text:
... The Middle East? Well yes, but this is the ABC's description of the sad situation in Alice Springs.
Apparently there is a flood of 'thugs' from the remote communities, where booze is banned and there is no work. The blokes from out-of-town add to drunkenness, crime and violence and their kids roam around looking for food and, presumably, drugs.
Meanwhile, Australia has over 1000 refugee kids in detention centres, some of whom will eventually become dissident adults prepared to wreak who knows what damage to our way of life. Labor promised to get the children out of detention but evidently cannot even get that right.
All horribly awful.
Middle East.
The price of oil has broken through the $US 100 barrier even though experts say any regime needs to keep the oil wells running.
But presumably oil wells can be set alight, and it is not beyond imagination that Iran and Saudi Arabia might yet catch the freedom bug.
But the best thing I can do it report the views from the global news centres.
* 'Iran's Forces Battle Protests Nationwide' says the WSJ.
* 'Gaddafis grip on power slips' says the FT, plus 'Oil groups prepare to close down in Libya'.
* 'Next stop: the House of Saud' - this thoughtful article from Asia Times Online.
* 'The autumn of the patriarchs' is the theme from The Economist, well worth presenting its opening paragraphs..
'SEMINAL moments in revolutions do not come at nicely spaced intervals, but in a bewildering cascade. The accelerating rush of events leading to the abrupt downfall of Egypts president, Hosni Mubarak, came so cluttered with markers signifying radical change that their deeper implications can be hard to discern. The countrys streets have now calmed, with the army in charge of a wobbly interim government. But the smallest happenings in Cairo still reverberate with new meanings, not only for Egypt but for the surrounding region.
'One such little scene with big implications played out some 36 hours after Mr Mubaraks exit, when two top generals from the military council now ruling Egypt hosted a chat with some of the youthful campaigners whose organisational genius, to their own surprise as much as anyones, finally toppled Mr Mubarak on February 11th. In a Facebook post, the visitors described the meeting as encouraging. Not only did the generals, both in their early 60s, affirm the armys commitment to the goals of the revolution, including a swift transition to democracy under civilian rule. They also showed unprecedented respect for the opinions of young people.
'For Egyptians inured to rigid hierarchies of class and age, this last point was telling. Only a week before, as huge demonstrations engulfed the country, Mr Mubaraks short-termed vice-president, the dour ex-head of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, had infuriated young Egyptians by suggesting that the protesters parents should tell them to go home. His prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, when pressed to apologise for a murderous attack on unarmed protesters by paid pro-Mubarak thugs, promised sarcastically to send the victims chocolates and sweets'.
Is this a Great Crisis of Capitalism?
It may be far better than that, and if you read Henry's book you will find that neither the mad mullahs and blood-crazed dictators of the Middle East nor China pose the greatest threats to the capitalist system.
Here is the book's official site.
Safari 2016 #1 getting there.
What should you do with someone elses briefcase in a major airport? This was our dilemma at Rome Fuimicino airport as we were leaving recently. Our driver, Eric from Taxi Transfers, an excellent business run from London, drove well, pointing out major features as we travelled. Eric emptied the boot of the car, demonstrated with a flourish that the boot was completely empty, and drove off at speed.
We loaded our luggage onto an airport trolley and discovered an extra item. The extra item was an open briefcase so we looked to see if it looked dangerous just paper, with lists of clients, perhaps an earlier customers, or Erics administrative notes. (Make sure all luggage is unloaded.)
So what to do? We went to our check-in, which fortunately was for business class with virtually no queue. There we checked our bags and explained our dilemma. A very helpful check-in lady suggested we call Taxi Transfers, which she agreed to do, and after a couple of tries spoke to someone in London. We have no man called Eric working in Rome London explained unhelpfully. Was Eric filling in for a friend? Clearly the airline felt unable to take possession, especially as Eric had been disowned. I was reluctant to simply put the bag in a bin. After discussion I suggested that Id explain our problem at security, which the check-in lady endorsed with some enthusiasm. I emailed London to say that is what I would try to do.
We were lucky to have a fast track pass. The young bloke in charge of sending us for screening was somewhat panicked about Erics briefcase, and higher authority was consulted. I suggested security take the bag, as what else could I do with it. You should have just left it outside the airport, suggested my young friend. That would not be responsible, I responded, think of the chaos that could have resulted. I suppose you are right the young bloke conceded, and sent me on my way without further palaver.
Business class on Qatar Air from Rome to Doha was like First Class on Qantas from Melbourne to LA. Doha was hot very hot and its airport is simply enormous with lots of workers apparently hanging about not doing much. We managed a few hours sleep in the airport hotel then joined the 8.30 am flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. The airplane was pretty old, but not noticeably older than the Qantas plane on which we were taken from LA to Washington several weeks ago. As we approached the airport the famous mountain peeped out from the cloud. At the airport there was a fair bit of chaos, and despite having purchased visas in advance we were required to fill in forms before we could approach the customs men. Those people quickly stamped both the form and the passport and we were there, in Tanzania. Our baggage arrived quickly and while we were waiting we watched tasteful scenes of lions attacking small buffalos only to be tossed in the air by large buffalos and a crocodile being attacked by a large spotted feline, and carried off by the feline, despite the feline being the smaller animal.
The trip to Arusha hotel took about 40 minutes. We saw kids walking home from school, small shops that suggested real poverty, very dry fields, the rains being late or not happening this year, and a vast attempt to turn the main road into Arusha into a double highway. This was a project by a Chinese company, who had been working on it for 2 years and looked about 25% finished. Our highly intelligent driver said there was a lot of Chinese influence but the Chinese were greatly disliked. Michael also gave us a briefing on many matters including tribal and language structures, Tanzanian diets (amid widespread poverty), politics from colonial times, the unique Tanzanite gems and many other interesting matters.
Michaels English and general knowledge was impeccable and if I were a recruiting officer for Australia Id have tried to sign him up on the spot.Tonight we rest in the Arusha hotel and tomorrow we head off on The Safari. Readers if so inclined may wish us luck. We are advised in advance that Leopard Tours (whose safari we are to join) has no responsibility for illness or injury and we should be very careful. It is especially important not to wander around camp sites at night as the animals are both genuinely wild and often hungry.
Fiona Prior saw Sydney Film Festival's opening film Goldstone. '(Goldstone) has a heartfelt dignity that feels very Australian ...' along with all the adrenalin rushes you would expect of a thriller set in the Australian outbook. More here
Sunday Sanity Break, 3 July 2016
It is a weekend of shocks. Collingwood beat Carlton by 2 goals after what (given the low scores of both teams) must have been an old fashioned arm wrestle. Iceland (we hope) beats France in the Euro cup quarter final being held tomorrow. And the Australian election is one of the best ever with the result not known when we all went to bed at midnight and no more counting til Tuesday. (Did I hear Malcolm say that late in the proceedings?) Seems there are only three plausible outcomes a narrow absolute majority for Turnbull, a hung parliament with a minority Turnbull government or a hung parliament with a minority Shorten government. But the government, if it is any option, will not have a majority in the joint sitting of parliament.
The Thornton entourage in Prato Henry, Mrs T, daughter and daughters friend sat down to watch the coverage by the Sky News team, shown internationally on The Australia Channel. The regular Sky News Team were scattered around Australia. Visitors included Michael Kroger, George Brandis, Peta Credlin, Kristina Keneally , two Labor men whose names Henry missed, and a couple of brief but welcome appearances by Richo, chirpy as ever but in a wheelchair. David Spears officiated, although toward the end was having trouble maintaining discipline as his high-powered panel began shouting at each other. In distant Australia Bert Thornton was maintaining a 30 year tradition with a Thornton election party.
The result was too close to call from the getgo. The fact that the polls got it right in predicting a very close result was the first surprise. The fact that Labor did better than anyone but Bill Shorten predicted, and then only in his wilder dreams, was another surprise.
Reasons for these surprises were discussed at length as the coverage continued. Michael Kroger was, as he often is, crisper than others: From September to May the promised plan to provide coherent economic leadership was missing too much drift; the governments attempt to tax peoples superannuation enraged many more Liberal supporters than expected; and thirdly Labors big lie about the plan to privatise Medicare. The Labor men whose names I forgot to write down became progressively more cheerful as it became clearer that Bill Shortens campaign was doing far better that most pundits had expected. The big lie allegation was answered by presentation of counter allegations about alleged past Coalition misbehaviour.
Peta Credlin was in Henrys view the star of the show. The young ladies present were impressed; shes really scary was their initial offering but the older people were more impressed by her obvious competence, loyalty to her previous boss (while maintaining the party line that Malcolm was the current best hope of the side) and endorsing the idea that September to Mays drift was unhelpful. She added that The Double Dissolution was a grave mistake and Malcolm should have gone early.
Kristina Keneally was another star. Always on message but hard-edged comment in a measured manner. One wishes she had gone to Canberra.There was general agreement that the result meant that Malcolm has no mandate, reinforced by the fact that very little had been put on the table anyway. People were puzzled why the building union atrocity matter (ABCC) had hardly been mentioned. Peta Credlin noted that Bill ran a cracker of a campaign.
When Bill arrived he was given a heros welcome by the Labor faithful, your humble scribe thinks deservedly so. He spoke well, effectively claiming a victory while thanking his whole team and presenting an humble persona. His final claim was that whatever happens to the parliament, Labor would prevent Medicare from being privatised. He was applauded to the rafters and looked and acted like the winner.
Malcolm was late to arrive, and left for his CBD headquarters from his Eastern Suburbs fortress with Lucy well after Bills rapturous reception. He then spent another 30 minutes consulting with his team (Peta advised) before being welcomed by his supporters. Both the leader and the supporters were obviously surprised and shaken, though Malcolm managed a smile and a few optimistic opening words. The key narrative had changed significantly, and crucially, if it is not too late. Still, he asserted, it was a wonderful time to be alive, but there were many challenges if we were to take advantages of the opportunities. At last, a recognition that there was serious work to be done, though no hint that sacrifices might be needed, labour reform was essential and there was a massive budgetary problem that remained to be addressed. There was also more than the usual handwaving, hands almost continuously in motion being moved up and down, and sometimes from side to side, at a speed that made them appear blurred, reflecting perhaps the attempt to refashion the narrative in only 30 minutes late at night after a very hard day. Clearly stressed and shocked.
Lots of fun to come, and whomever is leader when the votes are counted will need to get better advice, and indeed to listen to better advice, than the current leadership team of both parties. Both Labor and the Coalition have a massive job to do to craft a viable recovery and booming plan for the Australian economy. If possible there should be some negotiating and horse trading to preserve the sacred icons of both main parties. Youre dreaming now Henry, Mrs T asserted when she perused these comments.
Global currents two excellent articlesThe latest Economist contains an article The consensus crumbles. A concluding comment is important: The benefits of [economic] openness are massive. It is increasingly clear, however, that supporters of economic integration underestimated the risks both that big slices of society would feel left behind and that nationalism would continue to provide an alluring alternative. Either error alone might have undercut support for globalisation and the six decades of relative peace and prosperity it has brought. In combination, they threaten to reverse it.
David Brooks in the International NYT this weekend discusses The coming political realignment.Donald Trump has done something politically smart and substantively revolutionary. He is a Republican presidential candidate running against free trade and, effectively, free markets.
And in conclusion: The prophets of closedness will argue that the problem is trade. The prophets of openness will argue that need the dynamism that free trade brings. We just need to be more aggressive in equipping people to thrive in that dynamic landscape. If facts matter in this debate and I am not sure they do the proponents of openness are massively right.
Of course, what is the plan to equip people to thrive in that dynamic landscape. Malcolm, Bill, that is a big question you might try to reach a sensible agreement on.
KultureAll roads leading to Canberra this week; at least on the domestic front. Fiona Prior revisits the work of star Australian artist Fiona Hall, presently on exhibition at Canberra's National Gallery of Australia (NGA). FP first saw Fiona Hall's exhibition Wrong Way Time as Australia's official entry in the Venice Biennale 2015. More here.
image: Wrong Way Time (detail) by Fiona Hall
Image of the week
Sunday Sanity Break, 26 June 2016
This is a thunderbolt exclaimed some senior Eurocrat. This was an referendum Remain or Leave that the great and the good said should, and would, produce a clear remain verdict until the result left many stunned pollies. The polls got closer when they it said was too close to call. But the punters, apparently including George Soros, got it right and again won billions punting against sterling. Was it the president of the EU when asked if others would leave, snarled No and stormed away from the press conference. Clearly no great democrat.
In contrast to the stunned mullets in senior political jobs, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, appeared to offer a calm sense of purpose. With the U K Treasury and the European Central Bank and other agencies, he has been working an action plan to quell financial volatility and keep the global financial system from imploding. In Henrys view it is significant that UK shares fell less than German and French shares and the big falls in sterling and some other currencies were partly reversed by Friday evening. Anyway, with politicians looking shocked, it was good to see the key independent central banker calming the situation.
Friday morning the world discovered that The British had rebelled. This was proclaimed in an article about populist anger, as the International New York Times put it. Their stunning vote to leave the European Union presents a political, economic and existential crisis for a bloc already reeling from entrenched problems. The support for Donald Trump in America and unpopularity of the EU hierarchy represents the same popular thumb in the eye. Even in distant Australia, the low ratings for the Turnbull government and the Labor opposition, with offsetting support for amateurs and splinter groups, may well be driven by similar characteristic.
Mrs Thornton believes many people in the developed world are deeply unhappy with a number of economic trends. Many jobs are navigating to less developed nations, famously of course China and the fast growing, low wage nations of South East Asia. Once the jobs drought was largely about blue collar workers but now the drought has spread to the more influential middle classes. Middle class kids work hard to gain one or two degrees but find it desperately hard to get jobs that use their newly acquired skills.
Where these trends will go is a common discussion. Elites in business and the public service are paid what seem extraordinary amounts to come to work, producing a widening distribution of income and wealth with little trickle down to justify elite rewards. In some nations, especially the USA where real wages have stagnated for decades, people ask themselves what are the benefits of the new age of freer trade. And there is populist anger at the apparent inability of governments to curb terrorist atrocities or to find ways to stop waves of refugees fleeing mayhem of terror groups in places such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The sharper pundits have observed that Britain has form in the matter of independence from continental Europe. Henry the Eighth cut loose from the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century. Perhaps this was to free Henry (the Eighth) from the strictures of that church for personal reasons but there has been no popular move to reinstate the Catholic Pope as head of the main religious organisation in the United Kingdom. A more cynical interpretation was offered by Yes Minister in 1980.http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/how-yes-minister-predicted-brexit-20160626-gps1pj.html
Fiona Prior visits the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition at the AGNSW. More here
image: Diego on my Mind (detail) by Frida Khalo
And do catch Henry and Mrs T in Napoli here
Image of the week The Brexit, courtesy Giorgio Vasari, 1543
image: The Brexit courtesy Giorgio Vasari, 1543
Sunday Sanity Break, 5 June 2016
Growth of Australia's debt is unsustainable. Thanks to LF economics for preparing some startling new statistics of Government debt and Household Debt from 1850 and to Adam Creighton for publicising LF's paper on the subject.
As a percentage of GDP, Australia's government debt is 'only' 34 %. But budget deficits are predicted to persist as long as the eye can see AND borrowing costs are at record lows.
The government debt ratio will keep rising unless and until the government deficit turns into a surplus. The task of producing a surplus will at least double when global interest rates return to normal.
Current trends in government debt are very similar to those predicted by RBA research in 1986. These trends alarmed Treasurer Paul Keating and he persuaded the nation and cabinet to cop serious fiscal tighting with his 'Banana Republic'.
The current Turnbull government has hardly discussed the threat of continued growth of debt and deficits, so the public can be excused for believing it is not a problem and that even Labor's deficits can be funded.
But the other series is in the LF graph we regard as the image of the week, and also the image of 2016.
Household debt is an utterly unsustainable 160 percent of household income and has all the problems of national debt multiplied by approximately six. When interest rates return to normal, many Australian households will be in deep financial trouble.
Should house prices and/or share prices fall, the trouble will be multiplied further.
Secretary to Treasury is going to retire after the election. It would be better for his reputation, and much better for Australia's future if he decided to stay and gave the post election Treasurer a briefing that laid out the issues summarised here in all their potential horror.
Perhaps the retiring Secretary knows the task is impossible so it may be best if his body is dragged off the field and a successor is found who is bright enough to construct the briefing I think is needed and brave enough to present it.
Of course, the incoming Treasurer may not want brains and courage. 'Let's muddle along, Prime Minister, something will turn up. Blogs (the incoming Treasurer's choice) won't cause any trouble and the RBA thinks we'll muddle through.'
Poor old Blogs, his reputation will be in tatters, and a future serious conservative government will need to sort out Australia's love of debt and persuade us all to cop a decade of austerity. The austerity will be the greater the longer the current unsustainable game is allowed to go on
Fiona Prior visits the very different sartorial styles of Isabella Blow and Collette Dinnigan at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. More here.
Image of the Week
Labor remains 51-49 and Bill Shorten on one measure (net lack of popularity) has equalled Malcolm Turnbull. Well, Comrades, what a turn up for the bookies, the pundits and Malcolm Turnbull. As Richo said, the Libs sacked a bloke with no judgment for a bloke with no ticker. And no debt and deficit reduction strategy either, substituting instead what a great time it is for Australia, and to be Australias Prime Minister, even if it will turn out to be for less than a year. One your bike Malcolm, lots of ground to make up and the possibly fatal decision to punish your heartland with retrospective changes to their retirement plans.
And can we believe it? Caaaarlton! beats Premiership hopeful Geelong despite having no fit players on the bench for most of the last quarter. This side is very special. 'Grit and determination, spirit' this is the secret.
Read all about at the Herald Sun.
Janet Yellen has now said US rates will rise in coming months. In distant Bergen, last weeks weekend FT was 39 Norwegian Krona, 40 with a plastic bag to keep out the rain. Its editorial says The Fed nudges investors toward another rate increase following the release this week of hawkish-sounding minutes from its late April meeting. Yet, the FT says, inflation is still falling and in Japan and Europe (and, we hasten to add, Australia). In Japan and the Eurozone, monetary policy is still being eased. Even with some increase in commodity prices, a sudden upsurge of inflation is unlikely. The FT says A fresh rate rise in the United States at this time would be a mistake and it must be agreed that inflation is apparently still falling despite improving activity.
The more important issue, at least for Henry and Mrs T, is the outlook for equities. The FT asserts that fund managers are braced for a summer of shocks. These shocks include: Corporate earnings are falling and no-one likes equities. (Bad luck for self-funded retirees. They will be told by financial planners to spend up big and apply for a pension.) The world is entering a time of falling returns. (Any chance of this effecting Australian companies? CEOs, especially overpaid bank CEOs, will find downward pressure on remuneration.) UK leaves the Euro zone, although recent polls are discounting the Brexit shock. Europe must negotiate a deal with Turkey on immigration. Support for Greece needs sorting. Spain is experiencing the need for another election after recent elections failed to produce a government. (No chance of this in Australia?) Italy is facing a constitutional crisis which one guru said might turn out to be a referendum on the popularity of the European Union as a whole. (In Henrys modest view, the Euro zone is doomed because the Euro is too weak for the strong nations of Europe and too strong for the weak countries.) And there is the old Northern hemisphere advice to sell in May and go away.
Here is one prediction with especially relevance to Australia. A Mr Barry Norris, head of Argonaut Capital Partners, is quoted as saying: Nearly every commodity in the world, with the exception of salmon, is oversupplied relative to demand. Recent signs of fresh demand has just delayed the reckoning Norris believes, which has merely been delayed for six to twelve months.
Henry and Mrs T are determined not to let all this pessimism ruin their current journey. Indeed, the report on our time in Norway has been added to here. Page down to Balestrand - the Kaiser's playground
The Raff reports on Vietnam -booming economy, great place to invest, or take a holiday.
Image of the week The trouble with Mexicans, correction Australians
Bill Maher, an American comedian, has realised that Australians are quietly taking over lots of fun areas of American life working bars, teaching skiing and surfing, taking acting jobs from Americans. It seemed to Henry that he was trying to illustrate Donald Trump in action, although he did sort of apologise for asserting that Australians are rapists.
Click here for a You Tube extravaganza. WARNING: do not do this if you are a sensitive adult or if children are in the room.)
Fiona Prior falls for the charm of the latest film version The Jungle Book. More here
Henry's editor, Pete Jonson, has recently decisively wound back his corporate involvement. He is now fulfilling the promise he made to himself as a young part-time landscape painter that he would, later in life, spend more time painting. This time has arrived; and Pete has been painting seriously for several years now, gradually devoting more and more time to this most pleasurable activity.
Pete has just opened his first exhibition, an eight weeks solo showing at Whitehill Gallery & Sapori Di Casa Restaurant, a small slice of Tuscany on the Mornington Peninsula.
The exhibition has just been extended until August 12. Henry urges Pete's friends to go along, have a great Italian meal and buy a painting. They are of high quality and priced to sell. Each painting comes with a conversation with Pete about his views on global economic prospects in the puzzling (to many) age of deflation and what should be the policy of Australia's government after the current election.
The address is Whitehill Road, (near the corner of Old Whitehill Road), Dromana, Mornington Peninsula. This is about 1 hour and 10 minutes by car from most parts of Melbourne, using the M1 and M3 and then the M11 (new Peninsula Link freeway).
The Gallery is open each Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm. And the Restaurant is open each Friday to Sunday for lunch (phone 03 5931 0146 to book, if you would like to enjoy the paintings with home-made Italian food and superb local and Italian wines). The exhibition will closeon August 12.
Pete Jonson: Perspectives features Pete's landscape paintings from 1988 to 2014. His goal was to capture on canvas both the physical reality and the soul of each vista.
In Henry's impartial opinion, viewers of the works will see that Pete has achieved both; with inspiration, subtlety, technical ability and, above all, a deep love of our natural environment.
Below is an example, The Spirit of the Rock (Uluru) (2013):
The Spirit of the Rock (Uluru)Oil on Canvas4' x 3'.
SOLD in week 1 of the Exhibition
This is the first time the paintings have been publicly shown; and each is very modestly priced (from $1,000 to $3,000 with one especial favourite of the artist at $4,750).
Enjoy! And please pass on to your friends if you are moved to do so.
Pete's new Econart images may be viewed here and will be offered For Sale at a later exhibition.
Henry cannot access The Australian despite being a lifetime subscriber and a person who also had a digital subscription almost from inception of that service, he cannot access all the locked articles in that great organ's site. This problem first occurred two months ago when Henry took a digital subscription to the Herald Sun. It took three long phone calls to the laughingly incompetant 'Help Desk' before Henry was again able to access the Digital Oz.
Now sitting the La Guardia airport awaiting the flight to Washington, Henry is off the air again. Lordy, lordy, as they say in parts of the mighty USA, what can be done? Call the Oz's 'Helpline' on the mobile and wait for 20 minutes to reach a nymphette who cannot fix the situation?
Better still, email David Uren and see if he can get me back online for the Oz and Herald Sun.
I have been touched by the high levels of public civility we have experienced in New York. It this the aftermath of the so-called 'Great Recession', more thoughtful civil leadership or more NYPD presence on the beat? Who knows, but the culture seems different compared to that experienced during our one month visit about 30 years ago.
We had the great good luck to obtain tywo cheap seats at the Saturday afternoon performance of The Book of Mormon. A snip at $US69 each, sitting in a box at the front side box. Wonderful show, and top prices were $US750 each, an offer we declined with shocked amusement.
Economic and civility commentary here.
Due to above-mentioned interrnet news black-out, I am unable to comment much on events in our dearly beloved Banana Republic. Our gently skeptical comments on the late, much lamented budget have been overshadowed by the news that Treasury Secretary John Fraser is to resign after the election and by a brilliant analysis by former Secretary of Treasury John Stone. This was published in the Australian Spectator and may be accessed at the link below.
Like the Book of Mormon, a treat not to be missed.
Great excitement and 'white hot rage' about the clearly retrospective changes to Superannuation law and practice. Messrs Turnbull and Morrison are sticking to their guns despite this being a major issues for the Liberal faithful. Especially with people who have accumulated enough money not to need to suckle on the gummint teat like, apparently, 50 percent of Australians of working age.
First leaders debate saw Bill Shorten apparently more sincere and able to connect with real people, while 'Harbourside man' spoke well and smiled nicely with an invisable thought bubble hoverering over his head suggesting 'Why am I bothering?'
As many people have said: 'It will be long and it will be hard (no sniggering please) and it may well end with a hung parliament and more of Australia's increasingly dysfunctional politics.
Henry and Mrs T leave for the USA on Tuesday and will find it difficult to get access to all the political goss, and for that we are very grateful. In fact today we shall explain courtesy of Australia post - with the letter 50 % likely to get tossed in a bin - why we shall be unable to vote.
The most important reason apart from destroying people's sense of financial well being in their twlight years for objecting to the mooted changes in the law and practive of Superannuation is this. Like assassinating a serving Prime Minister (which both major parties have done), major changes to the law and practice of Superannuation provides a reason why, in due course, the other mob will use the Coalition precedent to inflict further, probably worse, damage on Superannuants. Bleak this week said it so well, although not all the allegedly 'rich' people are as fat as the bloke on the donkey.
In the USA, Donald Trump surges on and after clumsy attempts to block his ascendency Republicans seem now to be doing their best to embrace him.
Sensible, moderate government seems to be breaking down everywhere, perhaps as a delayed response to the Global crisis.
From Wednesday we shall be in the once-mighty USA, watching the political antics close up and personal. It will be something of an antidote to the shananigans in the Banana Republic down south and around the globe.
Henry's editor's art show has opened well with two sales and lots of polite interest. We have emailed our list of special buddies and we'd welcome feedback from anyone who visits the exhibition, details here. Contact Henry here.
Fiona Prior sees director Andrew Rossi's The First Monday in May. Oooo-eee! More here
Footy'n'other stuff
The eighth round of AFL footy has begun with Geelong scoring a comfortable win over Adelaide.
Tomorrow Essendon meet the Shinboners, Hawthorn will presumably belt the hapless Freo, the Giants play the pygmies from the Gold Coast, Richmond will fail to redeem its season by slowing Sydney's stately run, for the flag and Brisbane and Collingwood play for twe wooden spoon.
Sunday looms as of most interest to Henry, if only because a newly competent Caaaarltonn! play the porters from Adelaide in Melbourne. Then Melbourne take on the mighty Western Bullies and the inconsistent Weagles meet rising St Kilda.
Not much 'other stuff' about this week. Will Rio be able to host the Olympics, is Kurtley Beale going to the Wasps in old blighty, and will this weaken the newly resurgent Wallabies, when do th futballers play again? These are the big questions in the Thornton household, apart from the outlook when Henry is diverted from the world of High Kulture to again be planning for a financial future with a tax on superannuation and worse atrocities to come if Billy Shorten wins the current oh so boring election race.
Who'd of thort that Malcolm seems like the tortoise so far. If it was a boxing event it would be promoted as the smooth talking Harbourside Mansion dweller vs the rough diamond who has (gasp!) taken up running.
Image of the week
Courtesy The Oz
Gor Blimey, Comrades, aint politics confusing. Messrs Turnbull and Morrison are willing to screw Australians who have built up sufficient funds to avoid demanding a tax-payer funded pension with retrospective changes in the rules, and Bill Shorten opposes the change on the grounds that retrospective changes to tax policy are just not on.
In respect of the $1.6 million limit on tax free disbursements, Cory Bernardi asked the killer question of a senior treasury official. What if markets crash and $1.6 becomes, say, $0.8 million, with income halved? Tough titty said the Treasury officer, or words to that effect. I bet she smugly mused that couldnt happen to her good self due to defined benefit nature of her pension, even if she were paying 15 % tax on pension amounts over $100 K. Same point for pollies, folks, so lets get on with screwing financially successful non-pollies, non public officials.
Other than that, the budget was a timid affair and provides no guarantees that Australia will keep its AAA credit rating. When that is lost, plus global interest rates finally rise, the costs of servicing our rapidly growing international debt will increase catastrophically. Bill Shorten has outlined $70 billion of tax cuts plus new spending plans, while the government is hoping wealthy donors will overlook the extra work and accounting fees to restructure a superannuation plan that was adopted in good faith based on rules provided by the Howard-Costello government.
And the Libs will not just find donations dry up. Just about everyone in Henrys circle, almost all rolled gold Libs, are threatening to vote Labor, in most cases for the first time since they were hard-playing university students. Even the normally well-behaved Centre of Independent Studies has unleashed a missile. A leading free market think tank has lashed the Turnbull budget, saying it offers no crediblepath back to surplus and has permanently entrenched big government.
The executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), John Roskam, sent an email to members last night saying "the size of government will have grown by nearly 10 per cent in the course of just over a decade".
"That's unsustainable. That heads us down the path of European-style economics," he wrote.
"If Labor win the election the situation will be even worse."
Mr Roskam said he had received phone calls and emails from IPA members worried about what would happen to their superannuation.
"It's not just that the Government is increasing taxes on superannuation," he wrote."What will really concern people are the retrospective changes to superannuation taxes that will hit people already in retirement.
Read on here.
The election will be held on July 2 and battle is joined. Labor is for more spending and higher taxes. The Coalition offers relative (but insufficient) spending restraint and (assumed) gradual restoration of an acceptable fiscal position.
Both sides make optimistic assumptions and neither seem to take into account the possibility of a 'reasonable worst case' - China's economy and indeed global growth struggling, the new Senate just as reactionary as the old one and the ideological battle leaving a divided polity unable to agree on either the economic problems facing Australia or the most sensible solution.
Malcolm Turnbull has failed to produce his promised convincing economic narrative and seems to struggle with basic political strategy. Bill Shorten has began to look like a winner. A Liberal apparatchick suggested to Henry this weekend that another minority government was possible, indeed likely, with Greens and Xenophons holding the balance of power in the House of Representatives. And who knows how the Senate will pan out.
Henry's editor's exhibition of paintings has been launched and readers are urged to visit the Whitehall Gallery and restaurant, details here.
Fiona Prior sees Gail Louws Blonde Poison starring Belinda Giblin, a confronting one-woman drama about a Jewish Nazi-informer. More here
John Elliot once said that no season in which Caaaarlton! defeated both Essendon and Collingwood was too shabby, and this was achieved at the 'G' yesterday. Unlike the wins over Freo and Essendon, the game was of a reasonable quality - moderate AFL rather than Nunawading seconds or Auskick under 12s.
Hawthorn redeemed itself by flogging Richmond, Sydney were awesome and Geelong is top of the ladder.
Courtesy The Oz
It will be long, it will be hard, and there is always the chance that Bill Shorten will win, or there will be another messy minority government.
No point in pontificating today. All is being revealed before the official release. 'Living within our means' is the mantra, there will be a bandaid to prevent bracket creep for the year ahead. A start on cutting company tax, or a promise to do this if reelected. And cuts to superannuation tax benefits for the rich, and also for the merely well-to-do who place serious weight on living within their means after regular earnings have come to an end.
And increased tax on smokes, foreign tax-evaders - why was this never tackled before? - and a few other good things to do. Sadly no tax on capital inflow - far cleaner than agonising political decisions about good capital inflow (allowed) or bad capital inflow (buying the farm).
Do not miss the review of the Japanese economy by Nick Raffan, the Raff to Henry's readers. This is a possible future for us all if Australian governments cannot take a grip on the budget and restore a sensible fiscal policy with budget balance on average over the years.
Greg Sheridan tells all today about Japanese hurt and anger at Australia's rejection of their offer to build our new submarines. Their claim is that they were encouraged to get into the game by Tony Abbott, supported by the US government and then informed of their failure by leak and not deep and meaningful
From all accounts the French will quickly become our best buddies in ship-building and are also likely to teach us a fair bit about modern manufacturing along the way.
Great to learn that 'Tabs' has recognised his mistakes and is settling down to a new political career as an elder statesman and general good guy.
Presumably, China is probably a tad unhappy at Scott Morrison's decision not to sell to Chinese interests the Kidman empire, including its over 1 % of Australia's sacred soil.
For a satirical account of a previous attempt at an Australian land grab, read Banana Republic, Henry's take on the modern direction of university life and work in Australia. Link here.
Henry is in the throes of excitement as his editor's exhibition gets set up on Monday and opens on Thursday. Link to location below image of Henry's favourite painting at end of blog below.
Then with Mrs T he leaves for the USA and then Europe for immersionn in global economics and culture.
Sadly we shall miss the election although hope to follow it on our devices from Prato, near Florence, where Mrs T is teaching for several weeks.
Fiona Prior pays tribute to David Page, music director of the internationally acclaimed Bangarra Dance Theatre by visiting the first Bangarra Dance Theatre performance she experienced back in 2002, Walkabout. More here
image by Edward Mulvihill : Bangarra Dance Theatre
The Shinboners brought the Doggies down to earth last night in a clinal display that represented their best start to a seasonm since 1890, correcvtion, 1971. It warms the cockles of one's heart to see such a club from the inner suburbs of Melbourne doing so well. Only the fact that yet another Caaarlton! reject - Vin Waite - helped with the game with a display well above anything he ever produced for the Blues.
Caaaaarlton! has the chance to go two wins in a row on Sunday when playing Essendon, the team of blokes too young or too old, but nevertheless a serious chance to win the battle with Caaarlton! to avoid the wooden spoon this year.
The top teams are just so far above the cellar dwellers that we need some sort of divisional split in Aussie footy. Hawthorn, Sydney, West Coast, Adelaide, Geelong as well as North Melbourne and Footescray are all well above the rest.
Alternatively, a split of all sports into three groups - amateur, professional (clean) and professional (enhanced).
It is already getting hard to keep track of illicit drugs, and what happens when gene therapies become a regular feature of life?
Image of the week.
Uluru in the Gloaming
Exhibition opening Thursday May 5. Details here.


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Sounds Like: Toad the Wet Sprocket, Counting Crows, Matthew Good
Bio: Imagine if somehow Mark Knopfler, Adam Duritz, Neil Peart, and Michael Stipe could get together and simultaneously impregnate Sarah McLachlan.
Well, no… don't actually imagine the act itself, or the logistics of the fertilization process, but concentrate more on the strange offspring that would ...See Full Bio
"Caterpillar Daydreams" does pop with a classical feel. The lyrics are a beautiful contrast of ethereal images sung in a musing style that feels like rough velvet. For most of these songs, acoustic guitar notes dance over lush string arrangements. These songs are a mystical experience. The first track, "2:00am," is a dark, crashing, echoed rock sound that feels like something a melancholy Alice Cooper would do. Then we go into "Eggshells," with its unexpected clarity and honesty that continues through the rest of the CD. The lyrics of "Eggshells" describe creatures of darkness and despair being nurtured by a vision of purity. The keyboards and strings are dreamily perfect for these mystical songs. The band does gear up a bit on "Earth Diving", which actually grows into an acoustic rocker for a brief interlude, with the vocal growing into a frustrated near-yell before the song quiets back down. But for the most part, these songs are beautifully sad.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pennsylvania Sues To Prevent County From Issuing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
The Pennsylvania Health Department has filed a state lawsuit against Montgomery County Register of Wills Bruce Hanes, asking the Commonwealth Court to prevent him from issuing any more same-sex marriage licenses. Hanes began issuing them nearly a week ago, arguing that he was fulfilling his oath to uphold the Pennsylvania Constitution by doing so. Since then he has issued over 30 such licenses.
Pennsylvania state law limits marriage to a man and a woman, but it's one of the few states that does not have a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Conservatives who protested Hanes' actions described the law as "just discrimination." A group of same-sex families has filed a suit in federal court challenging the law, and state Attorney General Kathleen Kane has said she will not defend it. It was that decision that Hanes said motivated him to begin issuing licenses.
Gov. Tom Corbett (R) has announced he will defend Pennsylvania's marriage discrimination law in Kane's place.


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I am using WordPress 2.2. I have SimpleFlickr installed on my blog. It works fine. The problem is that at the bottom of the blog and the admin page I have the following text:
Warning: Unknown(): open(/tmp/php-ses/sess_3b76b973a075d536400baf1175c4efbe, O_RDWR) failed: Permission denied (13) in Unknown on line 0
Warning: Unknown(): Failed to write session data (files). Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct (/tmp/php-ses) in Unknown on line 0
When I deactivate the plugin the message disappears. I have activated other plugins without this problem. Any suggestions? (I will also be leaving a comment on the plugin's author's page).
Thanks for the help.


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This March, the Eisner Award winning creative team returns for the next chapter in the saga of Matt Murdock, as the Man Without Fear rushes headlong into All-New Marvel NOW! Marvel is proud to present your first look at DAREDEVIL #1 â from the blockbuster creative team of Mark Waid & Chris Samnee!
Gifted with an imperceptible radar sense, blind lawyer Matt Murdock patrols the streets with a Billy club and a passion for justice. Only this time â itâs a brand new city, with even more dangerous foes. Join Matt Murdock as he journeys from the dark streets of Hellâs Kitchen to the sun-drenched boulevards of San Francisco.
And the scenery isnât the only new thing in store for Olâ Hornhead. A world of changes are in store for Matt Murdock as old haunts and familiar faces rise up to give the devil his due. Changes that will turn his life upside down yet again! Donât miss one moment of the highly anticipated series this March when DAREDEVIL #1 comes to comic shops and digital devices!


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My home internet connection is provided via a DOCSIS 2.0 complaint RCA/Thomson DCM425 cable modem. As far as I can tell the DCM425 is an un-managed device, but it does provide a web interface for viewing diagnostic information.
This all means something to my ISP, but I don't know much about DOCSIS. Some of these I can figure out via context such as SNR for Signal to Noise ratio. However, I would really like to know more about what these diagnostics refer to.
Can anyone explain 1) what these various pieces of diagnostics information are or refer to and 2) what the normal range of values they should be at?
I realize this question covers a lot of ground, but I don' really need an in depth explanation (although I would certainly welcome it if someone wants to provide it). A simple high-level abstract overview of each item would be more than sufficient.


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I just went to order extensions via the checkout at woo and the checkout was realllly slooww then i got an error message sending me to wpengine.com asking me to sign in.
Has anyone else had this problem. I'm not sure if i want to give them anymore money for a shopping cart extension if they can't even seem to operate they're own. if you go to support.woothemes it aslo shows an error


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First, let me thank you all for taking the time to come to the site, check out our videos, the demo and for registering for the Beta! Thank you for all the interest!
The buzz after announcing Microsoft Vine has been exciting, humbling and I can't wait for you all to get a chance to try out the service. There have been a lot of questions posted around the 'net and in my inbox asking how to get invited into the Beta. The answer is the same for everyone (Microsoft employees aren't even getting special treatment) we will start sending out invitations to the broader community on a first come, first serve basis over the next two months. Right now we are focusing our attention to ensure that our Pilot customers are up and running.
We will be adding more and more users over time and I don't see any reason why the people who've taken the time to register their email address with us won't get in with time. Thanks for your patience and understanding through this beta testing phase. I know it may seem strange that we are controlling access like this but our main goal is to make sure the application works for the scenarios and people who were instrumental in helping us design the feature set first. With that information in hand we want to hear other points of view, ideas, gripes, complaints and hopefully praise from a larger audience.
Thanks again, stay tuned for more updates and information about Microsoft Vine.
Signing off for now,


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you don't want to power down the toaster to 'stand by' mode.


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"Mysore" Top 5 Page for this destination Mysore by grets
Mysore Travel Guide: 218 reviews and 577 photos
Mysore is known as the city of palaces, and for very good reason. There are 17 palaces here in total, and many public buildings are palatially decorated.
Mysore is also know as the centre for sandalwood manufacture, and all of the city you can detect the sweet aroma of sandalwood.
We were in Mysore as part of a tour covering much of southern India. Our trip was pre-arranged from the UK though a company called Choomti, headed by a charming gentleman called Simon Bazely.
Our trip took us from Trivandrum to Bangalore by train, where we met and car and driver. From there we went to Mysore, Ooty, Madurai and Periyar before boarding a houseboat for a backwaters cruise. The journey continued via Cochin and finished with some time on the beach at Kovalam.
Mysore Palace is probably the most incredible palace I have ever seen on all my travels. It simply is stunning, and a real MUST SEE when in Mysore. All cameras and shoes must be left outside when visiting.
- In a nutshell:Don't miss the palace
Reviews (18)
On Sunday nights, and during festival, the palace is lit up by an amazing 5000 lightbulb. A truly magnificent sight, and... more travel advice
This ceremonial elephant howdah is elaborately decorated with 84 kg of 24 carat gold. The Maharaj had battery operated... more travel advice
The Maharajah would sit on this throne during his audiences. It is made from 280 kg of pure gold and was presented to... more travel advice
Durbar Hall was the most amazing of the rooms in the palace. The colours where so exquisite and so delighful it was... more travel advice
Things to Do (3)See All Maharaja's Palace
Local Customs (2)See All Local transport # 2
Hotels (1)Such a romantic place
Restaurants (1)An incredible menu
Comments (6)
Like your pages specially the one on Mysore. Great pictures.
great tips!
Loved your site on Southern India .. ..I'm packing my sari right now ..Can't wait to go . Moe B
You have got my taste buds going, Southern India is great fun, Will be back for more
Stunning night time & indoor palace photos Grete. Another interesting read, Lovely page (~_~)
This seems to have been a delightful tour . Great food and a bed of roses, who could ask for more?
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Work mostly with Python and JavaScript, but have some background in a wide range of languages and programming paradigms. Dream of designing my own language someday... Also interested in game design (as hobbyist), and always looking for new ways technology can help mankind achive a state of peace and prosperity, for everyone.
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Julie Doiron: 'Heavy Snow'
Heavy Snow
Julie Doiron's recent collaborator, Phil Elverum of the band Mount Eerie, calls Canadian singer-songwriter the "keeper of the world's greatest and saddest voice." But these days, Doiron sings a more optimistic tune. She even describes her latest album, I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day as "positive and uplifting." Just a quick glance at the track listing on her latest album reveals titles like "The Life of Dreams," "Lovers of the World," and "Glad to be Alive." Her tone has changed, but her voice remains the same, making Doiron sometimes sound like a less jaded version of Cat Power or Scout Niblett.
Knowing that Doiron draws from personal experiences with people and places for inspiration, it is fitting that she chose to record I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day at a leisurely pace in a "beautiful area in rural Ontario" at the home of Rick White, who plays bass and drums on the album. Though Doiron's music contains folk elements appropriate for such a sleepy, romantic backdrop, she also takes the time to crank the volume on an electric guitar. This eclectic mix of delicate acoustic guitar and harder distortion makes Doiron's music richer and multi-faceted.
Download this song in the Second Stage podcast.
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Includes Standard Air Lenses
Be smart and stylish in these Love L756 Black Silver eyeglasses! These eyeglasses come in a browline style in glossy black acetate. They also include adjustable nose pads for a perfect fit.
Attention all young, fun, fashionistas! If you love fresh, expressive colours and bold, graphic designs then get your hands on a pair of eyeglasses from the Love Eyewear Collection. These glasses designs will have you looking fierce, outgoing and fabulous for less. Love your style in Love Eyewear.
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Love these LOVE
I'm RIDICULOUSLY in love with these! They are comfortable and fashionable. I put them on immediately and they worked perfectly with what I was wearing
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For a certain audience
I really like vintage, girly things but these are a bit much. I don't think anyone can take me seriously wearing these, they don't look very mature. The plastic is very glossy....Read complete review
I really like vintage, girly things but these are a bit much. I don't think anyone can take me seriously wearing these, they don't look very mature. The plastic is very glossy. However, I am sure the right person would look good in these and like them very much. They are better quality than I expected, with a sturdy weight. But I sent them back.
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Great Glasses --- Great price
By missymammm
from Washington
About Me Casual Dresser
Comments about Love L756 Black Silver:
great glasses --- great price
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Love L756 Purple Silver
By Nyla the Nerd
from Raleigh, NC
About Me Trendy/Stylish Dresser
I absolutely adore these glasses. I actually got these free during Coastal's First Pair Free promotion during the summer of 2014. I actually ordered this pair in the Purple/Silver, which aren't currently available. I was looking for a pair of STYLISH glasses with nose pads. I have oily skin and I find that glasses tend to slip and slide on my nose as it gets later in the day. I haven't had these glasses ever slip. BONUS POINTS!! They are lightweight and don't hurt my ears. As a college student I up all hours studying and heavier glasses make my ears hurt.
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First time buyer
By Netnet
from Summerville, S.C.
I didn't get my first pair free,anyway I am very pleased with my purchase and delivery, great prices and I am back for my prescription sunglasses.
LOVE these glasses!
By Sam
from NotMississippi,Ca.
These are great. You can dress them up or down. They have held up to up three year old throwing them off my face multiple times, so they are VERY resiliant. I get compliments all the time when out and about. My presription was just renewed and instead of getting new frames, I just ordered these again. Very stylish for not a lot of money! :)
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By Raerae
from Boone, NC
About Me Classic Dresser
I wear these glasses all the time. I'm a waitress and find them so easy to wear when I work because I feel confident and they're perfect! When I first got them they were quite tight behind my ears but I took them to a local optometrist and they adjusted them for me. Now they fit perfectly and I receive compliments on them DAILY. I love telling people about where I got them because I'm so in love with my new glasses!
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By isinkships
from Chicago IL
I wear these daily and get so many compliments! I just love them!
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Really Like These!
By Mary
from Lexington, KY
Despite my assumptions with ordering glasses online, these actually fit great! They looked a little small on the online photo, but the proportions fit my face just right. I also wasn't crazy about the heart decoration on the edges of the frames in the picture, but in reality they add a cute, feminine flare. The one downside is that the plastic pads on the bridge are a little uncomfortable after wearing them for a while. Since I only wear them for driving and for short periods of time to sharpen my view of distant objects, the minor discomfort is not a huge problem. Overall, I really like them!
Love these, and get lots of compliments
By sarah S.
from Tulsa, OK
These glasses are great and go well with every outfit. I get lots of compliments from friends and strangers.
By CanPak
from Denver, CO
Love love love these glasses! Very flattering and comfortable to wear. No issues with prescription.
Great glasses!
By Krysann
from West Covina, ca
I wear my glasses when I don't feel like wearing my contacts. Since I have a small nose I love that it fits perfectly because of the plastic piece and it's stylish! This is the exact style I was looking for and I'm glad I was able to find it here with an affordable price!
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Head First
39 used & new
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magical Eighties electropop soundscapes.
April 2 2010
This review is from:
Head First (Audio CD)
When Goldfrapp release a new album, you never know what you will find in the box.
Is it the dreamy, quirky Goldfrapp of Felt Mountain? The glam of Supernature? Or even the folky, acoustic feel of their most recent record, Seventh Tree?
"Head First", Goldfrapp's fifth album, sees the virtuosic British duo (that electro-pop siren Alison Goldfrapp and her wizard sidekick Will Gregory) embrace 80s blockbusters (Top Gun, Flashdance), and euphoric synth-bombast (Abba, ELO, The Pointer Sisters), to buoyant - if not mindblowing - effect.
Will and Alison once again reinvent themselves, and head back towards the disco.
The CD comprises nine brisk tracks and clocks in at under 40 minutes, so there's hardly a wasted second.
There is not a sigle dud, all songs snappily titled, five with just single words.
This is upbeat, unashamedly pop album.
There's "Rocket" with its witty guide to how to end a relationship ("I've gotta rocket/You're going on it/You're never coming back"). "I Wanna Life", which quotes Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, is unashamedly camp and sounds like the early '80s hit "Gloria" by Laura Brannigan and the frankly implausible notion of Goldfrapp finding herself too tubby for her jeans on "Alive".
The beautiful "Believer", with its stadium-sized chorus,reminds of Fleetwood Mac.
"Voicething" tones down the disco and is floaty and atmospheric while "Hunt" is dark and dramatic.
Apart from the dance pulse, there is a subtler side to Goldfrapp, and happily that is also here, as a title like "Dreaming" might lead you to suspect.
There's not much room for the experimental Goldfrapp of old here, although the abstract album closer "Voicething' with its sampled, cut up vocals and no actual lyrics could almost have found a home on "Felt Mountain".
"The breathy technology of Voicething is more captivating than a Laurie Anderson tribute but something of a musical non-sequitur".- Colin Somerville.
All in all, the album is first and foremost about all-out electropop, all done in the best possible taste.
No duds here, but not a truly killer song either.
Seventh Tree
10 used & new
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gabriel's voice shines throughout... as distinct as ever.
March 2 2010
This review is from:
GABRIEL;PETER - SCRATCH MY BACK (Audio CD)
Mr. Gabriel has never been one to conform to musical trends, or even follow them for that matter.
So with that thought in mind, eight years after the release of his last album, "Up", he pulls out a bunch of songs by other artists and arranges them for an orchestra to play.
Armed with his singular voice, he proceeds to bring a symphonic exploration of music by artists as diverse as Davif Bowie (Heroes), Paul Simon (Boy In The Bubble), Neil Young ( Philadelphia), Talking Heads (Listening Wind), Lou Reed (The Power of the Heart), Arcade Dire ( My Body Is a Cage), and even Radiohead (Street Spirit).
Yet, this is not any ordinary cover album, it is Peter Gabriel's interpretation of songs by other artists, and that, in my opinion, makes all the difference.
The album is the first part of a project that will see the artists covered here repaying the compliment by producing their own takes on Gabriel's back catalogue over the course of the year.
To help craft his recording, Gabriel enlisted former Durutti Column member John Metcalfe, composer, arranger and the expertise of producer Bob Ezrin to put together the 12 songs.
"Scratch My Back" is an absolute treat that shouldn't be missed.
My Highlights: Heroes, The Boy In The Bubble, Listening Wind, The Power of the Heart, My Body Is A Cage, The Book of Love, Philadelphia.
Black Light
17 used & new
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Return to the the Eighties!
March 2 2010
This review is from:
Black Light (Audio CD)
Like a fine wine, it seems that the Armada keep on getting better and better.
The most striking thing here is about face of musical direction. Gone are the big beat breaks and alt-dance-funk riddems that populated earlier outings.
It's all about the 80s here - from synth-pop symphonies to electromagnetic philharmonic full phat milk : kind of dirty, yet sugar sexy.
Their sixth studio album certainly embraces riffing but, rather than guitars, very Eighties-sounding synthesizers provide the oomph.
With two greatest hits albums in the last five years, and the musical stagnation that was "Soundboy Rock", Groove Armada were fast becoming yet another great British dance outfit to run out of ideas. As Andy Catto admits: "We could've knocked out an album of reggae-influenced house bangers and a couple of chill-out tunes, and that would've been a much easier life, but we needed a new challenge. Neither of us was interested in just repeating ourselves".
Andy Cato and Tom Findlay came under the spell of old heroes Fleetwood Mac and Roxy Music for the making of "Black Light".
The duo got hooked on Roxy's "Love Is the Drug' during recording and sure enough a performance from Bryan Ferry materialised on moody electro-ballad "Shameless".
These nostalgic homages are well judged and expertly crafted, sounding like a genuinely modern update of the best of the era.
With "Black Light" Cato and Findley have firmly re-established themselves as the best of the bassline best.
Overall their concern is disco, but the overlap with sumptuous rock makes this release interesting.
"The result is a mixed bag, including some real stinkers, but the pair manage to rustle up just enough bombastic electro-pop, including a sharp turn from Bryan Ferry on Shameless, to carry the day". - The Guardian
Soundboy Rock
The Best Of...
Yeah Ghost
Lost in Dreams
31 used & new
4.0 out of 5 stars
An eclectic, heartfelt and accomplished set.
Feb. 19 2010
This review is from:
Lost in Dreams (Audio CD)
This is the tenth album from the former popsinger, saxophonist and songwriter.
"Lost In Dreams" is the latest chapter in his musical odyssey of a career - an adventure with more than the usual share of twists and turns, and even a few perils.
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Stigers spent his early school years studying clarinet and saxophone - two instruments that awakened his jazz sensibilities at an early age.
During his teenage years and beyond, he often sat in with legendary jazz pianist Gene Harris, who held weekly jam sessions at a local club in Boise.
During the '70s and '80s, Stigers was also immersed in the punk rock and new wave scenes of the day. It's no surprise, then, that the circumstances surrounding his first records were marked by confusion between artist and label about creative direction.
His self-titled debut album on Arista in 1991
Curtis Stigers
was a straight-ahead pop album that sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, thanks to several hit singles and numerous appearances on the talk show circuit.
A struggle between Arista and Curtis Stigers then emerged over the next three years, as he wanted to go down a roots rock direction. When it was eventually realised it was a commercial disappointment, and Curtis left the record company to focus on jazz.
"I wanted to be Loudon Wainwright meets John Hiatt", he admits.
He eventually signed with Columbia, where he released a third pop album,
Brighter Days
, in 1999.
He left Columbia after "Brighter Days", once again taking his unreleased jazz record with him. During session work as a guest vocalist on one of Gene Harris' last records, Curtis met Concord producer John Burk, who offered to release the orphaned jazz record.
His jazz debut
Baby Plays Around
was then followed by four more albums on Concord.
Curtis Stigers is more than the easy-listening artist he's often labelled as.
In 2007, the swinging sax-playing jazz vocalist made the point resoundingly clear with his album
Real Emotional
, a mix of originals and classics by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Stigers's laconic tones were complemented by his funk-sax sound; he revealed an affecting eloquence on a heartache song like "I Only Want To Be With You", or demonstrate a technical subtlety of haunting inflections on Emmylou Harris's "I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now".
In his new album, "Lost In Dreams" - which includes "My Funny Valentine", "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", but also Annie Lennox's "Cold" and John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" - he sustains the same engaging formula of "Real Emotional" and his reputation for distinctive mixes.
It has taken a very long time, but the American singer is finally winning over jazz critics, who -- even after the beautiful
You Inspire Me
-- could not forgive him the sins of his pop past.
An unorthodox mix of evergreens, originals and unusual singer-songwriter material (including Ron Sexsmith's "Reason for Our Love"), the latest set marks another stage in Stigers's rehabilitation. Nobody has a sharper eye for a promising tune, although Stigers can't quite breathe life into an easy-going arrangement of "We'll Meet Again" prefaced with a dip into Pink Floyd's "Vera".
Just to conclude, "Lost In Dreams" might be the one to knock down the sniffy purist barriers, Stigers' rough hewn but heartfelt, finger-snapping delivery applying itself to an eclectic set.
29 used & new
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A truly distinctive and pleasant offering.
Feb. 19 2010
This review is from:
GROOVE, EUGE - TONIGHT (Audio CD)
Euge Groove - a pseudonym for saxophone master Steve Grove - has earned himself a dedicated fanbase
with his consistently pleasing releases, and "Sunday Morning" ranks with his best: a solid collection
that is both visualized and executed pretty well.
The popular saxman returns with a superb set of mellow Smooth Jazz grooves that will re-establish
Euge Groove as one of the music's finest sax players.
He brings a loose, after-hours feel to a varied selection of songs on "Sunday Morning", his 6th album.
Cuts like "Say My Name", "All For You" and "The Gospel Truth" emanate a Sunday morning vibe.
As does the title track!
On the funkier side check "Babylon" - very Bone James-ish as well as the sleek "On Your Knees".
If you like 80's style Soul then you'll like "Yes", which is a nice vocal track featuring Dax Reynosa, while "Tenderly" is a romantic mood setter.
Many jazz cats join Euge Groove on his latest offering : Alex Al on bass, Paul Brown on guitar, Lenny Castro on percussion, Philippe Saisse on strings, Michael Egizi on organ and Joel Campbell on piano and keyboards.
All in all, a very enjoyable, distinctive Smooth set.
Born 2 Groove
Break Up
Offered by Fulfillment Express CA
44 used & new
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very enjoyable pop album, where Pete and Scarlett shine.
Feb. 19 2010
This review is from:
Break Up (Audio CD)
The duet album "Break Up" was recorded in 2006, two years before Johansson's official debut
Anywhere I Lay My Head
, which got mixed reactions, and was regarded as the ambitious young Hollywood starlet's amateurish vanity project.
On this album, which reflects on a relationship falling apart, she teams up with New Jersey pop singer-songwriter Pete Yorn: their goal is to capture Serge Gainsbourg's recordings with Brigitte Bardot.
Yorn and Johansson sing together on each of Break Up's nine tracks, offering a musical account of the beginning, middle and end of a tormented love-affair. The songs - Yorn told USA Today - were in fact recorded two years before "Anywhere I Lay My Head" - and Johansson recorded her parts in just two afternoon sessions.
What's in it for the duo to have this shelved artefact brought to light now? Johansson says "I always thought of it as just a small project between friends, but it perfectly captures where I was in my life at the time".
Though Pete said the album's concept came to him in a dream, its musical inspiration is precise: Serge Gainsbourg's 1967 and 1968 albums with Brigitte Bardot. But while Gainsbourg was a notorious Gallic sexpot, Yorn is just a rugged "indie-dreamboat" from New Jersey.
Instead of the sensuality of Gainsbourg and Bardot, Yorn offers a chugging mid-tempo rock song - with Johannson's voice resembling that of Amy Winehouse: despite the foxiness of Johannson's vocals, their duets are less steamy.
Still, this is a tuneful and convincing collection of guitar pop embellished with likeable country and folk influences.
Eight of Break Up's songs were written by Yorn, one by Big Star's Chris Bell, and all were produced by Quincy Jones's grandson Sunny Levine. A brief nine-song fling, this compact and bijou collaboration works worst when it's overreaching itself - a slightly pointless cover version of Chris (Big Star) Bell's "I Am the Cosmos" - and best when it keeps things understated (the Yorn-penned "Clean", which finds the pair declaring "Would you talk to me?/ I want everything to be so clean").
Johansson has yet to fully find her own voice, and instead employs a smoky Winehouse twang, but it meshes nicely with Yorn's laid-back drawl and breathy falsetto.
All in all, this is not a masterpiece, but certainly it is a good, mellow album where a young, brilliant actress teams up with a run-of-the-mill talented American pop singer-songwriter, whose flimsy voice is no match for her ...Billie Holiday/Amy Winehouse-esque tones: the results are some very enjoyable pop songs.
Bonnie And Clyde (Ltd Ed) (Ri)
The Originals
Initials Sg
Jane Et Serge (Ltd Ed) (Ri)
I Am the Cosmos
Back And Fourth
28 used & new
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eclectic, soulful, contemporay pop/jazz. A 'must' listen.
Feb. 19 2010
This review is from:
Vagabond (Audio CD)
Following the critical reception of his previous albums, Spencer Day is back with "Vagabond", an eclectic collection of songs of differents styles and: folk, soul, jazz, cabaret and contemporary pop.
"I've drawn from the Great American Songbook quite a bit in the past, but I really wanted to infuse this album with a more contemporary aesthetic, and also draw on some influences from the early '60s, like Burt Bacharach, Roy Orbison and Dusty Springfield. I wanted to create a sound that could stand alone and not be easily put into one category, but at the same time appeal to a broad range of listeners".
And he has succeded.
One key element in Spencer Day's appeal, which has seen him hailed as a new jazz/crossover star to rival Norah Jones, was immediately apparent from the moment he sang on stage, while he was opening for Rufus Wainwright at the Napa Valley Opera House and at the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.
Day's first album for the major label Concord Jazz is aimed fair and square at the middle-aged female demographic. Those women who still hanker after the singing legends of the Sixties such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Paul Anka.
Not to mention the immediate comparisons with the new generation of jazz crooners such as Michael Buble, Harry Connick,Jr., Peter Concotti and Jamie Cullum.
Besides his look and personality and performance style, it's the way that Day's uncontrived eagerness and evident enjoyment feed into his music that explains his rapid success, combining as they do with a thorough understanding of vintage jazz idioms and the great American songbook.
The album is is full of the kind of music that you were used used to listen to on radio shows, some thirty/fourty years ago or the stuff they played over the tannoys in old-fashioned department stores: big orchestra-backed ballads with lush production values and a smooth crooner up front.
On the disc, there is a small group of string players, a quartet on most occasions, and at times they echo the approach used by the string arrangements in old rock, soul, and even doo-wop records of the past, but it does not sound too retro.
The Utah-born nomadic singer-pianist-songwiter has a fine baritone tone, and the tracks are given an intensity they so rightly deserve.
His piano playing is excellent, the arrangements throughout the show involve different permutations of a strings, horns strong backing line-up, from the intimacy of a quartet to the splash of the full band.
Some of the tracks will sound haunting and soulful.
Spencer Day's original songwriting, in fact, extends his range still further towards the quality end of the pop/jazzy market, as with the beautiful "Joe", its folky lyricism building to a force- fully urgent climax, the country-tinged "Till You Come to Me" and the swinging "I Got a Mind to Tell You".
Without a doubt, Spencer Day can sing.
His warm, seductive voice is addictive and "Vagabond" Tonight is as good as an album of great songs can get.
Pick up "Vagabond" and the music will most definitely be "down in your soul".
So, for all you romantics out there, this one is an absolute must.
Highlights: "Out of My Hands", "Till You Come To Me", "Vagabond" and "Maybe ( Tuesdy Morning)".
The album debuts at # 11 of the Billboard Top Jazz Albums.
Issue date: September 26, 2009
Piece By Piece
13 used & new
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
May 2 2007
This review is from:
Piece By Piece (Audio CD)
When you're born with the ability to sing like Katie Melua, they could set a shopping list in front of you and you'll break people's hearts singing it.
Katie has a timeless voice and on her latest album she has chosen a set of blues-based songs that set it off perfectly.
Huge natural talent was always going to secure Katie Melua's future, the excellence of "Piece By Piece" will simply reinforce her arrival as major force.
Nonetheless, her latest offering does not surpass in beauty and success her debut album (which became Britain's biggest seller and has so far attracted three million copies world-wide).
The album does occasionally reach out to a potentially wider fanbase thanks to its ability to draw on a number of influences and remain fascinatingly diverse.
There are some self-penned tracks as well as some covers but, for the most part, it's an accomplished affair that feels as though Melua has taken her time over it.
It's also distinctly blues-based, occasionally feeling ponderous depending on the mood it catches you in at the time.
Highlights include the single, "Nine Million Bicycles", which is genuinely sweet. The track was inspired by Melua's own visit to China and some of the things she heard on the trip, thereby equating the fact that there are nine million bicycles in Beijing with the certainty she is in love.
The meandering blasts of flute that weave their way throughout lend the song a Chinese feel and make it quite enticing.
Further evidence of the album's diverse instrumention is evident on the upbeat and melodic "Thank You, Stars", which provides more heartfelt lyrics and a really nice blend of strings and mandolin.
While the kooky "Halfway Up The Hindu Kush" is another that demonstrates Melua's vocals at their most happy go lucky - it's no coincidence that all three tracks were written by the conductor, Mike Batt.
Elsewhere, Katie demonstrates a more melancholy and mature style on self-penned tracks such as "Piece By Piece" and "I Cried For You" - although such moodswings can sometimes catch you off-guard if you're not in the right mood for them.
More straightforward blues fare comes in the form of "Blues In The Night" and "Blue Shoes", both of which find Melua at her moodiest, while a slightly more rousing cover version of "On The Road Again" feels like the sound of an artists having fun with one of her favourite tunes.
It lacks the edge of the original but should still delight fans, while bringing the album out of one of its brooding passages.
Another cover version drew a more mixed response from both these listeners, however. The artist has re-recorded The Cure's seminal "Just Like Heaven" for the soundtrack of the movie of the same name.
The hardcore Cure fan among us may find it risible and sickly sweet, while the Melua fan enjoy the acoustic guitar and female makeover given to Robert Smith's classic.
That said, given that we represent both a Melua fan and sceptic it's satisfying to be able to report that "Piece By Piece" does achieve what Melua set out to - that is to say, fans will get what they're seeking, while the album does indeed appeal in small doses to those who may not have been touched by the artist's work so far.
Mi Sueno
5 used & new
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inimitable grace.
April 29 2007
This review is from:
Mi Sueno (Audio CD)
When those magnificent Cuban veterans Buena Vista Social Club exploded on to the scene, their singer Ibrahim Ferrer was the life and soul of the party.
It wasn't so much his voice - he really didn't have much of one - but more what he did with it: his timing, and the irrepressible glee with which he delivered his frequently saucy lyrics.
"Mi sueno" means "my dream", and that is literally what this posthumous new album meant for him: he had always wanted to record a collection of boleros - meltingly romantic traditional songs - and that is what he spent his last weeks recording.
Luckily, his death didn't prevent that dream being realised, as he'd left a cache of high-definition demos.
So here we are: sensitively backed by his superb group on piano, bass, guitar, and drums, and at one point poignantly joined by fellow veteran Omara Portuondo, Ibrahim calls to us from beyond the grave with inimitable grace.
Page: 1


text:
National Security Brief: January 11, 2012
— Walking back an "incorrectly reported" quote from U.S. intelligence official describing "regime collapse" as a goal of U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Washington Post reports an intelligence official as saying the sanctions regime aims to "create hate and discontent at the street level so that the Iranian leaders realize that they need to change their ways."
— Iran blames Israel for the death of a nuclear scientist after a motorcyclist placed a bomb won his car in Tehran.
— First Lady Michelle Obama will announce this afternoon at Virginia Commonwealth University an initiative aimed at training more civilian and military doctors to diagnose and treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, — "two of the signature wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."
— Syrian President Bashar al-Assad showed up at a pro-government rally in Damascus today, saying that the 10-month uprising against his regime was part of a "conspiracy."
— U.S. drone missile strikes in Pakistan resumed after a nearly a two-month hiatus, killing at least three militants, according to local intelligence. Meanwhile, the "Memogate" scandal there deepened with the military warning of "grievous consequences" because of an accusation by the government that the army leader violated the constitution.
— Palestinian leaders raised "alarm bells to the world that Israel is killing any chance for the two-state solution" after the Israeli group Peace Now released a report that said settlement construction in the West Bank increased by 20 percent in 2011.
— Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said the U.S. military won't lose sight of the Middle East despite a renewed strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
— The newly independent South Sudan faces multiple refugee crises and averting a humanitarian disaster will require increased international aid, says the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.


text:
A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine. Practitioners treat diseases of the joints, muscles, bones, and tendons. Rheumatologists diagnose and treat arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries, etc. They may work closely with other specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists.View More
1-2 of 2
51 Sewall St Ste 1
Portland, ME 04102
10 High St Ste 204
Lewiston, ME 04240


text:
DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) - Police in Forest Park, Ga. say a former Dothan police officer fired from his job last year for using excessive force has been arrested on a charge of impersonating a police officer.
Police say David Darby was arrested near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and say he used a Dothan police badge and claimed to be a Dothan police officer.
He was being held without bond at the Clayton County Jail.
Forest Park police confirmed the arrest, but said a department spokesman was not available to provide details.
Darby was fired on March 19, 2010 and appealed his dismissal.
Circuit Judge Butch Binford ruled in the city's favor last week.
The firing stemmed from two traffic stops recorded by Darby's
in-car camera.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Jun 21st, 2010
Running Time: 401 Min.
Director: Mike John
Company: Mike John Productions
Distribution Companies: Jules Jordan Video
DVD Extras: Cumshot Recap, Still Gallery(ies)
Cast: Dana DeArmond, Taryn Thomas, Keeani Lei, Roxy Jezel, Annette Schwarz, RayVeness, Gianna Michaels, Rebeca Linares, Tiffany Mynx, Bobbi Starr, Chelsie Rae, Others
Genre: Compilation
The greatest cum-eater ever? Annette Schwarz! Rayveness Eats 10 Loads! Tiffany likes d.p.s and sperm eating! Rebeca Linares? Gangbanged! Dana and Bobbi's sperm-swapping gang bang! Roxy overdoses on sperm! Everyone cums at Gianna's mouth party! Sperm specialist Keeani! Chelsie Drinks 25 loads! Taryn does "the taste test!"


text:
Book your room at The Berkeley
Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly London hotel in Knightsbridge, walk to Harrods
This family-friendly London hotel is located in the entertainment district, within a 10-minute walk of Hyde Park Corner and Harrods. Buckingham Palace and Royal Albert Hall are also within 1 mi (2 km).
Hotel Features
3 restaurants, a full-service spa, and an indoor pool are available at this hotel. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include an outdoor pool, a health club, and a bar/lounge.
Room Amenities
All 204 rooms boast deep soaking tubs and offer free WiFi and 24-hour room service. Guests will also find satellite TV, refrigerators, and minibars.Would you like to give us feedback? Share it! Opens in a new window
The BerkeleyWilton Place Knightsbridge London England SW1X 7RL
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
In addition to a full-service spa, The Berkeley features an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. Dining is available at one of the hotel's 3 restaurants. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. High-speed wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary.
This 5-star property offers access to a business center, limo/town car service, and meeting rooms. 6 meeting rooms are available. This luxury hotel also offers a health club, a sauna, and a rooftop terrace. For a surcharge, a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours) is offered to guests. Parking is available onsite for a surcharge.
- 24-hour front desk
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Concierge services
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Full-service spa
- Health club
- Indoor pool
- Laundry facilities
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Luggage storage
- Meeting rooms 6
- Multilingual staff
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Number of floors - 8
- Number of meeting rooms - 6
- Number of restaurants - 3
- Outdoor pool
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Porter/bellhop
- Rooftop terrace
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Sauna
- Shopping on site
- Spa services on site
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Terrace
- Total number of rooms - 204
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Wedding services
- Year Built 1972
Family Friendly Amenities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Free Wi-Fi
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Indoor pool
- Laundry facilities
- Outdoor pool
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Bathrobes
- Bidet
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free bottled water
- Free newspaper
- Free toiletries
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Daily housekeeping
- Deep soaking bathtub
- Designer toiletries
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- In-room massage available
- In-room safe
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Minibar
- Pay movies
- Phone
- Premium bedding
- Premium TV channels
- Private bathroom
- Refrigerator
- Room service (24 hours)
- Satellite TV service
- Shower/tub combination
- Slippers
- Turndown service
Where to Eat
English breakfasts are available for a surcharge.
Marcus - This fine-dining restaurant serves lunch and dinner. Open select days.
Koffmann s - This bistro serves lunch and dinner.
Collins Room - This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
An indoor pool and an outdoor pool are on site. Other recreational amenities include a health club and a sauna.
Children under 12 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool, health club, fitness facility, or spa tub without adult supervision.
Spa Services
Haybarn Spa has 5 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Services include massages, facials, body wraps, and body scrubs. The spa is equipped with a sauna.
Children under 12 years old are not allowed in the spa without adult supervision.
- Manicures and pedicures
- Massages
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Sauna in spa
- Number of treatment rooms 5
- Couples treatment rooms
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time ends at midnight
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
Optional extras
- Fee for English breakfast: GBP 32.00 per person (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: GBP 310 per vehicle (roundtrip)
- Valet parking fee: GBP 63 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: GBP 75 per night
Hotel Name
- Berkeley Hotel
- Berkeley Hotel London
- Berkeley London
- The Berkeley Hotel London
- The Berkeley London, England
We should mention
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
Booking Promotion
Book a stay at this hotel and receive complimentary use of the health club and pool
Applies to new bookings only. Other restrictions may apply.


text:
Italy, Napoli, Grumo Nevano Civil Registration, Comune (FamilySearch Historical Records)
|This article describes a collection of historical records available at FamilySearch.org.
Access the records: Italy, Napoli, Grumo Nevano Civil Registration (Comune), 1809-1929 .
Title in the Language of the Records
Stato Civile di Comune di Grumo Nevano, Italia.
What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of civil registration (stato civile) of births, marriages, and deaths within the custody of the town of Grumo Nevano (Comune di Grumo Nevano). Includes ten-year indexes (indici decennali). Records for this collection include the years 1809 to 1929.
These records are written in Italian.
|You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for Italy, Napoli, Grumo Nevano Civil Registration (Comune), 1809-1929.
Collection Contents
|This image needs a translation.You can help by adding an English translation of the image. (Instructions)
For help reading the records see the following wiki articles:
For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them see the wiki article: Italy, Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)
How Do I Search the Collection?
To search the collection:
⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page
⇒ Select the "Record Type and Year" category which takes you to the images.
Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.
|Don't overlook FHL Keyword Italy, Napoli items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Italy Archives and Libraries.
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Italy, Napoli Historical Records Collections
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Collection Citation
- "Italia, Napoli, Grumo Nevano, Stato Civile (Comune), 1809-1929." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2016. Archivio di Comune di Grumo Nevano (Grumo Nevano City Archives).
Image Citation
|The image citation is available by clicking on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for Italy, Napoli, Grumo Nevano Civil Registration (Comune), 1809-1929.