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sarah's so boring ever since she stopped drinking
music. musings. mumblings. mine.
a personal blog that used to be about my sobriety.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Tonight The Tarts of Plezza are hosting the Melissa Auf De Maur Aufterparty at the Darkroom (Ludlow btw Houston and Stanton). It begins at 11 or 12. There's no list. Karen and I will be pressing play on cd decks that will be playing indie shit you've never heard, pop crap you're embarassed you love (and that will one day get us fired for playing), and everything in between.
I don't know what's wrong with me, but everytime Hail to the Theif or Amnesiac comes on my iTunes I switch it as fast as possible. I really dont like Radiohead anymore... or at least that new album, and i've been avoiding this for far too long. I was OBSESSED with OK Computer and if i were to choose any album that changed my life, it'd be that one: I listened to it once a day for three years, and when i was 17 it solidified my aspirations to work in the music industry. My thought were "You mean, if i worked in the music industry i could go see radiohead all the time and maybe even meet them? get out!"
But Thom's voice on HTTT and Amnesiac is just plain annoying to me and i find them boring musically. When I see their shows live, i'm stoked and think "I take it all back, this is the greatest band of all time!" but then I'm seated at my desk at work and my iTunes shuffles between bands that sound like radiohead (muse) and bands inspired by bands that sound like radiohead (all of emo released post origin of symmetry), and suddenly "Morning Bell" will come on and i cringe. Am I the only one feeling this way? I fully believe that if Radiohead released Absolution, alters would be built in their honor.
This weekend I saw lots of music and worked on the artwork for the new stolen transmission release (this way i can get that shit out to you all right away instead of the huge delay i had with the first one). I'll be posting about the music the release and everything else soon... Until then, I suggest you check out Dirty On Purpose. They opened for the Arcade Fire the other day and were like a combination of Sigur Ros and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Definitely way better than the Hidden Cameras in my opinion.
30 comments:
what complete caka.
Radiohead are the masters of the genre. If you can't deal with the fact that they like to challenge their audience and you'd prefer to listen to a (very average) tribute band like Muse then that's your issue.
- November 15, 2004 at 4:20 PM
The Hidden Cameras are criminally underrated. Lead singer/songwriter Joel Gibb has the bad taste to actually be gay, which embarrasses the metrosexuals. They'd much rather go for some spineless song about a boy-crush. ("Michael"? Gimme a break; Abba was more forthright.) Meanwhile, Gibb sings about AIDS and getting peed on. Maybe the Canadian Hidden Cameras are just more fun than New York City deserves.
- November 15, 2004 at 5:31 PM
So we have Radiohead to blame for Muse AND Ultragrrrl?
Gee, thanks Thom.
- November 15, 2004 at 5:49 PM
- Steve said...
I think the last couple of RH CDs require the listener to really pay attention to them. They give up much less on the first few listens, but really open up upon repeated listens. Likewise, if I'm reading on the subway while listening to those CDs, I don't get anything out of them, but if I'm sitting at home with my phones on they are really amazing.
- November 15, 2004 at 5:54 PM
- JZ said...
Just got my Lous XIV. Awesome.....
- November 15, 2004 at 6:36 PM
dirty on purpose are ok. nowhere as good as gybe, though.
- November 15, 2004 at 6:47 PM
- DTC said...
C'mon, "There There" is still one of the best songs theyve ever put down.
Less Muse, more Trail of Dead.
- November 15, 2004 at 6:51 PM
i have to agree about the radiohead. ok computer is still great, and the bends is still one of my favorite albums of all time. kid a was the last cd of theirs i'll listen to. i'll agree with previous posts that their latter-day output is challenging, but i think it is also something else--boring. amnesiac is boring. httt is even more boring.
- November 15, 2004 at 7:58 PM
I don't think a song is a song unless it has a tune you can sing in the shower. Lately Radiohead approach their music as a platform for vague political and social statements. Why the hell should I listen to a band that makes me "work" to make sense of their songs? A fluff piece with a beautiful memorable pop hook is just as artistic, if not more so, than a monotonous, aimless mess of distortion that tries [and fails] to be poetic.
- November 15, 2004 at 8:20 PM
Blasphemy...watch Meeting People is Easy again and try to save your jaded souls...
- November 15, 2004 at 8:43 PM
Pop crap is awesome. So what? If you like it, you like it. Down with the music snobheads who will never admit to listening to anything that ANYONE's ever heard of. Snobs, you know who you are! I bet YOU'RE fun at parties.
- November 15, 2004 at 9:03 PM
What's so awesome about pop crap?
- November 15, 2004 at 10:12 PM
I don't know what's wrong with you either. Seriously, though, I have to be in the right state of mind to listen to Radiohead now. Lately I find myself switching on The Futureheads or something. Kid A is still awesome, though.
- November 15, 2004 at 10:23 PM
I don't know what's wrong with you either. Seriously, though, I have to be in the right state of mind to listen to Radiohead now. Lately I find myself switching on The Futureheads or something. Kid A is still awesome, though.
- November 15, 2004 at 10:23 PM
- Michelle Collins said...
Hear Hear. I've had these Radiohead feelings for so long but always thought that maybe it was my musical ignorance. Loving OK Computer and The Bends, and cringing my way through everything else. Although of course live -- all is forgiven. (Esp. when you have Germans screaming RadioKOPF throughout the entire concert.)
But you... People listen and respect you! Esp. musically! What a relief.
- November 15, 2004 at 11:02 PM
- jeddeth said...
talk show host + the bends (entire album)
- November 15, 2004 at 11:21 PM
Say what you will about "Amnesiac" and the "There There" b-sides, but there are so many layers to "Hail to the Thief!"
2:52 of "Where I End and You Begin" where the bass comes in? EUPHORIC! 2:58 of "Scatterbrain" with the guitar noodling and the "scaaaaaterbrain"? It's as if the center of your chest, your heart, has a string attached to it and Thom has grabbed it and he's pulling you along to walk with him down the street, slowly and maybe a little bit drunkenly. 2:35 of "Myxomatosis"--"you should put me in home or you should put me dowwwn"... sigh... and then "no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" and... and... just the way it builds! And double sigh for the alliteration. And "little babies' eyes!" Swoon. "The raindrops! The raindrops!" I'm still reminded of how they rejiggered "Sit Down, Stand Up" when I saw them in London and it was... I know the definition of cacophony is a harsh and unpleasant sound, but it was the most beautiful, gigantic all-encompassing cacophony ever. 2:24 of "Go to Sleep" with Thom's sort of ghost-like "oooo"s juxtaposed with the, well, shit, I don't have the words for it. Oh, the fucking handclaps in "We Suck Young Blood." And the "la la la la"s at the end are just... I'm not the only one out there who thinks this song is sexy, am I? I can't be. I suppose particularly because Ed sings the "la la la la"s in concert. THE TRANSITION FROM "I Will" to "Punch-Up at a Wedding." As good (if not better) as the transition from "Optimistic" to "In Limbo." Maybe not quite as good as the transition from "Airbag" to "Paranoid Android" but I had a lot of time to romanticize that transition during the 3 years from "Ok Computer" to "Kid A."
I don't know. "Ok Computer" will always be my favorite album, but "Hail to the Thief" is beautiful, too. I think it's better than "Kid A," which suffers from Thom's emotionless voice and the simple, almost dead production.
- November 15, 2004 at 11:31 PM
i knew it this entry would get heaps of comments, i knew it. one day i will sign up instead of posting anonymously, i post way too many comments to be anonymous anymore.
Absolution is underrated. I want Muse to be selling out arenas and headlining more festivals because they deserve to. It's funny coz I also want them to stay small and mildly successful. If they conquer the US like coldplay did in 2003 I will seriously shoot myself. I'm a selfish music snob.
- November 15, 2004 at 11:44 PM
- xxx said...
radiohead's new work does require more of an effort but that doesn't necessarily make it any better.
i listened to rh incessantly until amnesiac came out. it wasn't until recently that i rediscovered the bends and cannot stop listening to it. though pablo honey is kind of weak at points, their first three records flow together seamlessly on itunes for me. they've become my daily soundtrack.
pop hits or not, high and dry and fake plastic trees may very well be two of the best songs of the past decade.
- November 16, 2004 at 4:34 AM
muse deserve an outhouse, not an alter.
radiohead deserve close listening, I completely agree with the person who mention listening to their albums on headphones.
re: Louis CD - great packaging! Not too keen on the music though, but perhaps their album will pull me in.
- November 16, 2004 at 9:13 AM
ok, i love radiohead, but HTTT was and is somewhat disappointing. not because of the songs - i heard live mp3s from the previous july and was in love with them from that moment. i agree that "there there" is one of the finest pop moments ever. but i really think their "bang out an album in two weeks" method failed. the tones aren't very good, the angst and beauty isn't quite there in the performances. it sounds unfinished; they could have pushed it farther. shame on nigel godrich for wussing out on 18-month recording periods! already to me the album sounds dated somehow.
amnesiac, on the other hand, is *still* ahead of its time. other bands are still assimilating and ripping off stuff from it and kid a. both versions of morning bell are great, but i actually prefer the amnesiac version.
why do these songs annoy you on itunes shuffle? because they're not singles. they're not meant to be taken randomly. when you take on post-OKC radiohead, you immerse yourself into their world. you can't just dip a toe in and pull out scrunching your face up. a few tracks work on their own - "i might be wrong" (without the useless outro), "knives out". and "pyramid song" is just amazing, but sandwiched in between franz ferdinand and who knows what else? oil and water.
let albums be what they're meant to be: a medium in their own right where artists can stretch out and do wacky shit like amnesiac that changes the world. not just a collection of digitized files ready for random shuffle, fighting for our ADD-addled brains.
- November 16, 2004 at 9:36 AM
alright, i did forget to allow that a few moments on amnesiac are far less than stellar. "hunting bears"??? WTF were they thinking? there are better songs on the "pyramid song" single (pick that up sarah, if you haven't - it has a fucked-up digital rocker that sounds like oasis crossed with atari teenage riot. sorta). "packt like sardines..." is also pretty weak. bad opener - just start off with "pyramid song". i also admit that you really have to be in the mood to take "pulk/pull revolving doors", even though i love it.
but honestly i don't blame people for not understanding this album - i bought it in 2001 and it took me until THIS YEAR to not want to skip "life in a glass house". now i realize it's brilliant.
plus, how can you have a better anti-bush/anti-war slogan than "while you make pretty speeches i'm being torn to shreds"?
- November 16, 2004 at 10:21 AM
Muse sounds exactly like a band called Ours. The Muse lead singer sounds like Jimmy Gnecco of Ours.
- November 16, 2004 at 10:21 AM
So basically, Radiohead storms on the scene with a kick-ass, much maligned single, and an underrated debut album. (Listen to the 2nd side of a Pablo Honey tape in isolation, it rules). They get labeled one-hit wonders. Then they rock the world twice with The Bends and OK Computer, and blow minds and change lives. (I also remember the confusion in Radiohead fans' minds when OK Computer came out...there was alot of the same "they're just trying to be obscure" for a few months until it sank in. I'm no exception.)
So now the same monsters that Radiohead created are turning against them? They were the ones who busted your cherries for crying out loud. Maybe they have a vision that exceeds your own? That doesn't mean you have to listen to Amnesiac or Hail to the Thief and like it, but maybe, just maybe think for a second that if they were trying to make a record that would first and foremost please their fans (whoever the fuck they are) there would be no OK Computer?
Thank god for the Muse, filling in the melodramatic void left behind by Radiohead's unwillingness to pander to a bunch of entitled douchebags.
- November 16, 2004 at 10:48 AM
- Tom said...
Going back to the first comment here ...
If by "challenging their audience" you mean making boring music and daring people to force themselves to like it because the name "Radiohead" is pretentiously hip then yes, they challenge their audience. Quite often, too.
Muse is awesome. And Matt Bellamy really does sound like the lead singer of Ours. It's eerie.
- November 16, 2004 at 11:46 AM
yeah! me no like muse. muse music is poo-poo. me want you all to try band with thom yorke brother The Unbelievable Truth. the song I Cant Wait is so beautiful. it has very radiohead vibe to it.
(Kemuri Onata, tokyo)
ps I coming to visit friends in new york in january. can't wait to go to one of your parties sarah!!!
- November 16, 2004 at 11:46 AM
I too thought , HTTT was boring and annoying until I got really stoned and it came on. All of a sudden it light up as I did.
- November 16, 2004 at 12:09 PM
- heat said...
i will eat you alive i will eat you alive i will eat you alive there'll be no more lies there'll be no more lies there'll be no more lies.
- November 16, 2004 at 12:47 PM
- holmes said...
i second the recommendation for "unbelievable truth". they've been one of my favorite bands since i was 19. great great stuff. imagine if radiohead went way acoustic and mellow.
- November 16, 2004 at 1:56 PM
- Unknown said...
I like Absolution very much, even if it is Radiohead's worst album.
- November 16, 2004 at 2:42 PM


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The first 30A Seafood Throwdown Saturday at Pandora's at Grayton Beach is being held to benefit fisheries and artificial reefs through Global Fish Aid.
The event begins at 2 p.m. Saturday with eight of the area's top chefs competing in a cookoff for awards and bragging rights as the first Savor South Walton Champions. Judging the competition will be a panel of pre-selected judges, said Brandon Montalto, Pandora's general manager. Throwdown is from 3 to 5 p.m. Visit South Walton will award the first set of �Savor South Walton� Champion Awards to the winning chefs and restaurants for both the Critic�s Choice Award and the People�s Choice Award at 6 p.m.
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Competing chefs will include: Dan Vargo of Seagar's; David Cunningham of The V Seagrove; Michael Guerra of The Pearl; Chris Mack of Pandora's; Phil McDonald of Table 5; Jim Richard of Stinky's; Oliver Petit of The Red Bar; and Ryan Montalto of Pranzo's.
The bands will be Horizon and members of The Revivalists with Khris Royal and Eric Vogel.
The driving force behind this event is Andy McAlexander, who has started the non-profit South Walton Artificial Reef Association to fund placing artificial reefs off Walton's beaches.
McAlexander said Destin has a pass with artificial reefs that Destinites enjoy, but South Walton does not.
"Ninety-five percent of our water is barren sand floor. I thought it would be great if we helped build reefs close enough to shore so all people could access it and give people an opportunity to experience it," he said.
McAlexander explained that the artificial reefs, constructed of concrete and Florida limestone, simulate coral reefs. Fish and sea turtles congregate around them, providing natural habitat.
The reef McAlexander envisions will be located less than a mile off shore for easy access by kayaking or paddling for snorkeling and diving, and has an 8-foot base and is 8-feet tall.
McAlexander has enjoyed snorkeling and diving since age 14 at places from Hawaii to the Caribbean. In the 13 years he has lived in South Walton, he usually goes to the St. Joe Bay area to enjoy his sport, even though he said Escambia County has had snorkel reefs for years.
"With our crystal clear water, it will be unique to have a place to do that closer," he said.
The project is not cheap with a projected cost of $100,000 for a snorkel reef. A near shore reef would cost several hundred thousands.
McAlexander is undeterred, however, as he says the project has public support from businesses and individuals. Those who donate can get a plaque with their name on it.
"I have been amazed at the immediate response," he said.
McAlexander has made application for funding and matching grants on the local, state, and federal level. He believes the funding will come through and the project will be underway next year.
Tickets can be purchased for the inaugural 30A Seafood Throwdown at http://pandorasgraytonbeach.ticketbud.com/30a-throwdown.


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On the first full day of VMworld in San Francisco in August, five-year-old storage vendor Scale Computing launched a new storage appliance that eliminates the entire I/O storage network that resides between servers and storage. Instead, the appliance uses powerful processors that are capable of hosting multiple virtual machines in the same storage box. The appliance requires no virtualization software and no external storage, which could cut storage costs by as much as 75% for small and midsize businesses with limited resources and storage expertise.
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text:
Following our feature of this quaint boutique on the show Stefanie's Style Dairies Vancouver, we caught up with its founder, Carey Melnichuk, to discover the concept behind Secret Location and how it fits the Vancouver fashion landscape. Here's what she has to say:
I'm incredibly lucky that no two days are alike. We're always evolving at Secret Location, which allows us to constantly challenge ourselves. I'm always learning, as is the rest of our team.
I wake up between 6am – 6:30. I like to begin the day with listening to an entrepreneurial podcast or two, and reading a variety of news and blogs. Following this I complete my core list of tasks for the day and head to the office.
I'm naturally creative, and more productive if I only have segments of the day reserved for meetings. I spend the majority of my morning at the office, unless I'm conducting a PK or learning seminar. I try and reserve a minimum of an hour to spend time at the store interacting with the staff, learning about our clientele, and observing visitors. My day usually concludes at 7pm, however if I have the evening, I enjoy researching new products or production techniques.
Vancouver is a beautiful, stimulating, and multicultural city – yet fashion and design have never been at the forefront. I wanted to create a space where quality and design took precedence; a space that celebrates creativity; a destination where clients are encouraged to explore and learn; and most of all, a space where people can take a break and discover.
The name has been a lot of fun. The best advantage has been that it's repeatedly a conversational starter. However, it's not meant literally. Secret Location sits on the corner of the most walk-by and drive-by traffic in Vancouver. The name is a way to stop people from subconsciously putting it in a box before visiting us. When you say "Secret Location" it disallows preconceived notions, and allows your imagination to take over, granting each visitor's experience to be their own.
Firstly, our space is like none other. When you walk through our Secret Location blue doors, you know you are entering a creative space, a space of wonder.
Our product is directly related to our customer's sense of imagination and surprise, as we pride ourselves in our curation of goods. Also, we are in a constant state of change; by the installations created, collaborations housed, and variety of products selected. You can always find something new at Secret Location.
Please tell us about some of the exclusive brands you carry and how you come to select them?
We do an extensive amount of research, allowing us to find and connect with brands generally in their beginning stages.
A-lab Milano has been exclusive with us since Secret Location's inception. While visiting a showroom in Milan we found the collection and started to discuss with our rep. There was a gentleman sitting in the corner of the room, but as it was later in the evening I had anticipated that it was a friend of our rep, waiting for her to finish. After being presented with the whole collection, and giving my opinion freely, the gentleman from the corner then came to introduce himself as the Creative Director. Since then we've had a close relationship with the brand and have continued to carry A-lab Milano. He has a very clear perspective, but is also open to criticism. And is well respected for his attention to detail and quality.
Super Duper Hats was introduced to us by another brand we were carrying some years ago. Matteo, one of the Founders, had such a definitive point of view and an infectious air about him. After listening to the care of creation that is put into each hat, his passion is infectious. Also, their deliberate growth in the marketplace has allowed them to do very well, and closely connect with their customer.
Bekh is another brand we have carried since the beginning, and a personal favorite of mine, as Masha Bekh is one of my best friends. Not only has she been there since Secret Location was a concept, but she understands our ethos and clientele well. Her understanding of what women want to wear, while still allowing them to be comfortable, is what has allowed the brand to become an established part of our offering.
The Secret Location customer is an intellectual individual of discerning taste. A person, who doesn't follow trends, but creates them. They are someone who knows what they want, but also don't take themselves too seriously. They're willing to play.
How would you describe the design layout and atmosphere of the shop?
Secret Location includes a focus on white on white backdrop, allowing you to concentrate on the product. The space mimics an art gallery. However, there are distinct textural elements, and the juxtaposition between baroque detailing and minimalistic clean lines. All the while the space allows for movement and change. A prime example being our rotating walls.
We are constantly collaborating with brands, to release limited edition products we know our clientele will enjoy. And have just recently released our own line. At the moment it is predominately home ware, such as cushions constructed from Fortuny fabric and 18K edged agate coasters. However, it will move into a wider offering very soon!
What sets Secret Location apart from other upscale boutiques?
Secret Location is a concept store, and focuses on all elements of a lifestyle that pertain to quality and design. We're not limited to a specific product offering and have even sold vintage cars. We don't retail, we story tell. And we want to share what we're passionate about.
A plethora of filming is done in Vancouver, giving us access to some very talented individuals. Others have included Julia Roberts and Tiesto.
What can we look forward to from Secret Location in the future?
We've just launched our WeChat e-commerce platform, and are launching more experiences to better connect with our clientele. We are also shifting to utilize technology more to our advantage within our brick and mortar experience.
You will soon see a focus on up and coming designers, as well as art becoming more of a staple.
And Secret Location might be popping up where you least expect it.
To learn more about Stefanie's Style Diaries and her fabulous destinations, please visit www.fashionone.com/stefstylediaries or post your comments on @fashionone #StefStyleDiaries.
The Secret Location
Contact: Marcel Da Silva
Phone (001) 604 685 0021
#303 - 134 Abbott Street, Vancouver. BC V6B 2H9, Canada
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McDonald's Employee Goes Dumb On A Brooklyn Kid With A Metal Table Pole For Asking Customers For Change At The Front Door!
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While Civil War Emancipation celebrates the end of African-American slavery in the Civil War, the fact remains that unfree labor persists around the world in the 21st Century, including sadly in the United States. Every June, the U.S. State Department issues a report on this issue. Here are some sobering statistics from the Trafficking in Persons Report 2010.
- Adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world: 12.3 million
- Successful trafficking prosecutions in 2009: 4,166
- Successful prosecutions related to forced labor: 335
- Victims identified: 49,105
- Ratio of convicted offenders to victims identified, as a percentage: 8.5
- Ratio of victims identified to estimated victims, as a percentage: 0.4
- Countries that have yet to convict a trafficker under laws in compliance with the Palermo Protocol: 62
- Countries without laws, policies, or regulations to prevent victims' deportation: 104
- Prevalence of trafficking victims in the world: 1.8 per 1,000 inhabitants
- Prevalence of trafficking victims in Asia and the Pacific: 3 per 1,000 inhabitants
Source: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/142980.pdf


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If this is the wrong forum in which to answer my question, I would appreciate being directed to the appropriate one.
I have inherited an old monocular and am wondering if it was the one used in the Civil War by my ancestor who served in said war. This artical was passed to me by the son of the man who served.
The monocular is 6" long, compacted. When fully extended, it is 18 and 1/4" long. The circumference is 4 1/2". The instrument is brass, covered with thin black leather, and trimmed with what looks like braided rope. I do not see any maker's mark.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give me. I have attached 3 pictures.


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The diskless PC is to return - not as a thin client, but packing a 1TB solid state drive instead. OCZ is showing Colossus, a prototype of this, at Computex in Taiwan.
Unlike OCZ's Z-Drive, a PCIe-connected 1TB SSD shown at this year's CeBIT, Colossus comes in a standard 3.5-inch drive bay form factor. This format is generally used for hard drive storage arrays and server and desktop drive bays, with the 2.5-inch format, which many SSDs use, designed into notebook computers.
According to reports, Colossus uses Samsung flash chips and has two Indilinx controllers, plus a JMicron RAID controller. It offers read and write performance up to 265MB/sec though a 3Gbit/s SATA connection.
The Z-Drive is much faster, offering 510MB/sec read performance and 480MB/sec write, although the sustained write speed drops to 200MB/sec.
The idea of getting back to PCs that zip through applications instead of lumbering along waiting for the disk I/O is obviously attractive. We all know that Microsoft just cannot write a fast system anymore: Windows 7 is not going to turn our desktop Hummers into Ferraris, any more than Windows Vista did. No, the Windows O/S is a dog, and replacing the hard drive with an SSD looks to be the only practical way of turning our desktop mutt into a greyhound.
One terabyte SSDs show that the capacity needed is here. Now we want the price to drop. Imagine the SSD sales boost if masses of desktop users could afford to retrofit SSDs to their PCs by swapping out a hard drive. That's got to be exciting SSD suppliers in a big way. It's also surely got to be a big interest of PC suppliers needing a sales boost and not getting one from new versions of either the Windows O/S or Intel CPUs.
The price decrease needed for desktop HDD-replacement SSDs to become generally affordable is substantial, but we may be seeing the start of such desktop HDD replacement in 2011, possibly sooner.
The Colossus device may hit retail outlets in six to eight weeks in 512GB and 1TB configurations, and cost around €2,500 for 1TB. ®
Sponsored: Ransomware has gone nuclear


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It's crunch time in Mali for the French military.
Radical Islamist fighters spent weeks on the run from Malian cities under a French ground and air assault - but they're brazenly fighting back this week at French troops. The French, meanwhile, are tightening a dragnet against the al-Qaida-linked militants in one of their last remaining redoubts, mountain sanctuaries near Algeria's border.
France's government said Wednesday it's still hoping to pull out of its thorny Mali operation in the coming weeks. Defense analysts say that if France wants to make that work, and avoid getting bogged down in a protracted, Afghan-style occupation, now's the time to hit hard - dismantling the hideouts and killing all the insurgents they can - to crush what it fears is a growing terrorist threat that could spread to Mali's African neighbors and even as far as Europe.
French and Malian authorities on Wednesday sifted over the fallout from a nearly six-hour gunfight Tuesday, when about 30 jihadist fighters surprised a 50-troop French reconnaissance patrol about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the town of Tessalit in the Adrar des Ifoughas region, and opened fire with machine guns.
The far-more-muscular French called in support from Mirage fighter jets, helicopter gunships, and armored vehicles firing 105-mm cannons. By the end, more than 20 insurgents and one French legionnaire were killed, French officials said.
The French operation in the area, code-named "Panthere," or panther, is continuing for a third day Wednesday.
President Francois Hollande insists that France - eager for African forces to help stabilize the impoverished West African country and its wobbly central government - is entering the final phase of its operation. But he says France will "go all the way - that's to say, arresting the last terrorist chiefs in northern Mali."
Defense analysts are blunter.
The extremists "have their backs against the wall," said Francois Heisbourg, president of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, and adviser to France's Foundation for Strategic Research. "They have been clobbered. And the best time to hit a guy is when he's on the ground on his back."
Heisbourg estimated there are about 1,200 to 2,000 radical Islamic fighters in three extremist movements in northern Mali: Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and its allies; the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, or MUJAO; and Ansar Dine.
The groups controlled northern Mali for 10 months until the French incursion began Jan. 11. Heisbourg cautioned that if rebel fighters headed south to Niger, home to higher mountains than the Ifoghas, it could present longer-term problems for counterterrorism forces. The French have backing from Malian soldier, as well as forces from nearby Chad who are seen as battle-hardened and used to operating in harsh desert terrain and working with local Tuareg tribes.
French authorities are not yet clear if the zone between Gao, northern Mali's largest city, and the Niger border has been fully scrubbed of the insurgent threat, officials say.
Officials in France are aware of the perils of trying to predict a quick end to counterterrorism operations, which can foment suicide bombings and other guerrilla tactics that defy resolution through military force.
One comparable example is the eastern African country of Somalia, where it took a U.N.-backed force of African troops - backed by U.S. drone and aircraft strikes on targeted militant leaders - many years to degrade al-Shabab insurgents enough to allow the formation of a functional transitional government.
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France-2 Television on Wednesday that France hopes to start moving out its 4,000 troops in Mali within weeks but, at the same time, he acknowledged that the counterterrorism operation in the Ifoghas range will continue "for a while."
Even as France talks about an eventual handover to Malian and other African forces, French troops are greeted warmly in Malian cities by waves from women selling their vegetables in piles on the street, and children who cheerfully shout "Mali! Mali!" as the soldiers pass.
Gao Mayor Sadou Diallo said about 1,000 French troops are in the Gao region, along with about 3,000 Malian and African soldiers. He said he hoped the French won't leave the job half-done.
"I am optimistic that they won't leave without finishing their work," he says. "We don't want them to stay for years. We hope that MUJAO is wiped out, that elections can be held and that development can begin."
At the Nour mosque in Gao, Imam Alassane Maiga puts the French intervention in the plainest of terms: "If they had waited until September, we would have been dead" - referring to the initial timetable planned for international troops to start fighting alongside Malian forces.
U.N. discussions about an African force for Mali have been under way for months, alongside efforts for a European Union training mission to help the Malian military. But while the world was waiting for those to come together, the extremists who had been imposing strict Islamic law on northern Mali started moving toward the capital in January. So France struck back, sending troops into help Malian forces push the radical fighters back.
Krista Larson contributed from Gao, Mali.


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La sauveuse : roman d'amour et de religion / version francaise par O. Camhy.
Ithamar Ben-Avi 1882-1943Book
הבכור לבית אב"י / דבורה עמר
[רישומים - שמעון צבר].
הדפסה ב.
|Related place
Tel Aviv-Yafo (Israel)-place of publication
תל-אביב : עם עובד
|Creation Date
תשכ"ט 1969
על איתמר בן-אב"י.
ספרית דן חסכן
126, [2] ע' : איורים
23 ס"מ.
|System Number
תנאי השימוש:
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Ithamar Ben-Avi 1882-1943Book
The Counting of the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) – the commandment to count the 49 days from the second day of Passover until the festival of Shavuot – was just one of the 613 commandments (mitzvot), and over history was performed, more or less, according to the particulars of Jewish law. In the Biblical tTo the article on our blog
"Saloniki's Jews… eagerly awaited the arrival of the Shavuot holiday… They especially loved and cherished it as the holiday of spring, of the verdant fields, of the flowers and of the ripe fruits, and anyone who got to enjoy the greenery and the fruits where they grew in the fields outsiTo the article on our blog
The month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims are obligated to fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars (i.e., canonical practices) of Islam. During the daylight hours in Ramadan, Muslims are prohibited from food, drink, smokMore on this subject


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Eni commends CoC on efforts to promote biz
Washington, D.C. —Congressman Faleomavaega Eni has commended the American Samoa Chamber of Commerce for their efforts to organize the local business community and work with the local government to prop up our economy in American Samoa.
"I am pleased with the significant role and contributions of our local Chamber of Commerce in organizing our business community and promoting the interests of entrepreneurs across the territory. It has often been stated that the entrepreneurial spirit is the lifeblood of an economy, and I congratulate the Chamber, especially their Chairman, Mr. David Robinson, for his leadership," Faleomavaega said.
"The Chamber has played a significant role in the territory by being the voice of the business community regarding government relations, marked especially by Mr. Robinson's role as Co-Chair of the Governor's Economic Advisory Council. I also applaud the Chamber's support for the efforts by American Samoa Bar Association to review our local laws for business-friendly improvements as reported recently by the Samoa News."
"I urge business leaders across the territory to get involved and have a say in the public policy discussions regarding the economy," the Congressman said.
He continued, "I was greatly disappointed when I last spoke at the Chamber of Commerce meeting two months ago. I noted that of all the business leaders around the room, there was not one representative from the Korean, Chinese, or Filipino businesses — are they not members of the Chamber? A large percentage of our retail businesses are operated by Asians and much of the local revenue collected by the American Samoa Government is generated from taxes paid or collected by these businesses. They need to also get involved and take part in the dialogue."
Faleomavaega added, "I commend Mrs. Ngaire Ho Ching, CEO and General Manager for ACE American Industries, for getting involved and for speaking out candidly about one of the critical issues that has affected the business community in American Samoa, and specifically the government revenues by way of paying fair and honest taxes owed our government."
He also pointed to her remarks that the Congressman read about in the Samoa News, during the Business Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Business and Professional Women of American Samoa, "in which she expressed her observations regarding the relationship between the private and public sector." He encourages" business leaders to continue to voice their concerns and propose improvements in the relationship between the private and public sector."
"I congratulate ACE American Industries as winner of the Customer Service Award, as well as all of this year's winners," Faleomavaega stated. "I also acknowledge the tremendously important work ACE and many of our local businesses have done over the years and continue today in support of our local community through their generous giving to community events and important causes including educational scholarships for our young children and care for the elderly to name a couple."
"I congratulate the leaders and businesses honored at the Business Awards Ceremony and I thank the Chamber of Commerce for their hard work in advocating on behalf of local businesses in American Samoa," he said.
The Congressman also noted that "Mrs. Ho Ching also made reference to pending draft legislation I am working on that would provide certain long time legal permanent residents in American Samoa with the opportunity to obtain U.S. National status, so I invite her and others in the public to attend and testify during the public hearing I will be conducting in Fagatogo on January 12, 2012."


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Lasgo lead singer Jelle may have just had a baby, but she's not letting that get in the way of being one of the most consistently amazing dance acts in Belgium. 'Sky High' is another surefire classic and between this, AnnaGrace's 'Ready To Fall In Love' and his own 'Everyday' producer Peter Luts seems unstoppable at the moment! Now all we need is for him to capitalise on Charlotte Buyl's newfound The Voice fame to revive Pearl and we've got all our boxes ticked!
Despite its joyful lyrics 'Sky High' seems to have kind of a melancholic touch to it in an "Oh my God, is this really happening?" kind of way. Then again, if you were in a music video where the plotline is to get Meysam from So You Think You Can Dance shirtless as often as possible you wouldn't be able to believe your luck either. You've stopped reading at "Meysam from So You Think You Can Dance shirtless", didn't you? Fair enough.


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Hot Weather Refreshers: Campari and Aperol Spritz
Before dinner, you need an apertif that quenches your thirst and gets your mouth watering: a bittersweet spritz made with Campari or Aperol is just the ticket. These effervescent drinks are especially refreshing on a hot day, and the perfect partner for a few predinner snacks.
The Aperol Spritz is quite popular in Italy (though perhaps more so among women than men.) It's a fragrant and subtly bitter blend of Aperol and prosecco, lightened with a dash of club soda. You could also substitute the intensely herbal Gran Classico in the place of Aperol for a more complex tipple.
The Campari Spritz is a bit more bold and intensely bitter; an olive garnish brings out the savory side of the cocktail. It's not as intense as a Negroni, but the night is still young.
Get the Recipes
Aperol Spritz »
Campari Spritz »
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Early April 1862 saw past events working themselves out and portents of things to come along the road to emancipation.
A portent came on April 3, when the Gen. David Hunter wrote Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton from his headquarters in Hilton Head, S.C. Hunter, recently installed as commander of the Department of the South, had been given the unenviable task of solidifying and expanding the Union toe holds in coastal South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida with minimal personnel and supplies. Although his activities were essential to the northern naval blockade of the South, Hunter got the short stick in competing for resources with high-profile Union commanders, such George McClellan, who was that spring voraciously diverted soldiers and supplies for his Peninsula campaign against the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
Hunter, who had served under John C. Frémont in Missouri, when Frémont had attempted on his own authority to free slaves of the disloyal owners there, saw the solution to his manpower problem in the thousands of slaves within his lines. Not only could they be used as laborers to support white Union troops, but also David Hunter concluded soon after his arrival that they could be trained to fight as soldiers. He delicately broached this idea in his letter to Secretary Stanton, stating "I most earnestly request that 50,000 muskets, with all the necessary accouterments, and 200 rounds for each piece, may be sent to me at once, with authority to arm such loyal men as I can find in the country, whenever, in my opinion, they can be used advantageously against the enemy."
The highly intelligent Stanton could not have failed to understand what David Hunter was implying (since there were few if any loyal whites in the Sea Islands region in April 1862), but he chose to ignore the request since the Lincoln administration still rejected the idea of armed black men in the federal army (although it had accepted blacks in the Navy the previous fall). A desperate and impatient Hunter would start recruiting African Americans on his own authority the following month, in what was the first serious attempt to organize black men for army service in the Civil War (but that is a story for another time).
While the idea of armed black service remained controversial, increasingly Union Army leaders accepted the value of slaves otherwise to the Union war effort, judging that generally giving slaves refuge was smarter than trying to curry favor with their owners by returning them. Congress, of course, had enacted a new article of war the previous month making it a cashierable offense for army officers to return escaped slaves to their owners. Yet it remained uncertain if army commanders would enforce the new article of war or try to get around it by seeking altogether to exclude slaves from their lines (as other Union commanders had tried). A sign that the army generally was going along with Congress is a letter from an aide of Gen. Abner Doubleday, then commanding a blocking force protecting Washington, D.C., during the Peninsula campaign, dated April 6, 1862. Doubleday's aide wrote the commander of a New York regiment:
Sir I am directed by Gen'l Doubleday to say in answer to your letter of the 2d inst. that all negroes coming into the lines of any of the camps or Forts under his command, are to be treated as persons and not as chattels.
Under no circumstances has the commander of a Fort or camp the power of surrendering persons claimed as fugitive slaves as this cannot be done without determining their character The additional article of war recently passed by Congress positively prohibits this.
The question has been asked whether it would not be better to exclude negroes altogether from the lines. The General is of opinion that they bring much valuable information which cannot be obtained from any other source. They are acquainted with all the roads, paths fords and other natural features of the country and they make excellent guides They also Know and frequently, have exposed the haunts of secession spies and traitors and the existance of reble organization. They will not therefore be exclude. The General also directs me to say that civil process cannot be served directly in the camps or Forts of his command without full authority obtained from the commanding officer for that purpose. I am very respectfully your obt Servt.
So Doubleday believed on pragmatic and legal grounds that it was generally a good idea not to return escaped slaves, but left the New York colonel with wiggle room to do so under his personal authority if the slave owner carried a court order. No doubt this exception was allowed because of the presence of some Unionist slaveholders in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia who still had standing to claim their slaves and access to courts to obtain civil enforcement orders.
Yet the day was rapidly approaching when even loyal slaveholders would not have the law on their side. Congress, in early April 1862, was on the verge of ending slavery in Washington, D.C. Even before that, the body threw its support behind President Lincoln's message the previous month, requesting Congressional support for those states that enacted gradual compensated emancipation. On April 10, Congress provided Lincoln with the joint resolution he asked for, which stated:
Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the United States ought to coöperate with any State which may adopt gradual abolishment of slavery, giving to such State pecuniary aid, to be used by such State in its discretion, to compensate for the inconveniences, public and private, produced by such change of system.
Of course, it remained to be seen if the loyal slave states would take up Lincoln and Congress on this offer of assistance, but Lincoln's request and Congress' acceptance of that request both were potent signals of the growing determination of national leaders by Spring 1862 to end slavery in the United States. More actions to further that goal would soon be forthcoming.
Sources: 1) http://www.drbronsontours.com/bronsongeneraldavidhuntertroopdisbursmentsapril31862.html; 2) http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/Halsted.html; 3) http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/jtres.htm.


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Mary Yoe
The 1973 Sophie Kerr Winner
Mary Ruth Yoe has spent her career in higher-education communications.
With an M.Litt. degree from the University of Edinburgh, she has written admissions and alumni materials for Grinnell and Middlebury colleges; has helped to edit alumni magazines (including the inaugural issue of the Washington College Magazine) for more than a dozen institutions; and has written and taught on editing. At the University of Chicago, where she has worked since 1989, she is executive editor of the bimonthly University of Chicago Magazine and oversees a variety of alumni and development communications.
The mother of two grown daughters, she shares a lakefront apartment in Hyde Park with her dog, Mr. Knightley. Mary Ruth also serves as the Class Correspondent for 1973.
Class Correspondent
Contact Mary Ruth to submit notes to the WC Magazine.
1640 E 50th Street
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 773-702-2164
e-mail: email@example.com


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Los Angeles Police said they've nabbed a culprit suspected of burglarizing the homes of starlets Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge.
Cops arrested Nicholas Prugo, 18, on suspicion of felony burglary, but did not say whether the stolen items were recovered, The Associated Press reported. He is being held on $20,000 bail.
"Yes, we have found (him), God is good," Lohan's mother Dina told People.
U.S. & World
Officer Rosario Herrera told the AP the investigation in on-going.
Surveillance footage at Lohan's Hollywood Hills home showed three people rummaging through her stuff during a break in last month. The "Mean Girls" star was not home at the time and reportedly lost bags, shoes and jewelry. A safe was also pried from her wall, according to People.
During the February break-in at Patridge's pad, a man and a woman were captured on the "Hills" reality star's video surveillance system. Patridge was also away when her home was burglarized.
Neither actress has commented on reports of the arrest.
Get more: AP


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Onyx Spirits Company is partnering with Bristol gastro pub Barley Vine to host the second annual "Summer Shine" event.
"We'll be featuring award winning Onyx Moonshine cocktails and infusions along with Onyx 111, Onyx Cape Cod Cranberry and their rarest release, Secret Stash – Connecticut's first barrel-aged whiskey," said Terry Lugo, owner of Barley Vine in a press release. "We'll also feature Caribbean food specials such as Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken, rice with gungo peas, and Latin rice and beans with roasted pork, to name a few," she added, according to the news release.
Last year's event drew over 400 people to downtown Bristol to enjoy Barley Vine's local cuisine, live music, and Onyx Moonshine cocktails created by renowned Connecticut mixologist, Khalid Williams, said the release.
"Bristol is my home and Barley Vine is my home away from home," said Onyx Moonshine co-founder, Adam von Gootkin in the press release. "I view Summer Shine as a way to welcome people to Bristol from out of town and invite our friends, family, and customers to celebrate local ingenuity," he added.
"Summer Shine at Barley Vine" will be open to the public with no admission charge. It will take place on Friday Aug. 22 beginning at 5 p.m.
Barley Vine is located at 182 Main St., Bristol
For more information, go to www.barleyvinect.com or www.onyxmoonshine.com


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(Reuters) - News Corp said on Saturday reports that it is in discussions with Tribune Co or the Los Angeles Times are "wholly inaccurate."
The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported on Friday that News Corp Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch is looking to buy the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, two of the country's largest newspapers, when owner Tribune Co emerges from bankruptcy.
The paper also reported that News Corp executives are in the early stages of talks with Tribune Co's debtholders including Oaktree Capital, with an eye toward securing footholds across the three top U.S. markets of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The Chicago Tribune and Oaktree have declined to comment.
News Corp declined to comment on whether there had been talks with debtholders, and would not say if it was asking the LA Times for a retraction.
Nancy Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the LA Times, said on Saturday the paper is standing by the report.
News Corp is preparing to split into two companies next year, one housing its entertainment assets including 20th Century Fox studios and its cable networks and the other housing its publishing assets such as the Wall Street Journal.
Murdoch has long eyed the LA Times, the paper reported. But any attempt by the media mogul to go after the two newspapers would have to get approval from regulators.
In June, The Wall Street Journal reported that Murdoch in an interview played down his interest in the LA Times, saying it would have to be looked at "closely," citing regulatory restrictions, among other things.
Murdoch controls the Wall Street Journal - the largest-circulation U.S. newspaper - and the New York Post. Federal Communications Commission rules prevent ownership of a newspaper and TV station in the same market. News Corp now owns two Fox stations in LA, and two in Chicago.
The commission however has considered eliminating the rule and has granted exceptions in the past, including a waiver that allowed the Tribune to operate both KTLA-TV Channel 5 and the Los Angeles Times.
Reporting by Ron Grover, Jennifer Saba; Editing by Paul Simao


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The NRA fights back -- with mixed success so far… How the Newtown tragedy changed politics (at least inside one party)… Will the Arkansas pipeline spill affect the Keystone decision?... Mark Sanford on the comeback trail… Will the DCCC get involved if he wins today's GOP run-off?... Polls close at 7:00 pm ET… And the second round of SENATE MADNESS continues!!!
Michelle Mcloughlin / Reuters
Residents protest outside the National Shooting Sports Foundation in Newtown, Conn., March 28, 2013 after receiving robocalls from the NRA, trying to enlist them in efforts to defeat new statewide gun control proposals.
*** The NRA fights back – with mixed success: At 11:00 am ET, the National Rifle Association will unveil its details to arm school guards across the country. This comes as the NRA -- after the Newtown school shooting tragedy --- has decided to fight all the gun-control legislation as aggressively as possible, despite early indications that it might look the other way on the trafficking or background-check bills. And while it has enjoyed plenty of success so far at the federal level (the assault-weapons ban has no chance for passage, and even universal background checks appear to be on the ropes), the state level has been a different story. First, Colorado recently passed gun-control laws that places limits on ammunition clips and institutes a universal background check, and President Obama will travel to the state this Wednesday to highlight those new laws. And now Connecticut is on the cusp on passing gun-control measures. The Hartford Courant: "Easy passage of the legislative response to the Dec. 14 [Newtown] killings is expected in House and Senate votes scheduled for Wednesday, leaders of both the Democratic majority and Republican minority said after completing weeks of negotiations on the bill." The measures include strengthening the state's existing ban on semi-automatic weapons, restricting high-capacity magazines, and requiring background checks for all gun purchasers.
*** How Newtown did change politics (inside one party): While both Colorado and Connecticut are states that have recently witnessed high-profile gun tragedies, they have this other similarity: They're controlled by Democratic governors and Democratic state legislatures. Some observers have noted that the Newtown shootings -- and the NRA's response to them (like invoking the president's daughters in a video) -- haven't changed the politics of guns. But that's not true where Democrats have control of the government. As the NRA seems headed toward victory this on the federal level, the question becomes: Has it permanently damaged its reputation with Democrats? After all, what made the NRA powerful was its bipartisan reach. If that disappears, will the organization have problems the next time there's a Democratic House speaker and a supermajority in the Senate?
*** Will the Arkansas pipeline spill affect the Keystone decision? We're most likely just a few weeks from the Obama administration's final decision on whether to give the Keystone XL pipeline a thumbs up or a thumbs down. And if you were placing bets on which direction the White House will go, most would say the smart money would be on Obama reluctantly approving the pipeline. But don't underestimate the impact that this story might have on the approval process. "Exxon Mobil Corp continued efforts on Monday to clean up thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude oil spilled from a near 65-year-old pipeline in Arkansas, as a debate raged about the safety of transporting rising volumes of the fuel into the United States," Reuters reports. Don't forget: Just as the Obama administration opened up drilling along the Gulf Coast, the BP spill occurred. And as it was on the cusp of expanding nuclear energy, Japan happened. These events can have an impact. Timing is everything.
*** Sanford on the comeback trail: Following American politics can be fascinating. The latest example: Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's political comeback. One minute, he's the conservative darling standing up to the Obama administration and a possible 2012 presidential candidate. The next, he's embarrassed and out of office after having an affair with an Argentine mistress when he's supposed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail. Then he launches a political comeback by running for his old congressional seat, and the Conventional Wisdom maintains that he can't break 50% in a run-off. But with the special congressional Republican run-off taking place today, the C.W. has turned due to a variety of reasons -- and Sanford appears poised to win the GOP nomination. And now the latest twist: The Democratic nominee for the May 7 general election, who just happens to be comedian Stephen Colbert's sister, has released a poll showing her leading both Sanford and his run-off opponent, Curtis Bostic, in this conservative-leaning district. You can't make this up.
*** Does the DCCC get involved? If Sanford wins today's run-off in South Carolina -- the polls close at 7:00 pm ET -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee faces this question: Does it spend money (say $500,000) to help put Elizabeth Colbert Busch over the top? The DCCC tells us it's evaluating the race. Make no mistake, Colbert Busch has this opportunity because of Sanford's personal issues. And if she wins on May 7, it's very likely she'll have a difficult time holding onto the seat come Nov. 2014. So Democrats face this choice: Do they spend money to help win a temporary P.R. victory, knowing full well that it probably can't hold onto the seat a year from now? Or do they sit back and consider the race a win-win, regardless of what happens next month? Colbert Busch needs the financial help, and that's probably why her campaign released the poll yesterday -- to force the DCCC's hand. Speaking of financial help, Stephen Colbert is hosting a fundraiser in DC for his sister on April 15.
*** Senate Madness -- yesterday's results: In the 19th Century bracket, Daniel Webster easily beat William Seward, Sam Houston edged Stephen Douglas, Charles Sumner blew out James Buchanan, and John C. Calhoun defeated Thomas Hart Benton. In the Mixed Era, Henry Clay beat Sam Ervin, Robert La Follette defeated George Norris, #14 seed Scoop Jackson upset #6 seed William Borah, and Henry Cabot Lodge prevailed over Arthur Vandenberg.
*** Senate Madness -- the 2nd round continues: Today, the second-round contests take place in the 20th Century bracket: LBJ vs. Robert Wagner, Richard Russell vs. John Sherman Cooper, Mike Mansfield vs. John Stennis, and Everett Dirsken vs. William Fulbright…. And they also take place in the Modern Era: Ted Kennedy vs. Robert Byrd, Hubert Humphrey vs. Ed Brooke, Jesse Helms vs. Joe Biden, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan vs. Bob Dole.
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Much better than his comments on prize money in women's tennis:
The Daily IKN email digest, get all daily posts sent to you next day (& no ads)
Djoker pocket catch
Much better than his comments on prize money in women's tennis:
The Friday OT: Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens); Morning has broken
True Islam, a real Muslim:
Youtube link here. After a difficult week, it's worth recalling that religious extremism isn't confined to one religion. Also, that the vast vast vast majority of those who follow the religion behind ISIS are of the Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam variety, not the warped and brainwashed. Or to quote the man himself...
"Many Muslims have come up to me, shook my hand and said, 'Thank you! Thank you.' I'm representing the way they want to be seen. So much of the middle ground gets forgotten in the extremities we witness around the world."
Chart of the day is...
...the gold/silver ratio...
...which enjoyed its few days under 80X but is now back in the world of cruel reality. Denial isn't a river in Egypt, silverbugs.
Don't smoke
Johan Cruyff was what happens when a supremely talented ballet dancer decides to take up football for a living. A sad day, 68 is way too early.
Lithium X (LIX.v): I knew I'd get one of these
This from reader "GW" tonight, with the extra special parts bold-typed and underlined by this humble corner of cyberspace:
At risk of repeating myself, one perspective on this is: it's not about being "right" (or righteous), it's about making money.Appreciate any further thoughts you may have.I know it's a garbage company, but I'm tempted nonetheless because it probably goes higher... it's one of the only pure lithium plays that doesn't have a ridiculous share count... or a huge market (deservedly so -- they have nothing!) but that means it can move.Anyways, to me not as bullish as it would have otherwise seemed... I think?So... I am guessing he was somehow involved in the prior ownership of that property... though i also notice some company called Clayton Valley Something Something got shares at $0.15 during the first capital raise... so one would think that was somehow related to that property as well.I notice the numbers match up pretty good with these:I'm not an expert on these matters, but with respect to your latest LIX.V blog entry on Tim Young's shares... I notice the price is "deemed"... which I think means they were acquired for not-cash and that is just the market price on the date of the transaction... or some moving average.Hi Otto,Only recently found your blot... wish I had much sooner though. BTG looks like it was a great call.
For the record, reader "GW", I'm sick to the back teeth with shits like you, you're a thousand times worse than the people you enable such as Giustra and represent everything that makes me vomit about the Canadian juniors scene. Go fuck yourself forever.
OT: The ISIS suicide bombing motivation loop
I'm guessing it works like this:
- Target chosen, team picked and sent in to blow themselves up. All provided with explosive jackets etc. All briefed on their objectives together.
- Post-briefing, main player (organizer, useful bomb maker, larger cog) taken aside and secretly told to dump vest and leave scene alive.
- Operation goes ahead, all but one do their suicide bombing thing, one "has second thoughts" and dumps explosives.
- Goes into hiding, massive search gets underway.
- Perp eventually found and killed/arrested.
- Top ISIS hierarchy use arrest as motivation for next attack team
- Target chosen, team picked and sent in to blow themselves up. All provided with explosive jackets etc. All briefed on their objectives together.
- Post-briefing, main player (organizer, useful bomb maker, larger cog) taken aside and secretly told to dump vest and leave scene alive.
- Operation goes ahead, all but one do their suicide bombing thing, one "has second thoughts" and dumps explosives.
- Goes into hiding, massive search gets underway.
- Perp eventually found and killed/arrested.
- Top ISIS hierarchy use arrest as motivation for next attack team.
- Target chosen, team picked and sent in to blow themselves up. All provided with explosive jackets etc. All briefed on their objectives together.
- Post-briefing, main player (organizer, useful bomb maker, larger cog) taken aside and secretly told to dump vest and leave scene alive.
- Operation goes ahead, all but one do their suicide bombing thing, one "has second thoughts" and dumps explosives.
- Goes into hiding, massive search gets underway.
- Perp eventually found and killed/arrested.
- Top ISIS hierarchy use arrest as motivation for next attack team.
- Etc.
Here ends the short reminder that there are stupid motherfuckers, there are fanatical motherfuckers, there are brainwashed motherfuckers. But look behind them for the truly evil motherfuckers of this world.
Canadian capital markets set to become a little more transparent on May 9th 2016
Good ol' Setty (the long-standing site pal) gives your humble scribe the heads-up on this article from Canadian lawyer people Bennett Jones, which summarizes the rule changes set to come in on May 9th in the Canadian stock markets. The rule changes are aimed at providing more transparency in the holdings, dealings and intentions of large company shareholders. You're strongly recommended to read the whole piece, but here's the summary paragraph which gives a taste of its contents:
"The Amendments will result in more accurate publicly available information regarding the holdings of significant shareholders by requiring such shareholders to report decreases in ownership. In addition, the Amendments will lead to a greater volume of early warning reports in light of such requirement. The enhanced disclosure requirements concerning an investor's future plans and intentions should provide greater advanced warning to target boards about potential hostile take-over bids or attempts by activist investors or other shareholders to engage in proxy contests or otherwise influence the governance of the issuer. Investors will need to carefully consider whether securities lending arrangements or derivatives trigger a disclosure obligation under the early warning regime. The Amendments should provide greater market transparency but will impose additional compliance costs on investors filing early warning reports."
Overall a good thing, but Canada's capital markets still have a long way to go to distance themselves from the scumbags and shysters who abuse their system.
Lithium X (LIX.v): Tim Young joins the Giustra bullshit pump
Vancouver's....errr..."finest" queuing up to play this scam on retail with good ol' butter-no-melty-mouthy Frank. Filing today here.
Frank Giustra still hasn't given us the date on which he is singing "So Wrong" by Patsy Cline while wearing ladies undergarments in Robson Square, though. Thinking about going back on your word, Frank? My oh my now that would be a first!
The good news: An excellent buying window for miners is coming soon
And I'm going to start by reco'ing a junior exploreco on Sunday, one that's not already on the shopping list of The IKN Weekly. When the gold price finds its level I'll buy a few shares of this one too (but not until next week absolute minimum). A new name coming your way on Sunday, subbers.
The IKN Weekly, predicting gold's price action in February and March
Here's an example of what happens in the subscriber IKN Weekly, out every Sunday evening. This is how the (rather long) intro to IKN352 dated February 7th came to a close and as subscribers know well, I've put my money where my mouth is on this call these last couple of months.
Gold is going up due to its classic role as a fear trade. At other points in the cycle the flight to safety can be to the US Dollar because other things are spooking the market, but when it's fear of jurisdiction deflation and dollar weakness itself (the spectre of negative rates in the background, jigging it along nicely) that is suddenly less attractive. So people are finally piling into gold.THIS IS NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER, SORRY TO BREAK THE BAD NEWS. Gold's appreciation on the Fear Trade will last as long as the Fed says nothing about the change in direction which it will first jawbone, then announce formally. There is no way in the world that Janet ignores shouts of "One more raise and the market crashes" because the Fed never ignores these things, ever.
- The new jawbone will come.
- Then the subtle change of wording in a Fed presser will come.
- Then the policy will be formalized.
- Same as it ever was.It's why the microphone is given to the Doves and the Hawks in turn, it's the reason Gary Tanashian over at Biiwii/NFTRH refers to it as the Kabuki Theater. When it does, the fear will subside and you'll get those annoying "gold losing its lustre" headlines in the semi-comatose bizpress channels.How long do we have for this gold ride? I don't know, I'm guessing we get a few more weeks of bullish attitude towards the metal and I'm confident we'll see North of U$1,200/oz, but that may turn out to be just a few days, I don't know how panicky Janet and her pals feel right now. The advice therefore is to stay long gold stocks and add some more when you see fit, but don't fall for all the To-Da-Moon-Alice narrative that's equally as stupid on the other side of the shouting match. Gold's move is welcome, but it's not a straight flight to wonderland and the perfect day to cash in will be the day before the Fed makes its change in narrative clear. That's virtually impossible to guess correctly so I'll take the day after and the haircut that'll come off the top of my paper winnings. I will not fight the Fed.Finally and to be clear, all the above addresses how I see the near-term market for gold and precious metals. In the medium and long-term I'm as bullish as ever. To sum up, I see further upside in gold stocks, then a jag down at some point in "the next few weeks", then a period of consolidation, then the return to gold price appreciation. So make the most of what the market is offering us at the moment.
Thank you, mouthbreathers
In last week's post "The IKN Mailbag Index(TM) is now signalling a near-term retraction in gold and precious metals stocks" we noted the sudden uptick in the plug dumb end of the metals investment sector writing into your humble scribe, indicating a top for gold. We ended with:
For the record I'm expecting far fewer mails next week, as the mouthbreather end of the casino will be too busy on their bullboards blaming the Bildebergs or Goldman or PTB or "them" for gold's sudden reversal.
IKN would like to point out that indeed, mails from the mouthbreathers have been very thin on the ground these last two days.
Further questions?
PS: Yes it's true, I am at my most annoying when I'm right. Well observed there, mouthbreather.
PS: Yes it's true, I am at my most annoying when I'm right. Well observed there, mouthbreather.
The fear trade
It can come across as archly crass to speak of hard-nosed money and number matters at times like these so let's state for the record, my heart goes out to Brussels today and I spit on the ignorant terrorist scum who murder for their ignorant dogmatic views.
It is said, now for another harsh fact: Gold has shown, time and time again, that geopolitical terror actions have a fleeting effect on its market price. Again today:
Which begs the question, if gold is "the fear trade", then what does it truly fear? Think about it enough and there's only one answer that ticks all the boxes; a weak US Dollar.
Semi-OT: It therefore stands to reason that the correlation to gold and uranium is tighter than one might expect, just limit yourself to the uranium used in the US nuclear weapons arsenal.
Calibre Mining (CXB.v), the latest drill assay bullshit merchant
This morning Calibre Mining (CXB.v) gave us a NR on drill assay results from its JV project with Centerra, "Cerro Aeropuerto" and decided to use this headline:
"Calibre and Centerra Gold Drill 53.7 Metres Grading 10.47 g/t Au at Cerro Aeropuerto and Advance New Gold Mineralized Trends, La Luz Gold Project, Siuna, Nicaragua"
"Oh wow, 53m of ten gram gold! Great cut!", you may think. Errrr...no, it's bull. Once you start reading the NR you get to see the cruel reality, as sketched out by the handy-dandy drill hole interval calculator:
That cruel reality is two skinny gold veins, then 50 metres of 1.75 g/t rock, all of that over 200 metres downhole. More smearing than the Papanicolaou department in a large city hospital. If you don't know that's uneconomic, stop trying to bet on junior mining now and put your cash in T-Bills. Or Bitcoin. Or uranium. Anything, just get yourself out of juniors now.
The good news about this is that we now know what type of crap CXB.v will pull in order to get you buying their shares and that means we can now put a big fat red line of crayon through their name and state "Do Not Touch These Bullshit Merchants With A Barge Pole", at least until they change their BS-peddling management team.
Do. Not. Feed. The. Animals.
Chart of the day is...
...the US Dollar index:
All I see is, aside from that single day July 2015 blip, is a whole bunch of higher lows dating back at least six quarters. To zoom in on the business end of the above chart, here are the hourlies:
Rubicon (RMX) files its annuals and...
...you care about balance sheets now, yeah?
There was a weird pumpy spike in RMX a few days ago, which had me rather perplexed. The only possible reason for it is Greater Fool trading, this company's shares are going to plain zero. If you want an example of how a debt restructuring on the back of a large stream ends for the equity price, go back and see what Sandstorm did to Colossus.
The interesting endgame here involves the Canadian Pensions Fund CPPIB: It's easy to say that in hindsight were pretty darned stupid to lend RMX all that cash, but we're all wiser after events and that's done. No, the interesting bit is how they're continuing to be darned stupid by playing pretty-pretty with RMX and trying to work with this stone dead company. They need to stop the stupid and get to the front of the liquidation queue right now, as if they don't Royal Gold won't have a second thought about putting its large liability between them and their money. This is capitalism time, CPPIB, not pretty-pretty time.
The Kinross (K.to) (KGC) Maricunga mine closed due to "Irreparable damage" to the environment
We threw out a quick shot on the story as it broke on Friday, but now we know a lot more about the reasons behind the closure of the Kinross (K.to) (KGC) Maricunga mine in the Atacama region of Chile. Chile's main daily El Mercurio ran a long report on the situation yesterday and explained how Chile's Superintendency of the Environment (Superintendencia de Medio Ambiente, SMA) ordered the mine to close down its two water wells and from this, to stop all mining operations at its 1,100 employee mine.
Kinross has said it will appeal against the order and decision in the Chilean courtrooms, however El Mercurio nailed the moneyline quote from the SMA's Cristián Franz, who didn't mince words about the effects to the local environment caused by Kinross and its mine.
"Faced with the seriousness of the events (and) the irreparable damage caused to a very fragile ecosystem, we have decided to apply one of the most severe sanctions considered under the law. From the point of view of environmental damage, we have found one of the most critical situations which has exceeded those we have seen previously."
The SMA directly blames the Maricunga mine for causing "...an irreparable environmental damage over 69.4 hectares of vegetation in the Valle Ancho marshland, located near the Nevado Tres Cruces National Park in Atacama region, a vast area where many vulnerable species such as flamingos, guanacos and vicuñas live". The closure notice was made in order to preserve another 73 hectares of the marshland that are under threat and to stop them from drying out in the same way as the irreparably damaged areas.
The SMA accuses Kinross of "Omission of execution of necessary actions to take responsibility for the unexpected environmental impact, consisting of the diminishing of the water table and the consequent drying out of at least 70 hectares of marshland...and the imminent risk of expansion of the affected area by another 73 hectares of marshland".
Global Mining Observer does Evy Hambro of BlackRock
Main man Alex W over at GMO has put together a real warts-and-all profile of BlackRock head honcho, Evy Hambro, with plenty of comment from his present and former colleagues. Highly worthy of your reading time this morning, Mrs/Ms/Mr Mining Person. Here's an appetite-whetter from the note:
In 2010, the mining markets were flying. BlackRock, the world's largest fund manager, was the largest equity investor in the mining industry, with assets of $39bn. Its top mining fund manager, Graham Birch, had an impressive track record, but in January 2010, Birch retired, and at the age of 37, Evy Hambro took control.Six years later, almost all mining stocks have fallen, but some of Hambro's biggest bets have gone badly wrong. On top of London Mining's collapse, high profile investments in Glencore, First Quantum, Freeport and Nat Rothschild's failed coal float, Bumi, have all tanked in spectacular fashion. "Anglo American's the only bullet he's missed," one senior analyst says.
The IKN Weekly, out now
IKN358 has just been sent to subscribers. Yet another close look at B2Gold (BTO.to) (BTG) is the main dish of the day but after all the news and the price action we saw in that stock last week, I reckon it's justified this time.
An interesting tiny little exploreco comes up on the radar, too. Bet the jockey, I say.
Labels: otto, the IKN weekly
The top three most visited IKN posts this week are...
...in reverse order:
Third Place: "Abitibi Royalites (RZZ.v): Glenn Mullan loses his cash cow...or not". It was close for third spot, less than 20 hits separating four posts, but this one sneaked onto the podium. Another example of junior mining mushroom politics.
Second Place: "The reason why the Vancouver newsletter tipsheet pumphouse community is pushing West Red Lake Gold Mines (RLG.v) at you this week". One of those three-line drive-by shooting posts that are zero content and say little or nothing of worth, but sometimes they'll take off and run. I wouldn't bother clicking through if I were you.
First Place: "OT: Michał Huniewicz takes photos of North Korea". I'm glad about this, because even though it was an OT post it was by far the best content of the week. Most popular by a mile, too. Wonderful sets of photos and insightful commentary snippets with each one. The train station shot is just wonderful.
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Anti-terror task force was warned of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's long trip to Russia
Greg Miller
NY Times
Nine months before the Boston Marathon bombing, a U.S. counterterrorism task force received a warning that a suspected militant had returned from a lengthy trip to Russia, U.S. officials said.
The warning was delivered to a single U.S. Customs and Border Protection official assigned to Boston's Joint Terrorism Task Force, a cell of specialists from federal and local law enforcement agencies. The task force was part of a network of multi-agency organizations set up across the country after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to make sure that clues and tips were shared.
But officials said there is no indication that the unidentified customs officer provided the information to any other members of the task force, including FBI agents who had previously interviewed the militant.
The man whose return from Russia went largely unnoticed was one of the two brothers who would later be accused of carrying out the April 15 bombing that killed three people and injured more than 250 others near the finish line of the Boston Marathon...
Link to whole article:


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One can only hope that bipartisanship is part of the upcoming legislative session.
The curtain goes up on a new session of the Florida Legislature on March 5. Recent performances dictate holding our applause.
Early reports do hint, however, that bipartisanship might even be part of the plot this year.
One can only hope �— because the last two sessions have been virtually bipartisan free. Like kids in a candy store, entrenched Republicans in the House and Senate (bolstered by a tea party favorite in the governor's mansion) rushed to take up almost everything on an arch-conservative's checklist.
Like other Republican-controlled legislatures around the country, Tallahassee lawmakers put women's reproductive health front and center. Scores of anti-abortion bills overflowed legislative hoppers, eventually leading to a mandatory ultrasound law and a ballot proposal under which Florida's constitutional right to privacy would no longer be applicable to abortion cases (rejected by voters in November).
On guns, they passed one law prohibiting private doctors from even asking patients about gun ownership (later ruled unconstitutional) and another stripping all local governments of any right to regulate firearms (a preemptive action favoring more permissive, National Rifle Association-sponsored state laws).
On religion, they proposed a constitutional amendment that would have given religious-based organizations non-discriminatory access to public funds (rejected by voters in November and passed a law allowing students to address their peers with "inspirational messages" (prayers) at school events (almost certainly unconstitutional). The House even voted overwhelmingly to crack down on Sharia (Islamic) law, a xenophobic crusade to stamp out a non-existent threat.
This unabashed social-issues agenda was complemented by an even more blatant political agenda. It started with a vindictive, unprincipled campaign to rein in the independence of Florida's Supreme Court (including efforts to dilute its membership and hamper its role) and ended with a disgraceful effort to disenfranchise Florida voters historically more aligned with the Democratic Party.
By dramatically curtailing early voting, toughening voter registration and conducting an ill-informed, largely phony, voter purge on the eve of a national election — leading to confusion, intimidation, voter hardships, and inexcusable delays in reporting results — Florida's Legislature and governor added another ignominious chapter to the state's already shameful election history.
So, the recent record is not promising. But the past doesn't have to forecast the future. Which is why one can take some encouragement from Gov. Rick Scott's announced reversal of course on issues like school budget cuts and election laws (even if motivated by his upcoming reelection campaign), and a promised change in tone by legislative leaders.
New Senate President Don Gaetz and new House Speaker Will Weatherford have already signaled their willingness to tackle election reform (if only to rectify past wrongs ), and to strengthen campaign finance and ethics laws. More importantly, they have pledged to work across the aisle with Democrats.
As the Tampa Bay Times recently observed, both leaders appear "serious, thoughtful and engaged", trumpeting a "vision for Florida that stretches beyond next year." If true, that's a good start— because modern Florida deserves better.
Whatever its history, Florida is not now a stereotypical old-South, unwavering red state. Yes, it's tightly controlled by Republicans, whose position has been solidified by creative gerrymandering of state election districts. But, statewide, Democrats outnumber Republicans, and, like the rest of the nation, more people reside in large urban or suburban areas than in small town, rural areas.
Florida is, in fact, widely regarded as a microcosm of the entire country. Historian Richard Norton Smith even calls Florida a "nation-state," a mega state so diverse that it mirrors the nation's moods, trends and demographic makeup.
Given this mix and population distribution, we might expect to see a more representative legislature with a more progressive (diverse) agenda. That we don't is wrapped up in Florida's unique history and years of complicated political maneuvering.
It would be foolhardy to expect GOP legislators or Scott to forsake core conservative positions. Still, less emphasis on divisive issues tinged with religion or partisan politics would be a big improvement. Equally helpful would be more time spent on issues impacting all Floridians — like education, the environment, health care and repairing infrastructure.
But crafting workable solutions to universal problems requires more than a ceremonial reaching across the aisle. It requires real deal-making. To be sure, a new tone in Tallahassee is welcome, but don't expect better results until pragmatists not ideologists are driving the agenda.
Carl R. Ramey, a former Washington, D.C., communications attorney, lives in Gainesville.


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There's a TV advert doing the rounds at the moment that helpfully points out that Saints Row: The Third is available at Argos. As well as nudging you towards an impulse purchase, while treating that special person in your life to some Elizabeth Duke jewellery, the advert also acts as a - presumably unwitting - reminder that Saints Row is of course the Argos Grand Theft Auto.
Cut and paste gaming at its most cynical, the series thus far has practically been a photocopy of GTA, albeit a bit smudged and ratty around the edges. We're not sure about the legal issues, but surely if you did this sort of thing in any other medium there would be court cases involved.
Purple Head
Rant over, let's judge this game purely on its merits, particularly as we didn't have to venture into Argos to buy it. It's great, albeit utterly preposterous and wholly over-the-top to the point where you almost become un-shockable, reduced to simply shaking your head in resigned acceptance at every increasing level of wrongness.
First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the sex toy. SR3's signature weapon of course is a massive purple rubber phallus that is actually a reasonably effective addition to your melee arsenal.
Ludicrous though it is, it's the thin end of a sexually-obsessed wedge that threatens to set gaming and gamers back several decades. It's difficult to defend the medium when great swathes of the enemies are scantily-clad women and there's a level called Trojan Whores, along with the additional Whored Mode, which is of course a hilarious play on Gears Of War's Horde Mode. The game certainly knows it audience though, as in our first stab at co-op play we were aided by a topless woman, which never happened in Modern Warfare 3.
Desperate But Not Serious
You may have ascertained that Saints Row: The Third doesn't take itself wholly seriously, and how much you enjoy it probably depends on whether you do the same. It's actually hard to take offence when something is so relentlessly puerile, and you ultimately find yourself glibly going along with it (or penning an angry letter to The Daily Mail).
What helps to win you over is the fact that it is sometimes genuinely funny. There's a pimp character whose only form of communication is singing into one of those Cher vo-coder things, a curious affectation that had us actively seeking out his missions so we could hear more of it. The fact that he was introduced in a gimp mask and ball gag as the 'horse' in a BDSM chariot race to the strains of The William Tell Overture only makes us love him even more.
Music plays a big part, via in-car radio stations, and there are plenty of 'angry gamer' tunes from the like of Marilyn Manson, as well as the obligatory urban channels. There are also a few pleasers for the Dads, with a bit of Adam and The Ants and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, with a special mention for oft-overlooked Scouse crooners, The Icicle Works. And while we're ashamed to admit it, there was a very strong moment when we were in the midst of a murderous spree and Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero kicked in, elevating it from mere gaming into something approaching high art.
Character building
But how does it all work, you're probably crying. It works absolutely fine, taking the GTA template and making it a solid, playable, ludicrous experience. The driving is up there with any titles in the open world genre, as indeed is the on-foot mechanics, with both competent shooting and decent melee. The level of character customisation is almost infinite - nostril width anyone? And your absurd creation manages to look picture-perfect in the cut scenes.
The missions are varied and silly, and at one point we had to assassinate a DJ for playing too much trance - not the worst idea. As for the core story, such as it is, there are shocks for series enthusiasts, but the whole thing is merely an excuse to throw increasingly ridiculous action at you, with the opening stages alone featuring more exploding helicopters than Bruce Willis' entire career.
Not one for the chin-strokers, Saints Row: The Third is, on paper, an absolute disgrace, a morally reprehensible ultra-violent orgy of destruction and sexual depravity that should never have seen the light of day. It's also immensely entertaining, and a timely reminder of when games used to be fun.


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Mai molar
Route first ascended from the ground up using 10mm stainless steel bolts. Although not top end, the difficulties are continuous and the route is strenuous due to its length. Medium and small camming devices recommend, as well as long quickdraws to reduce the rope drag on the longer pitches. Bolts are more run-out compared to the nearby "Quel calcare nell'anima" and these should be backed up with trad gear.
From Cortina take the road SS48 that leads up to Passo Falzarego. Park the car about 1km before the pass, next to the bar/restaurant Ra Nona (1985m).
Take path no. 412 that leads away from the bar towards Forcella Col dei Bos. After10 minutes the path transforms into a dirt track; continue up to the Col (2330m), and from here do not follow signs right for the "Ferrata del Castelletto", but instead proceed along the path that leads to Val Travenanzes until the sign for "Ferrata Lipella". Turn off right, reach the "mysterious boulder" (so-called as it is neatly divided in half) and continue on for a further 5 minutes to reach the north-west face of the Castelletto. Continue down towards the West Face of Tofana di Rozes, following the obvious trentch. Traverse beneath the wall for a few hundred meters to reach the base of the pillar (1.30 hrs from the car). The start of "Mai molar!" is located circa 20m to the right of "Quel calcare nell'anima", on the wall to the left of the obvious corner. The route has been equipped with dark grey stainless steel Fixe bolts.
Descend down the Ferrata Lipella. Alternatively, abseil down the line of ascent (55m ropes).
10 long quickdraws, a set of medium and small camming devices, two 55m ropes.