no longer anything more than a slightly clumsy excuse for the existence of musicians, who are theorists and ideologues—just as the economy becomes the excuse, gradually forgotten, for the power of the technocrats.
Noise: The Political Economy of Music
The Chiastic Tragedy of La La Land
josquindespair | February 25, 2019 February 25, 2019
Is it possible to hear one melody with two different harmonies at the same time? It seems it is in “La La Land,” if by “hearing” we mean that you yourself are supplying the harmonies in your mind, and no one is playing them in reality.
I admit this is a bit dizzying, but I can demonstrate that this is happening. Take the famous “Mia & Sebastian’s Theme” by Justin Hurwitz, as you first hear it being played by Ryan Gosling’s character in the restaurant.
Mia & Sebastian’s wistful but happy melody
As my annotation says, the theme is wistful, yes, but it’s happy all the same. We become accustomed to hearing this theme with these harmonies underneath it, because it is used with daring regularity throughout the movie, and without fail it’s associated with Mia & Sebastian’s romance. In the following clip, for instance.
But here is the curious thing. Hurwitz, either by luck or ingenuity, has embedded in this theme a potential to be heard as both tragic and romantic, as is demonstrated in the ending scene where Sebastian plays the love theme without his left hand.
Mia & Sebastian’s theme, but now sad
When we hear Hurwitz’s melody without its accompanying harmonies, it becomes unambiguously tragic. This tragedy is made poignant because of the memory in our minds of a happier harmonic interpretation. Why is the melody so different in the absence of any harmony?
When the melody is heard by itself, it has an implied harmony of F# minor. And, yes, for the average audience of “La La Land”, minor means sad. This can be seen if we do a generative analysis of melody, peeling back some of the harmonic underlay. (a) below is the original melody, (b) highlights the notes of the melody that outline an F# minor chord (on accented beats for the most part), (c) shows those notes isolated, and (d) makes them into a chord progression.
Yes, Schenker is rolling over in his grave, I don’t care, be quiet
This is a canny move on Hurwitz’s part. He has introduced this melody to you many times with A major harmonies underneath it. When your ear hears the melody without any harmonies, it will assume the ones in (d). But Hurwitz has put this melody, without chords, at the end of the movie, so we have built up enough context that we can hear it with (d) harmonies but remember it with the old ones. They are both there. There is a powerful sense of the sad, minor (d) harmony, because that is the salient interpretation. But there is a wistful memory of the earlier harmonies, because we have become so used to hearing it with the major tonality.
And what could be a better musical representation of nostalgia? What was a source of sweetness, removed from its context, becomes tragic; yet it is the very fact that we can remember how it sounded as a happier melody that makes it so tragic. It is a musical twisting-of-the-knife.
And it is a metaphor for the rest of this essay, which is about the story of “La La Land”, Damien Chazelle’s upbeat and mass-appealing veneer over the same story he told in his darker “Whiplash.” Both stories are about jazz, about selling out, about the celibacy of the artist, about the struggle of artists to justify themselves to society and their families.
Damien Chazelle’s worldview is a grim fork in the road for the artist: you can live in solitude, an abused victim of your artistic muses, hoping to achieve greatness, or you and your dreams can sell out in pursuit of wealth and commercial success. Just for the sake of ease, I’ll refer to Chazelle’s categories as romanticism (follow your dreams, don’t sell out the art) and capitalism (art needs mass appeal to survive, you have to make a living).
Mia and Sebastian are twin chiasms in mirror image. Sebastian flirts with commercial success but returns to his artistic ideals, whereas Mia flirts with artistic ideals but returns to her realization of commercial success. Their relationship can exist only in the moments of intersection when they are crossing between romanticism and capitalism.
Their lines are color coordinated with their onscreen outfits; these details make my blog great
This is illustrated in two of the film’s narratives. Keith, who wants to pop-ify Sebastian’s pure jazz sound, makes what seems to me to be a sound argument against Sebastian’s aesthetic philosophy:
But you say you want to save jazz. How are you going to save jazz if no one’s listening? Jazz wouldn’t exist if people hadn’t gotten tired of what they were listening to before. I mean, do you really think a bunch of ninety-year-olds in a basement is the future of the form? Traditionalists whined when Kenny Clarke started dropping bombs. If traditionalists had their way, we’d still be playing Dixieland.
But at this point Mia has swapped places with Sebastian and is now the play-writing acolyte at the altar of pure art. She refreshes Sebastian on the exacting demands made on them by Personal Authenticity and Autonomous Art:
Mia. It matters if you’re going to give up your dream to be on the road for years. Sebastian. Do you like the music I’m playing? Mia. Yes. I do. I just didn’t think you did. …Sebastian. This is what you wanted from me. Mia. To be in this band? Sebastian. To have a steady job. Mia. Yes, I wanted you to have a job so you could take care of yourself and start your club.
The other illustration is the converse moment, Mia’s audition and acting breakthrough. It’s her turn to sell out. How she does it is the most insightful part of Chazelle’s storytelling. She sings about her aunt, a woman who followed her gut, lived life with abandon, threw caution to the wind, seized the day with a little madness. Yet these are the very things that Mia will refuse to do with Sebastian once her career gets off the ground. This is what the kids these days call a “performative contradiction,” and it’s a glorious one. By feigning authenticity, by narrating, acting, performing the artistic lifestyle, Mia obviates her need to commit to art the way Sebastian does. There is a bit of Chazelle himself in Mia: obsessed with jazz, fascinated by the lifestyle of the artist committed to no commercial gain beyond the art itself—and using that narrative to make lots of money in Hollywood.
Of course I don’t mean to imply that I agree with any of this drivel about commitment to art versus the wickedness of commercial gain and so forth. I agree with this LA Times critic that such thinking is wrong-headed, but I don’t agree with him that it is outmoded or old-fashioned. The opposite is true. Chazelle has put his finger on something. I struggle to bring to mind musicians who don’t evince Sebastian’s attitude or music consumers who don’t think along Mia’s lines—off the top of my head, I am reminded of Lady Gaga’s recent Netflix documentary when she talks about her relationships with boyfriends and producers. Or similar themes in the Tchaikovsky Competition documentaries from the 90s, those glorious panegyrics to the abusive tendencies of Classical music.
The historian in me is compelled to ask, where does this all come from? No doubt the scholarly literature on that is longer than my entire Goodreads. But the attitude reminds me of Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament. It is an early and concise exploration of many of these themes, and its author is the archetypal suffering artist. Found among Beethoven’s effects upon his death, it’s a personal expression of grief and despair about his calling as an artist and his affliction of deafness. His contemporaries might have accused Beethoven, like we might Sebastian, of being a douche-bag—like that moment when Sebastian bumps past Mia—of being “hostile stubborn or Misanthropic” in Beethoven’s words. But he insists that that’s not a fair portrayal.
Born with a fiery Lively Temperament susceptible even to the Diversions of Society, I soon had to keep to myself, pass my life in solitude, if I attempted from time to time to rise above all this, o how harshly then was I repulsed by the doubly sad Experience of my bad Hearing… Such Happenings brought me close to Despair; I was not far from ending my own life—only Art, only art held me back. …I am resigned—to be forced already in my 28th year to become a Philosopher is not easy, and harder for an Artist than for anyone else.
Chazelle’s stories about art are stories that end in isolation and loneliness. When compared with “Whiplash”, “La La Land” is made the more effective because there is that tantalizing hope, the dream of la la land in Mia’s final fantasy, that the artist is not in solitude, that the melody can have the harmony along with it.
Things I mentioned:
Ludwig van Beethoven, “Heiligenstadt Testament”, in Piero Weiss and Richard Taruskin, Music In the Western World: A History In Documents.
Different Angles on a Musical Object
Josquin, Gestalt, and Aphex Twin
I know how annoying those blog post titles are that try to connect three random things, just to hook you and make you think, “Wait, how is he going to do that?” But just so you know, I had to take things out of this blog title. Boards of Canada and African polyrhythm, for instance.
Ethnomusicologist Simha Arom notes that much of the Central African Republic’s polyphony, amongst the Banda-Linda horn ensembles he researched, is based on a “polyphonic cell,” or a “cyclic rhythmic figure” that constitutes the formal makeup of the music. It’s a result of 16-or-so horn playing a rhythmic pattern that repeats indefinitely. The music varies itself by having individuals come in or out of the texture. But each individual player always repeats the same short groove. When Arom speaks of a “polyphonic cell”, he is speaking of the sound that would occur if they were all playing at once. This polyphonic cell can be presented as a paradigm, in that the whole piece is derived from its pattern, but it may not appear as such at any given time in the performance of a piece. It is, however, the blueprint upon which different realizations and variations are based. Now, what he says next is pretty interesting, quoted at length:
Since the piece is based on the varied reiteration of that combinatory formula, the latter also behaves as paradigm. In consequence, if we were to place on the paradigmatic axis all of the combinatory formulas as they appear during a performance, we would obtain a “meta-paradigm” encompassing the totality of the piece, i.e., the entirety of the individual realizations as well as of the combinations performed therein.
So, not only is there a polyphonic cell that exists outside of any specific moment in the music—a paradigm of a single iteration of the groove—but there is also a “meta-paradigm” for how that polyphonic cell unfolds, often combinatorially, throughout time.
It’s not a new observation that much of modern electronic music owes its procedures to African and Afrodiasporic music. But in the spirit of what Kofi Agawu calls “contrapuntal readings” between different cultures (he considers this a healthy practice), I’d like to look at several different manifestations of this phenomenon Arom is noting of the “polyphonic cell” and compare it to the music of Josquin. I think this impulse to look at music as a “cell” or “block” or object that can be prismatically understood from several different angles is transhistoric and transcultural.
Gestalt psychology’s principle of invariance
from Wikimedia Commons
In Gestalt psychology, there is a “principle of invariance” whereby humans tend to be able to recognize an object that they’ve never seen before as the same as another object, even if it is rotated, stretched, drawn differently or disproportionately. So, given that Gestalt psychology is the investigation of how the human mind tends to group disparate objects, we tend to group objects on basis of what we assume to be their 3D shape, even if we have never seen or experienced the object from multiple sides. We just guess in our minds what the rest of the object is like. (For more on Gestalt psychology applied to music, see Leonard Meyer below.)
I want to suggest that this approach to the polyphonic cell is a way of treating music like an object, one that demands to be seen from different angles. Polyphony is complex: lots of different actors (or, in electronic music, a single actor’s multiple tracks, “actants” in Bruno Latour’s language) are producing melodies that vie for our aural attention. What do we listen for? It’s probably impossible to really get the complexity of polyphonic music the first try.
This is why electronic music often gives us multiple tries at it. Polyphonic EDM repeats, and repeats, and repeats, and each time it gives us the sound “object”, or Arom’s “polyphonic cell” with a different voice removed or another voice added. This is the akin to the combinatorial aspect that Arom notes in Banda-Linda horn music.
How would we visually represent this? Arom speaks of a “paradigm” and a “meta-paradigm.” I am not positive I have interpreted him correctly, but I am going to assume that this maps onto the categories “synchronic” and “diachronic” (in a particular moment in time of the music vs. across the temporal span of the music). If we combine these, we get the paradigmatic axis that makes up the “totality” of the piece. So, in other words, we might be able to represent the piece analytically in such a way that there would be no information loss in our portrayal of the piece, even though we didn’t do a score-format transcription. Somebody, just looking at our paradigmatic analysis, might be able to reproduce an entire song, if the paradigm + meta-paradigm really did constitute the “totality” of the piece.
Let’s take Aphex Twin’s “We Are the Music Makers” from Selected Ambient Works 85-92. The song is an 8-minute process of muting and unmuting various tracks, which, heard together, are our polyphonic cell. Richard James has come up with a pretty complex polyphonic cell, which is the musical material on the left below. You never do end up hearing all the elements simultaneously. The closest you get is something like the “climax” of this song at 6:00, but it is missing the bass. Overall, you end up hearing all sorts of different combinations of tracks (“voices”, as we might call them in the fifteenth century). This allows you a curious insight into the nature of the cell. You hear all sorts of things you wouldn’t otherwise have noticed; for instance, you might have assumed that Richard James’s bass track, if you had just heard it as 3a+3b, was all a single “voice”, but he has cleverly split it up into two separate tracks and effectively gets two melodies out of one. Sometimes you hear 3a, sometimes 3b. (I am sorry my figure doesn’t notate when. I’ll make it better someday.)
This starts to feel a lot like the Gestalt principle of invariance. Although we are hearing something different each iteration of the cell, we can recognize that something is being repeated—even though each constituent part is absent at one point or another. So it’s a bit like looking at a musical object from several different angles, yet recognizing it to be the same object. One obvious caveat is: there has been information loss, since I just put “drum” and didn’t actually notate out the drum (because it was too hard and didn’t repeat as cleanly as the notes). It’s not coincidental that drums are the hardest aspect of EDM to be formally reductive about.
Another example is Boards of Canada, “Roygbiv“, a just really lovely song. (Another one my wife introduced me to.) Here I have analyzed it slightly differently. Since it operates in clear 4-bar phrases (in some ways, it’s strangely Mozartian), I just outlined the “cell” as I would a normal score. This cell gets repeated five times and then fades on the sixth. Here you can really sense how your brain is getting an education in how to listen to this music: you hear the bass first, then some supplementary background lines, then the melody, then just melody and accompaniment, and then everyone altogether. Had you heard it together from the outset, you likely would not have been able to comprehend it. If we treat the polyphonic cell as an object and apply the principle of invariance across the form of the song, it suddenly gets that Boards of Canada magic.
“Roygbiv” polyphonic cell
“Roygbiv” diachronic paradigm
Now the moment you’ve been waiting for: Josquin, this blog’s namesake. His situation is a bit more complicated, because he is going to introduce two variables into the situation. First, unlike Aphex Twin or BoC, Josquin is going to decouple musical material from track. That is, if you equate “track” with “voice”, the superius of Josquin might sing material that the tenor sings and vice versa. However, you can still make a paradigm of the music and track its existence through the tracks/voices. Second, Josquin is also going to allow for minor transformations of his constituent elements, up or down by a fifth usually. (Here I am not speaking historiographically, since Josquin is not responding to EDM. Hoping that’s obvious.) These two changes means that, although there is a similarity in the way you can analyze Josquin’s music, its approach to the “musical object” is more complicated.
Take “Sanctus” from Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie. Here you have a very few number of musical elements on display. Josquin is reusing and modifying a lot of his material cyclically. I have outlined the constituent parts all at the top of this colorful figure, except for a tiny bit in perfection 14 which doesn’t fit with anything else (noted in gray). Then I’ve put their disposition across time below. This time, I have to use colors, since the equivalent of Josquin’s “tracks” no longer corresponds to the constituent parts one-to-one. There is some information loss, obviously, since I haven’t noted when something has been transposed up or down (although, if I had spent more time in Inkscape, how hard would that have been?). However, the music is operating in a similar way, reducible to this sort of paradigmatic understanding.
“Sanctus”, Missa Hercules Dux Ferrarie
But this raises an interesting question: what is the cell in Josquin’s music? Because he has unmoored the musical motives from specific “tracks”, it is unclear what object it is he is giving us different angles on. It is something like the cantus firmus, the long red lines in alto and then tenor. This is not too far from the historical reality, since one of the central questions in mass repertory of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries is how composers treat cantus firmi in musical form and how the surrounding voices react (see Sparks and Wegman below). Like the others, Josquin is turning the musical object around, seeing what different angles reveal, but the object has become more internally complex, fluid, reacting to the very act of being examined, like a smartphone’s accelerometer changing its display depending on how you angle it. (Sorry, that metaphor was not poetic, but at least it’s relatable.) Josquin’s music, besides all the surface-level differences, has a similar feel to BoC and Aphex Twin (and, of course, to African polyphonies, although people said so long before me, like Arom and England), owing to Josquin’s love of repetition, his “obsessive compositional personality” (see Rodin).
So I find myself again thinking that musical repetition in our own time is less about inducing trance, revisiting trauma, or numbing ourselves with consumerist titillation, as I railed about in the last post. It seems more, in these cases, about cultivating a kind of contrapuntal intelligence. Repetition of this kind is almost a discipline, an education in attending to that which would be apparent to none of us on a first hearing.
Simha Arom, “The Music of Banda-Linda Horn Ensembles: Form and Structure” and African Polyrhythm and Polyphony
Kofi Agawu, The African Imagination in Music and Representing Africa
Leonard Meyer, Emotion and Meaning in Music
Edgar Sparks, Cantus Firmus in Mass and Motet 1420-1520
Rob Wegman, Born for the Muses: The Life and Masses of Jacob Obrecht
Nicholas England, “Bushman Counterpoint”
Jesse Rodin, Josquin’s Rome
Big thanks to Victoria Chang for starting me thinking about this.
Moonchild and other thoughts on sampling
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LGBT bullying is shameful
Thirteen years ago last week, on Oct. 7, 1998, University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten by two men and left tied to a fence to die, all because of his orientation as a gay man.
This senseless and tragic act brought national attention to hatred and bigotry against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and starkly illuminated the critical need for equality for every American. However, it would be another 11 years before the federal government would extend hate crimes legislation to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.
Today, the need for acceptance of those who may be different than us has never been greater.
In an attempt to foster this acceptance, there has recently been a media focus on the huge amount of bullying in schools across the country and especially acts directed towards LGBT teenagers. Over the past year alone, we have heard terrible stories of young people committing suicide because of the discrimination leveled against them by others.
According to The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention organization for LGBT youth, teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are four times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers.
What we, as a collective society, must show them is that there is hope and that life gets better. There are numerous resources teenagers can look to for help, including the Trevor Project and the “It Gets Better Project.”
The latter was started by Dan Savage, a gay columnist who made an Internet video with his husband. In the video, the two urged young people to hold on just a little longer because there are so many good things to look forward to in the future. It has become a viral success, and scores of celebrities, public figures and ordinary citizens have made their own videos to show bullied LGBT teens that there is no shame in being themselves.
It is of the utmost importance that we do not turn our back on these teenagers who experience discrimination because they may be different from their peers. In a culture where people are “straight until proven otherwise,” we have to show them that their sexuality is an important aspect of their being that makes them unique, not a freak.
It is totally unacceptable to argue that “bullying is a part of life that all kids go through.” That implies that bullying, in any form, against any person, is accepted by society. It should not be and it cannot be. It is this harassment and prejudice, and the hopelessness that there is no way out, that has taken too many young lives from our midst.
While we have come a long way since that October night 13 years ago, we have such a long way to go. By accepting the LGBT community as equals and showing bullied teens that their future is bright, you can actually save a life. By showing them compassion and shunning those narrow-minded groups who continue to spread hate, we can unite our nation and make our communities a better place to live.
We must not just tolerate each other’s differences, we must embrace them. One life taken is too many.
Take a stand against bullying and prejudice in all its nasty forms for Billy Lucas, for Cody J. Barker, for Seth Walsh, for Jamey Rodemeyer for Matthew Shepard-for all those born into a world that should have treated them better.
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Princeton-bound teen wins PNG 2019 YN scholarship
Apr 10, 2019 | News, PNG
Young Connecticut numismatist will attend a six-day session of the ANA Summer Seminar
(Temecula, CA) April 9, 2019 — The Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org) 2019 Young Numismatist Scholarship has been awarded to Christian Hartch, 18, of Greenwich, Connecticut. The scholarship will pay for him to attend one of the six-day American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar sessions this June.
Hartch began his enjoyment of numismatics at the age of five when his father gave him a Whitman folder to begin collecting Lincoln cents. He has worked at a local coin store while in high school the past four years to learn more about the hobby, the marketplace and the business-side of numismatics.
His YouTube channel, Treasure Town, has more than 18,000 subscribers with over 1.5 million views of weekly coin collecting videos he produces.
“I was super excited, super happy when I was told about winning the scholarship,” explained Hartch who has been accepted as a freshman at Princeton University this coming fall.
His parents, Greg and Christa Hartch, are proud of their son’s accomplishments.
“We are so thankful that Christian will have the opportunity to attend the ANA conference in Colorado. Christian has worked hard to grow his coin YouTube channel, and we are thrilled that he is being recognized for his interest in numismatics,” stated Greg Hartch.
“This is the 15th consecutive year that PNG is providing airfare, tuition for one of the educational ANA Summer Seminar (www.money.org/summerseminar) sessions, meals and five nights of dormitory accommodations on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters,” said PNG Executive Director Robert Brueggeman.
Hartch wants to take a grading class at the ANA Summer Seminar and plans to study either economics or art and archaeology at Princeton.
He said PNG member-dealer Christopher Moran, owner of The Happy Coin store in Cos Cob, Connecticut, “has been a big influence to me.”
At the age of 13, Hartch was the store’s first customer when it opened in early 2014, purchasing an 1864 two-cent piece for his collection. He began working at the store a year later in the summer before he entered high school.
“Working at the shop allows me to be immersed with rare coins, and across the board coins, currency, U.S. and world coins. I can see the numismatic world from both a collector’s perspective and the business side, and I’ve learned a lot about the market,” he explained.
He launched his YouTube channel to promote the hobby and wants to create additional informative and entertaining videos for the channel from his upcoming experiences at the ANA Summer Seminar.
“The money to pay for the annual PNG YN Scholarship is administered from the PNG’s Gerald Bauman Memorial Fund. Bauman, who died in 2001, served for many years as a prominent coin dealer with Manfra, Tordella & Brookes in New York City,” explained PNG President Barry Stuppler.
“Usually, the deadline is late March for young collectors to submit essays for our annual scholarship competition; however, we are moving up the deadline for next year to late January 2020. The PNG will make an announcement in early November about the next YN scholarship competition,” explained Brueggeman.
The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers in the United States and four other countries. PNG member-dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise.
For additional information about the PNG or the young numismatists scholarship program, visit online at www.PNGdealers.org or call (951) 587-8300.
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John11:1-45
The Confession of Lazarus
by Rev. Paul Scalia
Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to Jesus saying, "Master, the one you love is ill," When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God that the son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." He said this, and then told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him." So the disciples said to him, "Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved." But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, "Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him." So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go to die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, "The teacher is here and is asking for you." As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?"
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they many believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out?" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to the, "Untie him and let him go."
“Untie him and let him go” (Jn 11:45). Our Lord’s words after raising Lazarus should sound somewhat familiar to us. Familiar, not because we hear them often, but because they resemble other words we should hear often: “I absolve you from your sins …” To “absolve” means to set free — to loose, unbind … untie. Our sins become chains that bind us in death, like the burial cloths of Lazarus. We also need to have them removed, to be untied. These similarities suggest that the entire account of Lazarus’ raising provides a way of understanding the sacrament of penance. Indeed, we can find in the story the three necessary ingredients of a good confession.
First, sorrow. The story begins with great sadness. Martha and Mary and the Jews from Jerusalem all weep at the death of Lazarus. So, the first step in a good confession is sorrow for our sins. Without this, nothing else matters. The crowds mourned the death of Lazarus. We should mourn the death of our souls, the death of Christ’s life within us. The most significant sadness in the Gospel story is our Lord’s. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. St. Augustine explains that our Lord weeps to teach us to weep for our sins: “Christ wept: let man weep for himself. For why did Christ weep but to teach men to weep?” Blessed are those who mourn.
Of course, Penance does not require literal weeping. Tears are not obligatory. It does, however, require a sincere contrition for our sins — the rejection of them out of love of God, or at least out of fear of punishment. And with sorrow for sin must also come the resolution not to sin again. This is why the priest asks for the Act of Contrition in the confessional — not to test you on the prayer but to ensure that you possess at least the minimum degree of contrition.
Second, confession. Our Lord asks, “Where have you laid him?” (Jn 11:34) Now, He knew full well where Lazarus was buried. He did not need them to show Him the tomb. But by asking this, He calls more trust and faith out of them. He wants them to show Him the place of death and hopelessness — where it hurts the most. And unless they take Him there, they will not witness His miracle. Notice that they do not say, “Go find it yourself.” They say, “Sir, come and see” (Jn 11:34). They bring Life Himself to that place of death.
When we confess our sins, we, in effect, bring Jesus to our place of death, where life has been buried by sin. Yes, He knows our sins already — indeed, better than we do. By confessing our sins — by naming them in the sacrament — we hand them over to Him and give Him authority over them. We bring Jesus to the tomb of our souls — to that place of death called sin. “Come and see,” the people said to our Lord (Jn 11:34). By naming our sins — both the kind and the number — we do likewise, giving Him authority to destroy the bonds of death within us.
Third, penance. It is Our Lord alone Who raises Lazarus from the dead. But notice that for His power to realize its purpose, He enlists the cooperation of others. “Take away the stone,” He commands them (Jn 11:39). And afterwards He says (to interpret the words another way), “Untie him and let him go.” Consider how difficult these commands were to obey. Martha objects to the first command: “Lord, by now there will be a stench” (Jn 11:39). And untying the formerly dead man was probably not very appealing either. Nevertheless, Our Lord’s divine work of raising Lazarus incorporates their human cooperation.
So, also, our acts of penance. God alone forgives sins through the ministry of the priest. He alone restores souls to life. But for His grace to work fruitfully in our souls, we need to cooperate. We need to do our penance. Thus the purpose of the penance is not to win forgiveness — God alone grants that, and freely — but to bring us into cooperation with the healing He desires for us. It is medicinal. The more we embrace our penances and perform them in faith, the more healing they bring us.
Our Lord did not raise all the dead as He did Lazarus. And even poor Lazarus died again. His miracle involves more than mere physical resuscitation. It points to that greater, spiritual reality we experience when we kneel in death and rise in hope.
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« Bioware Champions Equality for PS3 Owners, Moves Up Dragon Age: Origins PS3 Release Date
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade Hits the Wii This November »
A Witch’s Tale – Staff Review
28th October 2009, 09:05 am by T.J. "Nerdboy Himself" Condon
Ok. I’ll level with you. I’ve just scrapped my fifth attempt at an opening to this review. I’ve tried food analogies, tomato discussion, references to Halloween (the holiday and the movie), Tim Burton films, Okami, Phantasy Star… So, nuts to that. Settle in, kiddies. It’s story time.
Once upon a time, there was a little DS RPG called A Witch’s Tale. Her parents, Nippon-Ichi and HitMaker, were very famous in their own rights; one was a premier name in RPGs and the other was once a member of the famous Sega family. Though her pedigree shone, she was scorned from birth, partially due to the failings of her elder brother, Dragoneer’s Aria. As the young girl of the family, no one wanted to mention her in the same breath as her half-siblings Disgaea and Crazy Taxi. Realizing that she would have to seek her own fortune, she set out to prove her detractors wrong.
A Witch’s Tale didn’t have any friends to keep her company, but she did have books. Lots and lots of books. From these books, she put together a robust cast, pulling from Alice in Wonderland, Hansel and Gretel, The Wizard of Oz, Arabian Nights, and more. For the heroine, though, she chose Liddell, a spunky witch-in-training whose muddled past and thirst for power made her the optimal selection for an RPG protagonist. She opens up the Sealed Evil In A Can (or book of runes, in this case), unleashing a horrible curse on the world and waking up Loue, the bishounen vampire sleeping nearby. Loue gives the standard exposition dialogue and decides to ride shotgun on Liddell’s quest to restore peace and order to the land, meet with Queen Alice, and seal the Eld Witch once again.
A Witch’s Tale was happy with how the plot was structured, but a couple things weren’t quite right. For example, the original Hansel was a boy, but that didn’t jive with the “Six Princesses” motif. (Actually, there are seven. Or eight. Depends on which playthrough you’re on.) Believing that historical accuracy means nothing in the face of setting a tone and keeping on it, blam, Hansel’s a princess now. She believed that one wouldn’t mind if she played a little fast and loose with the characters, so long as the end result is entertaining. (And I’d have to agree.)
However, being an RPG conveys certain responsibilities. A Witch’s Tale soon realized that she was running out of princesses and corresponding elemental kingdoms, which resulted in Dorothy Gale as a caustic, angsty steampunk wrecking machine. She realized that things were getting a little out of hand, but the princesses had already been placed, so she concerned herself with the battle mechanics and figured that the masses would appreciate a little juxtaposition in the characterization. (Again, I’d have to agree.)
Expa Abyss, Level 1 Gamebreaker. If you can draw while sleepwalking, you’re set.
The mechanics, though, would prove to be a stumbling block. To be different, she shunned the use of buttons. “I’m on the DS,” she thought, “I might as well make the most of it!” Thus, all control was directed through the touch screen, from overworld navigation to menus to minigames and everything in between. The biggest spells required tracing a shape, which would’ve been novel if not for sheer overuse. (But more on that later.) A Witch’s Tale didn’t want to fall into the same number-crunching madness that brought her siblings such fame, so she opted for a much simpler system, hearkening back to the days of yore when enemies lined up in an orderly fashion for your convenience. Rather than give Liddell living, breathing companions, however, she opted for animate dolls, two at a time, that provide backup while maintaining the “girl-vs.-the-world” motif that she worked so hard to foster. Thus, dolls were scattered throughout the kingdoms, though they went largely ignored because the dolls you got at the end of each chapter (each an effigy of the latest princess you rescued) were statistically so much better that none of the “standard” dolls could ever hope to compete.
Unfortunately, this was a side effect of a rather alarming trend: A Witch’s Tale didn’t have much of a head for numbers. She knew that she was supposed to incorporate “MP” to limit how much magic the player could use; she didn’t realize, though, that the super-huge-99MP-spell that could take down most any standard encounter in one shot would hit a point, right around the third kingdom, where it became unbalanced. Since A Witch’s Tale was a generous girl at heart, she gave the player a full charge of MP with each increase in level… without realizing that, despite using Expa Abyss (said uber-spell) every fight, it was actually near-impossible to run out of MP. Thus, what would in most RPGs be a lesson in resource-rationing becomes a wholly meaningless number as Liddell and her stuffed companions steamrolled their way through the game.
It’s worth mentioning that A Witch’s Tale was, to her credit, a very generous girl… though without boundaries, that generosity quickly became unbalanced. As if the massive MP glut wasn’t enough, scattered throughout the world were tomatoes – yes, tomatoes – which, should Liddell fall in battle, would pick her up, dust her off, mend her dolls, fully charge her MP, and smack the foe responsible for such an inconvenience for four digits of damage. It might all be a bit much, but A Witch’s Tale wanted to be loved by everyone, even if it did mean a good bit of hand-holding. However, in her quest to be comfortable and easy to enjoy, she fell into the habit of being samey and repetitive: Run all over Kingdom A, collect three items (Usually requiring two boss fights and solving a puzzle), fight big boss, save princess, unlock Kingdom B, repeat. The kingdoms look and feel interesting enough, but she spent too much time concerned with how things look and not nearly enough with how things play.
She chose her aesthetics, too, to be as accessible as possible; the time-honored anime style of her family coupled nicely with the not-quite-dark storybook fantasy, producing something that looks like Rozen Maiden meets Phantasy Star with a bit of The Nightmare Before Christmas thrown in for extra marketability. The soundtrack, fittingly, seemed very light and music-boxy, though in certain circumstances it wasn’t afraid to lay in with some heavy guitar solos.
A Witch’s Tale was happy with things so far, but she wasn’t quite done. She’d read somewhere that people who play RPGs like to collect things, so she scattered a deck of playing cards around, hoping that folks would take the time to find all 53 (she left the Joker in just for the heck of it.) Unfortunately, some of the stronger cards became sentient and ran away, hiding in dungeons and fleeing at the mere sight of intruders. To capture these cards, players hoped to encounter them during a “BURST” fight, which would yield double EXP and increase the rate of critical hits to nearly 100%; such fights were rare, occuring every 8th encounter. Worse still, BURST or no, the cards would often get the jump on the team and run away before any action could be taken. The players were frustrated, and A Witch’s Tale didn’t know what to do.
Worse yet, the story was ending soon, and she hadn’t really thought of a conclusion to her story, so she decided to go for the “shocking” route. She asked the Mad Hatter and March Hare to stall for time by setting up a long “So Here’s What’s Actually Been Going On” expository dialogue just before the final battle, then went with a punch-out ending so abrupt it’d make Space Ghost throw his powerbands up in confusion. “Aaah, but there’s a second ending!” she said with a wink. “You can play through the whole thing again – I’ve added one of those New Game + thingamajigs – but with an extra scene! Or, heck, I’ve got a deck of cards here. Blackjack, anyone?”
Now, some people would call it quits there. Heck, some would call it quits by the second kingdom, when they realize they’ve been had and American McGee’s name isn’t anywhere on this thing. But one boy actually chose to tighten his hat, duck his head, and play through the whole thing again. “This can’t be the end,” he thought. “No one is that bold or that crazy. Besides, the blackjack minigame’s not that good.”
And so, this young man plowed through the game again, now making a fine paste out of every random encounter (though they never stopped getting in his way), walking through every boss fight without breaking a sweat (even though they weren’t really that hard in the first go-round), and seeing the bonus scene and completing its sidequest (for an even more egregiously broken doll). Finally, he came to the “Good End,” only to find out that A Witch’s Tale had fallen asleep in the interim and was startled by the fact that anyone actually played the game a second time. So she rounded up the whole cast for a much happier, but still somewhat nonsensical and confusing punch-out ending. “So, erm… how about some blackjack?”
“No, thanks,” said the boy, “I’ve got other games to play. I really wish you’d have just followed through. You had an excellent premise; I mean, Dorothy as an angsty Steampunk princess? That’s awesome. But the numbers just didn’t line up, and the endings didn’t really do anything to help your case. You put together a fantastic cast, and a decent aesthetic and soundscape, but it feels like you didn’t do your homework. Just because you dress up with pumpkins and black skirts and spiderwebs doesn’t mean you’ll be popular. Being good and under-appreciated is better than doing things sloppy and attracting attention. I really hope to see you again, perhaps once you’ve done your homework.”
And with that, the boy rode off into the sunset, though if you strained to hear, you could make out his discussion with a travel agent. “Hey, you know any island getaways? Preferably those with no pumpkins whatsoever… Sera Island, you say? Sounds promising.”
This game was played to completion and reviewed using a copy provided by NISA.
Category: DS Reviews, Features, Reviews, Traditional RPG Reviews | Comment (RSS)
Tags: A Witch's Tale, Halloween, Nintendo DS, Nippon-Ichi, Original, Review
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Advanced School on Geometric Group Theory and Low-Dimensional Topology: Recent Connections and Advances | (smr 2864)
Starts 23 May 2016
Ends 3 Jun 2016
LB (Budinich Lecture Hall)
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy is organizing a Advanced School and Workshop on Geometric Group Theory and Low-dimensional Topology: Recent Connections and Advances, to be held at ICTP, Trieste, Italy, 23 May - 3 June 2016. The themes that the Advanced School and Workshop will focus are the very cutting edge of research in Geometry and Topology and its connections wih Group Theory. The motivation for this advanced school is to expose students, postdocs and researchers to various key roles that geometric group theory has played in recent advances in low-dimensional topology and geometry. These include (but not limited to) the role of virtually special groups, representations of Kleinian groups in SL(2,C) and generalizations (e.g. Higher Teichmuller Theory), the Mapping Class Group and its recent role in low dimensional geometry and topology and group theoretic connections with Heegaard Floer theory through left-orderability. TOPICS COVERED: Virtually Special Groups and Cube Complexes Geometry and Topology of Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds, the Mapping Class Group and Curve Complex Higher Teichmuller Theory and Geometric Structures Left Orderability, L-spaces and Applications to 3-Manifolds Dynamics on Teichmuller Space and Moduli Space
Leaving Timetable
Preliminary list of participants
**DEADLINE: 12/02/2016**
Michel Boileau, Richard Canary, Bruno Martelli, Maryam Mirzakhani, Alan Reid,
ICTP Local Organizer: Fernando Rodriguez Villegas
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Events Previous
1965 - 1975 Biographies Sign Up Tickets /
Contact Links About
ShakeDown Venues
DAVE THOMAS & JAMES GOODWIN
Dave Thomas and James Goodwin are a unique combination.
Each of them has established a reputation as a world-class blues musician: Dave as a singer, songwriter, guitar player and band leader and James as a blues and boogie woogie piano player of astounding ability.
Together they are more than a sum of the parts. They dig down so deep in the blues it will touch your soul. They play the kind of house-rocking music that will also get your soles tapping.
Prepare for some real, good-time blues.
“Dave Thomas is a real breath of fresh air.”
“James Goodwin … as good as anybody I’ve heard on the UK scene.”
“One of the best outfits on the British scene.”
“They don’t simply merit your attention, they positively command it.”
“ … a heady cocktail.”
Phil Wight, Blues & Rhythm magazine
Buy Tickets For DAVE THOMAS & JAMES GOODWIN: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ticket[s] required
Alvin is known as one of the world's foremost practitioners of Country Blues and a Shakedown return is long overdue
Based on Gerard's review of Alvin's 2012 appearance at Shakedown, it promises to be well worth the wait
Alvin turned up on time and the sound check was easily run through with snippets of various numbers including ‘Big Mamas House’ which was played in it entirety - which pleased me no end. Two and a half hours later Alvin, with some tweaking of strings beforehand, launched into ‘Mama Don’t Allow’ and my worries dissipated. Classic covers and self-penned songs melded comfortably and effortlessly in his hands. In-between songs he talked to the audience whilst tuning his guitar. For the most part the chat was relevant to the songs but sometimes it seemed a series of random thoughts. But it all added to the wonderful atmosphere of the night. Three sets later he sang ‘Big Mamas House’ and was called back for an encore and he sang Dylan’s ‘Just Like A Woman’. To end the evening with a pretty song showed impeccable taste.
Buy Tickets For ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ticket[s] required
DOUG MACLEOD
'Shakedown favourite' DOUG MACLEOD will be back in AUTUMN 2022.
Doug originally had to postpone his 2020 UK&Ireland and Swiss Tour due to COVID-19 Pandemic, and we were all booked in for Spring 2021 BUT....sadly that was the 2nd time we've had to move.
But we're delighted that at the 3rd time of trying, Doug's now booked in for 3rd Sept 2022.
We're of course very excited to have our old friend 'Dubb', come over from Memphis TN and play his wonderful Troubadour style Acoustic Blues.
As St Kyneburgha church approaches its 900th year, it will provide a wonderful space for Doug's very personal style of blues, on his 9th visit to Shakedown since 2005 and first since 2014.
If you're not on our e mail list, sign up today http://www.shakedownblues.co.uk/signup.php and enjoy first dibs (for Dubb ;-) ) when tickets go on sale in Summer2022.
Congratulations to Doug, who is the 2020 Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year in the Blues Music Awards
https://www.doug-macleod.com/
...and previous Winner of 2018 Acoustic Blues album of the year for 'Break the chain'
"Doug MacLeod, now there's a man who can really play the blues.
- David Honeyboy Edwards, Delta Blues Legend
" One of the great blues artists... period! " - Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane)
"...easily one of the most accomplished and admired acoustic bluesmen of his generation... this is an album that showcases MacLeod's captivating, talented artistry to the full."
- Iain Patience, Music News Nashville
"Doug MacLeod is an acoustic roots master. He has been using guitars and voice to create his own unique musical vision for over fifty years...
- Elwood Blues aka Dan Aykroyd, The Bluesmobile Radio Show
"Even if the powers that be discover how brilliant he is, and the O2 Arena or Jools Holland and TV beckon, I fervently hope that Dubb will never consider it beneath his dignity to play a gig in that little village hall in Castor from time to time to tell his stories to a rapt audience, being me, hanging off every word. I promise I will be there"
'Dr' Dick Cartmel May 2014
Buy Tickets For DOUG MACLEOD : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ticket[s] required
LIL' JIMMY REED - awaiting 2022 Tour dates
SORRY FOLKS - LIL' JIMMY'S 2021 UK TOUR will likely be later on in 2022. DATES STILL TO BE ANNOUNCED
We were looking forward to welcoming one of the last of the 'down home' Louisiana bluesmen from the U.S of A.
Hopefully we'll see him then with his long time accomplices, British blues piano legend Bob Hall and Hilary Blythe on Bass.
How Blue can you get? Well you can find out here https://youtu.be/lnVyobXB4Vo
If you are not already on the mailing list, please register your e mail for 'Early Bird' news of tickets going on sale to subscribers. http://www.shakedownblues.co.uk/signup.php
TICKETS WILL GO ON GENERAL SALE IN AUGUST 2021
LIL' JIMMY REED - the last of the Louisiana bluesmen
Leon Atkins, better known as Lil' Jimmy Reed, is the real deal, as will be attested to by anyone who has been privileged to hear his stinging guitar work, gritty vocals and haunting harmonica. A tall charismatic figure, Lil' Jimmy epitomises the classic Louisiana down-home blues tradition.
His many fans recognise that Lil' Jimmy's performances are almost the last chance to hear the raw, unadulterated sound of authentic Louisiana blues.
In Lil' Jimmy's band, BOB HALL is an award-winning pianist and founder member of several famous 60s/70s British blues bands including The Groundhogs and Savoy Brown.
He has accompanied many world-class bluesmen - John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Little Walter, to name just a few.
His partner, diminutive dynamo HILARY BLYTHE, is an outstanding blues and gospel singer and rock steady bassist.
Born Leon Atkins in the late 1930s in a shot-gun shack in Hardwood, Louisiana, a small cotton and sawmill town on the Mississippi River, Leon grew up near a club where every night he absorbed the wail of the blues from across the street. At six he had his own guitar, made from a cigar box, and by the time he was a teenager he was proficient on both guitar and harmonica, playing local clubs around Baton Rouge. Filling-in one night for blues star Jimmy Reed earned him the sobriquet LIL' JIMMY REED and started him on the long path to success.
After years of playing small clubs and taverns, Lil' Jimmy took time out to serve his country in the military. Since his return to civilian life his career has blossomed. He has shared the stage with B.B. King and Bobby 'Blue' Bland and head-lined festivals in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
In August 2020 he is also one of the Headliners of the Wickham Festival
In the sixties, the blues came to Britain and inspired a generation of teenagers who in turn took the music to international success.
Prominent among these young men was the critically-acclaimed pianist BOB HALL , whose distinctive blues and boogie style on 100s of recordings has influenced a host of others.
Bob is long serving member of SAVOY BROWN, and guests with THE BLUES BAND, featuring Paul Jones, Dave Kelly and Tom McGuinness.
Bob was a long time collaborator with Alexis Korner and in addition to Hooker, the Wolf, Chuck and Walter, Bob has accompanied:
Jimmy Witherspoon, Homesick James, Lightnin' Slim, Lowell Fulsom, Charlie Musselwhite, Snooky Pryor, J. B. Hutto, Lazy Lester, Dave Peabody, Baby Boy Warren, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Eddie Taylor, Big John Wrencher, Mickey Baker, and Eddy Clearwater.
Bob and his wife, the dynamic singer and rock-steady bassist HILARY BLYTHE, have joined forces with Lil' Jimmy to form The Lil' Jimmy Reed Band. Over the past seven years this tight little outfit has given a series of show-stopping performances all over Europe.
Lil Jimmy Reed continues to play all over the US and Europe and as he happily says "life just get better with time".
Buy Tickets For LIL' JIMMY REED - awaiting 2022 Tour dates: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ticket[s] required
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Texas Ghosts
Houston's Julia Ideson Library Ghost Story
Houston's
Basement-dwelling, Tree-planting,
Violin-playing, Dog-loving, Butter-making Ghost
There's nothing to not like about "Cra"
the building's civilized resident spirit
by Johnny Stucco
How many Texas ghosts can produce their own death certificate? Not many. Considering the space that Julius Frank Cramer "haunts," it's fitting that there should be some documentation. But if you're looking for a complete write-up, a photo I.D. or his mother's maiden name, forget it. No self-respecting spirit would be caught dead with a complete resume. You got to have that mystery, or it ain't no real ghost story.
Ghosts generally like to remain mysterious and the spirit of Julius Frank Cramer is no exception to this rule. His complete name is known as well as the date and cause of his non-violent death (pulmonary hemorrhage aggravated by chronic prostatic [sic] problems). Also known is his place of birth (Baltimore, Maryland) and where his body was buried (Hiawatha, Kansas). But a story wrapped up with a bow, it is not.
Houston's Julia Ideson Library McKinney Street Entrance
TE Photo 2006
Julius Cramer's Oak
The Julia Ideson Library has a file on the late Mr. Cramer which they will provide to researchers (providing the requester isn't too breathless or wide-eyed). Over the years someone took the time to look him up in the old city directories and have put his various employment and residences down on a single sheet. There aren't that many. His first entry was as an employee of the Star Creamery where his job was listed as a butter-maker. His address was the same as the creamery - the first of what was to become a trend in Mr. Cramer's life. He also worked for the Milam Seafood Company and his address was the same as that company. He had also been custodian of Houston's old (first) Carnegie Library building which was replaced by the building now known as the Julia Ideson Building.
Houston's main Carnegie Library, demolished to build what is now the Julia Ideson Library
TE Postcard
When he became security guard/ gardener/ custodian/ janitor (and you thought a custodian and a janitor were the same thing) of this building, his address was given as the library's side street entrance.
If Julius had a love interest, it is not known. The music which he allegedly plays on the violin are uplifting Strauss waltzes, not moody romantic pieces.
Julius' mysteries are both large and small. On the death certificate box reserved for type of death the word "Sudden" appears - followed by a question mark. That's the coroner's mild afterthought since he wasn't curious enough to perform a complete autopsy. Cra's remains were iced down and shipped to a sister who lived in the NE Kansas town of Hiawatha.
Julia Ideson Library Detail
Sheet music occasional found scattered around the library floor seem to be the only tangible manifestation of Cra's presence inside the building. Other than the violin music, the only other acoustic clues are the sounds of his dog's nails clicking on the building's marble floors and staircases. All stories in the files can agree that Cra's dog was a German Shepherd, even though there's a discrepancy over Mr. Cramer's race. Several stories have him listed as a Black man who attended church in nearby Freedman's Town, while others mention him as being "white." It hardly matter now. All his trials are now over.
© John Troesser
October 8, 2007 column
More Ghosts
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Related Topics: Texas | TE Online Magazine
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