text:
The ART has created two Parliamentary Integrity Awards for federal parliamentarians. They honour two former members of the federal Parliament, John Button and Alan Missen, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the values, purposes and duties for which power was entrusted to them as members of the Australian Parliament.
They were first awarded in 2010, to Senator John Faulkner and backbencher Petro Georgiou. The 2013 recipients were Mark Dreyfus (the Button award) and Melissa Parke and Judi Moylan, who shared the Missen award. In 2017 the Alan Missen Award was made to Rachel Siewart, Kelvin Thomson and Andrew Wilkie.
To quote former Chief Justice Sir Anthony Mason, when presenting the inaugural awards in 2010, "The object of the awards is to offer public recognition and support to those members of parliament whose service to the public bears the hallmark of integrity. It is hoped the awards will focus attention on the vital importance of integrity and accountability in public life, encourage public understanding and discussion of government accountability issues, and in this way counter the growing cynicism about our parliamentary democracy."
The community is presented with an incomplete picture of our politicians and our parliamentary systems, in particular, the picture rarely includes those politicians who conduct themselves with integrity, respecting the need for honest, open and accountable government. In addition, there is no public recognition of their integrity and no system to reward or encourage such integrity. The "Parliamentary Integrity Awards" are intended to fill that gap.
In this context, integrity is assessed
"… by reference to the values, purposes and duties for which … power is entrusted to, or held by, the institutions and individual officeholders concerned. When individuals and institutions act in a manner that is true to these values, purposes and duties, we say they have integrity. Truth and honesty are not synonyms for integrity, but provide fundamental elements… " .(National Integrity Systems Assessment Report, 2005 (p.9)
The Parliamentary Integrity Awards for the 44th Parliament: 13 SEPTEMBER 2017
INTRODUCTORY SPEECH AND COMMENDATIONS – The Hon Murray Gleeson AC
The Alan Missen Award – SENATOR RACHEL SIEWERT 2017
Senator Rachel Siewert has been a Greens Senator for Western Australia since July 2005. She was a committed, hardworking member of the 44th Commonwealth Parliament and, in particular, was a significant voice in the Parliament for vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians. She was the Australian Greens spokesperson on Family and Community Services, Ageing and Disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Agriculture and Marine Issues.
Supporting the principles and practice of transparent and accountable government
She strongly supported an open Parliament, accessible to all Australians and sees her role as a parliamentarian to enable people from the community and not-for-profit organisations to be able to access Parliament House and meet politicians to discuss important issues. She raised transparent and accountable government issues in debates in the Senate, notably in her strong support for a National Integrity Commission. During the debate on the Green's Bill she said:
"We (the Greens) believe that integrity, accountability and openness in politics are vital and critical to a healthy democracy".
She also pursued openness in government bodies – for example advocating for greater transparency and accountability of the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Contributing effectively and constructively to parliamentary debate, committee deliberations and policy development in a way that promotes and supports good parliamentary practice and the institution of parliament
In the 44th Parliament, she was a very active member on several Committees including – Senate Standing: Selection of Bills; Procedure; Scrutiny of Bills: Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs; Legislation (Deputy Chair); References (Chair); and Joint Standing: National Disability Insurance Scheme; Joint Select Committees: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and Northern Australia.
In the previous Parliament, her private member's bill, the Low Aromatic Fuel Bill 2012, was passed, one of the few private Senators' Bills to do so. During the 44th Parliament, it was used by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs to make the sale of regular unleaded petrol illegal on Palm Island and to ban the sale of regular unleaded fuel in communities in the Northern Territory and Western Australia struggling with petrol sniffing.
Pursuing a change in government policy or practice whether generally or in response to a constituency issue or injustice
During the 44th Parliament, she initiated and Chaired Senate inquiries into out-of- home care, the extent of income inequality in Australia, violence, abuse and neglect against people with disability in institutional and residential settings and the Commonwealth Indigenous Advancement Strategy tendering processes. The inquiries provided a platform for people to share their experiences, and for the Parliament to be better able to respond to such issues.
Protecting people's political and civil rights
Senator Siewert was particularly concerned about the political and civil rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and spoke out on issues that affect them. She raised in the Parliament, and the media, the Cashless Welfare Card, which disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She led the Greens' support for Australia's first peoples to be at the centre of the conversation on constitutional recognition, and sovereignty and treaties. She also opposed proposals to include investor-State dispute settlement provisions in Free Trade Agreements.
Senator Siewert demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the public interest in the performance of her role with honesty, civility, independence and political courage.
The Alan Missen Award – THE HON KELVIN THOMSON 2017
The Hon. Kelvin Thomson entered Federal Parliament as the Member for Wills in 1996. He was re-elected six times, retiring at the 2016 election. He had earlier served in the Victorian Parliament for nearly eight years.
He worked to improve political standards of conduct throughout his long Parliamentary career and won the trust and respect of his constituents and colleagues across the political spectrum.
Supporting the principles and practice of transparent and accountable government
In the 44th Parliament he supported calls for a national Independent Commission Against Corruption, and for significant reform for campaign donations including a disclosure threshold of $1000, no indexation of the threshold, prohibition of foreign and anonymous donations, addressing donation splitting and faster and more regular disclosure of donations. He was a strong supporter of whistleblower protection, importantly co-signing a letter to the relevant minister and caucus to ensure that protection legislation proceeded near the end of the 43 Parliament.
Contributing effectively and constructively to parliamentary debate, committee deliberations and/or policy development in a way that promotes and/or supports good parliamentary practice and the institution of parliament
He was an effective and constructive contributor to parliamentary debate, committee deliberations and policy development supporting good parliamentary practice and the institution of Parliament.
He continued his commitment to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, of which he had been the longest-serving chairman, seeking change in the treaty-making process which would enable Parliamentarians to see more of treaties during the negotiation process, rather than being presented with a fait accompli at the end of it. This included working to build cross-party agreement on difficult issues like uranium sales to Russia and extradition and prisoner exchange treaties.
Pursuing a change in government policy or practice whether generally or in response to a constituency issue or injustice
He was also a strong advocate for a transition away from live animal exports, stronger environment protection, action on climate change including an increase in the renewable energy target, a national debate about Australia's migration program, and action on multi-national tax evasion, and tax havens.
Protecting peoples' political and civil rights
He was a strong supporter of individual citizens' rights to have a say in their own destiny, campaigning against the inclusion of Investor-State Dispute Settlement clauses in free trade agreements which he believed were fundamentally undemocratic. This led him to oppose both the China and Korea Free Trade Agreements which contained such clauses, a position which was not a policy position of the Parliamentary Labor Party.
Throughout, he demonstrated a high commitment to the public interest in the performance of his role and with honesty, civility, independence and political courage.
The Alan Missen Award – ANDREW WILKIE MP 2017
Andrew Wilkie, who entered Federal Parliament in 2010, it been a strong, articulate and fearless advocate for issues of transparency and good governance.
Supporting the principles and practice of transparent and accountable government
In the 43rd Parliament he played a major role in securing whistle-blower protection for people in the public service and government agencies.
In the 44th Parliament he questioned the Government on the increasing secrecy of security activity flowing from the grant of unreviewable powers of the executive, inadequate safeguards for, and limits on, people's rights, and the protection of sources of Members of Parliament and the media.
He sought the reform of war powers, challenged the sending of troops to Iraq in June 2014 and sought a debate on the issue and later an inquiry into the Iraq war.
Contributing effectively and constructively to parliamentary debate, committee deliberations and/or policy development in a way that promotes and/or support good parliamentary practice and the institutions of Parliament
He engaged in questions, parliamentary debate and speeches including challenging specific appropriations that made things worse for the poorest and most disadvantaged, calling on the ALP, Greens and Independents to join him. He also introduced six private members' bills on topics ranging from the treatment of asylum seekers to problem gambling and migration, and with six others co-sponsored the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill of 2015, promoting marriage equality. He served on the Australia Fund Establishment Committee.
Pursuing a change in government policy or practice whether generally or in response to a constituency issue or injustice.
Areas he addressed included climate change, an end to the export of live animals, Defence Force retirement benefits (but not for serving Parliamentarians to avoid a conflict of interest); mental health; education and the impact of certain decisions on his home state, Tasmania. Other issues he raised were funding to assist the transportation of people and goods across Bass Strait; forestry research; proposed funding cuts in health and education and family support programs for the disadvantaged, funding of CSIRO, the University of Tasmania and the Arts; and the possible sell-off of the Hearing Services Programme. In gambling, he opposed government proposals that weakened previously set limits on poker machine use and gave support for addressing problem gambling.
Protecting peoples' political and civil rights
Andrew Wilkie opposed proposals denying people's rights of access to the legal system for environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. He also attempted to stop changes being made that would take away the rights of people seeking asylum to have access, if refused by government, to an independent review. Subsequently he introduced a Bill that would make major changes to the system, address Australia's breaches of the refugee conventions, and restore the right of access to the AAT for asylum seekers with adverse security assessments.
Throughout, he demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the public interest in the performance of his role and with honesty, civility, independence and political courage.
The Parliamentary Integrity Awards for the 43rd Parliament: December 2013
The Parliamentary Integrity Awards for the 43rd Parliament were awarded in Parliament House, Canberra on 11th of December 2013.
Selection Committee
The ART Selection Committee for Integrity Awards for the 43rd Parliament was comprised of;
Lyn Allison – former leader of the Democrats
The Hon. Jim Carlton – former federal Liberal Party Minister,
The Hon Dr. Ken Coghill – former ALP member of and Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Associate Professor, Business and Economics, Monash University,
Harry Evans – Former Clerk of the Senate,
Professor Charles Sampford – Director, The Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law
Dr David Solomon – Queensland Integrity Commissioner.
Chaired by the Chair of the ART, Hon Tim Smith QC – retired Victorian Supreme Court judge and Adjunct Professor, Business and Economics Monash University.
The Button Award was received by The Hon, Mark Dreyfus, QC, MP. Shadow Attorney-General, Shadow Minister for the Arts.
The Missen Award was received by The Hon, Judi Moylan, MP, and The Hon, Melissa Parke, MP.
The Award Citations list their attributes and actions that demonstrated their fulfillment of the Award criteria.
The Hon, Sir Gerard Brennan, AC, KBE, GBS presented the awards to the recipients. Sir Gerard's Award Presentation Speech covered matters of the separation of powers, the administration of the public interest and the fiduciary duty owed the public by its representatives in parliament.
Mark Dreyfus's acceptance speech
Judi Moylan's acceptance speech
Melissa Parke's acceptance speech
Related Articles
Asylum seekers: former chief justice condemns politicians' approach
Gerard Brennan prepares damning assessment of the 'whatever it takes' attitude to winning votes
Three MPs honoured with integrity awards
Melissa Parke and Judi Moylan win parliamentary integrity awards
Integrity awards to counter voter cynicism
The Parliamentary Integrity Awards for the 42rd Parliament: June 2010
The Inaugural Awards
The Parliamentary Integrity Awards for the 42rd Parliament were awarded in Parliament House, Canberra on 15th of June 2010
Selection Committee
The ART Selection Committee for Integrity Awards for the 42rd Parliament was comprised of;
Lyn Allison – former leader of the Democrats
The Hon. Jim Carlton – former federal Liberal Party Minister,
The Hon Dr. Ken Coghill – former ALP member of and Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Associate Professor, Business and Economics, Monash University,
Harry Evans – Former Clerk of the Senate,
Prof Emeritus David Yencken AO
Professor Charles Sampford – Director, The Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law
Dr David Solomon – Queensland Integrity Commissioner.
Chaired by the Chair of the ART, Hon Tim Smith QC – retired Victorian Supreme Court judge and Adjunct Professor, Business and Economics Monash University.
The Button Award was received by John Faulkner
The Missen Award was received by Petro Georgiou
The Hon Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE presented the awards to the recipients. Sir Anthony Mason's Award Presentation Speech covered the increasing disconnection between people and politics, and a view of politicians as "immured in their own world" a view enhanced by the perspective of the media on politicians and their behaviour. Political donations and political lobbying help to entrench political access for privileged elites. Methods of funding and lobbying politicians and the various controversial measures they implement ought to be open to public scrutiny. Ministerial responsibility for mistakes and oversights is on the decline as is the role of parliament as a watchdog. Moreover the complexity of executive government has grown to the point where it is only possible for selective oversight to take place. "The popular image of the political process would be enhanced if the ideals of openness and accountability were pursued, if relevant information was made available in timely fashion to the public and if our representatives gave us the bad news as well as the good news."
John Faulkner's acceptance speech.
Petro Georgiou's acceptance speech
Related Articles
Integrity Awards Speech – The Hon Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE
Integrity Awards Speech – John Faulkner's acceptance speech – John Button Award
Integrity Awards Speech – Petro Georgiou's acceptance speech – Alan Missen Award
Two MPs receive awards for integrity
Sydney Morning Herald June 15, 2010 – 9:14PM
The Age June 15, 2010
Bigpond News Wednesday, June 16, 2010 » 06:52am
Business Spectator 9:28 PM, 15 Jun 2010
Herald Sun June 16, 2010 4:10AM
Daily Telegraph June 16, 2010 4:10AM
Faulkner, Georgiou honoured for integrity
ABC News Online Posted Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:35am AEST
Integrity Awards Report – ABC Radio National "National Interest" 18 June 2010
Sorry Senator Carr, no award for you
No favourites in the pollie Oscars
The Launch of the Accountability Round Table 'Button – Missen' Parliamentary Integrity Awards by Tony Fitzgerald – 11th March 2010
The Accountability Round Table launched its 'Button – Missen' Parliamentary Integrity Awards on the 11th March 2010, at the Monash University Law Chambers.
The Launch Speech was made by Tony Fitzgerald, QC, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry into Official Corruption in Queensland and judge in the Supreme Courts of Queensland and New South Wales.
The speech covered matters of increased domination by sectional interests of Australia's public life and parliaments, and the public inertia about its effects on official misconduct and the pursuit of populism by governments. Tony Fitzgerald argued that legal and ethical constraints are necessary to prevent manipulation to advance personal and group interests which risk future dissipation of the social cohesion necessary for society to successfully function.
Button Missen Parliamentary Integrity Awards Launch Speech – Tony Fitzgerald QC
Related Articles
Media release from Senator Joe Ludwig, Cabinet Secretary, Special Minister of State, Senator for Queensland
Call for nominations for the Button and Missen integrity awards
ABC PM – Fitzgerald swan song: Australian democracy is bent
Stateline Friday, March 12, Accountability Awards, Tony Fitzgerald & Justin Madden


text: 'Kinky Boots': Theater Review 1:52 PM PST 11/14/2014 by Jordan Riefe FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Matthew Murphy Kinky Boots Production Still - H 2014 Despite its shortcomings, the overrated Tony winner is undeniable fun TWITTER Strutting on the Pantages stage through Nov. 30, an all-new national tour cast takes on Harvey Fierstein's haphazard book and Cyndi Lauper's uplifting songs The factory town of Northampton, about 67 miles outside London, prides itself on hard work and traditional values. In this home to numerous shoemaking facilities, business went bust for many, prompting one company in 1993, W.J. Brooks, Ltd., maker of fine leather brogans, to get a brand new bag: the boot. But not just any boot, red boots. "Red is for sex!" purrs Lola, the stereotypical yet irresistible drag queen at the center of Kinky Boots, a musical version of real-life events at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. Lola represents a second chance for Charlie Price, who has taken over the family shoe business from his deceased father just in time to oversee its demise. Opportunity knocks when Charlie rescues (sort of) Lola from a group of thugs and learns she has a niche to fill: kinky boots, footwear for drag queens. In real life it was a random call that got the factory on the road to recovery with their new line, Divine Footwear for men, but hell, Kinky Boots sounds like a lot more fun, and that's what composer Cyndi Lauper just wants to have. Winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical and original score for Lauper in her Broadway debut, Kinky Boots in fact is loads of fun, but it's also a touch overrated. As in his work on La Cage aux Folles, Newsies and A Catered Affair, Harvey Fierstein bases his book on a movie, in this case the Brit film of the same name, which came out in 2005 but feels like a story from the '80s. That might be why Lauper, a pop star who emerged during that era, was a shrewd choice as composer. Fierstein's book offers the predictable tale of a pair of misfit partners who overcome great odds to win the day, a simple story that is hardly helped by its trite and obvious treatment of themes of tolerance and self-acceptance. Lauper delivers a mixed bag of tunes, excelling in her upbeat songs like "Sex is in the Heel," and the first act climax, "Everybody Say Yeah." These are precisely the kind of rousing numbers audiences adore, and when done right, as they are here, they are irrepressible. Read more 'Kinky Boots': Broadway Review As Charlie, Steven Booth (Glory Days, Avenue Q) struggles with a British accent, (as does most of the cast), at times slipping into an unfortunate Paul McCartney-like Liverpudlian brogue. He is a bit mushy at first but earns the audience's empathy in good time, playing a pale Yin to the Yang of Lola (Kyle Taylor Parker). Parker played one of the Angels (Lola's drag cohorts) on Broadway while understudying Lola. But the road show is his place to shine and shine he does, sort of. There's something hesitant about his performance, and if there's one thing drag queens are not known for its restraint. Parker nonetheless anchors the play ably enough, and though he never seems to own the role, he has a strong voice and nails his second act solo, "Hold Me in Your Heart." Lindsay Nicole Chambers, as Lauren, the factory gal with a crush on the boss, offers a level of charm perfectly matched with Lauper's lyrics in her solo, "The History of Wrong Guys." In a role that was expanded during Chicago tryouts, she is impossible not to root for as she overtakes Charlie's fiancé Nicola (Grace Stockdale) in the contest for his affection. Fierstein didn't originally conceive his adaptation as a musical, but it's a good thing he finally came around to the idea. The sincerity and yearning in Lauper's lyrics infuse the characters with emotional veracity, as in Charlie's duet with Lola, "Not My Father's Son," where they commiserate over misunderstandings with their fathers. Lauper's roster of pop tunes are underscored with a retro '80s synth bed, or in songs by Lola and her Angels, a funky '70s beat. Beginning the second act, an ensemble number between men and women on the factory floor, "What a Woman Wants," delightfully illuminates misperceptions between the sexes. But "Soul of a Man" has echoes of the Procul Harum classic, "Whiter Shade of Pale," based loosely on Bach's "Air on a G String" – a musical mind-bender that points out the limits of Lauper's originality. Read more ANALYSIS: 'Kinky Boots' Kicks Aside Tony Awards Competition Production designer David Rockwell presents a generous gift to director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell with a levitated platform at center stage that serves as Charlie's office above the factory floor. It allows Mitchell to move from intimate to ensemble scenes without having to lift much scenery, and he makes expert use of the space, which seldom seems cluttered, even when filled with factory workers and drag queens. In the end, when Charlie and Lola and the crew make their stand at the big show in Milan, well, you can guess what happens. But Kinky Boots isn't about keeping you guessing, it's about big goofy fun. That's the primary target the creative team has set for themselves and that's what they achieve. And unless you have a problem with fun, that's not such a bad thing. Cast: Kyle Taylor Parker, Steven Booth, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Joe Coots, Grace Stockdale, Craig Waletzko, Damien Brett, Stephen Carrasco, Lauren Nicole Chapman, Amelia Cormack, Troi Gaines, J. Harrison Ghee, Blair Goldberg, Darius Harper, Andrew Theo Johnson, Crystal Kellogg, Jeffrey Kishinevskiy, Jeff Kuhr, Ross Lekites, Patty Lohr, Mike Longo, Tommy Martinez, David McDonald, Nick McGough, Bonnie Milligan, Anthony Picarello, Horace V. Rogers, Ricky Schroeder, Anne Tolpegin, Juan Torres-Falcon, Hernando Umana, Sam Zeller Director-choreographer: Jerry Mitchell Book: Harvey Fierstein Music and lyrics: Cyndi Lauper Set designer: David Rockwell Costume designer: Gregg Barnes Lighting designer: Kenneth Posner Sound designer: John Shivers Music director: Adam Souza Presented by Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just For Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Yasuhiro Kawana, Jane Berger, Allen S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy & Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein & Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Miacheal DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom & Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp and Jujamcyn Theatres FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Jordan Riefe email@example.com @thr

subset: commoncrawl


text:
At English National Indoor Championships in Sheffield, Alisha Rees won gold in the 200m with that run of 23.79 in the final and that added to a bronze already achieved in the 60m final. Her time then was 7.45 but a 7.43 run in the semi-final will be a new U20 Record for 60m, subject to the usual ratification process.
Scottish Athletics
- Home
- News
- Training
- Gallery
- Club Info
- Events
- Membership Area
- Contact
- Privacy


text:
The tobacco industry hopes to turn around in the coming spring after poor crop last year owing to a drought-plagued season. The tobacco giants like Philip Morris International Inc. ( PM ) and Reynolds AmericanInc. ( RAI ) anticipate a higher price for their cigars on the back of a better yield by Burley farming, the key industry in Kentucky, powered by a favorable curing condition.
White Burley is a strain of tobacco that is known for its capacity to absorb sugar and flavoring. Burley was first grown in Ohio. However, at present it is predominantly a product of Kentucky and Tennessee. It revolutionized the smoking and chewing industry after the Civil War and had an equally strong impact on the cigarette industry during World War I.
The late planting season owing to steady rain last spring was followed by a dry summer that was a proper curing season for the burley plants. The post-harvest curing process changes long green burley tobacco leaves to a dark reddish brown tint desired by buyers.
Burley contract volume was significantly reduced in 2010 because of the softness in both domestic and international markets. Moreover, a prolonged drought last year combined with hot temperatures caused much of the burley crop to dry too fast in barns. That left much of the leaf with an undesired light tan color. Thus, market prices fell and the contracts with farmers were rejected by the tobacco biggies.
However, experts commented that the crops which are being readied for availability in the market coming spring are 64% good, 22% fair, 10% excellent and 4% poor or very poor. They are also of the opinion that these crops could be ranked the highest in quality in the past three or four years. These high quality crops ought to fetch a high reward for the industry.
Clouds loomed over the industry for a long time as governments in several countries imposed bans on marketing and packaging to bring down smoking levels in their respective countries.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a recent ruling has asked the tobacco giants of the United States to print the latest design including the graphic representations of a dead body, cancerous lungs and rotten teeth on their cigarette packets from 2012.
The Australian government has taken a stricter stance on tobacco giants, imposing higher taxes plus an order to expand the size of the existing graphic warning labels.
Five tobacco giants across the globe namely Reynolds American Inc., Lorillard Inc. ( LO ), Ligget Group, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco, and Commonwealth Brands have filed a case against the FDA for imposing labels that are more likely to cut the number of smokers rather than helping consumers make a free choice. Philip Morris launched a multibillion-dollar legal action against the Aussie government's ruling of plain packaging of cigarettes.
However, the tobacco industry also has many positive points to look forward to that will boost its growth in the near future. Though government regulations increasingly discourage smoking, the industry is heading toward a growth phase, with exports on the rise. Major export markets like China, which has less stringent anti-smoking regulations, will drive demand in the near future.
Moreover, fast growing population coupled with rising disposable income in the developing countries are expected to fuel the higher tobacco consumption in these regions. Plus, governments are unlikely to limit price increases in tobacco products.
However, Reynolds American and Lorillard hold Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating. Philip Morris holds a Zacks #2 Rank, which equates to a short-term Buy rating.
LORILLARD CO ( LO ): Free Stock Analysis Report
PHILIP MORRIS ( PM ): Free Stock Analysis Report
REYNOLDS AMER ( RAI ): Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


text:
This week, I began my journey to Golden Pond. I had seen the audition dates months ago, and in a rare case of wanting to do a show badly enough to make sure I remembered the dates, I put the audition dates on my calendar. Circumstances out of my control took me out of town on the weekend of the audition dates, so I told myself that I clearly was not meant to do the show, that I had never worked with this director, so he probably wouldn't cast me anyway, that my high school reunion conflicted with one of the show dates so I would just go to my reunion instead, that the 45 minute drive to the theatre was too much trouble.
Then I found out auditions had been postponed for a week.
I spent several days reciting all the reasons above and skipped the first night of auditions. On Monday, I posted on Facebook about my struggle and asked for advice: audition or high school reunion? The overwhelming response was "Audition!" So I did. Most of my friends are theatre folks, they totally get how doing a show can trump just about anything, and my high school and college friends know that I have always been a performer first, so they probably weren't too surprised!
Auditions are hard for me. I don't get stage fright on opening night, but at auditions I can barely breathe and I keep having to dash to the ladies' room. Auditions are scary because you're being judged, you may not have seen the script, you're sometimes partnered with folks who are not helping you be your best, and if it's an open audition, everybody there is watching.
But I did pretty well, I thought. I remembered my Shurtleff guideposts, thought through the relationship/objective/obstacle/tactic mantra, and tried to use the breath like my teacher said to. If I ever felt disconnected from the character, Chelsea, I just visualized my mom. That did the trick.
On Tuesday, I tried not to strain to hear the ring of my phone. It didn't ring the entire day at work, nor on the drive home. When it finally did ring, I missed the call! I called the stage manager back, and she asked if I could come for a call back.
Last night's call back was nerve wracking: me and one other lovely lady, both reading with the actress who had been cast as Ethel, the mother. My competition was pretty, tall and willowy with a sharp pixie cut and a cute dress. I recited my mantra while she did her reading, then went on stage.
Magic happens on stage. True magic. If you're an actor, you know that sensation. Suddenly, the story takes over. If it's a good script, the playwright's words dig deep and a well of emotion springs forth. Sometimes laughter, sometimes tears. If you're lucky enough to be on stage with actors who know how to connect with their scene partners, it's exhilarating. I was lucky.
Last night, after I got the call that I had been cast, I got a Facebook message from my stage father saying he was looking forward to the show. He and I used to work together teaching theatre, and it was a rough relationship. I am both excited and nervous about that- this play may be instrumental in closing that chapter.And I just got off the phone with my stage mommy, a local actress I have wanted to share the stage with for quite some time. She wanted to let me know how excited she is that we are going to be working together. It's always nice to work with folks who are giving.
I am looking forward to working on this script. My relationship with my own father was not fraught with the antagonism and misunderstandings that Norman and Chelsea face. But my mother's relationship with her own father was. She was ever the little girl, trying to be pretty and thin enough to please him, still chasing softballs to earn his praise until she just couldn't physically play any more. I think this play will help me get into my poor, damaged, addicted, deceased mom's head and heart just a little.
I bet I'll cry more than once. And I think I will learn something about myself. I think Ethel's words to embittered Chelsea will resonate deeply for me:
"Don't you think that everyone looks back on their childhood with a certain amount of bitterness and regret about something? It doesn't have to ruin your life."
Plays can heal. Relationships can be mended. Hearts can be opened. Family can be made. Right, fellow Thayers and Thespians? I love what actress Juliet Binoche says about the power of theatre to create connections:"Choosing to be in the theatre was a way to put my roots down somewhere with other people. It was a way to choose a new family."
What's coming? I don't know. Late rehearsals, exhaustion, sweat, tears, bright lights, these I know will happen. But there's a whole world of exploration, revelation, and love to come.


text:
Cressage War Memorial
Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 20:00 on 24 April 2019
Cressage is a village in Shropshire we passed through on our onward journey from Oswestry and Shrewsbury.
The War Memorial is a Celtic Cross and stands at a road junction in the village.
The base is inscribed, "To the glory of God and in honoured memory of the following men who died on active service in the Great War 1914 – 1918."
Reverse View. Inscribed, "1939 – 1945. In memory of A. Manning. F. Roberts."


text:
Adopting new-age disruptive technologies like social, mobile, analytics, cloud computing and internet of things is not only complex but a company-wide endeavor to reduce IT expenditures and enhance service quality to drive business efficiency. Espire's agile, secure and comprehensive approach to IT managed services based on ITIL best practices can bring down your costs significantly and maximize return on your investments in technology.
With over a decade's experience in managing agile infrastructure environments, supported by our association with leading technology providers, will help you sharpen your competitive edge. We manage complex IT environments across industry verticals and organizations, providing a cost effective, flexible and scalable framework to extensively support your IT requirements.
- Cloud Services: We provide end to end cloud management that includes cloud consulting, cloud implementation service, cloud integration and cloud support services. With our fully integrated help desk system for issue resolution that is in alignment with industry standard SLA's, we also support on premise migration to Office 365
- Database Services: Our 24*7 database management and support services involves managing all types of database including Oracle, SQL Server and mongo DB. We assist our clients in database monitoring, incident resolution, security patching, installation & upgrade, performance analysis and database back up & recovery
- Windows Server Management: In partnership with leading technology specialists like Windows, vmware and Microsoft, we help in server management of new and existing servers ensuring high performance of your windows server environment. This includes BAU support activities like new server deployment, incident resolution, security patching, server administration and disaster recovery planning and execution
- Linux Server Management: We offer Linux managed server support, capacity planning, installation, configuration, troubleshooting and maintenance for new and existing servers. Our 24*7 support of Linux operating systems includes openSUSE, redhat, solaris, hpUX and AIX
- Patch Management Services: Patch management solutions from Espire involves continuous monitoring of security issues arising from your operating systems and also assisting clients in developing their patch management process. We deploy best practices leveraging industry standard tools like Microsoft system centre configuration manager, WSUS and Altris
- Software Packaging and Distribution Services: Our service includes remote deployment of software and covers all activities starting right from the pre-pilot phase to performing pilot deployment and finally the full rollout of the software package
- Monitoring Services: Espire's 24*7 event based monitoring team conducts eyeball monitoring of customer servers based on tools provided by customer. The monitoring team ensures maintenance of CMDB of configuration items for infrastructure devises, alert to ticket ratio and threshold management for parameters like CPU, monitor and disk
- Batch Processing Management: We facilitate batch support using batch job schedulers, application console monitoring, SLA stream batch job monitoring and perform overall problem management on frequently occurring issues
- ITIL Process Management: Embed compliance into all processes with maintenance of all documentation for audit purposes. Espire's team of specialists work with the client to define workflow for incident management, change management and service request processes
Espire's Approach
Espire's Managed Services Framework
- Service Strategy
- Service Design
- Service Transition
- Service operation
- Service Improvement
Tools and Technologies
- Incident free, highly resilient, secure and future-proof application and infrastructure environment
- Reduced IT and support costs with limited downtime due to seamless system maintenance and upgrades
- Accelerate time to market with quick deployment and management of cloud infrastructure
- Espire's specialized resources providing 24x7x365 support on a global delivery model, with strict adherence to SLAs, ensuring uninterrupted continuity of services for clients
- Espire's fully integrated helpdesk system acts as a single point of contact for all technical support and requirements
- Espire's pool of specialized techno-functional consultants function as a seamless extension of your IT staff that can be ramped-up and scaled down as required
- Espire's Managed Services are based on ITIL framework and driven by service delivery excellence, with Espire being one of the few global companies which is ISO 20000-1:2011, ISO 22301:2012, ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 certified and CMMI Level 5 Ver 1.3 Appraised (DEV+SVC)
Case Study
Providing ERP Support to Ensure Smooth Running of Business Operations to an Engineering Conglomerate


text:
Heartbeat Drum bags are available in sizes for snares, toms, floor toms and bass drums. (Prices are in US dollars)
Heartbeat Drum Bags
$49.00 - $145.00
14" x 5.5" snare, 14" x 6.5 snare, 13" x 7" snare, 10" x 7" tom, 12" x 8" tom, 12" x 10" tom, 13" x 9" tom, 14" x 12" tom, 14" x 14" tom, 16" x 14" tom, 16" x 16" tom, 18" x 16" tom, 18" x 14" bass, 20" x 16" bass, 22" x 18" bass, 24" x 18" bass
Heartbeat Drum Bags are custom made to Heartbeat Percussion specifications. Features include: Carry handles, reinforced internal protection with black fleece-like material, rubber feet and heavy duty zippers.Shoulder strap, Back Pack straps or Retractable wheelie versions. Color: black with burgandy piping and white Heartbeat embroidered logo.
Note: While these bags are designed for Heartbeat Percussion drum kit sizes, they will also fit many other brands
- Outer Material: 1680D Codura
- Inside Material: High Pile Soft Fur
- Ergonomically designed and constructed with all stress points reinforced with metal rivets
- Bottom Rubber Protection
- Heavy Duty Industrial Expanded Polyethylene padding
- Metal Fittings
- Accentuated edges
Shipping within Canada and the United States is free for orders $200.00 and over. There is a flat charge of $25.00 for all orders under $200.00. Shipping costs for international orders will be provided upon receipt of your order but prior to payment being completed. Any import duties and taxes applicable are the responsibility of the purchaser.


text:
Manchester United's Paul Pogba is known as one of the most creative soccer players of the moment. Now, Paul Pogba has joined forces with adidas to show his creativity off the pitch with the launch of the adidas Soccer x Paul Pogba Collection, a bespoke range of soccer and fashion products.
Designed in Pogba's striking signature style, the adidas x Pogba Collection is inspired by fashion and hip-hop culture, and includes on and off the field footwear, clothing and accessories. The entire range features a newly designed 'PP' logo.
"I joined adidas because I believed that it would let me express my creativity on and off the pitch," Pogba said. "After wearing a number of one-off bespoke boots on the pitch, I wanted to take things to the next level."
The adidas ACE17+ Pure Control Boost highlights the collection in Pogba's signature Black and Gold. The boot comes with extra gold plating, a unique marble effect on the upper, 'Pogboom' etched on the webbing and trademark 'PP' logo on the webbing and tongue.
Look for the adidas Soccer x Paul Pogba Collection is now available exclusively at Colette Paris, while North America locations like KITH, RSVP Gallery, and Social Status will release both the footwear and apparel on January 17th.


text:
5 minutes with: Hitchin author Zoë Folbigg
PUBLISHED: 16:22 08 May 2018 | UPDATED: 16:22 08 May 2018
We caught up with Hertfordshire-based Zoë Folbigg, author of The Note, on (very) belatedly acting on love at first sight
Your novel The Note is based on a true story – what happened?
In 2003, I was waiting for my usual train from Hitchin to King's Cross when I noticed a new commuter. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, and he looked like a good soul. Suddenly I felt that everything was right with the world - and I wanted to see him again the next day, even though I was too shy to speak to him.
You really were shy – it took you a year to speak to him. What changed?
A friend had recently lost her mum to cancer and got a bit fed up with me talking about 'train man' and not doing anything about it. One evening over dinner she said 'What's the worst that can happen?' I decided to be brave and on my birthday wrote him a note saying everyone should do one daring, fun thing on their birthday, and this was mine. I said I thought he looked lovely, and if he would like to go for a drink, here was my email address.
What was his reply?
I was gutted to get an email from him later that day saying 'thanks but unfortunately I have a girlfriend'. He said thank you and happy birthday, and that it was a brave thing to do.
That wasn't the end of the story though?
He and his girlfriend split up a month after I gave him the note (for a totally unrelated reason!). Eight months after I'd given him the note he emailed me asking if I'd still like to go for that drink. He'd been slowly plucking up the courage to reply, unknown to me.
You did another brave thing by writing about your experience
Lots of people said our story sounded like a novel, so I thought I'd try writing one and fictionalise it. It's a story of sliding doors, missed opportunities and finding happiness where you least expect it. I wanted the message of 'what's the worst that can happen?' to inspire other people.
The story of The Note has travelled far and wide. I was invited on This Morning and newspapers from The New York Post to Bild in Germany have featured it. I receive emails from strangers and messages on Instagram from people who say they loved it. I couldn't have dreamed of this four years ago when I gave up my job, taking a risk to try to get The Note published.
What would you say to others too scared to speak to their own 'train man' or woman?
Life is too short. As long as you're being courteous and respectful, you have nothing to lose by being brave and stepping out of your comfort zone. Thirteen years later Mark and I are married with two sons.
The Note is published by Aria, priced £7.99


text:
The Environmental Protection Agency is still blocking its inspector general from investigating wrongdoing at the agency, according to the government watchdog's semi-annual report to Congress.
More than a year after coming under scrutiny for stonewalling an investigation into a senior official accused of sexually harassing over a dozen women, the EPA is still not being cooperative with the inspector general.
"In the previous Semiannual Report to Congress, we reported theoretical progress with regard to the longstanding denial of access for the [Office of Inspector General] OIG by the EPA's Office of Homeland Security (OHS) to information sought by the OIG," the report said. "After considerable delay, OHS provided some documents to the OIG but continued to deny access to others."
The dispute stems from an investigation into a senior official who was accused of harassing 16 women over a decade. The inspector general had found that other senior EPA officials "likely knew about the sexual harassment, but did nothing for six months."
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


text:
The folks at the UK brand Geckota design and sell watches, straps, and accessories through WatchGecko.com. I have long been a fan of their straps but never sampled one of their watches. With the announcement of the Geckota C-1 Racing Chronograph, it was time to give them a try. They sent me a prototype model V03 for this review. Overall quality is what I would expect from a finished product. The only planned changes are black fill on the crown signature and stronger lume.
The C-1 takes its cues from vintage racing chronographs, but goes its own way, most notably in case design, which is cushion shaped with hard corners, bowed edges, and flat sides. It has slim, straight, drilled lugs and measures 42mm wide, 45mm long and 12mm thick. Square watches tend to appear at least one size larger than round cases of the same width, but the Geckota avoids this fate by using a combination of finishes: radial brushing on top, vertical brushing on the sides, and polishing on the prominent bezel and around the beveled upper edge. The push buttons and crown are also polished. This variation breaks up the otherwise blocky shape, lending it a pleasingly tailored effect. I found it fit my 6.5" wrist quite comfortably, without looking at all oversized.
The case is fitted with a signed, dual gasket, screw down crown and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Water resistance is a healthy 100m. On the flip side, you will find a threaded case back engraved with the Geckota name and your watch's serial number. It would have been nice to see something more imaginative back there, but not essential.
Three colors are offered: black/charcoal, white/gray, and the brown/black pictured here. In life, the brown is a very dark, very warm gray that pairs nicely with the black registers and orange accents. It's an appealing combination. The overall effect reminds me of a gray dial Omega Speedster Mk II without being an outright copy. Squares of SuperLuminova are printed behind the polished and applied faceted markers, and the polished hands are also filled with lume. The glow was merely average, but Geckota promises stronger material on the finished product.
The only text on the dial is the brand name, printed in a distinctive script. Really, the only thing I would change is the black-on-white date disk. The window is nicely incorporated into the 6 o'clock position, displacing that marker, and its polished frame works well with the other accents, but a black disk would have made it seamless.
The only text on the dial is the brand name, printed in a distinctive script. Really, the only thing I would change is the black-on-white date disk. The window is nicely incorporated into the 6 o'clock position, displacing that marker, and its polished frame works well with the other accents, but a black disk would have made it seamless.
Given the selection of straps for sale at WatchGecko, I had high expectations for the C-1's strap, and I was not disappointed. The 22mm Vintage Racing strap is a classic, perforated rally style, cut from thick waxed leather that presents a pull-up effect when bent, creating lovely variations in its red-brown color. It has a wide, floating keeper and ivory stitching at the corners. The buckle is polished, but unsigned.
Like many of its automobile-inspired rivals, the C-1 uses a Seiko VK64 MecaQuartz movement. This popular hybrid marries a quartz timekeeper with a mechanical chronograph module for a 1/5th-second sweep and crisp reset snap-back. It also helps keep the price down. The C-1 is now available for pre-order for £299 (about $368 USD) including two extra straps in addition to the one that comes on the watch. This is in line with the advance pricing for the VK64 Straton Synchro ($330 with one extra leather/mesh strap and two NATOs), but frankly, it is also uncomfortably close to the $375 Marloe Lomond Chronograph with its arguably more desirable ST19 mechanical movement and ceramic bezel. Nonetheless, the Geckota C-1 has an appealing retro look and a competitive price. For more information or to place your order, head over to WatchGecko.com. ⬩


text:
How much stuff do you have? Sure, you have a lot of things, but what exactly do you have? Nobody likes to think about it, but there are times when that precise list may become vital.
If your home were to be burglarized, or if a fire or some natural disaster should befall you, your insurance company is going to want a complete list of what was lost, including names, numbers, purchase dates, values, and more. That's a lot more than "some computers and other stuff."
Of course, the time to take a detailed inventory is before you need to use it. A software tool like KnowYourStuff may be a good way to make sure you're prepared for this unfortunate eventuality. This easy-to-use tool makes taking and recording inventory information much less onerous. The setup wizard makes it easy to start, prompting your for the names of the rooms in your house. Working room-by-room, you can go through the process of adding to your list. Once your inventory is complete, it's easy to add additional items over time when they acquired.
Once you're done, you can store your inventory electronically (hard drive, CD-ROM, remote location) or print it out and stick it in your safe deposit box. They also have an optional paid service where you can upload your list.
KnowYourStuff is a free download. It's available for both Windows (Win2k or later) and Mac (OS X 120.3 or later).


text:
The Domestic CEO has crossed the 100 episodes mark! What better way to celebrate than with her top tips on home decor, organization, cleaning, and entertaining? Click to learn these fun and easy ways to help you love your home.
This is the 100th episode of the Domestic CEO show!
I can't believe that I've logged 100 episodes already. Where did the time go?
If you check out the Domestic CEO archive, you will find 2 years' worth of episodes covering anything and everything about running your home - from cleaning to organizing, from entertaining to home decor. In celebration of this milestone, today's episode (#101) features my top tips from the Domestic CEO's most popular categories.
Here we go!.
Category #1: Cleaning Your Home
Let's admit it right off the bat: Cleaning is not fun. In fact, it can be quite a pain to tackle a big cleaning job, especially if it's something you've let go for a while. To make it a little bit more tolerable (and even enjoyable), try these tips:
Get the most adorable cleaning supplies possible! Seriously, if your cute, ruffled rubber gloves make you smile every time you look at them, this alone will be a little boost to the task.
See also: Spring Cleaning Tips
Keep all your cleaning products and tools in one brightly-colored caddy. For example, keep all your bathroom cleaning stuff in a cheerful yellow caddy with a handle. This makes it easy to grab and go and eliminates unnecessary running for a forgotten item.
When you start tackling the cleaning of one room, finish that room before moving on to the next. You know what I'm talking about. You run to answer the phone or help your husband find something in the kitchen and then bam! – suddenly you're cleaning the kitchen sink instead of the shower stall you started scrubbing 15 minutes ago. Stay focused!
See also: Bathroom Spring Cleaning Tips
Category #2: Household Chores
The word "chore" does not evoke feelings of fun and excitement (in most of us anyway). So we need to tweak that into something better. How? Here are a few of my favorite secrets:
When it comes to chores around the house, divvying up the jobs makes life a lot easier. Whether it's taking out the trash, picking up that messy pile of newspapers, or dusting off the bookshelves - when the load is shared it becomes lighter. Divide and conquer!
See also: How to Divide Household Chores
Chore charts aren't just for kids, you know. Adults also like checking off a job or crossing something off their to-do list. At my company, Moxie Girl Household Assistants, we like to keep a three-ring informational binder for each home we care for. We keep lists of tasks that need to be completed for each room. Even professional cleaners enjoy crossing jobs off the list!
Reward yourself (and your chore helpers) for a job well done. Everyone works better when there's an incentive at the end. Treat yourself to a favorite magazine, chocolate, or ice cream cone once you've accomplished your chores. Looking forward to that treat will keep the momentum going!
See also: How to Get Kids to Help Out With Chores


text:
The FASTAR® and DC FASTAR® offer non-contacting technology with an extremely fast response along with favorable stroke to body length ratios.
The FASTAR® is used with a FASTAR® signal processor, of which there are 4 different types, ranging from OEM circuit board types for installation into panels or equipment bays to packages ready to use units including one with digital display.
The DC FASTAR® is supplied with an integral signal processor and requires only +10 to +36 VDC to operate. The DC FASTAR® provides either 0-10 VDC or 4-20 mA output.


text:
Events for September 18, 2020 › Planetary Transits
Events Search and Views Navigation
Pluto Retrograde
When you take into consideration the shadow period of Pluto retrograde, in this case January 3 until now, then post-shadow running from October 4, 2020 until January 25, 2021, you can understand why the shadow period for Pluto retrograde never comes up in conversation. Pluto itself takes 248 years to travel through all 12 signs, […]Find out more »
Saturn Retrograde
This year, the limitations imposed by Saturn do seem to coincide with the pandemic. The past is up for review now, and whether Saturn chooses to teach you a lesson, or reward you, depends entirely on how you reacted in the past. Were there lessons to be learned, it is hopeful that when you reach […]Find out more »
Neptune Retrograde
Neptune, currently at home in Pisces, spends about 14 years in each sign, and retrogrades each year for approximately five months at a time. When it comes to illusion, Neptune is the master, but when retrograde, the truth of the illusion is revealed. The reality you discover may not always be pretty, but it will […]Find out more »
Mars in Aries
Mars only visits each sign every 2 years, and generally for only 6 weeks at a time, however, this time around it will be here until January 6, 2021, due to the fact that it retrogrades every other year. The retrograde will be from September 9 through November 13, with the shadow periods beginning and […]Find out more »
Saturn in Capricorn
Saturn continues its backward motion into home sign of Capricorn, stopping in to check to see if you learned the lesson it has been teaching you for the last few years. Do remember that lessons learned are rewarded by Saturn, and its effects are for the long term. Once Saturn leaves in December, it will […]Find out more »
Chiron Retrograde in Aries
While Chiron is only a comet, it does receive a great deal of attention, including during its retrograde period. Chiron is known as the Wounded Healer, and that healing can be emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical. That which needs healing within you will come to light during this retrograde, no longer being buried, but […]Find out more »
Uranus Retrograde in Taurus
It is a good idea to tie up any loose ends you may have been putting off, before this retrograde begins. The possibility of increased difficulty exists, as Uranus may exacerbate a situation to a whole new level. On a global level, you can expect there to be numerous out-of-the-blue shake-ups, including, but not limited […]Find out more »
Sun in Virgo
For the next four weeks, the Sun will transit Virgo, the sign of the perfectionist. This is a great time to clean out the closets, both literally and figuratively. Organization becomes a priority, and practicality in matters should be applied now. While everyone strives to do the right thing, doing things right is of the […]Find out more »
Mercury in Libra
In Libra, it is not the time to go things alone. Partnering will produce greater results, if you really want your message to be heard. Libra demands, not only balance and justice, but fairness and equality. There will be more attempts at conversation which serves to smooth things over, perhaps even reaching a compromise. It […]Find out more »
Venus in Leo
Leo energy is proud and confident, playful and radiating warmth. Under this transit, you will find people have a bit of a flair for the dramatic, and matters of the heart could be drama-filled as well. In both business and love matters, confidence is the best outfit. Rock it and own it. You will want […]Find out more »
Mars Retrograde in Aries
A Mars retrograde only occurs about every twenty-six months. This is not a period for beginning new things, with both drive and ambition lacking at this time. New ventures would likely sputter and stall, with no available ability to kickstart them. Overall energy itself, and sex drive even, can be affected. Aggressive types may actually […]Find out more »


text:
The PlayStation 3 entertainment console lets you listen to music through the Music section of its XrossMediaBar. When the console launched, it had two visualizers that translated the music into an on-screen image. Through firmware updates, however, Sony has added an additional visualizer to the console, bringing the total up to three. To add this third visualizer to your PS3 game console, you must update the console's firmware through the Settings section of the XMB.
Turn on the PS3 system and scroll over to the Settings section of the XrossMediaBar.
Highlight the "Network Settings" option and press the "X" button. Highlight the "Internet Connection" option and press the "X" button. Select the "Enabled" option.
Highlight the "Internet Connection Settings" option and press the "X" button. Select the "Yes" option when prompted, followed by the "Easy" option.
Select the "Wireless" option if you have a wireless network or the "Wired" option if you have a wired network connection.
Select the "Scan" option if you selected the Wireless option, and select your wireless network from the list of detected networks. Then enter your password in the space provided, if necessary, and press the "X" button to save the connection settings.
Connect your network's Ethernet cable to the PS3 if you selected the Wired option. Highlight the "System Update" option in the Settings section of the XMB and press the "X" button. Highlight the "Update via Internet" option and press the "X" button.
Select "OK" when prompted to download and install the latest update and the visualizers that come with it.
Photo Credits
- Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images News/Getty Images


text:
I have been making annotations while listening to ★ (Blackstar), David Bowie's latest, and possibly last, album (who knows about other material, unfinished songs, etc?), in light of his too-early death, aged 69, on 10/01/2016. He was one of my most beloved writers and performers. I fished, as I did forty years ago, for meaning or at least context in his lyrics. Additional clues may inhabit the videos accompanying the current songs. Neither the Blackstar or the Lazarus videos make for particularly comfortable viewing. In Lazarus, Bowie sings from a generic-looking hospital bed, blindfolded and frail; in Blackstar, the shaking, trembling dancers, or writhing figures strapped to timber crosses, evoke living scarecrows. The crucified trio are threatened by a sinister entity sporting what looks like an out-of-control dreadlock hairdo and brandishing some form of a sickle.
In both the Blackstar and Lazarus videos (which can be read as a piece: indeed you might describe Blackstar as a loose concept album), Bowie's character is seen blindfolded, with small black buttons for eyes. This connects to Newton, The Man Who Fell to Earth (the subject of Bowie's new stage-play, Lazarus); a powerful metaphor in the original Walter Tevis (1963) novel was the inadvertent blinding of Newton in a physical examination conducted by government agencies. The play, which I have not seen yet, opens at the last act, the denouement of the book.
In the last pages of the book, Thomas Jerome Newton, a space alien—played by Bowie in Nicholas Roeg's 1976 film version—now blind and addicted, has finally accepted defeat in his mission. He had travelled to Earth looking for water to alleviate the drought threatening his planet, Anthea, and with the intention of saving the Earth from Anthean-type environmental catastrophe, by promoting wiser political decision making and more advanced alien technology. Bryce, his cynical ex-manager, now discovers the alien as a barfly, living on myths and stories and the last of the fortune he made from alien 'inventions.' Newton has recorded an album though; called The Visitor, labelled "poems from outer space . . . we guarantee you won't know the language, but you'll wish you did! Seven out-of-this-world poems by a man we call the 'visitor'." It sounds even more impenetrable than a Bowie album! But the fallen alien confesses to Bryce that the recording is not of Anthean poems at all. It's a kind of letter home, to his wife and the wise people who trained him for his mission.
'I've hoped it might be played on FM radio sometime. You know only FM goes between planets. But as far as I know, it hasn't been played'.
'What does it say?'
'Oh, goodbye, go to hell. Things of that sort'.
For a moment (Bryce) wished he had brought Betty Jo with him. Betty Jo would be marvellous for restoring sanity, for making things understandable, even bearable. But then Betty Jo happened to believe that she was in love with T.J. Newton, and that might even be more awkward than this. He remained silent, not knowing what in the world to say.
'Well Nathan – I suppose you won't mind if I call you Nathan. Now that you've found me, what do you want of me?' He smiled beneath the glasses and ridiculous hat. His smile seemed as old as the moon…'.
FM radio waves, short of some form of entanglement technology, take time, a lot of time, to reach extraterrestrial planets. But while you can spot many anachronistic plot holes, the book was amazingly prescient considering it was written in the 1960's; despite books like Rachel Carsons Silent Spring (1962), 'ecology' was a term yet to enter the mainstream vocabulary.
It is interesting that, in common with The Visitor, there are seven songs on Blackstar.
'He who has no Eyes'
In the villa of Ormen, in the villa of Ormen
Stands a solitary candle, ah-ah, ah-ah
In the centre of it all … Your eyes
The reference to eyes here is more, it seems, than a memory of the eyes of a loved one. The buttons-for-eyes and the diamond-encrusted skull seen in both videos provide compelling oppositions. Buttons-diamonds might be a statement about value (The space traveller has accumulated material wealth, but has lost his crystal clear vision). Although he was the bearer of information and technology that could have benefited and maybe even saved the earth, Newton would never be understood, trusted or appreciated by Earthling authority. Newton (Bowie seems to suggest) is likely to be valued more in death than in life. Like all 'saviours', his power can then be turned to the will of followers or living interpreters. Even with his (un) earthly skeleton lost in space, Lazarus may rise again, but no one can predict the form he will assume (or the text of the 'Blackstar Bible' which crystallises his supposed doctrine). In the meantime, someone else will take his place, but again, no one will listen to the saviour/Blackstar until it is too late. This was my early reading, my original take on the song.
The dead astronaut in the Blackstar video wears a 'flame' logo on his visor, like a logo for a petroleum or gas company. A reference to the diminishing resources of the earth, the future exploitation of the moon and planets? Ormen is a town in Norway, and the word has various associations with the petroleum business. He also wears a smile sticker. I thought again of Newton, and his suggestions for the management of resources and warfare. (Bryce asked, 'doesn't mankind have a right to choose its own form of destruction?)
Passport and Shoes
'On the day of execution … only women kneel and smile'.
I found this line troubling. I had no idea what it meant. It was a horrible, ominous line. Who is being executed? Women? Strongly redolent, I thought, of the 'New Normal', and recent horrors, such as in Paris. Perhaps it was a comment on organised religion, guilt as currency, the treatment of women in various human societies? But why was there a mysterious woman trailing a leopard-like tail from under her skirt? Why was she carrying the spaceman's jewel-encrusted skull? The tail reminded me of Future Shock by Alvin Toffler which Father Tonra brought to our school and advised us to read in the early seventies. One of the beneficial mutations recommended by Toffler for space flight was a prehensile tail to better facilitate life in weightless conditions.
Then it occurred to me that 'the day of execution' could be judgement day, in the Ancient Egyptian/Gnostic/Kabbalistic sense. Perhaps the women knelt and smiled because they knew that the ritual they performed was cyclical, to be performed again and again, that there was a bigger picture.
Gerald Massey in 1909 wrote Ancient Egypt, the Light of the World. His work influenced and impacted on Alastair Crowley and others such as Dion Fortune, who wrote The Mystical Qabalah (1935). Massey reinterpreted ancient Egyptian and Judaic writings. He showed Horus and his father, Osiris, as facets of a dualistic deity. 'After his (sacrificial) death, a representative of the Osiris rises again triumphant as the maker of justice visible … As the divine avenger of the suffering Osiris (the human Horus), he arises in the person of the Red God, who is thus addressed: "O fearsome one, thou who art over the two earths, Red God who orderest the block of execution, to whom the double crown is given." Is this transition, the replacement of the old king by the new, the 'execution' to which Bowie refers?
The button blindfold intimates that stranded, decrepit and blinded, the alien Newton becomes An-Maati. 'On nights where there is no moon, we find Horus worshipped as 'he who on his brow has no eyes'. Horus—who as a child was a Sun God—assumes this form as the winter God of the Blind.
"Now the annual cycle in the Kamite (African/Egyptian) mythos was divided into nine months and three. The elder Horus was born about the time of the winter solstice, answering to the birth of Christ at Christmas. This is a form of the victim who was slain or blinded by Sut, the prince of darkness. Three months afterwards the risen Horus was revealed upon the Mount of Glory as the vanquisher of Sut. And after his reincarnation it was nine months before the next rebirth at Christmas. Thus the circle was completed both in time and space according to the facts in nature upon which the myth was founded". (Massey, 534).
The Gnostic view of the saviour was as a kind of Deified Man, dormant in every human soul, which (mystics following Massey contended) lay at the heart of Egyptian Book of the Dead, 'more properly called the Book of the Coming Forth by Day'. This is the territory being visited by Bowie in Blackstar.
Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried
I'm a Blackstar
How many times does an angel fall?
How many people lie instead of talking tall?
He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd
I'm a Blackstar, I'm not a gangster'
I can't answer why (I'm a Blackstar)
Just go with me (I'm not a filmstar)
I'm-a take you home (I'm a Blackstar)
Take your passport and shoes (I'm not a popstar)
And your sedatives, boo (I'm a Blackstar)
You're a flash in the pan (I'm not a Marvel star)
I'm the Great I Am (I'm a Blackstar)
Newton is one kind of fallen angel. He is not the first. As he is dragged offstage, off the sacred ground, he protests and asserts his credentials (in backing vocals, unseen; the one who deposes him is played by Bowie wearing no blindfold and full of mockery); the themes of time, of repetition, are overt. Integrity and being believed is another lyrical subtext. At 6.30 and 7.05 in the Blackstar video, the idea of a character 'eclipsed' is hinted at. The blinded old sun conjures up the passing on of the mantle, the turning of the great cycles. The shot of a headless skeleton drifting through space, overlooked by an eclipsed sun, suggests the discarded corpse of a dead king, a sort of Space Age bog body. Only the astronaut's decorated skull is retained by his cult, stored perhaps in his empty space suit. Brought out for special rituals, it still possesses special powers.
The Lady Wearing a Tail
My initial musings looked at various religious and commercial 'star' logos for meaning for Blackstar. I came across Bowie fans who were Muslims asking online if he was mocking their religion (the Arabic scales, the star as in the star and crescent, the scenery, broken towns). Some parts of the lyric, I thought, sounded like a messiah of capitalism, innocent but guilty, preparing to be sacrificed. 'Take your passport and shoes … your sedatives, boo', sounds like someone passing through customs. Being processed. Being fuelled. Going on a journey. I still think those comparisons and references are valid. Bowie appears to channel Death itself in places. But more likely he is talking about resurrection, about continuity, natural cyclicality and other themes from his meditation on the Kaballah. And I think he has been reading Massey.
So it is not Death alone, but Horus, in the guise of judge, being voiced here. And the lady with the tail? Reading Massey again provided a suggestion as to whence Bowie derived this symbolism. Egyptian kings were men with tails. King Djoser is sculpted wearing a thick animal tail. Often the tail of the king was a cow's tail. There is a hippo goddess, Taweret, who is equipped with a tail, too.
Bast is the Cat goddess, the lady of the East, who protected Ra, the sun god, from his enemies. She is a goddess, too, of music (she plays the sistrum) and of sensuality. She kills the evil snake. Bast was a goddess of childbirth, and she could be invoked to prevent illness. And her sacred eye could magically see in the dark.
'The tail or hind part is naturally a Mother-Totem', Massey wrote. 'The tail of the lioness is the Mother-Totem of Shu'. The lioness and cow tails worn by the Egyptian kings, were, according to him, two forms of Zootypes of the mythical mother, Neith the Milch-Cow, and Tefnut the Lioness.
'Various tribes in the upper Nile are the wearers of artificial tails made of hair straw or fibre of hemp in place of the earlier skin. In Egyptian symbolism the jackal represents the judge; and the tail of horse hair still survives with us as the queue of the judge's wig. The fox in Europe took the place of the jackal as the zootype of the lawyer, and this preserves the character of Anup the jackal, as the sign of council and of cunning or wiseness on the part of those who "wear fur" or the later silk'.
From Kether to Malkuth
The song Blackstar was, I believe, originally commissioned by director John Renck as theme music for The Last Panthers, a TV crime show about a jewel heist. Renck also directed Bowie's official video for the song. The song Lazarus was conceived as the 'title track' of the stageplay of the same name, now running off Broadway. The play was authored by Bowie in collaboration with Irish author Enda Walsh; Rolling Stone remarked that at its core, Lazarus is a two-hour meditation on grief and lost hope.
Although the songs have roots in diverse theatrical productions, they are thematically intertwined, as the videos suggest. Around the time of filming The Man Who Fell To Earth, Bowie worked with Paul Buckmaster on an original soundtrack. For reasons of his own, Roeg eventually chose to use different music, and some of Bowie's unused material seeped into one of his all-time great albums, Low. In between the filming of TMWFTE and Low in 1975, Bowie recorded the album Station to Station. The title track begins the album with the sound of a train; it is reported that one of the songs he offered Roeg for TMWFTE was called Wheels, a song that was never released. Paul Buckmaster described Wheels as having 'a gentle sort of melancholy mood to it'. He added that 'the title referred to the alien train from his character Newton's home world'. We can never be sure if Wheels was reborn as Station to Station or is some distant relative, but the album cover shows Bowie's Newton getting into his spaceship. The lyric of Station to Station 'From Kether to Malkuth' relates to 'stops' in the Kabbalah, on the mystical tree of life. On the inner folds of the album, Bowie, wearing a dark coloured jumpsuit with white diagonal stripes, sits on the floor, doing a drawing of the Kabbalah.
That jumpsuit (or a replica of it) would make another appearance forty one years later, in the official video for Lazarus, released only hours before Bowie's death. Bowie appears in two guises, a blindfolded version who writhes (and levitates) in a hospital bed, and a second who stands and sits; in one scene the out-of-bed Bowie writes furiously at his desk, he seems thrilled when he has a new idea. This character is surely Newton. He wears the same dark jumpsuit with white bars as in Steve Schapiro's Station to Station publicity photo from 1975.
Look up here, man, I'm in danger
I've got nothing left to lose
I'm so high, it makes my brain whirl
Dropped my cell phone down below
Ain't that just like me?
This is a possible context for the 'high' and 'low' ideas in the song, i.e. from the top to the bottom Sephiroths; from Kether to Malkuth. On a more mundane level, dropping a cellphone for a bed-ridden sightless patient, until they get assistance, could be equivalent to losing touch with home. Blind Newton sings…
Look up here, I'm in heaven, I've got scars that can't be seen,
I've got drama, can't be stolen, everybody knows me now
It is possible to see these lines, as many have done, as a description of Bowie's pride and defiance in the face of his 'scars that can't be seen'. But it could also be a song of a dying winter Sun. And of course they summarise Newton's condition; x-rays have burnt him in invisible ways (He can see x-rays and is blinded by them. Darkly ironic, considering Bowie's ailment; cancer is sometimes treated by radiation therapy). His secret alien identity has been revealed publicly. As the chords change, the apparently younger, sighted version confesses how he became derailed and distracted in his mission, living in New York 'like a king', and using up all his money. As the song comes to a close, sighted Bowie/Newton enters an ominously coffin-like closet. It feels like he is saying goodbye, and it makes almost unbearably bleak viewing. 'Behind that door' is a metaphor of death in Jaques Brel's My Death, a song Bowie performed many times. But it is possible to find notes of some kind of hope, too.
The Lazarus of the New Testament is resurrected; so, in different form, is Horus, like all the sacrificial priest-kings of the ancient world; the traveller in Judaic mysticism travels through different stages of spiritual development (often called 'doorways') along the tree of life. Bowie is playing Newton here, maybe two Newtons; the dying sun and the reborn version. Although the project is abandoned, and his rescue craft to his home planet will never fly, is he in some sense, re-entering his spacecraft, when (wearing the suit from Station to Station) he passes through the door?
What becomes of fallen angels, fallen heroes, usurped kings? Who protects them on their journey? I wondered if the female character who emerges from the closet at the start of the video and is seen under the bed in the Lazarus video might be sporting an (unseen) elegant tail? Is she the protector Bast, the Lady of the East? She makes gestures which I cannot decipher, so she may represent someone else. Does she have a hand in Bowie's bed-levitation trick? Is she Betty Jo, Newton's lover, who at one point carries the stricken alien in her arms. Or a mixture of both?
'When the Wind is still, I'll come flying through your door' – P. McCartney
Bluebird is another key idea in the song Lazarus.
This way or no way
You know I'll be free
Just like that bluebird
Now, ain't that just like me?
The Bluebird may refer to L'oiseau bleu, a children's play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlynck written in 1908. The bird, a symbol of happiness, is pursued by two young siblings who want to cage it. The play rails against the hoarding of happiness, advocating that we share it with the world. Its anti-materialistic and antireligious overtones made it popular in the Soviet Union, where it was produced as an animated film. It has continued to generate TV series, stage and film adaptations up to the present time, worldwide, but particularly in Japan. It was referenced by artists in the 60's and 70's, notably the Beatles (In the film Yellow Submarine and McCartney's song Bluebird) and by Charles Bukowski who wrote a poem called L'oiseau bleu in 1992.
There's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
But I'm too tough for him;
I say, stay in there, I'm not going to let anybody see you.
There's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
But I pour whiskey on him and inhale cigarette smoke
And the whores and bartenders and grocery clerks
never know he's in there.
There's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay down, do you want to mess me up?
You want to screw up the works?
You want to blow my book sales in Europe?
There's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out
But I'm too clever, I only let him out
At night sometimes, when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there, so don't be sad.
Then I put him back, but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him die
And we sleep together like that, with our secret pact
and it's nice enough to make a man weep
But I don't weep, do you?
This is the consolation contained in David Bowie's final message. Newton, corrupted and cruelly imprisoned, has been set free; perhaps Bowie speaks through him as an artist who has worked the constraints of the music industry, through—in his terms—varying degrees of compromise, while all the while harbouring a bluebird. Whether this is true or not, Blackstar is a collection of songs expressed with freedom, joy and without compromise. It blithely ignores any 'rules' regarding content, song length and structure. It bypasses the conventions of marketing and what makes for commercial success in the MTV/music biz world.
If I never see the English evergreens I'm running to
It's nothing to me; it's nothing to see …
I'm dying to push their backs against the grain
And fool them all, again and again.
I'm trying, too
Don't believe for just one second, I'm forgetting you
I'm trying to, I'm dying too…
(Dollar Days, from Blackstar, David Bowie 2016)
Yes, Bowie was describing directly the experience of his illness and mortality, while developing and extending the story of Newton. But it is worth remembering too that Blackstar is not just about Bowies demise, its about more than a final goodbye. After all, the theme of death (among many others) has been a central one in his work from the early days. Just like him, there are always a number of levels, much to win from re-reading and re-listening.