No Hair Day: Laughing (and Crying) Our Way Through Cancer is a 1999 documentary film about a photo-shoot of three women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, which was broadcast on PBS on October 10, 2001, as part of the Independent Lens series and on WGBX-TV.

Background
Bob Burns of Cambridge Studios in Boston, Massachusetts filmed portrait artist Elsa Dorfman on 12 March 1998 taking large format 20x24 Polaroid photos of his wife, Debbie Dorsey, along with Libby Levinson and Carol Potoff as they posed in "chemo chic". The women had met in a breast cancer support group, and all had lost their hair to chemotherapy at the time. The hour-long documentary was produced by WGBH-TV. The photos and film were exhibited by the DeCordova Museum from September 2000 to January 2001. A decade later, the photos will be on display at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA from September 11 - November 6, 2011.

Book
Dorfman released a book of the same name in 2004 featuring the photographs of the shoot. She has said of the shoot that "The pictures are so perfect. The subject was so touching. I don't think I will have another day like that."

Cast
 Deborah Dorsey
 Libby Levinson
 Carol Potoff
 Elsa Dorfman

References

External links
Elsa Dorfman's No Hair Day website

Documentary films about cancer
American documentary films
1999 documentary films
Breast cancer
1999 films
1990s English-language films
1990s American films

No Hair Day


A mortgage broker acts as an intermediary who brokers mortgage loans on behalf of individuals or businesses. Traditionally, banks and other lending institutions have sold their own products. As markets for mortgages have become more competitive, however, the role of the mortgage broker has become more popular. In many developed mortgage markets today, (especially in the United States, Canada,  the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Spain), mortgage brokers are the largest sellers of mortgage products for lenders. Mortgage brokers exist to find a bank or a direct lender that will be willing to make a specific loan an individual is seeking. Mortgage brokers in Canada are paid by the lender and do not charge fees for good credit applications. In the US, many mortgage brokers are regulated by their state and by the CFPB to assure compliance with banking and finance laws in the jurisdiction of the consumer. The extent of the regulation depends on the jurisdiction.

Duties of a mortgage broker
The nature and scope of a mortgage broker's activities vary with jurisdiction. For example, anyone offering mortgage brokerage in the United Kingdom is offering a regulated financial activity; the broker is responsible for ensuring the advice is appropriate for the borrowers' circumstances and is held financially liable if the advice is later shown to be defective. In other jurisdictions, the transaction undertaken by the broker may be limited to a sales job: pointing the borrower in the direction of an appropriate lender, with no advice given, and with a commission collected for the sale.

The work undertaken by the broker will depend on the depth of the broker's service and liabilities. Typically the following tasks are undertaken:

 marketing to attract clients
 assessment of the borrower's circumstances (Mortgage fact find forms interview) – this may include assessment of credit history (normally obtained via a credit report) and affordability (verified by income documentation)
 assessing the market to find a mortgage product that fits the client's needs. (Mortgage presentation/recommendations)
 applying for a lenders agreement in principle (pre-approval)
 gathering all needed documents (paystubs/payslips, bank statements, etc.)
 completing a lender application form
 explaining the legal disclosures
 submitting all material to the lender
 upholding their duty by saving their clients as much money as possible by offering best advice for the clients circumstances

Mortgage brokerage in the United States

According to a 2004 study by Wholesale Access Mortgage Research & Consulting, Inc., there are approximately 53,000 mortgage brokerage companies that employ an estimated 418,700 employees and that originate 68% of all residential loans in the United States. The remaining 32% of loans is retail done through the lender's retail channel, which means the lender does not go through a broker.

The banks have used brokers to outsource the job of finding and qualifying borrowers, and to outsource some of the liabilities for fraud and foreclosure onto the originators through legal agreements.

During the process of loan origination, the broker gathers and processes paperwork associated with mortgaging real estate.

Difference between a mortgage broker and a loan officer
A mortgage broker works as a conduit between the buyer (borrower) and the lender (banks and non-bank lenders), whereas a loan officer typically works directly for the lender. Many states require the mortgage broker to be licensed. States regulate lending practice and licensing, and the rules vary from state to state. Most states require a license for those persons who wish to be a "Broker Associate", a "Brokerage Business", and a "Direct Lender".

A mortgage broker is normally registered with the state, and is personally liable (punishable by revocation or prison) for fraud for the life of a loan. A loan officer works under the umbrella license of an institution, typically a bank or direct lender. Both positions have legal, moral, and professional responsibilities and obligations to prevent fraud and to fully disclose loan terms to both consumer and lender. Agents of mortgage brokers may refer to themselves as "loan officers".

Mortgage brokers must also hold individual and company licenses through the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System and Registry (NMLS). The goal of NMLS is to employ the benefits of local, state-based financial services regulation on a nationwide platform that provides for improved coordination and information sharing among regulators, increased efficiencies for industry, and enhanced consumer protection. Loan officers who work for a depository institution are required to be registered with the NMLS, but not licensed.

Typically, a mortgage broker will make more money per loan than a loan officer, but a loan officer can use the referral network available from the lending institution to sell more loans. There are mortgage brokers and loan officers at all levels of experience.

Industry competitiveness
A large segment of the mortgage finance industry is commission-based. Potential clients can compare a lender's loan terms to those of others through advertisements or internet quotes.

Mortgage brokers can obtain loan approvals from the largest secondary wholesale market lenders in the country. For example, Fannie Mae may issue a loan approval to a client through its mortgage broker, which can then be assigned to any of a number of mortgage bankers on the approved list. The broker will often compare rates for that day. The broker will then assign the loan to a designated licensed lender based on their pricing and closing speed. The lender may close the loan and service the loan. They may either fund it permanently or temporarily with a warehouse line of credit prior to selling it into a larger lending pool.

The difference between the "Broker" and "Banker" is the banker's ability to use a short term credit line (known as a warehouse line) to fund the loan until they can sell the loan to the secondary market. Then they repay their warehouse lender, and obtain a profit on the sale of the loan. The borrower will often get a letter notifying them their lender has sold or transferred the loan. Bankers who sell most of their loans and do not actually service them are in some jurisdictions required to notify the client in writing. For example, New York State regulations require a non servicing "banker" to disclose the exact percentage of loans actually funded and serviced as opposed to sold/brokered.

Brokers must also disclose Yield spread premium while Bankers do not.  This has created an ambiguous and difficult identification of the true cost to obtain a mortgage.  The government created a new Good Faith Estimate (2010 version) to allow consumers to compare apples to apples in all fees related to a mortgage whether you are shopping a mortgage broker or a direct lender. The government's reason for this was some mortgage brokers were utilizing bait and switch tactics to quote one rate and fees only to change before the loan documents were created. Although ambiguous for the mortgage brokers to disclose this, they decide what fees to charge upfront whereas the direct lender won't know what they make overall until the loan is sold.

Also See: Predatory lending & Mortgage fraud

Sometimes they will sell the loan, but continue to service the loan. Other times, the lender will maintain ownership and sell the rights to service the loan to an outside mortgage service bureau.  Many lenders follow an "originate to sell" business model, where virtually all of the loans they originate are sold on the secondary market.  The lender earns fees at the closing, and a Service Release Premium, or SRP.  The amount of the SRP is directly related to the terms of the loan.  Generally, the less favorable the loan terms for the borrower, the more SRP is earned. Lender's loan officers are often financially incentivized to sell higher-priced loans in order to earn higher commissions.

Secondary market influence
Even large companies with lending licenses sell, or broker, the mortgage loan transactions they originate and close. A smaller percentage of bankers service and keep their loans than those in past decades. Banks act as a broker due to the increasing size of the loans because few can use depositor's money on mortgage loans. A depositor may request their money back and the lender would need large reserves to refund that money on request. Mortgage bankers do not take deposits and do not find it practical to make loans without a wholesaler in place to purchase them. The required cash of a mortgage banker is only $500,000 in New York. The remainder may be in the form of property assets (an additional $2.00), an additional credit line from another source (an additional $10,000,000). That amount is sufficient to make only two median price home loans. Therefore, mortgage lending is dependent on the secondary market, which includes securitization on Wall Street and other large funds.

The largest secondary market by mortgage volume are Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly referred to as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively. Loans must comply with their jointly derived standard application form guidelines so they may become eligible for sale to larger loan servicers or investors. These larger investors could then sell them to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to replenish warehouse funds. The goal is to package loan portfolios in conformance with the secondary market to maintain the ability to sell loans for capital. If interest rates drop and the portfolio has a higher average interest rate, the banker can sell the loans at a larger profit based on the difference in the current market rate. Some large lenders will hold their loans until such a gain is possible.

The selling of mortgage loans in the wholesale or secondary market is more common. They provide permanent capital to the borrowers. A "direct lender" may lend directly to a borrower, but can have the loan pre-sold prior to the closing.

Few lenders are comprehensive or "portfolio lenders".  That is, few close, keep, and service the mortgage loan. The term is known as portfolio lending, indicating that a loan has been made from funds on deposit or a trust. That type of direct lending is uncommon, and has been declining in usage.   An example of a portfolio lender in the US is ING Direct.

Improved consumer laws
The laws have improved considerably in favor of consumers. A mortgage broker must comply with standards set by law in order to charge a fee to a borrower. The fees must meet an additional threshold, that the combined rate and costs may not exceed a lower percentage, without being deemed a "High Cost Mortgage". An excess would trigger additional disclosures and warnings of risk to a borrower. Further, the mortgage broker would have to be more compliant with regulators. Costs are likely lower due to this regulation.

Mortgage bankers and banks are not subject to this cost reduction act. Because the selling of loans generates most lender fees, servicing the total in most cases exceeds the high cost act. Whereas mortgage brokers now must reduce their fees, a licensed lender is unaffected by the second portion of fee generation. This is due to the delay of selling the servicing until after closing. Therefore, it is considered a secondary market transaction and not subject to the same regulation.

Brokers and client's interests
As of 2007, in the United States the federal law and most state laws do not assign a fiduciary duty on mortgage brokers to act in best interests of their customers. An exception is California, where a 1979 ruling of the Supreme Court of California did establish fiduciary duties of mortgage brokers. This means that consumers, in states other than California, may be charged excessive rates and fees and are encouraged to do some shopping around prior to any agreement.

Predatory mortgage lending and mortgage fraud
Mortgage fraud is when one or more individuals defraud a financial institution by submitting false information willfully. Some mortgage brokers have been involved in mortgage fraud according to the FBI.

Predatory mortgage lending is when a dishonest financial institution willfully misleads or deceives the consumer. Some mortgage consultants, processors and executives of mortgage companies have been involved in predatory lending.

Some signs of predatory lending include:
 Falsifying income/asset and other documentation.
 Not disclosing Yield spread premium or other hidden fees BEFORE the settlement/closing.
 Failing to provide all RESPA documentation, i.e. Good Faith Estimate, Special Information Booklet, Truth in Lending, etc. so the borrower may clearly understand the mortgage terms and lender policies.
 Convincing borrowers to refinance a loan without any true benefit.
 Influencing a higher Loan Amount and inflated appraisals (usually in tandem with an appraiser).
 Unjustly capitalizing on a borrower's relative ignorance about mortgage acquisition.

Another unethical practice involves inserting hidden clauses in contracts in which a borrower will unknowingly promise to pay the broker or lender to find him or her a mortgage whether or not the mortgage is closed. Though regarded as unethical by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, this practice is legal in most states. Often a dishonest lender will convince the consumer that he or she is signing an application and nothing else. Often the consumer will not hear again from the lender until after the time expires and then they are forced to pay all costs. Potential borrowers may even be sued without having legal defense.

Mortgage brokerage in Canada

The laws governing mortgage brokerage in Canada are determined by provincial governments. Most provinces require mortgage brokerage companies to carry a provincial license.

Nova Scotia
Mortgage Brokers in Nova Scotia are licensed by Service Nova Scotia and are regulated under the Mortgage Brokers and Lenders Registration Act.  Many brokers in Nova Scotia are members of the Mortgage Brokers Association of Atlantic Canada.  More information about the various mortgage programs that are available to consumers can be found at Mortgage Managers.

Ontario
In Ontario, mortgage brokers are licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), an arms length agency of the Ministry of Finance.  To become licensed an individual must meet specific licensing requirements, including passing an approved course.  That course is offered by the Real Estate and Mortgage Institute of Canada Inc. (REMIC) and the Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals(CAAMP).  CAAMP provides Canadian mortgage professionals with the Accredited Mortgage Professional (AMP) designation – the national designation for professionals in Canada's mortgage industry.

In Ontario there is a difference between a Mortgage Broker and a Mortgage Agent, although they perform much of the same tasks.

While the terms Mortgage Broker and Mortgage Agent are similar, and Mortgage Brokers and Mortgage Agents fulfill many of the same functions, it is important note that there is in fact a difference.

According to Canadian Mortgage Trends the main difference between a Mortgage Broker is that, "...a mortgage broker is a firm or person licensed to deal in mortgages and employ mortgage agents" while "A mortgage agent is an individual authorized to deal in mortgages on behalf of a mortgage broker.

While many attribute these functions to a Mortgage Broker, "A mortgage agent is generally someone who finds the best mortgage for each client based on that client's income, credit, and property profiles."

British Columbia
In British Columbia mortgage brokers are licensed by the Financial Institutions Commission (FICOM)

Default insurance
Throughout Canada, high ratio loans are insured by either the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Genworth Financial or Canada Guaranty.

Online mortgage lending in Canada
As of 2017, Canada has seen a move towards mobile and online technology in the mortgage industry. CIBC has created a mobile app that is presently in beta testing. Companies are incorporating digital technology with a strong aim towards consumer awareness against bank products.

Mortgage brokerage in the United Kingdom

Mortgage brokers in the UK are split between the regulated mortgage market, which lends to private individuals, and the unregulated mortgage market, which lends to businesses and investors. Many UK brokerages mediate both types of business.

The role of a mortgage broker is to mediate business between clients and lending institutions, which include banks, building societies and credit unions.

Types of mortgage broker

Tied or multi-tied

Tied mortgage brokers offer products from a single lender, while multi-tied brokers offer products from a small panel of lenders. Many tied brokers are linked to estate agents and will refer the agency's customers to one of a handful of lenders in exchange for a commission. Mortgage specialists in banks and building societies can also be considered to be 'tied' brokers, insofar as they may only offer products sold by that lender.

Whole of market

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires that a mortgage broker describes its range accurately to consumers, and stipulates that one of the following disclosures be used to describe the service offered (as appropriate):

 "We are not limited in the range of mortgages we will consider for you."
 "We offer a comprehensive range of mortgages from across the market, but not deals that you can only obtain by going direct to a lender."
 "We only offer mortgages from [number] lender(s). We can provide you with a list of these."
 "We only offer mortgages from [name of lender(s)]."
 "We only offer some, but not all, of the mortgages from [number] lender(s). We can provide you with a list of these."
 "We only offer some, but not all, of the mortgages from [name of lender(s)]."
 "We only sell bridging finance products from [name of lender(s)]. We do not offer products from across the mortgage market."

How mortgage brokers make money

Some mortgage brokers charge a fee to their customers. The fees charged vary, but fees can be justified if the broker can expedite the application process, provide support to vulnerable clients and/or search a wide range of mortgages in order to find the most suitable deal based on the client's circumstances or the chosen property. The FCA's Consumer Duty regulation requires brokers to consider whether their fees represent 'fair value' to the consumer.

Some brokers employ a sliding fee scale in order to account for the fact that some applications (e.g. those from customers with historic credit impairments) are more difficult to place – and therefore require more work – than others (e.g. 'like-for-like' remortgages).

The other means of income for mortgage brokers is commission, which they receive from the lenders whom they introduce to borrowers. Some mortgage brokers make money from a mixture of both fees and commission. This covers the cost of the work they do for both the consumer (to find a suitable product) and the lender (in pre-qualifying the customer and administering the application).

Mortgage regulation

Owner-occupier mortgage products, and by extension brokers of these products, are regulated by the FCA. A regulated mortgage contract is defined in the Mortgages and Home Finance: Code of Business (MCOB) as one which:

 Involves the provision of credit to an individual or trustees;
 Pertains to a first legal charge on land (excluding timeshare accommodation) of which at least 40% will be occupied by the borrower, trustee or trust beneficiary, or a close relative of any such individual; and
 Is not a home purchase plan

The Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD)

Mortgage brokers in the UK are also bound by pan-European legislation, such as the EU Mortgage Credit Directive. It is the role of UK legislators to incorporate the directive into the existing UK framework.

The broader distinction between consumers and businesses adopted within the MCD is, in some respects, contrary to the current UK framework, and as a result some exemptions previously enjoyed in the UK will be phased out. One example is where borrowers or relatives of borrowers will occupy less than 40% of a property, which is currently not considered regulated business; by 2016, such borrowers will be considered consumers. These transactions will therefore come to be regulated.

The Mortgage Market Review (MMR)

The Mortgage Market Review (MMR), a comprehensive review of the UK mortgage market which ran from 2009 to 2012 and came into force on 26 April 2014, resulted in some dramatic changes to the regulated lending environment, most centring on new, stricter affordability requirements and income and expenditure checks. There is also anecdotal evidence to suggest that the amount of time it takes to get a mortgage has significantly increased as a result of the changes. Some mortgage brokers whose in-house underwriting already matches borrowers to appropriate lenders are able to circumvent these delays, making their services more attractive.

It is speculated that, because borrowers' applications are stress-tested on the strength of their ability to make the monthly repayments, increasing numbers of borrowers are opting for mortgage terms exceeding the traditional 25 years. This results in lower repayments but a higher overall interest bill, as well as a longer period servicing debt.

According to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the percentage of mortgages under 25 years in length fell from 95% to 68% between 2002 and 2012.

Mortgage brokerage in Australia

Mortgage brokers have been active in Australia since the early 1980s, however they only became a dominant force in the mortgage industry during the late 1990s on the back of aggressive marketing by Aussie Home Loans and Wizard Home Loans. Approximately 35% of all loans secured by a mortgage in Australia were introduced by mortgage brokers in 2008. In March 2012, the share of loans introduced by Mortgage Brokers had risen to 43%. In 2016–2017, mortgage brokers had contributed to $2.9 billion to Australian economy.

In 2019, the Mortgage Broker market share has grown to 59% of the mortgage market, however, the future viability of the sector has been cast into doubt due to recommendations of the Hayne Royal Commission. Commissioner Hayne has recommended that lenders cease paying upfront and trailing commission to Brokers and instead, that the consumer pays a yet-to-be determined upfront fee for service. The industry (led by the FBAA and MFAA) leveraged the 2019 Federal Election campaign to convince the Liberal Government to back down from introducing an upfront fee-for-service model. These efforts have been described as a 'textbook case of successful grassroots lobbying'.

Mortgage brokers are now regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. The new national consumer credit protection legislation includes a licensing regime and responsible lending obligations. Mortgage brokers are also required to be a member of an external dispute resolution provider such as the Credit ombudsman service Limited (COSL). Furthermore, some lenders require accredited brokers to be a member of an industry body such as the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) or Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA). These industry associations demand that brokers complete at least 25-30 of continued professional development each year to maintain their skills and knowledge.

Fees
Australian and New Zealand mortgage brokers do not usually charge a fee for their services as they are paid by the lenders for introducing loans.  They are paid an up front commission that is on average 0.66% of the loan amount and an ongoing trail commission that is on average 0.165% of the loan amount per annum paid monthly.  These commissions can vary significantly between different lenders and loan products, especially since the commission re-alignments introduced by Australian banks during June to August, 2008 in reaction to the Subprime mortgage crisis.

Although mortgage brokers are paid commissions by the lenders this does not alter the final rate or fees paid by the customer as it may in other countries.  Mortgage brokers do not have the ability to charge the customer a higher or lower rate and in return obtain a higher or lower commission.

In the event that the loan is paid back by the borrower within 24 months of the loan settlement, mortgage brokers are charged a "clawback" fee by the lenders since the loan is considered "unprofitable". The amount is usually 0.66% of the loan amount for loans paid back in the first 12 months and 0.33% for loans paid back in the next 12 months. When this happens the mortgage brokers are sometimes able to charge the customer the amount if they hold written authority to do this. Mortgage brokers don't like to be liable for the fee, but in some case it is unrecoverable. Keep in mind that a standard home loan in Australia is contracted over a 30-year term, with the average loan life being approximately 4–5 years.

Best Interests Duty
Mortgage brokers in Australia are required to put their clients' interests ahead of their own, even if it means their own profit suffers. This is an important element when it comes to choosing a mortgage broker because it ensures the clients' financial objectives and needs are considered.

Mortgage brokerage in Singapore

The mortgage brokerage industry is still new compared to the situation in the US and the UK  Not all of the banks in Singapore are tied up with the mortgage brokerage firms. The mortgage brokers are mostly regulated by the Singapore Law of Agency.

A study undertaken by Chan & Partners Consulting Group (CPCG) shows that the mortgage brokering industry is still largely a new concept to the Singapore financial consumers. However this will set to change as more consumers realize that taking up a housing loan with the mortgage broker does not increase the consumer's cost at all, and can in fact aid them in making a more informed decision.

Mortgage brokers in the country do not charge borrowers any fee, rather profits are made when the financial institutions pay the broker a commission upon successful loan disbursement via the broker's referral.

See also
Subprime mortgage crisis
Loan sale
Mortgage loan
Fixed-rate mortgage
Adjustable-rate mortgage
VA loan
FHA insured loan
Mortgage packagers

References

External links

US Department of Housing and Urban Development (US)
National Association of Mortgage Brokers (US)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

New Zealand Mortgage Brokers Association (NZ)

Mortgage
Financial services occupations
Brokerage firms

Mortgage broker


The Sziget Festival (, ; "Sziget" for "Island") is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held every August in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget ("Old Buda Island"), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube. More than 1,000 performances take place each year.

The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile student event in 1993 to become one of the prominent European rock festivals, with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, especially from Western Europe. It also has a dedicated "party train" service (with resident DJs) that transports festival-goers from all over Europe. The second event (1994), labelled Eurowoodstock, was headlined by performers from the original Woodstock festival. By 1997, total attendance surpassed the 250,000 mark, and by 2016 reached the 440,000 mark. In 2018 that record was broken when 565,000 visitors attended the festival. Since the mid-2000s, Sziget Festival has been increasingly labelled as a European alternative to the Burning Man festival due to its unique features ("an electronically amplified, warped amusement park that has nothing to do with reality").

In 2011, Sziget was ranked one of the 5 best festivals in Europe by The Independent. The festival is a two-time winner at the European Festivals Awards in the category Best Major European Festival, in 2011 and 2014.

In 2002, Sziget branched out to Transylvania when its organisers co-created a new annual festival there titled Félsziget Fesztivál (Romanian: Festivalul Peninsula) that soon became the largest of its kind in Romania. In 2007, the organisers co-created Balaton Sound, an electronic music festival held on the southern bank of Lake Balaton that quickly gained popularity.

History

Following the end of the Communist era in 1989, the formerly lively summer festival scene in Budapest faced a crisis due to a sudden loss of governmental funding. A group of artists and rock enthusiasts proposed the Sziget event as a way to bridge this gap. The festival was started in 1993, originally called Diáksziget (Student Island). This first event was organised by music fans in their spare time and ran well over budget, taking until 1997 to repay the losses. From 1996 to 2001 it was sponsored by Pepsi and renamed Pepsi Sziget. It has been called Sziget Fesztivál ("island festival") since 2002.

A comprehensive survey was done and published on the risktaking behaviour and mood of Sziget visitors (2007) by the National Institute for Health Promotion (OEI). The survey revealed amongst others that the last sexual encounter of 9.4% of its participants was unprotected.

Sziget Festival is notable in that it contains acts from many different genres. 2006 saw, among others, a blues stage, a jazz tent, a world music stage, alongside the main stage with more typical popular rock acts.

The festival is popular with west Europeans. Around 50% of visitors come from outside Hungary, with the largest group coming from the Netherlands. Many also come from Belgium, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland and Romania.

Being located on an island, some festival goers have tried to enter by swimming across the Danube or by paddling across in inflatable rafts. The organisers very much discourage these attempts as it is dangerous due to the tricky nature of the fast-flowing Danube river.

2008
In 2008, Sziget Festival lasted from 11 to 18 August. The festival, instead of 7+1 days as in 2007, was 5+2 days long, with a "zeroeth day" that featured one major gig (Iron Maiden) and a special "minus first day" called "Day of Hungarian Songs" that headlined a number of popular Hungarian rock bands (including LGT and Beatrice). As well as Iron Maiden, R.E.M., Mass Hysteria, Babyshambles, Sex Pistols, Jamiroquai, Anti-Flag, Flogging Molly, Alanis Morissette, the Killers, the Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs, the Cribs, Speak and many other were also confirmed, the day of their performance is available at the Sziget website. The length of the festival was reduced so that the residents living in the neighborhoods nearby would have less trouble because of the noise. The organizers plan to take further steps to reduce noise: the metal stage will be open until 11 pm only and noise filtering walls will be built near the noisiest stages.

2009
Sziget 2009 was 10–17 August 2009. The festival had a 5+2 day schedule again. The "zeroeth day" had a Rock Against Racism concert, featuring mostly Hungarian bands. The "minus first day" had one major gig again, this time the 20th anniversary concert of Hungarian rock band Tankcsapda.

The Lineup:

Main Stage

IAMX,
Nouvelle Vague,
Ska-P,
Snow Patrol,
Lily Allen,
Miss Platnum,
The Ting Tings,
Die Toten Hosen,
Bloc Party,
Fatboy Slim,
Haydamaky,
Jet,
Primal Scream,
Pendulum,
The Prodigy,
The Subways,
Editors,
Klaxons,
Manic Street Preachers,
Placebo,
Disco Ensemble,
Danko Jones,
Maxïmo Park,
The Offspring,
Faith No More

World Music Main Stage

So Kalmery,
Napra,
Oi Va Voi,
Calexico,
08001,
Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club,
Figli Di Madre Ignota,
Zamballarana,
Amadou & Mariam
Speed Caravan,
Woven Hand & Muzsikás,
N&SK,
Khaled,
Vieux Farka Touré,
Tiken Jah Fakoly,
Brotherhood of Brass: Boban Marković Orkestar + Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars

A38-WAN2 Stage:

Blasted Mechanism,
De Staat,
La Troba Kung-Fú,
Matatu,
Miloopa,
Muchachito Bombo Infierno,
Squarepusher,
Tricky,
White Lies,
Babylon Circus

White Lies' performance of "The Power and the Glory" from Sziget Festival was later used as the music video for the song.

Rock Stage:

Backyard Babies,
Brujeria,
Deathstars,
Donots,
Expatriate,
Life of Agony,
Satyricon,
Turbonegro,
Turisas

Party Arena:

Armin van Buuren,
Birdy Nam Nam,
Coldcut,
Dillinja,
Eric Prydz,
Grooverider,
Jose Padilla,
Paul Oakenfold,
Pete Tong,
808 State

2011

Mainstage
Prince, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Prodigy, Pulp, Chemical Brothers, White Lies, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Manic Street Preachers, Dizzee Rascal, Interpol, Flogging Molly, Kate Nash, British Sea Power, Skunk Anansie, Gogol Bordello, La Roux, Rise Against, The National, Hadouken!, Good Charlotte, Batucada Sound Machine.

Worldmusic Stage
AfroCubism, Rotfront, Ojos de Brujo, Gotan Project, Eliades Ochoa, Hurlements d'Leo, Debout Sur Le Zinc, Goran Bregovic Wedding & Funeral Band and Shtetl Super Stars.

Party Arena
Crystal Castles, 2 Many DJ's, Empire of the Sun, Goose and Zombie Nation.

Europe Stage
Söhne Mannheims, Verdena, Go Back to the Zoo and Triggerfinger.

A38/Wan2 Stage
De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig, Baskerville, DeWolff, Kees van Hondt, Selah Sue, Marina and the Diamonds, Bloody Beetroots, Death Crew 77 and Hurts.

Metal Mainstage
Deftones, Lostprophets, Within Temptation, Sonata Arctica, Judas Priest and Motörhead.

2014

Mainstage
Monday, August 11:
Ivan & The Parazol, Leningrad, The 1975, Tankcsapda, Blink-182

Tuesday, August 12:
Anti-Flag, Ska-P, Queens of the Stone Age, Deadmau5

Wednesday, August 13:
Jake Bugg, Imagine Dragons, Placebo, Skrillex

Thursday, August 14:
Mary PopKids, Bastille, Lily Allen, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Friday, August 15:
Die Fantastischen Vier, CeeLo Green, Manic Street Preachers, Korn

Saturday, August 16:
Bombay Bicycle Club, Punnany Massif, Madness, The Prodigy

Sunday, August 17:
Triggerfinger, The Kooks, Outkast, Calvin Harris

A38 Stage
Tuesday, August 12:
Brody Dalle, A Day to Remember, Casper, Jimmy Eat World, The Bloody Beetroots, Deniz Koyu, Thomas Gold, Sikztah

Wednesday, August 13:
Girls in Hawaii, The Big Pink, Tom Odell, Miles Kane, Clean Bandit, R3hab, Madeon, Andro

Thursday, August 14:
Michael Kiwanuka, Fink, Irie Maffia, Bonobo, Stromae, Kavinsky (Outrun Live), Axwell, Muzzaik

Friday, August 15:
Palma Violets, Band of Skulls, Angel Haze, Kelis, Klaxons, Sandro Silva, Laidback Luke, Dave Martin

Saturday, August 16:
Starlight Girls, The BossHoss, Jagwar Ma, Wild Beasts, Crystal Fighters, Quentin Mosimann, Fedde le Grand, Julia Carpenter

Sunday, August 17:
INVSN, Mount Kimbie, NOFX, La Roux, Darkside, DJAIKOVSKI ft. TK Wonder & MC Wasp, Ian Autorun, Borgore, Black Sun Empire, Jade

Lawsuit

Dr. Tamas Derce, the mayor of Újpest, the 4th district of Budapest, has sued Sziget Festival, claiming that the event is so loud the locals cannot sleep at night. The mayor wants to force the organisers by court decision to cease every program between 6 pm and 10 am - which virtually means closing down the festival. The mayor already lost a similar case against Sziget at court in 2002.
The organizers of the 2008 festival promised local officials that the main stage will shut down at 11 pm and no music on that stage will be played after that. For this reason the Iron Maiden concert was taken from its original starting time of 9:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Previous years

Other activities
In addition to music, the festival offers a plethora of other activities including cinema, dance, theatre, tattooing, Internet access, volleyball, tennis, football, indoor rowing, rock climbing, bungee jumping and a life-sized foosball.

The island is located in the city of Budapest allowing trips to the city centre during the day.

See also

List of historic rock festivals
Woodstock
An "artistic reply" to this festival is "Magyar Sziget" (Hungarian Island) at Verőce (Hungary), focusing on Hungarian rather than international music. It is held every year in July.

Notes

References

External links

 Official website in 12 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Ukrainian, Finnish, Slovakian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese and Hungarian
 Official website for the Netherlands
 Official website for Spain
 Official website for the U.K.
 Official website for Turkey
 Sziget Ticketing
 Sziget 2007 Foto Group
 Latest news on Sziget on Budapest Festivals - unofficial news site
 Sziget News - independent news site and fan community
 Budapest All in One Guide

Music festivals in Hungary
Culture in Budapest
Rock festivals in Hungary
Heavy metal festivals in Hungary
1993 establishments in Hungary
Festivals in Hungary
Tourist attractions in Budapest
Electronic music festivals in Hungary
Music festivals established in 1993
Events in Budapest
Summer events in Hungary

Sziget Festival


Francis Alison (1705–1779) was a leading minister in the Synod of Philadelphia during The Old Side-New Side Controversy

Biography

Early life and education
Alison was born in Donegal, Ireland and studied at the University of Glasgow. It appears he arrived in the United States in 1734 or 1735 in order to help the fledgling Presbyterian Church as a minister. He was ordained a full-fledged minister in 1737 and served the New London congregation.

Career
Alison always stood out as a great intellect and was frequently employed as a teacher both within and without the church.  The parents of John Dickinson of Delaware, who would grow up to write the Farmer's Letters, hired Alison to tutor their children.  His teaching grew from there by adding pupils and he ran an academy at Thunder Hill, near the village of New London, Pennsylvania.  According to his letters to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale, he started this school about 1743.  His teaching position at this school was funded by the Synod.  He was allowed an assistant.  In 1744, he was elected to the original American Philosophical Society. Alison left the New London school in 1752 in order to run a grammar school in Philadelphia and at the behest of Benjamin Franklin aid with the College of Philadelphia.  He was the vice-provost in 1755.  Unhappy with the growing influence of the Church of England at the College, he would later return to Delaware to run the New Ark Academy, which eventually merged with New Ark College to become the University of Delaware.  The University of Glasgow made him a Doctor of Divinity in 1756.

Controversy
Francis Alison was at the center of much of the Old Side – New Side Controversy in the early Presbyterian Church, which was part of the Great Awakening.  Alison was against the practices of the Great Awakening going so far as to help his presbytery pen a pamphlet entitled the Querists.  This pamphlet was an attack on the doctrine of George Whitefield, a leading revivalist.  Alison was part of the cause of the division in that he came to Synod seeking a judgment against Alexander Craighead, a New Side adherent.  Alison had complained that Craighead had preached in Alison's church without permission.  Craighead refused to let Donegal Presbytery put him on trial for the offense.  Alison came to Synod seeking a trial against Craighead.  This never occurred as the New Side would not allow it.  This led to the Protest of 1741, which Alison signed.  As a result of the Protest, Gilbert Tennent and his New Side friends left the Synod and formed their own.  Alison did dissent from the ruling of the Synod of 1742.  Alison wished the Synod would have revisited the whole affair, but he was in the minority.  Alison continued with the Old Side Synod of Philadelphia after the Presbytery of New York left in 1746.

Upon the reunion of the two sides in 1758, which created the new Synod of New York and Philadelphia, Alison preached the opening sermon entitled "Peace and Union" from Ephesians 4:4-7.  In the ensuing years, Alison always took the Old Side interpretation of theology; however, he remained a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Legacy
Alison is best known for his work in the church.  His work led to the founding of the first Widows Fund in the church.  He was known as the best Latin scholar in America.  He taught many people who would go on to productive careers in the church.  Foremost among them are Dr. John Ewing, Dr. James Latta, and Matthew Wilson.  What is often overlooked is his influence on the founding of America.  Three of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence studied under Alison: Governor Thomas McKean, George Read, and James Smith.  Charles Thomson who served as Secretary of the Continental Congress also was a pupil of Alison.  Alison was in England when news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence arrived in England.  He was far too old to participate, but all knew his sympathies lie with freedom.  Upon his death, he freed his slaves.

Archival Collections
The Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a collection of Francis Alison's papers including sermons from 1752-1774, undated writings and documents relating to the Alison Family.

References

Ingersoll, Elizabeth (1974) PhD Dissertation University of Delaware "Francis Alison: American Philosophe, 1705-1799
Webster, Richard. History of the Presbyterian Church (440-442).

External links

1705 births
1779 deaths
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers
University of Pennsylvania faculty
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
Irish emigrants to the United States
People of colonial Pennsylvania
18th-century American clergy

Francis Alison


John Cathles Hill (1857 – 5 April 1915) was an architect and property developer who was influential in the development of parts of suburban north London.

Early life
John C. Hill   was born in Hawkhill, Dundee, on 12 December 1857, the eldest son of Robert Hill and his wife Eliza, née Cathles. He had two brothers and three sisters, one of whom died in infancy. When he was three years old his family moved to the village of Auchterhouse in the county of Angus. His father was tollhouse keeper at Auchterhouse which he combined with working as a cartwright and joiner.

Business career
When Hill was seventeen he left home and became a self-employed journeyman carpenter and joiner. After two years he settled in Glasgow where he attended the Mechanics' Institute. There he learned the principles of architecture and construction. At the age of 21 he moved to London, where a relative, George Cathles Porter, was working as a speculative builder in Hornsey. After quickly establishing himself as a joiner, Hill was able to set up his own joinery business within a year. His business was successful and it was not long before he was exploiting the suburban building boom and building houses. By 1881 he was living as a boarder at 9 Albert Road, off the Seven Sisters Road. He was described as a "builder employing 8 men". His first offices were established in Archway, London.

North London
Hill became a prolific developer-architect in North London. Records indicate that he was responsible for building 2,397 houses in or near London and in the city of Peterborough. He focussed on suburban communities for the middle classes complete with houses, shops and pubs. In the 1890s he built up a good part of Harringay, North London. In addition to a few streets of terraced houses to the east of Green Lanes, the development also included a magnificent terrace of shops, Grand Parade, and a vast ornate public house, The Salisbury. He is also credited with large developments in Crouch End including the Grade II* listed Queens pub in Crouch End (and is also in CAMRA's National inventory), the Broadway Parade on the western side of Crouch End Broadway and the Rathcole estate.

As a developer Hill experienced a shortage of bricks. He resolved this problem by acquiring a brickfield at Fletton in 1889. This eventually became the London Brick Company. At his Fletton works, he built a huge kiln, called 'Napoleon' which was the biggest in the world.

Hill also owned a chain of five off-licences in north London. When his businesses ran into trouble, these five were taken over by his cousin William Cathles and some survived till the middle of the Twentieth century.

In 1910 Hill founded a national association of brick manufacturers to try to tackle the trade's endemic competition which had been threatening its ruin.

Like most builders of the period, Hill financed his operations through mortgages. At the beginning of the twentieth century Hill's financial position deteriorated and in 1912 Hill was declared bankrupt with a deficit of over one million pounds. Hill told the bankruptcy court that his failure had been brought about by the Finance Act, 1909, which had entirely destroyed the value the equities his mortgages.

Other appointments
Outside his building business, Hill had various other appointments. He was a local councillor in Fletton and served on the London County Council as member for Islington North from 1909 to 1912, when he resigned.

In 1896 he was appointed as a director for Olympia Ltd, who owned and ran the Olympia Stadium in London.

Family and personal life
When he first moved to London Hill was recorded as living at 9 Albert Road, Tottenham, Middlesex. In 1882 he married a grocer's daughter, Matilda Mose, and by 1885 they had moved to 32 Archway Road. In 1890 they were living in Highgate, at the top of Whitehall Park. Four years later, success enabled a further move to a pseudo-gothic mansion called Southwood Hall at the junction of Muswell Hill Road and Wood Lane in Highgate.

In 1905 the family moved out of Southwood and into a mansion flat in Hornsey Gardens, albeit an elegant one.

Death and legacy

For the last four years of his life Hill suffered from cirrhosis of the liver. He died of a heart attack on 5 April 1915 at 20 Ventnor Villas, Hove, while on a visit to the resort.

He is buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery. His wife Matilda was buried with him after her death in 1939 at the age of 79.

References

External links

Scottish architects
Burials at Highgate Cemetery
1857 births
1915 deaths
Members of London County Council
Real estate and property developers

John Cathles Hill


Christ on the Cross, Christ between Two Thieves or Calvary is an 1835 painting by Eugène Delacroix.

It was exhibited at the 1835 Paris Salon, after which it was bought for the French state for 2,000 francs and assigned to Morbihan. It was then exhibited at the church of Saint-Patern in Vannes, where the curé had the breast of Mary Magdalene overpainted and the work hung out of sight in the bell tower. The painting was restored in 1864 and the following year moved to its present home at the Musée de la Cohue, also in Vannes.

References

1835 paintings
Paintings by Eugène Delacroix
Delacroix
Paintings of the Virgin Mary
Paintings depicting Mary Magdalene
Skulls in art

Christ on the Cross (Delacroix)


The Central American Seaway (also known as the Panamanic Seaway, Inter-American Seaway and Proto-Caribbean Seaway) was a body of water that once separated North America from South America. It formed during the Jurassic (200–154 Ma) during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, and closed when the Isthmus of Panama was formed by volcanic activity in the late Pliocene (2.76–2.54 Ma).

The closure of the Central American Seaway had tremendous effects on oceanic circulation and the biogeography of the adjacent seas, isolating many species and triggering speciation and diversification of tropical and sub-tropical marine fauna. The inflow of nutrient-rich water of deep Pacific origin into the Caribbean was blocked and so local species had to adapt to an environment of lower productivity. It had an even larger impact on terrestrial life. The seaway had isolated South America for much of the Cenozoic, which allowed the evolution of a wholly-unique diverse mammalian fauna there. When it closed, a faunal exchange with North America ensued and led to the extinction of many of the native South American forms.

Evidence
The evidence for when the Central American landmass emerged and the closing of  the Central American Seaway can be divided into three categories. The first is the direct geologic observation of crustal thickening and submarine deposits in Central America. The second is the Great American Interchange of vertebrates between North and South America which required a continuous land bridge across the two areas for the organisms to travel along with a climate that was very different from the climate today. Lastly is the development of differences in marine assemblages and their isotopic signatures in the Caribbean from those in the Pacific. The Central American Seaway was closed by the elevation of the Central American Isthmus which is proposed to have occurred three and a half to five million years ago. The closing of the Central American Seaway is also supported by the evolution of taxa on different sides of the Central American Isthmus along with the different histories of the oceans on either side of the isthmus.

Details
The first closure and the final closure remain a matter for debate:

Direct geologic observation of crustal thickening and submarine deposits in Central America
It is postulated that the geological collision started about 25 million years ago, the deep ocean connections had ceased by between 12 and 9.2 million years ago  and the final shallow temporary connection terminated at the latest by 2.45 million years ago.
The earliest recent literature date for first closure is 15 million years ago
Great American Interchange
The first exchanges (land) and separation of species (sea) took place by 20 million years ago but genetic drift data seems to indicate that surface ocean connections may have existed of the order of 1 million years ago.
Development of differences in marine assemblages and their isotopic signatures in the Caribbean from those in the Pacific
The saline and carbon data are fairly suggestive for a range of surface water interface loss between 4.6 million years ago to 4.2 million years ago

Consequences
The closing of the seaway allowed a major migration of land mammals between North and South America, known as the Great American Interchange. That allowed species of mammals such as cats, canids, horses, elephants, and camels to migrate from North America to South America, and porcupines, ground sloths, glyptodonts and terror birds made the reverse migration. There is much controversy about glacial and interglacial climates in South America. Research shows that vegetation in most of the Amazon basin has changed very little since glacial times, but it is believed there was more savanna present during that period. A closed seaway would have led to a very different North Atlantic Ocean circulation, but it impacted the surrounding atmospheric temperatures, which in turn affected the glacial cycle. The emergence of the isthmus caused a reflection of the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current northward and enhanced the northward-flowing Gulf Stream. The Pacific coast of South America would have cooled as the input of warm water from the Caribbean was cut off. That trend is thought to have caused the extinction of the marine sloths of the area.

The closure of the seaway led to an increased poleward salt and heat transport, which strengthened the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation 2.95–2.82 million years ago. That in turn increased the moisture supply to Arctic latitudes, which contributed to both Arctic continental glaciation and sea ice formation. This eventually led, with the aid of the orbitally-paced extension of Gelasian ice sheets,  to the Quaternary ice age.

See also

References

Historical oceans
Natural history of North America
Natural history of South America
Natural history of Central America

Central American Seaway


HMS Oberon was a 16-gun brig-sloop of the Seagull class built at Kingston upon Hull and launched in 1805. She was constructed at the James Shepheard Shipyard, Sutton.

Service

She was commissioned in September 1805 under her first commander, John Bushby.  However from January 1806 she was under Commander George Manners Sutton off the Downs, in the North Sea. On 6 June 1806 she was in company with  when they captured the Yonge Heinrick H.H. Berg, master.

On 13 November 1807 she gave chase to the French privateer lugger Ratifia, capturing her after four hours, some 30 miles east of Lowestoft.  The Ratifia commanded by Lieutenant Gilbert Laforeste, had been carrying 14 guns, but at the time had only two mounted for action, the rest being in the hold.  She had sailed on 9 November from Delfzijl, on the Ems but had not made any captures before being taken by the Oberon.  Captain Sutton sailed her to the Yarmouth Roads and landed 38 prisoners.

On 5 December 1808 Oberon recaptured the Prince of Wales. Sutton removed to Derwent in April 1810, and by May 1810 the Oberon was off the Downs again, commanded by John Murray. On 4 May Oberon was in company with the gun-brig  when she recaptured the Galen.

Oberon moved to Leith in 1812. On 23 October, Oberon, Clio and Chanticleer detained the Jonge Henrick. The next day, Clio and Oberon captured the Danish privateer Wegonsende. The same vessels were also involved in the capture of the privateer Stafeten on 24 December. Prize money for Wegonsende was paid in August 1816.

On 18 March 1813 Oberon sailed to search for two American schooners, suspected to be privateers, cruising between Shetland and Norway in the hope of intercepting British whalers returning from Greenland waters. Oberon met the Whitby whaler Esk on 20 March, but the Esk reported that she had not seen any suspicious vessels.  Oberon continued cruising until Saturday 3 April, before entering the Sound at Lerwick at 10pm, where she again met the Esk, which was sheltering from storms and adverse winds.

In 1814 Oberon sailed to the Baltic.

Fate
Oberon paid off from service into ordinary in 1814 at Sheerness. She was first offered for sale on 9 February 1815, and then broken up there in May 1816.

Notes

Citations

References

 HMS Oberon's career

Brig-sloops of the Royal Navy
1805 ships

HMS Oberon (1805)


The Contemporary Ballad Book was a 1974 Joan Baez compilation, released by Vanguard after the success of the Joan Baez Ballad Book.  Unlike the first Ballad Book, this one focused on singer-songwriter material, rather than traditional folk.  This new compilation contained one previously unreleased track, the Italian song, C'era un ragazzo che come me amava i Beatles e i Rolling Stones ('There was this guy who, just like me, loved the Beatles and the Rolling Stones'), taken from Baez' performance at the Isle of Wight Festival.

Track listing
 "North Country Blues" (Bob Dylan)
 "It Ain't Me, Babe" (Bob Dylan)
 "Children of Darkness" (Richard Fariña)
 "C'era Un Ragazzo Che Come Me Amava i Beatles e i Rolling Stones" (M. Lusini, F. Migliacci)
 "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" (traditional)
 "Birmingham Sunday" (Richard Fariña)
 "San Francisco Mabel Joy" (Mickey Newbury)
 "Be Not Too Hard" (Donovan)
 "Restless Farewell" (Bob Dylan)
 "Ranger's Command" (Woody Guthrie)
 "Long Black Veil" (Marijohn Wilkin)
 "Hickory Wind" (Gram Parsons)
 "The Lady Came from Baltimore" (Tim Hardin)
 "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" (Bob Dylan)
 "The Tramp on the Street" (traditional)
 "Saigon Bride" (Joan Baez, Nina Duschek)
 "Donna Donna" (Sholom Secunda, Aaron Zeitlin, A. Kevess, T. Schwartz)
 "Song in the Blood" (Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jacques Prévert)
 "The Magic Wood" (Henry Treece)
 "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" (A. Bredon)

Notes and references

Joan Baez compilation albums
1974 compilation albums
Vanguard Records compilation albums

The Contemporary Ballad Book


"And a Star to Steer Her By" is a science fiction short story by American writer G. Harry Stine, originally published, under the name Lee Correy, in the June 1953 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.  It was later published in Every Boy's Book of Outer Space Stories.  The title comes from a line in John Masefield's poem Sea-Fever.

Plot summary

Rod Garver is a 35-year-old spaceman who has just lost his left hand and had it replaced with an artificial one. Unfortunately, he can no longer work as a jet man on rockets because his new hand isn't strong enough, and must be left behind on the planet Mars in the spaceport of Canalopolis.  His ship, the Timurlane heads on to Jupiter's moon Ganymede, while he attempts to return to Terra.

He spends several months waiting around in the bars spacemen frequent, including the club for the League of Free Traders, hoping to find a captain willing to hire him for a return trip to Terra. The Fafnir, an aging cargo ship, makes an emergency landing near Canalopolis after its jet man is killed when a machine in his power room explodes. The Dutch captain, Vanderhoff, offers Garver the open post, on a run back to Terra. Despite some misgivings about serving on a ship in such disrepair, Garver accepts and after several weeks of repairing Fafnir, they depart—along with the electronics man, Winchell 'Winch' Astrabadi, an Arab 'Moslem' with a New York accent and his cat, Cosmo. During the nine month flight, Garver decides he will open a restaurant catering to the tastes of spacemen, as he isn't ready to retire. The three men get to know each other and enjoy watching Cosmo, who, like most cats, has adapted well to zero-g life.  Arriving at Terra, they land at White Sands, New Mexico, with only a minor mechanical incident. Garver departs to open a spaceman-oriented bar and grill, Vanderhoff puts the Fafnir up for sale as scrape and Winch takes a job on a shuttle to and from Luna.

Garver's business is successful, but he yearns for the life of a spaceman. He meets Harvey Bernotte, a young southerner from a Venusian farm, who was just beginning as a spaceman when he was temporarily black-listed and is currently grounded on Terra. Now Harvey isn't sure if he wants to be a spaceman. Garver gives Harvey a job as a bartender, and Garver's old captain, Tomaszewski, returns to Terra and the two share news. Garver realizes he still wants to be a spaceman and convinces Vanderhoff to sell him the Fafnir in exchange for half ownership of the restaurant. Vanderhoff reveals he never put the Fafnir up for sale because he knew Garver wouldn't be able to resist the life of a spaceman. Garver, Winch and Harvey set off for Venus, but Vanderhoff and Garver observe that some people are born to be spacemen and there is nothing they can do to change that. They agree that Harvey is like Garver and will also eventually realize that he too belongs in space.

The story closes with:

"In every age, in every time, there have been those who are not content to settle down. They miss the kick of the wheel, the wail of the wind in the rigging, the exotic sights and smells of a harbor half across the world, the roar of engines cutting through the slipstream, and the powerful, body-shaking thunder of the jets. It is to these restless men with the wanderlust that the human race owes a priceless debt as the wanderers push the horizons out to the stars -- "

Politics
The world of the story seems to have a largely anarchic or libertarian political system.  Most of the people seem to live with little government control.  Some kind of unified economy exists, because the traders flying to Earth from other planets and then back out have to deal with fluctuating market prices that can cause the cargo they carry to lose its worth by the time they reach their market.  There are organisations created by civilians, including the League of Free Traders, a guild of some sort with clubs on different planets.  The civilization is advanced, but appears to have taken on some aspects of a frontier society.  It is unclear if each planet has its own government, but some central government still has control over all planets.  When the Fafnir lands on Earth, decommissioned and then put up for sale as scrap, the decommissioning process involves the Bureau of Space Commerce (BSC) removing the "bricks of fissionable material from her atomic pile." So some government oversight still exists to monitor and regulate certain dangerous substances.  The story does not have the feel of a 'wild west,' but it does seem to be a capitalist libertarian utopia, where there are understood codes of conduct and everyone acts in a law-abiding manner—only without any evidence of laws or law-enforcement.  Capitalist because all of the characters have jobs or are looking for something to do.  A Utopia because everyone seems to be treated equally and different races have mixed and coexist peacefully.

The audience is probably meant to be boys, because there are no female characters, and the setting and plot (space and space travel) deal with subjects appealing to young boys, especially of the 1950s.  The opening and closing paragraphs could be seen as specific encouragement for youths reading the story to become explorers and general encouragement to follow their dreams.

References

External links

Libertarian science fiction books
1953 short stories
Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact

And a Star to Steer Her By


Henry Joseph Grayson (9 May 1856 – 21 March 1918) was a British-born Australian nurseryman and scientist, best known as the designer of a machine for ruling diffraction gratings.

Grayson was born in Worrall, near Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, son of Joseph Grayson, a Master Cutler, and his wife Fanny, née Smith. Grayson came of a family of market gardeners, and travelled to New Zealand in the early 1880s. After he returned to England and married Elizabeth Clare on 11 August 1886, the couple soon migrated to Victoria (Australia) where Grayson worked as a nursery gardener. Becoming interested in science he joined the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, studied botany and did some work on the diatoms, a group of minute plants. Grayson attended meetings of the Royal Microscopical Society and developed a talent for preparing microscope slides. Before 1894 he had constructed a machine for making micrometer rulings on glass, the results being very good for that time. In 1897 some beautiful work Grayson had done in cutting sections of plants led to his being given a position in the physiology department of the University of Melbourne under Professor C. J. Martin.

He was afterwards transferred to the geology department, and in December 1901 accompanied Professor F. T. Gregory on his expedition to Central Australia. In the preface to The Dead Heart of Australia Gregory paid a special tribute "To my assistant Mr Grayson on whom much of the hard work of the expedition fell". In 1910 Grayson was associated with Daniel James Mahony in the preparation of a paper on "The Geology of the Camperdown and Mount Elephant Districts" (No. 9 in the Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Victoria), and in the same year, while working at the university under professor E. W. Skeats, who succeeded Gregory, Grayson made a highly efficient apparatus for preparing rock sections, a description of which will be found in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria for the year 1911.

In the meanwhile Grayson had been perfecting his fine ruling work. Grayson had by then succeeded in creating 120,000 diffractions lines to the inch (4,700 lines per mm). Grayson described his work on diffraction ruling in a report published for the Report of Meeting, Eighth Meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held at Melbourne, Victoria in 1900:

From this time onwards much of his time was given to the preparation of a dividing engine for ruling diffraction gratings. Grayson was transferred to the Natural Philosophy department of the university under Professor T. R. Lyle in 1913 and was allowed to give his full time to the machine. In July 1917 he read a paper before the Royal Society of Victoria giving a full description of the machine, which was published with several plates in the society's Proceedings for that year. In the same year Grayson was awarded the David Syme Research Prize of £100 by the University of Melbourne. Grayson died in Clyde of heart disease leaving a widow but no children.

References

1856 births
1918 deaths
19th-century Australian inventors
Australian scientists
Australian nurserymen
British emigrants
Immigrants to colonial Australia
Australian inventors

Henry Joseph Grayson


The Odessa File is an 1974 thriller film, adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, about a reporter's investigation of a neo-Nazi political-industrial network in post-Second World War West Germany. The film stars Jon Voight, Mary Tamm, Maximilian Schell and Maria Schell and was directed by Ronald Neame, with a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was the only film that the Schell siblings made together.

Plot
On 22 November 1963, the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas, Peter Miller (Jon Voight), a young freelance reporter in Hamburg, West Germany, pulls his car over to the kerb to listen to a radio report of the event. As a result, he happens to be stopped at a traffic signal as an ambulance passes by on a highway.

He follows the ambulance and discovers it is en route to pick up the body of an elderly man who has committed suicide, leaving behind no family. Peter obtains the man's diary and learns the man was Salomon Tauber (Towje Kleiner), a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Salomon's diary details information on his life in the Riga Ghetto during World War II, including the name of the SS officer who ran the camp, Eduard Roschmann (Maximilian Schell). Salomon's diary catalogues all of Roschmann's crimes including the murder of a highly decorated Wehrmacht officer (Oskar Werner) while attempting to flee at the end of the war.

Peter is filled with a determination to hunt Roschmann down and he sets out to meet famed Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, who informs him about ODESSA, a secret organization for former members of the SS which is developing a missile guidance system for Nasserist Egypt. Wiesenthal explains that most of the West Berlin Police are members of ODESSA and not to be trusted. As Peter leaves he is accosted by Israeli Mossad agents who suspect Peter of trying to harm Wiesenthal. Peter manages to convince the men that his true mission is to find and bring Roschmann to justice. The Israelis propose to send Peter deep undercover in the ODESSA. Peter agrees to the mission and with the help of the Israelis, they provide him with a cover identity. Peter is to be a former SS soldier who died recently in a nearby hospital. Before going under cover, Peter then leaves his girlfriend Sigi (Mary Tamm).

The Israelis drill Peter on all details of his cover identity in preparation of meeting with ODESSA. Complete with a new cover identity, Peter gains access to the inner ranks of the ODESSA. After getting through his first test he is sent to get a fake passport from a forger who is working for ODESSA. While awaiting his train, Peter blunders by making a call to Sigi to assure her that he is OK. Thinking he is safe, he boards the train. Meanwhile, the ODESSA report back that Peter has made a call and they work out that Peter is not who he says he is. An assassin is dispatched to kill him. Peter meets with the forger Klaus Wenzer (Derek Jacobi) a shy insecure young man living with his mother. After taking passport photos, Klaus tells Peter to return after the weekend, but then calls him after midnight and tells him to return within the hour.

Suspicious, Peter rings Klaus' home from his hotel and having had no answer is wary, and sees the armed assassin who is waiting for him. Peter sneaks into the house and awakes Klaus' mother: she mistakes him for a priest and begs him to pray for her son. He then tackles the assassin and manages to kill the man. Whilst exploring Klaus' safe he uncovers a book detailing every fake ID Klaus created and detail the real identity of those he created the fake IDs for. Peter takes the file and hides it in a train station locker, later giving the key to Sigi, lest anything should happen to him.

Peter victorious returns to the Israelis and details all he has found but refuses to disclose the location of the file until Roschmann has been apprehended. The Israeli agents reluctantly agree to Peter's demands and he then leaves for Roschmann's home where he finds him living an opulent life as a munitions factory owner. Peter manages to gain access to the mansion and evade his security before confronting Roschmann at gunpoint. Peter reveals Salomon Tauber's diary to Roschmann who attempts to deny everything, claiming Peter has been misled. Peter then discloses to Roschmann, Salomon's description of the murder of a fellow German Wehrmacht officer at the end of the war. Peter goes through the unique details of the cowardly murder and then discloses that the Wehrmacht officer was in fact Peter's father. Roschmann realising he is about to be exposed, panics and goes for his gun forcing Peter to defend himself. Peter returns fire at Roschmann killing the former SS officer who had killed his father.

The detailed ODESSA files obtained by Peter are used to arrest numerous Nazi war criminals including high-ranking members of the police. Later Roschmann's factory mysteriously burns to the ground before any rockets are delivered to Egypt.

Cast

 Jon Voight as Peter Miller
 Mary Tamm as Sigi
 Maximilian Schell as Eduard Roschmann
 Maria Schell as Frau Miller
 Derek Jacobi as Klaus Wenzer
 Peter Jeffrey as David Porath
 Klaus Löwitsch as Gustav Mackensen
 Kurt Meisel as Alfred Oster
 Hannes Messemer as General Glücks
 Garfield Morgan as Israeli General
 Shmuel Rodensky as Simon Wiesenthal
 Ernst Schröder as Werner Deilman
 Günter Strack as Kunik
 Noel Willman as Franz Bayer
 Günter Meisner as General Greifer
 Gunnar Möller as Karl Braun
 Til Kiwe as Medal Shop Proprietor
 Cyril Shaps as Tauber's Voice (narrating the diary)
 Oskar Werner as an Wehrmacht Officer (uncredited)

Production
Filming was done on location in Hamburg, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; Heidelberg, Germany; Munich, Germany; at Pinewood Studios, England; and the Bavaria Studios in Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany. It was filmed with Panavision equipment, produced with Eastmancolor technologies.

The film's title song, "Christmas Dream", written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, was sung by Perry Como and the London Boy Singers.

Simon Wiesenthal served as a technical advisor for the production.

Reception
The film premiered at the 1974 San Francisco International Film Festival. The American Nazi Party staged a protest outside the theater but it was mistaken for a promotion of the film.

The film has an aggregated score of 64% from 14 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Nora Sayre of the New York Times said, "The film makes its points methodically, almost academically. It also drags because there are many unnecessary transitional passages, devoted to moving the characters from one situation to another. Almost every occurrence is predictable."

References

External links

1974 films
1974 independent films
1970s English-language films
1970s spy thriller films
British independent films
British political thriller films
British spy thriller films
Columbia Pictures films
English-language German films
Films about journalists
Films about Nazi hunters
Films about the Mossad
Films based on British novels
Films based on thriller novels
Films based on works by Frederick Forsyth
Films directed by Ronald Neame
Films set in 1963
Films set in 1964
Films set in Hamburg
Films set in Munich
Films set in Salzburg
Films set in Vienna
Films shot in Austria
Films shot in England
Films shot in Germany
Films shot in Hamburg
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films shot at Bavaria Studios
Films about the aftermath of the Holocaust
West German films
1970s political thriller films
Films about Nazis
Films about Nazism
Films about Nazi fugitives
Films set in Jerusalem
Films set in Heidelberg
Films about the Arab–Israeli conflict
Films set in Riga
Films set in 1944
1970s British films

ja:オデッサ・ファイル#映画

The Odessa File (film)


The New York Park Association was formed in 1881 or 1882 (references differ) by  John Mullaly and other citizens.  The group was concerned about urban growth.  The group lobbied for the acquisition of land to create parks and parkways in New York City, and was instrumental in the passage of the New Parks Act in 1884.

According to The New York Times, the association was formed at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on November 26, 1881, with the objective of securing increased park space in New York City.  John Mullaly was elected the association's secretary.  Land suitable for parks could be bought at the time for under $1,000 to $1,500 an acre.  It was stated that the parks should be for the use of the people, and not, as Central Park now is, a great ornamental spot which is practically closed to the public by reason of the many restrictions imposed upon visitors.

The work of the association led to the creation of  Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx Park, Crotona Park, and Claremont Park.

References

History of New York City
Environmental organizations based in New York (state)

New York Park Association


Baron Friedrich August Marschall von Bieberstein  (30 July 1768 in Stuttgart – 28 June 1826 in Merefa) was an early explorer of the flora and archeology of the southern portion of Imperial Russia, including the Caucasus and Novorossiya. He compiled the first comprehensive flora catalogue of the Crimeo-Caucasian region.

Origin
Friedrich Marschall von Bieberstein was the son of a Colonel from Württemberg 'Conrad Otto Christoph Freiherr Marschall von Bieberstein' (17 March 1726 – 25 May 1796), and his wife 'Johanna Theresia Henriette' née Wolf from Ludwigsburg (21 December 1738 – 1783). They married on 21 September 1761.

The 'Marschall von Bieberstein' family can trace its origins back over 800 years to the region today called Saxony in eastern Germany. The current family name derives from Bieberstein castle near Dresden.
He had three brothers, Carl Wilhelm Marschall von Bieberstein (1764–1817), who was from 1792 worked in Baden, then in 1800 became President of the Privy Councillor, then 1806 part of the Privy Council (known as the Geheimrat in Germany) and in 1809, Baden Minister of the Interior and finally in 1811, an Envoy in Stuttgart, and 'Ernst Franz Ludwig Marschall von Bieberstein (1770–1834), Chief Minister (Staatsminister) of the Duchy of Nassau between 1806 and 1834.  All three brothers were graduates of 'Carl's High School' (Hohe Carls-Schule) in Stuttgart.

Biography
Friedrich August began a career in the military, but then worked for Prince Kraft Ernest of Oettingen-Wallerstein in Vienna. He then moved to Iași where he served as secretary to Count Mikhail Kakhovsky.

In 1793, von Bieberstein became aide-de-camp to Kakhovsky and was sent to Crimea. Soon afterwards, he met fellow German naturalist, Peter Simon Pallas, who encouraged his interest in natural history and botany. He then to collect specimens as he travelled around the Caucasus. He was especially thorough around the town of 'Karassu Bazar' (now called Bilohirsk in Crimea), which was a former blackwater market. In the spring of 1794, he collected specimens around Sevastopol.

In 1795, he travelled to St. Petersburg, sent (by Empress Catherine II the Great) with the invading Russian forces into Persia. He explored the western shore of the Caspian Sea. He collected many herbarium specimens all along the way, he published an account of his journey in French in 1798 "Tableau des provinces situées sur la côte occidentale de la mer Caspienne entre les fleuves Terek et Kour" (and in German in 1800) (and into English in 1807) which contained a great deal of botanical information, including 74 new species descriptions. He also drew an archaeological map of the Taman Peninsula in 1796. Now stored with the St Petersburg branch of the archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The sudden death of Empress Catherine ended the Persian campaign in 1796 and von Bieberstein went to Moscow.

In 1798, he undertook a second trip to the Caucasus, in which he explored in detail the northern and eastern parts of the mountains.

In 1799, von Bieberstein was appointed privy-councillor (known as 'Director of the Silk House'), responsible for the development of sericulture (silkworm breeding) in southern Russia,  giving him a plenty of ideal chances to travel around the region and continue his botanical studies and add to his collection.

Between 1802 and 1805, he went on his third and fourth trips to Caucasus to Georgia, which he explored the region, while based at Tbilisi. He was accompanied by the Count Mussin Pushkin.

In 1804, the Russian government sent him on a scientific mission to Germany and France, he studied the 'Near East' specimens in the Tournefort herbarium in Paris.

Later in 1804, Von Bieberstein married a Finnish woman named Miss Maria Kristina Klick (1785- ) and together they moved to Marefa (also known as Marfopol'ye).

Very soon afterwards he began to publish the 'Flora Taurico Caucasica' (from 1808 to 1819). The two volumes of books contain the descriptions of 2,322 Spermatophyte species of the caucasus region, from his various trips. In 1819, he published a supplementary volume, covering his later discovered specimens of the regions.  The books use the new Linnaean classification system.

Von Bieberstein remained in Marefa for the rest of his life and he developed orchards at 'Penz' and Poltava as well as supervising the military pharmaceutical gardens of Ukraine.

In 1810, he published a work with illustrations of south Russian plants entitled 'Centuria plantarum rariorum Rossiae meridionalis', in which 50 of his own hand-coloured engravings can be seen.

After his death, his approximately 10,000 specimens of his comprehensive plant collection was donated in 1828 to the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was housed in St. Petersburg. It is currently in the possession of the Komarov Botanical Institute. The important collection was preserved for more than a hundred years in an unavailable condition, and then in the late 60's, it was curated and made accessible to botanical scholars.

Honours
Bieberstein has received many honours, including belonging to the Order of St. Vladimir.

The botanical epithets, 'biebersteinii' are named after him. This includes Achillea biebersteinii, published by Huber-Morath in 1975. and Biebersteinia.

Bieberstein is recognised as the scientific authority for 1,695 plant taxa.

References

1768 births
1826 deaths
Botanists active in Europe
18th-century German botanists
19th-century botanists from the Russian Empire
Russian archaeologists
Botanists with author abbreviations
People educated at the Karlsschule Stuttgart
Scientists from Stuttgart


Kimo (formerly known as Eskimo) are a New Zealand-based alternative musical group consisting of David Mulcahy (ex JPS Experience, Superette and solo electronic project Mulchzoid) and Rob Mayes (Failsafe Records, dolphin).

They released the album loverbatim under the name Eskimo in 2004. In 2007 they changed their name from Eskimo to Kimo in to differentiate themselves from a number of other artists also using that former name.

The band performed a series of concerts through 2004 and 2005 with the inclusion of Drummer Michael Daly (YFC)

Kimo have release their second album Surrender in October 2008 on Failsafe Records.

External links
 Kimo at Failsafe Records
 Kimo on Myspace
 Eskimo on Myspace
 "Watergate" single at YouTube

New Zealand alternative rock groups

Kimo (band)


The Journal of Religion and Theatre  was a peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on the relationship between theatre and religion. It was abstracted and indexed in the MLA International Bibliography. It was established in 2001 with Debra Bruch as founding editor-in-chief until 2006. She was succeeded by Heather Beasley until the journal was discontinued in 2010. It was published by the Religion and Theatre Focus Group of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.

External links

Annual journals
Arts journals
English-language journals
Open access journals
Academic journals established in 2002
Publications disestablished in 2010
Theatre studies

Journal of Religion and Theatre