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Back from Turin where we presented the VersuS project at the Piemonte Share Festival, at Fablab Italia and at The Others art fair.
Here are the slides we used in the presentations at various venues:
VersuS: loveVSturin and romeVSriots, the presentation held at Piemonte Share Festival 2011
VersuS is a part of the ConnectiCity project, dealing with the ability to observe the realtime life of cities as expressed through social networks, ubiquitous technologies and sensor networks, and to transform this possibility into an opportunity to imagine, design and create tools for new forms of active, aware citizenship, urban planning, ubiquitous anthropology and collaborative processes for planning, design, politics, expression, knowledge and freedom.
In VersuS the possibility to observe the city in realtime using the expressions of users in social networks is used to suggest the vision of a city in which new forms of reading and writing (and, thus, of expression and of sharing) can be enacted in physical space, describing the city along multiple points of view and stories.
This, for example, is the city of Turin as described by digital ubiquitous interactions on social networks:
In the image, each dot represents the intensity of digital communications on social networks (Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare and Google Plus) from red (most intense) to purple and yellow (lower), to green (almost none) and black (none).
And it is clear through this kind of representations how we are able redraw the city, which becomes an incredibly different space, not created by buildings and streets, but through the information and expressions published and exchanged by users on social networks.
Using this approach different narratives about the city can be extracted and made accessible. For example, here is the same visualization, but filtered leaving only messages written using the italian language:
This below, instead, is the same visualization, but filtering content to leave only the ones written in arabic language:
This example clearly shows how different cultural backgrounds substantially describe different views and perceptions of the city. The possibility to extend this kind of analysis to other forms of observation, becoming able to create new forms of urban awareness on the emotions, wishes, desires, visions, conditions and tendencies of the millions of people who live their cities daily by working, studying, researching, shopping and relating to each other: millions of different stories which become sources of diffused intelligence that can be used to plan the mutation of our cities and to make this intelligence available to citizens, turning them into more active, aware and relational agents who are capable of being actively, critically and relationally present in their environment.
For example the image above shows the locations for which social network users expressed visions for the mutation of their city (creating new parks, using public squares in different ways, creating new libraries, different services and usages for spaces and buildings… ) thus enacting the possibility of having accessible tools for realtime collaborative planning and design processes for cities and public spaces.
In this scenario we presented two versions of the VersuS/ConnectiCity process: loveVSturin and romeVSriots.
Here below is a video of an interview about VersuS, by Dario Migliardi for la Stampa Newspaper:
VersuS, the realtime lives of cities by FakePress Publishing is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.artisopensource.net/2011/11/06/versus-the-realtime-lives-of-cities/.


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The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia # 7
Publisher: Scholastic
Number of pages: 224
My copy: paperback, bought from Scholastic Book Fair
The conclusion of the saga that began with The Magician's Nephew.
NARNIA…where you must say good-bye…and where the adventure begin again.
The Unicorn says that humans are brought to Narnia when Narnia is stirred and upset. And Narnia is in trouble now: A false Aslan roams the land. Narnia's only hope is that Eustace and Jill, old friends to Narnia, will be able to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. Their task is a difficult one because, as the Centaur says, "The stars never lie, but Men and Beasts do." Who is the real Aslan and who is the imposter?
* * *
So right after reading The Magician's Nephew, I jumped straight to the last book of The Chronicles of Narnia. Given the choice, I wouldn't really have done that just yet — I tend to let the last book of any series linger a bit longer on my shelf, because I need a certain mindset before I say goodbye to any series I have loved, or at least, invested in. But I was on a little time pressure here — I was determined to read this book for Holy Week, and it just so happened that my reading The Last Battle was also on Good Friday.
Perfect timing, you think?
In The Last Battle, there is trouble in Narnia. As a reader, I was immediately introduced to this trouble, and I already know that the Aslan parading around Narnia is false one. I think C.S. Lewis did that on purpose instead of putting the readers in a state of the unknown like the other Narnians. For the first time since reading the series, I was really and truly scared for Narnia. How could they believe that this Aslan is the real one they know? How can they believe that so easily? How can they lose all that hope so easily, too? With all this trouble, Eustace and Jill came tumbling down Narnia, to help out and save them — but the question is, do they even want to be saved?
Like I said, it was the first time I was truly scared for the things happening in Narnia. I don't know if this is investment in the series, or I was just…well, scared. Aslan is hands down one of my favorite characters, and possibly one of my favorite representations of God in literature, so seeing someone parade as a false one is scary. But in a way I can't blame the people for acting that way. I'm not saying it's right, but it just wasn't surprising. Aslan being gone for a long time and with only his believers passing the belief down from generation to generation is bound to make some people question him at some point. I can't help but think of how it is here in the real world — how people can just believe anyone and anything, and how, when disappointed by that, can make them not believe the one who should be believed in in the first place. It's a messy, messy, thing. The Last Battle reminds me a bit of Prince Caspian, where the characters' faith in Aslan was challenged so much that it was almost too late before they finally realized that they were wrong.
The Last Battle has a darker tone compared to the other books, and perhaps it also has the most bloodshed too. There were a bit too many battle scenes in this book that I can hardly think that this is a book for kids anymore. Reading The Magician's Nephew before this was a good idea, I think, because there were a lot of details mentioned there that was mentioned in this book. The final scenes were a bit confusing but I liked how they brought all the characters back together.
I wasn't planning to mention Susan in this review, but I guess I kind of have to. I think the Susan aspect is what makes The Last Battle a little dated. I mean, I understand what C.S. Lewis meant about it, and I guess it just so happened that Susan is that character who didn't go the way the others chose to. It might not sit comfortably with other people, though, especially with how it was explained. I think readers should be careful to remember the time when this book was written to put the Susan thing in the proper context.
Nevertheless, I think The Last Battle was a pretty good ending for a beloved series, even if it is one that can spur new questions, not about the book but about what the author intends for it to represent in real life. If anything, I think The Last Battle is the Narnia book that dealt the most about faith and its nature, and how it is really a matter of choosing to stand up for what you believe and for who you believe in, even if everyone and everything else around you is saying otherwise.
So long, Narnia. It's been a wonderful ride. One thing is for sure — wherever I go live in the future, there will always, always be a copy of the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia. :)
But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at least they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
Rating: [rating=4]
Other reviews:
Dark Chest of Wonders
Reviews of other Narnia books:
#1 The Magician's Nephew
#2 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
#3 The Horse and His Boy
#4 Prince Caspian
#5 Voyage of the Dawn Treader
#6 The Silver Chair

subset: commoncrawl


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Since Fender's acquisition of the Charvel brand in 2002, the parent company has remained pretty true to the original tearaway teen's mantra of producing hot-rodded rock guitars.
After the Art Series and its association with Edward Van Halen (surely the most famous of the original Charvel users from the late seventies) piqued interest, along came the truly awesome San Dimas range, which stayed even closer to the original West Coast vibe.
Today, with a San Dimas Style 1 costing a mere £619 and selling very nicely, we'd assumed that Charvel would consider continuing along these 'heritage' lines. However, in the spirit of evolution comes the new Desolation range, which includes a number of versions, also at various price points, of three designs that Charvel has not previously utilised - the Skatecaster SK-1, DS-1 and DC-1, all available in Floyd Rose or hardtail models.
The double-cut DC-1 ST is arguably the one that has fewest ties to Charvels of the past. With its slight carving within the lower cutaway and the asymmetrical shape, the guitar is a mix between the PRS SE double-cuts and ESP LTD Viper ranges; thanks in part to its hardtail denomination, it also weighs in at under 3kg.
To keep tuning stable, all ST guitars are loaded with locking Charvel tuners and, at 52mm width, the tune-o-matic bridge is a full two millimetres narrower than the Floyd Rose's saddle spacing. As with other Desolations we're tested, the binding's masking lip by the heel is disappointing - and we prefer the flat black finish to that of our trans-flame maple option, in this scenario anyway.
But the DC-1 does perform very well indeed, offering flawless playing comfort that's designed with hard rock and modern metal techniques in mind. Any players more used to a Gibson-style neck may be deterred by its slinkier feel, but then that's what Charvel has always been about.
The DC-1 ST's Floyd-loaded compadres are meaty specimens, but this model possesses the fattest tone of all - no doubt due to the fact that the stoptail is screwed straight into the through-neck. Also, when using the toggle's central position, the master tone does allow you to tailor any rough edges - great for cleaner passages in the style of Zakk Wylde.
The guitar's lighter weight may take a little time to get used to, but it is great to play nonetheless. And although we're still not sure where the DC is aimed in the market, there's not much to complain about as far as its tone and playability are concerned.
The DC-1 is far removed from the hot-rodded custom S-types for which Charvel is loved historically, but we doubt many of today's metal teenagers will care too much about that. Well worth a look.


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You want a high-paying gig, but without being tied down by a set schedule or a single job. Trouble is, you always thought part-time jobs paid little. Well, you thought wrong. The gig economy is out there, waiting for you. And the best news is: you don't have to wait to have a college degree to get started raking in the dough. Here are several high-paying part-time jobs that could help you generate a fabulous annual salary when combined.
1. Social Media Assistant
Put your Facebook skills to work helping companies manage their online profiles and marketing. You can get paid up to $30 an hour to work part time rocking a company's social media presence.
2. Online Research
Make up to $37 per hour answering questions for business professionals and helping them solve customer service issues or other complicated matters. If you're good with research and have a head for business, this is a great opportunity for you.
3. Content Editing
Have impeccable grammar? Get paid up to $40 an hour editing web content or printed materials for companies. If you're good with turning deadlines around and have great spelling, you're golden.
4. Software Engineer
If you have killer experience in software, you don't have to work full-time to be a software engineer. Get paid up to $73 an hour to work part time, as you prefer.
5. Jazz Teacher
So you studied jazz, but you're not sure you want to try and hack it as a professional musician. Teach instead! You can get paid anywhere from $50-80 per hour teaching jazz music to children and adults.
6. Translator
If you're fast and fluent in another language, you can work in print or in person translating for hospitals, courtrooms, law firms, manufacturing firms, you name it. And you can make from $20-50 per hour.
7. Private Tutor
Kids are more and more obsessed with test scores—or maybe their parents are? Either way, help a kid (or an adult!) learn whatever subject you're most expert in. Depending on where you live, you can earn anywhere from $40-$80 per hour and pull in a high annual wage!
8. Yoga Instructor
So you'll have to shell out for the initial teacher training, but then you can make about $35k per year teaching yoga—and staying fit in the process.
9. Adjunct Teaching
If you do have a degree and are inclined to teach, you might want to try adjuncting at universities—even community colleges or online schools. The pay varies wildly depending on what you teach and how good you are, but you won't make less than $31k per year and you could make as much as six figures.
10. Uber/Lyft
Drive for a ride share company. The amount you make will vary depending on the demand where you live and how many hours you're willing to drive. But you can really hustle and rake it in. Plus, you only drive when you want to.


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Curious George is making a comeback! The adorable mischievous monkey is capturing the hearts of a whole new generation and we are here to help you throw the perfect Curious George birthday party that your little ones will love.
Thanks to this incredible theme cake we found on Pinterest and our new line of Curious George® Personalized Gifts, we were inspired to put together this party theme and share some ideas for party accessories, birthday gifts and some cute party tricks to help you plan a successful party.
Whether the party is for your baby who loves watching the Curious George cartoons or for your older child who likes to read the Curious George books – we've got great ideas that Curious George fans of all ages will love.
Before you start working on making a masterpiece cake like this one have to start planning the party and the first think you need to do is send out party invitations.
Our Curious George® Personalized Invitations feature the title "Calling All Curious Monkeys" and can be personalized with your child's age and six lines of text which can include all of the important details including the name, date, time and location of the celebration and any other optional details you choose! These cute cards are sold in sets of 24 and include coordinating crisp, white envelopes for mailing.
Once the special day finally arrives, decorate your home or party location with the Curious George® Personalized Party Banner so you can continue the party theme and let guests know exactly where to go for the party! The banner can be personalized with their age and name and is made from heavy duty vinyl so it can be used whether it's an indoor or outdoor party!
Outside-of-the-gift-box Party Tip: The banner can also be used as a unique guest book! Leave out a permanent marker and have guests sign their names and leave messages for the Birthday Boy or Girl. It makes a great keepsake that they'll love looking back at for years to come!
Another great way to keep the party theme alive is to incorporate George's friend The Man With The Yellow Hat into the place settings like they did in this photo (at right) that we came across on Pinterest.
These place settings are easy to put together, won't cost you anything extra (since you'll already need plates and cups for the party) and are perfect for the Curious George theme! After you've purchased yellow cups and plates, take the yellow cups and tape or glue a line of black construction paper around the top of the cup. If you'd like, you can even write down each guests name on the black "belt" so they know where their cup is at all times! Flip the cup over and place it in the center of the plate and that's it – you have the yellow hat!
As for the food, prepare their favorite meal (after all, it is their birthday!), but we also suggest incorporating bananas. This is a great way to stick to the theme while also offering your guests a healthy snack! Either place one banana at each of the place settings or hang a bunch and use as a centerpiece for your table and have guests take them as they please!
When it comes time for your little one to open their birthday presents, make sure you've wrapped up one of our Curious George® Gifts, such as a personalized sweatshirt, pillowcase, growth chart, picture frame and much more!
When the party starts to wind down and your guests are starting to leave, don't let them leave without their goodie bag!
Personalize a Curious George® Poster for each of the kids to take home and hang up in their rooms! You get to choose from 4 different Curious George designs (George riding a bike, playing on his ball, flying a kite or hanging out in his room with toys) and personalize the posters with each of the guests' names in 1 of 3 sizes! They will have had so much fun at the party and love the personalized touch to their goodie bag so much they won't want to leave!
And there you have it – the perfect Curious George Birthday Party!
Don't forget to use proper party etiquette and thank your guests – the Curious George® Personalized Thank You Cards would be perfect! If you have any tips or ideas for throwing a Curious George Birthday Party we'd love to hear them so please be sure to comment below.


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Editor's Note: This file contains graphic images. Discretion is advised.
A Calgary family is sharing a horrifying dog-biting incident in hopes it doesn't happen to another family.
Kristen Lightfoot, whose husband Shane grew up in B.C. and whose in-laws live in B.C., took her son, Gavin, three, to a birthday party in Calgary Feb. 23.
At the end of the party, as Lightfoot and Gavin were getting ready to leave the house, a mixed breed dog that had been tethered and harnessed throughout the party bit Gavin in the face. The cut required 15 stitches.
"I kept my child away from the dog for the party. The attack happened when we were leaving and happened in a split second," said Lightfoot, who shared her ordeal on her Facebook page. "I know I couldn't have stopped this but I should have left earlier or told them (dog owners) to put the dog in a room.
"I regret this and it will haunt me forever."
RELATED: North Okanagan man suffers dog bites on Okanagan Rail Trail
Gavin had been to the house exactly a year before for another birthday party, but there was no dog at the house at that time.
Lightfoot's spidey sense about the dog was tingling. She saw the dog harnessed and tethered during the party, and also saw that a friend with her young children didn't seem concerned by the animal. Still, Lightfoot thought, there were signs.
"I could see this was a new pet. I asked about it and knew it was a rescue," said Lightfoot. "The dog was tired and agitated by the noise the children were making."
The kids, she said, were told not to blow party horns because it "bugged the dog."
RELATED: Lab recovers from rattlesnake bite
She said the dog owners have not reached out to her.
"I could not have predicted how traumatic this would be for my family and, as a dog lover, the pain of what is going to happen to their family. I can't express all the different emotions and stresses this situation brings up, especially when you know the family who owned the dog."
Lightfoot cautions fellow dog owners – her family has a miniature Schnauzer named Monster – to get themselves informed on their dog's temperament, anxiety and limits before putting them in a situation where they could hurt others.
"Everyone who owns a dog, especially a large dog, rescue, or notoriously dangerous breed, needs to be informed and prepared to handle these dogs and know which situations the dog can handle," she said. "Dogs get stressed, especially around young children in a confined space like a birthday party."
Gavin, she said, is doing fine and is recovering nicely from the trauma. He is not afraid to be around Monster.
Lightfoot said animal services in Calgary seized the dog the next day and has been informed it will be put down after 10 days following a check for rabies and whether or not Gavin needs to be treated if rabies is found.
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The Washington Post is apparently losing lots of money and may close in the foreseeable future, barring a deus ex machina intervention by some foreign billionaire such as saved the New York Times. While the decline of newspapers worldwide is regrettable, the Post's troubles are really good news, and bankruptcy would be a richly deserved fate for a rag that has been an enabler of every neocon fantasy for the past 20 years. Imagine no longer having to enjoy Charles Krauthammer, Fred Kagan, John Bolton, Bill Kristol, and Robert Kaplan with your morning coffee.
The Post's particular veneration for all things Israeli goes back quite a ways. Long-time readers can well recall the odious Herblock cartoons depicting Arabs as Dracula clones dressed in bedsheets and carrying bloody knives, while Israelis were always depicted as pleasant-looking, peaceful chaps just like you and me. It was almost like having the movie Exodus on a printed page.
The paper's recent editions provide a number of excellent reasons why the good old WaPo should share the fate of the dodo. A major story on March 11 was the victory of the Israeli lobby in forcing Ambassador Charles Freeman to drop out of the running for head of the National Intelligence Council (NIC). The NIC's most important function is to supervise the production of the National Intelligence Estimates, or NIEs, which are the finished intelligence reports that policymakers can generally rely on to provide the best, most up-to-date information on specific issues and countries. Freeman, who is a polyglot with extensive experience in many parts of the world, including the Middle East and Asia, was nominated for the position by Adm. Dennis Blair, the new director of national intelligence. Freeman was eminently qualified, and the job is not particularly political, but red flags immediately went up because he had been critical of Israel, noting, for example, that the national interests of the United States and Israel might not be exactly the same. This caused major heartburn in Congress and the media. Such stalwarts of liberty and free expression as Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Lieberman and Representatives Steve Israel and Shelley Berkley immediately scented the blood in the water. Lieberman feared that Freeman would not be able to "separate his policy views from the analysis he's very opinionated."
National Review, the Weekly Standard, the Wall Street Journal, the New Republic, and the other usual suspects all quickly climbed on board. A core group of Republican congressmen was not found wanting as the threat posed by an independent minded Freeman became evident, particularly as the congressmen in question are major recipients of pro-Israel money. And then there were the evangelicals, four-square for Israel as they wait for the Rapture. The crudity and viciousness of the attack on Freeman was unusual even for the Lobby and its friends, who are accustomed to character assassination and hardball tactics. To avoid the obvious conclusion that it was all about Israel, critics went after Freeman for his connections to Saudi Arabia, where he served as ambassador, and his views on China. It was alleged, inaccurately, that Freeman had taken Saudi money. To prove that Freeman sympathized with Chinese human rights violations, a personal e-mail he wrote some years ago was deliberately taken out of context and misquoted.
But anyone who followed the flood of criticism knew that it really was all about Israel in spite of the smoke being generated, bringing to the fore every congressman and media pundit who places Israel first. Freeman was not exactly accused of being an anti-Semite, but make no mistake, that argument would have come out soon enough in hints and nudges. After the fact, Freeman's resignation letter, in which he blasted the Lobby's plumbing "the depths of dishonor and indecency," was quickly denounced by AIPAC director William Daroff as anti-Semitic.
In the lead-up to the resignation, Rep. Israel (Steve, not the country) and Sen. Schumer went personally to the White House to explain to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel that the assignment would not be acceptable. When the withdrawal was announced, the congressman said the departure of Freeman would preserve the "impartiality of U.S. intelligence," by which he presumably meant that all information would henceforth be checked in Tel Aviv for accuracy and relevance. The senator, who only occasionally recalls that his constituency is in the United States, was not to be left out. He positively crowed on his Web site about Freeman's withdrawal, posting, "Charles Freeman was the wrong guy for this position. His statements against Israel were way over the top. I repeatedly urged the White House to reject him, and I am glad they did the right thing."
So AIPAC wins big-time yet again and sticks it to the American people, or at least to those Americans who oppose an endless series of wars in the Middle East to defend Israel's right to punish the Palestinians in perpetuity. The Washington Post placed the March 11 article on Freeman on page A4 and assigned the demolition job to Walter Pincus. Lest there be any confusion, the article was headlined "Impartiality Questioned, Intelligence Official Quits," telling the reader that this was not a hatchet job by AIPAC but rather a question of the objectivity of the victim. In the Post's view, both it and the U.S. government have always been scrupulously neutral on issues relating to Israel, and anyone who questions the relationship must do so because he lacks "impartiality." The article cited numerous critics of Freeman while not once mentioning the sustained and vicious campaign that had been mounted against him by the Israel Lobby.
As is often the case, the Lobby was the 600-pound gorilla in the room that was apparently invisible to Pincus and the Post editors. But the Internet furor about the blocked appointment was such that the Post felt it necessary to follow up the initial coverage with a second piece by Pincus, "Intelligence Pick Blames 'Israel Lobby' for Withdrawal," the next day. In it, Pincus told some of the story that he studiously ignored before but maintained that the Freeman appointment was derailed due to China and Saudi Arabia: "the controversy was broader than Middle East politics." Pincus presented in full the Israel Lobby's protestations that it had nothing to do with it.
The Post featured separate editorials on the day the Freeman story broke, March 11, and the following day. The first was "Time to Call It Quits," subtitled "The Justice Department should drop its misguided prosecution of two former AIPAC officials." It argued that the Obama administration "should put an end to a criminal case that should never have been brought," and it expressed no regret about AIPAC's role in the violation of the Espionage Act through passage of information known to be classified to Israel. Ironically, with that editorial, that day's edition successfully came full circle, as it was about the man who spearheaded the drive to nail Charles Freeman. Steve Rosen, one of the indicted ex-AIPAC officials, should be going to jail for a long time. Instead, he turned himself into a political commentator, writing 17 blog posts in 19 days attacking Freeman.
An editorial on the following day, "Blame the Lobby," subtitled "The Obama administration's latest failed nominee peddles a conspiracy theory," continued the trashing of Freeman, calling him a "poor choice" while virtually denying that there is any such thing as an Israel lobby. To make sure readers got the message, the Holocaust and a nuclear-armed Iran were cited along the way. An op-ed two days later by Republican Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia repeated the editorial line, even alleging that Freeman is a supporter of Darfur genocide, Chinese human rights violations, and Islamic fundamentalism. This was followed by a Charles Lane opinion piece in the Sunday edition, which asserted that "the president needs to knock Freeman's insinuations down hard." Nowhere was there any suggestion that Freeman might have had a legitimate point about the Israel lobby and how it operates.
It is pathetic to witness how Steve Rosen was able to lead a lynch mob that went after a good and honorable man who believes that the United States' national interest should come before Israel's, but there is something even worse about a sanctimonious "newspaper of record" that aids and abets the crime. The story is all too characteristic of a Washington in which AIPAC calls the shots and the media willingly becomes an accomplice.


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By Eli Greenblat and Eric Johnston
Coles has pulled together a high-level strategy team to develop its burgeoning financial services arm, with an eye to offering banking services to better bind customers to its stores and boost grocery sales.
The team have been meeting in a sealed-off section of Coles' Melbourne headquarters where their confidential discussions are quarantined from other staff in the building's open-plan office.
Early work on the project has seen Coles trademark last month the brand ''Coles mobile wallet'', setting the retailer up to break into the high-growth digital payments space that many experts believe will be the future of financial transactions as mobile phones replace wallets.
It builds on a growing pile of trademarks reserved by Coles such as ''Coles Money'', ''Coles Financial Solutions'' and ''Coles Financial Group''.
Since Wesfarmers bought Coles in 2007, it has steadily rolled out a suite of financial services. These include credit cards and car insurance, with Coles Insurance one of Australia's fastest-growing insurers.
The moves reflect a global trend of retailers pushing into banking. In Britain, Tesco, Sainsbury, and Marks & Spencer take deposits and sell personal loans, while Canada's largest food retailer, Loblaw, provides personal loans, credit cards and mortgages.
Woolworths, which sells insurance, has been toying with the idea of expanding further into financial services, although it has had mixed success following last decade's Ezy Banking joint venture with Commonwealth Bank.
A spokesman for Coles declined to comment on its banking plans.
Last month Coles' new managing director, John Durkan, revealed the supermarket would next move into life insurance.
Coles recently launched the first Australian consumer trial of contactless payment technology PayTag, which allows shoppers to ''tap and pay'' for groceries using an encoded sticker on the back of a mobile phone.
Mr Durkan said that he wanted to ''boldly extend into new channels and services'' and this is believed to include Coles' blossoming financial services operation and a plan to ultimately house its various offerings under some form of united ''Coles Bank'' unit.
Research has shown shoppers tend to spend more on food and groceries if they are also financial services customers of the supermarket.
Indeed, some Coles executives believe it can take on the ''big four banks'' at their own game, leveraging its network of 762 stores to reach out to the millions of customers that shop with it each week.
Industry sources told BusinessDay that Coles was looking at a range of options to expand its financial services arm, including alternative structures, but that no decisions had been made.
Fairfax Media reported last year that Coles was pursuing a banking licence from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to allow it to take deposits. Banking sources have said this process can take years.
In a telling submission to the Financial System Inquiry headed by former CBA boss David Murray, Coles said retailers could drive innovation, competition and greater consumer choice in the sector.
The Coles submission also highlighted the long history of British retailers providing financial services, citing food retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's as well as Marks & Spencer that have set up personal finance arms or banks.
''These retailer banks, while still small in national banking terms, have extended their market shares and range of banking products in recent years,'' the Coles submission reads.
''While their offerings are more limited than the full banking services offered by major clearing banks, their offerings are nonetheless more extensive than those currently offered by Australian retailers.''
Its submission also warned a recent shift by regulators since the GFC has seen financial resilience and stability prioritised over a more competitive environment supportive of new entrants.


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Well, this for example. The article is about Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American (ie, a dual citizen of those countries) social scientist who studied in the UK and the US, earning his Ph.D. in Columbia University and has worked with many respected organisations, chose to move back to Iran, and was arrested there and charged with espionage. Reportedly he is likely to be executed. The writer of the above article adds:
Those of us in India who have been consistently anti-imperialist and critical of the US, and who respect Iran's anti-US imperialist position, have been deeply disturbed by the Iranian regime's crushing of the pro-democracy protests and its attempts to characterize these massive uprisings as fomented by the US. It's tragically ironic that the US should be dubbed as "pro-democracy" by the Iranian regime!
I wonder why the writer did not ask herself the obvious question: if Iran is the land of the free and it is ironic to call the US "pro-democracy", why, one may ask, do so many Iranians (and nationals of so many other countries) want to make the homes in the US, and why do so few Americans (or Indians or anyone else) want to immigrate to Iran? Does she think Tajbakhsh (whom she calls an "Iranian patriot") chose to move to Iran because he approved of the Iranian regime, or thought it better than what the US offers (even in the Bush era)? Do Burmese patriots, or North Korean patriots, approve of their rulers too?
Well, at least the writer is disturbed by the recent crackdown -- unlike fellow travellers of the Soviet Union who justified the atrocities there until Stalin's genocidal excesses became impossible to ignore (and, in many cases, even later).


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Fox's Cavuto On Spending Cuts: "We Will Never Cut Our Way Into Austerity"
Written by David Shere
Fox News host Neil Cavuto claimed that spending cuts that lead to austerity "will never happen," even as data show that continued cuts remain a drag on economic recovery. In fact, economists contend that if it weren't for government cuts, the unemployment rate would be lower.
Discussing the economy with Fox News contributor Dennis Kucinich on Friday, Cavuto argued for cutting spending to halt what he called the country's spending problem and lower the deficit. When Kucinich cautioned against sanctioning new austerity, Cavuto replied: "You have no reason to worry, my friend; that will never happen." He added: "We will never cut our way into austerity. We won't cut our way out into a paper bag."
Cavuto went on to dismiss the fact that the automatic spending cuts scheduled for March 1 would have further impact on slowing growth.
In reality, cuts in government spending in the last quarter of 2012 led the economy to shrink for the first time in more than three years. CNN Money reported that a "large cut in federal spending, primarily on defense, was one of the biggest drags on growth."According to the Wall Street Journal, "government spending, which has been a drag on growth for more than two years, declined for the ninth time in 10 quarters."
The New York Times quoted Ethan Harris, co-head of global economics research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, as saying that the drop in spending "is the tip of the iceberg on fiscal austerity from Washington." Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, told the Times that "we're being more austere than we need to be." He added: "The economy isn't growing that fast and you don't want to be taking away stimulus now."
Since the recession ended, the public sector has shed over 700,000 jobs. In a 2012 report, the Economic Policy Institute found that "if it weren't for state and local austerity, the labor market would have 2.3 million more jobs today; half of these jobs would be in the private sector." EPI added: "If all of these 2.3 million jobs had been filled, it is likely that the unemployment rate would now be between 6.7 percent and 7.5 percent." The unemployment rate currently stands at 7.9 percent. Even as the private sector has steadily added jobs, government cuts have held the economy back:
Moreover, experts argue that the across-the-board government spending cuts scheduled for March 1, commonly referred to as the "sequester," could halve U.S. economic growth and lead to one million lost jobs.


text:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- U.S. lawmakers are set to weigh in on Smithfield Foods' pending takeover by China's largest meat producer.
The Senate Agriculture Committee is set to discuss at a hearing Wednesday the deal struck in May with Shuanghui International.
The committee notice says the hearing will examine the pending purchase of the Smithfield-based company. It'll also examine how the government review process of foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies addresses American food safety and the effects of increased foreign ownership of the U.S. food supply. Smithfield Foods' CEO Larry Pope is set to speak.
The deal is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, and is expected to close later this year. It would be the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese firm, valued at about $7.1 billion including debt.
More from MBTMag.com
Flowers Foods Receives OK For Hostess Bread Brands
Role Of Aircraft Automation Eyed In Air Crash
Senate Immigration Bill Would Remake Economy
Explore more news here.


text:
Mary J. Blige Feat. 50 Cent Let Me Be The One Lyrics
[50 Cent singing]
MJ, 50 Cent. G UUUNIT!
This is simple. I know you understand.
Another man can't quite love you girl.
Like I can. Your fantasies and your dreams.
Believe in me. I will fufill. Now you know how I feel.
Now baby tell me how do you feel?
[Mary J. Blige]
[Verse 1]
Boy I feel like this just can't be real.
And if I'm dreaming please don't wake me up.
So what's the deal? Should I save my love for you?
Cause no way makes me feel the way that you do.
You make me wanna see your face everyday. (Mmm... Hmmm...)
Deep down inside I know that your my soul mate. (You are my soul mate).
If you should be my man. Patiently. (Patiently). Cause boy I know that your the one for me.
Let me be the one to give you everything. (Boy I wanna be the one).
Let me be the one that's always in your dreams. (Always be in your dreams).
Let me be the one who'd be right by your side. (I'll be there, I'll be there).
Let me be the one, (Let me be the one), let me be the one.
Let me be the one...
[Mary J. Blige]
[Verse 2]
I'm your girl. See there's no one quite like me. No one will love you that I do.
I get chiils. When you put your arm around me. You make me feel like I'm the only one.
You make me wanna see your face everyday.
Deep down inside I know that your my soul mate. (You are my soul mate).
If you should be my man. Patiently. (I'll be right here waiting).
Cause boy I know that your the one for me. (Your the one... your the one).
[Repeat Hook 2x]
[Mary J. Blige]
Why won't you let me be? (Why won't you let me be?).
The one to set you free. (I wanna set you free).
I'll give you what you need. (I'll give you what you need).
If you would just let me be the onnnnnneee!
[Repeat Hook]
[50 Cent Verse]
Baby if ever you need someone who knows you.
Someone to go to. Someone to be by your side.
Baby if ever you need someone to talk too.
Someone to hold you. Someone to be down to ride.
You can count on me. I'll be there for ya. When you need me I care for you.
Like you care for me. Please believe me! If I was locked up I know you'd be the one to come see me.
Cause you understand life were we from ain't easy. Problems. They say when it rains it pours.
But I'm sure.
Together we can weather the storm. Your friends they don't understand the s___ we on.
When I'm gone I'm missing you. Your love is unconditional. Your my heart.
Picture me dissin you.
Now pictrue something positive.
Me hugging and kissing you.
If ever you doubt how I feel this is what you should listen too.
[Repeat Hook 2x]
Let me be the one, let me be the one, let me be the one for you...
Let me be the one, let me be the one, let me be the one for you...
See also:
Rocky There Is No Easy Way Out Lyrics
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Woe Is Me (Reprise) Lyrics


text:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn't letting the COVID-19 pandemic stop his usual practice of travelling to various regions of the country during the summer — he's just doing it virtually this year.
He'll spend much of today in meetings with British Columbia political, business, environmental and academic leaders, all from the comfort of his office in Ottawa.
And he'll do another similar virtual tour of the Atlantic provinces on Thursday.
The summer is usually an opportunity for the prime minister and other federal political leaders to travel widely and engage in outreach with community leaders and voters outside the Ottawa bubble.
Among other things, Trudeau usually convenes a cabinet retreat and attends a Liberal caucus retreat outside the nation's capital each year before Parliament resumes in the fall. He, his ministers and Liberal MPs use those events to fan out into the host communities, listening to local concerns, making some announcements and generally promoting the government's message.
But the need to curb the spread of COVID-19 has put the kibosh on much of that in-person travel this year. Apart from the occasional trip to Toronto, Montreal and communities near Ottawa, Trudeau has been forced to stay home — and find other ways to conduct regional outreach.
Newly minted Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole was similarly forced to figure out other ways to woo supporters across the country during his party's months-long leadership contest.
Horgan, Trudeau to meet virtually
What political leaders have learned about pandemic-era campaigning and outreach could be useful should Trudeau's minority government be defeated on the throne speech he intends to unveil on Sept. 23, detailing what he has promised will be a bold plan for economic recovery.
Trudeau's virtual tours of B.C. and the Atlantic provinces are at least in part devoted to consultations on that recovery plan.
In addition to a virtual meeting today with B.C. Premier John Horgan, Trudeau is scheduled to hold a roundtable with the province's business and environmental leaders on the measures needed to ensure a green, sustainable economic recovery.
Participants in the roundtable are to include Merran Smith, executive director of Clean Energy Canada; Greg D'Avignon, president of the B.C. Business Council; Carol Anne Hilton, founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute; Darcy Dobell, chair of Ocean Networks Canada; Christine Bergeron, interim president and CEO of Vancity; Mark Jaccard, sustainable energy professor at Simon Fraser University; and Kevin Desmond, CEO of TransLink.
Trudeau is also scheduled to meet virtually with University of British Columbia faculty members and private sector partners who've been working on federally funded projects to help support to transition back to work and innovative production of personal protective equipment.
He will also give several interviews to local radio and television programs.
Devoted web advocate. Bacon scholar. Internet lover. Passionate twitteraholic. Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Lifelong beer fanatic.


text:
Written by
Kevin Lockette, PT
MOVE-IT Book now available
as an eBook
Cost $5.00 with a portion of proceeds donated to Hawaii Parkinson Association.
MOVE IT! is the first publication of it's kind! It is a complete movement, exercise and resource guide for Parkinson's Disease.
"MOVE IT! - An Exercise and Mobility Guide for Parkinson's Disease" was inspired by persons with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The author, Kevin Lockette, physical therapist and co-author of Conditioning with Physical Disabilities, Human Kinetics Publishers, has seen many persons with PD as and has taught community exercise classes for PD support groups for many years. To his amazement, nearly every time, there were patients, both newly diagnosed or persons who had PD for 20+ years, who had stated that they learned something that made a profound difference in their daily lives. He continued to teach and continued to get cards and phone calls of gratitude for the techniques and exercises that were taught.
The book includes:
- Overview of physical symptoms.
- Medication review in easily understandable terms.
- Techniques and tricks for improved mobility including bed mobility, transfers & walking.
- Anti-freezing techniques that really work!
- Adaptive Devices for easier everyday living.
- Assisted Device overview for safer walking.
- Complete exercise programs specific for Parkinson's Disease.
- Exercise programs for all physical levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced).
- Complete guide and exercise program for flexibility and much more!.
Kevin Lockette's PD patients, friends, caregivers, and physicians have persistently encouraged him to pursue the project to bring this useful information to a wider audience.
The project gathered steam as Wally Amos, of cookie and reading awareness fame, joined on as the narrator and Dr Yee, a neurologist, joined in as well. Lockette states, "Wally (Amos) was nothing but terrific! He brought so much to the production. Wally has friends who suffer from Parkinson's Disease, and he simply wanted to help. I kept trying to convince Wally and he said, 'Stop trying to convince me. I was sold on this project with the first mention of it.'"
Exercise in conjunction with medication is one of the best things that can be done to counteract the negative physical effects of Parkinson's Disease. Traditional or conventional exercise programs do not always carry-over well or meet the specific needs of dealing with PD symptoms.
This project is truly the first of its kind in many ways. Much of the material in this book and DVD is not available presently to a wide audience, and it is also the first book/DVD on this topic written and directed by a physical therapist.
PD is a movement disorder that is unique. Due to this fact, the video/DVD format is the best way to illustrate movement techniques and exercise with actual persons with PD. The book format also offers useful additional information that is best presented in written form/text.
Lockette also states that the mobility techniques and exercises can also apply to seniors who have different disabilities or who have some difficulty with mobility. "There is great relevance to this material. There truly are not many comprehensive resources on exercise and mobility for the disabled seniors or the more frail elderly. MOVE IT carries over well to this population," states Lockette.
Available on DVD
featuring Wally Amos as the narrator.
This exercise Book and DVD is a "must have" addition to any library for persons with Parkinson's Disease, family members and caregivers. MOVE IT! Is also an excellent resource training tool for health professionals who work with PD patients.
Katherine Kim, MPH
NPF/Hawaii PD Center of Excellence
Also available by Kevin Lockette PT
Harbours Press. Click here for the table of contents and introductory chapter.
Drawing on his more than twenty years as a practicing physical therapist, author Kevin Lockette has compiled an unparalleled resource for home caregivers: A Caregiver's Complete Guide for Safe Mobility and Independence in the Home delivers exactly what its title states. Lockette's numerous strategies and tips focus on how to offer safe caregiving, especially as it relates to the care-receiver's mobility and independence. But he also gives attention to the safety of the caregiver, because, as he wisely notes, "If a caregiver is injured, it frequently results in the care-receiver losing the ability to remain in a community setting."
This book has easily referenced chapters on such topics as body mechanics (including principles of safe lifting), guidelines for transfers (including considerations for body type and various disabilities), adaptive and assistive devices for the care-receiver, fall prevention and fall-proofing the home, and information on types of wheelchairs. He also includes detailed instructions (with illustrations) on appropriate exercises for the minimally to moderately impaired. A helpful glossary is provided, as are several appendices, which offer important information on various caregiver associations, caregiver-specific Web sites, and numerous connected resources.
"Kevin Lockette PT has written extensively on rehabilitation and exercise for those with physical impairments. In this, his latest book, he goes beyond a simple guide for caregivers; he demonstrates his passion for his field as he adroitly shares his indispensable information with his readers. As a caregiver, you wouldn't want anything less for those in your care. With A Caregiver's Complete Guide for Safe Mobility and Independence in the Home, you won't need anything more."
Bruce Katsura MD
Physiatry and Rehabilitation Services LLP
"Over the last 20 years, physical therapy clinician Kevin Lockette has systematically amassed a wealth of skills, practical knowledge and tips to promote independence in the home setting. Now this publication represents his scholarly contribution at a time when long-term caring is shifting rapidly from institutional to home and community-based settings. A Caregiver's Complete Guide for Safe Mobility and Independence in the Home is set to become a valuable resource for family caregivers, home care agencies and small adult care or foster homes everywhere. This is a practical guide that they have been looking for."
Cullen T. Hayashida, Ph.D. - Kupuna (Elder) Education Center, Kapiolani Community College, Honolulu, Hawaii
For request for articles or lectures, please contact Kevin Lockette PT


text:
Just a reminder here for any store owners looking to get into the summer session. Today is the last chance you have to get 50% off your first month as a member of my exclusive online coaching program Ecommerce Amplifier.
If you're still on the fence thinking about it, now would be a good time to take advantage of this proven system. Remember, it is a month to month program (no long term commitments) that you can easily cancel at any time from within your members area so you have nothing to lose. My system works with any shopping cart system you are using (open source, custom, hosted solutions, etc…), and don't forget, as a member you get access to me as your personal mentor to help guide you toward success with your ecommerce business.
This offer is strictly limited and the 50% off coupon expires tonight. Once it expires the offer is closed.
Current store owners that have been a part of the system have seen fantastic results and continue to rave about it. Here are a few testimonials:
"This is The Real Deal"
"I find that there is a lot of professional know all's and "crapologists" in the ecommerce game with a lot of theories and potential's at the end of the day. There are very few who have the runs on the board. What I like about you, your news letters, website's and emails is that this is what I need to understand the in's and out's and be good at what I do.
I am not the designer or techno person in the back I am the driver of the bus and have to make decisions on how, where and when we are going to get there. I am more interested in how we can sell goods and services online.
I joined this site as I believe what you do and tell us is factual and usable as you have runs on the board.
Thanks for your support."
"Doubled Our Sales in Just 4 Months!"
"Well. I am swamped with orders and cannot do anymore work on my sites for now! I am having to work and keep production going and hired a helper full time (he was part time until a month ago). Your insight (which I only implemented some of the video review so far) has taken our orders from 40 to 45 a week last July to 83 last week. We are now hitting 20+ orders a day now (last Friday and then again Sunday). I hope to launch another 2 sites using your ideas and tips and hope to double or triple what we did last year. I could not have done it without you. You have taken us from struggling to a reality of owning a successful business.
I am trying to talk one of my friends into joining your site. I hope to get him to join up soon!"
Sean Taft
"My Conversion Rate Jumped in Just 7 Days…"
"Quick follow up…
As you know, I implemented all of the suggestions in the video review about a week and a half ago.
My conversion rate for the last 7 days has climbed to 3.86%!
I'm going to keep plugging away at the weekly lessons and hopefully that will help increase traffic and maybe nudge that number up a little more.
Thank you!!!"
Sarah Taylor-Salamaca
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity. Let's build your business together.
See you on the inside.


text:
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(CNN) -- J.D. Salinger, the famously reclusive author whose 1951 novel, "The Catcher in the Rye," became a touchstone for generations of readers, has died. He was 91.
The author died Wednesday of natural causes at his home in New Hampshire, according to a family statement that his literary agent, Phyllis Westberg, provided Thursday.
"Despite having broken his hip in May, his health had been excellent until a rather sudden decline after the new year," the statement said. "He was not in any pain before or at the time of his death."
Salinger has long been known for his reclusiveness, and "in keeping with his life long, uncompromising desire to protect and defend his privacy there will be no service," the statement said.
"The family asks that people's respect for him, his work, and his privacy be extended to them, individually and collectively, during this time."
Though he wrote more than 30 short stories and a handful of novellas -- many published in The New Yorker and collected in works such as "Nine Stories" and "Seymour: An Introduction" -- Salinger's fame rests on "Catcher," his only novel.
The book is narrated by a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, who is expelled from a private school, Pencey Prep, in Pennsylvania, and spends the next three days wandering around New York. Caulfield is mistrustful of authority, railing against corrupt adults and "phonies," and plans to decamp for the west.
iReport: Tell us what 'Catcher' meant to you
"An unusually brilliant first novel," The New York Times called it, one of many raves.
Though intended for adult readers, the book touched a nerve among teenagers attracted by Caulfield's nonconformist attitudes and has remained a best-seller since its release. It has gone through dozens of printings in its simple mass-market paperback edition, clad in a simple maroon cover adorned with the title and author's name on the front and back.
It's also been a lightning rod for controversy. Schools have banned it -- troubled by Caulfield's language and attitude as well as his adventures with a prostitute -- and some readers have been obsessed by it, most infamously Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon in 1980.
In 2009, Salinger -- always protective of his work -- sued to stop the publication, sale and advertisement of "60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye," a novel written by an author calling himself J.D. California.
Jerome David Salinger was born January 1, 1919, in New York City, the son of Sol -- a wealthy meat importer -- and Miriam Salinger. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania and spent time at three colleges. He published his first stories in the early 1940s.
In 1942, he joined the U.S. Army. He fought in the D-Day invasion at Normandy as well as the Battle of the Bulge, but suffered a nervous breakdown and checked himself into an Army hospital in Germany in 1945. In December of that year, "I'm Crazy," the first story featuring Caulfield, was published in Collier's.
In 1947, his short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," featuring the troubled Seymour Glass, was published in The New Yorker. The Glass family, a group of bright siblings who agonized over their lives, would become the subject of many subsequent stories, all of which were published in The New Yorker and later collected in "Nine Stories," "Franny and Zooey" and "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction."
His last published story, "Hapworth 16, 1924," appeared in 1965.
In his later life, Salinger became as well-known for his desire for privacy as his work, and when that privacy was shattered, he would sometimes lash out with lawsuits. A 1987 biography by Ian Hamilton was blocked by a U.S. appellate court; it eventually appeared, in heavily revised form, as "In Search of J.D. Salinger." Salinger also sued a writer, Stephen Kunes, for impersonating him.
He had a nine-month affair with the 18-year-old Joyce Maynard in the early '70s; she later wrote about it in a memoir and auctioned off his letters. (The buyer, Peter Norton, said he would return the letters to Salinger.)
Salinger's daughter, Margaret, wrote a memoir, "Dream Catcher," which was published in 2000. Neither Maynard's nor Margaret Salinger's books were positive, describing the author as controlling and having a host of unusual habits, including drinking his own urine.
Throughout it all, Salinger remained determinedly reserved. He gave interviews sparingly, the last one in 1981 to The (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) Advocate. Occasionally he would release terse statements about his work.
Thursday's statement from Salinger's literary agent acknowledged the writer's isolation.
"Salinger had remarked that he was in this world but not of it. His body is gone but the family hopes that he is still with those he loves, whether they are religious or historical figures, personal friends or fictional characters," the statement said.
"He will be missed by the few he was close to every bit as much as by the readers who loved reading him."
Salinger was married three times, most recently to Colleen O'Neil, who survives him. He had two children, Matthew and Margaret, with his second wife, Claire Douglas, whom he divorced in 1967.


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O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times once gave the law in cloud of majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
God gave the law. It is a gift from God. Indeed, the law is a good gift from God because we need the law. The law provides boundaries, and we human beings need boundaries. Without boundaries we gravitate toward doing what is right in our own eyes.
The law gives purpose. God has created and redeemed us for a reason. We are chosen for God's divine purposes in this world. Without purpose we wander aimlessly in life through our self-imposed wilderness, pursuing the trite and the trivial. We seek to have our own meaning apart from the one who made and called us.
The law forms our identity as God's people. "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1; NRSV). The law makes it possible for us to reflect the image of God in this world. Without the law, we lose our identity as divine icons. Without identity, we are no longer who we are created to be-- God imagers. Yes, indeed... we need the law.
The law leads us to a divinely desired destination. The law is not the end of the journey, but what we need to reach the appointed harbor. The problem is that we are always tempted to make the law the end in and of itself. We forget that God made the law for us. We were not made for the law. But when the law is the end, that truth gets reversed. We end up serving the law. When that happens, our obedience to the law has the same results as our disobedience. Boundaries are no longer boundaries; they become walls. Our divinely ordained purpose is discarded in favor of finding our own meaning in ourselves and not in God. Our identity as God's people is diminished and we become less than we are.
The law is not opposed to grace. Law and grace are not antonyms. Indeed, the giving of the law is an act of God's grace; but the purpose of the law is to lead us to a fuller a more complete kind of grace.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known (John 1:14, 16-18).
In thunder and might, God graciously gave the law, and that law has taken us on the long journey to the fullness of grace given to us in Jesus Christ. The might of God is revealed on the top of a mountain in the desert and in the silence of a small village in a remote land under the thumb of the Roman Empire.
In the cries of a newborn child in a manger, the wisdom of the law can be heard.
A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
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We've known for a while, thanks to Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, that Apple was planning something big in the book/textbook market. Yesterday, January 19th, we found out it was iBook 2. Quoting from Apple's oh-so-subtle press release entitled Apple Reinvents Textbooks with iBooks 2 for iPad, here are the key things that are part of the upgrade:
(1) iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that's dynamic, engaging and truly interactive […] with support for great new features including gorgeous, fullscreen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos;
(2) iBooks Author […] a free download from the Mac App Store and lets anyone with a Mac create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books and more, and publish them to Apple's iBookstore. [You create a ibook] with Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts [… and] add your own text and images by simply dragging and dropping, [… you can also] add interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote® presentations and 3D objects.
(3) iTunes® U app [which provides students and teachers with] access to the world's largest catalog of free educational content, along with over 20,000 education apps at their fingertips and hundreds of thousands of books in the iBookstore that can be used in their school curriculum.
At first glance, there seems to be a lot in here for advocates of self-publishing and eReading to like. In particular, iBooks Author could be an incredibly powerful tool for getting students to engage with authorship and course material in an entirely different way – imagine every student making their own custom textbook.
However, when one digs beneath the surface a bit, iBooks Author has a few big problems. These are the two — one small and one big — that concern me…
Problem #1 – Interactivity
Kathleen Fitzpatrick notes that while iBooks make a claim of being "truly" interactive, what that really means is interactive animations…
The textbooks that can be produced with iBooks Author and read in iBooks 2 are interactive, in the sense of an individual reader being able to work with an individual text in a hands-on fashion. They do not, however, provide for interaction amongst readers of the text, or for responses from a reader to reach the author, or, as far as I can tell so far, for connections across texts. The "book," though multimediated, manipulable, and disembodied, is still a discrete, fairly closed object.
I would take this one step further, in that the books that I've seen also don't seem to provide much connection between text and interactivity. Rather than integrating the interactivity into the content in such a way that it becomes inseparable, it largely remains there to illustrate the text. In this way, all we have is dancing baloney sort of illustration within a closed reading experience. There's nothing wrong with this, but it isn't a revolutionary interactive experience.
Still even if iBook Author isn't all that interactive, the promise of providing students a tool to build their own books is a good thing… right?
Not if the book is locked down to the iOS platform.
Problem #2 – ibooks can only be read on iOS devices
The iBook format, .ida, is a proprietary build off of the industry standard .ePub format which can only be read on an iOS device. That means that a student's work can only be viewed, as it was intended to be ((Apple does provide the ability to export a platform independent PDF of an iBook. However, all of the much touted interactivity is stripped from the book. And PDF is a format that still is primarily intended for print consumption, which means that all of the screen-reading advantages of an ebook, such as dynamic text reflow, are also lost.)) , within the iOS platform. ((Additionally, the iBooks Author EULA contains a big "catches" to the distribution of ibooks. While free ibooks can be distributed how ever the author wishes, ibooks can only be sold via the iBookstore. )) "Taking home" the book you made in class to show your parents requires you to take your ipad as well.
This may not seem like a big thing — especially since we imagine that each student would have their own iPad. However, it doesn't take much to imagine less affluent school districts where students would share iPads. Or other scenarios where school supplied iPads cannot leave the school campus. Without access to a "home" iPad, that student's work becomes more-or-less inaccessible — even if the family has a computer. Further, if the student wants to share that work within her extended family, all of them need iOS devices as well.
The problem is a closed, hardware based, platforms
The fact that iBooks only work on iOS devices seems to me an exceedingly problematic development for ebooks in general.
The rational — on the surface — for going with a proprietary format, is that the current ePub standard does not currently allow for an ebook experience that meets Apple's high standards. As someone whose struggled with the limits of ePub, I'm sympathetic to this argument. Especially, if we are talking about typographic nuances and interactive elements, by all accounts iBooks are able to do things that standard ePubs cannot do as well (if at all).
This will surely result in some beautiful ibooks.
However, if we look beyond elite publications, this slavish attention to "experience" makes less sense. Most self-publishing authors — including students — rarely end up using many of those advanced interactive features that made it necessary to drop ePub. I expect that time will show that, outside of the typographic tweaks hard wired into Apple's templates, the vast majority of iBooks could have been created as ePubs without sacrificing anything.
And if those books had been "born" ePub, they could have been read on just about any computer, tablet, eReader, or phone available today. Instead thy will be locked to the iOS. In this way iBooks coverts generic content into something that can only be viewed on Apple devices.
Considering that the iPad's traces its lineage back to the iPod, whose success was based on the cross-platform MP3 standard, there is a certain irony to this decision.
Beyond the issue of experience, there's another compelling reason for Apple to do this. As was recently pointed out to me in an email discussion, while Apple makes a lot on content (some $1,571 million in its 2011 fourth quarter!), content only accounts for 6% of all of Apple's revenue. Almost 70% of revenue in that same quarter came from the sale of iPods, iPhone, iPads, and their related services, carrier agreements, and accessories.
To be blunt, iBooks are about selling iOS devices, not the other way around. ((see Joe Espisito's spot on analysis for more on this))
Thus, there is very little incentive for Apple to develop an iBook reader for Windows or Android, let alone for Apple lap- and desktop computers. ((In this way Amazon has a fundamentally different reading platform strategy. While they are heavily invested in Kindle, one must understand that it's the Kindle platform versus the hardware that Amazon really cares about. In order to reach the broadest community of readers/customers, Amazon has published Kindle software for every major Computer, Tablet, and Smartphone platform. Kindle books, which typically have DRM applied to them, may also be in a proprietary format, but, to some degree its platform agnostics approach makes it a far more available format to readers than Apple's hardware locked .ida)).
For the foreseeable future, expect iBooks to be locked to a hardware platform. And that in turn means that a lot of new, traditionally platform agnostic, content will become locked to a platform for no other reason the artificial restrictions of the platform it was authored on. While that might not seem like much, it's a very different approach to electronic texts than we have seen up to this point. ((Even during the browser wars of the late nineties, text on a site optimized for a given browser could still be typically read by anyone who visited that site, regardless of their web browser.)) Granted, there have always been technological barriers to reading and writing, but I cannot think of a bigger attempt, in recent memory, to restrict mass-market reading and writing to a single platform. It may result in a win for Apple, but I can't help but this of it as a loss for the rest of us.


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The Ratcatcher (Krysař)
He's different, he's mysterious, he's present. And nothing can be hidden from him. A play inspired by a legend that is much too alive and one of the most famous pieces of Czech prose.
Švandovo Theatre Ensemble |
Show Length: | 2 hrs 35 min including intermission |
Director: | Dodo Gombár |
Premiere Date: | 5. 11. 2016 |
Derniere Date: | 21. 9. 2020 |
The town is troubled with rats - they are the source of all evil. It's time to call for a ratcatcher. He will lead them out of town, to the river, to die. He can do it with a song. It sound so quietly and his hands are so gentle. He is different than all the other people here. He has a hidden power. The rats follow him blindly. They follow him to a certain death. The town will be relieved and he will leave. He always leaves. All the towns he has ever been to. And he never looks back. He never looks back, he never stays after his task is done. The ratcatcher walks lightly. But what if it is different this time? He stayed longer than he intended to. Why, just outside the town's gates, is he thinking of returning? Why is he concerned about people whom he would have passed without noticing before? What if the rats were just an alibi for something that has been here for a long time?
It's not good to hear the sounds of the night. It's not good to step in the ratcatcher's path.
A special talent, hidden strength, hidden potential. A gift or a curse? There are the days when a man's shadow walks faster than the man himself. The ratcatcher changes people around him. And they change him.
One of the greatest works of 20th century is based on an old Saxon legend and still provokes too many questions and interpretations. Is the character of the ratcatcher friend or foe? Viktor Dyk makes his protagonist encounter all types of society. And then makes him confront his own deeds. A fascinating story revealing the depths of strong individualism and orderly being. Looking up to the sky may heal a soul but may also break a neck.
KRYSAŘ: Klára Cibulková
AGNES: Réka Derzsi
SEPPJÖRGEN: Jacob Erftemeijer
TALL KRISTIÁN: Marek Pospíchal
AGNES'S MOTHER: Anna Stropnická (originally Martina Krátká)
KONRÁD RÖGER: Miroslav Hruška
LÍZA: Bohdana Pavlíková
KÄTCHEN: Martina Krátká
LORA: Eva Josefíková/Marie Štípková
FROSCH: Petr Buchta
STRUMM: David Punčochář
BEGGER: Luboš Veselý
ADAPTATION: Martina Kinská
DIRECTOR: Dodo Gombár
DRAMATURGY: Martina Kinská
STAGE DESIGN AND COSTUMES: Eva Jiřikovská
MUSIC: Gabriela Vermelho
PRODUCTION: Jitka Dvořáková
ASSISTANT TO DIRECTOR: Jacob Erftemeijer
STAGE MANAGER: Blanka Popková
The Ratcatcher (Krysař)
Švandovo Theatre Ensemble |
Show Length: | 2 hrs 35 min including intermission |
Director: | Dodo Gombár |
Premiere Date: | 5. 11. 2016 |
Derniere Date: | 21. 9. 2020 |
We are preparing the program.


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In Beyond: Two Souls, you'll do some things you rarely get to do in video games. You'll control a young, frightened girl as she hugs a stuffed animal and tries to fend off nightmares. You'll decide whether to accept beer at an awkward high-school party, and you'll try to pick music that'll impress a group of older, cooler kids. You'll clean up your apartment before a date and decide whether to go in for a kiss when the moment seems right.
Then you'll spend an hour in the shadows, punching out guards on a quest to assassinate a Somali warlord. If you're like me, however, you'll find yourself wishing you were back at the awkward high-school party.
Mainstream video games so rarely explore the mundane. More concerned with the exceptional and the exciting — unlikely adventures, brutal wars, daring escapes — they ignore the commonplace experiences that make up the bulk of their players' lives. And yet placed against a backdrop of blockbuster histrionics, those smaller moments can feel fresh and even oddly exciting. Beyond: Two Souls succeeds, and fails, while vacillating between those two extremes.
Beyond, which comes out today for the PlayStation 3, is best described as a "cinematic adventure game." It tells the story of Jodie Holmes, a young woman with an extraordinary gift, played by Juno and Hard Candy actress Ellen Page. Jodie possesses psychic abilities, which most directly manifest themselves through her tie to Aiden (pronounced EYE-den), a mysterious, invisible spirit connected to her by a mystical tether. Aiden has been with Jodie for as long as she can remember; he's an unknowable and occasionally dangerous presence who follows her around and, with a few exceptions, does her bidding.
Beyond: Two Souls contains multitudes. As an experiment in minimally interactive storytelling, it's unsuccessful at least as often as it is successful. It's a game that a certain subset of open-minded, laid-back individuals will likely enjoy, but one that will almost certainly provoke passionate disdain from an equal number of players. I recommend it, but I don't recommend it for everyone.
It's rare that I've been so conflicted on giving a game a recommendation, or felt so specifically about who might enjoy a game and who might not. So, allow me to break down my recommendation:
You'll probably like Beyond: Two Souls if:
- You're looking for something different, and don't mind some clumsiness.
- You want a low-stress game to share with a friend or significant other.
- You're down with the idea of playing as a teenage girl.
- You don't mind a game that's basically a movie.
- You love Ellen Page.
- You can deal with a little (or a lot) of cheese.
You'll probably dislike Beyond: Two Souls if:
- You wish Heavy Rain had been more experimental, not less.
- You want a game that's challenging and makes you use your head.
- You're freaked out by the idea of playing as a teenage girl.
- You hate quicktime events.
- You don't like Ellen Page.
- You are Ellen Page, and get weirded out by looking at your own virtual doppelgänger.
The story leaps forward, backward and forward again across a 15-year span of Jodie's life, from her early experiences as a 9-year-old to her adventures as a young woman of 24. One moment, you may be playing as 20-something Jodie, hiding out from the cops in a parched desert; the next, you'll see her as a scared little girl living in a government research facility. Sometimes, a mysterious experience in the future will later be explained by a flashback to Jodie's childhood, and vice-versa. It's all very ambitious.
Beyond is, more or less, a SYFY original miniseries that occasionally asks for input from the viewer.
Beyond is the brainchild of French writer/director David Cage, a man known for past experimental games such as Omikron: The Nomad Soul, Indigo Prophecy and most recently, Heavy Rain. These days Cage is perhaps just as notorious for his well-documented, frustrated admiration of Hollywood and his belief that video games need to "grow up."
Cage's Hollywood-envy is in full effect in Beyond — this game is, more or less, a SYFY original miniseries that occasionally asks for input from the viewer. It removes player agency to such a degree that its success or failure rides entirely on its story, which, while by no means terrible, isn't as strong as I'd hoped. The irony of Beyond is that while it often treats Jodie's adolescence with grace and emotional nuance, as a game it can feel somewhat adolescent itself, trapped between the childish histrionics of the Call of Dutys of the world and the more refined work of the best video-game storytellers.
In addition to Aiden — who has no voice and communicates with Jodie through strange ghostly murmurs — the one constant in Jodie's life is a government researcher named Nathan Dawkens. Dawkens, gamely played by Sgt. Elias himself, Willem Dafoe, has been studying and caring for Jodie for most of her life. Their relationship forms a crucial, if ultimately unsatisfying, corner of Beyond's narrative structure.
Page and Dafoe are given top billing on the front of the game's cover, making the Beyond case look more like something you'd pick up at the local video store than at Gamestop. Both actors give strong performances, with Page going the furthest to elevate some occasionally lovely but just as often hackneyed material.
While I can't blame Jodie for being bummed out — her life hasn't exactly been all pony rides and slumber parties — it would've been nice if a bit more of Page's natural charm could have shown through. This is in part the fault of the motion-capture technology Cage so ardently believes is the future of video game thespianism, but which unfortunately still hasn't quite made it across the uncanny valley. Characters, Jodie included, often speak as though they're performing ventriloquism, their lower lips moving while the rest of their faces remain frozen.
Beyond offers players occasional dialogue options, which work similarly to Cage's past games. You won't choose Jodie's exact conversation responses, but rather select from a list: Lie/Evade/Truth, Angry/Reasonable/Threatening, that sort of thing. The game's flashback-centric storytelling can make the conversations a bit confusing — I often felt, particularly in the early goings, as though I didn't know what Jodie would do in a given situation. How could I? We'd only just met, and yet the scene was taking place at her story's chronological midpoint.
The game has clearly been designed to be accessible to players who don't normally play games, significantly streamlining the already streamlined types of input Cage implemented in Heavy Rain. Only a couple of buttons on each controller are required to play, and you can even opt to control the game via a smartphone touchscreen.
Every in-game action requires a minimum of input from the player. You'll walk around in a room with the left thumbstick and flick the right thumbstick in the direction of any of a couple objects marked with a white dot. You almost never have to tell Jodie how to use the object — she'll figure that out on her own. Maybe she'll play a guitar, or read a document, or open a door; for the vast majority of the actions in the game, you'll simply flick the stick and be done with it.
Over the course of the story, Jodie also becomes quite an arse-kicker. (One of the great, goofy joys of Beyond is watching pint-sized Ellen Page open up can after can of whoop-arse on guys twice her size.) When Jodie gets into a fight, time will slow down every time she's about to land or dodge a blow; at that moment, you'll have to flick the thumbstick in the direction she's heading. If you miss your cue, she'll whiff a punch or take a hit, but it won't have too much of an effect on the battle's outcome.
Compared to Jodie, Aiden has a more full range of motion — the benefits of being a non-corporeal entity, I suppose. With a press of the PS3's triangle button, players can hop from Jodie into Aiden's mind and start flying around through walls, exploring ahead, and pushing things around.
Despite the fact that it gives players mostly unfettered access to an intangible being who can fly around its levels, Beyond still manages to feel stifling and claustrophobic. That's in part because the game and its attendant lore lack consistent rules. Sometimes Aiden can stray hundreds of yards from Jodie, other times — basically, when the story requires it — he's limited to travelling mere feet. Most enemies are immune to Aiden's powers but some can be possessed, and others can be killed outright. Most of the time players can take control of Aiden, but sometimes they can't. There's no rhyme or reason to any of it; it's entirely dictated by the requirements of the script. Those inconsistencies feel contrived and remove any lingering sense of agency that the player might have felt. By giving players the illusion of control and then inconsistently allowing them to use it, Beyond winds up feeling hemmed-in and strangely condescending.
To get a better sense of what it's like in action, watch a (not particularly spoilery) sequence from the middle of the game here:
Beyond's lowest point is a prolonged stealth sequence set in Somalia in which Jodie, working for the CIA, is tasked with assassinating a Somali warlord. The writing is flat, the action is unexciting, and it's all typically mired in cliché. On top of all that, it's just so strangely designed. As soon as Jodie comes upon a new group of enemy soldiers, she's given an obvious, scripted way to sneak around them. What is a stealth game if there are no rules and you can't fail? This, apparently. It's like if someone who'd never actually played Metal Gear Solid 4 had a dream about playing Metal Gear Solid 4.
It's like if someone who'd never actually played Metal Gear Solid 4 had a dream about playing Metal Gear Solid 4.
Death, or any other type of failure, is entirely impossible. Leave Jodie hanging in a desperate moment and she'll either save herself or the game will simply linger, eternally waiting for you to rescue her. In Heavy Rain, it was possible to accidentally let a main character die — the story would carry on, but the ending would be significantly different. Jodie can't die in Beyond, and none of the choices you make over the course of the story have a discernible effect on the ending. The upside to this is that you'll never feel too invested in a given choice — you can just make it and move on, content in the knowledge that the game's going to play out the same no matter what.
Perhaps due in part to its piecemeal storytelling, the game often finds unexpected grace in small moments. After the sacrifices are made, the babies are rescued and the tears are shed, you'll find yourself going through intimate, mundane moments in Jodie's life that really do feel interesting and affecting. My favourite of these involved getting ready for an unexpected date: A young man Jodie's interested in will be by in one hour. Her apartment's a mess. Can you tidy up, cook some dinner, and take a shower, all before he arrives? And what about Aiden, who seems grumpy and jealous of this new potential suitor?
And what should Jodie wear?
As strangely fun as it is to hurry around getting ready, even more enjoyable is how the scene plays out after Jodie's date arrives. The two characters make conversation with a believable awkwardness, their rapport loaded with the abrupt conversational shifts and hesitant questions that anyone who's ever been on an exciting first date knows all too well. The cast is never more comfortable than when they're playing casual, and the whole thing feels so welcomely different. David Cage says that video games need to grow up, to put aside the explosions, violence, and ridiculous action-movie scenarios, and in scenes like this one, he delivers.
So it's all the more frustrating that he's larded up so much of the rest of his game with explosions, violence, and ridiculous action-movie scenarios. Looked at in total, Beyond's story is generally pretty fun, but it's often so unabashedly hacky that it's hard to take it seriously. Worse than all that, though, is that it never actually manages to be about anything. For all its inspired moments, I can't name a single unifying idea. Ghosts are scary, I guess?
The game often finds unexpected grace in small moments.
The script is a hodgepodge of The Sixth Sense, Ghost, some sort of off-brand X-Men movie and, of all things, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Cage rarely turns down the chance at a good cliché — at one point, a character punches his commanding officer and says, "Consider that my resignation!"
Other choice lines of dialogue include: A bad guy, terrorised by Aiden: "It's like some spirit, come to punish us for our sins!" Willem Dafoe, with a straight face: "The infraworld will spread through our dimension!" Jodie, taking gracious leave of her co-workers: "I'm gonna go out. I'm desperate for a pee." The Coen brothers, this ain't.
Beyond: Two Souls is at its best when it's telling a coming-of-age story about a strange young woman with an extraordinary gift. So many fascinating games, from Cart Life to Persona to Papers, Please, have embraced the mundanity of everyday life and in so doing, taken us to fascinating new places. That Beyond, like Heavy Rain before it, so often applies its no-doubt generous budget to genuine creative risks makes its too-frequent forays into clichéd action-movie chest-thumping all the more dispiriting.
And yet here I am, giving the game a recommendation anyway. When taken on its own merits as a strange sort of movie/game hybrid, Beyond: Two Souls can be a pretty good time. And the game shines in co-op — one player controls Jodie, and the other Aiden, which gives both players opportunities to mess around in the world, make important decisions, and share the story with one another. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a few nights with your significant other or spouse, you could do a lot worse.
Beyond: Two Souls is seemingly built of contradictions. It's as goofy as it thinks it is profound, but remains enjoyable all the same. It has many small, wonderful things to say about its unusual main character, but next to nothing to tell us about life or death. It does some really cool things on a personal scale, but falls short every time it tries to widen its focus.
This flawed, interesting game's greatest paradox may well be that it can succeed at things few big-budget video games have attempted, while failing so consistently at things less ambitious games accomplish regularly. If David Cage would simply put aside his fascination with the spangly charms of Hollywood and embrace the smaller, more intimate possibilities of interactive fiction, he might finally seize the masterpiece he's been chasing all these years. Until then, we have Beyond: Two Souls: Quiet, compassionate and smart, when it isn't busy being loud, brash and dumb.


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Well, while I was going through my shelves yesterday, looking for a fantasy I might read for the Once Upon a Time V Challenge (more to come about that), I happened upon a copy of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. I read the book a couple of years ago, so I won't be reading it for the challenge; but I thought it might provide some nice teaser lines - and I was right. This snippet comes from p.93 of the paperback edition, and has Coraline trying to bargain with the "other mother" she meets when she enters the "other" house hidden inside the house she shared with her real parents (who have gone mysteriously missing). I apologize for including more than two lines, but it was hard to know what to cut:
"I swear it," said the other mother. "I swear it on my own mother's grave."This is one I really enjoyed. It's creepy and funny, and all-in-all a great read. Short, too - which is something I always appreciate!
"Does she have a grave?" asked Coraline.
"Oh yes," said the other mother. "I put her in there myself. And when I found her trying to crawl out, I put her back."
Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.
And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in your comment here.