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When it comes to getting an item like a cushion that we are too utilized to going to the store and purchase, we have a tendency to be reluctant occasionally. Below are some of the points that you need to recognize before you buy mattress online.
Are you searching for mattress sales to give your bed a brand-new life? Well, the mattress market is everything about uncomplicated points stood for in quite buyleesa com reviews 2016complex manner. Nevertheless, it readies to recognize that mattress sales are obtaining more and a lot more constant. Some of the top suppliers offer routine bargains on regular and also restricted time items. These mattress sales are right for everyone. For vendors, these sales bring a lot of marketing and also some quick capital. Whereas in customer’s perspective – mattress sales include unparalleled financial savings and also purchasers looking for budget items also, sometimes locate it feasible to earn a far better and top quality purchase. Being a consumer and also specifically the one that is out on an extremely important objective of buying a bed mattress buyleesa com reviews 2016 – you ought to keep yourself stick to some principals. Constantly, assume prior to you click the “order” button as today’ s marketing strategies are type of catches. Following are a couple of, basic standards for people that are about to buy bedding products.
Hundreds of research’ s have actually currently ended that rest is extremely important to our physical as well as psychological health as well as health and wellbeing. Therefore, you have to be very cautious while buying anything from mattress sales. Relied on names usually don’t place their name and organisation at danger for generating even more by marketing poor or obsolete products.
Well, never ever acquire an unsuitable bed mattress just since it is being provided at a rate much lower compared to its regular cost. These kind of cushions matches those who like to rest on their sides. These cushions are known to be far better for sleepers that like to sleep on their back or belly.
Again, you have to deal extremely meticulously below as it is a matter of your sleep or sleep loss. Attempting something brand-new for a pair of days and particularly when items are used with totally free tests, is not a poor suggestion.
The memory foam cushion comes on the leading as they are the most popular ones. These mattresses provide a long life expectancy, they are offered at an affordable price, and also their longevity scores are way better than their counterparts. You could call it either innerspring bed mattress or springtime mattress straight.
Currently that you understand purchasing a mattress online will certainly not make you be sorry for at the end, let’s see the points you could do it make your decision as better as possible. There are mattresses which are better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. Know exactly just what you are going for, as well as after that begin searching for the mattress that would certainly match all your requirements.
As stated above also, among the most significant benefits of on the internet shopping is the access to hundreds of customer evaluations. If the individuals are confirmed, the possibilities are that they would talk about more the weak points of a product that its assets– this is natural for us people and also it excellent for you as a new customer to remove the products that do not match you. Check out at least 20 evaluations by previous customers before you make the decision. The more reviews you can review the better. There are rare chances that an item is a whole lot far better compared to just what it has actually been explained by the customers, but many of the moment if the reviews are reliable, it would give you a fantastic understanding into the experience of making use of the bed mattress that you can not receive from anywhere else.
When it comes to getting a product like a mattress that we are as well made use of to going to the store and acquire, we often tend to be reluctant occasionally. Here are some of the things that you require to recognize prior to you buy mattress online.
Are you looking for mattress sales to provide your bed a new life? It is excellent to understand that mattress sales are obtaining extra as well as extra frequent. Whereas in customer’s perspective – mattress sales come with unmatched savings and customers looking for budget plan items even, often discover it possible to make a much better and also quality purchase.
In our sight, it is not a good idea to finish up with a substandard purchase for conserving some dollars. Nevertheless, thousands of study’ s have actually already concluded that rest is essential to our physical as well as mental health and wellness and also well-being. Thus, you need to be extremely cautious while getting anything from mattress sales. Thankfully speaking, there is no rocket scientific research involved in any way. Maintain yourself stick with the trusted suppliers either online or on the traditional market, which’s all. Relied on names normally don’t place their name as well as service in jeopardy for producing more by marketing bad or out-of-date items.
Well, never purchase an improper cushion just due to the fact that it is being used at a price much lesser than its regular rate. These kind of mattresses fits those who like to sleep on their sides. These cushions are recognized to be far better for sleepers who like to sleep on their back or tummy.
Again, you need to deal very meticulously here as it is an issue of your rest or insomnia. We are not right here to discourage minor ones in business. Staying straightened with significant brand names can always be considered as a safe means to go. Heavyweights made all their popularity and also magnificence by spending massive efforts and also sources. Attempting something new for a couple of days and specifically when items are supplied with totally free trials, is not a negative concept.
The memory foam bed mattress comes on the leading as they are the most preferred ones. These bed mattress use a lengthy life-span, they are offered at an affordable rate, and their longevity scores are way better than their equivalents. You can call it either innerspring bed mattress or springtime mattress straight.
Since you know getting a bed mattress online will certainly not make you regret at the end, let’s see the important things you can do it make your choice as better as possible. To start with, it is exceptionally vital that you are plainly conscious of the kind of product you are trying to find. Everyone has their very own style of resting. There are mattresses which are better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. There are some which would treat someone with a stiff back much better. Know specifically what you are opting for, then begin surfing for the cushion that would match all your demands. Otherwise, you are likely to get distracted by all the alternatives you will see and wind up getting something that plainly does not match you, your requirements or your lifestyle.
As stated over also, among the most significant advantages of on-line shopping is the access to hundreds of individual evaluations. If the customers are confirmed, the opportunities are that they would review much more the weaknesses of a product that its good factors– this is natural for us human beings and it wonderful for you as a new purchaser to weed out the items that do not suit you. Review a minimum of 20 reviews by previous individuals before you make the last decision. The even more testimonials you can read the far better. There are unusual possibilities that an item is a whole lot far better compared to what it has been defined by the individuals, but many of the time if the testimonials are credible, it would certainly offer you an excellent insight right into the experience of utilizing the cushion that you could not receive from anywhere else.
When it comes to buying an item like a mattress that we are also used to going to the store and buy, we often tend to be reluctant in some cases. Below are some of the things that you require to recognize prior to you buy mattress online.
Are you searching for mattress sales to give your bed a new life? Well, the cushion industry is everything about simple points stood for in rather buyleesa com reviews 2016difficult way. It is great to know that mattress sales are getting a lot more and extra constant. Some of the top makers provide regular bargains on regular as well as limited time items. These mattress sales are ideal for everybody. For vendors, these sales bring a great deal of marketing as well as some quick capital. Whereas in consumer’s viewpoint – mattress sales have unequaled cost savings and also customers looking for spending plan products even, occasionally discover it possible to make a better and also high quality purchase. Being a consumer and specifically the one that is out on a really essential mission of purchasing a cushion buyleesa com reviews 2016 – you need to keep yourself stick with some principals. Constantly, think prior to you click the “order” button as today’ s marketing techniques are sort of traps. Complying with are a couple of, general guidelines for individuals that will purchase bedding products.
Hundreds of research study’ s have actually already wrapped up that rest is extremely essential to our physical and mental health and health and wellbeing. Thus, you have to be very careful while acquiring anything from mattress sales. Relied on names normally don’t put their name as well as business at danger for generating even more by marketing poor or out-of-date items.
Well, never acquire an improper cushion just since it is being offered at a cost much lower compared to its regular rate. These kind of bed mattress fits those that like to rest on their sides. These bed mattress are understood to be better for sleepers that like to rest on their back or stomach.
Once again, you have to deal extremely thoroughly here as it refers your sleep or sleeplessness. We are not right here to inhibit small ones in the organisation. Remaining lined up with significant brand names can always be taken into consideration as a risk-free means to go. Heavyweights made all their popularity as well as magnificence by spending substantial initiatives and resources. Trying something new for a couple of days and specifically when products are offered with totally free trials, is not a poor suggestion.
Well, by kind we could classify them right into three various teams. The memory foam cushion comes on the leading as they are the most popular ones. These mattresses offer a lengthy lifespan, they are readily available at an affordable cost, and their longevity ratings are way better than their equivalents. buyleesa com reviews 2016 The second kind of bed mattress we intend to point out here is called Latex Foam. They are also popular in offline and also on the internet markets. You could discover latex foam’s all-natural as well as artificial variations. In many cases, they come consisting of on a poly foam base whereas their core includes multiple latex layers to provide sleepers with even more comfort. Right here comes the 3rd as well as the last primary kind of mattresses. You could call it either innerspring bed mattress or springtime mattress directly. These were extremely typical in the USA and also Europe. The innerspring bed mattress come furnished with mechanical springtimes to offer the customer with sort of a lift. Today’s generation has started doing not like innerspring cushions. Most of us know, our practices are changing with the passage of time. Being components of an internet-based society, we now have new problems to deal with, and also our way of life is bringing adjustments in our sleep habits also.
Now that you know purchasing a cushion online will not make you be sorry for at the end, allow’s see the things you can do it make your decision as better as possible. There are mattresses which are better for back sleepers than side sleepers. Know precisely what you are going for, and after that begin browsing for the cushion that would certainly match all your demands.
As mentioned above as well, one of the biggest benefits of on the internet buying is the accessibility to hundreds of customer reviews. If the customers are confirmed, the possibilities are that they would go over more the weak points of an item that its assets– this is natural for us humans and it fantastic for you as a new buyer to weed out the products that do not match you. Read at the very least 20 testimonials by previous customers prior to you make the decision. The even more testimonials you could read the better. There are unusual chances that a product is a whole lot better compared to exactly what it has been defined by the users, yet a lot of the moment if the reviews are qualified, it would certainly give you a great understanding into the experience of utilizing the cushion that you could not receive from anywhere else.
Online Shopping is rather the rage nowadays. We acquire everything from food to electronic tools online buyleesa com reviews 2016. However, when it comes to buying an item like a cushion that we are too made use of to visit the store and also acquire, we have a tendency to be hesitant often. This can be rather warranted since a cushion is a fairly a significant buy as well as returning such a product can be an inconvenience if you happen to earn an error with your choice. Right here are a few of the important things that you have to understand prior to you buy mattress online.
Are you looking for mattress sales to give your bed a brand-new life? It is good to understand that mattress sales are getting more and extra constant. Whereas in consumer’s viewpoint – mattress sales come with unequaled savings and also customers looking for budget plan products even, often locate it possible to make a far better and also quality acquisition.
Hundreds of study’ s have currently ended that rest is really vital to our physical as well as emotional health and wellness and health and wellbeing. Hence, you have to be extremely careful while acquiring anything from mattress sales. Relied on names generally do not put their name and also business at risk for producing more by offering inadequate or out-of-date products.
Well, never ever acquire an improper cushion even if it is being provided at a cost much lesser compared to its routine price. Move in advance and leave this for others. As a private everybody gains from his or her experience. In situation if you are not still certain concerning just what is mosting likely to function better for you compared to you can constantly choose FREE buyleesa com reviews 2016consultation chances being offered below and also there. Those who already are dealing with rest disorders or are facing persistent pains need to constantly consult with their orthopedic or a professional as an easy modification in your sleep equipment or sleep practices in some cases can bring wonderful relief. As an instance consider soft bed mattress. These sort of mattresses fits those who want to sleep on their sides. Likewise, hundreds of vendors are making and also offering strong mattress on the market. These mattresses are recognized to be better for sleepers that like to rest on their back or belly.
Again, you have to deal very meticulously below as it is a matter of your rest or sleep loss. Attempting something brand-new for a couple of days and particularly when items are offered with free tests, is not a bad concept.
Well, by type we can categorize them into three different groups. The memory foam cushion begins the leading as they are the most popular ones. These bed mattress use a lengthy life expectancy, they are offered at a competitive cost, and their sturdiness ratings are way far better compared to their counterparts. buyleesa com reviews 2016 The 2nd kind of mattresses we wish to point out below is called Latex Foam. They are also popular in offline as well as online markets. You can discover latex foam’s all-natural and also artificial versions. They come comprising on a poly foam base whereas their core is composed of multiple latex layers to supply sleepers with even more convenience. Here comes the 3rd and the last primary kind of cushions. You could call it either innerspring bed mattress or springtime cushion straight. These were really typical in the USA and Europe. The innerspring bed mattress come equipped with mechanical springtimes to supply the consumer with kind of a lift. Nonetheless, today’s generation has actually begun doing not like innerspring mattresses. We all know, our habits are altering with the flow of time. Being components of an internet-based culture, we currently have new problems to address, and our way of life is bringing changes in our rest habits.
Now that you understand acquiring a bed mattress online will not make you be sorry for at the end, allow’s see the things you can do it make your decision as much better as feasible. There are mattresses which are better for back sleepers compared to side sleepers. Know exactly just what you are going for, and also then start searching for the mattress that would certainly match all your needs.
As mentioned over also, one of the biggest benefits of on-line purchasing is the accessibility to hundreds of customer reviews. If the customers are confirmed, the possibilities are that they would certainly discuss extra the weak points of an item that its assets– this is all-natural for us human beings and it wonderful for you as a brand-new purchaser to remove the products that do not fit you. Read at the very least 20 testimonials by previous users prior to you make the last decision. The more testimonials you could read the far better. There are uncommon chances that an item is a lot far better compared to what it has actually been defined by the users, yet a lot of the moment if the testimonials are reliable, it would give you an excellent insight right into the experience of utilizing the cushion that you can not receive from anywhere else. | 2019-04-20T04:22:53Z | http://www.onesquaremile.tv/buyleesa-com-reviews-2016/ |
Effect of cryotherapy devices in the postoperative setting.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2007 Nov-Dec ; 97(6):439-46.
Sophisticated methods of cryotherapy, such as application of a water-circulating device, have recently been popularized to provide a constant or intermittent therapeutic source in the foot and ankle postoperative setting. In this study, the efficacy and safety of three selected cryotherapy devices (Iceman, EBIce, and Ankle Cryo/Cuff) were investigated.
A compression force comparison study among three staple fixation systems.
J Foot Ankle Surg.2007 Jan-Feb ; 46(1):7-15.
Traditional staples have recently been redesigned with both new materials and engineering techniques to facilitate interfragmentary compression in theory, resulting in greater friction between bone fragments to counteract shearing forces. In the current study, the biomechanical properties of 3 different staples were investigated. The interfacial force at 2 different sites within a calcaneal bone model was measured after insertion and activation of the OSStaple, the UNI-CLIP, and the Smith and Nephew Standard Large Staple after precompression with the SYNTHES Small Distractor. Additionally, the ability of each staple to maintain compression over a short period of time was investigated. In the current bench study, the OSStaple consistently generated the greatest and most uniform compression across the bone model osteotomy and was also capable of sustaining the compression over the duration of all of the trials.
Syme's amputation: a retrospective review of 10 cases.
Clin Podiatr Med Surg.2005 Jul ; 22(3):395-427.
Amputation at the level of the ankle joint is a valuable, yet underused procedure for a variety of conditions affecting the foot and ankle. The procedure can provide a comfortable and durable stump that allows a lower extremity amputee to function with minimal disability. The indications, surgical technique, and postoperative prosthetic considerations are reviewed and discussed. Emphasis is placed on the preoperative considerations deemed essential for a successful outcome based on the senior author's experience of 10 cases performed for a wide variety of pathologies. Three case illustrations show the efficacy of the Syme's procedure as an alternative to a higher level amputation, such as below-knee amputation or above-knee amputation.
Arteriovenous malformation of the foot: a case presentation.
J Foot Ankle Surg.2004 Jul-Aug ; 43(4):252-9.
Arteriovenous malformations have been reported as rare clinical entities in the foot. When these lesions present, they are most often found in the brain, lungs, and pelvis/thigh of the lower extremity and develop as a result of failed fetal vascular development. Arteriovenous malformations can present with a variety of dermatologic and osseous manifestations. A delayed or missed diagnosis can have severe effects, including chronic ulcerations and osseous manifestations, and lead to amputation. Once identified, a complete evaluation is needed to provide the clinician with a full understanding of the magnitude of the deformity and the potential implications to the limb's vascular status after treatment. A concise review of the literature is provided with a case presentation of an arteriovenous malformation within the foot that was not suspected based on the clinical and imaging evaluation.
Clin Podiatr Med Surg.2004 Jan ; 21(1):65-96.
First MTP joint arthrodesis continues to be a time-honored, effective, and valuable procedure as a primary or secondary surgery for various pathologies afflicting the first ray segment. Though commonly thought of as a salvage procedure, it has proven beneficial in the management of primary hallux limitus and rigidus, geriatric hallux valgus deformity, severe arthritis of any etiology, and conditions in which joint instability or deformity are not readily correctable by more traditional approaches. Since its initial description in the 1800s, the procedure has continued to be popular among orthopedic and podiatric surgeons. Success of the procedure is highly dependent on the position of fusion. Though surgeons are often fascinated and at times obsessed with a particular fixation technique, it cannot be over-emphasized that this takes a back seat to the importance of achieving proper position to meet the needs of an individual patient. Unlike joint resection or implant arthroplasty procedures, which commonly leave the hallux lacking stability and propulsion, first MPJ fusion has been shown to be effective during weight bearing and propulsion. The success enjoyed by the senior author continues to reinforce that motion is not necessary at the first MTP joint for good, pain-free function.
Techniques of digital arthrodesis: revisiting the old and discovering the new.
Clin Podiatr Med Surg.2004 Jan ; 21(1):17-50.
Digital surgery is commonplace for foot and ankle surgeons. The techniques of arthrodesis are more exacting and complex than techniques of arthroplasty. They are generally performed in cases of more severe deformity or underlying biomechanical abnormalities, which strongly influence the development and propagation of the deformity. When performed properly in a patient with good compliance, the results are consistently good and rewarding to patients and surgeons. Attention to detail cannot be overemphasized in managing digital deformities. Failure to do so is likely to result in a less than satisfactory outcome for physician and patient. Traditional techniques are proven effective approaches. Meticulous attention to detail and precise execution of the procedure will minimize complications. The exact role of newer implants for fusion is yet to be determined. Further short-term and long-term experience will determine their role in foot surgery.
Intraosseous lipoma of the calcaneus: a review and report of four cases.
J Foot Ankle Surg.2002 Nov-Dec ; 41(6):398-411.
Intraosseous lipomas have been reported as rare tumors in the lower extremity. They have been identified in the tibia, fibula, metatarsals, and calcaneus. They are frequently misdiagnosed as other tumors, especially unicameral bone cysts or aneutysmal bone cysts when found within the calcaneus. A detailed description of intraosseous calcaneal lipomas and their treatment is given. Surgical technique and four case reports are presented. One of the cases involved a pathologic calcaneal fracture, a finding to the authors' knowledge that has not been previously reported.
Synovial osteochondromatosis. A case report and review of the literature.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):247-54.
Synovial osteochondromatosis is a benign disease of unknown etiology that involves the articular and periarticular structures. The disorder primarily affects men, and trauma is the most common predisposing factor. The authors review the literature, clinical findings, proposed etiology, classification, ancillary tests, histopathology, differential diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis. A case report of this rare entity is also presented.
Syme's amputation. Surgical technique, prosthetic considerations, and case reports.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):232-46.
Amputation at the level of the ankle joint is a valuable but underused procedure for a variety of conditions affecting the foot and ankle. The procedure provides a comfortable and durable stump that allows the lower-extremity amputee to function with minimal disability. This article reviews the indications for Syme's amputation, provides a detailed surgical description of the procedure, and discusses postoperative prosthetic considerations. In addition, three case reports are presented in which Syme's procedure was successfully used as an alternative to higher-level amputation.
The Jones compression bandage. Review and clinical applications.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):221-31.
Lower-extremity edema is a common condition that can be caused by many pathophysiologic processes. Control of edema associated with surgery or trauma is important and will help minimize pain and discomfort and prevent wound complications and blisters. Many techniques are used to control edema. The Jones compression dressing is an excellent tool that has been used successfully by the senior author for 18 years. It continues to be a primary treatment technique for the control of edema.
Evaluation and treatment of stage 0 Charcot's neuroarthropathy of the foot and ankle.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):210-20.
Charcot's neuroarthropathy is a relatively common disease in patients with diabetic neuropathy. If unrecognized or left untreated, Charcot's neuroarthropathy can result in a severely misshapen and unstable foot and ankle. Ulceration, soft-tissue infection, and osteomyelitis frequently ensue, and partial or complete amputation of the foot is not uncommon. A high index of suspicion and proper interpretation of clinical and diagnostic findings are essential to establish a timely and accurate diagnosis and to institute appropriate treatment. The pathogenesis of neuroarthropathy is reviewed and diagnosis and treatment of the stage 0 diabetic Charcot foot are presented.
Enhanced tenodesis for retrocalcaneal surgery.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):200-9.
Retrocalcaneal surgery is complex and difficult. Over the years, many different approaches to retrocalcaneal surgery have been described. Partial or total release of the tendo Achillis is often necessary, with reattachment being of paramount importance to allow for optimal function following surgery. Although numerous anchoring devices have been introduced for tendo Achillis reattachment, the authors have found the DePuy TiMAX Spider Plate (DePuy ACE, Warsaw, Indiana) to be superior. This article describes the Spider Plate and associated surgical technique, which have greatly enhanced the outcome of retrocalcaneal surgery.
Predislocation syndrome. Progressive subluxation/dislocation of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joint.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2002 Apr ; 92(4):182-99.
Progressive subluxation/dislocation of the lesser toes resulting from idiopathic inflammation about one or more of the lesser metatarsophalangeal joints is a common cause of metatarsalgia that is frequently unrecognized or misdiagnosed. The disorder results from a failure of the plantar plate and collateral ligaments that stabilize the metatarsophalangeal joints and is typically associated with abnormal forefoot loading patterns. The authors refer to this condition as predislocation syndrome and have devised a clinical staging system that is based on the clinical signs and symptoms present during examination. A thorough review of predislocation syndrome and an overview of the conservative and surgical treatment options available for this disorder are presented.
Fracture-dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint: open reduction through a medial incisional approach.
J Foot Ankle Surg.2001 Sep-Oct ; 40(5):311-7.
A case of traumatic fracture-dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is reported. This type of injury is extremely rare. The injury was associated with complete disruption of the following anatomic structures: conjoined tendon of abductor hallucis and medial head of flexor hallucis brevis, plantar plate, and the intersesamoid ligament. Additionally, there was a transverse fracture of the tibial sesamoid. Excision of the fractured tibial sesamoid trapped within the joint and primary repair was achieved through a medial incisional approach. A complete description of the repair and rationale for the surgical procedure is discussed.
Arthrodesis of the interphalangeal joint of the hallux: a simple and effective technique.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.2001 Sep ; 91(8):427-34.
The authors present a simple and effective technique to achieve arthrodesis of the hallucal interphalangeal joint. Stabilization is achieved by external fixation with crossing Kirschner wires joined together to create a single functional unit, a technique that avoids common problems often associated with Kirschner-wire fixation. The authors propose that this simple technique be considered for patients in whom it has been determined that screw fixation should not be used to obtain fusion of the interphalangeal joint.
Utilizing threaded Steinmann pins to resect the talus and calcaneus for ankle joint disarticulation (Syme's procedure).
J Foot Ankle Surg.2000 Jan-Feb ; 39(1):59-60.
The effect of hallux abducto valgus surgery on the sesamoid apparatus position.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.1999 Nov-Dec ; 89(11-12):551-9.
A new parameter, the tibial sesamoid-second metatarsal distance, was established to determine whether the sesamoids move in relation to the foot in hallux abducto valgus surgery. The reliability of the tibial sesamoid-second metatarsal distance was assessed and shown to be excellent. Seventy-five feet underwent surgical correction of hallux abducto valgus. Four radiographic parameters--the intermetatarsal angle, the hallux abductus angle, the tibial sesamoid position, and the tibial sesamoid-second metatarsal distance--were measured before and after surgery. The hallux abductus angle, intermetatarsal angle, and tibial sesamoid position were all significantly reduced following surgery. The tibial sesamoid-second metatarsal distance was not affected by hallux abducto valgus correction. Thus the correction in sesamoid position gained with hallux abducto valgus correction is a direct result of lateral translocation of the metatarsal head, with no contribution from change in position of the sesamoid apparatus relative to the foot.
Cefadroxil in skin and skin-structure foot infections: a retrospective review.
Adv Ther.1995 Jan-Feb ; 12(1):1-10.
The efficacy and safety of cefadroxil in eradicating localized skin and skin-structure infections of the foot were investigated in a retrospective chart review of 222 consecutive patients from two private practices seen over a 10-year period. Of the 189 patients for whom follow-up data were available, 187 (99%) received cefadroxil 500 mg twice daily, and 2 patients (1%) received 250 mg twice daily. The duration of therapy was 2 weeks or less in 87% of patients, with a median duration of therapy of 11.4 days (range, 5 to 35 days). Of the 189 clinically evaluable patients, 179 (95%) achieved a favorable clinical response to treatment; of the 57 patients with microbiologic cultures, 54 (95%) experienced a satisfactory bacteriologic response to therapy; no adverse events related to cefadroxil therapy were identified during the review. The overall results from this retrospective study suggest that cefadroxil is an effective agent with a favorable safety profile for the treatment of skin and skin-structure infections of the foot.
Aneurysmal bone cyst of the fibula.
J Foot Ankle Surg.1998 Sep-Oct ; 37(5):426-36.
Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign, expansile lesions that are not at all uncommon in the lower extremity. These lesions are difficult to recognize clinically. This paper is a thorough review of the current literature regarding aneurysmal bone cysts. After this review, one should be able to diagnose and appropriately treat aneurysmal bone cysts. Also provided is a case report with classic histologic, clinical, and radiographic findings that was treated by en bloc resection.
Podiatry Institute ankle fusion technique.
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc.1997 Mar ; 87(3):101-16.
The authors review the ankle and pantalar fusion literature. The authors performed a retrospective review on 42 ankle and pantalar fusions, emphasizing the role of internal fixation. The Podiatry Institute technique for internal fixation of ankle fusions is described and experience with the technique is reviewed. Complications included delayed union and nonunion at the fusion site or the repaired fibular osteotomy site and tibial fractures at screw stress riser sites. Modifications to reduce these complications are discussed. Experience with internal fixation in ankle and pantalar fusions, both in this study and in current literature, has been positive. | 2019-04-20T00:14:09Z | http://www.atgcchecker.com/search/?search=%22Yu+GV+%22%5BAuthor%5D |
Last November I drove to a private grove in the southern Sierra Nevada to meet the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a band of renegade foresters working to clone and move the big trees north, out of their native range, to cooler and wetter climates. I was skeptical of this, because I had spent the last few years very invested in California’s native-plant movement, which holds that genetics is tied to place for a reason, and that human meddling in natural processes like species migration often leads to disaster. But I decided to join Archangel anyway, just outside the Sequoia National Forest, where some of the world’s top tree climbers would be hoisting volunteers hundreds of feet up a sequoia. This was the fun part. The work involved taking cuttings and green plant tissue to grow into clones, before planting them in places like Eugene, Oregon—almost six hundred miles north—where Archangel had resettled two thousand sequoia seedlings earlier in the month.
Yet the idea has persisted, and gained new currency as the threats of climate change become clearer. Activists called the Torreya Guardians, for example, are working to save the Florida torreya—one of the most critically endangered conifers in the world—by planting it far outside of its tiny north Florida range, where the tree has been afflicted by a mysterious fungal blight. The US Forest Service’s recovery plan for the tree is restricted to its native but damaged habitat.
It was the first time I’d seen a sequoia on private land. The US Forest Service, which manages 80 percent of the West’s forestlands, barred Archangel from collecting on its grounds after The New York Times and The Washington Post covered the attempts by the group’s founders, David Milarch and Terry Mock, to clone the Methuselah bristlecone pine, the oldest tree in the world, and one whose location is supposed to be kept secret. The Forest Service, Mock later told me, found the resulting photos highly objectionable. The seventy-year-old Milarch, a large and charismatic chain smoker and big talker, has become over the last few decades a messianic figure to a band of true believers. But Mock—a wiry, inquisitive sixty-eight-year-old who seemed as shy about talking to reporters as Milarch was tired of it—once ran a native-plant business, and immediately understood why I’d been curious to come. He became my guide to a very new way of thinking about place, plants, genetics, and the future of the world.
“To see the Bigtrees you must travel far and climb high,” wrote California forester Donald Culross Peattie, in what could easily be the greatest field-guide entry ever written, at the start of his Natural History of North American Trees, first published in 1953. From San Francisco or Los Angeles, you cross the Central Valley, and then begin the slow rise up the gentle western slope of the Sierra, which ascends at an easy 2 percent grade along the lush west flank and drops off like a shorn cliff from the bare crags of the eastern peaks. “Up through groves of Black Oak and Blue” you go, in a landscape I think is the most perfect on earth—a place arid enough that bugs and mold are usually only minor nuisances, but spotted with springs and creeks to drink from, and where summers are invigoratingly dry and warm without being oppressive and winters are snowy and magical without feeling menacing or inescapable—and then past cedars so big that Peattie admonishes the uninitiated not to confuse them with sequoias, which grow at altitudes between five thousand and seven thousand feet, and which, once seen, cannot be mistaken for anything else.
Here are some things you can learn from Peattie: sequoias are, of course, the largest of all trees, and the most massive freestanding organisms in the world. They live as long as three thousand five hundred years, longer than all trees but the Chilean alerce and the bristlecone pine, which grows east of here, over the Sierra crest and across the Owens Valley. I like to stand at certain vantage points in the Sierras and imagine that I can look north to the three-thousand-year-old Bennett juniper, west to the sequoias, east to the bristlecones, and south to the ancient clonal stands of Mojavean creosote bush, and be somehow at the center of a circle of inexplicable, primordial genetic wisdom.
You will never find a lonely old-growth sequoia, because they live in groves, of which only seventy or so still survive. You don’t have to be a mystic to think that this is because they are sociable old trees—we are only now learning how plants communicate underground and through aerosols they emit, and in a sequoia grove it doesn’t take long to notice they are working together to form a special environment: a grove provides an airy break from the denser, darker, and more juvenile west-slope forest; it is a place where “the bright world,” as Peattie puts it, “is never shut away.” This means that sunlight and snow reach all the way to the forest floor; a thirty-foot snowdrift looks like “a mere anklet” on a tree that grows nearly three hundred feet high and can have a hundred-foot circumference.
But now the mighty may fall: more than one hundred million California evergreens have expired in the last decade, mostly in the southern and central Sierra, where the sequoias live. They have been killed by drought, heat, insect infestations, and inscrutably complex interactions between these. The trees are part of a trend of mass die-offs that has quietly been sweeping the world, from a surge of tree mortality in Siberia, to the billions of trees that died after a drought in the Amazon in 2010, to an unexplained collapse of monumental African baobab trees over recent years. Die-offs in the US have been just as widespread, from the old-growth forests of Hawaii, to the yellow cedars of Alaska, to the woodlands of Massachusetts, to the southwest, where 350 million piñon trees died from drought in 2002 and 2003. We don’t know enough about what causes disasters like these, much less how to prevent those that may come soon. “Given the high degree of uncertainty in our understanding of how forest species and stands adapt to rapid change,” James S. Clark, the lead author of a major study of forest mortality, said in 2016, “it’s going to be difficult to anticipate the type of forests that will be here in twenty to forty years.” The study found that nearly all American forests, even the seemingly moist and cool eastern woodlands, are in danger of mass death or decline.
These die-offs are both a result and a driver of climate change: twenty-five percent of global carbon emissions is currently absorbed by the photosynthetic processes of forests, and preserving and growing forestlands around the world is one of the central pillars of the Paris Agreement. But forests are also at the heart of a horrific feedback loop—warming causes tree die-offs, which then fuels more warming: British Columbia recently went from being a net carbon absorber to an emitter, after the majority of the province’s lodgepole pines died suddenly from beetle infestations.
Many forests cannot adapt quickly enough. The sequoias once thrived across the intermountain West but, for 4,500 years, have seen their refuge shrink to a narrow band in the Sierras, where they drink from the once-reliable spring snowmelt, and sprout in the dusty mineral soil. They’re so deeply tied to the place, and the place is so deeply tied to them, that it’s hard to imagine the big trees living anywhere else.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about the sequoia’s connection to place, because of a nonprofit called the Arroyo Seco Foundation, where I help operate a nursery dedicated to the plants that grow in the minute part of the world drained by the Arroyo, a tributary of the Los Angeles River. I had always believed it self-evident that, in an ideal world, the Arroyo basin would be populated only by plants that evolved to grow in its climate and decomposed-granite soils, building a home for the microorganisms, pollinators, birds, and mammals that in turn enliven these soils, inseminate the flowers, spread the seeds, and generally work with the plants to create an ecosystem that’s whole and healthy.
But in the summer of 2018, I watched as native plants were scorched in a matter of hours, as the thermometer at our Pasadena nursery rose to 118 degrees, and mature, theoretically drought-tolerant sages desiccated so abruptly that they didn’t even have time to shed their fragrant leaves, as they usually do—they just died. I found this very upsetting, and I began to wonder whether the plants I considered to be native were still the ones best suited to this landscape, and what it even means to have a native habitat in a state where more than half of the state’s plant species could soon disappear from the vast majority of the lands they now inhabit, hemmed in to redoubts where they’ll be ever more at risk from fire and climate change. This would be especially troubling here: California has more, much more, botanical diversity than any other state. Its topography is so diverse that species have been able to survive in isolated niches, like the one the sequoias occupy. And California’s climate has protected them. The state is among a group of climatic regions that have become cradles of biodiversity—relatively gentle, Mediterranean-type zones that provide a refuge “because they are some of the only nontropical regions [that] have been able to avoid historical periods of either desertification or glaciation,” as biogeographer Lesley Lancaster put it.
This is one of the two sides of Sierra life, which can be inhospitable—not to say deadly—for the nosy, but which lacks the proud wariness that characterizes so much of the rest of the rugged West. It’s still the heart of California, so it’s impossible to forget that, in the scheme of things, we’re all from somewhere else.
“The point is you just never, never, never, never give up,” an amazingly fit and tan man in his fifties explained to me when I asked about Archangel’s propagation methods. His name was Jim Clark, but he preferred to go by Tree Machine. I wanted—thinking of myself as a fellow nurseryman and all—to see what Archangel’s lab back in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was like, and Tree Machine was glad to the point of bursting to show me. He presented a spiral notebook where he’d bound their deck. I was amazed by how large, pristine, and efficient it looked, like the futuristic sorts of labs where cannabis companies do their experiments these days. “The secret ingredient to our success is patience,” he explained. “It takes a long time, and you can’t hurry the process up. You just have to be there with the stuff day after day after day.” He turned the page to an image of a tiny cutting, only a few millimeters of young growth.
The slide showed a bunch of glass jars, each with a bit of green inside and a small layer of activated carbon to absorb castaway compounds. Plants poop waste just like humans do; the carbon gives the infant trees a kind of diaper that absorbs the excreta.
He flipped to the last slide, a photo of Milarch. “We’re in the shade of a thousand-year-old cedar grove.” He turned to a volunteer named Don, a retired ophthalmologist from Indiana and a devoted acolyte. “You were there. I took a picture of David, and look at the light.” Milarch seemed washed out by light, while others in the photo appeared much darker. These two straitlaced midwestern men with crew cuts seemed to be suggesting that the cedars had cast a halo around this stubborn old arborist.
I had not come to hear the Milarch legend, which has been told in a TED Talk and also in a wonderful but obscure little book called The Man Who Planted Trees: A Story of Lost Groves, The Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet, by a science journalist named Jim Robbins, who mostly treats Milarch with as much reverence as his followers do. Milarch was a third-generation nurseryman growing shade trees on his family property near Grand Rapids. For decades, he traveled the country as a competitive arm-wrestler, winning glory in a macho bar subculture and cultivating vices—hard drinking and harder-headedness—until his body began to break down. His liver failed in 1991, and Milarch says he was legally dead for five minutes, during which time otherworldly beings brought him back from the afterlife to plant trees and save the planet. A doctor told him he’d need his feet amputated, but he refused. He had a mission that would require standing up, he said.
In the two and half decades since they began their champion tree project, they have planted trees at Mount Vernon, on the grounds of the US Capitol (this required an act of Congress for approval), and throughout the West, preaching the gospel of reforestation. A happy coast redwood can grow a remarkable ten feet a year. This isn’t much by itself, but gathers force when you consider large-scale projects anchored by huge, fast-growing trees. Before Archangel started, no one even knew they could be cloned. “When David got the idea of cloning redwoods,” Don told me, “he went down and talked to Bill Libby—the world-renowned expert on coast redwoods—and he told David, ‘You cannot clone a redwood that’s older than eighty years old.’ Well, a few years later David came and handed him a redwood, with the DNA right there. And he admitted he was wrong. He didn’t like being wrong, but he actually came on board.” “There may be some startling, important science that comes out of it,” Libby later told The Oregonian.
This all left Milarch with a reputation for being difficult, which, now that I was meeting him, made perfect sense. We spoke for a while, and then Milarch, apparently bored, turned to me and said, “You ought not to miss that wrecker,” and ushered me out of his presence. But he said we could arrange a way to get back together tomorrow, so I could join them at the tree climbing.
I spent a long Friday night dealing with the car in Porterville. The next day, having not heard back from Milarch, I got up at seven to hitchhike back up to Camp Nelson. I met Milarch at the lodge, where he seemed surprised and almost annoyed that I’d made it back up the hill. “I had a rash once,” he said when he saw me back again. He was again posed regally, smoking and talking with Don, the former ophthalmologist, and Don’s wife, Linda, who had driven out together from South Bend, Indiana. There were about thirty people at the grove, and Milarch gave off an air of Old Testament patriarch. “I feel better being up here than I have in a long while,” he said. Cindy Spiegel, the co-founder of Spiegel & Grau, and an Archangel boardmember, later said that she thought being around the trees had relieved her of a cold. Climbers came down, repeating, one after another, that their lives had just been changed forever. Milarch’s son Jake, a thirtysomething father of two, handled boughs they’d taken from the new growth. As he walked he seemed to almost bounce, thanks to the feet-deep duff of sequoia needles.
But even this buoyancy has a dark side. Between 2014 and 2016, at the height of California’s calamitous drought, the sequoias began to shed needles prodigiously. They were stressed, and they did what any living thing does, which is begin to shut down, turn inward, conserve resources for an emergency. Then they began to die.
The drought finally lifted in the spring of 2016, and in the end all but a few of the sequoias made it through. But many other Californian evergreens did succumb: I have a favorite southern Sierra canyon where my best friend and I go to backpack and fish, and it’s a heartbreaking place to hike if you’re paying attention: above the healthy live oaks and deciduous blue oaks are ponderosa pines, and at the ridgetop the pines mix more or less evenly with fire-red incense cedars—the most beautiful, in their color and graceful symmetry, of all Californian conifers. But it takes only a glance upward to realize that every single one of the cedars is stone-dead, their carcasses preserved by the tannins in their trunks. You look closely and notice that a number of the ponderosas are dead, too, and realize that the next big combination of drought and heat will probably kill the rest of them, and that that whole expanse could soon change from forest to dusty wasteland. And who is to say that next year won’t kill off the oaks—the short drive toward the San Joaquin Valley reveals a sunbaked savanna with scores of bare oak skeletons, reminders of a lush California we have already lost and cannot hope to ever get back.
These tens of millions of dead trees were a natural accelerant for the fires that swept through the area in 2018 and killed millions more trees, and at least 100 people. I am only a bit older than thirty, but still old enough to have reported in the Sierras at a time when a hundred-thousand-acre fire in this state felt like a local cataclysm, an event to remember. But standing there in Camp Nelson, I couldn’t even remember how many hundred-thousand-acre fires we’d had that season. We could see the plume of the nearby fire—disquieting, since the Camp Fire was still burning at the time, having just rolled through the town of Paradise and killed scores of people within minutes.
“You goin’ up?” Mock asked. I have never been a fan of heights. But I figured that they’d gone to the length of bringing world-class climbers and all these mysterious ropes, clasps, and pulleys here to give someone like me a once-in-a-lifetime chance, which might soon become a never-in-a-lifetime chance. Suddenly I was being hoisted up the trunk of a tree that presented itself as a wall so large you could hardly tell it was round. And I did feel unspeakably moved, as I rose hundreds of feet up the trunk toward the lower branches, realizing that I had never seen sequoia greenery up close, that I had never touched a needle on a living branch, something I do with most Californian conifer species so often that I can differentiate many of them by smell or taste. I had never actually noticed that the sequoia has two leaf patterns—splayed hemlock-like needles and cedar-like scale leaves—for reasons I could not at the moment puzzle out and that I didn’t much care to ask about later. As far as I see it, we’ll never understand everything about why plants are the way they are, just as we’ll never really understand the same thing about people. And it’s better that way.
I’d been planning to camp, but I’d left all my gear in my towed truck. So I hung aimlessly around the lodge and talked with Mock while the Archangel crew cooked up a chicken stew for dinner. He’s a quick talker, but intensely humble. He makes no long-term plans for himself. When we talked about connecting over Christmas, a few weeks away, he shrugged. “That’s so far in the future, I couldn’t possibly know what I’ll be doing.” He is the trustee for 160 acres of land in southern Oregon, which he has poured his children’s inheritance into, but it’s not, as he said, “what you’d call a fixed residence.” He’s going through chemo and his plans for a permaculture palace have been held up for years by the local county’s planning commission, so he often stays on friends’ couches.
But he’s a tree person, and that seemed to take precedence over narrow human concerns. He had begun planting a redwood forest on his land, north of the redwoods’ traditional range, and this is a small but real boon: an adult redwood can store 250 or so tons of carbon dioxide. One government estimate predicted that reforestation projects could double the 16 percent of American emissions that are now absorbed by trees. But human-implemented forestry projects often fail when they’re planted with too little genetic diversity or with nonnative and unsuitable tree species. Massive reforestation projects in China and British Columbia have been plagued by these problems, and Milarch and Mock were trying to find a new way, using their—in theory, at least—fast-growing trees as anchors in a diverse forest. We do urgently need to learn better methods for growing a healthy forest quickly—which, like anything in the plant world, can be learned only by doing.
Mock suggests that we can both manage and participate in nature. For centuries in this area, the Miwok tribe sent burns through the Sierra understory to encourage the growth of black oaks, which produce the acorns they ate. Was this “natural”? How long did a person or a plant have to have been in the area to count as “native”? It’s a tricky road to go down: the great crops of the pre-Columbian southwestern cultures, the drought-tolerant corn and amaranths that I now grow at my house for fun, aren’t actually native—they were introduced thousands of years ago by cultural exchanges in what is now Mexico.
But there had to be a limit. I asked him what would happen if I planted a sequoia on the land I’d grown up on, in southwestern Ohio. It was a practical question: more than half the oaks and beeches in the woods behind my childhood home had died just in the twelve years since I’d left home—the result of an infestation of invasive Tarzan-vine-like Oriental bittersweet that was killing the trees almost as fast as my family and I could kill the parasites. The choice, as I saw it, was between an emergency reforestation project and letting the woods perish completely, another minor note in a dark symphony of worldwide disaster.
We still don’t understand the unseen interaction between microorganisms, soil fungi, insects and other pollinators, and others further up the chain. Native gardens in Southern California do seem healthier than nonnative ones—there are more lizards, more hummingbirds and bees; the ground itself seems somehow more alive. But having nonnatives around doesn’t necessarily hurt, and might actually help. In December I toured the Gottlieb Native Garden in Beverly Hills, a famous, private native-plant garden, and was surprised to see a thriving and huge (for the species) desert mesquite tree. Mesquites are hardly native to LA’s Westside, but the little system was thriving, buzzing with pollinators and other small fauna. Maybe I’ll plant mesquites someday the way Mock plants redwoods in Oregon. I have not felt, these last few years, that there is much hope left for the South Sierra, for my childhood forest in Ohio, or for this world. But if we could make a political project where large numbers of people felt true intimacy with their local landscape—where everyone felt native on this deep level—it seems at least possible to build an environmental movement where people feel less disempowered and hopeless than at least I have these past few years, where it feels possible to actually do something.
We stayed up drinking late that night. It was far from the first time I’d gotten faded with a bunch of new friends in the Sierras, but it had the air of a different sort of bacchanal—at once a wake for a passing world and, perhaps, amid the smoke and the beer, a toast to a vision of a new planet.
This stuff can get wild when you look into it. Los Angeles once had a thriving walnut industry, but a commercial English walnut is almost impossible to grow in Southern California. The industry was built by grafting English walnut cuttings onto the local, native black walnut rootstock, the result of which was a hybrid native-transplant walnut tree, in what may be the single most evocatively Californian act of arborism ever committed.
He was obviously proud of the work, and I thought he had a right to be. I did not believe that he, Milarch, and company would save the world by planting big trees, but I did feel that people like them, working together, just might—they were bold enough to try something new, but were as deeply rooted and conscious of their environments as any people I’d ever met. This might be the exact combination of traits we all need to embody if we’re going to fight this catastrophe while avoiding the trap of humans-know-best arrogance that led us here in the first place.
“To me, ‘native’ just means that you’re a knowing part of an ecosystem,” Mock said. “That you understand your place in it, and know at least on some level how it works.” The history of the world’s environmental disasters is one of the unintended and unforeseen consequences. Short of simply abolishing civilization, I have never felt there was much hope we could break the cycle of lurching from one calamity to the next until the whole system falls apart. But maybe we can. This may be the moment when the bill finally comes due, or it may be when we as a society learn to be slightly more native, wherever we are. | 2019-04-20T19:21:58Z | https://believermag.com/send-in-the-clones/ |
Nic van Arde is a WSET Level 3 graduate and winemaker at Oldenburg Vineyards. Nic shares with us how his wine journey started in tasting rooms and took him around the world, including India. He also shares how his WSET training has helped him in his career.
When did the wine bug bite?
I remember teasing my brother when he tried to be serious tasting wine. Little did I know that I would become the wine geek years later.
You’ve completed WSET training with The Wine Centre, what did you enjoy most about the course?
The interactive tastings and fun element to the course.
How has your WSET education helped you in your career?
I interact with international wine connoisseurs on a daily basis. WSET gave me the confidence to be able to talk world wine with them on a higher level.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a winemaker.
I grew up in Paarl with my Mom working for Nederburg. I helped out over school holidays in tasting rooms in the area. When I was studying Business and Commerce at Stellenbosch University I joined the University wine appreciation society and would skip business class to interact with winemakers and spend many afternoons driving around the winelands exploring new winery’s. This ended up with me taking the leap and studying winemaking and viticulture after.
You made wine in India for a while, what was that like?
India is either a country that you love or hate, no in-between. I fell in love with it and all its colorful chaos. I was exposed to the third world elements of interrupted power, water pollution, child labor and corruption but never the less managed to make some very drinkable wines. In the humid Nashik area where I consulted you would get two harvest a year but only one of the harvests grapes could be used for winemaking.
Two years ago I worked a harvest at Harlan Estate in Napa Valley. In quite times at the winery I would spend time walking the vineyards and here I got a taste of precision organic viticulture.
What advice would you give to aspiring winemakers?
Read up as much as you can on wine and travel extensively making and tasting wine. I do a study trip to a different foreign destination every year and come back motivated and inspired.
How can you inspire to make the best wine in the world if you have not tasted and spent time with its maker.
My Level 3 course with The Wine Centre was held at Glen Carlou wine estate in Paarl 2015. It has been the foundation on which I have been building my knowledge of the world of wines. Passing my Level 3 propelled me into my career as a wine professional.
The WSET certificate course gave me the skill set and confidence to become a sommelier at Mosaic Restaurant one of South Africa's most reputable fine dining establishments.
I am extremely passionate about my studies and I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. I believe that studying the wine regions of the world is like virtual traveling.
Mosaic Restaurant enrolled me as a WSET Level 4 Diploma student earlier this year. This investment in my knowledge and developing my skills as a sommelier is crucial not only to my interaction with guests and cellar management but is to the benefit of the South African wine industry as a whole.
There is an incredible support network for WSET students in South Africa, MW student and WSET APP Cathy Marston is my inspiration as I hope to teach future generations of WSET students and to one day become a Master of Wine.
Nicolò Pudel is a WSET Level 3 graduate and is currently finishing his WSET Level 4 Diploma. Nicolò shares with us how his WSET education has helped him with running online wine site Port2Port.
How has your WSET education helped you with running your own online wine business?
The WSET courses I took, especially Diploma which I am currently busy with, has given me a lot of insight in the international trade which is most certainly helping me as we plan to expand Port2Port abroad. The tastings and workshops we are organizing on the side are also a great opportunity to be exposed to wines that we usually are not able to find.
Next year Port2Port celebrates its 4th anniversary, what challenges have you faced during the past years and what are some milestone successes?
Port2Port was founded with the vision to build and establish South Africa’s (and beyond) biggest fine wine marketplace, connecting premium wineries, importers and retailers to a rapidly growing audience of discerning wine buyers.
Our mission has always been to consistently offer the most cutting edge digital platform, world-class service, the biggest selection at the best possible price, all presented through the eyes of the producers, the passionate writers and the critics, utilising our enticing wine stories as our main vehicle. My team and I soon discovered that we had been blessed with a very enthusiastic and loyal following. The interest and demand have been - frankly - beyond our expectation and the numbers speak for themselves. Today we are one of the fastest growing e-commerce platforms in the country. Wine-Searcher has awarded us with the Best Wine Catalogue in South Africa and Price Check nominated us in 5 categories at the 2018 E-Commerce Awards, including Best E-Commerce Service. Our revenue is growing at three digits yearly, we sell over 1600 wines from 12 countries, represent 500 brands and 10 specialised retailers to an audience of 200 000 wine lovers.
What advice would you give those interested in opening their own wine business?
Research and planning is important, spend a good amount of time on that before you are ready to release a minimum viable product. Don’t waste time on perfecting your concept, you will do that anyway as you go and get feedback from your audience and customers. Most importantly, plan your financials correctly, you don’t want your dream not to come true only because you run out of money. Flexibility is paramount, you need to be able to identify the opportunities along the way and be able to adjust your strategy. Avoid massive overheads, employ remote workers, save on fixed costs where you can. Invest in the team and in your company culture which ultimately reflects on your service.
Your site currently lists wines from 12 countries, are there any countries not listed that you’d like to represent?
We would love to represent every single wine that is out there and that meets our quality requirements. The goal for our marketplace to breach the 10 000 products mark within the next 3 years. We will achieve that by opening our European business and adding marketplace seller there.
What are the most popular searches on the site for?
The top of the list are brands, among them Kanonkop, Meerlust, Hamilton Russell, Sadie. Then, wine specific queries include Brunello di Montalcino, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc.
I have a TOP 3. My first Sassicaia with my wife in Bolgheri, a bottle of Harlan Estate with my wife and dear friend Francois in Napa and probably the first bottle of a wine we recently had where we are looking at getting involved directly in terms of ownership and management. But this is still a secret.
With a career steeped in broadcast journalism, Guy McDonald, Breakfast Host at Magic 828 AM radio and WSET Level 2 graduate, tells us what sparked his interest in wine and how he’s incorporated his passion into his career.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a radio DJ.
It all began with performing Puppet shows behind the washing-line for my beautiful Grandmother and sitting in a tree house talking into the end of a skipping rope that was connected to a real car battery imagining I was the main announcer at an Agricultural show. After school, I got the Weekend “afternoon drive” on Mfm in Stellenbosch. After 5 years of Community radio I got my first paying gig on a retail radio station, The Sound of Ackermans before moving to Kfm 94.5, then Good Hope FM and now I find myself at Magic 828 AM.
When did you first develop an interest in wine?
From a very early age, my Mom always gave me a tiny glass with dinner “so that I wouldn’t feel left out”. My interest was really piqued though in Grade 10 when I travelled the winelands with my Dad during “work experience” week and realised I had a passion for the industry as a whole.
As a radio DJ, how would you say your WSET wine education has helped you with your wine feature on Magic 828 and your career in general?
Personally, I learned a lot about wines of the world. I had done other wine courses previously that focused on SA wine and always felt very ignorant because I haven’t travelled to other parts of the wine world. The WSET course gave me solid insight into other markets as well as into the world of Spirits. Hosting a Whisky feature and a Wine feature now, I feel more confident in my opinions. I am hoping it will lead to greater things career-wise.
Wow… So many! Having Ken Forrester pour me wine in his dining room was special as I had always held his wines in high regard and here he was, the man himself, pouring for me!!
Lunch with Danie De Wet of De Wetshof is another highlight! He kept disappearing into the cellar and returning with something “even more special for you, this time from Portugal”.
If you could own a winery anywhere in the world, where would it be, which wines would you make and why?
An American friend of mine spends time with her parents in the Napa Valley and from her Instagram shots, it looks amazing!! So it would be Napa because diverse soils, climate and topography mean I could also make a rich, full-bodied Chardonnay; silky, seductive Pinot Noir and ripe, velvety Merlot. They have also been smacked by floods, an earthquake and, last October, devastating fires. So maybe property prices are cheap!?
What is your favourite cultivar and why?
I have an enduring love affair with Chardonnay. As much as other varietals impress and tantalize my palate, and despite the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement, when I read this question the first word to pop onto my tongue was Chardonnay. I think it’s because it can be adapted to many styles, from crisp, citrusy unoaked wine to creamy oaked wine. Being such a neutral grape, it offers a blank canvas for winemakers to paint in any style they choose. There’s a remarkable balance of richness and acidity that well-crafted Chardonnays can achieve.
Discounted rate of R165 to your members. Public pay R200 online and R220 at the door.
Bookings should be co-ordinated by the wine clubs and the number of tickets you require with the names sent to [email protected] by 8 May.
The tickets will be available at our Webtickets Festival reception under the Wine Club name.
The first offer on the tutored free class, before we announce it to the public.
Join the Institute of Cape Wine Master’s for tutored tastings to highlight the diversity and quality of wines giving you a glimpse into flavours, terroir and cellaring.
19:30 - 20h00 Shiraz or Syrah?
18:30 - 19.00 Cape White Blends.
The Oyster Lady will display her fresh West Coast oysters paired with elegant MCC's.
Gonedsa Award winning Gouda cheeses from cows in the Doornkraal, Cullinan District, made according to a traditional Dutch recipe.
Pierre Jourdan Cap Classique Brut; and Pierre Jourdan Tranquille Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend.
Thank you for bringing your knowledge and experience to the show. Winemakers engaging with you and you inspire many new wine lovers.
We look forward to enjoying the wines with you.
May, autumn harvest of mist, mellow fruitfulness, and the feuillemorte, is also the month of the much-anticipated annual Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival at Summer Place on the 16th and 17th.
South Africa‘s longest running, most elite wine show has enjoyed Standard Bank sponsorship for the past 17 years. Together we have transformed a novel concept ‒ bringing top talent to the attention of connoisseurs ‒ into a desired annual event.
The key to our success is fourfold ‒ a small vitrine of the finest wines, a limited number of boutique wineries, an intimate showcase of the leading labels, and winemakers discussing with guests the best time to drink their old vintages, among other pressing viticultural questions.
The emphasis is on terroir, fruit-driven wines, world winemaking techniques, and upcoming winemakers. Distinguished guests come to taste ‒ and buy ‒ bespoke internationally-acclaimed wines at discounted show prices.
New wineries this year are Holden Manz, Kings Kloof, Epicurean, Lovane, and Pasarene. Rascallion, Broad Valley. Also debuting are Môreson, Mont Blois, Uva Mira, Benguela Cove, Paul Wallace, Perdeberg, Doolhof, Benguela Cove, Overhex, Mont Blois and so guests are in for a treat!
Traditional values continue to bolster the festival with Bouchard Finlayson, Bosman Family Vineyards, Creation, Dewetshof, Avondale, KWV, Ormonde, Raka, Thelema, Vrede en Lust, Avondale, Constantia Glen, Charles Fox, De Grendel, Doolhof, Drift Farm, Idiom, Mont du Toit, Journeys End, Alto, Stellenzicht, and Neethlingshof, La Motte, Hillcrest, Zevenwacht, and Vondeling, still party stalwarts.
Guests will have the enjoyment of unveiling the fruits of the vine and nuances of fruit and flavour in the wines by an array of attractively priced gastronomic options for the hungry from Jem Caterers, The Oyster Lady and Cullinan cheeses.
Speaking of tradition, I could not have done this without Standard Bank’s generous sponsorship for the past 17 years, so thank you, as always.
As we handpick our exhibiting wineries, the festival is today more about style preferences than quality as every label shows distinction.
As I write this in the wake of the American elections, I can think of no more fitting wine style to talk about than a Cape Blend. The world is still processing the implications of a Trump and Republican victory which has divided the US and polarised the rest of us. So it is with something of relief that I turn to wine, the beverage which unites and cheers, to Cape Blends which truly reflect the melting pot of society which is South Africa and to white Cape Blends in particular which are, like many other African ideas, leading the world in innovation, excitement and potential for the future.
So what is a white Cape Blend I hear you ask? We’ve all kind of got used to the idea of a red Cape Blend which involves a generous helping of our local grape, Pinotage, but the backbone of a white Cape Blend isn’t an indigenous African grape (I tried a new one from Stellenbosch Vineyards the other day called Therona – unusual and not bad at all so go and try it!), instead it’s Chenin Blanc. At the moment, there is no legislation as to what constitutes a Cape Blend of either colour but a goodly dollop of Chenin Blanc seems to be the way to go when it comes to these exciting white wines. Add in Chardonnay, Viognier, Semillon, Roussanne, Marsanne and more and you have something very special indeed.
I think by now most people have got over the idea that a blend is a way to hide inferior wines or unpopular grape varieties and are fairly cognisant of the fact that most top wines of the world are combinations of different grape varieties – as I say to my wine courses, the essence of a good blend is that 1 + 1 = 3 so the result is greater than the sum of its parts. And what makes white Cape Blends so exciting is that South Africa is able to combine grape varieties which no-one else can. Unhampered by restrictive European appellation laws, we can blend the grape varieties of the Loire Valley, the Rhône, Burgundy, Bordeaux and more into truly individual wines which are given even more distinction by containing our heritage grape of Chenin Blanc. Often using old, dry-farmed vines, giving incredibly low yields of ultra-concentrated and utterly-delicious fruit, a white Cape Blend is a celebration of the very best South Africa can make.
Well I think so anyway and I am pleased to see that I am not alone. Winemag.co.za is the only specialised South African wine magazine and editor Christian Eedes has been running a series of report-style competitions for the past few years. Generally focussing on single grape varieties – as do most competitions in SA – the reports now include a red blend one, a white Bordeaux blend one and finally, what I think will become the flagship category, the Cape White Blend report which was announced earlier this week. This is the first year of the competition and I would dearly love to see this grow and overtake all the others – by the way, they are looking for a sponsor for the next one so if your company wants to be associated with all that is innovative, exciting and proudly South African, you should drop Christian a line.
In the meantime, try the winning wines. The Lammershoek Terravinum Reserve White 2015 was overall winner with an excellent 95 points, closely followed by two personal favourites, the DeMorgenzon Maestro White 2014 and the Muratie Laurens Campher Blended White 2015, both on 94. Other favourites in the top winners include Thorne and Daughters Rocking Horse 2015, The Fledge & Co. Vagabond 2015 and Springfontein Limestone Rocks Dark Side of The Moon 2014, but overall, the standard of wines was incredibly high and there was nothing I wouldn’t have happily drunk a bottle (or more) of on any given occasion. As this is my last column for the Cape Times, I don’t think I could end up on a much higher note if I tried.
Is the glass half-empty or half-full? As we all know by now, the answer is ‘Who cares? There’s clearly room for more wine whichever way you look at it.’ Is the glass nothing more than a vessel for conveying a liquid into our mouths or is it so much more than a mere vessel, instead having the ability to actually change the taste and feel of a wine? Or is this yet another wine myth perpetuated by wine snobs intent on ridding us all of our Paris goblets and champagne coupes?
Weighing in on the ‘a glass doesn’t make any difference to the wine at all’ side would be every single beach trattoria, restaurant and bar the length and breadth of the Mediterranean. Here, wine is as likely to be drunk from a tumbler as a wine glass and I’ve had some memorable times sipping wine in sunny beach resorts, even if I can’t remember the quality of said wine! Here, I would argue, it is the occasion, the company and often the view which makes the difference to how the wine tastes.
In the other corner sits glassmakers such as Riedel, Spiegelau and Zalto who offer ranges of glasses supposedly perfectly-matched to certain varieties. I know of people whose palates I would trust implicitly, assuring me that the exact same wine tastes differently in different glasses and so when I was sent a bottle of Leopards Leap Culinaria Pinot Noir 2014 and two Riedel Pinot Noir glasses recently, I had to give this a go myself.
So much of me wanted this not to work, to be able to say to you ‘the wine was the same whichever glass I drank it from’ but the truth is, that this is simply not the truth. The wine WAS different – more perfumed and fragrant in the Riedel Pinot Noir, more earthy in my Riedel Brunello di Montalcino glass and much less fruity in a nondescript not-quite Paris goblet. Was it better in the correct Riedel? Yes, I guess it probably was as long as you appreciate perfume over power (which I do and the wine was delicious). It was a really interesting exercise and I commend it to you all to give it a go if you possibly can.
Someone who’s gone into this in a big way is Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck Wines. The days of the coupe, allegedly-based on Marie Antoinette’s breast (not true, sorry guys), are long gone and now it would seem that the champagne flute is heading in that direction as well. The flute is a great glass to preserve bubbles because it has a small surface area from which they can escape but the narrow neck is not so good at encouraging flavour – which is a problem for Pieter and Graham Beck.
In a recent tasting, we tasted three wines, each in two different glasses – the normal flute and another version, striving to find the perfect combination of flavour, bubbles and (has to be considered) cost. Following extensive experimentation by both Pieter and a team of scientists at Reims University in France, the normal non vintage will now be served in an entry-level Riedel Champagne glass at the Graham Beck tasting room, whilst the company’s flagship wine, the Cuvée Clive, will come in a hand-blown Lehmann Jamesse Prestige tulip-shaped glass.
The difference between flavours and bubbles from the flutes to the speciality glasses was mindblowing, but the best example was to try the Blanc de Blancs (always my favourite GB wine) in the premium Riedel Veritas Champagne glass. Pronounced salty aromas, persistent bubbles courtesy of small indentations at the base of the glass and creamy, citrus lemon flavours which grew and developed over the course of almost an hour, this was a winning combination. As Graham Beck Wines bids to become the world’s leading MCC producer, it makes absolute sense that each wine is showcased appropriately. And on that note, watch out for a Graham Beck bubbly bar and tasting venue in Cape Town in the near future and in the meantime – drink your bubbles out of bigger, tulip-shaped glasses. So that there’s ALWAYS room for more wine!
After much debate on the best way to spend our last morning in Ningxia - to hedge bets & stay near the city, visiting Silver Height's original facility before our flight or get an early start & venture an hour toward the mountains to their new location built in 2014. We chose the latter & were well rewarded for our sense of adventure. From very little on the way to the next village to the sudden bustle around the local tourist attraction, a film studio used for many period movies; and back to almost nothing; right at the wooden watch tower & we were there. There being a large, low, red warehouse-like building, 8 times the size of the facility in the city.
We were met by a bubbly American, Alexa, who heads up marketing & communications. An interesting contrast to our previous experiences, with fast flowing English and outsider insights into the industry. Winemaker, Emma, shared extremely insightful anecdotes around the industry - both past & present. From government controls over varietals imported (explaining the high concentration of Bordeaux varietals), to terroir, pricing to recover costs of setting up wineries by the current generation & the Gold Rush for land in Ningxia.
Silver Heights began as a bit of a premonition on the part of winemaker, Emma's, father. He planted some of the first vines in the area, with the belief that there was potential for successful winemaking, and promptly shipped Emma off to Bordeaux to study winemaking in 1999 where she met husband, Thierry, who returned to China with her. Husband & wife team are now responsible for the increasingly well-reputed wines thanks to Emma's previous employer, a wine distributor, who told her to bugger off & make wine full time after tasting some of what she was making in her spare time.
From a floral yet fresh Chardonnay (the first vintage released), to beautifully structured & layered reds - The Summit (Cab Sauv, Shiraz, Merlot blend) being described by dear Jancis Robinson as "just the wine to confound prejudices".
And, overall, the wine we experienced in China did just that. Gan bei, Ningxia!
As the day drew to a close, we had one final stop ahead - the first our driver was actually certain of the location of.
Also, certainly the most beautiful we had visited to date. The chateau, the largest in the region, is a tribute to the owner's (who never drinks a drop of wine) love for rock & stone, showcased in a multitude of forms. From the buildings themselves, to intricate carvings & artworks tastefully dotted throughout; and soon to include a rock museum as well. Construction on the chateau began in 2008, to be completed in 2014. This seems an awfully long time on paper, but a walk through the winery & surrounds quickly reveals the extreme attention to detail, accounting for the time spent. From stone & rock collected throughout China, to ceilings lined with interwoven twigs to buffer sound & boundary walls constructed from rounded tiles to allow birds to nest.
Accompanied by winemaker, Sujie, we toured the production facility, comprising only machinery imported from Italy; the extensive cellar & private cellaring for clients who purchase whole barrels & bottle with their own labels; through a number of tasteful displays to the tasting room where the ceiling is crafted from the skeleton of the hull of an old ship, with the tables & chairs crafted from the same wood.
Here, we tasted through a lovely, bronze Decanter winning unoaked Chardonnay, of which very little was bottled due to limited demand for white wine in the local market (the rest of the harvest was used for brandy production); a 2013 Cab Sauv with a spot of 2014 added to perk it up; the estate's flagship red blend, Soul Mountain (Cab Sauv, Cab Franc & Merlot); and a very interesting private project of Sujie's - an unfiltered & unfined Cab Sauv 2014 of which only 800 bottles were produced. While we were delighted at the honour & impressed by each wine in turn, Sujie remained critical of her work.
We felt this was a fantastic end to a fascinating & highly rewarding day. We looked forward to day 3.
Spring has sprung and once again, springing along with it, comes competition time. A whole host of different awards have been judged and announced in the last few weeks from international commentators such as UK journalist Tim Atkin’s comprehensive and thorough SA Report to local affairs such as the RisCura White Hot Bordeaux-style White Blends Awards (one awards ceremony I was very sad to miss – such a delicious category and well done to top performers Iona, Strandveld and Tokara Wines). What to talk about, what to talk about? Well, space is limited so I have chosen just three competitions, all from entirely personal motives.
I couldn’t agree more. The past decade has seen a meteoric rise in the quality of Pinotage and it’s mainly because people are now feeling confident enough to express themselves, pay attention to the grapes they’ve got and showcase them with appropriate winemaking. There is quality at every level in the Top Ten from perennial stalwarts such as Kanonkop and Rijks (winning Top Ten places for an incredible 11 times each) to inexpensive and fun versions by Knorhoek and Perdeberg, entering the Top Ten for the first time. Let’s hope they can take this show on the road to Holland because there’s at least one chap there who needs to see the Pinotage-light.
Talking of taking wine to Europe, my second competition seems to be going the other way! The Blaauwklippen Blending Competition always gives me the warm-fuzzies – it’s a bit lighthearted and one of the very few competitions where the consumer is the star. Over 70 wine clubs competed to make the perfect, easy-drinking red blend this year and the winner – for an incredible second time – came from Germany! The club, Weinnasen from Rindchen's Weinkontor Uhlenhorst, flew in specially to join other finalists at Blaauwklippen last week to celebrate their winning blend of Malbec, Merlot, Shiraz and Zinfandel. If you want to try it, you can buy it from Blaauklippen’s tasting room where it’s bottled as a magnum with a glorious Frans Groenewald original label and selling for a mere R159.
My final competition is one in which I was personally-involved, judging the country’s finest MCC’s for the fourth year in a row. I love this competition – any excuse to taste bubbles is always fine by me – and it has been most heartening to see the increase in quality over the years with hardly any duffers amongst the entrants and a whole host of wines I would delight in sipping during a sunny summer’s eve. The overall winner is Anura whose Brut 2011 is a fantastically-constructed wine with loads of depth and character. Shout-outs to Blanc de Blanc winner, Colmant and rosé Trophy winner, JC Le Roux who also scooped the Museum Class with their Scintilla Vintage Reserve 2008. Year in, year out the Scintilla is one of my favourite fizzes and if you can get your hands on some of the 08, there’ll be a spring in your step this Spring, that’s for very sure.
Wine fundi, Leigh-Ann Luckett, continues with her travels around the world in search of wine…. China.
Named after a poem about 1 of the 8 revered landscapes of the Ming Dynasty (no, I'm not clear on the details of what that means), Helan Qingxue claims the best view of this landscape at the foot of the Helan Mountains.
Established in 2005 by a viticulturist, winemaker & business manager, the winery was the first in China to win an international accolade in 2011 in the form of a Decanter International Trophy. The wines, called Jia Bei Lan or "Little Feet" in honour of the birth of dynamic winemaker, Jing's daughter, have continued to grow from strength to strength since, with growing export opportunities & a stream of praise from international wine lovers. All of this we learned from the obligatory corporate video with a few tidbits from Jing herself.
Our host was happy to meet South Africans after playing host to a South African winemaker in 2012 during the inaugural Ningxia International Wine Challenge - a competition created & funded by the local government with a little help from the participating wineries; which allows a selection of winemakers from across the globe to produce a vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon over 2 years with a cash prize awarded to the wine judged as best. There are 3 South African participants in the current challenge.
We toured the, again, immaculate cellar, tasting the new vintage of entry-level Cab on its way to bottle as we made our way around; passing locally made bee-hive shaped tanks (which Jing was the first to use due the shape being ideal for red pump overs & press downs due to the shape) & barrels signed by the many notable international visitors while discussing the enthusiasm of Chinese wine-lovers to gain their WSET Level 4 qualifications, with over 20 Level 4 graduates to date.
This led us to the Cellardoor which is set to launch in the next year including a simple food offering. Lined up to taste, we had an unwooded Chardonnay in a Riesling bottle (tinned peas & lime on the nose with apricots & citrus on the palate); a Cab Franc Rosé (slightly sweet despite its savoury nose); a Cab Merlot blend (Moroccan spice & grippy tannins); & a Reserve Cab (eucalyptus & light violets). Again - all Bordeaux varietals. From Jing's perspective, these are the best varietals for the area which requires grapes with a short growing period to allow sufficient time for the vines to rest after harvest, before being buried for winter (an activity which accounts for 30% of the production cost of the wine). Thoroughly enamoured with the wines, the winery & the winemaker, it was unfortunately time for us to bid farewell. No time for us to rest; our next stop beckoned.
Legacy Peak, our next stop, could not be more of a contrast to Changyu. Simple & understated, the only show of pomp being a row of empty wine bottles from around the world which the director prized (including a Vilafonte Series C 2008) & a small plate of Iberian ham on the table laid out for our tasting. There was even shock at the idea of not being allowed to taste when we enquiries whether there would, indeed, be wine on the cards.
The first winery in the area to export their wines, Legacy Peak is also the oldest vineyard in the Ningxia province with vines planted in 1996, set amongst the 1000 year old Xixia King Tombs. This certainly adds to the scenery but puts the vines & expansion plans at risk should the government go ahead with plans to reclaim the land the farm occupies. Not that there isn't enough risk as is with the icy cold winters - every year approximately 20 - 30% of vines up to 6 years of age don't survive despite being bent over & buried up to the first trellis line. Sometimes all that survives are the cement posts - preferred to wood as they're cheaper, easily available & last longer than the traditional wooden posts. The 450 mu (approximately 3,75 ha) of organic vines sit at 1246m above sea level & consist mainly of - you guessed it - Bordeaux varietals Chardonnay, Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon with a spot of a French hybrid grape, Marselan (a hybrid of Cab Sauv & Grenache). There's also a sense here that China is still finding its feet with which varietals are best suited to the land and what the defining characteristic of Chinese wine will be.
We dutifully set about exploring this. The Chardonnay beautifully floral on the nose with fresh litchi & elegant citrus on the palate; the rosé a little sweet (thanks, market) tinged with geraniums; the Cabernets - Estate & flagship, Kalavinka, both bold with slightly spicy red fruits & to be afraid of ageing.
We further explored the wines with many toasts, over a generous lunch of local lamb with the team. We were back in luck, twice over.
I can’t think of a more irritating phrase than “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s complacent, it’s lazy and it and its partner phrase “but we’ve always done it like this” are words which have no place in today’s rapidly-changing society. I was thinking about this when I attended a presentation of a decade of Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme a week or so ago. When I first came across the CWG, it was a bit of an Old Boys Club with no female members at all – something guaranteed to raise anyone’s hackles this Women’s Month – but over the years, things have changed, the focus of the Guild has sharpened and it and its members have raised its game. Instead of being a monthly excuse to drink and chat, the Guild is a modern group of most of the best winemakers in SA, leading the wine industry to ever greater heights.
One of the newer – and better - initiatives in the CWG has been the development of the CWG Protégé programme in connection with Nedbank. In 2006 it was decided to form a mentorship programme with the aim of assisting with transformation within the wine industry. Winemaking students are selected post-graduation to complete a 3 year mentorship programme which sees them spending each year working alongside one of the Guild members. During this time, they also get the chance to make their own wine, participate in the monthly Guild tastings which exposes them to wines from around the world, judge at competitions and often travel to far-flung vinous destinations to further their studies and experience.
But it’s working alongside the SA winemaking legends which is the greatest opportunity all the protégés cited at the event last week. Louis Strydom, CWG member and chairman of the Nedbank CWG Development Trust explains it this way “We have over 940 years’ experience amongst the 47 winemakers in the Guild! It’s our responsibility to share that knowledge with the next generation.” For the protégés to be able to access this knowledge at such an early stage of their careers really gives them an edge. Considering that many of them come from backgrounds outside the wine industry and they can’t call on any connections or old boys’ network, it is this internship which sets them apart and makes them eminently employable.
And employable is what they are proving to be. Already the programme has produced 12 graduates now working in the wine industry and there are more coming through all the time. The programme has expanded to include a new viticulture protégé – we couldn’t meet him as he was on a visit to Australia at the time – and in addition a skills development programme for cellar workers is educating 1,500 workers every single year. If you want to taste how the protégés are faring, you can’t do better than try some of the wines made by the current second and third year students which will be sold at a silent auction during the main CWG Auction on 1st October. We tasted a delicately-fruity Pinot Noir made by Chandré Petersen, a savoury and complex Chenin from Heinrich Kulsen, a spicy and aromatic Shiraz from Rose Kruger and a beautifully-balanced Muscat from Thornton Pillay. All proceeds will go back into the Development Trust pot to continue funding even more protégés in the future. And hopefully, before too long, one of these protégés will eventually become a Guild member in their own right, giving back to generations of students to come.
Bellies full of noodles, we were ready for an 08:00 start at Changyu's Chateau Moser XIII. The Chateau was named in honour of Mr Moser XIII, the pioneer of trellising, and grandson Lenz Moser XV currently stands as chief winemaker. Moser is one of 6 chateaux in China, 2 in France & 1 each in Italy, Spain & New Zealand. And they're not kidding about the chateau part. Changyu's founder, who brought wine vines to China in 1892, went on to win a gold medal at the international exhibition held in San Francisco in 1915 at the opening of the Panama Canal. The flair for showmanship has lived on. Moser boasts an in house theatre; museum; an interactive wine education centre where you can test your smell recognition, learn about taste receptors & pair varietals with foods; and of course an imitation ship to celebrate that gold medal. You can custom label your own wine bottle, take wedding photos, grab a bite at the restaurant & stroll through the gardens while the endless staff of lovely young ladies in old fashioned green dresses with lace cuffs & collars flutter around. But you cannot taste more than 1 wine - an average medium-tier red blend. Not without a conversation with the director. We feared we were truly out of luck on our Chinese wine adventure.
Arriving in Yinchuan, Ningxia with a plan to visit wineries (which we had a loose idea of the location of) but no confirmed way of actually getting to them without paying the rather ridiculous amount quoted for a driver turned out to be no problem. A helpful tour guide, with a passable grip on English, at the train station offered to drive us to our hotel & was easily convinced to spend the next 3 days ferrying us around; starting with a local spot for a breakfast of hand-pulled noodles.
Next stop - Pernod Ricard's Helan Mountain. Kitted in our luminous orange safety vests, we toured the immaculately clean & well ordered production facility which is undergoing extensive expansion to include a visitor centre. One of the older wineries in Ningxia, the majority of the vines, which are spread across 3 sites in the area, were planted in 1997 with a strong focus on Cabernet Sauvignon accompanied by small pockets of Chardonnay & Merlot - typical Bordeaux varietals which seemed a little counter intuitive given the hot, dry conditions. Winemaker, Linda has been with the farm for 16 years with frequent exchanges to New Zealand & Australia. While Cab is the driving force at the winery based on consumer demand, she believes there is scope for experimentation - an idea strongly agreed with by Kiwi viticulturist, Mike Insley, whom we met with the next evening. Where Linda is most concerned with the balancing act of harvesting late enough to ensure phenolic ripeness (mostly the bit that makes your wine smell like lovely things) before the vines have to be buried for the winter (yup - we learned that's a thing in the area; more about that later), Mike is facing the challenge of a serious shortage of labour in the coming years thanks to repercussions of the one child policy & urbanisation. Never a dull moment, it seems.
But back to important matters - there was wine to be tasted. In the form of 3 barrel samples of the Helan Mountain Reserve range Chardonnay, Merlot & Cab. We were more than pleasantly surprised. The wines all had more time to spend in barrel before official bottling & release but each one was showing great potential. From the floral prettiness of the Chard to the already gentle profile of the Cab, we certainly were off to a great start in China!
Unfortunately, our luck seemed to have maxed out for the day. Our next stop would not deliver as we'd hoped. While extremely impressive, with architecture reflecting the vineyards in winter when they are little more than undulating ground with trellising posts poking out; not being able to taste any of the wines despite purchasing left much to be desired from our Chandon China experience.
Perhaps our luck would return tomorrow, we hoped over a late lunch of noodles.
Wine fundi, Leigh-Ann Luckett, continues with her travels around the world in search of wine…. next stop, China.
The fact that wine is produced in China seemed a bit of a shock to most people outside of China. And, seemingly, most people we encountered in China, even those in one of the most concentrated wine producing regions. At time, based on the hassle to arrange visits to the wineries, I was almost convinced it came as a shock to the wineries themselves.
Don't let that put you off though - I will say that the wine was worth the hassle in the end. Most of it, at least.
As I've subtly hinted, planning a trip is not quite as simple as doing a quick Google search. China is massively vast. Ridiculously so. Meaning wine regions are also ridiculously far apart. Where to start? We grabbed the Asian Wine Review & plotted which area had the highest concentration of award-winning wineries (will AWR become the Platter Guide of Asia?). This extremely scientific approach led us to the city of Yinchuan in the Ningxia province - a finger of desert sticking into Inner Mongolia alongside the Helan Mountain range. That part was easy. Finding contact details & planning an itinerary, however, was not. A 3-day itinerary eventually came to light through multiple emails; cold-calling wine writers; WeChats to winemakers, professors, tour guides; & endless map guesswork.
Wine fundi, Leigh-Ann Luckett, continues with her travels around the world in search of wine.... next stop, Vietnam.
With our wine consumption mainly limited to 6 winery visits over 2 months, with a few bottles which had made their way from South Africa in between (notably a bottle of Luddite Shiraz 2009 consumed at an altitude of 3900m in Nepal); Vietnam was a veritable playground of wine. Actually, more of an overpriced theme park due mainly to tax & transport costs - but there was decent wine & we were very happy to spend a little more than the quality deserved for the pleasure.
While not actually producing any wine that we could track down, the wine drinking culture was much stronger than we had encountered thus far. With a bit of searching, it was possible to find wine shops, wine bars & restaurants with actual wine lists. Some were, of course, a little off the mark & most quite limited in the options by the glass, which is not uncommon in most countries.
Our most valuable finds in both Hanoi & Ho Chi Min were boutique wine stores with fairly wide Bordeaux & Chilean wine selections with the odd bottle of South African here & there. Staff here were enthusiastic & happy for you to have a seat & drink the wine you purchased, saving restaurant mark ups & corkage fees. They also often had interesting tastings going on in the evenings. Chilean wine being a familiar sight to most wine drinkers here due to it apparently being the first country to target Vietnam in terms of wine once trading opened up & Bordeaux because, well, Bordeaux.
With a burgeoning restaurant & bar scene combined with enthusiastic & aspirational wine lovers, there certainly are pockets of great excitement around wine with plenty of scope to grow - pity, though, about the prices.
Wine fundi, Leigh-Ann Luckett, continues with her travels around the world in search of wine! An excellent plan, this time reporting from Myanmar.
But back to important matters - there was wine to be tasted. In the form of 3 barrel samples of the Helan Mountain Reserve range Chardonnay, Merlot & Cab. We were more than pleasantly surprised. The wines all had more time to spend in barrel but each one was showing great potential. From the floral prettiness of the Chard to the already gentle profile of the Cab, we certainly were off to a great start in China.
Okay, come on – ‘fess up. When was the last time you drank a Chenin Blanc?? Chances are that you’re either going to say “last night” (you hipster trendsetter you) or, more likely, “fifteen years ago at ‘varsity when I couldn’t afford anything else”. Despite so many people’s best efforts, it seems our best asset is still lagging behind the bucketloads of yawn-making Sauvignon Blanc when it comes to choosing our daily tipple. Should we just give up and resign ourselves to a lifetime of teeth-searing acidic Sauvvies? Hell no. Should I join the ranks of those putting the case for Chenin and explaining why we should drink more of it? Hell yeah, why not?
“You see, the problem with Chenin Blanc is its diversity” as all we wine experts will agree, nodding sagely into our beards - which is the biggest load of rubbish to start with, and yes, I am as guilty of saying this as the next person. Sure, Chenin is a versatile grape, capable of making lots of different styles of wines to suits lots of different tastes - but since when has the ability to offer customers exactly what they want been a problem?? Henry Ford made his millions offering his new car in only one shade of paint (“The customer can have any colour he likes, as long as its black”) – imagine what he could have done if he’d had a rainbow palette to choose from?
Because that is what Chenin is – a rainbow palette of flavour for the palates of this Rainbow Nation and beyond. At the recent Chenin Showcase, a regular event which brings the diversity of the grape to the attention of lucky journalists and retailers, I tasted a fabulous range of different wines and I promise you – there really is something to suit everyone here. If you can’t bear to abandon your Sauvignon Blancs – there are Chenins which taste almost identical in terms of lip-smacking freshness and vibrancy (try Stellenrust Chenin Blanc 2016 R50). If you like a wooded Chardonnay – there are Chenins which taste very similar with oodles of yellow stone fruit balanced by creamy, spicy oak (give the delicious De Morgenzon 2015 a whirl for R225 or the more affordable Delheim 2014 for R110).
If you like sparkling wines, then there are Chenins which do that too (Ken Forrester’s engagingly-named Sparklehorse for R200) and if you prefer off-dry or semi-sweet, there are plenty of Chenin options, balancing sweetness with lively fresh acidity to make a more complete wine. If you like it sweet and sticky, luscious or unctuous, there are noble late harvest Chenins of real richness, depth and complexity, coating your mouth with haunting flavours, tantalising your tastebuds with a cat’s tail whisk of acidity and freshness. And finally, Chenin is the King of Blending and my find of the day at the Chenin Showcase was the Riebeek Cellars Short Street CGV 2014. At a ridiculously-cheap R50 a bottle, this should be everyone’s fridge stalwart this summer.
So I don’t think there’s anything lacking in terms of the actual Chenin wines themselves. In fact, I think the problem lies not with the grape, but with us instead. We don’t drink more Chenin because we’re lazy and it’s easier to stick to our same-old, same-old wines with all their faults rather than find something new which may possibly suit us better. We allow ourselves to be confused by diversity and have our confidence dinted by differences in style, price, packaging and labelling terms, when in fact we should start every glass with the belief that it’s going to be amazing and simply take it from there. When it comes to Chenin Blanc, that’s almost certainly going to be a worthwhile journey to make. | 2019-04-21T08:11:13Z | http://thewinecentre.co.za/v2/category/wine/ |
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Many sacred beliefs of our Catholic faith can be traced to the 21 ecumenical councils held since the fourth century. Called either an ecumenical (universal) or a general council, these terms are often used interchangeably. Councils consist of Church bishops from around the world gathering in response to a crisis, to affirm Church teachings or to address matters of faith, morals and even reform. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, these assemblies have continued to perpetuate the declaration Jesus made to Peter: “[A]nd upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
The first eight ecumenical councils were all held in the East, specifically the area we now know as Turkey. The other 13 were held in the West, at European locations.
The emperor, not the pope, called the first eight councils. The pope was typically consulted, invited or both, but mostly the Holy Father sent representatives or legates. The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, notes: “A council is never ecumenical unless it is confirmed or at least accepted as such by the successor of Peter; and it is the prerogative of the Roman Pontiff to convoke these councils, to preside over them and to confirm them” (No. 22). The 1983 Code of Canon Law spells out that the pope calls an ecumenical or general council; he presides over it or directs another to do so. The pope officially announces the council’s universal consent; the faithful then abide by the decisions.
The early councils in the East focused on protecting the divinity of Jesus, on the Trinity and man’s worship of his Creator. The most recent councils (within the last 500 years) have been dedicated to reforming the Church.
D.D. Emmons writes from Pennsylvania.
In the early fourth century, after Emperor Constantine ended religious persecutions, an Alexandrian priest named Arius was popularizing the heresy that Jesus was not equal to God the Father, not divine, that Jesus had a beginning, was created and not eternal. Arius and his followers conceived Jesus as a great prophet, but not God. Opposing Arius, defending the orthodox view that Jesus was divine and of the same substance as God the Father, was St. Athanasius, a cleric from Alexandria. The debate about the divinity of Jesus became so heated that Constantine advised Pope Sylvester I that he was calling a council of bishops to resolve the issue. Made up of 300 primarily Eastern bishops, this first ecumenical council, although not unanimously, condemned Arianism and excommunicated Arius. They developed the Nicean Creed, emphasizing Jesus as “Consubstantional with the Father … Begotten not made, one in being with the Father.” This language rejected Arianism and established clear teaching on Christ’s divinity. The bishops at Nicea also agreed to the date when Easter is celebrated.
In 381, Emperor Theodosius called all the bishops to Constantinople because Arianism remained widespread and also to confront another developing heresy. It appears that Pope St. Damasus was never notified about the council and only centuries later did the Holy See acknowledge the council as ecumenical. The 150 bishops attending reaffirmed the decisions of Nicea regarding Arianism and also condemned Macedonianism, a heresy denying the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The council proclaimed the Third Person of the Trinity as equal to the Father and the Son, and emphasized such belief by adding a clause to the Creed of Nicea: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life; he proceeds from the Father, is adored and honored together with the Father and the Son; he spoke through the prophets.” This language was accepted by the Eastern bishops and later in the West.
Chalcedon confronted the Monophysitism heresy, which held that Christ had one nature, that his human nature had been absorbed by the divine. Some heretics claimed that Jesus was not human at all. The council, invoked by Emperor Marcian, was attended by as many as 600 bishops, the largest gathering at a general council to date. The council had full approval of Pope St. Leo the Great, who sent a letter condemning the one nature theory; the bishops affirmed that Jesus possessed two natures, fully human and fully divine.
Summoned by Emperor Constantine IV, with approval of Pope St. Agatho, this council dealt with the contention that Jesus did not have two wills, one human and one divine. The heretics claimed he had only one will, a divine will. The 175, mostly eastern, bishops rejected the idea of one will (called Monothelitism) and decreed that Christ had “two natural wills without division, without change, without separation, without confusion.” Those who supported the heresy, including Pope Honorius I, were condemned.
In 730, Emperor Leo III had demanded that images in worship places be removed, asserting that the use of statues, pictures and icons was idolatry. Denying the veneration of images became known as iconoclasm and was opposed at this council summoned by Empress Irene. The council’s 300 bishops, including representatives of Pope Adrian I, ruled that veneration of an image was directed to the holy person the image represented, not the image itself.
In the ninth century two individuals were claiming the position of Patriarch of Constantinople. Depending on the emperor, and to some decree the pope, either Ignatius or Photius held that role. In 867, after being deposed by Pope St. Nicholas I, Photius presided over a local council of bishops that excommunicated the pope and condemned certain Western beliefs, including the Filioque that Rome had added to the Creed. Shortly after becoming emperor, Basil summoned a general council to sort out the true patriarch. At the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 869 (the eighth ecumenical council) with some 100 bishops present, all the decisions of the earlier local council in 867 were rejected; the attending bishops anathematized Photius and demanded that everyone consecrated by Photius be removed from office. The Eastern Church has never accepted the council of 869 as ecumenical, maintaining that Nicea was the last ecumenical council. In 877, the emperor reinstated Photius as Patriarch of Constantinople.
The first Lateran Council, held at the Palace of Lateran in Rome, was called by Pope Callistus II with 300 bishops attending. The attendees affirmed and decreed that a monarch did not have the authority to bestow spiritual powers on a bishop; such authority was reserved for the Church. The intent was to end the so-called lay investiture, which permitted a king to invest a bishop with both temporal and spiritual powers. Among other decisions, crusaders were granted indulgences for their service, simony was prohibited and a priest could not marry once ordained.
Lateran II took place 16 years later, and as many as 500 bishops met in the same location. Upon the death of Pope Honorius II in February 1130, a few cardinals quickly and secretly elected Innocent II as pope. Other cardinals, appalled by the covert action, elected a different pope, Anacletus II. Now there were two popes who considered themselves duly elected, and a chaotic situation lasted until Anacletus died in 1138. The next year, Innocent II convoked the Second Lateran Council, where all the acts and consecrations of Anacletus were annulled and his supporters condemned.
Papal elections were the main focus of this council called by Pope Alexander III. At the time, there was little clarity as to how a pope was elected, with many advocating for a unanimous vote of the College of Cardinals, but such a vote was most unlikely. Lateran III decided that a two-thirds vote was necessary for a papal election, and anyone disagreeing with the election would be excommunicated. The attendees also decreed that the courtroom testimony of a Christian was to be believed over that of a Jew. The minimum age for ordination was established and members of the heretical Waldenses and Albigenses, who professed beliefs counter to the Church, were condemned. These groups would be later eradicated during a European crusade.
Taking only three sessions, this is among the most renowned of all Church Councils. Called by Innocent III, more than 400 bishops decreed that Catholics were obligated to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Penance at least once a year during the Easter season. The term “transubstantiation” (change in substance) was promoted to describe the miracle taking place when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.
There had long been a struggle between the pope and temporal rulers. A 13th-century antagonist was King Fredrick II of Germany, who defied Pope Gregory IX at every opportunity and was excommunicated more than once. Seeking to make the papacy part of his monarchy, Fredrick continuously opposed the Holy Father. The pope called for a council at Rome in 1241 in large measure to deal with the obstinate king, but Frederick kidnapped over 100 bishops sailing to Rome. Pope Gregory died that year and confronting the king fell to Pope Innocent IV, who in 1245 called for a general council at Lyon, France. While other issues were discussed, the focus was on Fredrick, who was accused of numerous actions against the pope, of heresy and of kidnapping the bishops, and he was considered an enemy of the Church. The 150 bishops deposed the king; no Christian was obligated to give him their obedience.
Focused on reunion between Eastern and Western Churches, this council was summoned by Blessed Pope Gregory X in 1274. Eastern Church attendees accepted the primacy of the pope as leader of the Church and the amendment to the Nicean-Constantinoplian Creed regarding the Holy Spirit, “Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,” (the Filioque) long objected to by the East. These were major concessions, but short-lived because, when the Eastern representatives returned home, support for their actions fell apart. These issues still divide much of the East and West. The council also dealt with the issue of prolonged papal vacancies and decreed that a conclave should begin within 10 days after a pope’s death.
Pope Clement V called the council in response to pressure from King Philip IV of France. Among other demands, Philip wanted the Knights Templar condemned and disbanded. The Templars were Christian soldiers organized and committed to protecting pilgrims going to the Holy Land. They took monastic vows, had grown out of the First Crusade and become powerful, influential and very wealthy. King Philip desperately needed funds so he was after the group’s wealth. He first had numerous Templars arrested and through torture got them to confess to crimes they may or may not have committed. Pope Clement, fearful of Philip, had selected the under-300 bishops in attendance. The Templars were not allowed to defend themselves, and Clement acted pretty much unilaterally in using the charges of Philip to disband the group.
From 1378 until 1417, Catholics had two popes; one Roman and one from Avignon, France, where the Holy See had relocated for a period of 70 years. The cardinals first elected Urban VI, but some quickly became disenchanted with their choice. Many of the cardinals moved to France where they invalidated the election of Urban and elected Clement VII, so there were two lawfully elected popes. Naturally each pope set up their own papacy and selected bishops and cardinals. In 1409, the cardinals, disgruntled with the problem, elected a third pope. This chaos resulted in a general council being called at Constance, Switzerland,in 1414. Early on, each of the popes either resigned or was deposed, and the bishops elected Martin V as pope. The bishops also decreed that a general council was forthwith supreme over a pope: “… [I]t [the council] has power immediately from Christ; and that everyone of whatever state or dignity, even papal, is bound to obey it in those matters which pertain to the Faith.” Attendees decreed that future councils would be held at regular intervals, the next within five years after Constance. Pope Martin approved the acts of the council except for a pope being subject to a council (conciliarism).
Pope Martin attempted to call a council five years following Constance, but because of widespread wars, not enough bishops could attend. Martin died, and while Pope Eugene IVopened a council in Basel in December 1431, thinking the situation was unruly, he quickly sought to dissolve it. Bishops wanted the council to continue and tried to invoke the rejected decree made at Constance that a council was superior to a pope. Eugene refused, as no pope had ever approved such a decree. A stalemate ensued, and the bishops at Basel elected antipope Felix V. In 1438, after a failed attempt at Ferrara, Italy, a council was opened in Florence. In the end, the Byzantine representatives accepted the Western language in the creed and supremacy of the pope. But, as had happened before, not everyone in Constantinople accepted the results, and the split between East and West remained. The bishops defined belief in purgatory. Felix later resigned, and the role of the pope over a council endured until questioned again in 1511.
A resurgence of conciliarism resulted from an unrecognized council held at Pisa, Italy, in 1511. With only 15 bishops attending, and erroneously called by King Louis XII of France, the bishops declared a general council ruled over a pope. No pope had ever agreed to such a decree. As a result, Pope Julius II summoned a general council to be held in the Palace of Lateran in 1512. Julius died before the council began, and it was presided over by Pope Leo X. The Lateran Council rejected all the decisions made at Pisa. The bishops also decreed that a crusade be conducted against the Turks; but no crusade was ever carried out. While the council lasted five years, little else was accomplished.
Lasting 18 years, due to wars and plagues, the Council of Trent was called in reaction to the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. This was a crisis; it was a schism in Christianity that has never healed. The council confirmed Catholic beliefs in view of the heretical teachings of the excommunicated Martin Luther and implemented long overdue internal reforms. For 200 years, the Church had been aware of needed reforms but for various reasons failed to act in a definitive way. Many of the council reforms were directed at the clergy — their recruitment, training, lifestyle and obligation to remain celibate. Bishops were limited to control of one diocese and had to reside therein. The preparation of a catechism was directed. In response to the Protestants, the council affirmed and solidified the sacred teachings of the Church including the Mass, purgatory, justification, the Seven Sacraments, that Divine Revelation comes from both Scripture and Tradition, that Church teachings on the Bible are infallible and that the books in the Bible are inspired by God. The practice of indulgences was continued but selling of indulgences condemned. While Pope Paul III convoked the council, four other popes would be elected during the council. As few as 30 and as many as 200-plus bishops attended the council’s 25 sessions.
Summoned by Blessed Pius IX, the council of 800 bishops provided the pope with infallibility, declaring, “It is divinely revealed dogma that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, acting in the office of shepherd and teacher of all Christians, he defines, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the universal Church.” In addition to establishing papal infallibility, the bishops condemned liberalism, pantheism, materialism and issued a constitution on faith and revelation.
This was generated to be a reforming council. Convoked by Pope St. John XXIII, with over 2,800 attendees, this was the largest ever ecumenical council. The liturgy was revised, the role of the laity was expanded, ecumenism was urged and Catholics were challenged to increased witnessing of the Faith. There was belief that needed fresh air would begin blowing in the Church. As time moves the Church further and further away from Vatican II, initial confusion and uncertainty have stabilized, and fewer and fewer of the faithful have experienced Catholicism before the most recent of the 21 ecumenical councils. | 2019-04-25T03:46:12Z | https://osvnews.com/2018/07/01/your-guide-to-the-ecumenical-councils-of-the-church/ |
So there is this big ‘debate’ coming up. Bill Nye is debating Ken Ham. Bill Nye the Science Guy I watched and loved as a kid, I even watched him on Stargate: Atlantis and The Big Bang Theory (yes, I am that big of a nerd). Ken Ham is a big Young Earth Creationist… from what the internet tells me. I haven’t watched anything with Ken Ham in it.
The two are going to debate evolution or something like that.
Now, I am a nerd, but no science whiz. If science tells me that I flip the switch and light turns on – great! If the science dudes say evolution is how it works – awesome! Well, okay, maybe I am not that unaware, but I trust the scientists to be the scientists.
There is a reason, however, that I know that Young Earth Creationism isn’t scientific. Nor is Day Age theory, nor Progressive Creation, nor Intelligent Design.
That reason is the Bible.
You see, the creation that the bible actually describes happens very differently than the Young Earth Creationist version.
First of all creation happens twice. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 are different stories, they are not one unified entity. Read them again. Draw what you see. They will look different. Even more than that, the two accounts are written with different style and genre, they have different qualities and different ways of describing God, and most importantly they describe a 3-tiered universe (see picture).
They are poetic stories from the oral tradition. The ancient people who told them and then wrote them down never wanted them to be understood as science.
Genesis 1 uses Hebrew poetry to both help tell the story and help the teller remember the sequence of events. Days 1,2,3 the space for the stuff of creation is made. Days 4,5,6 the things that go in the space is created. You only need to remember the order to 3 things.
Now there is a lot of textual, literary, historical, aspects of the scholarship that I won’t get into, but I think you get the point: Genesis 1 and 2 are not science text books and nor were they ever meant to be.
When I was in university, I took classes on science and religion from Prof. Denis Lamoureux. He is an evolutionary biologist and a theologian. His courses were designed for science students and fundamentalists alike to better understand the “Science vs. Religion” debate. But the thing that most students didn’t know, he was actually using the science stuff to teach basic introductory hermeneutics and biblical scholarship.
I took two classes with Denis. The second was a seminar where we had guest speakers representing different views on creation. One class he invited the president of the Alberta Young Earth Creation society to speak to the class. She was a woman with a PhD in botany. She came and presented all kinds of the same kind of “scientific” ideas that Answers in Genesis does. Of the 15 of us in the class, I was the only humanities/theology student. My classmates were all science majors. During the Q&A time, they debated the science, they asked questions of genetic expression, geological record, quantum physics and offered smart evolutionary evidence. This woman had answers for all of it.
Then I asked my question. I asked her what she thought about canonical development, and how that affected divine inspiration. I wanted her to explain how those early church councils determined what they accepted or rejected as the canonical books of the bible. I wanted her to explain how divine inspiration worked with books written 300 to a 1000 years previously.
She was the president of the Alberta Young Earth Creation society and she couldn’t answer a basic question of biblical scholarship.
This is the Achilles heel of Young Earth Creationists and their kin. I am surprised that those who debate these folks don’t use biblical scholarship against them more often. I am surprised that atheists like Richard Dawkins don’t do some homework on real biblical scholarship to use against the fundamentalists he is so fond of debating.
Creation pseudo science will always sound convincing enough for fundamentalists. They aren’t looking for real answers, they are looking for evidence that will support their biblical claims. If I were to talk to a Young Earth Creationist I would deal only with what the bible actually says, in Greek and Hebrew, in context, and with an understanding of ancient cosmology. I would make them deal with what serious biblical scholars have been talking about for centuries.
If I was Bill Nye, I wouldn’t even bother talking science with Ken Ham. I wouldn’t legitimize his pseudo-science by making it seem debatable. Ham will have an answer for everything, and that is the only foothold he needs to sound plausible – to have Nye, a real scientist acting as if Ham is worth debating. Evolution is still a big puzzle being put together, even if we can now tell what the picture looks like. Creation science is a neat little set of pseudo theories and logical fallacies meant to prop up poor biblical understanding.
If I was Bill Nye I would ask questions like my canonical development question. I would ask why St. Augustine wouldn’t convert to Christianity until Bishop Gregory told him that much of the bible was allegorical. I would ask why Roman Catholic Priest and Physicist Georges Lemaitre could propose the Big Bang Theory and still be a faithful Christian. I would ask why Genesis and all of scripture is pretty clear about a 3-tired universe. I would ask about Hebrew poetry and oral tradition.
And then I would ask, why most biblical scholars, theologians and mainline denominations accept evolution with no problem at all.
Bill Nye could challenge Ken Ham with questions like these. Bill Nye could really make a statement about what Young Earth Creationism and biblical literalism is about. Bill Nye could pop Young Earth Creationism’s intellectual bubble and challenge the idea that the bible is a science text book.
Most christians who study the bible seriously figured out centuries ago that Genesis is not science. We figured out that Genesis is not making a scientific point, but a theological one. Genesis is not telling us how creation happened or what it happened with.
Genesis is telling something though. Genesis is telling us who created it all (God) and why (out of love). Genesis is reminding the faithful of the most important things to know about creation… about why we are here at all.
Many christians have known this truth about Genesis for a long time. Many christians have understood that an allegorical Genesis is not a threat to our faith, even though Young Earth Creationists are ready to stake their faith in Jesus on whether Adam (the mud creature) was a real dude 6000 years ago. And creationists do this because it is intellectually easier.
Understanding the truth about Genesis would mean doing a lot less pseudo science, and instead doing some scary biblical scholarship and asking some scary questions about God and Christian History. It would mean revising stances on gender issues, sexuality issues, economic issues, and theological ones. It is really inconvenient to revise one’s theology like that, and to be prepared to do it often. But the Church hasn’t crumbled with its greatest theological minds being totally okay with an allegorical Genesis, and we won’t be crumbling any time soon.
You can take the bible literally.
You can take the bible seriously.
So what would you say to Bill Nye or Ken Ham or me? Share in the comments, on twitter: @ParkerErik or on Facebook.
If you ever have a chance to see a play called “The Savannah Disputation” you really must go. A great dialogue much like what you propose for Bill Nye.
Thanks, Rev. I love this: ‘Most christians who study the bible seriously figured out centuries ago that Genesis is not science. We figured out that Genesis is not making a scientific point, but a theological one. Genesis is not telling us how creation happened or what it happened with… Genesis is telling us who created it all (God) and why (out of love). Genesis is reminding the faithful of the most important things to know about creation… about why we are here at all.’ Sharing now.
Reading this and the blog about how Christians have lost the argument before it had started has added a bit more of faith in something that I cannot touch or see. Would it be fair, I know that it has been suggested in the science community by religious scientists, to say that God had a hand in the big bang and so as you say that Genesis is just describing what the young earth looked like from a human perspective? I have had religion forced onto me when I was younger and thus turned me into a non-religious person. But if what you say is true about it all being an allegory then it is just a work of theologian art? I just can’t shake the thought that science and religion are just two little brothers bickering back and forth to their mother about who is right and who is wrong. Is it fair to think like this and have such an outlook as this? Who isn’t to say that there isn’t one huge field of study that can say “I had created both of you to be equal and important and that you are both right because each of you is just only one half of the whole picture?” I really am curious.
Racer 1898, you are definitely on the right track. I would point you to Denis Lamoureux’s view of creation (see link in post above) as an example of a more complementary view of science and religion. Fr. Georges Lamaitre who proposed The Big Bang theory definitely saw God behind it.
The important distinction to make is that science is about knowledge. It seeks to measure, calculate, observe and quantify physical universe. Theology is about meaning. It seeks to question and understand questions like “why are we here?”. Science cannot answer why questions and theology is not always the best and answering how. They need each other to fill in each other’s weaknesses.
So two sides of the same coin arguing as to who is right and who is wrong while even some who don’t want to see just one side and want to see both sides must look at the mold. But then why do people press the letter about both sides being wrong and the older Catholic Church preaching that science has no answers on some topics like how we originated. Granted I am going to express ignorance since I am not Catholic and from the films and of history records about long passed scientists that it seems like the Church was used to control? I’m just trying to sort it all out and not trying to offend anyone at all. Would it be to difficult to, I dunno, change what was taught and say that the Bible is an allegory and to actually understand what God wanted us to understand to look at the scientific side of the argument, the quantitative and the theories but always keeping in mind that he hid things for us to find to give us a purpose in life? I know it would be considered blasphemy in many circles but being from a scientific background and not very religious, I just want to see it all come together in a nice big picture.
Well, actually the Vatican currently accepts that Evolution is likely the process of our origins.
The bigger issue is that Genesis 1-11 are the battleground for the science vs. religion debate. And it is American Evangelicals in particular that seem to have the biggest issue. Genesis 1-11 contains the creations stories, the flood story and the tower of Babel story. After that, the bible becomes more historical reliable, but still cannot be consider a definitive history.
Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure, for example. The New Testament can be considered as several different sources in the regard. As well has historians like Josephus and Tacitus.
That just doesn’t make any sense, the only thing connecting the movie the and newspaper is that they are in the same room. Like the bible, many of the books and sources are only connected because they are in the same book (as compiled by people).
From what I have heard about most history is that the flood is true, that I will agree with. It’s just the whole right wing sector that has been emphasized so much that the culture has put a stereotype on the whole religion sector as a whole. That by the way is from my perspective, blasted Labeling Theory. But I do agree that the Bible is composed of many books and many authors. I agree that Adam and Eve are allegorical but I hardly think that Jesus was since he is apart of different cultures.
So let’s say that passage 1-11 were just non existent, would that help to bring the world to harmony? To find the song that would unite them all and bring the world to harmony? I know it’s all wishful thinking, I just don’t want to see a complete power struggle between two things that had a hand in creating the other.
It might help for Christianity to re-think Genesis 1-11, but people are too invested. There is too much time, energy and money that has gone into fighting evolution, that I think it will take generations for Christianity to get over this one.
There’s nothing to rethink. Stating that Genesis accounts are different is like saying the multiple accounts of Jesus’ birth, death and life contained in the gospels makes Jesus all sorts of things. It doesn’t. It’s just another account, or restatement.
It’s just an everlasting cyclical debate–on both sides. If we do believe that God has the power to create, why would it be a stretch to believe that he could create in 6 days? I’m not saying I disagree with evolution or big bang, just curious to know why it would be “unreasonable” to believe in Creationism. Allegory is tricky especially since it uses true symbols to point to other truths. So for example, if I say “the grass is greener on the other side” it can be both literal and allegorical. The grass could nevertheless be literally green, and yet the statement can also be proverbial, pointing to something beyond the truthfulness of green vegetation.
So could it be possible that a 6 day creation be literal, but that that wasn’t the writer’s focus. Her focus was to portray the Creatorship of God and the createdness of humanity.
Again, I’m not saying that evolution or creationism is true or untrue, I’m just asking why it would be unreasonable to have a “both/and” on the creationism side versus the acceptance of the “both/and” on the evolution side in the form of theistic evolution.
I think you raise important points, EJ. I have no doubt that God could created in 6 days if God wanted to.
My bigger issue is with what Genesis actually says, which is not how Young Earth Creationists represent Biblical Creation. What makes it unreasonable, is that our world doesn’t look like the picture of the 3 tiered universe I used in my post. It is kind of like claiming that Batman is real because there is someone out there actually named Bruce Wayne. And because Bruce Wayne exists, Batman is real, and did the exact same stuff that is in the comics.
Genesis’ point is not how is happened, and when we see that, the only story of how that we have to rely on is the scientific one.
But like Batman comics which point us to deep truths about good and evil, about heroes and villains, about our need for someone to save us, Genesis points us to who created and why.
I think that the bridge between science and religion that we are looking for to between science and religion is important. However, 6 Day creationism is neither science nor biblical.
LOL… Bruce Wayne>Batman = Real Cosmology>YEC…I like it haha..
Very nice article, but it stops logically short of what it implies.
I agree that it is obvious that Genesis is a very old story likely written down after generations of oral tradition. And it is surely an allegory for the cosmos. But why stop there? Can’t we accept that the notion of God as creator is itself an allegory — a mere supposition or oversimplification produced by a primitive mind to explain that which he could not comprehend?
There is no logical reason to accept that the details of the story are allegorical while insisting that the subject is literal. To assume humans were intentionally created and not just a by-product of a universe in motion (sharing our aliveness with countless other entities across the universe most probably), makes sense for a provincial mind just entering the Bronze Age. But it makes no logical sense to assume any oversight by any deity was required for our development. Nor should we assume any deity would care enough to guide our growth. That someone must be in the sky moving all the levers and pulleys it takes to make the world go is a reasonable supposition for a primitive mind. It is not worthy of an intelligent being, however.
The concept of God is quite an intellectual achievement, but it remains just that, a concept. When we take the existence of God literally we do ourselves the same disservice that fundamentalists do by taking the story of Genesis literally. We limit our appreciation for the vast truth that lays beyond our understanding. Call this Truth “God” if you like, but just remember there is no logical reason to assume this Vastness has agency or cares one whit about humanity.
Some will argue that the Universe needs a Creator. This is debatable, but even if true, such a position would not support any reason this Creator would need to be (or want to be) involved with some moderately successful multi-cellular organisms orbiting some average star in the suburbs of a mundane galaxy. Our egos convince us we must be important. Our developing intelligence must someday realize it is simply not true.
Brother Hermes, I think you miss one point. Your intellectual nature seeks logic. Emotions often are not based in logic. Belief in a Creator, in an afterlife, comforts the lonely. It tells them they are not really alone and that they are loved by someone, that they are important enough to be looked after. Belief provides comfort to the dying that they do not end, that there is more, and provides comfort to those left behind that those who have passed might be watching over them, and that they will see their beloved again. I am neither arguing for or against truth, but merely answering the question you ask of why, and why this need is still relevant today.
I think a belief in a deity does not diminish or limit our appreciation for what we do not understand, for discovery, too, can stem from passion. Regardless of what religion, if any, I ascribe to, I have emotions, and when I say goodbye to a loved one, I want there to be more. I don’t want them gone. For my own comfort, I find solace in the selfish belief that there is something more.
Now if we could only get all the faiths to coexist peacefully, to work together to unravel the secrets of the Universe, and to care for others with kindness!
Great reply, Jaz. I enjoyed reading it and thank you for taking the time to write it. I apologize for the length of my response, but it is an area of some fascination for me lately.
But that’s not what my post was about. It was about pointing out that if many of the stories of the Bible are allegorical, it is hard to argue convincingly that the subject matter isn’t also an allegory.
There’s a Zen saying something like, “When I point at the moon, don’t mistake my finger for the moon”. And the meaning of course is that we can never really know external reality (or Truth), we can only point to it. And the description or story about the thing (or finger pointing at the thing) shouldn’t be mistaken for the actual thing.
And I think this is what happens a lot with the Bible. Some folks take it literally word for word. This is fraught with problems, not the least of which are internal contradictions and the fact that some of what is said is provably wrong (e.g. the “firmament”). So other, perhaps more reflective, folks accept that the stories are devices intended to talk about God. My argument is that we should go yet one step further and consider that our concept of God is itself just another finger pointing at the moon.
People can choose to believe that God actually plucked a rib from Adam and made him a helpmate. Or they can choose to think this is a story God’s relationship with humanity. Or they can choose to see the entire notion of God as a kind of rough draft composed by a creature with a developing intellect to describe the nature of the Cosmos. When puzzling out what to believe, logic, as you rightly express, does not dictate what must be true. But everything we learn about the world suggests the universe is painted on a logical canvas, and things that are logical outcomes of other things are in far greater abundance than things which run counter to logical currents.
It is possible that some greater being or even “THE” greater being took a personal interest in the development of humanity, in much the same way it is possible that I might take a person interest in a wounded bird I happen upon in the woods. But the more we learn about universe the more we must keep revising our self-centered viewpoint. The Earth was once the center of our universe. Then it was the Sun, then our Solar system Perhaps our Milky Way. As our understanding expands outward, so must our capacity to realize that whatever the universe is, we are but players in the band. This is not the one man show we assumed in ancient times. This kind of development is not coincidentally similar to how a child must learn that he is not the center of the world. In our own minds, we are, of course. That is part of the psychology of being human. Hence it is no surprise that an early pass at explaining our role in the universe suggests a personal God tending to us like a Gardner with his prized orchid. How much more likely it is that we are one of many wildflowers in a field.
You do propose an interesting thought, an allegory inside an allegory. While this is within the realm of possibility, it is not likely. Writing an allegorical story about an allegorical concept of God is a convoluted interoperation of Genesis and goes against all scholarly assumptions that the simplest explanation is a better one. It is also clear, that within the framework of the biblical canon, God is not an allegory.
To your point about logic: At issue are two metaphysical assumptions, for which there is no proof or evidence either way. God exists or God does not. In this case, it is in fact reasonable (and therefore logical) to make either assumption, when it comes to understanding our origins. Both assumptions lead to greater depth and meaning, and a deeper understanding of humanity.
This is your site and I respect what you are doing here, so I will not argue the point further. I appreciate having been able to share my perspective.
Hermes, your writing is brilliant. Is there somewhere I can go to read more?
Please help me understand what the contradiction between geneses 1 & 2 is; I would like to but cannot from this text. I see two graphs and references to “three-tiered” but cannot understand what that means.
Is it “three-tiered” on one hand versus “two-tiered” (days 123 plus days 456) on the other? I have turned on notification for replies, so I hope someone can enlighten me, thank you.
Thanks for the reply! Good questions, hopefully I can explain a bit.
The 3-tiered universe is in reference to the first diagram in the post. The ancients didn’t believe what we know about the earth (that it is a round sphere circling the sin). The biblical understanding of the universe was that the earth was a flat surface, with a hard dome for a sky. Think of a table with, glass dome sitting on top. The sun, the moon, the stars were all imbedded in the dome.
Beneath the earth, was water. Above the earth was water. Above that water was God’s dwelling place. So the 3 tiers are 1. water 2. flat earth / hard dome sky 3. water again. Thus, we call that understanding of the universe, the 3-tiered universe.
The contradiction of Genesis 1 and 2, is that they tell different versions of creation. They are written in different styles, they have different orders of creation, they ever refers to God differently (Genesis 1 says Yahweh, Genesis 2 Elohim). In Genesis 1 God’s speaks and creates. In Genesis 2 God creates with God’s hands. In Genesis 1 God waits until the end to created human kind (male and female), in Genesis 2 God creates the Adam (which is not a name but the Hebrew word for ‘mud-creature’), and the Adam is created first. Then God splits the mud-creature into male and female at the end of the story.
There are further differences, but hopefully that explains things somewhat.
Ok. I get where you are coming from here. And let me be clear, I dont think anyone’s interpretation of Genesis 1 or 2 is getting them in, or keeping them out of heaven. But holy cow. Are you really going to bring canonical development into an argument over the interpretation of Genesis?!? It IS a silly question. An allegorical Genesis? That makes zero sense because it is full of specific historical accounts, even specific “allegorical” genealogies. Maybe you are really suggesting Genesis shouldnt be included in the Bible at all. Fine. I choose to believe God is in control and gave us exactly the books he intended, exactly as he intended them, despite humankind’s best efforts to muck things up.
The real reason most people have no problem accepting evolution and discarding a historically accurate (not scientific) Genesis 1 is because they dont give God enough credit. Does the trinity or free will/predestination fit with western logic/science? Of course not.
1. You don’t know either.
2. Our God is able to do more than we can possible imagine or hope to comprehend.
3. It is entirely possible God created an earth with age. He created Adam and Eve with age. They likely had bellybuttons. Why couldnt he create the earth with age as well?
4. What makes Christianity special and different is that it is a free gift. Anyone who accepts Christ’s sacrifice and has faith is granted eternal life. No works required! God could paint a big purple neon sign in the sky that says “Jesus is God deal with it” every day from 5:30 to 7. But that wouldn’t require much faith from us now would it? It follows that He wouldnt make origins explicit.
5. Ham is actually right on when he says evolution might explain a process but it explains nothing about the origin of life. It literally cant. Nye said as much. No one knows where the matter came from. There are so many holes in evolutionary science concerning how life first started, not to mention the fact that if we evolved over billions of years and have this massive fossil record… why arent there conclusive intermediary fossils showing the slow progression from one cell organism to humans? Its just that. Inconclusive.
You can spend your time trying to discredit the Bible and other people’s beliefs to reconcile your desire to have things make sense scientifically… But when it comes down to inclusive science vs an all powerful God, Ill take God having a hand in things every time.
Also, If you think a “big” question for young earth Christians is how Lemaitre “could propose the Big Bang Theory and still be a faithful Christian” you are not understanding what it means to be a Christian – or more specifically – how to spend eternity in Heaven. It has ZERO to do with how someone interprets Genesis 1. I dont agree with everything Ham had to say, but at least he made that point clear.
Nate, thanks for taking the time to read and respond to my post. I know that what I am saying might be new to you, but trust me it nothing new to Christianity.
Let me be clear. Ken Ham is a joke of scientist, but he is 0% biblical scholar. This is not about science, I don’t really care what the science says. This is about what the Bible says, and it is clear that Ken Ham has not really read the bible or studied real Christian scholarship and theology.
I would agree that a Christian’s interpretation does not affect “salvation.” In fact, our salvation is wholly determined God (I would suggest reading some Martin Luther on this).
I would also agree that God could create in 6 days, but that is not even close to what Genesis is talking about. Genesis is oral tradition, it is Hebrew poetry, it is a theological treatise.
So yes, we CAN all know that Genesis is an allegory on the scientific points of creation. You and I also both know, that Genesis is theological truth when it comes to WHO did the creating and why.
My view on Genesis is in line with the historical and tradition interpretations and theologies of Christianity. Young Earth Creation is new development, only at most, 150 years old.
Thanks for responding. I think its fair to say that Ham and Young Earthers are less about “science” than about the historical accuracy of Genesis vs being allegorical. (Im still not sure how genealogies can be allegorical) Its also worth noting that Ham’s whole deal is that no one was there so both evolution and creation cant be proven by scientific methods. He main argument is that creation cant be dis-proven… and thus it deserves a place alongside other origin theories. Of course that is up for debate.
It seems like you are saying you agree that God was the creator.
If that is the case – why have an allegorical account at all? Why not just, well, an account? The rest of the Genesis accounts are rather… detailed. I understand the poetry side of the original Hebrew and can appreciate the factors that go into textual criticism with modern day versions and agree that some parts of the Bible are allegorical. I just disagree that the poetry and writing style (even wrapped in a theological treatise) should *definitively* taint our view of an otherwise detailed historical narrative.
Again, your interpretation is allegorical, and I can appreciate that, but you can not say with 100% surety that the original author meant it allegorically. Of course no one can!
You mentioned reading Martin Luther. Im sure you can appreciate then, my point that it shouldn’t matter whose view is in line with the historical and traditional interpretations and theologies of Christianity. Or that Young Earth Creation ideas are less than 150 years old. Or especially that they dont represent Christian Orthodoxy!
I just don’t think its fair to take such a critical and condemning tone over a theological difference that I think we both agree isn’t eternally significant. Whatever else, Ham did present the salvation message on a stage that has been viewed over 800,000 times on youtube and no doubt raised awareness and interest in Genesis and the Bible. Young Earth or not, that is commendable.
Let me be clear about where I am coming from. I am not a “liberal” Jesus seminar Christian, or Jesus as spiritual teacher and example Christian, or we are all part of the divine.
However, we are also required to obtain a Masters of Divinity from an accredited Association of Theological Schools seminary. That means not just studying text criticism, but also historical, literary, structural criticisms etc… That means Greek and Hebrew. That means graduate level theological and biblical studies.
I am not trying to boast in my credentials. I trying to highlight a key difference. This is the difference between professional, scholarly theology and pop theology. Ken Ham is a pop theologian, and Young Earth Creation is Pop Theology. Young Earth Creation does not really take Genesis seriously. I mean that in the kindest way possible. Ken Ham is trying to advocate Bishop Usshers addition of genealogies, not the scriptural witness. These genealogies are not historical lists. They are theological ones, they contain ages that multiplied by holy numbers like 7 and 12. The people in them are there for theological reasons.
Young Earth Creation is not Christian Orthodoxy. If you notice, none of the creeds mention how many days creation took. They are primarily concerned with the fact that God did the creating. St. Augustine, the author of the doctrine of original sin, wouldn’t become a Christian in the first place unless he was assured that the Bible could be understood allegorically in parts. Martin Luther called the bible, “the manger that holds the Christ.” Professional theologians understand that the Bible is not to be worshipped, that the Bible in an incarnational book. It is divine accommodation, God speaking to us in ways that we can understand, which means in a way that is time bound, language bound, and scientific advancement bound. It means time bound for the people the bible talks about, the people who wrote the bible, and we who read the bible.
For example, when Jesus says to the disciples that the mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth, we know that is incorrect. Orchid seeds are much smaller, microscopic seeds. Does that mean none of what Jesus says is true? By heavens no. It means that it would have been absurd for Jesus to pull a microscope out from under his robe to show the disciples orchid seeds. Jesus/ God spoke to the disciples in terms they could understand. The science was not part of the message, the point about the Kingdom of God was the message.
Another example, when throughout all the bible women are the only ones who are considered to be barren, we know that is incorrect. Men can be infertile too. The ancient near eastern understanding of reproduction was that sperm, eggs and wombs were like seeds and fields. Seeds were like tiny containers for miniature versions of what they flowered into – plants, or people. If the seed didn’t grow, the field was barren. So when God made women like Sarah, Lean and Rachel conceive did God use ancient science? Or is the message that God is present is creative processes of life?
Here is my concern about Young Earth Creationism as an ordained Pastor with 8 years of university level theology. If my church members were eating pop-tarts for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch and kraft dinner for supper every single day, I would tell them to get some fruit and vegetables. YEC is pop-tarts, hot dogs and kraft dinner. It is a processed, unhealthy way to read the bible. Responsible biblical scholarship is the fresh foods, fruit and vegetables, fresh breads and meats, healthy wholesome food of Christianity.
It is my job, my responsibility, my call, to call out unhealthy biblical scholarship. Young Earth Creationism is just that.
I started confirmation in the early 90’s at a huge LCMS church in central Florida. Well by started I mean I went to the first week (where everyone is together in the fellowship hall and they explain what confirmation is) and about 15 minutes of the next week when we began genesis…Then I was asked to leave. Apparently LCMS ladies in their 60’s don’t appreciate 11-yr olds explaining evolution via basic common sense and Voyage of the MiMi. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvz1Ey2JipI).
I didn’t go back to church until after my first child was born and I felt the call to return. I found an ELCA church and the pastor decided I would be fine with a speedy self study of the Small Catechism and Affirmation of Faith before celebrating my first communion at the age of 24 and my infant’s baptism (took my entire catechism training period to find a boys gown).
We’ve moved to Tennessee since then and now we belong to an amazing ELCA church, which we to drive over an hour to at least once a week. I teach my nerd children that the story of creation was a way for a younger humanity who had not yet developed scientific thought to understand how we and our environment came to be. Essentially we are God’s children, and in the case of creation- it was akin to victorians and their stories of storks and cabbage patches. | 2019-04-25T04:24:51Z | https://millennialpastor.net/2014/01/17/bill-nye-and-ken-ham-why-the-bible-convinced-me-young-earth-creationism-isnt-science/ |
Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a major clinical problem that constitutes a tremendous economic burden on healthcare systems. Deep tissue injury (DTI) is a unique serious type of pressure ulcer that arises in skeletal muscle tissue. DTI arises in part because skeletal muscle tissues are more susceptible than skin to external compression. Unfortunately, few effective therapies are currently available for muscle injury. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a potent mitogen and survival factor for various cells, plays a crucial role in the regulation of muscle development and homeostasis. The main purpose of this study was to test whether local administration of bFGF could accelerate muscle regeneration in a rat DTI model.
Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (age 12 weeks) were individually housed in plastic cages and a DTI PU model was induced according to methods described before. Animals were randomly divided into three groups: a normal group, a PU group treated with saline, and a PU group treated with bFGF (10 μg/0.1 ml) subcutaneously near the wound.
We found that application of bFGF accelerated the rate of wound closure and promoted cell proliferation and tissue angiogenesis. In addition, compared to saline administration, bFGF treatment prevented collagen deposition, a measure of fibrosis, and up-regulated the myogenic marker proteins MyHC and myogenin, suggesting bFGF promoted injured muscle regeneration. Moreover, bFGF treatment increased levels of myogenesis-related proteins p-Akt and p-mTOR.
Our findings show that bFGF accelerated injured skeletal muscle regeneration through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and suggest that administration of bFGF is a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of skeletal muscle injury in PUs.
Pressure ulcers (PUs) are defined as localized breakdown ulcerated tissue caused by sustained mechanical pressure in the body support interface. The prevalence of PUs in the USA is 3 million, and PUs are a particularly common problem among older adults in all health care settings . PUs are a major source of morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. The annual cost of PUs in the USA is estimated to be between USD 9.1 billion and USD 11.6 billion and is expected to increase with the drastic growth of the elderly population, the cohort who are most susceptible to PUs.
The term of “Deep Tissue Injury (DTI)” was put forward by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) to define a unique type of PUs that develop as a consequence of damage to underlying soft tissues, such as muscles and bones. DTI develop into cavity-shaped large open wounds that when undiagnosed or not treated in a timely manner can lead to complications such as sepsis, myocardial infarction, renal failure, and multiple organ dysfunction . Pressure, shear, and ischemia have been identified as causes of PUs, and at the cellular and molecular levels, oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis play important roles in the development and progression of pressure-induced DTI [4, 5].
Skeletal muscle injury and repair are complex processes, involving degeneration, inflammation, regeneration, and fibrosis. Skeletal muscle tissue regeneration occurs through the activation of satellite cells, a population of quiescent myogenic cells, located between the basal lamina and plasma membrane of the muscle fiber [6, 7]. Upon skeletal muscle injury, satellite cells proliferate and differentiate into mature myotubes that facilitate skeletal muscle regeneration . However, it is generally assumed that the mere presence of satellite cells is insufficient to ensure rapid functional recovery of injured muscle. The release of appropriate growth factors, cytokines, and the establishment of a suitable microenvironment are also important in an effective myogenic response [9, 10].
Among the molecules thought to be involved in the myogenic response, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) have diverse roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and survival in most mesoderm and neuroectoderm-derived cells . The FGF family protein basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent mitogen and performs different biological roles in tissue repair and regeneration [12, 13]. A study has shown that while bFGF messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts can be detected in myotubes in non-injured muscle, in a muscle injury model, bFGF mRNA can be observed not only in myoblasts but also in degenerating and regenerated myotubes, suggesting that bFGF plays a role in the myogenic program . Though bFGF is widely used to treat diabetic ulcers, gastric ulcers, surgical wounds, burns, and even spinal cord injury , few studies have focused on the role of bFGF in DTI. Thus, we aimed to determine whether bFGF could ameliorate skeletal muscle injury and improve regeneration of injured skeletal muscle.
Our previous study showed that bFGF promotes full-thickness excisional wound healing and reduces scar formation . In the present study, application of bFGF was extended to ischemia/reperfusion-mediated DTI PU in rats. The effects of bFGF treatment on DTI were evaluated by measuring cell proliferation, angiogenesis, myogenesis, collagen deposition, and activation of signaling pathways.
Anti-Akt, anti-p-Akt (Ser473), anti-CD31, anti-actin primary antibodies, and appropriate secondary antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA, USA). Anti-mTOR and anti-p-mTOR antibodies were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Danvers, MA, USA). Anti-myogenin and anti-MyHC antibodies were obtained from Abcam (Abcam, Cambridge, MA). All other reagents used were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA).
This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee for Experimental Animals of Wenzhou Medical University. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (age 12 weeks) were purchased from the Animal Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and housed under standard conditions. Animals were individually housed in plastic cages, and a DTI PU model was induced according to methods described in a previous study . Additional file 1 provided detailed information on DTI model and experiment design. Animals were randomly divided into three groups: a normal group, a PU group treated with saline, and a PU group treated with bFGF. For the PU group treated with bFGF, bFGF solution (10 μg/0.1 ml) was injected subcutaneously near the wound on the left side every other day beginning at 0 day after DTI model, while equivalent volumes of saline were injected on the right side. The reason for choosing high dose of bFGF due to our pilot study demonstrated that 1.0 and 5.0 μg dose of bFGF could not promote deep tissue wound healing after 14-day treatment. Photos of the experimental wounds were taken with a ruler at the different time points, and wound area was assessed using NIH Image J software.
Histopathological examination by hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining and interstitial collagen deposition examination by Masson’s trichrome staining were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as previously described . Images were acquired at ×200 magnification on a Nikon digital camera.
Immunohistochemical analyses were performed with the use of primary antibodies against CD31 (1:300) and PCNA (1:200) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as previously described . Images were acquired at ×200 magnification on a Nikon digital camera.
Immunofluorescence analyses were performed with the use of primary antibodies against CD31 (1:100) or myogenin (1:250) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as previously described . Cellular nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst 33258. Labeled sections were imaged at ×200 magnification using a Nikon digital camera.
Total protein was extracted from skeletal muscle using protein extraction reagents. Western blot analyses were performed with the use of primary antibodies against myogenin (1:500), MyHC (1:500), Akt, p-Akt (1:500), mTOR, p-mTOR (1:1000), or actin (1:1000) as previously described . The protein bands were visualized and analyzed using the ChemiDicTM XRS+ Imaging System (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA, USA).
Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was determined by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test for comparison of three or more experimental conditions. For all statistical comparisons, p values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
We found that in rats with experimentally induced DTI PUs, local subcutaneous injection of bFGF significantly decreased wound areas starting at the seventh day after DTI induction. The reduction in wound area was consistently observed until the end of the observation period, which was the 21st day after DTI (Additional file 1: Fig. S2A). Initial wound size was consistent between groups, as wound area of saline was 72.97 ± 1.181 mm2 and that of bFGF-treated rats was 73.11 ± 1.275 mm2 (P > 0.05) on the day of wound induction. For the saline and bFGF groups’ wound areas on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after DTI induction were as follows: 4th day, 50.60 ± 3.316 mm2 vs. 44.46 ± 2.197 mm2 (P < 0.05); 7th day, 47.50 ± 1.467 mm2 vs. 37.77 ± 1.110 mm2 (P < 0.05); 14th day, 33.73 ± 1.326 mm2 vs. 16.64 ± 1.197 mm2 (P < 0.05); and 21st day, 22.89 ± 0.835 mm2 vs. 10.32 ± 0.447 mm2 (P < 0.05), respectively (Additional file 1: Fig. S2B).
HE staining was carried out to examine tissue histology at various time points after DTI induction. Broadened interstitial space, structural fractures, and even mild edema were observed in injured muscle tissue compared to normal uninjured tissue, suggesting the degeneration of skeletal muscle in regions of compressed muscle in PUs (Fig. 1a). In addition, while high infiltration of inflammatory cells likely intermingled with proliferating myoblasts and other cell types (e.g., pericytes and fibro-adipogenic precursors) was observed in injured rat administrated saline, the degree of inflammatory cell (mixed population of neutrophils and macrophages) infiltration was reduced on the 4th day after injured in rats treated with bFGF. Few newly regenerated myotubes and myofibers (centro-nucleated), which are the index of muscle regeneration, were found in saline group, while application of bFGF obviously increased the centro-nucleated myofibers on the 7th and 14th days after injury. In addition, in the bFGF group, most damaged myofibers were cleared and replaced by newly formed myofibers containing centralized nuclei as compared to saline group. This was evidenced by a smaller number of interstitial nuclei on the 14th day after DTI. Furthermore, interstitial space was smaller, and skeletal muscle cells were more uniform on the 21st day after injury in the bFGF-treated rats compared to the saline-treated rats.
To characterize the fibrotic area in injured muscle tissues, Masson’s trichrome staining was performed. In the bFGF group, collagen deposition, a measure of fibrosis, was notably lower than that in the saline group on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days after injury, while no difference in collagen deposition was observed on the 4th day, but more myofibers were found in bFGF-treated group (Fig. 1b). These results indicate that the administration of bFGF enhanced injured skeletal muscle regeneration, prevented collagen deposition, and improved muscle recovery after injury.
Our immunohistochemistry results showed that the cell proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells were found both in normal group and PU group, the number of PCNA-positive cells was much higher after DTI, suggesting compensatory repair was activated after injury. The number of PCNA-positive cells was increased 2.3-fold on the 4th day after injury (P < 0.01), peaked on the 7th day (2.5-fold, P < 0.01), and was induced 1.3-fold (P < 0.05), and 2.1-fold (P < 0.05) on the 14th and 21st days after bFGF treatment, respectively. These results suggest that bFGF contributes to myocyte proliferation and regeneration in damaged skeletal muscle tissue (Fig. 2a, c). Similar temporal change expression was observed for CD31, an endothelial cell marker. The number of CD31-positive cells was up-regulated 1.4-fold (P < 0.05) on the 4th day, peaked on the 7th day (1.8-fold, P < 0.05), and was induced 1.7-fold (P < 0.05) and 1.2-fold (P > 0.05) on the 14th and 21st days after the administration of bFGF, respectively (Fig. 2b, d). Capillary density was detected by CD31 immunofluorescence staining. Consistent with previous data, labeling of vasculature by CD31 immunofluorescence showed that bFGF treatment induced greater neovascularization around injury area compared to saline administration. Treatment with bFGF induced a 1.4-fold (P < 0.05), 1.6-fold (P < 0.05), 1.5-fold (P < 0.05), and 1.2-fold (P > 0.05) increase in the number of vascular at 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after injury, respectively, suggesting that bFGF effectively promoted angiogenesis and improved the conditions of ischemia reperfusion injury in PUs (Fig. 2e, f). Taken together, the results demonstrated that the level of neovascularization was much higher in bFGF group on the 7th and 14th days after injury, likely due to the known role of bFGF in facilitating angiogenesis.
Protein levels of the myogenic markers myogenin and MyHC were detected by western blot. Levels of myogenin were markedly up-regulated in the bFGF group compared to those in the saline group. Specifically, bFGF treatment resulted in myogenin levels that were induced 2.4-fold (P < 0.05) on the 4th day, peaked on the 7th day (3.2-fold, P < 0.05), were induced 1.3-fold (P < 0.05) on the 14th day, and were significantly decreased (0.2-fold, P < 0.05) on the 21st day (Fig. 3a, b). The protein levels of MyHC were also notably increased in bFGF group compared to the saline group. The protein levels of MyHC were induced 1.4-fold on the 4th day (P > 0.05), peaked on the 7th day (2.2-fold, P < 0.05) and 14th day (2.1-fold, P < 0.05), and were induced 1.6-fold (P < 0.05) on the 21st day (Fig. 3a, c). Immunofluorescence staining showed that myogenin was distributed in the nuclei of the skeletal muscle cells. Consistent with results of western blot, immunofluorescence staining showed that bFGF administration, compared to saline administration, increased the number of myogenin-positive cell 1.7-fold (P > 0.05), 3.6-fold (P < 0.05), 1.3-fold (P < 0.05), and 0.5-fold (P < 0.05) on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after injury, respectively (Fig. 3d, e).
Activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway protects the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury . To investigate whether PI3K-Akt is involved in muscular regeneration, levels of phosphorylated Akt, and mTOR, which are the active forms of the proteins, were determined by western blot analysis. Levels of p-Akt were significantly decreased (0.7-fold, P < 0.05) after treatment with bFGF compared to saline group on the 4th day after injury. In contrast, on the 7th, 14th, and 21st days after injury, p-Akt levels were induced 1.7-fold (P < 0.05), 2.3-fold (P < 0.05), and 1.8-fold (P < 0.05) in the bFGF group compared to the saline group (Fig. 4a, b). A similar temporal expression pattern was found for p-mTOR. Specifically, p-mTOR levels were induced 0.4-fold (P < 0.05), 1.6-fold (P < 0.05), 1.4-fold (P < 0.05), and 2.0-fold (P < 0.05) in bFGF group on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after injury, respectively (Fig. 4a, c). The up-regulation of the activities of these proteins suggest that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is involved in the protection of bFGF in skeletal muscle regeneration after DTI.
PU is a serious and challenging health problem due to its widely variable and complex pathophysiology. The development of DTI after injury is multifactorial and mechanistically complex. The results in this study show that bFGF protected against compression-induced pathohistological damage in skeletal muscle through the promotion of cell proliferation, neovascularization, and up-regulation of MyHC and myogenin protein levels. We also suggest that activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway may be involved in the regenerative effects of bFGF on injured skeletal muscle.
The major repair processes in response to muscle injury consist of a destruction phase, a repair phase, and a remodeling phase . The destruction phase is characterized by the formation of a hematoma, necrosis of myofibers, degeneration, and inflammatory cell infiltration . In our study, compressed muscle injury (in the saline group) leads to histopathological characteristics consistent with those of the destruction phase, specifically loss of muscle fibers, decreased fiber size, cellular swelling, inflammation infiltration, multiple focal necrosis, massive nuclei aggregation in interstitial space, and excess collagen deposition. These results are consistent with findings reported by Siu et al. . Since the presence of degenerative characteristics was demonstrated in the underlying muscle tissue, this experimental model resembled pressure-induced DTI in a clinical situation [1, 22]. Excessive development of fibrosis hinders muscle regeneration and prevents full recovery, and reduction of fibrosis improves muscle regeneration in injured skeletal muscle . In the current study, administration of bFGF accelerated wound healing and decreased wound areas. These changes were associated with increased formation of new myofibers and decreased fibrosis, ultimately improving recovery of skeletal muscle tissue.
Cell proliferation plays an essential role in the repair and regeneration of a number of types of damaged tissues. Expression of PCNA is also induced after skeletal injury. Song et al. demonstrated that PCNA significantly increased after burn and was associated with increased gene and protein expression of the myogenesis markers Pax7 and myogenin . Moreover, muscle injury induced by intramuscular injection of bupivacaine hydrochloride in the soleus also significantly up-regulated , suggesting that up-regulation of cell proliferation also facilitates injured muscle regeneration. In our study, though PCNA-positive cells were found both in normal group and PU group, the number of PCNA-positive cells was higher in those with PUs. In addition, the number of PCNA-positive cells was significantly increased after bFGF treatment.
Impairment of the microcirculation after ischemic/reperfusion injury is a critical component in the pathogenesis of DTI. Vascular ingrowth into the muscle injury site is necessary to provide an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the injured tissue and is correlated with the speed and quality of tissue repair. The effects of bFGF on neovascularization, along with other positive effects on tissue repair, have been investigated by the administration of bFGF on ischemia/reperfusion animal models . Lee et al. demonstrated that local bFGF infusion into an ischemic limb not only promoted increased blood vessel density in the distal ischemic muscles but was also associated with the restoration of impaired muscle function . Thus, it is reasonable to speculate that bFGF promotes angiogenesis, thereby increasing the blood supply to the injury site and facilitating injured muscle regeneration. Consistent with this idea, our data demonstrated that the number of CD31-positive cells and the capillary density at the injury site were significantly up-regulated after bFGF treatment.
Myogenin belongs to the family of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) which are composed of MyoD, myogenin, myf-5, and myf-6, and its expression is rapidly followed by terminal withdrawal from the cell cycle and expression of muscle-specific structural proteins . MRFs play an important role in myoblast differentiation and in the formation of multinucleated myotubes, facilitating injured muscle regeneration [29, 30]. Mofarrahi et al. showed that Angiopoietin-1 increased expression of the MRFs (MyoD and Myogenin) and enhanced skeletal muscle regeneration in response to fiber injury . The MyHC protein is critical for physiological muscle function , and like MRFs, serves as a myogenic marker in muscle development and regeneration. In our study, myogenin expression level peaked on the 7th, and 14th day after injury, and significantly decreased on the 21st day, suggesting that bFGF facilitated myogenesis, as indicated by higher MyHC expression levels. This temporal profile of myogenin expression implied that bFGF exerted its biological roles during the first 2 weeks after injury.
Muscle mass is controlled by complex cell signaling pathways that regulate muscle protein synthesis and degradation. The serine/threonine protein kinase Akt is an important mediator of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling in different tissues and regulates multiple aspects of cellular functions, including survival, growth, and metabolism . The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a downstream component of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, plays a regulatory role in translation initiation, protein synthesis, and muscle hypertrophy . Akt has been shown to induce transcription of muscle-specific genes, resulting in myoblast differentiation [35, 36]. Furthermore, the Akt/mTOR pathway is a crucial regulator of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and can prevent muscle atrophy . Previous studies have reported that PI3K activity is necessary for the activation of the myogenic program . Consistent with this, the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway is activated in muscles after acute contusion in mice . bFGF-mediated activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway is a potent mediator of muscle differentiation and protects the heart against ischemia/reperfusion injury [19, 40]. In our study, bFGF treatment significantly induced phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, thereby activating them. The phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR was in turn associated with increased cell proliferation, differentiation, and myogenesis. However, on the 4th day after injury, phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR was notably decreased in bFGF-treated rats compared to those in the saline group. We speculated that this decrease in the bFGF-treated group may be related to macrophage phagocytosis, which leads to bFGF degradation. Therefore, the development of new drug delivery systems that can protect the protein against degradation should be the focus of future studies.
As we described above, satellite cells function as adult muscle stem cells and are responsible for regenerating muscle. Previous studies have demonstrated that bFGF mRNA is expressed by skeletal satellite cells and that bFGF enhances satellite cell proliferation . Another study reported that fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR1 and FGFR4) were expressed at relatively high levels in quiescent satellite cells, and ablation of FGFR1 impaired bFGF-mediated proliferation of satellite cells at the myofibers niche but did not abolish the capacity for muscle regeneration , suggesting a more complex relationship between FGF-mediated satellite cell proliferation and regeneration. However, in our study, we did not explore the intricacies of the mechanisms underlying bFGF-mediated satellite cell proliferation and regeneration in the DTI model, so further study is warranted. The results of our study showed that bFGF activated PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, but it remains unclear that whether this pathway is an essential pathway improving recovery of injured skeletal muscle, though Akt/mTOR pathway is a crucial regulator of skeletal muscle hypertrophy and prevents muscle atrophy . Further studies using knock-out mice should explore the role of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling in the recovery of injured skeletal muscle. Another defect in our study is whether ERK1/2 is involved in bFGF-induced injured skeletal muscle recovery. As we have known, ERK1/2 signaling is one of downstream pathways of FGF family protein , and activation of ERK1/2 is also related to injured muscle regeneration . Therefore, whether ERK1/2 signaling pathway is involved in the bFGF-promoted injured muscle recovery needs further study.
Our results showed that DTI induced skeletal muscle degradation and that bFGF improved injured skeletal muscle recovery. We propose that bFGF improves skeletal muscle recovery by promoting cell proliferation and angiogenesis and facilitating myogenesis via activating the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that bFGF can be developed as a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of PUs, especially DTI, in clinical trials.
This manuscript has been thoroughly edited by a native English speaker from an editing company. Editing Certificate will be provided upon request.
This study was supported by research grants from the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Funding (LY14H150008), the National Natural Science Funding of China (81372064, 81472165, and 81572237), the Zhejiang Provincial Program of Medical and Health Science (2014KYA131), the Wenzhou Program of Science and Technology (Y20140003), and the State Key Basic Research Development Program (2012CB518105).
The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are available in the Open Science Framework repository in https://osf.io/um3s9/.
LP-J, JX, HY-Z, and XB-F designed the study. HH-X, XH-W, HX-S, JJ-Z, and YY-P conducted the research. HX-S and HH-X analyzed the data. CL, FF-C, PT-C, and YZ contributed the essential reagents/materials/analysis tools. HX-S and HH-X wrote the article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The animal study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee for Experimental Animals of Wenzhou Medical University. | 2019-04-22T07:07:05Z | https://burnstrauma.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41038-016-0051-y |
Invasive lionfish hunting in the waters off Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
I remember seeing my first lionfish in the wild. It was on a fairly degraded reef in less-than-sparkling water within site of the capital of a small developing island nation. We’re not talking the type of water clarity you see in the live-aboard brochure or on National Geographic specials. I recall feeling not at all at ease—the chaotic boat traffic, copious flotsam, ghost fishing gear, and the murky conditions. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about the lack of shoreside diver support—heck, this country didn’t even have a tourist industry, much the less dive tourism.
The small pack of lionfish emerged from the shadowy confines of a coral head rising up from a silt bottom. They were, undoubtedly, majestic but also (I’ll admit now) a little intimidating. Otherworldly perhaps—their spines jutted out like arrayed plumage on the many gratuitously gregarious tropical birds in the rainforested hills behind the low, hulking mass of the capital. The lionfish were at once beautiful and menacing. Majestic and predatory. Clearly “lionfish” is a good name, I remember thinking as I watched the nearest fish’s big eye lock on me. The animal posed absolutely no risk to me—I want to be clear about that—yet I still felt compelled to give it and its compatriots a wide birth.
I’ve seen many more lionfish in the wild since that first experience, and, like many divers, my attitude toward them has shifted somewhat. Seen in their endemic range throughout the Indo-Pacific, they still amaze me, but when spotted on a Florida reef or a wreck of the coast of North Carolina, they elicit an emotion more akin to rage. They don’t belong here, and yet they’re here in huge numbers and with no natural predators. Nobody really knows how many there are, but biologists will tell you there are enough to have already altered the ecosystem—to have severely impacted native fish populations. Lionfish in the Atlantic, throughout the Caribbean, in the Gulf of Mexico, and now established in both Columbia and Venezuela are synonymous with the terms like “injurious” and “invasive” when exotic, feral wildlife is discussed.
Is an Indo-Pacific lionfish loose in the tropical Atlantic really a problem?
Consider what has been published as peer-reviewed science. In the invaded range, lionfish are reaching sizes (almost 50 cm or 20 inches) much larger than in their native range and have been shown capable of reducing the biomass of the native prey fish community by an average of 65%—with some sites reduced by more than 90%.
A lionfish can consume prey larger than half its own body size, and more than 64 prey species have been documented from a single lionfish stomach. Lionfish reproduce year-round in the warmer portions of the invaded range with each female producing around 30,000 eggs per spawning event and as often as every 4 days or so. When confronted with these and other data, most observers agree the lionfish invasion constitutes a problem of massive proportions.
John Halas (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary), left, and Lad Akins (REEF) with the first lionfish reported and removed from the Florida Keys in January 2009.
“We’ve been heavily involved in this issue for a number of years,” says Lad Akins, Director of Special Projects for Key Largo, Florida-based Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). Founded in 1990, REEF is an organization composed of divers and other marine enthusiasts committed to ocean conservation through contributing to the understanding and protection of marine populations. REEF’s primary tool is essentially citizen science—volunteer fish monitoring and survey work that informs the work of scientists, marine park staff, and the general public.
“Lionfish were one of the non-native species that people started to report in their surveys,” says Akins, “but it really wasn’t until 2004, when we started seeing lionfish in the Bahamas, that we realized this was an expanding and increasing problem. We realized it had the potential to become something pretty serious.” Akins says that’s when REEF started doing more than just casual record-keeping regarding lionfish. Since then, REEF has been “seriously involved” in lionfish education, research and policy.
The trouble is that those effective efforts are really only occurring at popular recreational dive sites. While innovative chefs with an eye toward environmental concerns have turned lionfish into a meal to be appreciated, it’s going to take a lot more lionfish tacos to solve the problem. Building recreational and commercial lionfish food fisheries have been a step in the right direction in harvesting lionfish, but a major problem is that the food fisheries target only the large specimens, while the diver removal focuses only on a limited number of sites. More is needed.
Akins is generally supportive of two identical lionfish bills introduced last week to the Florida Legislature. The bills, which are identical at this point with one filed in the House and the other in the Senate, would ban the importation and aquaculture of all lionfish within the genus Pterois.
Dr. Stephanie Green of Oregon State University documenting lionfish populations, impacts and effectiveness of removal efforts in the Bahamas.
Akins likes the bills because they likely would address the portion of the lionfish population currently overlooked by fishers and recreational divers. Banning the importation of lionfish to the state would, according to many supporters of the bills, remove the primary source of lionfish introductions and encourage the trade in invasive lionfish. A lionfish ban and booming trade in Florida lionfish, so the bills’ backers contend, could create additional economic incentive to get the fish out of the water, while preventing gene pool enrichment from the Indo-Pacific. This would hopefully lead to an inbreeding bottleneck somewhere down the road that could prove wonderfully catastrophic to the invasive population.
The bills address a situation that has some people scratching their heads. You’ve heard the stories of the massive pythons in the Everglades eating their way through indigenous species, right? Some Florida natural resource agency officials, as well as legislators, see the lionfish in much the same light. Many simply think it is ludicrous that animals with the potential to do such harm are legally imported into the state for something as “trivial” as a hobby.
It is legal and common practice for marine aquarium trade operators in Florida to import large numbers of non-native reef species for the aquarium trade. The same is true for trade operators in other states, but, with the exception of Hawaii, none of those other states provide viable habitat for most invasive reef aquarium animals. In Florida, it is generally believed that while several vectors for the introduction of non-native marine life exist, the marine aquarium trade is one of the major sources. A 2009 NOAA publication documents more than 30 non-native marine fish species that have been spotted in Florida waters. Almost all of those are fishes commonly sold for aquarium use.
Some supporters of the two lionfish ban bills believe working with the aquarium trade on lionfish control initiatives could be very productive. In fact, the bills are drafted in such a way that aquarium fishers would be incentivized to harvest greater numbers of invasive lionfish. “Marine life collectors visit areas that are not dived by the recreational dive community,” says Akins, “and their efforts…can also help reduce the populations and impacts of lionfish in non-dived sites.” Further, Akins points out, the aquarium fishery would likely target juvenile lionfish, which both the emerging recreational and commercial food fisheries may pass over.
The Blame Game – What’s Wrong with the Bills?
The idea that a ban on importing or farming lionfish would provide enough incentive to make a dent in Florida’s invasive lionfish population doesn’t hold much water with with Sandy Moore, vice president of Florida-based Segrest Farms. Segrest is one of the largest aquarium trade importers in the country.
“They’re everywhere,” say many divers in Florida and Caribbean waters of exotic lionfish juveniles.
While some say the “how” of the lionfish introduction is really beside the point, others feel it is important to address the root causes of the so-called lionfish invasion, and not everyone agrees with Moore’s assertion that the aquarium trade is not to blame. As Moore points out, it’s been argued for some time that ship ballast water is to blame for the introduction of lionfish in Florida. In this scenario, a ship at an Indo-Pacific port within the native range of the lionfish takes on water for ballast and then pumps that water out once it reaches a destination port in Florida. Whatever was pumped in from the one biogeographic region is then pumped out in another, causing the introduction of non-native species. The ballast argument is so often repeated that it’s become a de facto truth for many, but the plural of anecdote is not data.
While ballast water, as well as shipping in general, has been shown to be the source of several well-documented introductions of non-native species—typically hull fouling organisms, the data do not support ballast water as the likely cause of lionfish introductions to south Florida.
“Ballast water is not thought to be a vector from the native range, as little shipping into South Florida comes from the Indo-Pacific,” says Akins, who has also heard the ballast water argument. “Most ships treat or exchange ballast water prior to entering nearshore waters, and lionfish are not likely to be introduced into ship bilges from their traditional habitat near the bottom, especially since the density of lionfish in the native range is very low.” Peer reviewed scientific literature is clear on this point, and larval fish experts scoff at the notion that lionfish larvae could survive the trip in a dark bilge.
Not everyone in the aquarium trade in Florida thinks the bills are misguided or need significant re-working. “I am personally in support of banning importation of all species [of] lionfish into the U.S.,” says Ben Daughtry, vice president of operations of Marathon-based Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc. Dynasty Marine supplies public aquariums, research institutions and pet stores with marine livestock from Florida and the Caribbean. While Daughtry is also vice president of the Florida Marine Life Association (FMLA), he says FMLA has not yet come out with an official position on the bills.
These concerns are raised almost one year to the day after many aquarists learned of the Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act (HR 996), a piece of legislation introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY). HR 996 aimed to create an “accepted” or “white list” of common domesticated animals that could be imported and kept legally in the U.S. A likely result, aquarists feared, would be that most animals kept by marine aquarists could be banned. HR 996 never made it out of committee, but many in the marine aquarium trade and hobby remain wary of any legislative initiative that could impact the keeping of reef animals.
Captured juvenile Pterois sp. lionfish, increasingly a target for aquarium trade collectors and “Lionfish Derby” diver competitions.
“Draconian” to Ban the Whole Genus?
At present, only two of the ten species of lionfish in the genus Pterois are considered established and invasive in Florida waters. They are P. miles (commonly called the Common Lionfish, Miles Lionfish or Devil Firefish) and P. volitans (commonly called the Volitan, Volitans or Red Lionfish, although there is also a black color morph that is sometimes imported for the trade). Over 90 percent of the invasive population is made up of P. volitans. The remainder is made up of P. miles. The two species, especially as juveniles, are often misidentified in trade. Other lionfish in the genus that are available in the North American marine aquarium trade include the Mombasa Lionfish (Pterois mombasae), Russell’s Lionfish (Pterois russelli), the Radiata Lionfish (Pterois radiata), and the Antennata Lionfish (Pterois antennata).
The Volitan is by far the most popular species of lionfish for aquarists with recent import data showing that more Volitans are imported for the trade than all the other species combined. Retail prices for juvenile Volitans often begin around $35 with almost twice that much being paid for the so-called Black Volitan. The other lionfish species currently established in Florida waters (P. Miles) can sell for twice what a Volitan costs. The Radiata Lionfish and the Mombasa Lionfish can both fetch upwards of $60-$70, while the Russell’s Lionfish and the Antennata Lionfish frequently retail for under $30. There has been some talk of selling Florida-harvested Volitan Lionfish at a price premium because they are the most sustainable option and may represent greater value to some consumers. It’s more likely, however, that if a ban goes into effect, Florida-harvested lionfish would sell for the same price or less than those imported from the Indo-Pacific, as bringing them to market does not require the same shipping costs but likely will involve higher labor costs.
In addition to the lionfish from the genus Pterois, lionfish commonly called dwarf lionfish from the genus Dendrochirus are also popular in the aquarium trade. Dwarf lionfish imports would not be impacted by the lionfish ban bills as currently written.
USGS map shows the range of reported lionfish reported captures stretching from the southern Caribbean to New England, where the Gulf Stream seasonally carries juveniles north.
About a decade ago, Forrest Young, founder and director of Dynasty Marine, sat on a Florida Department of Agriculture Task force which looked at the potential threat posed by marine exotic species. “Not one of the biologists there,” Young said, “including some fairly high-ranked State of Florida guys…predicted the extent of the spread of this species and the rapidity of the spread.” While Young has not read the bills yet, he agrees banning all of the species in the genus is probably a good idea.
“I’d agree to ban the import of any more species of lionfish until we are sure that the escapement vector for additional species and their ability to survive and reproduce here is not as risk prone.” Based on his experience rearing similar species of fish, Young believes any of the Pterois species could easily be as invasive as the Volitans.
Reportedly delicious, lionfish is appearing in US and Caribbean fish markets and is the subject of a number of new cooking guides, such as this offering from REEF.
Akins’ approach is more nuanced than both Daughtry’s and Raschein’s. “I think it comes down to singling out species that have never been found in Florida waters and the resulting impacts to the aquarium trade and to pet owner freedoms,” he says. “The only Pterois documented in the Western Atlantic have been the two invasive species.” Akins says he knows of no assessment conducted to date to determine the level of risk of the other members of the genus, even though several of them appear regularly in the aquarium trade.
Now that the lionfish ban bills are in the legislative pipeline, it’s time for all stakeholders to get to know the bills and to comment on them. In addition to addressing the issue regarding whether the entire genus should be banned, many who have looked at the bills also believe some of the language concerning imports should be changed. For example, some argue it should be legal, if not encouraged, to import invasive lionfish harvested in Georgia or the Carolinas if that will help create incentive to collect them there. The same would be true with imports from other Caribbean countries with invasive populations of lionfish, such as Haiti.
Most advocacy and industry groups, as well as state agencies contacted for this article said they are not yet familiar enough with the bills to voice their support on the record. In off-the-record discussions with individuals representing key stakeholder groups, however, it seems clear at this point that there will be a lot of support for a legislative ban on lionfish imports and aquaculture. Two places where important opposition may arise may be from FMLA and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), who both did not officially respond to inquiries before publication. Sources close to both of those groups expressed the potential for broader trade concerns beyond just needing to dot the i’s and crossing the t’s, but discussions are ongoing at this point.
Speared lionfish from a REEF-sponsored derby in Florida.
Years after my first wild lionfish encounter in the Pacific, I found myself talking to a spearfisher sitting on the gunwale of a skiff off the coast of Florida. “We killed it today,” he said, referring to the stringer of recently speared lionfish at his feet. “I just hope it’s enough,” and by “enough,” I took it to mean “enough to win.” Spearfishing tournaments targeting lionfish have become popular in recent years with awards and cash prizes for the biggest and most lionfish killed.
The bigger question is will it be possible to remove enough lionfish to reverse the ecosystem-wide effects of having an invasive species on the loose, especially one that has proven such an effective predator of native species. At this point in time, eradication remains little more than a pipe dream for most, but getting the problem under control seems a bit more realistic. Akins has pointed out how recreational divers have had a demonstrable impact on popular dive sites. Raschein believes commercial fishing for lionfish can become more efficient, and more can be done to build local markets for lionfish as food fish. Moore has said that Segrest Farms is already harvesting lionfish from state waters, and hopefully larger markets for Florida lionfish can be developed and cultivated.
While Akins agrees in principle with stiffer penalties, he thinks the likelihood of catching someone releasing a non-native is pretty small. “It’s sad but true,” he says. “One thing the ban will do,” he continues, “is eliminate the potential of new genetic stock being introduced from the native range.” If no aquarium trade business or personal aquarist in Florida possesses an Indo-Pacific lionfish, the genetic stock in Florida waters will be limited, and Akins thinks this could be an essential component, along with an increased food and aquarium fishery, to getting the lionfish invasion under control.
Of course even with a ban on importation in place in Florida, that doesn’t stop an aquarist in Georgia legally buying, keeping and then (illegally) releasing an Indo-Pacific lionfish into the wild a stone’s throw north of the Florida state line. Perhaps that’s a discussion for another day.
Wonderful article. You really captured the diversity of opinions about this subject. Thanks!
Little late to ban Lionfish imports, isn’t it? They are already there en masse.
The invasion could be made worse if a public aquarium with open systems connected to the ocean breeds new lion fish which were imported in a display designed to show tourist about the issue. The newly imported fish could send larvae into the ocean and strengthen the genetic diversity of the local, currently inbreeding, populations. The same strength could come if a new ship dumps a ballast full of larvae that came from the Indo-Pacific.
Awesome article and a sad testament to the irresponsible actions of some in the aquarium hobby. The problem with banning imports of a certain species is that it won’t stop further introductions of others. As the anonymous aquarist in the article mentions, stiff penalties are in order for releasing any non-native species, aquatic or not. And pet stores should be required to post large signs and inform every purchaser of livestock as to the impact of release and penalties involved.
Darren I believe you are missing part of the point. It is not a fact that aquarium hobbyist are to blame for the Lionfish invasion, just one of many theories. It is possible that shipping companies and public aquariums could also be to blame.
Great analysis of a complex problem. The objective here is not to “punish” the aquarium trade (irrespective of whether or not it is the cause of the invasion), but to make it part of the solution. Research is confirming that active removals of lionfish in the invasive range does result in recovery of native fish populations. But for removal efforts to be successful (and more importantly, economically sustainable), a range of stakeholders need to be involved, particularly those that can reap commercial benefits (fishers, restaurants, etc.). Live capture for sale to aquarists is another vertical market that meets this criteria. What isn’t clear is whether importation from invaded range will be allowed, or whether demand will need to be met exclusively from the United States. I would hope that imports from the Caribbean and Central America will be not only permitted, but indeed promoted.
From the above article, "preventing gene pool enrichment from the Indo-Pacific. This would hopefully lead to an inbreeding bottleneck somewhere down the road that could prove wonderfully catastrophic to the invasive population." The invasion could be made worse if a public aquarium with open systems connected to the ocean breeds new lion fish which were imported in a display designed to show tourist about the issue. The newly imported fish could send larvae into the ocean and strengthen the genetic diversity of the local, currently inbreeding, populations. The same strength could come if a new ship dumps a ballast full of larvae that came from the Indo-Pacific. | 2019-04-26T09:56:21Z | https://www.reef2rainforest.com/2014/03/08/9315/ |
Randy Moore is celebrating 30 years at WTVW-Fox 7 this month, and on Friday afternoon, the station surprised him with a reception in his honor.
Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel also joined in the festivities, proclaiming August 27th "Randy Moore Day" in the city of Evansville.
I would also like to offer my belated congratulations to Randy. I personally feel he deserves more than just a day to be honored for all he's done for the Tri-State over the past 30 years, and I only hope that he hangs around for another 30 years!
POLL RESULTS: Tri-Staters want their RTV back!
With the poll officially closed, JDTVB readers from across the Tri-State (and around the country) have spoken: They want their RTV programming back!
With 199 total votes cast over the past month, 168 voters (84.4%) said "YES," while a mere 31 (15.6%) said "NO" when asked, "Do you want to see RTV move to another channel?"
Of those 199 votes, 116 were cast by voters living in the 30-county Tri-State area. Taken together, here in the Tri-State, out of the 116 votes cast, 99 votes (85.3%) were FOR the return of RTV, while 17 (14.7%) were against it.
MONDAY, 2:20 PM: I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has sent condolences, thoughts and prayers our way since Grandma passed away on Friday. Your thoughtfulness means more to all of us than I could ever express in words.
Grandma's visitation will be Tuesday evening from 4:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern time at the Russell & Hitch Funeral Home in Lebanon, Ind.
Her funeral will be held Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM Eastern time at the Lebanon Bible Baptist Church, with burial to follow in the Lincoln Memory Gardens near Whitestown, Ind.
I will be back on Thursday.
Thanks again, folks. I am eternally grateful to all of you.
Late this afternoon, I received word that my grandmother, Venus Newkirk, passed away after suffering a heart attack.
She was 85 years old, and we all loved her very, very much. She leaves behind her husband of nearly 69 years, Floyd; four sons; one foster son; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
There will be no Weekender or Saturday Special this weekend because my family and I are going to be celebrating my son's birthday beginning tonight. I'm in the process of getting things together now.
If I'm back in front of the computer on Sunday, I'll post something then, but just in case that doesn't happen, I don't want to leave you hanging!
If you're a customer of NewWave Communications in Southeastern Illinois, you probably noticed a service disruption yesterday.
I'm told that a utility crew from Ameren, while in the process of setting a new pole, severed a buried fiber-optic line between McLeansboro and Enfield, and that caused the outage for most, if not all, of NewWave's customer base in the area.
Customers were without service for about nine hours before NewWave's folks were able to get everything back up and running again last night.
Christian broadcaster WAY-FM has filed an application with the FCC seeking approval of a minor modification to its Henderson translator, W220DV (91.9 FM).
The station, which currently broadcasts at an effective radiated power of 10 watts, would be raised to 250 watts if approved by the Commission.
But that's not all. If granted, the station's city of license would change to Evansville.
And further, it would no longer be a Christian station -- it would change to become a fill-in translator for WKPB (89.5 FM), Western Kentucky University's public radio station that serves the Henderson/Owensboro area.
I'll let you know if this one gets the OK.
Will Blockbuster be the next movie rental house to fall?
When was the last time you rented a movie in a store?
My guess is that if you sat down and thought about it, it's probably been a while. Most of us these days are using Netflix, Redbox or some other means of getting our movies.
And that's the problem for places like Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video, just to name a few.
Here in Owensboro, for example, the latter two are already gone. And the Blockbuster store on Frederica Street has a "For Lease" sign in front of it.
That may be a sign of things to come, as the Los Angeles Times reports today that Blockbuster is telling the Hollywood studios that it's getting ready to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, possibly as early as mid-September.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the company fold up entirely, as that's what is happening with its competitors. The day of the brick-and-mortar "video store" is just about over, and I think most people realize that.
This Saturday, the NEWS 25 Sports Channel continues its live coverage of the weekly big high school football match-ups. This week’s “NEWS 25 Home Team Friday Live” Game of the Week is Reitz at Owensboro.
Live event coverage from Rash Stadium in Owensboro begins at 5:00 PM CT on Saturday. The game will also be streamed live online at www.news25.us.
NEWS 25 Sports Director Lance Wilkerson will do play-by-play and color commentary will be added by Mark McVicar. Saturday’s coverage is part of the two-day Independence Bank Border Bowl held at both Steele and Rash Stadiums in Owensboro.
During the high school football season through the playoffs, Tri-State viewers who can’t make it to the games will have the opportunity to see match-ups of teams from across the Tri-State live on the NEWS 25 Sports Channel.
WPSR (90.7 FM), the EVSC-owned-and-operated station which has been off the air for a few weeks so a new antenna could be installed, is back on the air today following yesterday's FCC approval of its new license.
Engineer Dave Hertel turned the transmitter back on yesterday, and his father, Frank Hertel, who was on his way back to Evansville from a job in Missouri yesterday, tells me that the station first came through on his car radio five miles east of Benton, Ill. on Route 14.
By the time he reached the junction of Routes 14 and 45, it was all WPSR, and from Crossville east, it was strong and clear.
"Now I can say the WPSR has the strongest HD Signal in the Evansville area," Frank Hertel said.
And indeed, for the first time, I am able to pick up the station here in Owensboro as well, without much difficulty at all, and that's on the worst radio I own ... with a broken antenna!
Ed Henson is a pretty busy guy these days. If you read my previous post, you know that his purchase of WSON (860 AM) was just approved by the FCC, which upon its consummation will bring his holdings in this end of Kentucky to three stations.
But that's not all. Now he's buying again.
This time around, Henson is seeking FCC approval to purchase an FM translator station, W219CF (91.7 FM, Madisonville), from Hopkinsville-based Pennyrile Christian Community, Inc., for $20,000.
As part of the deal, Pennyrile is seeking a displacement of W219CF from 91.7 to 107.3 on the dial, and if approved, the station would then be used to rebroadcast Madisonville rock station WKTG (93.9 FM), which is owned by Sound Broadcasters, Inc.
The FCC has approved the sale of Henderson radio station WSON (860 AM).
Henry Lackey, whose father put the station on the air in 1941, announced last month that he was selling WSON to Ed Henson's Henson Media.
Henson is also the owner of WMSK (1550 AM and 101.3 FM) in Morganfield.
Lackey, who now lives in Frankfort, serves as Kentucky's Commissioner of Charitable Gaming, but will remain as a consultant to Henson Media for four years.
The deal is expected to be finalized, per FCC regulations, within 90 days.
UE students: Want to be on the radio? WUEV wants you!
If you're a University of Evansville student and would like to be part of the WUEV radio family, there's good news: They want you to join 'em!
The station is hosting a New Staff Call-Out on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 6:00 to 9:30 PM. It'll be held at the station's studios in the Ridgway University Center.
For more information, e-mail WUEV station manager Hiram Hoffman at [email protected], or call (812) 488-2022. You can also call general manager Brandon Gaudin at (812) 488-2689.
"Tri-State Focus" to explain government reorganization in Evansville & Vanderburgh Co.
WNIN's "Tri-State Focus" news program is tackling a touchy subject that many in Evansville and Vanderburgh County are worked up about right now -- government reorganization.
Many people don't fully understand what's involved, but you'll get a "crash course" in what could be coming. The show will also answer questions submitted by viewers.
It airs tomorrow night at 8:30 PM on WNIN-HD, channel 9.1.
High school football in Illinois kicks off tomorrow, and WSJD (100.5 FM) is getting in on the action beginning tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM with the debut of the "Friday Football Show."
Tomorrow morning's guests will be Mt. Carmel Golden Aces head coach Darren Peach and the team's senior captains, Shawn Bumpus and Tanner Crum.
But that's not all -- sports history buffs will get an Aces History Lesson from Lee Colvin.
Negotiations between Time Warner Cable (which serves a good many subscribers here in the Tri-State) and The Walt Disney Company are said to be ongoing as the companies approach a Sept. 2 deadline to reach a new carriage agreement.
If no new agreement is reached, TWC customers could conceivably lose ESPN, the Disney Channel, ABC Family and a whole list of other channels.
Today's column in the Courier & Press brings you a lot of information, so be sure to take a look at it!
You'll find: The football "war" between NEWS 25 and 14WFIEThe exit of three reporters at 14WFIEWNIN's documentary about Boom SquadAnd there's quite a bit of radio news this week, from sports, to signals, to management moves!I'll be back here, of course, later today with even more, so stay tuned.
I've been in contact with Trip Ericson (the webmaster of RabbitEars.info) this evening, and he tells me that Mt. Vernon, Ill. station WPXS, the RTV affiliate for the St. Louis area, which had reportedly switched to Daystar in recent days, is still carrying RTV.
Apparently it's true. The digital data feed from the station shows that RTV is now airing on channel 13.2, with Daystar on channel 13.1.
Of course, the satellite and cable companies don't get the 13.2 feed -- at least not yet -- so that's why folks aren't seeing RTV.
On the national scene today, Fox News Channel's chief White House correspondent Major Garrett announced today that he's leaving the far, far, FAR-right-wing cable news channel after eight years to return to print journalism, a profession he's said to prefer to TV.
Garrett, who "never got addicted to television," said FNC head cheese Roger Ailes, has been hired by theNational Journal.
Wendell Goler and Mike Emanuel will take turns occupying the seat Garrett now resides in in the front row at White House press conferences, and no one will notice much of a difference.
It is still Fox News Channel, after all.
Tonight on PBS, "Frontline" brings us an investigation into the actions of police officers in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow to the city in a special episode entitled "Law & Disorder."
Some argue that law enforcement was out of control in the immediate post-Katrina period, and several deaths in particular resulted in a federal probe.
This edition of "Frontline" comes as the result of an investigation conducted by the show in conjunction with ProPublica, an independent news organization, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
I just got word this morning that Jason Addams, who has been program director and afternoon host at WSTO (Hot 96) since 2006, is leaving the Tri-State to take the reins as PD for WBNQ-FM in Bloomington, Illinois.
Addams is expected to begin his duties at WBNQ in September.
Congrats on the new job, Jason! I know that you will be missed here.
There are two radio transactions today in the Tri-State to update you on today. Both have been covered here before, but the FCC has just given its stamp of approval to the deals, so let's take another look.
As I told you in early July, Mark and Saundra Lange's The Original Company, Inc. agreed to purchase WTAY (adult contemporary, 1570 AM) and WTYE (talk, 101.7 FM) from Ann Broadcasting of Robinson. That transaction was approved on Thursday.
Also approved was Friday's transfer of Vincennes Christian radio translator station W201BO (88.1 FM) from Radio Assist Ministry to Edgewater Broadcasting. No changes are expected, because both RAM and Edgewater are run by the same board of directors.
14WFIE and the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation have entered into a new television agreement, the Courier & Press reported this morning.
The contract, which was approved by the school board Monday night, gives WFIE the rights to broadcast five high school football games on 14Xtra (ch. 14.2). Revenue generated from the sale of advertising during the telecasts will be shared equally between the station and EVSC.
WFIE's news director, C.J. Hoyt, told me this morning that the station is working to correct the technical issues that surfaced during this past Friday night's game between Jasper and Memorial, and those improvements should be in place for the next game.
In addition, EVSC will present a weekly 30-minute program (as part of "Midday with Mike") to give viewers an update on what's happening within the schools. This program will debut on Wednesday, October 6. Commercial sponsors will underwrite the weekly show.
For more than 30 years, a five-minute program on PBS stations across the country has encouraged viewers to get outside and "keep looking up" at the stars and planets that surround us in the heavens.
Sadly, Jack Horkheimer -- the "Star Gazer"-in-chief -- has died.
Horkheimer was 72, and had been suffering from a lung ailment, according to the Washington Post.
For 35 years, Horkheimer was the director of Miami's Space Transit Planetarium, where he was noted for creating engaging presentations about the solar system.
In late 1976, he began producing the television program, which went national in 1985. Originally named "Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler," the show's name was changed to its current title in 1997 after viewers complained they looked for the show on internet search engines but were led to Hustler magazine instead!
Horkheimer's final show, which is set to air this week, is available on YouTube.
As a "peace offering" to the Cincinnati Reds-loving segment of my readership, I have belatedly -- and against my better judgment, being a die-hard Cardinals fan -- added the list of the Reds' Tri-State radio affiliates to the Radio Stations page.
It's not a long list; only WSJD (100.5 FM, Mt. Carmel/Princeton) and WAMW AM and FM (1580 and 107.9, Washington) broadcast the games in the Tri-State area.
The first battle in the emerging war for live, televised high school sports superiority has been waged.
On one side was the pioneer of modern high school sports broadcasting -- the NEWS 25 Sports Channel.
On the other side, the challenger: WFIE's 14Xtra.
I set up two TVs to watch both games at the same time, and enjoyed both games thoroughly.
When the smoke cleared, NEWS 25 came out the winner, but it must be said that 14WFIE made a strong showing.
If you're in downtown Evansville tomorrow and can spare a pint of blood, be sure to drop by the studios of WNIN on Carpenter Street between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM and help ease the blood shortage here in the Tri-State.
WNIN and the American Red Cross of Southwestern Indiana are working together for this drive, and they've made it easy for you: If you don't want to stand in line, just go to www.redcrossblood.org and make an appointment.
CBS News correspondent Harold Dow, a longtime correspondent for the network's "48 Hours," died suddenly this morning.
Dow joined CBS News in 1972, and in 38 years at the network, served as a reporter, correspondent and contributor for the "CBS Evening News" and numerous other programs, but it was his 20-year association with "48 Hours" which made him a household name.
He was honored for his work with a Peabody Award, five Emmys, and a Robert F. Kennedy Award for his reporting on public housing.
Dow is survived by his wife and three children.
Part of the reason I enjoy local television -- and weather -- so much is because I was fortunate to have the experience of watching Marcia Yockey when I was a kid.
If you're too young to remember her on local TV, you should know that Marcia was the polar opposite of today's meteorologists. Oh, sure, she told us what the weather was going to do, but the fun part about Marcia was that we never knew how she'd do it.
Due to preseason NFL football, Fox 7 News' late newscast will air at 10:00 PM CT tonight instead of 9:00.
The game airs at 7:00 PM.
It has certainly been an interesting week here at JDTVB. From changing faces to football, from radio station upgrades to new DTV stations, we've covered it all.
Some of it's been good, some has been bad, but it's all here.
As promised, I'm leaving the RTV poll up until Aug. 31, but I wanted to give you an update on how the voting is going.
The results, at least thus far, do not come as much of a surprise, at least to me.
As of 2:30 this afternoon, there have been 182 votes cast, representing 16 states. Upon further analysis, 117 votes were cast within the Tri-State area, and they break down as follows: Illinois -- YES: 3 votes (75.0%), NO: 1 vote (25.0%)Indiana -- YES: 85 votes (86.7%), NO: 13 votes (13.3%)Kentucky -- YES: 13 votes (86.7%), NO: 2 votes (13.3%)And when you add them all together, it comes out like this: YES -- 101 votes (86.3%)NO -- 16 votes (13.7%)I'll give you another update next Friday afternoon, and we'll wrap up all the numbers on September 1.
As you may remember, I told you on Monday that 14WFIE's 14Xtra channel (ch. 14.2 over the air) will also be carrying some high school football games this fall, and the first -- airing tonight at 7:00 CT (8:00 ET) is Jasper at Memorial.
14WFIE sports director Mike Blake is handling play-by-play, and Mater Dei grad Jake Schiff will have color commentary.
One important note I did not bring you on Monday is this: Whenever a game is aired on a Friday night, 14 News at 9:00 on 14Xtra will be preempted, and such is the case tonight.
For a full list of cable channels that carry 14Xtra, click here for my earlier post.
Carmi country station WRUL (97.3 FM) announced this morning that beginning next Saturday, Aug. 28, the "Saturday Morning Sports" show is returning to the air and online at wrul.com.
According to the station's Facebook page, they're "working on some details that should make the show more interactive," so stay tuned to the station for that, and of course I'll bring you the details as soon as I have 'em.
Are you ready for some Home Team Friday football? Can't watch it on TV? Watch it online!
NEWS 25 realizes that not all of the folks who would like to watch tonight's Home Team Friday Game of the Week between Reitz and Henderson County can watch it on TV, so, as they did last year, they're putting the game online.
Tonight's game can be found by clicking here. The video player will be up before the game starts at 7:30 PM.
And to get a better idea of what's gone into getting ready for tonight -- and this season -- be sure to check out Lance Wilkerson's website.
A Castle Rock, Colorado-based group is the latest to file with the FCC seeking a construction permit for (yet another) low-power TV station that would serve Evansville.
DTV Enterprises, LLC filed an application with the Commission today, and if approved, the new channel would broadcast on channel 40 with an effective radiated power of 10 kW.
The tower on which the station would broadcast is an existing one, located off of Pleasant Hill Road southeast of Hebbardsville, Ky.
I'll have more details as this one develops.
I've confirmed this afternoon that NEWS 25 Sports Channel's second live televised game of the high school football season will feature the Reitz Panthers against the Owensboro Red Devils.
The game will be played at Owensboro's Rash Stadium next Saturday, Aug. 28. Coverage will begin at 5:00 PM CT.
When you think of sports in the Tri-State, many names spring to mind, but one that's synonymous with local sports coverage is the name of Mike Blake.
But it's not just Blake's 40-year run as a sportscaster at WFIE that makes him a Tri-State icon.
He's also a hero to many for his work with the MDA and countless other local organizations. His dedication to these causes is the stuff legends are made of.
And tonight he's being honored at Bosse Field -- a fitting venue -- for his longtime commitment to the Tri-State.
Congratulations, Mike. And thank you!
There's a very special documentary coming next Wednesday to WNIN. “Boom Squad: a beat in the street” chronicles the story of Evansville’s own performing drum line comprised of at-risk youth.
The program focuses on the challenges Boom Squad faces as they teach their students discipline, responsibility and respect along with the cadences used in their performances.
The half-hour documentary, produced by two-time regional Emmy nominee Jane Owen and her company One Chick Productions, will air on Wednesday, August 25th at 9:30 pm and Saturday, September 4th at 9:30 pm on local PBS station WNIN (ch. 9.1).
Murray State University's low-power Madisonville translator station, W286AM (105.1 FM), may be getting a little more "oomph."
The university has filed an application with the FCC that, if approved, would lower the station's antenna but increase its power from 55 to 80 watts.
W286AM was Murray State's first Tri-State entry, and it was joined earlier this year by WKMD (90.9 FM). Both stations air separate programming; W286AM is classical music, while WKMD offers a fuller public radio program lineup.
Today's column in the Courier & Press is now posted and ready to read.
You'll get the latest on the radio ratings picture, Dish Network's HD channels, another possible new low-power TV station and the latest on RTV.
Indiana RadioWatchreports that Mark Thomas, who was in charge of Townsquare Media's seven radio stations in the Tri-State, has moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., to run the company's stations there.
LaDonne Craig, the local stations' sales director, is now also listed on the stations' websites as general manager, although I do not yet know if this is a permanent move.
UPDATE, 6:55 PM: Reader JBetner informed me that Domine was asked to retire by WAVE station management. On his Facebook page, Domine confirms that this is indeed the case, and that saddens me.
A good many folks in the eastern part of the Tri-State are probably familiar with WAVE3 chief meteorologist John Belski and sportscaster Bob Domine.
The Louisville NBC affiliate announced today that both men are preparing to retire.
ON FACEBOOK: More area stations' pages added ... check 'em out!
If you've not checked out JDTVB's Facebook page yet today, when you do, you'll find four more stations' pages have been added, bringing the total of pages I've linked to (not all are TV and radio related, but favorites of mine personally) to 66.
New today are pages for WITZ AM & FM (Jasper/Huntingburg), WRUL (Carmi), WFIW AM & FM and WOKZ (Fairfield) and WEBQ AM & FM (Harrisburg/Eldorado).
Be sure to take a look at these and all of the Facebook pages at JDTVB's page today!
UPDATE, 5:45 PM: NEWS 25's Home Team Friday Live website has been refreshed and is now up and running.
The NEWS 25 Sports Channel begins its live coverage of the weekly big high school football match-ups on Friday night. The first “NEWS 25 Home Team Friday Live” Game of the Week is Reitz at Henderson County.
Live event coverage from Colonel Stadium begins at 7:30 PM CT on Friday night. The game will also be streamed live online at www.news25.us.
The first game includes two teams coming off outstanding 2009 seasons. Reitz went unbeaten at 15-0 and won the 4-A State Championship in Indiana. Henderson County was 9-4 and the district champs in Kentucky.
UPDATE, 5:55 PM: In my earlier post, I may have been too optimistic about the speed of FCC approval. I am now told that it may take somewhat longer to receive. When I know more, I will, of course, tell you.
In late July, I told you that Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation's WPSR (90.7 FM, Evansville) was off the air for the purposes of installing a new antenna.
Now the new stick is up and has been successfully tested, and WPSR's engineer emeritus, Frank Hertel, tells me today that all that remains is for the FCC to review the test data and allow the station to go back on air.
That approval is expected next week, although it could happen by this weekend.
If you missed KET's live broadcast of "Education Matters: Transforming Education in Kentucky" last night, you're in luck.
The statewide TV network has now posted the program, which featured a discussion of how to improve education in the Bluegrass State, on its website.
The network's press release follows.
If you're a fan of the University of Evansville's WUEV (91.5 FM) and want to listen to the station online, I have good news.
Now you can do that without downloading anything on your computer, thanks to new software the station began using earlier this month for both its low-quality (for slower connections) and high-quality feeds.
I've tried it out this afternoon (in fact, I'm still listening) and it works nicely. When you go to the station's website, all you have to do is click one of the audio stream links and, at least in my case, Windows Media Player opened it right up.
It doesn't get much better than that. Thanks, WUEV!
When you've got a problem with your cable service, the first thing you do is call the company, right?
And it's typical that the company's automated phone system will tell you that your call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance.
Such is the case with Insight, and in Louisville, those recordings have become a bit of a problem, as three employees were given CDs of recorded calls to take home. One hasn't been returned.
It certainly is enough to give one pause when giving out personal information.
Louisville ABC affiliate WHAS11 has the full story, and you'll want to be sure to watch the video below. | 2019-04-24T12:54:48Z | http://jakesbrb.blogspot.com/2010/08/ |
As the Allies were approaching the German frontier at the beginning of September 1944, the German Armed Forces responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the "Wonder Weapons" such as the V-1 flying bomb, the V-2 missile and the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter are widely recognized as being the most prominent of these initiatives upon which Germany pinned so much hope, the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the Volkssturm, the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered an undeserved reputation as second-rate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This groundbreaking book, now reappearing as a new edition, shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party composed of men from all branches of Hitler's Wehrmacht and equipped with the finest ground combat weapons available.
Whether fighting from defensive positions or spearheading offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge, VGDs initially gave a good account of themselves in battle. Using previously unpublished unit records, Allied intelligence and interrogation reports and above all interviews with survivors, the author has crafted an in-depth look at a late-war German infantry company, including many photographs from the veterans themselves. In this book we follow along with the men of the 272nd VGD's Fusilier Company from their first battles in the Huertgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains. Along the way we learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure.
Among Douglas Nash’s previous works is Hell’s Gate: The Battle for the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944, a work unsurpassed for insight into the other side of the hill in WWII.
This book is an attempt by an American historian to describe the experiences of one German Army combat unit during the Second World War and how they fought and died.
As a former commander of Füsilier Company 272, although only for a short period of time, I can say that these soldiers, despite the overwhelming odds against them and the technical superiority of the enemy, did as much as humanly possible to carry out their duty.
Like their brothers who served on the Eastern Front, they fought and died for their comrades and to protect their loved ones back home, and not for Hitler and National Socialism.
And like generations of Germans soldiers before them, they served their country honorably and bravely.
May they never be forgotten by younger generations.
May this book serve as a reminder of the horror of war and the suffering that both sides endured as they fought each other in that forest of death—the Hürtgenwald.
Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost. Ah me! How hard a thing it is to say what was this forest savage, rough and stern, which in the very thought renews the fear. So bitter is it, death is little more.
The Battle of the Hürtgen Forest—known by German veterans as die Hölle im Hürtgenwald (the Hell in the Hürtgen Forest), lasted from 12 September 1944, when a costly reconnaissance in force was carried out by the US 3rd Armored Division near the Siegfried Line at Roetgen, until 10 February 1945, when the US 78th Infantry Division secured the Schwammenauel Dam and reached the Roer River.¹ During this five-month period, the German armies defending the Siegfried Line (known to German troops as the Westwall), were practically destroyed as an effective fighting force and ended with Allied troops poised to cross the Rhine, the last natural barrier to the heart of Germany.
The fighting was slow and enormously costly in lives and materiel. Losses in the two Allied armies participating in the fighting along the Siegfried Line, the US First and Ninth Armies, were substantial (this does not include the Battle of the Bulge, a separate battle that delayed the outcome in the Hürtgen Forest for nearly two months). All told, during the fighting for the German frontier, First and Ninth Armies lost a combined total of 68,000 men killed, wounded, and missing.
Additionally, the Americans lost another 71,654 men as non-battle casualties, from diverse causes like trench foot, sickness, and battle fatigue, bringing the total number of US casualties in the campaign to nearly 140,000 men.² Exact numbers of Germans killed, wounded, and missing during the Siegfried Line campaign are unknown due to the loss of key records, though they were at least as high as those of the Allies. The US First and Ninth Armies reported capturing over 95,000 Germans during this period alone.
American battle casualties within the ten divisions (seven infantry, one airborne, two armored, plus elements of another) and supporting units that took part at one time or another in the Hürtgen Forest portion of the Siegfried Line campaign totaled 33,000 men, more than twenty-five percent of the troops engaged, an extremely high figure by US Army standards at the time. The U.S. suffered some 24,000 killed, wounded and missing. In addition, another 9,000 were classified as being evacuated under the Disease, Non-battle Injury (DNBI) category. German losses were at least equally as great. Since German units were fighting at reduced strengths to begin with, their percentage of casualties was correspondingly higher. Many German divisions were virtually wiped out, only to be hastily rebuilt and committed to battle in the forest and destroyed again.
In all, during this five-month period, some 140,000 U.S. troops faced off against 80,000 Germans in the Hürtgen Forest, on some of the most brutal battlefields ever faced by soldiers of any nation during that war. It was a struggle that measured ground gained in yards, not miles.³ Unlike the rapid Allied advance across France and the Low Countries in the late summer and fall of 1944, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest became a slugfest. The fighting there had much more in common with trench warfare in World War I than the modern mechanized war, or Blitzkrieg, that evolved during World War II.
The Battle of the Hürtgen Forest witnessed dogged defensive fighting by the Germans and equally determined Allied assaults. It was characterized by battles for key towns such as Schmidt and Kesternich, and for objectives hidden in the seemingly endless forest, such as Dead Man’s Moor (the Todtenbruch) and the Raffelsbrand hunter’s lodge. Interrupted by Germany’s last-ditch offensive in the Ardennes, WACHT AM RHEIN, that became better known as the Battle of the Bulge, the large-scale fighting in the Hürtgen resumed again with added ferocity on 30 January 1945, when the US First and Ninth Armies were finally able to begin the long-delayed operation to capture the Roer River Dams, which finally fell on 10 February 1945.
During the course of this final phase of the Siegfried Line campaign, the Allies, operating from a position of strategic advantage and employing numerical superiority combined with overwhelming firepower, steadily ground down the weary German defenders. By March 1945, the entire portion of the Wehrmacht that fought on the Western Front had become reduced to nothing more than an enormous Alarmeinheit (emergency unit), composed of a polyglot of various Army, Air Force, Navy, Labor Service, Volkssturm, and Waffen-SS units, all invariably hastily thrown together, poorly trained, unfit, and increasingly unmotivated to fight to the last for their Führer.
The Allied success in the Hürtgen Forest and along the length of the Siegfried Line paved the way for the even more successful Rhineland campaign, which began at the end of February 1945. In the space of less than two weeks, both the 12th and 21st Army Groups were able to overwhelm the German defenses along the Roer and had closed up to the western bank of the Rhine by 10 March. Seizure of the bridge at Remagen by First Army on 7 March marked the beginning of the end of the Wehrmacht’s attempts to defend in the west. By the third week of April, the German war effort had almost entirely collapsed and American troops would shake hands with their Red Army counterparts on the bank of the Elbe.
Even the bravest efforts of the individual German soldier came to naught as it only served to prolong a war that Germany had already lost in a strategic sense by 1943. Thousands upon thousands of these men were senselessly sacrificed to hold meaningless towns, bunkers, and fortresses, dying alone or by the hundreds. While the steadfast defense of the Westwall initially slowed the Allies during the fall and winter of 1944/45, this temporary success ironically paved the way for the great Soviet advances in the East from January to April 1945.
Hitler gambled and lost when he diverted Germany’s dwindling military strength to the West, first to stop the Allies’ Normandy invasion, then to launch the ill-fated Ardennes Offensive. His focus on the Western Front made him squander his remaining reserves just when they were needed the most in the east. As a result, the Ostfront (Eastern Front) was thinly manned and unprepared to hold back the Soviet juggernaut that relentlessly swept into Berlin by the end of April 1945 and ended a war that Hitler had started five and a half years earlier.
Today, few people understand why the average German soldier did not simply quit and go home. Fewer still can understand what kept him in the line, facing catastrophic losses that reduced companies, battalions, and even regiments to burned-out remnants in the space of a few days. Was the German soldier merely a benumbed robot by this stage of the war or a die-hard fanatic driven by desperation? Was it blind loyalty to Hitler that made them willingly sacrifice themselves in order to prolong a war that they had no hope of winning?
While answering yes to these questions provides a convenient explanation that many military historians frequently use today to highlight the moral and martial superiority of Allied troops to those of the Third Reich, it simply does not stand up to close scrutiny. More useful to this debate is to just state that the average German soldier was far more complex and the reasons why he fought—and fought so well—still defy easy categorization.
Increasingly, historians, and students of World War II want to know more details and pose more questions about the German soldier and why he fought. They want to know more about his daily existence, such as what was it like to live and to fight under these clearly hopeless circumstances and how he felt about it. In this vein, it is also worth asking the question: what was it like for the ordinary Landser (German slang for an ordinary infantryman) to fight in the hell of the Hürtgen Forest, or survive in the whirlwind battles in the Rhineland? The Hürtgen Forest was a battle, after all, where soldiers of both sides fought over trench lines and bunkers like their fathers had in the First World War. That such curiosity exists today belies the fact that military historians, both young and old alike, do not have a good appreciation for what it was like for the average German soldier who fought there, or for his American opponent, for that matter.
The American experience in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest and in the Rhineland is well documented by such works as the US Army’s Office of Military History’s The Siegfried Line Campaign, by Charles B. MacDonald, who was an actual participant in the fighting, having fought with the 2nd Infantry Division, and his follow-up study, The Last Offensive.⁴ Another seminal work, also by MacDonald, was Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt, which was commissioned by the US Army to determine why each of these particular World War Two battles was a success or failure and what timeless lessons could be drawn for tomorrow’s leaders.⁵ Added to these superb US Army official accounts are other recent works, quite detailed and informative, that are replete with first-hand accounts and situation reports from the archives. Works such as Edward G. Miller’s A Dark and Bloody Ground, Gerald Astor’s The Bloody Forest, and Cecil B. Currey’s Follow Me and Die contributed immensely to the body of literature about the fighting, relying heavily on memoirs and interviews with American participants.
In contrast, there have been few contemporary official German accounts to provide balance, with the notable exception of Wolfgang Trees and Adolf Hohenstein’s Die Hölle in Hürtgenwald and Gevert Haslob’s Ein Blick zurück in der Eifel.⁶ Kurt Kaeres, another eminent German author and participant in the battle, also published a fictional work describing some of his own experiences that received wide acclaim in Germany, Das Verstummte Hurra (The Muted Cheer). German popular accounts of the Rhineland campaign are even sparser, limited to Helmuth Euler’s Entscheidung an Rhein und Ruhr 1945 and Edgar Christoffel’s Krieg am Westwall 1944/45. A serious study of that campaign from a military perspective has yet to appear, though Heinz Günther Guderian’s Das Letzte Kriegsjahr im Western admirably covers that phase of the war from the perspective of the 116th Panzer Division.
Contributing to the lack of detailed knowledge of the German situation at the tactical level, many official German reports and unit daily journals were lost, destroyed, or misplaced after the war. The Bundeswehr, modern Germany’s successor to the Wehrmacht, has also yet to write the definitive official account of the Siegfried Line campaign, though it did commission a comprehensive study in the mid-1970s that was quietly shelved before it was scheduled to go to print.⁷ Perhaps the scars, even 60 years later, are still too fresh for most German veterans, whose generation is passing away without sharing its experiences with children or grandchildren. Accounts from those who took part in the fighting can still be found, but most of what they wrote has remained unpublished or was captured briefly in post-war veteran’s association newsletters. Most of these stories are not available to the general public and few have been translated. Locating these survivors’ accounts requires diligence akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
And while these few personnel accounts are useful, without official German studies or documents to guide their work, they are insufficient for historical purposes. They lack detail from a tactical or operational perspective, though do succeed in bringing to light the experiences of the average soldier. Thus, no study yet has attempted, from the German perspective, to marry the Alltagsgeschichte (the history of everyday life) of the battle with official records. Now, for the first time, such records have been uncovered that show the impact of the fighting on a certain German company-sized unit that fought for nearly five months in the Hürtgen Forest and the Rhineland, from both a human and tactical perspective. This book, then, is the story of that company.
When I first began work on this book in the summer of 2000 while stationed in Heidelberg, I thought it would practically write itself. The wealth of original company documents I obtained from Emilie C. Stewart in 1993 seemed like more than enough material for a book. That was true, up to a point. I thought that the records provided everything needed to tell the story of Füsilier Company 272, but the more work progressed, the more it became apparent that I could not write about this one company without writing the history of its parent division, the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division. Once the decision was made to broaden the scope of the book, things began to get complicated. At first glance there was very little to work with except the division’s history put together after the war by one of its former artillery battalion commanders, the inestimable Martin Jenner. His book focused primarily the division’s predecessor, the 216th Infantry Division until it was disbanded in December 1943. Less than one twentieth of Jenner’s book dealt with the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division and the last six months of the war. Therefore, I enlisted the voluntary cooperation of a number of historians, many of them recognized authorities on the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest and the German Army of WWII, to help fill in the gaps. The Internet, only now beginning to realize its full potential, also proved to be a boon, directing me to reliable sources that I would never have considered even ten years ago. Despite a break in work brought about by a tour of duty in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2002, I was able to resume work in earnest in 2004. So here, after many twists and turns, is the final product.
I would first like to acknowledge the contributions of Edward G. Miller and Klaus Schulz, who first convinced me to write the book and directed me towards a wealth of source materials or at least where I could find them. Following their advice, while still stationed in Heidelberg I contacted French MacLean, Colonel, US Army (Retired), Dr. Stephen L. Bowman, and Hans-Gerhard Sandmann, the President of the 216th/272nd Infantry/Volks-Grenadier Division Veterans’ Association. Their advice led to further contacts, and this put me in touch with the 78th Infantry Division Veterans’ Association, the 8th Infantry Division Association, and Ray Fleig of the 707th Tank Battalion Association.
The 78th Infantry Division Veterans’Association proved to be a gold mine, not only because it publicized my search for survivor interviews, but also provided me with more original source material than I could profitably use. To the following members of these Associations I am extremely grateful: from the 78th Infantry Division Veterans’ Association Edward Malouf, John Robbie Robinson, Hermann Red Gonzalez, William Bill Parsons (Editor of The Flash), Stan Polny, Frank Camm (Lieutenant General, US Army Retired), James L. Cooper, Melvie Gilbert, Robert L. Greivell, the late Gus E. Hank, B. C. Henderson, W. Merle Hill, Robert A. McChord, John K. Rains; from the 8th Infantry Division Association, Albert H. Clayton, Merrill B. Westy Westhoff, and Walt Landry; and Don Lavender from the 9th Infantry Division Association.
In the United States I would like to acknowledge the help and advice of a number of historians and researchers, including Richard Anderson; Robert Applegate; Jon Bocek; Robert D. Burgess; Greg Canellis; Frederick L. Clemens; Stephen Ehlers; Hugh Foster; Jeff Gowen; Mike Hamidy; Brad Hubbard; David P. Hunter, Jason Long; Michael Miller; Alex Moore, John Mulholland; Tom Peters; George Petersen; Jason Pipes; Justin Smith; Major Charles Smith, US Army; Barry Smith; Christian Stock; William A. Stofft, Major General, USA (Ret.); Eric Tobey; Richard L. Baker and the staff of the US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle, PA; the US National Archives; and the dedicated members of the reenacted 11th Panzer Division.
Special thanks are due to Thomas McKnight, whose forthcoming book about his father’s experience at Kesternich as a member of the 78th Infantry Division and the captivity that followed stimulated both of our research efforts. His hard work in translating documents, making maps, and chasing down leads has been a boon and I hope that my assistance to him has been of equal value. I would also like to thank Mrs. Marilee P. Meyer of the Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy, who performed research on several graduates of that noble institution whose paths crossed with that of the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division.
In Europe, I would like to thank the following historians and researchers for their gracious assistance: Christoph Awender of Sweden; Piet Duits of Oudenbosch, The Netherlands; Veit Scherzer and Manfred von Freiesleben of Scherzer’s Militaire-Verlag of Ranis, Germany; Hubert Gees of the Veterans Association, 275th Infanterie-Division; Timm Haasler of Germany; Gevert Haslob of the 89th Infantry Division Veterans Association; Heinrich Heckner of Falkensee, Germany; Ralf Klodt of Germany; Volker Lossner of Aachen, Germany; Alex Moore of Leicestershire, UK; Dr. Leo Niehorster; Hans Peulen, Germany; Ron van Rijt of The Netherlands; Ingrid Roux of Heidelberg, Germany; Ralf Anton Schäfer of Germany; Christian Schwinghammer of Stockholm, Sweden; Brigitte Sebald of Heidelberg, Germany; Wolfgang Trees of Triangle Verlag, Germany; Andries Verspeeten of Ghent, Belgium; Hans H. Weber of Switzerland; Jakob Weiler of Hönningen, Germany; Marcus Wendel of Sweden; Annegret Wolfram of Wildbad in Schwartzwald, Germany; and Niklas Zetterling of Germany.
I also wish to acknowledge of the help of this men whom this book is about— the veterans of the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division, most especially Friedrich Adrario of Vienna, Austria; Helmut Aretz of Krefeld; Erich Bernutz, of Wernigerode; Helmut Beyer of Göttingen; Erwin Buchwalder of Storkow; Günter Ecker of Herschweiler; Friedrich Fosselmann of Berg; Adolf Fuhrmeister, brother of Hermann Fuhrmeister of Süpplingen; Ernst Fuhrmeister, son of Hermann Fuhrmeister of Bremen; Hermann Gehle of Heilbronn; Erwin Gläsig of Berlin; Otto Gunkel of Bad Sooden; the late Kurt Hake of Düsseldorf; Hermann Heiermann of Dinslaken; Gerd Hörner, of Wuppertal; Frau Maria Horstkotte, widow of Heinrich Horstkotte of Kirchlengern; Rudolf Ips of Gifhorn; the late Fritz Johns of Stendahl; Herbert Kaiser of Schwanebeck; Frau Else Klein, widow of Kurt Klein of Solingen; Heinrich Misskampf of Nauheim; Erich Möckel of Mannichswalde; Peter Moog of Bonn; Frau Erna Ortloff, widow of Harald Ortloff of Rudolstadt; Günther Peukert of Gera; Ferdinand Post of Hamm; Günther Schmidt of Hameln; Josef Stefan of Baden, Austria; Frau Irene Thiele, widow of Friedrich Thiele of Zeimendorf; the late Adolf Thomae of Münich; Hans Wegener of Hilden, Frau Anna Winkler, widow of Karl Winkler of Trippstadt; Wilfried Wilts of Emden; and last, but certainly not least, Eduard Zacharuk of Taufkirchen.
No acknowledgment would be complete without mentioning the help and forbearance of my wife, Jill, and children, Douglas Jr., Drew, and Deanna. Their tolerance of the seemingly endless days and nights I spent in researching and writing this book is a constant source of wonder and for which I am extremely grateful. While they showed these same admirable qualities during the writing of my first book, Hell’s Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket, the demands of this book took them above and beyond the call of duty. A move from Europe to the United States, a war, a move to Virginia, and another war all added to the normal stresses and strains a family goes through and they have once again proven that a military family can put up with almost anything! My love and thanks to you all.
Lastly, I would like to thank the late Keith E. Kit Bonn of The Aberjona Press. It was he who saw the value of my manuscript and urged me beyond my original goal of covering just Füsilier Company 272 and elevating it to a study of the Volks-Grenadier divisions as a tactical and historical concept. Kit, this one’s for you.
The origins of this book can be traced to the acquisition of a remarkable set of documents that illustrate, from a German perspective, what happened to the lowest tactical building block in any army—the infantry company—from the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, through the Rhineland and into the heart of the Third Reich. From such building blocks, like the infantry company that serves as the focus of this book, battalions, then regiments, and finally entire divisions are made.
While operational records from hundreds of American companies, battalions, regiments, and even individual soldier post-combat interviews are still kept on file in the US National Archives and at the US Army Military History Institute at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, few comparable German records survived the war. Many were deliberately destroyed on orders, while many other documents were abandoned during the Wehrmacht’s long retreat or claimed by the elements. Locating any group of German company-level documents, therefore, is a rare find indeed.
The document grouping used in the writing of this book came into the author’s hands through a roundabout way. In late 1992, Emilie Caldwell Stewart, an American military relics dealer who specialized in German World War II identity documents, ran an advertisement to buy Wehrpässe (military identity books) and Soldbücher (paybooks) in Sammler Journal, a well-known German collectors publication.
Shortly thereafter, she received a letter from a gentleman living in what was the former communist German Democratic Republic, which had reunited with West Germany in 1989 at the end of the Cold War. He wrote that he lived in the village of Tanne, located to the south of the town of Wernigerode in the Harz Mountains of Thuringia. He stated that he had 163 identity documents as well as thousands of other related papers for sale. She immediately accepted and worked out the terms with the seller, agreeing to travel to Germany to complete the transaction.
In early February 1993, Ms. Stewart arrived at the seller’s tiny village consisting of about twenty houses with unpaved streets that was perched on the side of the mountain. A more rural setting in the former East Germany could not be imagined. The seller lived in a communal house with five other families, sharing the kitchen and living room with the others. The house had once been the home of the champion skier of that area, who had retired and moved away some years before.
The skier had apparently been a Gebirgsjäger, or mountain trooper. Ms. Stewart bought one of his beautifully carved chairs adorned with Edelweiss, his skis, and his photo album. The seller had apparently been using the dirt-floored basement of the house to store antiques he had bought at local auctions. When the original owner of the suitcase died (apparently he was a fellow resident of the same communal home), the seller discovered it in the basement and took ownership. The seller named his price for the suitcase and Ms. Stewart bought it.
The moldering suitcase, which had apparently contained the complete Kompanie Schreibstube, or company orderly room files and documents for a German infantry company, had been left behind in the farmhouse near the war’s end and forgotten when the company moved on. Ms. Stewart was amazed to discover the variety of its contents—identity papers, pay books, binders filled with casualty reports, mail logs, various correspondence, and even the reporting book or infamous Kohlenkasten ( coalbox ) of the company Spiess (first sergeant). In short, nearly every scrap of official paper this company had carried along with it since its creation in September 1944 until the middle of April 1945 was contained therein. While the suitcase itself was quickly discarded due to its rotten condition, she realized that its contents were of great historical significance.
For some obscure reason, the Kompanie Schreiber (company clerk) continued to carry the suitcase full of documents and office supplies to the war’s end, perhaps out of loyalty or a sense of duty, long past the point when it no longer mattered. As such, this was not only a great historical find, but an archeological find as well. In this moldy suitcase, figuratively frozen in amber, one could trace a single German infantry company’s path through virtually the entire Siegfried Line Campaign and beyond—from the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest to the crossing of the Rhine River to the surrender of the encircled German forces in the Harz Pocket—from early November 1944 to mid-April 1945.
By studying the suitcase’s contents, one could easily glean details such as daily losses, after-action reports, letters to next of kin, letters from hospitals describing the disposition of evacuated wounded, letters from anxious loved ones or next of kin inquiring about the fates of their sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, . . . it was all there. Unfortunately, the original owner of the suitcase was never named, though he undoubtedly had some connection with Füsilier Company 272.
The papers and documents she discovered all related to Füsilier Company 272, a special unit assigned to the 272nd Volks-Grenadier Division (VGD). Created in September 1944 from the remnants of Füsilier Battalion 272, which had been all but destroyed in Normandy the previous month, Füsilier Company 272 was to function as the division’s Aufklärungs (reconnaissance company). It actually served as the division’s Feuerwehr (fire brigade, or quick reaction force), used for emergency situations that demanded hard-hitting, mobile, and well-led units.
Füsilier Company 272 fought in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, the northern shoulder during the Battle of the Bulge, around the Roer River dams, the retreat across the Rhine, and was nearly trapped in the Ruhr Pocket. There, the bulk of the 272nd VGD was finally forced to capitulate, along with the rest of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model’s Army Group B on 18 April 1945, but a small remnant was able to fight its way to the transitory safety of the Harz Mountains. All that lay in the uncertain future, however, when the cadre of Füsilier Company 272, survivors of the retreat across France and the Low Countries, boarded trains along the German-Dutch border in September 1944, bound for the interior of Germany.
As primary source documents, those found in the farmhouse were unsurpassed. Despite years of storage in a dank cellar in Northern Germany, all of the documents were completely undamaged and easily legible. Most of the papers were assembled in binders or folders, making it easy to catalog and sort their contents. While nearly a third of the individual soldier service records and pay books were quickly sold to collectors, the remainder, as well as thousands of pages of other documents relating to the Füsilier Company 272 were kept together as a set and acquired by the author in 1994.
In all, the document grouping included 163 individual service records and pay books, as well as partial documents for 319 other men, enough material to fill twelve large binders, in addition to eight bound volumes of records. Collating and recording this material required hundreds of hours, but were necessary in order to piece the unit history together again. Once organized, the documents began to paint a clear picture of the life and death of this company from its inception in September 1944 until the end of March 1945, when the official record ends.
The records were maintained by the company clerk, who was responsible for the various files and for processing various administrative actions, such as requests for furloughs, promotions, punishments, and awards. Füsilier Company 272 was fortunate in that its company clerk, Obergefreiter (senior corporal) Ulrich Lorenz, was not only efficient, but also able to write clearly and legibly, an advantage when studying documents written in a different language than one’s own. Additionally, Lorenz was assigned to the company from its inception until it was finally disbanded in April 1945.
The orderly room was the repository of all the relevant documents required for the efficient administration of a company-sized unit. The functions of the orderly room were replicated on a larger scale at the battalion, regiment, and division levels, with more personnel with greater specialization being found the further up the chain one went. At the company level, however, one clerk (sometimes a mail clerk was assigned as well) was sufficient to handle the workload. The clerk was directly supervised by the company’s Spiess (first sergeant), Hauptfeldwebel Hermann Fuhrmeister, though in practice, these duties were often delegated to the first sergeant’s assistant.
The company orderly room with its clerks normally was set up in the company Tross ( trains or administrative-logistics area), usually six to ten kilometers from the front line, where the unit’s combat troops were occupying defensive positions. The company trains also consisted of the supply section with its horse-drawn carts; several Hiwis (Hilfwilliger—Russian prisoners of war who volunteered to serve the Germans) to care for the horses and perform manual labor; the senior medical NCO and his Sanitäter (assistant aid men); and the unit cook along with his kitchen assistants. One of these kitchen assistants, Grenadier Herbert Pitsch from Berlin, had owned a butcher shop in his hometown before the war. Lorenz, the company clerk, and his other compatriots in the company’s administrative and logistics area were relatively safe from harm, with only the occasional air raid or American artillery interdiction barrage to worry about.
The documents that Lorenz used to track administrative actions in the company and the personnel records he maintained consisted of individual service records, pay books, identification disks, unit roster sheet, and the punishment book. In addition, he kept up the casualty reporting book, hospital report book, and the correspondence file for the company commander, Oberleutnant Heinz Kolb. Lorenz, equipped with his trusty typewriter, also prepared hundreds of letters to casualties’ next of kin for the commander’s signature, wrote letters for the Hauptfeldwebel to sergeants major of other units in the division, and compiled the unit daily strength report for the division IIb, the enlisted personnel management section of the division staff. All of these documents were essential for proper administration of the unit, and Lorenz appears to have done his job well.
In addition, the unit mail clerk, Füsilier Johann Anderka, maintained the record books for both incoming and outgoing mail, as well as official orders and administrative announcements from division headquarters. While there were no doubt interruptions at various times due to attacks on the German transportation network and the bombing of cities, mail appears to have been delivered to the company with a fair degree of regularity, with packages and mail reaching the company as late as 16 March 1945. For soldiers who had no writing paper or envelopes of their own, the mail clerk had a limited supply of writing materials and postcards to be distributed upon request. In all, enough writing paper; carbon paper; pencils; pens; blank casualty reports; postcards; and blank paybooks and identity tags remained on hand to serve the company’s needs for several more weeks, had the war not ended for Füsilier Company 272 when it did.
Equally as important was the discovery among the documents, of a fragment of the company’s Kriegstagebuch (daily combat journal, or KTB). This was an extremely important find, since it provided insight into the more mundane daily occurrences as well as combat. Apparently, Hauptfeldwebel Fuhrmeister dictated the bulk of the KTB to the company clerk, since the various papers are all in Obergefreiter Lorenz’s script throughout. Transcribing and deciphering the journal was a challenge, however, since the journal was written in pencil in old German shorthand script on scraps of notebook paper. While the translated combat journal proved to be a font of valuable information, it only covered the period from 28 December 1944 to 17 March 1945. Because the official records of the company began to deteriorate in quality beginning in early February 1945, however, this journal fills in many of the gaps and provides much information not available through the other documents.
While these documents provide insight as to what was occurring within the miniature world of Füsilier Company 272, they shed little light on the overall military situation developing around it. This is a common occurrence in any company- or battalion-sized unit whose perspective was limited to its own comparatively short range of action. All too often, information rarely filters down to the small unit level and this failing was even more pronounced in the German Army of 1944–45, whose leaders had good reasons not to reveal the true situation to the combat troops, lest they become demoralized. Consequently, one must resort to other primary source documents or official records in order to place the history of Füsilier Company 272 into its proper historical context.
Most of all, this grouping of documents also sheds light on a little-known and poorly understood type of combat division that the Wehrmacht created during the last year of the war—the Volks-Grenadier Division, or People’s Grenadier Division. Long confused with the Volkssturm, or People’s Assault Force, an organization created by the Nazi Party at roughly the same time, the VGD represented an attempt by the German Army to wring the last ounce of manpower and military capability out of Germany’s nearly spent military resources.
Though nearly all American and British combat divisions fought VGDs at one time or another during the last eight months of the war, there has been little effort until recently to understand how these divisions were organized, how they were equipped, and how they fought. What made them unique? Did they represent a departure from German military tradition? Were they part of the SS? Could they have affected the outcome of the war in Europe? These and other questions have been asked frequently, but little attempt has been made to answer them to the satisfaction of military scholars.
This, then, is the purpose of this book. Using the document grouping as a point of departure, Füsilier Company 272 will be seen as a microcosm of its larger parent organization, the 272nd VGD. In many ways, this division was typical of the rest of those created in September and October 1944, at a time when German victory was a forlorn hope and when the best that Germany could expect was a negotiated truce. Fighting exclusively on the Western Front from November 1944 until April 1945, this division experienced brief glimpses of success in battle against American and British troops before it finally succumbed during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket, the largest battle of encirclement in the west during World War Two.
Designed to secure final victory, these divisions instead found it to be an ever-elusive goal that continued to recede before them. Despite the extraordinary exertions required to man and equip them, they never lived up to expectations and the men of these divisions were sacrificed senselessly in a vain attempt to overcome Allied supremacy. Hastily assembled and trained, Volks-Grenadier divisions were forced to use the bodies of their men as a substitute for firepower and mobility. The result was an enormous bloodletting that drained the German people, das Volk, of the last ounce of available manpower—the husbands, sons, and fathers who had so far been spared from the clutches of a total war. They now found that they had become little more than cannon fodder for a Führer who, in the end, thought them not worthy of his leadership.
Volks-Grenadier Divisions sprang into being in the aftermath of the 20 July 1944 attempt on Hitler’s life, when fanatical loyalty to the Nazi regime rather than skill or leadership ability increasingly became the paramount criteria for service and advancement in the Wehrmacht. Adolf Hitler, ever attuned to the latent nationalistic character of the German people, selected the Volks-Grenadier honorific "to appeal to the national and military pride of Das Volk."¹ It was to be the Wehrmacht’s last concerted effort to mobilize Germany’s remaining potential manpower to turn the tide of war.
Using the pretext of the assassination attempt to guarantee the Führer the Army’s future ideological loyalty, Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer (national leader) of the SS, convinced Hitler to appoint him commander-in-chief of the Ersatzheer (the replacement army). Approved only hours after the attempt on his life, this appointment merely masked Himmler’s ambition to increase his own share of power at the Army’s expense. His path to this new command was made easier by the fact that many of the key conspirators, such as Generaloberst Erich Fromm and Oberst Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg, had held senior positions in the Ersatzheer.² Their elimination removed any remaining obstacle to the realization of Himmler’s goal.
Another reason advanced for use of the Volks designation was the belief that this title would distinguish such units from other infantry divisions of the German Army, perhaps in conscious imitation of the term Guards Division as used by the British and Soviet armies. The title Guards Division had been bestowed since the middle of the war upon Soviet divisions that had distinguished themselves in battle.⁵ Of course, the title "Volks" was bestowed on many divisions that had not even seen any fighting at all, much less having distinguished themselves. Left unspoken, of course, must have been the hope that they would do so at the first opportunity so that they might live up to their lofty title.
Nineteen Volks-Grenadier Divisions, which constituted the 32nd Welle (Mobilization Wave), were to be created on 31 August 1944 to serve as an operational reserve.⁶ The orders authorizing their creation, issued by the Oberkommando des Heeres (German Army High Command, or OKH) on 26 and 28 August 1944, stated that they were to be raised, trained, equipped, and ready for employment on either the Western or Eastern Fronts between 16 September and 26 November 1944. As it turned out, most of these new divisions were initially committed on the Western Front.⁷ This order did not affect other types of divisions, such as Panzer, Panzer-Grenadier, Mountain, or Light Infantry divisions. Nor did it apply to any Luftwaffe Parachute or Field divisions, though many airmen were eventually transferred into VGDs. In addition to creating VGDs, Himmler also authorized the creation of Volks-Artillerie Corps (for the command and control of corps-level artillery) and Volks-Werfer (Mortar) Brigades. Six more VGDs were formed on 16 September 1944.
The nineteen new Volks-Grenadier divisions being formed mentioned above, which had divisional numbers from 564 to 582, were merged with the remnants of older divisions that had been shattered during the summer and fall campaigns of 1944.⁹ So it came to be that new divisions, like the 575th Volks-Grenadier Division, were merged with veteran divisions like the 272nd Infantry Division before their establishment was ever completed. Many older Kriegsetat (Wartime Establishment, also known as Infantry Division 44 neuer Art) 1944 infantry divisions, whose pre-war organizational structures had been modified during late 1943 and early 1944, were never re-designated as VGDs and retained their old titles and structure until the end of the war. This was a function of insufficient time or opportunity to pull them out of the front line to undergo reorganization rather than a deliberate oversight.
In the case of the 272nd VGD, nearly all of the officers that had escaped from Normandy with the old division were retained in the same key leadership positions (for the names and positions of key leaders at this time, refer to Appendix A). Many of them met or exceeded the above-stated specifications for the desired types of individual decorations. A noteworthy omission from the officer positions authorized by the new structure, however, was that of divisional chaplain, which had been eliminated by order of Himmler himself.
That was the idea, at least in theory. Actually rounding up the manpower was another matter, although Himmler had ultimate control over the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS replacement pools. The bitter reality was that experienced manpower had become a scarce commodity by the early autumn of 1944. To fill the ranks of these new divisions, Himmler, as commander in chief of the Ersatzheer initiated a series of imaginative and ruthless measures. One such measure was his resort to the use of mobile drafting units, the so-called Heldenklaukommandos ( hero-snatcher units ).
Comparable to press gangs during the days of Frederick the Great, these roving teams, consisting of Nazi Party officials, military police, and Army recruitment personnel, scoured Germany and the remaining occupied areas for manpower. They resorted to re-activating convalescent soldiers discharged from hospitals as no longer fit for frontline service; culling the now-underemployed Luftwaffe for suitable personnel; converting Kriegsmarine personnel from sailors to infantrymen; conscripting boys of sixteen and seventeen years of age; and snatching able-bodied workers from German industry or the railways and replacing them with women and forced laborers who were from conquered territories.
Further guidelines were issued to generate additional manpower from the hospitals by shortening a soldier’s recuperation. On 21 September 1944, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces High Command, or OKW) issued an order that specified that the terms ‘Limited Fitness for Field Service’ and ‘Limited Fitness for Duty in the Replacement Army’ have been so routinely abused that they are no longer meaningful. They are henceforth no longer to be used. ¹³ What then followed was a list of requirements that effectively forced military hospitals to discharge patients much earlier than in peacetime and to reclassify soldiers with infirmities or disabilities for front line service. It is doubtful whether these men contributed anything meaningful to a unit’s combat effectiveness, but at least it had the immediate effect of freeing up more manpower for the new Volks-Grenadier divisions. | 2019-04-18T18:35:07Z | https://ar.scribd.com/book/273102047/Victory-Was-Beyond-Their-Grasp-With-the-272nd-Volks-Grenadier-Division-from-the-Huertgen-Forest-to-the-Heart-of-the-Reich |
Samples represents that of an actual working technical professional found on the WEB and modified to protect the privacy of these professionals. Human names, company names, colleges, software product names are intentionally made up.
More than a dozen years in Call Center Manager/Director positions in Computer Hardware, Software and Services companies.
Successfully built integrated, expandable, self-maintaining, cost-effective support systems for four companies.
Responsible for annual budgets over 1,000,000. Anticipated expenditures and managed my team within budget every year.
Managed the RFP Request for Proposal process to define needs, identify likely solutions, evaluate, select, purchase and implement all third-party tools for my departments.
Negotiated purchase and support contracts for various third party products and services, and managed those relationships over time.
Developed appropriate metrics to measure performance and provide early indicators of areas to improve. Created processes and procedures aimed at constant improvement in all areas.
Built teams of greater than 40 employees in multiple locations and time zones.
Accurately forecasted support needs and proactively staffed and trained to meet future needs.
Consistently recognized for my outstanding Team Building and Employee Development skills.
Acted as Implementer and/or System Administrator for several CRM tools, including Seibel, Clarify Clear Support, Magic Solutions, Intellisystems VRU and Kana Email management products.
A team-player , I try to build consensus among my employees as well as my peers and superiors in my companies before committing to any large changes in tools, processes or procedures. I try to ensure that my solutions and improvements work well for me and do not cause any undue difficulties for my co-workers.
A hands-on Manager and Director, I keep my technical skills current. I recently attended Solaris System Administrator training, and am learning the basics of Java Programming. My PC skills are also current as both a power-user and as an administrator of most Windows OS es.
My role was to define and build a customer and technical support infrastructure. For NetSystems this included Customer Service, Technical Support, QA, Internal and Customer Training, Sales Engineering and Professional Services duties.
Wrote Service Level Agreements relevant to all anticipated products and services we intended to offer, including System Sales, A.S.P. and various Maintenance contracts.
Selected and installed/configured various tools to facilitate my job performance. These included a bug tracking system and a new phone system.
Hired and Trained employees to assist with my various responsibilities.
Acted as the Customer Advocate throughout the entire product development cycle to ensure all components were focused on the needs of our end-users.
Participated in all Engineering discussions on how to best implement our product goals.
Facilitated interdepartmental agreements on services to offer and ways to best serve our customers.
Fulfilled several roles, including System Administrator, Sales Engineer, Trainer and On-Site Installer in addition to my management duties.
Joined the company to create a support system and team for EasyBuy s newest business group, sMessaging.
My role was to select all necessary tools and products, and build a team capable of meeting a service level that I defined based on corporate goals established in discussion with my superiors.
Performed a cost analysis of all possible support vectors, including Toll Free and Fee based phone support, email support, web-based customer self-service and Chat as well as service package based approaches. Delivered options based on cost/subscriber for variable contact volumes.
Selected appropriate tools based on cost and presumed value. Negotiated purchase contracts, purchased tools and spearheaded the implementation processes.
When we chose Seibel as our CRM tool, I participated on the Implementation Team.
Determined a multi-level support system and created job descriptions for each level. These included pre-sales, customer service, implementation support, post-sales tech support and Domain Master activities for our group.
Hired senior and junior level agents to meet anticipated contact volumes for our new business group.
Using the skills of my team, we created a full set of internal training documents, Policy and Procedure statements, Domain Registration and Transfer processes appropriate to our business, and created all content for the support section of our website FAQ s tutorials, help files, etc .
Performed as a customer advocate at all times and to all levels of the company.
Re-built entire department. Examined all aspects of our service delivery systems in order to provide a consistent, cost-effective support system. Created an integrated framework for future department growth.
Implemented a consistent training program.
Began and maintained regular call center metrics reports.
Purchased and implemented a high end call tracking program Clarify s Clear Support .
Reduced headcount in my department by 15 while addressing 20 more customer contacts per week Actual productivity per tech rose over 40 .
Reduced turnover by 50 as a result of a more stable work environment and procedures.
Based on the results of a series of quarterly Customer Surveys, we improved our customer satisfaction rating from under 50 when I joined the company to where over 75 of our users said they had a "Better than expected" experience with my department and "would recommend Aqua.Net to others".
In the course of 8-1/2 years with KML I was responsible for creating and implementing every aspect of our end-user support system.
Developed and managed a 1 million dollar plus annual budget.
As an advocate of using appropriate technology to deliver higher service levels I saved an estimated 200,000 per year by avoiding unnecessary headcount and repeat contacts by our customers.
Integrated support for all Day-Timer software products after KML formed a joint venture company with Day-Timer, Inc.
Managed a group of 40+ techs delivering phone, fax, online and email support for multiple product lines Muller, Silicon Sports and Statx hardware and Day-Timer and Chronologic software in multiple locations.
Helped establish end-of-life-cycle guidelines for Day-Timer software products.
Worked with Day-Timer product development and QA to ensure that user feedback was respected in future feature and design creation.
Performed detailed request-for-proposal project to determine a suitable call tracking system for Muller and Day-Timer s future tech support needs.
Purchased, implemented and customized Intellisystem s interactive voice response system to deal with frequently asked questions.
Aggressively championed various automated systems to allow us to reduce the cost per contact in all support areas.
Developed and managed a group of 15 techs delivering phone, fax, online forum and email support for multiple Muller hardware product lines.
Provided senior level tech support to our customers.
Created a cost effective hardware repair depot to refurbish damaged products.
Provided cost justification for a lifetime warranty on certain products.
Drove the creation of various online support forums AOL, CompuServe, Apple Link and eventually our own website .
Designed and delivered various training sessions to my techs.
Negotiated and maintained various Service Level Agreements.
Participated in the budgeting process and controlled expenditures in my department.
Cleared backlog of end-user and dealer/distributor product return requests.
Created separate, consistent return procedures for end-users and dealer/distributor accounts.
Helped Muller gain an industry-wide reputation for top quality customer support.
Various Trade Seminars on Management topics such as Contract Negotiations, Training Methods, Effective Telephone Communication, Handling Harassment Claims, Legal Issues involving Managers in California, Support Services Conference and Expo and others.
Seeking a full time support and or operations management position within a growth industry providing opportunity to contribute to company expansion, increased market share, customer satisfaction, performance and profitability.
Interfacing with professionals, senior management and customer liaison.
Change Management & Team Building.
Staff supervision, recruiting, selection, evaluation, training and motivation.
Both centralized and decentralized field service, repair facilities, training, logistics, administration, marketing and telephone based technical assistance operations.
Creating and implementing policies and procedures.
Budgeting combined with Business unit management.
Customer satisfaction and quality control improvements.
Conducting industry analysis and benchmarking for continuous competitive advantage.
Help Desk & Call Center operations with CRM.
Knowledgeable in service marketing and sales channels, direct, distribution, reseller.
Knowledgeable in Windows 95, 98 & NT, IBM 3270 environments, data communications and LAN/WAN topologies, Lucent and Aspect ACD, CMS & IVR, Internet, Knowledgebase Applications, Customer Relationship Management, Microsoft Office Suite and Workforce Management programs.
Repositioned and restructured a service organization from a "fix the equipment" to a "fix the customer" team approach resulting in increased product sales and top ratings by end users in major industry surveys on customer satisfaction.
Improved productivity, utilization and customer satisfaction levels resulting in significant overhead cost reductions combined with increased sales and expanded market share.
A creative, articulate professional with excellent organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills who uses proactive, strategic planning as the foundation of winning teams and generating new business to ensure company growth along with improved customer service and satisfaction, loyalty, retention and repeat business.
Managed and directed multiple outsourced Help Desk operations for major pharmaceutical corporation client, supporting over 6000 campus and 800 remote users.
Established process and productivity improvements and assisted client with implementation of Knowledgebase applications.
Developed and implemented quantifiable departmental guidelines and procedures.
Improved recruitment efforts, employee retention and training.
Performed revisions and monitoring of service level agreements.
Instituted change management to enhance and improve customer satisfaction levels.
Resolved daily operational issues associated with help desk operations, people management along with introduction of new strategic client initiatives.
Developed client and vendor partnership relations.
Instituted best practices for continuous improvement.
Managed and directed product technical support involving inbound call center operations for direct marketing telecommunications company. Established quantifiable departmental guidelines, improved recruitment, revised service level agreements, performed change management, greatly improved customer satisfaction levels. Established process and productivity improvements, developed customer satisfaction, renewal and retention programs. Performed budgetary and strategic planning to help achieve corporate goals. Assisted in launching Primus Knowledgebase technology to supplement call center operations and allow for end user self help assistance.
Streamlined and reengineered workflow and processes resulting in support cost reductions of 21 .
Instituted Customer Relationship Management concepts improving repeat business by 8 .
Implemented Best Practices philosophy within operations reducing repeat calls by 13 .
Reduced overall corporation product return rate by 12 .
Revised technical and operational manuals for end user clarification and ease of use.
Responsible for call center, telephone based, inbound / outbound help desk operations designed to provide 24x7 life cycle technical support and customer service involving applications, pre / post sale support functions for 7000 products and 250 vendors. Short and long term operations, scheduling, planning, project management, system integration, competitive analysis, staffing, budget and customer satisfaction improvements for worldwide direct marketing data communications and networking solutions provider.
Reengineered departmental organization and operations to focus on core business objectives.
Maximized manpower planning reducing wait for live answer support time by 120 .
Developed new product launch strategies and support services for improved profit margins.
Elevated operation to World Class level industry leader in customer support.
Provided management and strategic direction to quality and customer service organizations. Responsibilities included: Profitable business unit operations, service marketing, receiving and final inspection, quality control and assurance, vendor quality and relationships, depot repair activities, field service operations, international service centers, metrology, technical assistance response centers, installation planning / coordination, systems integration, project scheduling and customer satisfaction improvement programs for leading light measurement instrumentation company.
Improved service profit margin and dollar revenue by 48 .
Increased productivity and throughput by 65 .
Decreased backlog by 100 while improving response time by 375 .
Conceptualized, developed, staffed and directed a customer service division consisting of over 200 technical service professionals responsible for all US pre and post sales activity, short term operations and long term strategies including profitable P&L and finished goods inventory. Responsibilities included technical assistance centers, field service remote offices, depot repair, P&L, training and administration management for data communications / telecommunications manufacturer.
Initiated innovative service strategies and offerings as competitive advantage for corporate growth.
Increased maintenance contract penetration by 23 along with a renewal rate of 95 .
Performed analysis and established criteria resulting in cost reductions of 27 per year.
Managed all aspects of regional field service post sales operations including budget, applications, installation scheduling, software and on-site service support functions.
Improved productivity and customer satisfaction levels by 33 .
Repositioned and restructured a service organization to a customer versus equipment focus.
Achieved top ratings by users in industry surveys along with increased company sales and profitability.
Seeking a Customer Service/Call Center/Tech Support type position which corresponds with my background experience.
Customer Service/Call Center type position directed at answering incoming calls relative to troubleshooting DSL service issues as well as follow-up on technical install/activation dates.
Scheduling of Technicians for Business or Residential installations and/or repairs.
Lots of Data Entry pertaining to detailed descriptions of technical information relative to DSL/Internet/Modem types involving problem solving-troubleshooting skills.
Accuracy and documentation of facts and dates, confirmation of services-products ordered through the SBC-Pacific Bell Business Office.
Handled ISP s such as Earthlink and AOL for end-user related problems.
Escalation handling to 1st. and 2nd levels, issuance of trouble tickets using handoff methods to various departments within the Northern and Southern California regions.
Knowledge of Windows NT software.
Customer Service Representative for wireless cell phones.
Answered incoming calls, Troubleshooted cell phone related service and equipment problems, resolved and directed customers to Customer Care Assistance line.
Placed cell phone activation orders, determined product repair or exchange within warranty policies, coordinated scheduling of technicians for onsite repairs.
Handled receiving of cell phones and parts, consulted and educated customers on equipment and value-added features based on the customer s needs.
Radiology File Clerk on call status to short hour position.
Responsibilities included working in a fast paced environment by filing and creating X-ray jackets.
File retrieval according to information via the X-ray printer.
Computer scanning of medical records.
Answered telephone-related requests from various departments within the hospital regarding patient files, processed incoming/outgoing mail on the weekend shift.
Temporarily performed Bank Teller duties handling transactions, posted checks and cash deposits to accounts, cross selling of credit union products, check encoding, check proofing, selling money orders, copying and faxing documents.
Central PBX Operator and Receptionist for the bank.
Responsible for screening and routing incoming telephone calls.
Accurate message taking, greeting and announcing clients.
Maintained records and the distribution of parking validations.
Worked as a General Clerk and Receptionist in the office of the president.
Maintained records and files of customers in alphabetic and numerical arrangement.
Light clerical duties consisting of typing short letters, envelopes and labels, faxing messages, sorting and distributing mail.
Receptionist reliefs during breaks and lunch time.
Knowledge of AT&T Systems #100 and #25 switchboard console.
Responsible for services organization including Technical Support, Pre-Sales Support, Consulting & Training at a company that develops testing tools for the performance and scalability of web applications.
Negotiated & implemented training & consulting agreements with strategic partners and system integrators.
Established certification program for partners.
Executive management responsibility for large benchmarking projects with key vendors.
Hired as a consultant to establish the customer service organization, which includes the technical support, implementation services, pre-sales support and operations groups, for this start-up ASP that develops, integrates and hosts PRM solutions.
Staffed the organization from two people to a team of nine people.
Implemented methodologies for ensuring our customers are successfully implemented, deployed and maintain system reliability.
Instituted infrastructure necessary to ensure ongoing high levels of customer satisfaction.
Instrumental in working with Concord management to help transition the Customer Service team into Concord s Customer Services team.
Established the customer service organization, which includes the technical support, consulting and training functions, for this dynamic start-up company that developed application measurement software.
Developed and implemented all policies and procedures for the services organizations.
Established methodologies for implementation and support of product offerings.
Increased staff from 1 person to 8 people to support the company s key customer satisfaction initiative.
Directed staff in development of training courses for the both implementation and on-going deployment of FirstSense products.
Responsible for direct interface with Sales Management to help close business and to generate services revenues.
Overall responsibility for customer service organization, including the successful maintenance and growth of the worldwide customer base for this developer of knowledge management/document management and workflow software.
Achieved 80 growth in service revenue during 1997.
Formalized all service departments, significantly improving customer satisfaction as measured independently while ensuring NSI employee adoption of/by-in to new policies and procedures.
Successfully implemented web based support services for technical support and training.
Implemented virtual consulting and innovative knowledge base support initiatives.
Instituted the Open Road Initiative , a first-of-its-type program pairing NSI senior executives with customers in specific high visibility accounts.
Success metrics include: increased customer satisfaction, improved feedback and development of customer advocates/spokespersons.
Responsible for worldwide services organization with annual budget in excess of 25 million and revenues in excess of 60 million.
Managed an organization of 200+ people consisting of software support in the Americas and Europe, Middle East & Africa, nationwide Sales Administration, Pre-Sales Support, Consulting, Education and Corporate Services.
Reorganized technical support to improve service levels.
Established multiple levels of service offerings.
Implemented 24/7 service, utilizing the Follow the Sun model.
Established company-wide internal training function.
Established a College & University Program.
Established World Wide Web service initiatives.
Corporate responsibility for establishing Customer Oriented Culture .
Established an expertise exchange program.
Managed Sales Support, Sales Administration and Corporate Sales Support. Increased customer satisfaction and responsiveness to the market.
Established the Corporate Sales Support function.
Built a sales training program consisting of technical and positioning information.
Regionalized sales support and sales administration functions to more effectively support field sales.
Developed and implemented a Corporate Visit Program.
Established the telephone hotline support for prospects.
Responsible for building the U.S. pre-sales support staff, as well as providing sales support assistance to the company s 11 international subsidiaries.
Developed and implemented company s first orientation program for sales organization.
Established a competitive compensation program for sales support.
Managed the Education and Technical Support departments with P&L responsibility for annual revenues in excess of 2 million. Developed standards and programs for employees and the client base.
Managed a technical support department with an annual budget in excess of 1 million. Established support strategies; developed formal orientation program and implemented yearly business plans.
Managed a team that developed and taught training curriculum for internal and customer classes. Established a formal training and evaluation program.
Worked in a variety of positions within the computer operations and programming and systems departments.
Over twenty years experience in a technical and sales office environment. Performed a variety of assignments including technical and customer support, inside sales, providing quotations and order entry.
Directly reported to the Regional Manager.
Responsible for providing inside sales support for outside sales, technical product support, quotations and order entry.
Responsible for providing first point of contact for customers supporting fourteen states and Canada.
Responsible for compiling sales forecast information for Regional Manager.
Responsible for managing daily operations of the office.
Responsible for providing customer training.
Responsible for providing formal electronics course design and development at the factory as well as offsite at the University of Oklahoma Technical Branch.
Participated in a variety of technical presentations for Amoco locations.
Responsible for providing inside sales support.
Responsible for providing technical customer support.
Assisted in maintaining the PC LAN/WAN serving 110 customers.
Responsible for supervising technical staff.
Responsible for developing formal testing procedures.
Consistently worked with the Engineering Department to ensure reliable and quality products.
Senior executive with management background in technology and computer support services. Extensive experience in multiple business unit management, senior sales, marketing and operations positions, new business start-ups, turn-arounds, and mergers. Results focused with proven ability in P&L management, strategic planning, reversing negative business trends, maximizing productivity and delivering multi-million dollar profits.
Led Customer Service Delivery organization to achieve revenue and profit targets. Directed merger activities between Sequent Customer Service and existing service delivery infrastructure.
Exceeded profit contributions with an additional 850,000 in profit.
Accelerated the integration activities between Sequent and Floria business units and completed effort 5 month ahead of schedule resulting in a savings of 610,000.
Provided organizational leadership to meet and achieve annual revenue growth goals of 5 .
Established business practices to re-skill workforce for new services while maintaining an attrition rate less that 2 .
Developed and implemented pro-active strategies to strengthened Floria s competitive edge with service renewal levels at 95 by streamlining business practices.
Senior executive will full responsibility to achieve the financial targets and client satisfaction objectives of the Western Region. Focused primarily on new revenue growth in Value Add Services to complement traditional service offerings. Directed line managers and organization in the major areas of business of Customer Service, Professional Services, Products Sales, Service Delivery, and Network Services.
Delivered continuous revenue growth of 4 quarter to quarter with annual services of 55M and a profit of 27M.
Managed sales quotas in three new services areas. Grew revenue from 200K to 2.7M in 6 quarters.
Services included: Computer Environmental Services, Remote Management Services, and Business Continuity Services.
Western Region grew from 45 to over 70 of the US corporate services revenues.
Provided leadership to the Alliance Sales Organization and Service Delivery Operations to win Original Equipment Manufacture business. Business goals were focused on revenue growth by delivering desktop and network support to the reseller and OEM channel.
Achieved annual revenue growth of 52M.
Won new service agreements from Compaq, Dell, Cisco, Gateway, Toshiba, and Lexmark totaling 260M.
Proposed and implemented Program Management Offices dedicated to service contract management and increasing service revenues.
Managed major business units of Customer Service, Network Solutions, PC Support Services, and tradition mainframe support. Organization consisted of 15 line managers and 215 people.
Generated annual services revenues of 60 million and 45 margin.
Acquired #1 ranking in overall client satisfaction and most improved among leading industry vendors in Western Region by the Gartner Group.
A self-motivated, competitive, trustworthy, and customer-oriented executive with a passion for success and "can-do" attitude. Creator of an international support and services operation for a start-up company. Instrumental in developing essential business service offerings and building customer/partner relationships to accelerate growth. Provides critical strategic planning with significant focus on the areas of support operations, business development, service administration, and call center management. Highly proficient in navigating cross-functional teams, directing process improvement, creating empowered work environments, exceeding operational goals, removing barriers to achieve success, and providing the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Leader of multiple call center operations with 160 people and 8 direct managers.
Established service strategy plan with quarterly operational performance objectives. Displayed and communicated ongoing results with updates posted weekly.
Improved customer satisfaction index gap 51 ...from 3.5 to 1.7.
Reduced problem resolution times from 28 days to 15...a 46 improvement.
Reduced case backlogs from 1840 to 768...a 58 improvement.
Succeeded in meeting revenue and expense control targets for 6 of 7 quarters.
Coordinated termination of outsourcing support contract and the merge of 220 customers, providing a 10-month ROI of 1.4 million...and still growing.
Directed global Enhanced Services program that netted 1.25 million in 1.5 years.
Developed quality assurance team that evaluated and modified business processes, established best practices, maintained ISO-9001 certification, implemented LEAN program that eliminated waste, and empowered personnel to generate improvement activity using Kaizen approach.
Established agreements with training alliances, indirect channels, and resellers to enhance support capabilities. Worked in partnership with these same groups to resolve customer issues.
Negotiated win-win billing and contract solutions with customers and finance team.
Developed employee satisfaction survey. Utilized quarterly and instantaneous customer survey metrics.
Assisted in successful implementation of ACD system enabling delivery of 7x24 global support.
Assisted in development of professional service offerings including go-live support, data archiving, system performance evaluations, customizations, data rebuild, standby support, and migrations.
Worked with Support Innovations team to incorporate network enhancements, system modifications, and support operations infrastructure.
Implemented quality program of visual management where teams posted charts and graphics in work areas displaying operational metrics, team achievements and progress towards strategic goals.
Assisted in development of global service marketing collateral i.e. - brochures, presentations, etc .
Leader of local Training and Human Capital Development team. Assisted in implementing technical and soft skills training, employee skills database, career development program, and leadership training.
Created lead generation and rewards program to stimulate opportunities for revenue.
Directed all facility changes and strategically planned for resource utilization and business growth. Negotiated vendor contracts and resolved all facility-based issues including security, lighting, cleaning, equipment, snack and beverage vendors, and supplies.
Contracted to project manage implementation of OS/2-to-NT conversion for the IVR system.
Negotiated and finalized Service Level Agreements, monitored order process and scheduling of equipment, customized and coordinated training program, and directed all activity relating to development, testing, installation, production, and support phases of IVR implementation.
Successfully completed conversion project "ON TIME" and 369,780 "UNDER" budget.
Created and directed global support operations for start-up telecommunications equipment company.
Established global support teams consisting of 24 contracted support entities, 2 subsidiary companies, and 6 direct managers based in the US, UK, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, and Asia Pacific.
Negotiated and developed Service Level Agreements, technology transfer agreements, and business relationship contracts with global repair facilities, OEM s, Distributors, and 3rd party support vendors.
Defined vision, mission, and goals for global service, training, quality, and export management teams.
Directed technical personnel to provide day-to-day telecom support in pre-sales activity, network design, application development, customer launch support, on-site product installs and de-installs, resolution of product design issues, remote diagnostics, on-site system troubleshooting, inventory control, and training as required.
Developed and implemented organizational policies, maintenance processes, product warranties, strategic operational objectives and goals, and personnel assignments and evaluations.
Directed call center and help desk management operations for domestic support and inside sales.
Developed customer satisfaction surveys to discover team strengths and weaknesses.
Assessed and responded to business proposals, product tenders, and pricing requests RFP s, RFQ s .
Constructed first "live" ADSL presentation system for trade shows and training seminars. Negotiated with Hollywood film companies for rights to show movie trailers.
Established global export management team responsible for sales order processing, inventory control, timely shipments, billing, logistics, resolution of sales order problems, and order status communications via the Internet. Developed all working policies and procedures in adherence to federal regulations.
Successfully project-managed LAN implementation, design and construction of interactive product demo and training room, selection and installation of CTI system with ACD and IVR structures, software downloads, web-site design with interactive solutions, and on-line incident tracking system.
Established revenue-producing training organization including seminars, train-the-trainer program, course development, product presentations, and Distributor, sales, end-user, and customer training.
Established quality programs including process improvement management with Key Performance Indicators KPI , ISO 9001 certification, and TQM initiatives.
Maintained global budget for Customer Service, Technical Support, Quality Improvement, Inside and Direct Sales, Export Management, Logistics, and Training with P&L accountability over 3 million.
Successful business and market development of advanced local access transmission systems and technologies DSL and Telco Access Products in Asia Pacific, Mexico, Central/Latin/South America.
Achieved major contract win of 7.2 million for the first exclusive fiber-loop backup system in Korea.
Achieved highest quarterly product sales revenue in the Asia Pacific region.
Member of SouthEast Officer and Leadership team.
Directed 7x24 call center operations in a union environment with a revenue base of over 4 million.
Managed support operations of troubleshooting digital data products, customer site preparation, system planning and design, installation coordination, account management, proactive networks monitoring, remote diagnostics, personnel assignments, coaching, and performance planning.
Developed and implemented organizational policies and maintenance processes relating to training requirements, operational objectives and goals, and manpower utilization models.
Developed maintenance philosophy on company support products and provided direction on support requirements. Advised company on technical decisions needed to bring new products to market.
Established quality programs including process improvement management, TQM initiatives, customer satisfaction metrics, ISO 9000 documentation and audit training. Developed quality and technical escalation programs to resolve support and product design issues.
Reviewed completeness and quality of material released to Field organizations such as Field Service Bulletins, Technical Tips, Engineering Change Orders, and Technical Modifications.
Assisted in ACD selection, installation and options programming. Certified in Northern Telecom ACD AC-2 Management.
Directed technical development and product support release plan for the first T1 multiplexer product line released from Parametric. Established cost factors for supporting all products affecting P&L.
Project-managed staging and installation of turnkey systems, multiple field retrofit programs, and Technical Support Lab implementation.
Developed employee satisfaction survey to discover managerial and operational strengths and weaknesses.
Three time winner of AT&T Parametric Customer Service Excellence award.
Received Service Sales award for contributions towards customer satisfaction, quality management results, and departmental revenue growth.
Managed Installation Coordination team ensuring sales order accuracy, technical compliance, timely product shipments, error-free installations, and expeditious repairs. Directed all aspects of installation planning such as site inspections, pre- and post-sale meetings, site inventories, and training.
Developed and implemented organizational policies and maintenance processes relating to operations, established strategic objectives and goals, and defined manpower utilization models. Created and improved working documentation, daily communication logs, and operational processes to increase installation coordination productivity and efficiency.
Project-managed all aspects of LINK/1 product retrofit program for entire customer base. Activity included communications, documentation, customer relations, training, logistics, project planning, scheduling, personnel assignments, installation, testing, and management updates.
Provided expertise level training on all aspects of T1 data/voice communication equipment, data concentrators, voice multiplexers, statistical multiplexers, and network management systems NMS . Created customized courses, flowcharts, diagrams, and lab exercises for internal and external training.
Created Customer Site Preparation manual and Site Survey document that was primarily designed to ensure proper site preparation and error-free Telecom product installations.
Managed electronics maintenance crew for an anti-submarine helicopter squadron.
Ensured maximum utilization of personnel and facilities in accomplishment of all assigned work.
Achieved role of Quality Insurance Inspector ensuring aircraft was safe and flight-worthy.
Ensured Maintenance Department training program was properly supported within work center.
Maintained Secret security clearance handling cryptographic equipment and messages.
Environments: CLEC, ILEC, LAN/WAN, TCP/IP, DSL, Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay, SNA, X.25, 10BaseT, ACD, PBX, IVR, CTI, Call Centers, Internet utilization, Voice and T1/E1 Networks.
Hardware: Disk and Tape Drives, Concentrators, Multiplexors, Routers, Encryptors, Desktop/Laptop PC s, Modems, and CSU s.
Software: MS-Office suite, MS-Project, Visio, Lotus Notes, MS-Outlook, and Outlook Express.
Operating Systems: DOS, Windows NT, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and UNIX.
Extensive experience in customer service for sales, technical support, and customer care functions in a large, complex call center environment. Certified in Implementation of Aspect ACD System, Release 7.0 from ground up. Also worked with Remedy, RCAM, ACSR I, ASCR II, Commsoft, CSG, Zenith, RAMP, Aspect Release 6.0 ACD Systems. Coordinated with REM, managers, and Q.A. department in scheduling, training, coaching, and evaluating operational personnel. Concentrated on implementing ways to bring the customer service level to 100 . Skilled in productivity measurement analysis. Effective in developing processes, systems, and policies which increase productivity, minimize errors, and reduce costs. Clear and concise written and spoken communications in English, Punjabi and Hindi. Background reflects leadership, judgment, analytical, and organizational skills. Oriented in maximum productivity and superior customer service.
Understanding of DNS,LAN/WAN, ping, treaceroutes, routers, hubs, DSU/CSU switches, T!, T3, OC3, cabling, networking.
Responsible for screening, referring, and diagnosing customer inquiries and problems.
Perform troubleshooting to clearly understand the problem and ascertain if the problem is known or duplicate.
Resolve complex problems and assign more complex to second level support.
Responsible for professionally answering phone calls, support email, fax and web requests, initiating trouble tickets for all customer inquiries.
Effectively communicate ticket status with customer, coordinate timeframes for callback or resolution, and the assignment of priority and severity levels.
Focal point for customer inquiries, issues, concerns, and escalations.
Played major role in successfully launching and marketing out local phone service through cable lines in the Bay Area and Tri-Valley.
Key role in converting billing systems from Commsoft to ACSR.
Reported to project manager and marketing department with responsibility for process and procedures on how to make new launch successful.
Extensive knowledge of all products Cable, wireless, Internet, video, local and long distance communications and Systems Aspect, RCAM, Ramp, Acsr, Commsoft, Remedy, Outlook, Office.
Coordinated with the QA in training and coaching new hires.
Maintained high customer service levels.
Use of remedy to enter trouble tickets and send to NOC while troubleshooting with customer.
Used strong technical skills to walk customer through technical and care issues.
Duties included bi-monthly billing for children with speech, hearing & learning disabilities.
Handling and posting payments form patients and providing purchase orders for accounts payable.
Printing invoices for billing and checks for employees.
Maintained statistics for representative to insure low abandonment rate, calls being answered 90 of the time within 30 seconds.
Coordinated methods on how to improve customer service levels through extensive monitoring.
Responsible for customizing and marketing long distance and domestic plans according to the customer s requirements.
Fluent in four different languages including English.
Responsible for providing excellent customer service for both outbound and inbound customer calls.
General clerical duties; including filing, check auditing and matching of pay packages for both employees and vendors.
Responsible for collecting information for 1099 vendors including calling 1099 vendors and verifying remit to addresses.
Maintained updated revision of tax booklets and employment verification.
Various projects as assigned including researching contracts, timecards and W2 information for accuracy.
Results driven Services executive with over seventeen years experience in high technology. Proven background in staff leadership, revenue achievement, professional services, sales force support and training, budget control, competitive market positioning, and customer training/support for product and service offerings. Experienced in executive level strategic and operational decision making with established and start-up organizations.
A developer of wearable, wireless computer technology and Internet based services for the consumer and research market. A startup company with 30 employees .
Responsible for development and management of a customer services business unit, execution and management of corporate infrastructure, sales and marketing, corporate funding initiatives and customer satisfaction and retention. Report to President and CEO of RuthMedia, Inc.
Established product and service pricing for consumer and research markets.
Established product warranty and corporate quality polices and procedures.
Designed web based customer support infrastructure.
Assisted in corporate funding initiatives.
Designed, implemented and manage marketing, sales and service business plans.
Signed first co-marketing agreement with Cisco Systems.
Signed first marketing/sales channel with Highmark Blue Cross/Shield.
An 85 million engineering software development company. Over 10,000 customers worldwide, with a direct and indirect international sales force.
Responsible for development and management of a services P&L business unit, consisting of 26M in revenue and 4M in budget management. Key areas of responsibility include service revenue attainment, budget management, pre-sales support, technical support, consulting services, and customer training/retention. Report to President of OBERMANN, Inc.
Converted internal customer service organization into a successful P&L business unit.
Exceeded annual revenue quota each year.
Implemented 6 new service offerings.
Created sales incentive programs for direct and distributor sales force.
Developed marketing programs and re-branding of service offerings.
Maintained over 80 customer retention rate.
Achieved Above Average customer service ratings for 5 consecutive years by identifying and implementing new processes and software.
Reduced technical support response time by implementing a worldwide call tracking system.
A software development company for mainframe, client server, and PC based applications. Annual sales of 700 million with 2400 employees .
Responsible for an 8 million consulting and training business unit which also includes business development, revenue forecasting, budget control, remote management of four direct and eighteen indirect reports throughout North America, and direct sales to over 20,000 customers. Report to Vice President Professional Services.
Designed annual business plans for training and consulting services.
Improved pre-sales initiatives by developing program for utilization of professional service resources.
Developed market positioning and collateral for professional services.
Increased annual revenue 800 in three years by development of a services infrastructure, new service offerings and obtaining sales force commitment.
Managed proposal, contract and negotiation for 100,000 - 2 Million engagements.
Designed 4 training facilities in NA.
A 100 million computer outsourcing, facilities management company. Presently known as Affiliated Computer Services.
Responsible for pre-sales support, customer migrations and implementation of automated data center operations. Reported to Director of Operations.
Provided pre-sales assistance on ten customer migrations.
Designed and developed automated operations project utilizing AutoMate MVS and CA7.
Designed and implemented plan for automation of corporate help desk functions.
Developed and implemented internal services department, which led to the expansion of fee based, customer-training services.
A 1 billion computer outsourcing, facilities management company.
Responsible for daily operational activities, mainframe systems, production schedules and problem determination for hardware and tele-communications.
Reported to Manager Computer Operations.
Selected out of 400 employees to join the Operations Development program.
Promoted to shift supervisor in 6 months.
Made recommendations of process changes that resulted in departmental cost savings.
Strong leadership in customer service, employee training, and communication. Primary focus includes technical procedures, research/operations analysis, and quality methods. Appreciated for solving difficult problems efficiently and quickly. Cool-under-fire approach to achieving the work. Professional, easy-going team player committed to goals of the organization.
Educated customers on various SDP payroll services and human resource information processing procedures.
Established positive business relationships with clients and other departments by consistently providing courteous, prompt, and effective service.
Handled customer escalations in a professional and courteous manner.
Analyzed and interpreted a continuous stream of 250 - 300 Digital Subscriber Line DSL orders from initial order entry to loop/circuit completion in various proprietary order systems.
Monitored, troubleshooted, and resolved escalated orders to ensure critical dates were met.
Worked closely with testers and installation groups to ensure timely, successful outcomes.
Information Technology customer service support for VMS and IBM/SAP operation systems for live worldwide databases.
Directly trained five new employees for customer service, database and computer operations, which increased communication and improved customer satisfaction by 15 .
Identified operation system problems, performed backups, startups and shutdowns.
Provided problem escalation support for world-wide NEXRAD weather radar stations.
Implemented an error reporting/resolution process that improved project communication and error reduction by 30 .
Documented procedures and plans for military and civilian operations, resulting in reducing research time and streamlining data processing time.
Assisted in resolving hardware and software production problems that reduced service calls by 35 .
Organized and maintained classified data and computer tape library allowing clients to receive expedient and precise information and service.
Interfaced with network Engineering groups to ensure all maintenance issues within the region were handled appropriately.
Maintained Engineering backlog report structure Database, including additions, changes and deletions, improving accuracy and timeliness for all departments; reducing overhead charges by 32 .
Successfully completed several departmental assignments either on or before the due dates.
Updated system procedure manuals to insure standardization of methods.
Resolved client research project issues in an effective and efficient manner.
Performed multiple engineering project tasks under varying and often adverse conditions.
Organized and maintained classified data and computer tape library allowing clients to receive expedient and precise information and service; minimizing overhead costs by 20 .
Education University Workshops, the Summit Organization, Inc.
Strategic Interaction Skills Training, Automatic Data Processing, Inc.
Customer Service/Support Director role that applies customer satisfaction and service-marketing experience to enhance customer loyalty, satisfaction, and competitive advantage.
Customer service professional with 18+ years of progressive customer service experience particularly managing support departments for consumer and business-level client relationships. A-to-Z customer satisfaction expertise with strong, results-oriented functional experience, supported by a solid combination of technical and business background. Effective team builder with excellent customer/ employee/interdepartmental rapport and performance/project management skills. Strong record of exceeding expectations, improving customer satisfaction/product quality, managing cost-effective service/support operations, and increasing service revenues. Experienced with multi-tier support models, e-commerce, ACD phone systems, customer relationship management CRM systems, and contact-center management tools. Simultaneously started a computer consulting company and completed two degrees while growing a full-time career.
Started a video-tape-to-DVD video conversion/preservation service company from the ground up.
Created a complete business plan, secured the necessary funding, and executing the marketing plan.
Streamlined all operations of the service production process, enabling the company to properly position itself and become highly competetive in the market place.
Created all policies and procedures for pre- and post-sale services.
Created a niche and orchestrated all advertising and marketing efforts into an emerging market.
Reduced operational costs to help reach profitability faster.
Chartered to implement high-level objectives of increasing efficiency and reducing support costs for the market leader of personal video recording PVR service.
Streamlined operations of high-profile customer service, training, knowledge management, technical support, and program/partner management teams.
Successfully implemented strategic initiatives to reduced support costs by increasing front-line capability. This increased scalability and customer satisfaction while decreasing level-1 to level-2 call transfer rates by more than 55 .
Built strong rapport with own team and with other cross-functional groups, establishing credibility and enhancing performance.
Successfully leveraged a multi-tier call center while reducing support costs by more than 50 .
Strengthened the team s reputation by dramatically improving the recruitment/training process for new agents and increasing the accuracy of KDB content.
Helped "raise the bar" for service levels in an emerging industry.
Created a highly effective inbound/outbound customer service team for one of the top 150 busiest 5 million hits/month e-commerce web sites.
Increased team s efficiency 75 by successfully implementing the Kana Response e-mail system.
Boosted sales 30 by providing instant service capability using real-time text chat.
Created an automated FAQ system for "virtual 24x7" self-help option and implemented proactive-service programs to outreach and assist customers before they needed help.
Created a career-pathing program that synchronized employees and company s goals.
Recruited to define the strategic direction for the customer service/support department.
Increased customer satisfaction ratings by 32 , while reducing costs and generating revenue.
Reduced customer wait times and RA turnaround times by 70 and 55 respectively.
Initiated 24x7 self-service diagnostic support system via web and phone.
Created a profitable priority-access service program highest GM in the dept. within 2 months .
Increased department accessibility to customers and changed a bad reputation to a positive one.
Promoted to define the strategic direction for the customer response team.
Designed and implemented a successful fee-based support program.
Created multi-tiered call-centers that increased service levels while reducing costs.
Initiated an automated IVR system to assist customers 24x7.
Reorganized the daily operations of the technical support group and reduced phone wait times by more than 80 .
Increased solutions accuracy by implementing a support knowledgebase and a CRM system Clarify .
Launched a comprehensive fax-blast/retrieval system.
Recruited to manage the customer support and product management departments.
Positioned service programs for competitive differentiation.
Established, launched, and implemented AVR s first Authorized Field Service program and trained technicians throughout Europe.
Recruited to rebuild the customer service and technical support functions for a peripherals manufacturer Macintosh, PC, and SPARCstation .
Designed and implemented service policies, procedures, and support plans.
Initiated and designed RMA policy and customer feedback programs.
Created and implemented the use of TSBs and databases for front-line staff.
Promoted to plan and organize all aspects of product support/repair activities, including administrative/technical procedures, technical product training, and managing the QA group after being a technical support representative for 3 years.
Recognized twice for "above and beyond" performance, EXP.com.
Received MacUser Magazine s Award twice for Best Technical Support Dept., Radius.
Cash award and company-wide recognition for a new priority-access call process, Radius.
Twice recognized as the Employee of the Month, RasterOps.
International Customer Service Institute, American Management Association, Software Support Professionals Association, and the Technical Support Alliance Network TSANet . | 2019-04-23T04:19:15Z | https://www.portnov.com/free-sample-resumes/free-customer-support-resume-samples |
We typically focus on colored pencils here at www.bestcoloredpencils.com, but there is another large category of art supplies that are growing, particularly in regards to adult coloring books: colored pens! So what are the best colored pens? Similar to colored pencils, there are many factors that one should consider when looking for a set of colored pens and hopefully our colored pen reviews will help shed some light on this subject and give you the information you need to make your next purchase. But before we get into it, we have listed our top choices in the table right below for those who want to get to the picks and skip over the reading. For the rest of you, hop below and let’s learn about colored pens!
I bought these gel pens for my 7 year old granddaughter who lives far from me. They were a hit! She loves them! She gets her homework and chores done quickly so she can use her pens!!
These pens have a particularly low viscosity which means that application is very smooth and precise, which can sometimes be a challenge for lower quality ballpoint pens. The set, while a bit lacking in color, still gives enough variety to complement an adult coloring book page or fill in areas of another work. The tip is sized at 1mm so it is large enough for noticeable sweeps but still small enough for detailed areas. And like many ballpoint pens, they come in being extremely affordable.
ProductPen TypeInk MaterialPrice (Amazon)Set SizePilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens FountainWater-based$$$$7Paper Mate InkJoy 100ST Ballpoint Pens BallpointWater-based$$8Staedtler Triplus Color Pen Set Fiber TipWater-based$$$36Artist’s Choice 100 Gel Pens with Case GelGel$100What is a Colored Pen?
The ballpoint pen is a pen that contains a small metal ball at its point which can dispense ink around it. Just about everybody has used a ballpoint pen before, especially since it is the most popular type of pen in the world! Interestingly, it also has a large following in the art scene, with many artists swearing by it due to its versatility. This makes it a nice candidate for a coloring book or really for any artistic endeavor you are after. Similar to the fountain pen, color depth can be varied via application pressure (by pushing down harder it can compress the ball, allowing for more ink to flow by, although to a lesser extent). The larger application size also makes it much better for covering large areas. On the opposite end, gentle passes can also result in a stippling which can be good for creating color depth. However, it can be easy to produce blobs of ink that can smear or become too intense, especially in lower-quality examples.
Our simple definition of a colored pen for art is a pen that produces acceptable ranges of color and can be easily applied while providing adequate control. That’s it! Simple enough. For a more thorough explanation and definition, there are plenty of sources out there. You will find a huge range of variables that exist from one pen to the next, and each one will have its own pros and cons and personal preferences. Some pens will be better-suited for protraits while others are better off being used for calligraphy. We will break down some of the most common types below.
Great assortment of colors & excellent quality! Ink flows nicely on all pens (except pastels) & they’re very comfortable to hold. I’m new to using gel pens for coloring & am really enjoying them. Only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is I had a hard time figuring out which colors were which.
Would be nice if they were labeled at least on the packaging. Also kinda disappointed in the pastels, ink doesn’t flow as well & they look too similar to the neons. I would love to see a set of just classic colors too!
Gel ink is the newest type of ink being discussed. Gel ink is used almost exclusively in gel pens and is not intended to be used in any type of writing or coloring utensil not specifically designed for gel. The gel consists of pigments that are suspended in a water-based fluid. This results in an extremely thick compound that is noticeably denser than the other inks being discussed. The technical term for this is “high viscosity”, which means that it is more resistant to movement. It also allows for a much higher proportion of pigments and other additives. The result of this is an extremely thick and vibrant range of colors. In some cases, it might even be too thick and occasionally bleed through paper or overpower areas that you wish to keep the color subtle.
This one might require taking a bit of a blow to your self-esteem, but if you are inherently clumsy then you might want to consider going with a colored pen that utilizes ink that dries much quicker. Any of your non-water-based pens will dry relatively quickly which reduces the likelihood of smearing.
One of the major weak points of fountain pens is their lack of color choices so this 7-piece color assortment should add a bit of variety. They also incorporate a more advanced liquid ink system which helps to ensure a smooth application. Other helpful features include a color-coordinated cap as well as see-through walls so you can see how much ink is left. The application is pretty straightforward and you can enjoy the unique feel of a fountain pen without having to dish out the typically extremely high asking price for them.
Great Set of Gel Pens!!! I love the colors this set brings they are all super vibrant. They also have a consistent texture and tone while coloring with. Some of the neons are so bright they almost lost like they glow.
If you use this for coloring or for scrapbooking or just for writing in your journal it will definitely be a wonderful set of gel pens to have.
I have just started using adult coloring books and I’m surprised at how much I am enjoying my new hobby. These colored pencils are easy to hold, non toxic and water soluble. With these pencils you will feel that they color smoothly and you don’t have to push down on them hard, like some colored pencils I have used before.
Another thing I like to do with these colored pencils is blend the colors, and that way, it looks like you get a lot more choices of colors.One thing this let’s me do is while using these pencils on a project, I can add to the look of the project, because I can also use gel pens,chalk markers, regular markers.
Oil-based ink is likely the most common type of ink for coloring with, as it has a huge variety of pigments that are used. This allows for plenty of color choices which are quite important in colored pens since blending and mixing of colors is very difficult if not impossible. Oil-based ink is noticeably thicker than water-based ink and is not acceptable for certain type of colored pens that are particularly narrow passages. They are primarily used in standard ballpoint pens. You will notice that oil-based inks can be extremely deep and thick in color, but are also more prone to bubbling. They also will dry much faster which reduces the likelihood of smearing.
I’ve been coloring for years, long before they came out with the “adult coloring books it has always been a great stress reliever for me. I was content with the old school kids coloring books and crayons but lucky for me they came out with these cool “adult coloring books” and Gel Pens to color with!I have been loving filling up the pages of my new coloring books with lots of vibrant colors thanks to these Gel Pens! There is a really great color selection with these pens and not just colors but also choices of Neon, Glitter or Pastel colors so there is a variety to choose from.
This book comes nicely wrapped in a plastic wrapper to protect the cover and pages from getting dirty or bent during storage and shipping. Upon opening it the first thing that I noticed was that the title of the book is actually what you see in the photo which I thought was funny.
I assumed that was just the “ad” picture, but it’s not. Not that it matters but I was surprised.The pages are square and you can color them in the book or use a blade or scissors to cut them out (great for framing after you color them!).
Since I am a lefty the fold in the spine of the book often interferes with my coloring/writing/drawing so I prefer to cut them out of the book.The book is full of a GREAT variety of designs. Some are themed, christmas, .
I LOVE these pens! One yellow came leaking a little bUT the end cap was loose. Over all though these are a great buy! I use them for adult coloring books while I recover from foot surgery. So far none have bled through the pages but that is probably more the paper quality than the pens.
Now that we have gone over the most popular types of colored pens, let’s discuss what you put in them: the ink! There are a few different types of ink that are used and each has its own very unique characteristics.
Colored pens are unique from colored pencils in that some of them have a dynamic writing head. In other words, the head can physically change shape depending on applying pressure and angle. This can result in thicker strokes, thinner strokes, and everything in between. This is similar to a standard paint brush and really makes colored pens stand out from colored pencils, colored pastels, or any other artistic medium with a static or “fixed” head. Being able to manipulate the shape and size of the stroke can add a nice range to what is possible, but it can also be a bit challenging for a beginner.
Koulora – 36 Gel Pens including 12 Glitter, 10 Metallic and a Variety of Neon and Pastel & Classic Colors – includes a Brown Gel Pen!
Ordered Sunday night and got them Tue morning, with Free Super Saver Shipping..About the product:- Metallic set – my fave of all. Very smooth to write and doesn’t skip, works on either white and black paper.
– Glitter set gives 3D effect, not as smooth as Metallic set but i like that it doesn’t skip either.- Swirl set – watery, skips a lot but they look very colorful in white paper and i love those that changes color while you write.
.- Neon – watery, skips a lot and I was disappointed with white, it was really bad. I was even excited about it because I use white a lot, so I’m going to stick with Uniball for this.Overall, I would recommend this product.
Since coloring pens inherently don’t blend well, it is important to have a pen for each color that you want or need. Some types of pens will have much wider ranges of color selections while others will be quite limited. Specifically, your oil and gel-based pens will have a much larger collection of colors to choose from than your water-based pens.
Yup I DO love them. Over the past few years I have bought endless gel sets..there did not used to be such big sets so it is nice to see so many colors at one time. These roll very nicely and I really like using them even having arthritic hands.
Contemplating buying another after the holidays just to have n hand. Not sure how long they will last but just a suggestion for those pens that seem to clog or suddenly not work….tap the sides against something.
..not hard but just enough to perk up the ink inside. Have already recommendedThe attached coloring is almost all from this set with a few of the larger areas being the Pilot Sharpie set Amazon also sells.
Do you plan on using your pens for highly-detailed works such as landscapes or portraits? Or are you simply looking for something that can be suitable for adult coloring books where simply filling in spaces is all that is necessary? If you want more freedom in regards to both control and color intensity then we would recommend trying a ballpoint pen or fiber tip pen. If you are simply looking for impressive, deep color output then try going with a gel pen or rollerball pen.
A fountain pen is one of the oldest types of pens and is considered a nib pen which contains an internal reservoir of liquid ink. The ink is drawn out via gravity and capillary action. These are very interesting pens in that they communicate very well with the user, allowing for great fluctuations in application thickness through the flexible nib. You have likely seen beautiful cursive handwriting performed through the use of a fountain pen. A majority of their usage in art pieces will be in creating beautiful outlines that can have a varying thickness in a single pass but some people still find a use for them in coloring books or in particular areas on other pieces of work.
The bang for the buck with this product is just great. You get an enormous range of colors to choose from so you should be able to find a color that works for just about any piece that you have. The application is smooth enough, although you might feel that some of the higher-end brands produce a bit thicker and more pronounced color. That being said, the output is still plenty vibrant considering these are gel-based and for the price, we simply can’t complain.
We really like the nice variety of colors with this set, particularly considering that they are water-based. The tips are very fine (.3mm) which makes them great for high-detailed areas but you will want to use something with a larger stroke for filling in bigger spaces. They also stand out from many water-based compounds in that the smearing is kept to a minimum so you don’t have to stress as much over accidentally brushing your arm against wet paint. The price point is also more than reasonable for what you are getting.
I purchased these Gel Pens for a coloring book I also purchased. I originally was using crayons (which I hated). I then was using colored pencils, but having to sharpen them all the time was a pain. When I was looking at coloring books, several people mentioned gel pens in their review.
I never thought about using these. So after research these had a very high rating. So very glad I purchased this brand. I just wish they had a larger pack with a more extensive color assortment.PROS:They color great, dry quickly, don’t bleed through the paper, the ink flows very nicely.
CONS:The colors are so close to each other. Example I needed a light blue. Their light blue is not too much liter than the dark blue. I needed like a sky blue or something close to that shade. It is the same way .
Now that we have introduced the different types of colored pens and colored pen inks, let’s discuss what to look for in a colored pen you are considering purchasing. It is important to figure out what your specific needs are before purchasing a colored pen set. The characteristics of colored pens range much more than colored pencils, so if you don’t perform your due diligence you might end up with a set that is not at all suited for your planned intention.
Gel Pens by AmazaPens – 24 Pack Colorful Pens – 40% More Ink – Glitter, Neon & Pastel. Superior Quality Colored Pen. Best Gift for Adult Coloring Books or a Child Who Loves to Draw, Write or Color.
A rollerball pen might seem very similar to a ballpoint pen, and you would be correct in assuming so. The primary difference is in the ink that is used (which we will discuss in greater detail below). Rollerball pens are also much newer than the other pens discussed up to this point, having only been around since the 60s. For those that enjoy coloring with ball-based pens, you will get varying opinions on which are better between ballpoint and rollerball. We encourage you to try out both on your coloring books and see which you prefer. Some key differences are that rollerball pens tend to be easier to produce color and also typically have a much larger color range but they can be more prone to bleeding and smudging.
I will let you know the reaction when my niece opens it for Christmas, but other than that it is cute and will work nicely for one of my favorite artists.
Amazing Gel Pens for Adult Coloring Books by Amerigo – Set of 48 Assorted Colors Includes Glitter, Metallic, Pastel, Neon Gel Pens (Black included) – Express Yourself + GRIP for Your COMFORT!
Surprisingly, quite a few people have never tried a colored pen for coloring purposes or for adult coloring books. Sure, just about everyone has used a pen for writing but how often do you think to try them out for coloring? And many people who have tried using them for coloring have used the standard pens that they also use for writing! The definition of a colored pen is quite wide, and there is a lot more flexibility that exists in what can make a viable colored pen.
Water-based inks are primarily used in fountain pens, rollerball pens, or any writing instrument with extremely narrow passages. This is because the pigments that are common in many non-water-based inks can potentially cause clogging issues. Water-based inks are known for being particularly smooth and fluid due to their less viscous nature which makes for a very unique and often times enjoyable writing experience and coloring experience. Due to not being able to use most pigments, the color choices are a bit lacking and you won’t see some of the deep color tones that other types of ink can provide. This might make it tough to use by itself on a coloring book page, especially if there are a lot of areas to fill. In addition, they take longer to dry which makes them more prone to smearing.
Below are some of our top choices for colored pens. To make things simple, we chose the best choice for each type of pen we have discussed. That isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of other good options but these should serve you well if you want to give them a try. However, as always, we encourage you to experiment and try new products because different sets will work better for different people!
AmazaPen’s gel ink pens impressed me. They aren’t immune to the problem most gel pens have. The ink will occasionally clog. That being said I experienced clogging far less often than expected. For the most part the gel ink runs out very smoothly.
The glitter pens will occasional disperse more glitter than ink so you have to color over it again. If you don’t the color looks mostly silver and metallic instead of the selected color.One thing that I noticed that I didn’t like was the color variations.
The lids would lead you to believe their is going to be a wide shade variation between each blue, purple, green, etc. There unfortunately are several colors that are very close to the same color. Some of the neon and pastels are barely distinguishable from each other.
Gel ink pens are the “new kids on the block”, having only been around since the 80s. From a design standpoint, they are very similar to rollerball and ballpoint pens, with the primary difference coming from the ink material. And in some cases, a gel ink pen IS a rollerball pen as some rollerball pens can handle gel as their ink. The gel that is used produces extremely vivid and deep colors and the application can be quite smooth. However, you don’t enjoy the flexibility and control that you see in fiber tip and fountain pens. And while the color choices are quite vast these pens can dry out rather quickly (which might be a good or a bad thing depending on use) and can have a relatively short lifespan.
Terrific set of 48 gel pens. You get 12 of four different types of gel pens. The first set of twelve is Metallics neuritis bold metallic colors. The second set is of twelve awesome neon colors, bring on the eighties.
The third set is twelve rocking glitter colors. And the final forth set is twelve pastel so pretty. The poems are all very smooth writing. Perfect for adults or kids alike. Item was purchased at a discount for honest review.
Fiber tip pens have grown into what many people call markers, and colored markers deserve an entire article dedicated to them as well. Because of this, we will just focus on fiber tip pens. A fiber tip pen is a pen that contains strands of porous, pressed fiber such as felt that protrude from the tip and that has an internal ink source that will stick to and run up the fiber. Being flexible fiber and not a hard material like in ballpoint and roller ball pens, there is a ton of freedom on how much color is laid down, and this is governed by a combination of applied pressure as well as angle. It also allows for a ton of color flow to be possible (whether or not you want it!). Because of this, it has a bit of a learning curve before you’ll be able to jump in and use it for art. | 2019-04-22T08:47:43Z | https://fcchocolatebar.com/s-pen-coloring-book/ |
Practice is a reality for a singer– for any musician in fact- if they want to maintain what they already have and to also continue to develop further- (and the ultimate goal); to achieve complete mastery over their instrument.
However, many individuals shy away from practicing, sometimes out of laziness and sometimes because they know what hard work it takes (and commitment) to practice with intention and focus.
It is too easy to practice and waffle away the time without any clear structure and find that a few hours have passed by and you haven’t really achieved anything; you’ve simply moved from one song to the next, maybe skipping the hard parts and then at the end of it all you wonder what you’ve really accomplished and where the time went. Does this sound familiar? Yes? Well on the odd occasion I’ve been guilty of this and its a problem- AND a waste of your time- because the reality is is that if you continue in this habit you won’t really ‘improve’, not in the way that most people want to.
1. A body warm up (see post on waking the body up). This is just as important as a vocal warm up.
2. A vocal warm up (ng is always a good one; start from the bottom of your range and work up over your passagio/ break up into the upper part of your range. Make sure you are negotiating the passagio smoothly).
3. 10-15 minutes of working on maintaining what you can already do (I know this seems weird but trust me if you neglect to do this- you’ll find that you have made headway with a technique, think its sorted, then forget about it, only to come back to it at a later stage and feel like you’re right back at the start again).
4. 30 minutes of working on a technique that you find incredibly difficult. This is so important. Its too easy to practice the things that we can do well- because they don’t demand alot of us but if you want to really improve, you MUST practice those things that you are currently unable to do or find incredibly difficult.
5. Learn the complete melody of the song/s you are working on.
6. Learn the lyrics of the song.
7. Sing through the song with the correct lyrics and melody.
8. Sing through the song with the correct vocal quality (this is where you might need to go back to step 4 and work on some exercises to get you singing in the right vocal quality).
9. If you have the time record yourself and listen to yourself singing the song. I have found this to be incredibly effective. Once I started to do this it gave me increased perspective on what I was doing vocally and what I needed to pay attention to and work on. Usually I thought I was doing one thing and the recording revealed something different. (Note that its very easy to get distracted by the physical effort it takes to produce certain sounds/qualities so this can be distracting and I find there is a little bit of discrepancy between what the singer hears and what the listener hears.
10. Make sure to do a vocal cool down that is a length of at least 5 minutes.
Some other points to take note of are; If you feel at any point that your mind is starting to wander and you’re losing focus within a practice session its best to take a break. Although its important to practice regularly in some ways its more about the ‘quality’ of your practice sessions than the ‘quantity’. 2 hours a week of focused, constructive practice is better than 20 hours of scattered practice and ‘faffing’ about.
Create a practice space that is free of distractions; turn off your phone, move your computer if you feel that you will be tempted to answer emails and make sure your space is conducive to practise. If you can’t concentrate with clutter- clean and organise your practise space. Make it an environment which inspires you to practice and stay focused.
When you practice in this way you will find huge improvements in your voice after several weeks and chances are you will feel quite physically and mentally tired after each session because of the focus and concentration it requires but you’ll also feel a huge sense of satisfaction as you find yourself being able to master things that you previously were unable to.
The tongue can be HUGELY problematic in singing and as time goes by I am increasingly aware of this fact. For singers suffering with vocal fatigue, or experiencing an inability to negotiate the passagio (break in the voice) smoothly and ESPECIALLY if they are experiencing a loss of upper range (if of course they have already been given the all clear for vocal nodules), oftentimes the tongue is the cause of this problem.
The tongue is very muscular and hence it is ENORMOUSLY strong, with muscle fibers running in just about every direction. According to Janice Chapman who wrote the book; “A holistic approach to classical singing” when we swallow the tongue exerts up to 1kg of pressure on the alveolar ridge (the roof of the mouth). The degree of its strength is never more highlighted than through how it can wreak havoc in singing. It is often referred to by many singing teachers as one of the villans in voice production.
The root of the tongue attaches into the hyoid bone (a free floating bone which sits directly above the larynx). We can only actually see quite a small portion of the tongue and the other half that we can’t see forms the front wall of the throat/vocal tract (an important resonating space). It is this very unfortunate location and particularly the strength at the root of the tongue (in particular it is the hyoglossus muscle) that CAN play such a detrimental role in voice production. Hence, anything the tongue does impacts on the production and quality of the voice.
When the tongue tenses it greatly reduces the resonating space talked about above, resulting in an overall ‘darker or wooly’ sound and when it tenses it also presses down on top of the vocal folds greatly affecting their mobility (and health) and making general phonation feel incredibly effortful and strained. As pitch is ultimately affected by larynx height; e.g. the larynx lifts for higher pitches and lowers for lower pitches, when the tongue tenses it greatly affects the vertical mobility of the larynx, resulting in a general flatting in pitch (which rarely has anything to do with whether a singer has a good or bad ear as they may be able to hear this pitching issue but can not seem to correct it).
N.B: To witness how larynx height is determined by pitch put your fingers on your neck and on an “ee” move randomly up and down in pitch and you will feel the physical sensation of lifting and lowering with your fingers. Then try the same thing but this time retract the tip of the tongue back towards the back of the throat (this will cause the root of the tongue to tense). Then try the same thing as before and be aware of how much harder it is to move up and down in pitch.
Why does the tongue tense?
1. The back of the tongue can be very responsive to how we are feeling and if we become upset, angry (or nervous in the case of a singer about to perform) this is simply an area that responds by tensing.
2. Singers tend to use the tongue as a false depressor and push it down and back to create a ‘dark’ sound. This is something contemporary singers can often be guilty of in the pursuit of sounding like a soulful singer. It is also common for classical singers to do this same thing as opposed to using the correct depressors when trying to emulate a low larynx sound.
3. If important support muscles are not engaged (whilst singing) to stablise the larynx, (in particular the soft palate) then we usually try to control the voice with what is most mobile; that being the tongue and the other villan…. the jaw. On their own they make a singers life difficult but together they are a recipe for disaster and unfortunately they tend to act like willing slaves to one another; recruiting the other.
Many assume that we should feel when the tongue tenses but the reality is, is that strong muscles engage with very little effort and thus we generally don’t feel those muscles working when they are engaged but when we CAN actually feel the tongue working chances are that it is REALLY tight.
Move your tongue around the outside of your teeth starting at the top and move all the way around to the back (where the molars are) and then down along the bottom set of teeth right to the very back again, really stretching the tongue and then up to the top teeth again. Do this in a clock wise direction 8 times then anti clockwise 8 times. If your tongue is quite tight it will feel quite sore after this.
I would recommend doing this every time before singing regardless whether it is practice or performance.
Isn’t it strange how on certain days your voice works and on others it doesn’t? On the latter days it usually leads singers to warm up for hours on end and provided that hasn’t worked a singer may convince themselves that its because they are getting sick that their voice is just ‘not happening.’ Usually this theory is accompanied by a ‘hot and toasty’ feeling in the throat and in part is due to the length of the warm up. What a singer has actually done is that they’ve warmed their voice up to wear it out AND they haven’t even began their performance yet. I always feel that in this situation the end scenario is going to be a disheartening one for the singer as they get on stage feeling anxious about their voice.
Overall, I feel this issue of the voice working well on some days and not on others has tended to make singers feel insecure about the reliability of their voice and incredibly frustrated. So… I want to scratch the surface of this issue and address whats really going on and dispell a few myths about the warm up and give some effective solutions!
Let’s ascertain one thing; the body is the singers instrument AND singing is muscular. Usually what goes hand in hand with those days that a singers voice is “not happening” is that they are tired, run down and possibly it may even be that “time of the month” (if they are a female). In a nutshell; the body is lethargic and if this is the case, the muscles will be slow to respond hence the voice will have difficulty ‘waking up.’ On the flipside, have you ever noticed how it is so much easier to sing when you are feeling happy, enthusiastic or physically energised? Or perhaps you have noticed that your voice sounds better later on in the day/evening- say compared to first thing in the morning? Many students complain to me that they can’t sing in the morning. Well I’d like to say that it needn’t be that way- that we can get our voices in the same mint condition they are in at night, as in the morning- or at ANY time (provided we’re in good vocal health). All we need to do is get the body feeling awake and invigorated and this is something we especially need to give ALOT MORE attention to when we’re NOT feeling energised.
As singing is muscular, then in conjunction with specific vocal exercises (that should not be overdone- remember the ole ; ‘warming -the -voice- up -to -wear -it -out’ scenario) our warm up must include something that warms the body up, or more specifically: WAKES the body up.
Jump up and down on the spot for 2 minutes.
Go for a 5 minute run.
Do some silent shouting (keeping the vocal folds open so as to prevent constriction). Make sure to get your whole body in on the act, (so best to stand) -just as you do when you are shouting. Wave your hands in the air and think of winning the lotto and shouting out “YAY!!!” or alternatively pretend you are calling out to a loved one who is across the street who you haven’t seen in a long time.
Another great body warm up I learnt (which is very effective to do with a whole band to get everyone psyched up before a show) is to vigorously shake the right arm for a count of 8 (count out aloud), then the left arm, then the right leg, then the left leg. Do this again but half this number to 4- starting with the right arm again and following the same sequence as before. The next time through halve the number to 2 and do as before and then halve the number again (1). Once you’ve finished this then jump up and shout “Yeah!!”.
Some of these suggestions may sound strange but it will make a big difference to the length of time it takes to warm your voice up. I would encourage you to try incorporating into your daily vocal warm up routine something that will also wake the body up and notice how much less time it takes to get the voice working.
I was saddened to hear recently that Jo Estill, who created The Estill Voice Model, had died a few weeks before Christmas. Fortunately, she had lived a relatively long- and full life- leaving us at the age of 89. Her life is one marked by significant achievements, both as a professional performer and in the later stage of her life; as a contributor, researcher and educator of voice science and technique.
Many actors, singers and professional voice users may be familiar with the Estill Voice System (13 Compulsory Figures for voice and 6 voice qualities), through attending Estill Workshops. No doubt, many have also been indirectly influenced by Jo through their own teachers, who may teach/ have taught many of her techniques- without even knowing the true origins of those techniques.
Jo Estill was born in 1921 in Pennsylvania, USA and began singing from a very young age. As an adult she had a successful career as an Opera singer in America and also toured throughout Europe. Despite her level of vocal proficiency and all the lessons she had received, she was aware that none of her teachers had ever TRULY explained to her how the voice worked, thus she was unaware of how she was actually able to make the sounds that she did. Even more importantly; she was unaware of how to fix things when her voice wasn’t working. It has been quoted that she often said to herself “how am I doing this?” and that it was this fundamental question that led her to leave behind her performance career and go back into education to undertake an MA in Music Education to uncover the answers. Much of the information obtained from the research conducted during her MA (and subsequent years of research) paved the way for the Estill Voice Model.
It was with Jo’s passing that I realised just how grateful I feel towards her efforts and her dedication to uncover the answers to the questions that she- and so many other singers have asked. I also feel immense gratitude for her generosity of knowledge and the fact that she has shared this information with others. I have found the Estill model excellent for obtaining real and tangible vocal results as opposed to many other teaching methods that I have also been exposed to that have no grounding in scientific facts or reality and consequently… results are elusive. Knowledge is power. The more you know about your voice and how it works the more likely you are able to improve and be able to make adjustments or fix things yourself (when having problems), without needing the constant assistance of a teacher. The Estill technique has given me that.
I feel that without Jo Estill many singers would not be where they are today; many would have not reached their true potential and there would still be an abundance of teachers teaching damaging vocal techniques or blaming their students for a lack of talent because they do not know how the voice functions or how to teach. Her discoveries and her training system have revolutionized the teaching of the voice and peoples understanding of how the voice functions.
I would encourage anyone if they are interested in developing their vocal ability and their knowledge and awareness about the voice to do an Estill course. You can find more information about Estill courses below.
In my previous post I mentioned the importance of cooling down the voice to ensure good vocal health but I also wanted to add some other suggestions as to “DO’s and DONT’S that will greatly improve your vocal longevity. A huge part of maintaining good vocal health is to retain lubrication of the vocal folds and anything that compromises this should be avoided when you are needing to sing. So what are some of the things you should and shouldn’t do?
1. One of the most obvious ways is to drink plenty of water! However, if you’ve already reached the point at which you’re noticeably dehydrated it is worth noting that it takes at least a couple of hours for the water to be absorbed by your cells at the level of the vocal folds and for them to return to normal hydration. Make sure you don’t get to the point where you’re noticeably parched by bringing a bottle of water around with you as you go about your daily activities.
2. Steam! Steam! Steam! Steam! (This is one of the best!) You can purchase a steam inhaler from most chemists. Add boiling hot water to the steamer and inhale. Alternatively if you can’t get a steam inhaler get a big pot of water (DON’T add eucalyptus, tea tree or olbas oil as these tend to be quite drying) put a towel over you head and inhale. Steaming is also one of the best things to do when you have a cold and you still have to use your voice.
3. Avoid consuming anything particularly drying or irritating to the voice directly before singing such as antihistamines, cold and flu tablets and excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol.
4. Too much abdominal pumping (excessive breath pressure) causes tightening within the throat (scratching) and dries out the vocal folds. Avoid this at all costs. Many singers find this hard to let go of as they find a quick and instant connection between pumping/pushing from their stomachs and volume. Needless to say it is not a safe loud. Pushing is a surefire way to lead to vocal trauma and yet in some singing studios some teachers are still teaching this method???!!!!
6. Avoid excessive breathy singing by singing with clear, clean tone.
7. Avoid smoking. Your vocal folds are like the guardians of the airway- anything that reaches your lungs has to pass by the vocal folds first. We all know what smoking does to your lungs- its effects on the voice are equally as bad with one of the most noticeable aspects being a diminished ability to hit high notes, sing cleanly (without breathiness) and to sustain long phrases and notes. The same is even more so true of wacky tabaccy (marijuana). Whatever your crutch or addiction I am not advocating going cold turkey but if the desire is there to kick the habit find professional help to do so!
8. Stand and sing with good posture.
9. Develop your technique by getting singing lessons AND practice.
10. Warm the voice up with soft vocal slides- avoid singing a song to warm the voice up.
11. Avoid excessive throat clearing.
Your body is your instrument and singing is muscular. This connection between the body and the voice is never more highlighted than when one is sick and does not have the physical energy or stamina to sing. Needless to say it is important that you look after your physical health by getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising (I know- its common sense stuff but I am never ceased to be surprised by how many singers forget about the “voice-body connection” on occasion and this is usually the time that coincides with their own vocal problems).
There has also been a significant degree of research into the link between one’s mental state and ones physical health. Thus maintaining a positive attitude and frame of mind is also hugely important- especially as it is during times of increased emotional stress is when vocal difficulties surface. Activities such as meditation, yoga and tai chi are great to regain the balance! | 2019-04-24T20:14:10Z | http://www.candrasleeman.com/blog/ |
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Whenever we think of the word “positive” then most of us think of the word “happy” in the mind. However, happiness is not the only positivity. There are many ways to be positive in life and it can happen even when you are experiencing grief, anger or difficulties. Research suggests that we have the ability to “choose” the positive emotions and ways of thinking There is merit. In fact, our emotions bring changes in our body to the cellular level. Many of our experiences in life are the result of what is happening around us There is also how we analyze it and what is our response to it. Fortunately, instead of trying to suppress negative emotions or to get rid of it, we can analyze them in a different way and also choose to give their reaction to them differently. You will find that some practice, patience, and perseverance can make you more positive.
If you cannot (or will not) identify the problem, then you cannot change the way you think. If you accept that your thinking and emotions are negative and you are not happy with your current reaction towards them, then you can help yourself to start the process of change.
Remember, whatever thoughts come into your mind or whatever emotions you experience are not “good” or “bad” in themselves. , They are mere thoughts and emotions What you can “control” in this matter is that the way you analyze them and the reaction you have on it.
Accept the thing about yourself that you cannot even change.
For example, if you are an introverted person who needs to spend some time in solitude to be “re-charging” then in such a situation, if you always try to show your outward appearance, then you will probably be squeezed and Feeling unhappy will start. You accept whatever you are and whatever you are at this time. By doing so, you will begin to feel completely independent of changing the present person inside of you to a very positive person (which you can become).
The goal gives us a more positive outlook on life. Research indicates that even if you cannot achieve the goal immediately, but you can immediately feel more confident and hopeful. If goals are determined in such a way that they are meaningful and in the direction of your life values, it will help you to achieve them and move on in your life.
Do not aim for the moon immediately. It is well known that the race can be won at a slow and regular pace. To get started, make your goal specific. The goal “Become more positive” can be a great goal, but it is so vast that you probably will not understand where to start. It is, therefore, better to set small and specific goals such as “meditation twice a week” or “laugh in a strange situation once a day”.
Express your goals in positive words.
Research shows that if you make a positive expression of your goals then they will be more likely to get you. In other words, determine your goals in the same direction as “the direction in which you are striving” and not “the direction you are avoiding”. For example, “Stop eating junk food” is a goal that you cannot get any help from. Failure to achieve such goals can create shame or guilt in you. “Three servings of fruits and vegetables per day of food” is a specific and positive goal.
Set your goals based on your own actions.
Remember that you cannot control the actions performed by others. If you set a goal that requires a certain response from other people in achieving, then you will feel very sad if you do not adapt the work to your expectations. So it would be better if you set the goal based on your strengths or actions that you can control, which is your own performance.
Such meditation, also known as Metta Bhavana or compassion-meditation, is found in the Buddhist traditions. This gives us the education that as much love as we do with our immediate family members, the same love should be done to other people of the world. This improves your relationships within a few weeks, in your flexibility, your ability to get out of negative experiences, and your relationships with others. You will have a positive effect in such a short time as in five minutes You can see only by giving.
Courage-meditation courses are done in many places. If you wish, you can watch some guided MP3s online credits online. The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and the UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center both have free downloadable charity and loving-kindness meditations.
It has also been found that love and compassionate meditation is also good for your mental health. Research indicates that compassion-meditation reduces the symptoms of depression inside you, which suggests that learning to give compassion to others helps you to express yourself to compassion.
New research suggests that there is actually a mathematical formula for positiveness, according to which three positive emotions for each negative emotion seem to be the factor in making you a healthy balance. Keeping the diary gives you a whole day To see all of your emotional experiences and to know that any kind of adjustment is needed in proportion to your own feelings or At the same time, learn helps. It also helps you to concentrate on your positive experiences so that they later become more likely to remember them.
The purpose of keeping a diary is not just to make a list of things which you just do not like. Research suggests that focusing on negative emotions and experiences in the diary gives them more emphasis on which you become more negative.
Include positive things in your daily book too. Take some time to write such a story, such as kindness shown by a stranger, a beautiful sunset or a fun talk with friends so that you can become a collection of memories that you can read later. As long as you do not focus on these experiences, it is more likely that they will pass without any attention.
Gratitude is more than a “feeling”. It has something to do many kind of research show that gratitude is good for you. This alters your attitude almost immediately, and the more you practice it, the higher its reward is. Gratitude helps you to feel more positive, to improve your relationships with other people and to promote compassion in you, and you will be happy in the spirit of happiness. It grows.
In some people, “attribute of gratitude” which we call the natural state of being grateful, naturally happens more. However, without bringing this into account that at the level of natural expression “thankfulness” you can follow, you can follow the attitude of gratitude.
In relationships and circumstances, you should never behave in a way that shows that you are the “official” of getting something from them. It does not mean “it is not” that you believe that you are not worth anything and that does not mean that you are presenting everyone with abusive or insulting ways. It only means that you do any work with no special feeling like “official” of a particular result, action, or profit.
Share your gratitude with others.
Sharing your gratitude with others helps you to save those feelings in your memory. It can also generate positive emotions in those people from whom you are grateful. Just think if you have a friend who will become your “gratitude partner” You can share, for which both of you are grateful to each other.
Try to recognize all those small things that are happening throughout the day. Write them in the diary, take a photo for the instagram, write about them on Twitter – write anything that will help you identify and memorize these small things, which you feel grateful to. For example, if your blueberry pancakes are good or you do not face poor traffic while going to work or a friend has appreciated your clothes, then note those things. All these things get added quickly.
There is a bad habit in humans, focusing on negative things and visualizing positive things. When you take note of the positive things of your life, then take some time to pay attention and accept it. Try to store all those things in your memories. For example, if you see a beautiful garden of flowers while strolling under your daily routine, then stay there for a moment and say to yourself, “This is a beautiful moment and I want to remember that I am at this moment How grateful I am for the experience. “Try taking a mental” snapshot “of that moment. By doing this, later whenever you are going through hard times or experiencing a negative experience, then you will be happy to remember these things.
Self-approval may seem a little less effective, but research suggests that its influence is at the baseline level and because of this, new “positive thoughts” can actually create neuron clusters. Remember: Your brain likes to adopt short-cut, so the paths used to be the most in your life, Brain starts using short cut for all those paths. If you put a regular habit of saying sympathy for yourself, then your brain looks at it as a “standard”. Positive self-statement and self-acceptance can reduce your stress and disappointment, Can boost your immune system and can increase your skills to face your challenges.
Choose such approvals that matter to your own. You can choose such self-recognition that show sympathy towards your body and your own thoughts or remind you of your spiritual traditions. Do the work you get from the feeling of positiveness and peace.
Researchers around 1970 were known to know that such people who had got their lottery (an incident that most of us consider unbelievably positive), after one year, compared to those people. Those who did not get the lottery were not much happier. This is because of the hedonistic adaptation: There is a baseline of happiness inside humans where we come back after an external event (good or bad). However, if You can actively develop optimism even if your natural baseline level is very low. Being optimistic increases your self-esteem, the feeling of good health, and your relationships with other people.
Optimism is a way of interpreting the world. It is so thankful that you can learn the various properties of the human brain’s flexibility that you can interpret. The pessimistic approach sees the world as an integral and inherent ingredient: “Everything is inappropriate,” “It will never be able to change, ” ” My life is useless and it is my fault. “While an optimistic approach sees the world as flexible and limited conditions.
For example, a pessimistic person might think and think about the cello playing next week, “Right now I play a very bad guy. Because of me, the program will be wasted only. It is better that I continue to play Nintendo. “This statement is based on the assumption that your skill of playing a cell is innate and permanent, not something that you can improve with strict practice. Your statement, “Right now I play a very bad box”, there is a global condemnation statement on your own – which indicates that your cello-skill is a personal failure by not being a thing that can be corrected by practice.. This disappointing approach can mean that you do not want to practice the play because you consider it worthless or you are feeling guilty by thinking that you are “bad” in something. Both of these things are not right and you will not get any benefit from any of them.
“The big event of piano playing is going to happen next week and I am not happy with the levels of playing today’s skills. Now I will do an extra hour of exercise every day till the event and I will give my best. So much so that I can do it and by doing so I will be satisfied that I did whatever I could. “Optimism does not say that the challenges and negative experiences are not something that is a real thing and is a hypothetical thing. He then chooses to interpret things in a different way.
There is a huge difference in real optimism and “blind” optimism.
Blind optimism can expect from you that if you pick up Selo first time, you can get admission in the same school for the talented people of Selo who take admission to get training. It is beyond reality and such expectations will fill you with despair. True optimism accepts your situation and prepares you to face it. A true optimistic viewpoint might possibly require you to work harder for years to learn about your cell playing and even after “maybe” that you do not get admission in the school of your dreams, You did everything you could to achieve it.
The mistakes people usually make are to avoid negative experiences or ignore them. At some level, it sounds fine because they are tragic. However, suppressing these experiences or ignoring them also damages the ability to deal with them. It would be better if you re-frame those experiences. Can you learn something from them? Can you see them from a different perspective?
For example, the 2012 lecture given by inventor Mishkin Ingawale in which he had told how he invented a technique to save pregnant women of rural India. His initial 32 attempts to make the equipment were unsuccessful. Frequently, he had a situation of interpreting his experience in the form of failure so that he could do this work. Even after this, they felt better to learn positively from their experiences and previous challenges and today their invention has helped reduce the death of pregnant women of rural India by 50%.
Instead of allowing yourself to react negatively to any challenge or negative experience, take a break and assess the situation. What went wrong? What is the thing at stake? Can you learn something from this to next time to do something different? Has this experience taught you to be more compassionate, generous, intelligent and stronger than before? Rather than looking at this self-negative look, it will help you reinvent it by stopping a moment and looking at your experience again.
both your body and mind are connected to the inner like you are intimate friends. If you have to struggle to feel positive, then it may be due to your body that is acting against you. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy has shown that your posture can also affect the level of the stress-hormones present in your body. Try to stand straight away. Make your shoulders backward and sew forward. Make your eyes look forward. Make a little space. This is called a “power pose” and it can actually help you feel more confident and optimistic.
Research suggests that when you are smiling, whether you are feeling “happy” or not, your brain can improve your mood. This is especially true when you use that special smile Makes your eyes and mouth issues active. The reports show that those who smile during those medical procedures also feel less pain than those who do not smile.
Wear clothes that display your personality correctly.
The effect of your clothes also affects the way you feel. A research has shown that those who did a simple work by wearing a coat that was worn in the laboratory, they did that work much better than those who did not wear the coat, even if the difference was only to wear coats And not to wear, but it was a matter of how important it was. Pick clothes for which you can feel good about yourself regardless of this F people about him say. Do not be too upset about the size of your clothes, because size is determined arbitrarily, the number 4 in a store can be of 12 in the second store. Remember, The size of any random number cannot be evaluated.
When you exercise, your body releases powerful endorphins, which are naturally “good-feeling” chemicals in your body. Exercise allows you to Can help to fight the feeling of anxiety and depression. Research has also shown that by exercising regular and moderate levels, there is an increase in your feeling of peace and feeling healthy.
Set the goal of doing moderate physical exercise for at least 30 minutes daily.
You do not have to be a body-builder to gain the benefits of exercise. The fact is that only moderate exercise, such as jogging, swimming or gardening, can help you to feel more positive overall.
Such exercises, which include meditation, such as Yoga and Tai Chi, can also give you greater positivity and can improve your overall health.
If you want to be more successful, then look at all your things in which you have already achieved success. If you want to get more love, then focus on all those who care about you, as well as think about the ocean of love that you want to share with others. If you wish for better health then think all the time that you are healthy etc. and so on.
Remember that you can define what the above things mean in your life. You do not have to worry about how others have defined “meaning” or “achievement”. Whatever you do and whatever you do, if you do not see any meaning for yourself then you will not get any pleasure after doing it. Material things such as fame and wealth will actually give you a little more happiness.
Our works and thoughts are like a magnet. As long as we try to avoid solving any problem, the problem remains intact or sometimes worse. Our own negativity affects the entire day. But the more positively we think, the more we will be able to work proactively, achieve our goal, and win over the positive choices and we will be rewarded and doing all these things will reward us. In fact, positive thoughts can boost your immune system too.
Listen to the style of music you like.
It can also give you an education of sympathy. Also, if you are reading non-fiction literature you can also gain knowledge about the world’s new information and attitude.
A creative expression such as painting, writing, origami, etc.
Research indicates that there are some wonderful experiences you experienced while roaming in the lap of nature, looking at an amazing painting or listening to your favorite symphony, etc. are very good for both your health, physical and physical condition. Therefore, whenever you can try to include these small things in your life.
Appreciate those who have supported you in the time of every happiness and misery of your life. Make a list of their support so that they can help you to become more positive and in the process, you can help them too. The friends who are friends help each other in both happiness and misery.
Research has shown that such people are more likely to be more happy and positive in their lives, who live between friends who share their own similarities and perspectives, rather than those who do not.
When you talk to people whom you love, your brain releases neurotransmitters that give you pleasure (dopamine) and relax (serotonin). By spending time with your friends and family you experience more happiness and positivity at the chemical level.
You can encourage your friends and family to become your gratitude partner. If you create a network and share those things which are indicative of your gratitude, think about how much positivity you can develop in each other.
It is compassionate to show kindness to someone, especially if that person is less comfortable with you. It can actually boost your positivity. For example, research shows that when a person donates in the form of philanthropy, in fact, he feels the same happiness as if he would get himself on the money. This is not only good for others but also It will be great for your own health too.
Every goodness gives rise to another goodness. If we do something good for someone else, especially if it is unexpected, then it is more likely that the person can give you a favor for your favor, maybe not giving it to anyone else. Ultimately, whether directly or any other way, the reward of that good will reach us again. Some people call it karma Regardless of the name given to it, scientific research indicates that the principle of “pay it forward” is a reality in the context of favor.
Try to teach and self-service or ask any service-institute how you can work in their objective-fulfillment.
Offer a small loan to a needy person. A small loan given to a person in a developing country can also help him increase his business or can help him become financially self-reliant. It is worth noting here that in cases of small loans, repayment has been found to be more than 95%.
Try to give small and small gifts to the people around you and even strangers. Give a person a lot of money in the queue. Send something to your friend who you have made with him in mind. Gifting starts production of Dopamine in your brain, but the fact is that you can realize a much larger “glow of happiness” than a gifted person.
According to a common misconception, there is a “need” of getting people to a doctor or consultant only when there is something “wrong”. But consider: Do not go to a dentist only when you have cavities in your teeth but also go for cleaning teeth only. Even if you are not sick, you go to the doctor for an annual check-up. Meeting a doctor can be a helpful “preventive” technique for you. If you want to learn how to think and behave more positively, then a doctor or consultant can identify the disruptive patterns in your thinking and Can help you to develop new positive strategies.
You can ask your doctor about any such doctor or through an online directory. If you have made health-insurance, then your service provider can tell you about any counselor available in your network.
Often less expensive options are also available. You can get online information about Public Health Counseling Centers run by Mental Health Clinics, Community Health Centers and even colleges and universities.
Humans are highly receptive to “emotional attachment” which means that the feelings of those present around us affect our own feelings. Stay away from bad behavior and negativity so that it cannot scratch you.
Friends among whom we live can put great influence on our view, both good and bad. If your friends are always negative, then consider sharing their own positivity with them. You also encourage them to learn to become positive. If after this they still remain indifferent to being negative then, in your own interest, you should remove yourself from them.
If you feel inconvenient to do any work, there is every possibility that you feel bad, guilty or worried while doing that work. This does not compensate for any positive experience. Learning “forbidding” by doing what you do not want to do helps you feel a powerful experience and feel comfortable with yourself. This is true with friends and loved ones and in the workplace circumstances.
It is very easy to swell in “automatic” or habitual negative thinking patterns, especially if it is about self. You can become your worst critic. Every time you face a negative thought, you can challenge it by taking the time out. Try to change it in positive thoughts or find some logic in negative thoughts. If you do this for a long time, it will be involved in your habit which will make a big difference in your positive thinking skills. Say “I can” more often than “I cannot”. Remember, everything can be given positively, therefore, keep on striving for it without tiredness.
For example, if you scream at your friend in an angry way, then your heart will probably say, “I am a terrible person.” It is a cognitive disorder: this is a general statement about a specific incident. This will create a sense of guilt within you and you will not be able to learn anything from it.
It is better that you accept the responsibilities of your actions and think about what you have to do in response. For example: “I shouted at my friend, which probably hurt his feelings, maybe I was wrong. I will apologize to him and next time we are talking about a serious topic then I will ask for a break. “By thinking this way, you will not normally be able to call yourself a horrible person but look like a person. Who made a mistake, learned from him and went beyond it.
Even when we do not get what we want, we gain valuable experience. Often the experience is more valuable than physical things. Physical things gradually diminish, whereas the experience lives with us permanently throughout life and there is constant growth in them.
Most situations have both positive and negative aspects. We have to choose the one to focus on. Whenever we are negative, we can try to stop ourselves and try to think in the opposite direction.
Worrying about negative things does not have any benefit, especially if they cannot be changed. Some parts of life are “unjust”. That’s because life is just “there”. If we waste our energy and happiness on those things we cannot change, we simply disappoint ourselves more.
If you find yourself unhappy, upset, or negatively, then there may be some possible causes that need to be resolved. Get help from professional people to deal with trams such as past misbehavior, stress, natural disaster, mourning, and loss, etc.
Find a licensed mental health doctor, especially if you find someone who specializes in the treatment of trams. It can be painful to treat your trams through a consultant or doctor, but in the end, you will emerge stronger and more positive.
According to the brief interpretation of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the one thing that we should be afraid of is itself “Fear”. We will fall and make mistakes. The thing that matters is how we stand back. If we expect to be successful and do not fear the failures, then it means that we always have the best chance of being positive.
When you feel that you are going to break, take a deep breath, count to 10, drink water and smile. Even if you are smiling forcibly but it will be a smile and you definitely feel better. Focus on good things.
Look at yourself in the mirror each morning and think of the five good qualities that are in you.
Do not sit frustrated. With constant efforts, good habits can replace bad habits.
Develop positive thinking with purposeful reasons – to enhance the quality of your life and to others.
Remember that we can control our thoughts. If we are thinking negatively, then we can think of any positive thing and change it at any time.
Keep cards and letters from your family and friends in a file. Whenever you feel disappointed, take that file out and remind yourself that you are important for the people. These people love you and keep your attention. When you know that you bring happiness in many people’s lives, then it is difficult to be disappointed.
Progress is the only success. If you are taking positive things in your thoughts, in your thoughts, then there will be no such goal which you cannot progress on. The goals adopted by us are powerful.
Staying calm will give you more stability and positivity in life.
Do not punish yourself for everything. Do not focus on what has been proven to work and what not, and remember it the next time.
Remember what you did that someone was pleased or what you did to help someone. Remember that when you helped a person in his difficult watch or under normal circumstances. To make you feel like a good person, you can do such a good thing for someone, not only that person is happy but you also feel good about yourself.
Be careful with those who do not want to be positive. Consult only with positive individuals.
There will always be people who will continue to assess you for something. Do not let yourself be disturbed by this attitude of them. Remember that the only person you want to please is you yourself, nobody else. | 2019-04-22T21:55:09Z | https://depressioncure.net/22-ways-become-positive/ |
why am I feeling so light headed?
But my awesome sister gave me an early Christmas gift which put a cute little band-aid on the problem until Milestone Electric makes it out here on Saturday. I get to work in my studio after all wearing my new super cute head lamp!
I'm pretty sure my neighbors don't read my blog, so I think I'm safe in posting what part of their Christmas gifts will be. I made cute little bookmarks with pretty little beads hanging from the silver bookmark.
Hopefully, my neighbors still read from books and haven't converted to e-readers only... Otherwise my cute little gift is going to be a bust!
I've been making jewelry for several years. I started with a class at The Creative Arts Center (if you click the link, they still have a picture of me up on the banner!) where we learned how to saw and pierce sheet metals, solder, and do bezel settings and riveting.
My friend Allyson showed me the basics of beading, which I liked even better than the class because I'm a girl who appreciates instant gratification.
For a while, she and I got really into using PMC and made lots of silver earrings and pendants.
After more classes and just learning stuff by making gobs of necklaces, bracelets and earrings, I think I've finally found my style. I love to mix vintage components with beads and chains and make them into something new.
I'm obsessed with the finding the vintage stuff! Most Thursdays and Fridays I hunt at estate sales. I have found amazing stuff and I'm always so thrilled to find something special that has a history behind it.
For a while, especially in our days of the silver PMC, Allyson and I had discussions that we should try to sell some of our creations because how much jewelry does one girl really need anyway? And we needed money to support our new-found habit!
We'd show each other something new we had made, loving it so much that we'd say, "I'm SO not selling this." We have continued that phrase over the years and still say it all the time.
This past Fall, we put a few of our necklaces in Allyson's aunt's booth in Warrenton and they sold!
How cool- Stuff moved! Which created more space, inspiration, a little cash to make even more jewelry.
Soon, I'll be opening a Etsy shop. I had first secured the shop name, "I'm So Not Selling This", but decided it might be better karma to call it "Resparkable Vintage". So that's it! That's what the name of my shop will be. As my friend Lindsey replied when I told her my final decision, "Done and done!"
I'll be using this blog to tell you about my progress with starting things up, and I'll post pictures of my finds, my creations, and of course all my other usual chit chat. As soon as the shop is open, you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow... well, not tomorrow but soon I'll have the link on this website!
Please stay tuned, because in the weeks or months to come, I am SO selling!
Until I tweaked it a bit and made this picture using PicMonkey.
Tomorrow, the wrapping comes off, and the stitches come out! yeeeeeehawwwww!!!
Two weeks ago, when I got this surgery, this wrap served a good purposes- The compression helped with swelling, and it kept things from bending around too much.
But now, I am ready for this effer to come off. I'm ready to bathe and shower without wrapping my hand in plastic bags! I'm ready to really wash my hands- and I mean really! I'm ready to start playing my guitar again! And making jewelry! And...And.... The list goes on and on.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate my thumb. I never take the time to say, "Thank you!" to my thumb. I take it for granted. But once my trigger finger got so bad that it stopped bending, I realized how awesome it really is when it works right, and without pain.
So thank you, my dear thumb. And all the other fingers that surround you. High fives for all my fingers on both hands!
Earlier this week, I had to get a little surgery on my hand.
Although it wasn't a big deal, I was nervous.
While I was in the pre-operating "holding" room, I was around lots of other patients also waiting their turn for surgery. Most of them had someone there with them, but I had Fermin just wait up in my room because it seemed silly to have him come down with me, and he had calls he had to make for work.
But like Tom Petty says, "The waiting is the hardest part..."- All the waiting got me really nervous. And my face usually gives my feelings away.
There was a woman there, about the age my mom would be, waiting with her husband who was about to undergo double knee replacement surgery. She came over and started talking with me. Nothing really so profound. She was just helping me pass the time and calm down a bit. I don't even really remember what it was we talked about. But the profound part was, she tucked the covers in around me and gently patted me on the shoulder. Just like Mom would have. When it was time for the surgeons to roll her husband off to surgery we said our goodbyes. I thanked her for talking to me, and told her I felt better already because of her. And that she reminded me a little of my Mom.
Later that night, I had a dream about Mom. It was present day, she wasn't sick like she usually is when I dream of her, and we were shopping at estate sales together. She grabbed the basket with the things I intended to buy and said, "Here, give me that! I'm buying that for you." It seemed so real. It was just like so many days Mom and I have spent together.
It looked similar to a few Mom had given me-- (I have a big collection of all sorts of music boxes, mostly all given to me by her.) I wound it up and of course, it played "Close To You" by the Carpenters. That song has huge sentimental value to me- Mom used to sing it to me all the time when I was a little kid. Anytime I hear it, I think of her.
I'm always looking for signs that Mom is still around me. This wasn't just one little thing. This was her making it very clear she's still close to me when I need her.
A few years ago I had trigger finger release surgery on my pinky finger.. And I figured that would be the end of that.
But I have more than one finger. Recently I started having the same problem with my thumb. Initially, I thought, "Well, at least it's my right thumb." (I'm left handed. ) I figured, no need to work myself into a frenzy. I don't really use it so much anyway, right? But wait a minute.... it's a THUMB. It's actually one of the leaders when it comes to fingers. And I pick with it! (My guitar that is- don't be gross!) And it comes in quite handy when I make jewelry.
First, I tried cortizone injections. Then, acupuncture. I cancelled gigs and stopped making jewelry altogether. But it just kept getting worse and worse. I realized I haven't bent my thumb in about a month without a staggering pain coursing through me, so I decided to go for the sugery.
The surgery is really pretty easy, and it fixes it for the long term. And as a musician, and jewelry crafter, that's important to me!
For the next two weeks, I'll be wearing this poncho a lot-- The way my hand is dressed, its too big to fit through most sweaters and shirt sleeves.
But soon, that big puffy bandage will be coming off, the stitches will be coming out, and both music, and jewelry making will merrily resume!
I liked Hello Kitty back when I was a young lassie.
Me, as a young Lassie.
I then rediscovered HK as an adult and fell in love! And when I fall in love with something, I sometimes go a little overboard. I have lots and lots of things emblazoned with Kitty's picture and name.
I found the wallet a few years ago when I was on a vacation in San Diego. I've used the wallet every day since buying it, and Kitty's face is starting to rub off, and it's pretty dirty. And at this point, just a little disgusting.
The iPhone cover was for the first iPhone hand-me-down I recieved from my husband. Now that he just got the 5, I inherited the 4s, so the HK case no longer fits my phone.
that my friend, Allyson found for me when she was in Paris. We both think it's the fancy button that makes this wallet so special! And the pink leather feels like butter!
Very mature, don't you think?
I still love Hello Kitty. But I'm taking a little break from her. So really, it isn't "Goodbye" after all!
Tomorrow I'm off to visit my friend, Kelly, in Pennsylvania.
Beyond that, I have no idea. But I know there will not be a dull moment.
This is what I mean- Fun comes out of the stupidest things when we're together!
It's amazing we've kept in such good touch for so many years. She hasn't lived in Dallas since graduating from college. But because we've known each other forever, it's always so easy to just pick right back up where we left off.
I hope everyone has a friend like that. I am so lucky I do.
Or should I say, one dolla makes me holla?!
Here are today's estate sale shopping finds. The brass bell from England: $1. The little ornate brass pill box: $1. And my broken vintage pin: $1.
And as of today, Halloween is behind us. So this morning, I was asking myself the question, "Should I get rid of the pumpkins now, or keep them around a little while?"
So I don't know....what do you think? Should I get rid of the pumpkins, or hang on to them a little while longer?!
Neither me or Lucy like to get sick. And we don't like taking medicine!
I don't know where, or how, or why- but somehow, a couple of weeks ago, Lucy had kennel cough, or as I kept accidentally referring to it- whooping cough. Poor girl sounded like she couldn't breathe, and all the coughing seemed to be wearing her out.
Fortunately, Ricky didn't catch it from Lucy.
And fortunately, Lucy is finished taking her pills!
And the cough seems to be gone now.
I have also been taking medicine. Steroids! First, a shot to help calm down my trigger finger. Then, one of those packs you take for about 5 days, for poison ivy. The poison ivy is all gone, but the trigger finger never really went away. And over the last week or so, it's worse than ever.
Steroids are just horrible for my blood sugars (but I just take more insulin), and I know it's just not good to be on them unless it's absolutely necessary. But the deal is, not only is my thumb getting stuck and triggering, it's very painful. And I'm a big fan of getting to use my hands... To play the guitar, and to make jewelry especially.
So please say a little prayer, or send some good mojo, or whatever it is that you do to help a girl who wants to be on the mend! I have an appointment to get yet another cortisone shot next week, but I'm really hoping I have some improvement between now and then. Enough so that I can sleep at night without my thumb waking me up.
I went to "AntiqueWeekend" in Warrenton, Texas this past weekend. Although it's called Antique Weekend, it's neither just antiques nor does it last just a weekend!! And even though I said "in Warrenton", it's not just in Warrenton... It's several other little towns around there, too.
But in a nutshell, if you're familiar with First Monday's in Canton, it's like that but on major steroids.
It just goes on and on. And on and on. And on and on.
I was really only there for a day. And that was plenty for me.
I thought we finished with such a great song... I love that it was introduced by Sissy Spacek, who played Loretta in "Coalminer's Daughter",then Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert started the song off, and then the BIG finale of when Loretta walks out in the creampuff dress and helps them finish it! Does it ever get any better than this? No, it absolutely does not. SUPERFANTASTIC!
That kind of old country music is just so satisfying and it's such a great way to end this thing.
I love YouTube. I can get lost in it for hours on end. Whether it's watching music videos like these, dog tricks, or just funny or weird stuff.
The blog will return to it's usual randomness now that we're done with this fun little month long chronicle! Hope you have enjoyed... Lindsey and I most certainly did. Thanks Lindsey, for being my partner on this one... :) Great idea.
Ahhh.... we've been led to a classic of country music. Loretta Lynn!!!! I actually have never heard this particular song until I found it here today, but of course I had to pick Loretta! Love the talking part in the middle of the song. Not too many people could pull that kind of thing off.
I'm sure Loretta will lead us to great places. And since we've only got 2 days left, that's vital at this point!
Here's today's pick by Lindsey!
You have to forgive me for picking my second song penned and performed by Taylor Swift. But my last pick wasn't even one of my favorites of hers. This one, however, is one of her best, in my opinion.
I just LOVE the content/message of this song. I admire the way she handles her critics. And it seems she has many of them. Anyone that popular always does. I wish I had had that kind of confidence and spirit at her young age.
Taylor Swift, when I grow up, I wanna be just like you!
I'll be posting Day 24 within the day so it's actually Day 24! ;) Oh my gosh- We getting so close to the end of the month. I'm dying to know what song this journey will end with.
With just a little over an hour to spare....Day #23 is up! So this selection was difficult for me....lots of Taylor Swift to choose from and not a whole lot more :( I would have liked to stay, with another upbeat song, rather than going d...own the road with these lyrics but I couldn't pass this song up when I saw it suggested! I've loved this song since the first time I heard it....while first instinct is that the lyrics are maybe upsetting....there's something beautiful with them at the same time.
I guess the answer to the previous post's question is "Hell no! We won't go!"
Altho rather than just "Women in Pop Music of the 21st", we can now broaden the current title to "Women in Pop/Country of the 21st Century". Not a huge stretch, I realize! But the only way out seemed to be Metallica. And no thanks to that idea. But it begs the question, how does something like Metallica get lumped in with Avril Lavigne, Fergie, Katie Perry, and Taylor Swift on YouTube? How does it work? REALLY? I want to know!
Anyway, say what you will about Taylor Swift, but I for one, love her. She can sure write a catchy hook, and she writes honestly from the perspective of a girl her age.
Can we make it out?
Sorry I dropped the proverbial ball over the weekend, so we skipped a song or two in our journey. But now, we're right back on it!!
Here's what won out: Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape. She's just so freakin' cute and stylish I couldn't resist choosing her for day 20!
I LOVE Lindsey's pick today! Makes me feel slutty! :) Yay!
No, but I love this song and used to have it on one of my running playlists. It's hard to stay still when this one's on!
Well, I could've stuck with our Goth theme a little longer, but then I saw this song and couldn't resist. Sorry, I guess I'm just a Top 40 girl at heart. No! Really, I swear I'm not! This song is much cooler than your typical top 40, but somehow, mainstream radio caught on to it. Every now and then, they get it right. Yay!
Alright, so I'm technically posting this on day 16, but I'll have the officially day 16 up within the hour. I was late getting around to see what Lindsey had chosen!
Our first step in to the "goth" genre, and I notice it was posted by "the666gothika".
Here's the post Lindsey made, and the video follows!
Get your Kleenex ready, because this one is so beautiful, you might cry. I love Sting's original, I also love Eva Cassidy's cover, and now this one!!! Just shows what a gorgeous song Sting wrote in the first place.
Lindsey picked this for today's YouTube Chronicle installment.
Nice one! This is what I call a COVERSONG. A new twist, something that catches and holds your ear. I'm in love with the 2Cellos.
In the world we live in, rules were made to be broken! Today is both day 10 and 11 of the chronicles... For good reason!
Day 11 goes back to a pick by me. And I think this one is so cool. I LOVE the cello. I think of all instruments, it's my very favorite. Why didn't I ever learn to play it you may ask? Well, I have no answer. I regret that I wasn't in orchestra as a kid. Damn. I missed that boat.
How weird that I had never even heard the Guns n Roses song Lindsey selected yesterday?!?! What the heck was I doing in '91?
I was wondering if this was just an especially long version of the song. But I did a little research, and found out that no, the song is just l-o-n-g!
Well anyway, enough about "November Rain" already! Let's move on, shall we?
So today, we're led to one of the most amazing songs, I think, of all time! Only Queen could pull this one off! Brilliant.
Lindsey had me on pins and needles all day waiting for this one!
Okay, pick for Day #8 is up! Guns N' Roses' November Rain. Lot's of different memories come up when I hear this song....1) My MTV watching days, and 2) When MTV actually played music videos.....Anyway, I love when rock bands do slower softer songs. I almost feel no one can do them better :) Hope you enjoy today's selection.
Oh, and Kerr, check out his massive pinky ring in the wedding scene....love it!
After Lindsey's choice yesterday of the cover of "She Will Be Loved", the thread was mostly leading to more covers- mainly by the guy and/or girl in yesterday's video.
Finally, I saw a video by Avril Lavigne and I thought, "Uh, well, I'm not really a fan, but at least she can get us off of yesterday's girl." But Avril's song was SO cheesy and there's no way I could've selected it. Uh-oh.
Then I scrolled down a bit further and found Adele. I think she was the ONLY other original artist in the whole thread. I am so glad she was there. It was like seeing an old friend at a party when you're starting to feel really uncomfortable because you don't know or really like anyone there. "Oh my God, Adele! I'm so happy to see you!" For realz!
Nooooo wayyyyyy. Lindsey chose a cover of Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved". I love me some Adam Levine so much that hearing anyone else sing it sort of annoys me.
One of the "rules" for me and Lindsey's little YouTube game, is that you can't veer too very far off the last thread- You can use any songs listed to the right of video last selected, and you can even go to the "load more suggestions" button at the bottom. But that's it. No further can you stray to find the next song for the YouTube Chronicles.
The other songs listed on the "Need You Now" page were mainly more Lady Antebellum songs, artists I liked but singing songs I didn't, or older songs that weren't really moving me.
Until I tapped on this one.
Eminem always sounds and looks so angry! And so does Rihanna! And they both have some domestic abuse in their personal background, which makes this song especially believable and probably personal. For me, a song has to ring true for me to like it. And this one most certainly does.
Here we are on day 3! Loved yesterday's selection chosen by Lindsey. Fortunately, it led me to this song by Christina Perri. It was on the last Twilight movie soundtrack. (Which admittedly, I am a huge fan of those books!) I read in an interview that Christina was a big fan as well and it was a real privilege to get to write a song for that story. How lucky!!
Ah...the first song of The YouTube Chronicles! Like I said in yesterday's post, what an honor.
I have loved Jason Mraz from the very first single of his I ever heard, which for me was "You and I". When I saw him live, I loved him even more. Really light hearted and funny, and a great performer that made whatever size the audience, somehow feel as intimate as a small coffee shop.
However, now that I've ragged on him a bit, I've got to give him props for this song that kicks off the chronicles. I love these lyrics, and I love that the video is lyrical so that the words really sink in. Just gorgeous. | 2019-04-22T20:44:52Z | http://www.kerriarista.com/2012/ |
Mamadou Sakho was Liverpool's starting centerback. Then he tested positive for a banned substance. Or so we thought.
On March 17, 2016, Liverpool played Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals, a result good enough to send Liverpool to the semis. After the match, Liverpool's starting centerback Mamadou Sakho was called for a doping control test, which is fairly routine. The sample was sent to the lab at the German Sport University Cologne, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited facility widely regarded as one of the best in the world.
Fast forward almost a year to the present day. Sakho, who was a regular for Liverpool in 2016 and was on the shortlist for a call-up to the French national team for the Euros that summer, has barely played since. He hasn't featured for Liverpool since that Europa League quarterfinal, and was loaned out to Crystal Palace at the January transfer deadline. He made his first start for Crystal Palace on February 26, three weeks shy of a year since his last club game. Over the summer, France's manager Didier Deschamps said he would not call Sakho up for the Euros despite a slate of injuries at centerback, Sakho's position. If he did, Deschamps said, then he would have "no respect for the players I selected."
What exactly did Sakho do to make his career tank so rapidly?
If you follow European soccer, you probably know that the sample Sakho submitted after that March 17 match tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. You may faintly recall hearing that the charge was later dismissed for some reason. But unless you're a die-hard Liverpool fan or a fervent chronicler of doping cases, you probably never heard why.
Sakho's case is an example of how doping charges are rarely the black-and-white, good versus evil dichotomy they're portrayed to be. You probably never heard much about Sakho's case because it's hard to make sense of it. Sometimes, doping cases are messy.
On April 22, more than a month after the test, Sakho was informed that his sample tested positive for Higenamine, according to the UEFA disciplinary body report which detailed the case. Higenamine is a naturally-occurring compound found in several plants native to Asia—partially Japan and China—but it can also be artificially produced and is found in over the counter supplements. Six days later, UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Sakho for violation of the UEFA Anti-Doping regulations, which adhere to WADA standards, including WADA's list of prohibited substances.
But Higenamine was not explicitly named in WADA's 2016 banned substance list. In the notification, UEFA told Sakho that the violation occurred because WADA's prohibited list includes all beta2-agonists, which can be found in asthma inhalers, and that Higenamine is a beta2-agonist.
WADA doesn't name every single banned substance on the prohibited list because it would create an easy avenue for athletes to circumvent WADA's testing. Enterprising chemists and doctors could simply design new drugs that aren't technically on the WADA banned list but are chemically similar and achieve all the same goals as a banned substance. This is, after all, precisely what BALCO's lab did. Instead, WADA bans a type of compound and all "similar substances."
The problem is that from time to time a substance comes to the forefront which falls into a chemical gray area. "It is difficult to assess when 'similar' is 'similar enough,'" said Olivier De Hon, manager of scientific affairs for Anti-Doping Netherlands. "So it will be necessary to decide on the prohibited status on a case-by-case basis (or at least a substance-by-substance basis)."
Sports lawyer Howard Jacobs, one of the world's foremost experts on anti-doping cases, was part of the team that represented Sakho. Jacobs acknowledged in a phone conversation with VICE Sports that cases like BALCO proved the necessity of the "related substances" clauses in the banned list, but also says they only make sense in designer drug cases. He argued that there's no reason a substance like Higenamine, a natural compound known by researchers around the world for some time, should fall under the classification. "If it's a substance they [WADA] know about," Jacobs said, "they ought to list it."
The probable reason why WADA declined to list Higenamine specifically is because it wasn't an issue until relatively recently. De Hon said his first encounter with the substance was in April 2013 when it came to his attention as the main ingredient in an "infamous nutritional supplement." That was around the time JACK3D entered the popular news cycle for its controversial ingredient DMAA, a stimulant with the effect somewhere between high doses of caffeine and low doses of amphetamines. In 2012, the company behind it released a related pre-workout product called JACK3D Micro which focused less on stimulants, replacing DMAA with Higenamine to increase oxygen and blood flow during workouts.
"All beta-2 agonists, including all optical isomers, e.g. d- and l- where relevant, are prohibited."
This is where Sakho's case gets exceptionally strange. Simply as a scientific point, the panel couldn't determine whether or not Higenamine is a beta2-Agonist at all—or whether it had performance-enhancing effects.
In UEFA's decision on Sakho's case, the review panel wrote that, "it is clearly not possible for anyone—laboratory, disciplinary body, football player or otherwise—to know whether or not Higenamine is a prohibited substance just by reading WADA's prohibited list."
Sakho's team commissioned expert testimony from two scientists: Professor Richard Bloomer of the University of Memphis and Nobel Prize-winner Professor Brian Kobilka of Stanford University. Kobilka's testimony addressed Higenamine's status as a beta2-Agonist. The science behind it is complicated, but, according to Mike Morgan, another highly-regarded sports lawyer specializing in anti-doping cases who led the Sakho legal team, Kobilka found that Higenamine has not been studied very extensively. Many of the studies on Higenamine have been done on rodents, and most determined that Higenamine is a beta1-agonist, which is not banned by WADA. A 2008 study on rodents raised the possibility that Higenamine is also a beta2-agonist, but added the caveat that this effect was "extremely weak," as Morgan put it. Kobilka's final conclusion: no proper study has been done on humans which can definitively say that Higenamine acts as a beta2-Agonist. Kobilka declined to comment on his testimony.
The other expert, Richard Bloomer, told VICE Sports his testimony regarded Higenamine's supposed performance-enhancing benefits. He has written two papers on the subject which found Higenamine is comparable to "moderate doses of caffeine" which is not banned by WADA.
Based on UEFA's findings, the expert's testimony obviously had an impact. "It is not clear that Higenamine has been proven to be a beta-2 Agonist," the panel wrote, before going even further to note that the scientific evidence it collected "cast significant doubt on the classification of Higenamine as a beta-2 Agonist."
When I asked Jacobs what Sakho—who asked his medical advisor if he could take the supplement containing Higenamine and was given the all-clear—could have done to recognize Higenamine as a beta2-Agonist and therefore a banned substance, Jacobs replied, "There's no way he could have gotten a definitive answer."
As Jacobs put it, "Nobody except WADA seemed to believe Higenamine is a beta2-Agonist."
In fact, even the director of the lab testing Sakho's sample didn't know the answer. In his testimony to the UEFA panel, Dr. Hans Geyer stated that he had to check with WADA if Higenamine was actually a prohibited substance. (Geyer did not respond to several VICE Sports attempts to contact him, but Morgan said that Geyer had been familiar with Bloomer's work on the subject.) The panel called the mere fact that Geyer had to check with WADA about Higenamine's status "telling."
First, Saugy expressed significant doubt that Higenamine is, in fact, a beta2-Agonist, the entire premise for Sakho's positive test. Second, he "questioned the steps that WADA has taken to reach its conclusion" that Higenamine was a beta2-Agonist, alleging that WADA went through none of the four required administrative steps to add a substance to the banned list. Third, and perhaps most damning, he informed the panel that his lab in Lausanne and, indeed, a majority of WADA-accredited labs don't even test for Higenamine.
That is to say, if Sakho's sample had been sent to his lab instead of the Cologne lab, he never would have tested positive and none of this would have ever happened.
Saugy's pointed criticisms of WADA are specifically noteworthy because the Lausanne lab is an important cog in retroactive testing conducted in the 10 years after each Olympics. The Lausanne lab receives the vast majority of samples which will be tested at a later date. To have the director of that lab criticize WADA, Morgan said, was "unusual." But, Morgan added, it wasn't just Saugy; the Cologne lab director also was very "frank" about his views as well.
The UEFA review panel didn't hold back. "Frankly, the CEDB [Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body] struggles to understand the value of a code which lacks universal enforcement," it concluded. "A code, for example, where different laboratories are looking for different things...From a strictly legal point of view, this is not robust."
On June 30, one week before the hearing, Sakho's team submitted to evidence their expert testimonies by Bloomer, Kobilka, and the two lab directors, as well as two additional pieces of evidence. One was a PowerPoint presentation hosted on WADA's website by Dr. Audrey Kinahan, the chair of the Prohibited List Expert Group. The presentation, from a 2014 WADA Therapeutic Use Exemption Symposium, covered which beta2-Agonists are banned and in what quantities. The presentation did not mention Higenamine, even on the final slide titled "All Other beta2-Agonists."
Along with the PowerPoint, Sakho's lawyers also submitted the minutes from an April 25, 2016 Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (iNADO) meeting, the international member body for National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs). The minutes, reviewed by VICE Sports, included a "key item discussed by the List Expert Group" bulleted list. One of the bullets was for "Review of some substances or methods for their current status and/or their possible inclusion on the Prohibited List (e.g. nickel, higenamine, hyperbaric oxygen, nicomorphine, tramadol)." At the very least, this implies doubt as to whether Higenamine was a banned substance.
Meanwhile, WADA submitted its evidence to the UEFA panel, which included a short written statement which Morgan summarized as "we think it's banned and that's the end of it," along with seven studies.
Morgan described the studies WADA submitted as evidence as "strange." Morgan's team had already examined all seven studies and they were directly addressed in Kobilka's testimony. Five of the seven studies were conducted on rodents. One of the studies concluded Higenamine is primarily a beta1-agonist, which, again is not banned by WADA, and thus directly undermines WADA's own case. Two of the studies WADA included were co-authored by Professor Bloomer, one of the expert witnesses, which attested to Higenamine's negligible performance-enhancing effects and did not directly measure beta2-receptor responses.
According to both Jacobs and Morgan, WADA was originally going to send Dr. Kinahan, a member of the Prohibited List Expert Group and presenter of the PowerPoint slide submitted into evidence, to testify. But on July 5, two days before the hearing, UEFA informed Sakho's team that WADA would no longer be attending. Morgan said this has never happened in any other anti-doping case he has ever tried.
Tweet from Sakho's official account from France vs Russia on March 29, which Sakho started. Although the sample in question had already been collected, neither UEFA nor Sakho had yet been informed of a positive test.
VICE Sports submitted a list of questions regarding the Sakho case to WADA. When asked if WADA had planned to send Dr. Kinahan to the hearing, WADA spokesman Ben Nichols did not directly answer the question. Instead, he wrote, "WADA regularly liaises with the members of its List Expert Group of which Audrey Kinahen is a member." When the question was repeated, WADA declined further comment.
In a separate question asking why WADA chose not to appear at the UEFA hearing at all, WADA once again did not answer the question, instead providing the exact same written statement it gave the Telegraph back in August about a completely separate matter: why it chose not to appeal UEFA's decision. When the question was repeated, WADA declined further comment.
Furthermore, WADA's spokesman reiterated their position that Higenamine is a beta2-agonist, stating "There have been publications describing higenamine as a beta-2-agonist since the late 1990s" and that Higenamine has been considered a banned substance since 2004, or as long as WADA has had a banned list. Yet, he also said nobody has tested positive for it until January 2016.
"Based on available literature," WADA's spokesman wrote over email, "the List Expert Group determined that the substance has a clear beta-2 agonist component and therefore should be considered prohibited."
However, VICE Sports could not locate any such literature dating back to the 1990s as WADA claimed. Neither could Morgan's team. Morgan said there were no studies even suggesting Higenamine's possible beta2-agonist properties until 2008 and called WADA's assertion "utter nonsense." VICE Sports also searched the National Institutes of Health's PubMed database and Google Scholar, but found no relevant results from the timeframe WADA specified. When VICE Sports asked WADA to provide citations for the studies to which they were referring, WADA sent VICE Sports a link to the NIH's Pubmed database home page and declined further comment.
The UEFA panel sided with Sakho. They ruled that there are "significant doubts" as to whether Higenamine is a beta2-agonist, a direct contradiction of WADA's position. The panel also ruled that even if Higenamine was covered by the prohibited list, WADA did not effectively communicate that to their labs as evidenced by the fact that a "majority" of WADA-accredited labs didn't test for it at all.
The fact that most labs weren't testing for Higenamine explains why there were no positive tests until last year despite having been "banned" by WADA for 13 years. And if the labs didn't know Higenamine was banned, then athletes couldn't be expected to, either. As such, the case against Sakho was dismissed, and WADA opted not to appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
But the damage to Sakho's career had been done. UEFA's decision came down on July 7, the same day France beat Germany 2-0 to advance to the Euro Finals. Starting at centerback alongside longtime France international Laurent Koscielny was Samuel Umtiti, making his first caps for the team in that tournament. Sakho, who has 28 career appearances for France, started three times for Deschamps in the 2014 World Cup and helped keep two clean sheets. It's impossible to say whether Sakho would have played in the Euros if not for the positive doping test given that Umtiti is a rising star and had just transferred to Barcelona. But Sakho almost certainly would have been called up.
In 2017, WADA added Higenamine by name as a beta2-agonist to the updated banned substance list, despite the scientific debate over its status. This means that Sakho's case will never be repeated, at least not with Higenamine specifically. Anyone who tests positive for it in the future will have no excuses.
Left: beta-2 Agonists section from the 2016 WADA Prohibited List. Right: the 2017 list.
They will also have a difficult time challenging the science behind Higenamine being on the banned list. According to Jacobs, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been unwilling to consider the scientific merit of banned substances during appeals once they're specifically named.
This is, in part, because the bar for banning a substance is incredible low. Any banned substance must meet two of three criteria according to WADA: 1) It has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance 2) It represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete 3) It violates the spirit of sport. Because the "spirit of sport" clause is basically a freebie, a substance need only to potentially pose a health risk or potentially enhance performance, either of which is an easy hurdle to clear.
Considering Sakho's case, UEFA's stern ruling, and the effects it had on his career, it's certainly fair to wonder if Sakho would consider a lawsuit. Jacobs didn't want to speculate on Sakho's intentions, especially since it would not be filed in the United States where Jacobs practices and he would likely not be involved. But he did say that a lawsuit is certainly "worth exploring."
However, there are some potential complications. One is as exactly who to sue. Jacobs said UEFA would probably argue that they were informed of a positive drug test and had to pursue it according to their bylaws. So too might the Cologne lab argue they were simply following WADA's instructions.
Then Jacobs paused and thought for a second. "I don't know what WADA would say." | 2019-04-23T14:33:21Z | https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/yp8b4b/how-mamadou-sakho-fell-victim-to-drug-testings-gray-areas |
Drew Doughty (born December 8, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected second overall by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, following a standout junior career with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he was twice voted the league's top offensive defenceman. He made his NHL debut in 2008 as an 18-year-old and was named to the All-Rookie Team. He has represented Canada four times internationally, winning a gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he was named the tournament's top defenceman, and a silver at the 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. The youngest player on the team, he won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the top defenceman in 2010 and was a member of the Stanley Cup winning Kings team in 2012.
Following a strong training camp, Doughty made the Kings opening day roster to start the 2008–09 NHL season, one of eight 18-year-olds to do so across the league. Earning a spot on the Kings roster overwhelmed Doughty, who did not expect to play in the NHL so quickly. He made his NHL debut on October 11, 2008 against the San Jose Sharks, and scored his first goal on October 20 against the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings had the option of returning him to junior without using up one year of his rookie contract if they did so before he played his tenth NHL game. However, they chose to keep him on the roster for the season.
Doughty improved to 59 points in his sophomore season of 2009–10 and finished third in the league in scoring amongst defencemen. He was named to the second all-star team and was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman. His coach, Terry Murray, praised Doughty for his improvement during the season. Doughty helped lead the Kings into the playoffs for the first time since 2002, though they lost their first round series to the Vancouver Canucks.
In the 2011/12 season, Doughty was elevated into a role where he was expected to shut down the opposition's top forwards, forcing him to focus more on his defensive play than his offensive. Consequently, Doughty's 36 points on the season was his lowest total in three years. He was the top-scoring defenceman in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, however, recording 16 points in 20 games to help the Kings win the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. Doughty was praised as the top player for either team in the final series, a six-game victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Both P.K. Subban and Drew Doughty will be looking to add to their respective trophy cabinets this month, after both were named finalists for the Norris Trophy back in mid-April. For Doughty, it will be the 4th time he has been nominated for the prestigious award (he won it 2016), handed out to the top defenseman of the year. In 2017-18, the London-native played in all 82 games for the Los Angeles Kings, leading the league in average ice-time (26:50) while also registering a new career-high in points (60). Subban, who won the award back in 2013, is being nominated for the 3rd time in his career, and is looking to become to the first Predator to claim the trophy. He also had an excellent season, tallying a career-high 16 goals while registering 59 points.
For more on Subban and Doughty, check out the nhl.com article here.
Perennial Norris Trophy candidate Drew Doughty is once again in the mix for NHL’s top prize for defensemen, after a fantastic 2017-18 campaign. The 28-year-old All-star is in the midst of one of his best statistical seasons in the NHL, while leading his Los Angeles Kings back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Through 80 games this year, the London, Ontario-native has set a new high in assists with 49, while equaling his career-best for points with 59.
For more on Doughty, check out the nhl.com article here.
Drew Doughty was named the 1st star of the game last night, guiding the Los Angeles Kings to an overtime defeat of the Minnesota Wild. With the win, the Kings catapulted themselves into 3rd place in the Pacific Division with 9 games left on the schedule. Doughty finished the contest with 3 points (including an assist on the game-tying goal late in the 3rd period) and a game-high 5 hits. The London-native has been hot of late, with 9 assists in his last 5 games.
For more on Doughty and last night’s game, check out the nhl.com recap here.
Drew Doughty registered his 400th point along with his 300th assist last night, as the Los Angeles Kings’ cruised to a 5-2 defeat of the Edmonton Oilers. The talented defenseman would finish the game with 2 assists, 3 shots on net, 2 hits and a +2 rating. The London-native is only the 2nd Kings defenseman ever to reach both milestones. For the season, Doughty has tallied 39 points (8 goals, 31 assists) a +17 rating and 4 game-winning goals in 53 games.
For more on Doughty and last night’s game, keep reading the nhl.com recap here.
Drew Doughty played a vital role in his team’s win last night, tallying 2 assists in a 2-1 defeat of the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old defenseman, who will be heading to his 4th All-star game in February, also added 3 shots on net and 3 blocked shots in the victory, while leading all skaters in ice time (27:47). The London-native currently ranks in the top 5 for defensemen in a plethora of categories including points (35), assists (28), game-winning goals (4), TOI/GP (27:13) and shifts/GP (31.9).
For more on Doughty and last night’s game, keep reading the nhl.com story here.
Drew Doughty feels as though he has taken his game to another level this year, despite already being considered one the best players in the league. The 28-year-old defenseman is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion and a recent Norris Trophy winner, but that has not stopped him from staying humble and continuing to improve. Through 42 games, the London-native has 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists), ranks 2nd in the NHL in +/- (+21) and has four game-winning goals.
For more on Doughty, keep reading the nhl.com story here.
Drew Doughty was a key contributor to the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild last night, tallying 3 assists in the contest. The 27-year-old star defenseman also led his team in ice-time (25:49) and finished the game with a +1 rating. The 2015-16 Norris Trophy winner has been one of the top defenseman through the first quarter of the season, positioning himself in the top 5 in a plethora of categories. The London-native currently sits 3rd amongst defenseman in points (22), 4th in assists (18), 2nd in plus/minus (+14), 3rd in TOI/GP (26:54) and 2nd in shifts per game (31.89).
Drew Doughty tallied 2 assists last night, as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-1. The London, Ontario-native is in the midst of a 3-game point streak, where he has 4 assists and plus/minus rating of +3. For the season, the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has registered an impressive 18 points (4 goals, 14 assists) in 25 games, and is second in the league in ice-time per game (26:58).
Drew Doughty continued his clutch play of late last night, scoring a shorthanded, game-winning goal in the Los Angeles Kings’ 3-2 defeat of the New York Islanders. It was the second consecutive game that the All-star defenseman’s has tallied a game-winner, and his 3rd consecutive game with at least a point. Doughty has been an integral part of the Kings’ hot start to the season, registering 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) and a +6 rating through the team’s first 5 games.
As Drew Doughty goes, so go the fortunes of the Los Angeles Kings. There may be no team in the league that relies more heavily on one player, with the London, Ontario-native logging more minutes than any other player in the NHL over the last 3 seasons. In that span, the 2015-2016 Norris Trophy winner also has a league best +1269 Corsi ranking in 5-on-5 situations. Last season, Doughty led his team in plus/minus, minutes logged, and points by a defenseman.
Drew Doughty was named the third star last night, as the Los Angeles Kings hung on to defeat the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2. The 2016 James Norris Memorial Trophy winner was a beast on both sides of the ice, leading all skaters with 26:22 of ice-time while also registering 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) 4 shot on net and 3 blocked shots. The star defenseman currently ranks 1st in the league in shifts per game (33.5) and 4th in time of ice (27:04).
Drew Doughty chipped in with 2 assists on Saturday night, in Team Canada’s 5-2 win over the U.S.A. It was a nice, bounce back win for the Canadian contingent after having dropped their first pre-tournament game to the American squad on Friday. Doughty had a solid game on both sides of the ice, finishing the game with a +2 rating and 20:05 of ice time. He would go on to be named the 2nd star of the contest.
For more on Doughty and Canada’s win, check out the ice.wch2016 story here.
Third time proved to be the charm for Drew Doughty on Wednesday, as the stalwart Los Angeles Kings defenseman claimed his first career Norris Trophy. The London, Ontario-native had twice before been nominated as a finalist for the award, handed out to the NHL’s best defenseman. The two-time Stanley Cup Champion put it all together this year, ranking at or near the top in a number of categories. He led all D-men in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage at 58.89, and the Kings were a whopping +537 in shot attempts with him on the ice.
For more on Doughy, keep reading the nhl.com story here.
Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty have been selected as 2 of the 3 finalists for this year’s Norris Trophy, handed out to the “defensive player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in that position." Karlsson was the offensive standout of the group, leading all defensemen in points (82) and placing 1st overall among all skaters in assists with 66. Doughty placed 9th among D-men in scoring with 51 points but his real strength was on the defensive end of the ice, where he led the Los Angeles Kings to the 3rd best goals allowed mark in the league.
For more on the Norris Trophy battle, check out the nhl.com story here.
Drew Doughty is by all accounts having a stellar 2015-2016 campaign, and according to the coach of the league-leading Washington Capitals, the London, Ontario-native has been the NHL’s best defenseman. The perennial All-star is currently in the top-10 in a plethora of categories among D-men, including shifts (1st), time of ice per game (3rd), plus/minus (6th), power play points (6th), goals (9th) and points (10th).
For more on Doughty, check out the sportsnet.ca story here.
Drew Doughty scored a goal and added an assist last night, as the Los Angeles Kings steamrolled the Boston Bruins by a score of 9-2. The 26-year-old All-star defenseman finished the game with 2 points, a plus/minus rating of +3 and logged a game-high 27:21 of ice-time. The London, Ontario-native is currently riding a 5-game point streak, tallying 3 goals and 4 assists in that span.
As the NHL gears up for the second half of the season, Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty have distinguished themselves as frontrunners for the Norris Trophy. Karlsson has been far and away the best offensive D-man in 2015-16, leading all defensemen in points (45) and assists (36). The Swedish superstar also leads the way in ice-time, averaging 28:35 per contest. Doughty meanwhile has been integral to the Los Angeles Kings return to supremacy in the Western Conference. The 26-year-old defensive stalwart currently ranks 1st in shifts per game (34) and 3rd in ice-time (27:59), plus/minus (+16), and game winning goals (3).
For more on Karlsson and Doughty, check out the nhl.com article here.
Drew Doughty scored a goal and added an assist last night, guiding the Los Angeles Kings to a convincing, 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The perennial Norris Trophy candidate also led all skaters in ice time (25:06) and chipped in with 3 hits and 2 blocked shots. He would eventually be named the second star of the contest. Through 31 games, the 26-year-old defenseman has 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists) and a plus/minus rating of +11.
Madison Bowey is just months away from making his professional debut with either the Washington Capitals or their AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears, and expectations are high for the 20-year-old defenseman. The Winnipeg-native models his game after one of the NHL’s best in Drew Doughty, and is ready to show off his high skill set in the upcoming Capitals training camp. Bowey had an outstanding season in 2014-15, helping Team Canada to a gold medal in the World Junior Championships, before captaining the Kelowna Rockets to a WHL title and a spot in the Memorial Cup.
For more on Bowey, check out the nhl.com piece here.
Erik Karlsson managed to fend off both Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban on Wednesday night, capturing his 2nd career Norris Trophy in the process. He becomes just the third player in NHL history to win two Norris trophies before the age of 26, joining hall-of-famers Booby Orr and Denis Potvin. The Swedish dynamo received 964 votes, just ahead of fellow D-men Drew Doughty (889) and P.K. Subban (801).
For more on Karlsson, check out the nhl.com piece here.
After another extraordinary season saw Drew Doughty win a second Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup ring, the electrifying D-man has gained appreciation amongst his peer group, too. A recently conducted NHL player poll had the 24-year old star ranked 3rd overall in the league, and 1st among defensemen. With this kind of recognition, it seems like only a matter of time before the London-native captures his first ever James Norris Memorial Trophy.
For more on Doughty, keep reading the rantsports.com article here.
The Los Angeles finally found a way to beat Henrik Lundqvist, scoring off of a rebound in double overtime to claim the Stanley Cup. The Swedish goalie did everything he could to force a 6th game back in New York, stopping 48 of the 51 shots he faced. In the end it was breakout star Tyler Toffoli who took the shot that led to the game-winning goal. Drew Doughy had a big game for the Kings, assisting on a goal while playing a team-leading 41:21 of ice-time. Jarret Stoll also chipped in with an assist on the first goal of the game.
For more on Friday night's cup-clinching game, keep reading the nhl.com recap here.
Down 2-0 to the New York Rangers, The Los Angeles Kings came all the way back to clinch a 3-2, overtime victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Mike Richards played an instrumental role on the winning goal, delivering a perfect pass for his teammate to slot home, while Drew Doughty set the wheels in motion in the second period, scoring a highlight reel goal to tie the game at 2-2.
For more on the Kings’ dramatic win, keep reading the nhl.com recap here.
Drew Doughty has been getting a lot of praise lately, to the point where his teammates have been comparing him to one of the all-time greats: Nicklas Lidstrom. Still just 24-years-old, the Toronto-native has already earned a Stanley Cup ring (2011-12) and two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014). He has been nothing short of exceptional in these 2014 Playoffs, anchoring the L.A. Kings defense on another Cup run.
For more on Doughty, check out the sports.yahoo.com story here.
With the Conference Semifinals now in full swing, the talk has turned to potential Conn Smythe winners with Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban leading the conversation. The two Olympic gold medalists have anchored their respective team from a defensive and offensive standpoint, both leading their teams in ice-time and contributing in all facets of the game. Doughty has an impressive +7 rating with one goal and nine assists, while Subban leads his team in scoring with twelve points (4 goals, 8 assists) in just 14 games played.
For more on Doughty and Subban, keep reading the espn.com article here.
The Los Angeles Kings are up 2-0 in their Second Round Playoff Series with the Anaheim Ducks, and a big part of the story has been the resilience of Drew Doughty, who has been a pillar of strength on the Kings blue line. Through two games the Ducks have been limited to 3 goals, and the 24-year-old star has been a big part of the defensive effort, averaging almost 30 minutes of ice time a game and compiling a plus/minus of +4.
Drew Doughty and Tyler Toffoli both scored, as the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1 to advance to the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Down 3-0 in the series, the Kings came all the way back, winning four consecutive matches to advance. Doughty scored a power play goal early in the second period to tie the game, and went on to be named the game’s third star. Toffoli meanwhile scored an important insurance goal in the 3rd period to put the game out of reach. It was the young star’s 3rd goal of the series, good for 7th overall in the playoffs thus far.
For more on last night’s game, keep reading the latimes.com article here.
Defenseman Drew Doughty was named the first star last night, as his Los Angeles Kings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2. The Olympic gold medalist and all-star scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, his second game-winning goal of the season. He also led all skaters in ice time with 25:59 played.
Team Canada found a way to sneak by the Finnish squad, Sunday, and once again Drew Doughty was the hero, scoring both of Canada’s goals in a 2-1, overtime victory. With the score tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Doughty decided to take matters into his own hands, slotting home the winner at the 2:32 mark of overtime. It was the Ontarian’s 4th goal of the tournament, the most by a defenseman in the competition thus far.
For more on Doughty, check out the thestar.com story here.
Team Canada got off to a good start, Thursday, defeating the Norwegians 3-1. Defenseman Drew Doughty was one of the stars of the game, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the victory. After Norway had closed the gap to 2-1 early in the third period, Doughty scored the all-important insurance goal, splitting through two Norwegian defenders before backhanding a shot into the top corner.
For more on Team Canada’s opening game, check out the nhl.com article here.
Coming off an incredible Stanley Cup run, the beginning to the L.A. Kings 2012-13 season was, as some expected, a trifle underwhelming. However, with 13 days left in the season and this year’s playoffs looming, you can now safely say that the Kings are locked in, and star players like Mike Richards and Drew Doughty are leading the charge.
Both players are getting hot at exactly the right time. Since the beginning of the month of April, Richards has recorded a point in each of his last 6 games while Doughy has scored in 4 of the last five.
The team as a whole reflects these clutch performances. After a slow start the Kings now sit 4th in the Western Conference, having gone 6-2-2 in their last ten games. | 2019-04-20T14:39:41Z | http://www.thehockeyagency.com/players-detail/49 |
A HALLOWEEN TALE: Most of us have a story or two to tell about houses that are occupied by spirits. What usually keeps an incarnated spirit from moving on is one of several things: 1) They may have died suddenly or traumatically, and don’t realize they’ve died; 2) They have unresolved or unfinished business on this plane that holds them here; or 3) their stuck in a holding pattern and keep coming back to what feels most familiar to them. What they all have in common is the need for guidance and healing to move towards their final destination.
Years ago I bought an old blue and white Victorian house in Kansas with my then psychologist boyfriend. When we were shown the house, something prompted me to ask the owner whether it had any old ghosts. She hesitated a fraction too long before finally saying, “I know this house. It will take care of you.” It was a very odd and rather cryptic statement. “It will take care of you???” What in the world did that mean? Before I could question her further, she was called to the phone and had to end the tour. We loved the house, it felt good and I thought how wonderful it would be to restore it—so we bought it.
The night before we moved in, I had a very unusual dream. In the dream I saw myself in the kitchen of the new house. The kitchen door leading down to the root cellar opened and a brown-haired woman, her hair in a severely pulled back bun and wearing a blue apron, appeared with a menagerie of cats following her. They stepped into the kitchen and acted as if I wasn’t there. Still in the dream state, I asked the woman what she was doing in MY house. She told me quite matter-of-fact that it was HER house and that SHE lived there. I knew this was impossible, but I quickly deduced (even in my dream state) that perhaps she was not from this world. Just as I was going to tell her, “Well then you must be dead…,” I suddenly woke up. I told my boyfriend the dream, but we managed to laugh it off.
Our first night in the new house, we were both tired from the long moving process and went to bed in the big master suite upstairs. Just before drifting off to sleep I remember thinking “the downstairs neighbors are awfully noisy tonight.” I had been used to apartment living and it hadn’t yet occurred to me that we no longer had downstairs neighbors. I fell asleep from exhaustion, never giving it a second thought.
The next morning my boyfriend asked me if I had “heard all the racket going on downstairs” the night before. I looked at him blankly. He related how he heard people talking and moving around on the first floor. He got up, walked downstairs and the noise stopped. He returned back upstairs and it started again. Needless to say, he was somewhat concerned. No one was outside. The neighbors on either side of us had their lights out and the only noise was coming from our downstairs living room. He said he told whomever it was making the noise “please be quiet.” It apparently worked.
The next day I was alone in the house. Around noontime I was moving a large house plant down to the root cellar to be re-potted. As I awkwardly maneuvered it through the kitchen doorway, some dirt spilled out on the floor along with a few seashells. I left the mess on the floor intending to return later to clean it up.
Of course, there was no answer to my note the next day, nor had the vacuum cleaner been used (one can always dream). In the process of our move, I had developed a chest cold and was experiencing bouts of coughing. I decided to sleep that night in the upstairs guest bedroom, so as not to disturb my boyfriend’s sleep. I recall propping myself up in bed to an almost sitting position to breathe easier. I was just starting to feel sleepy when I felt something jump up and land on the bed. It was pitch dark in the room, but I could feel the footfalls of what I knew had to be a small animal. I was paralyzed with fear. I could feel it moving nearer. I could hear the purr of a cat as it moved closer to my head. That’s when I sprang up out of the bed and turned on the overhead light switch. I scanned the room. Nothing was there. I suddenly recalled the dream I had before moving in about the old woman and all her animals. Had I just been visited by one of her many cats?
“Why?” I cautiously asked. I could tell my mother was somewhat puzzled. “Well, I thought I heard a woman’s voice. It sounded like she was calling out ‘Ava’ or ‘Alva’ or something like that. You didn’t hear it?” I told her I hadn’t and tried to look disinterested.
My new house was becoming more intriguing. I knew I needed to search out information on the house’s prior owners to get some answers. I went to the town’s historical society and found out the name of the couple who had built the house in 1905. And to my astonishment, I learned the wife’s name was “Alva”. I guess Alva, the house cleaner, had answered my note after all. She DID want us to know her name.
Back at the turn of the century, respectable women were rarely mentioned in the newspaper outside of a marriage, birth or a death announcement. I was surprised to learn that Alva and her husband had no record of having had children, although a side nursery had been lovingly built as an attachment to the master bedroom. Alva’s husband had been in the insurance business and they must have suffered some kind of financial loss, because a few years after building the house they unexpectedly sold the house and moved to a much smaller home, not nearly as nice. She eventually died there. I never saw Alva’s face, outside of in my dream, and I couldn’t find any historical pictures of her to see if my dream vision matched the real person. Whatever Alva’s story was, it was evident her heart was still attached to her first marriage home, now my home, and she did not want to leave it—or stop cleaning it.
Thankfully, Alva was not a malevolent spirit. Instead, she was definitely a lurker. Sometimes I would see movement out of the corner of my eye whenever I was either spackling, painting, wallpapering, or restoring the oak woodwork in the old house. While I couldn’t get her to run the vacuum, she would still move things around to create a tidier order. I started to talk to Alva and tell her I would really take care of her house, make it shine again, and she didn’t need to worry. I told her there was another house of her dreams waiting for her on the other side of the lighted doorway and to look for it. C’mon Alva, I thought. Get along towards the Light!
However, you just can’t rush these things. Remembering the unused nursery in the house, I even told Alva there were probably babies on the other side of that Light that needed her mothering. Lots of babies. Eventually she must have been satisfied with my promise to take care of her house—or she really got tired of me telling her what to do, because her presence became less and less. Then one day the house felt like it was now totally—mine. Rest in Peace Alva.
POSTSCRIPT: This story happened more than 30 years ago and the house has long since been sold. It was decades before I invented the bio-energetic Trinfinity8 technology. But today, this technology is providing some unusual holistic answers to even other-worldly problems. I have several practitioners who use the Trinfinity8 technology to get rid of pesky spirits and clear a house of negative energy. England, with its long history of battles, plagues, and untimely deaths, has plenty of house guests still lurking around from the past. One London Trinfinity8 practitioner, with a specialty in house clearing, says it keeps her very busy. Who would have thought?
A few months ago a retired rocket scientist told me NASA has two space programs—the one NASA wants you to know about and the real one that has been kept hidden for decades. Since I had already heard about secret space programs, this came as no big surprise.
If we already had this advanced technology almost 30 years ago, one has to wonder what else is going on in space that they also are not telling us (which our taxpayer dollars have paid for). Finally, a new documentary is spilling some pretty incredible secrets on that very subject and the evidence is quite compelling.
Packing for Mars, a new documentary for release in November 2015 by Screen Addiction company filmmakers Frank Jacob and Tonia Madenford, tells of an secret space colony on Mars that started back in the 70’s. Complete with leaked footage by even a Vatican whistleblower, it reveals classified information concerning secret joint US/Soviet Apollo 19 and 20 missions to the Moon and Mars known as “Project Red Sun.” This might shed some new light on what President Ronald Reagan alluded to as a highly classified space fleet in the June 11, 1985 entry in his diaries where he revealed that “our shuttle capacity is such that we can launch 300 people into orbit.” He reports having seen this massive space fleet and being awed by it. He probably assumed by the time his personal diaries were made public, everyone would already know this incredible information as well. Wrong.
Sure sounds like science fiction, but Jacob’s “highly intelligent and well-respected” source made him think again. In fact, just this week astronomers say they discovered a “death star” that may be Earth’s eventual undoing. But perhaps this is old news to some already in the know. Have scientists already discovered that Earth is indeed heading for a planetary collision with a large planet X object in space by the year 2042? Did they step up the space program and build an off-planet habitat on Mars in preparation for such an event? And, have they been secretly recruiting and colonizing Mars as well as building elaborate and life-sustaining underground cities on Earth? Jacob had to find out—and so began Frank Jacob’s and Tonia Madenford’s ultimate Search for Truth. They would keep their project so secret that even their family and friends didn’t know what they were working on. After five years of filming a la “Scully and Mulder” type fashion, Packing for Mars, will hopefully provide some solid answers for the rest of us.
Packing for Mars has a luminary cast of scientists, physicists, researchers, an astronaut, and some well-informed whistleblowers. “I thought that if I could get close to a person telling a highly unbelievable story and ask a lot of questions,” Jacob explains, “I would be able to rely on my own inner compass to tell me if they were really telling the truth.” Consequently, there are many ultra-closeup camera interviews.
As the pieces of the puzzle start to come together for the viewer, we begin to get a glimmer of why even our ancient ancestors were so intent on searching the stars “for signs.” Most revealing are the interviews with Vatican whistleblower, Luca Scantamburlo. The viewer learns that the Vatican believes, due to something revealed in one of the prophesies at Fatima, that Earth will be revisited again by a 10th planet that returns every 3600 years. Thus, a secret Jesuit maintained observatory and a space program known as Servizio Informazioni del Vaticano (SIV) was put into operation. This program was “ordered” into effect after the Roswell incident in 1947 by then Pope Pius XII. Today, the vast majority of telescopes and space probes which observe the sun are owned by the Vatican. It is clear they have their eye on the sky.
In Packing for Mars, Laura Eisenhower, great-granddaughter of President Dwight D Eisenhower, reveals how she was recruited for the Mars Colony during 2006-2007, but after refusing was harassed until she finally went public. Seattle attorney, Andrew Basiago, recounts his experience as a child teleportation subject for DARPA’s Project Pegasus and how time and space travel is possible today using wormhole and time overlaps which create shortcuts in space. This discovery led to DARPA’s Mars “jump room” program. Sort of a “Beam me up Scotty” type device. If only Matt Damon had known that travel between Earth and Mars is not the 1.88 Earth year-long journey he was led to believe in the movie, The Martian.
It’s always interesting how anything dealing with secret time and space travel always links back to the great inventor Nikola Tesla. On January 16, 1901 the New York Times reported that the Harvard Lowell Observatory recorded a 70-minute light that emanated from Mars to Earth. This inspired Tesla to erect a large transmission device on Pike’s Peak hoping to establish communication with Mars. Was something or somebody already out there? If nothing else, it certainly served to light the fire for all space exploration.
The film’s many interviews reveal that there are already established U.S. bases on Mars. A few “Super Soldiers” from a Mars “Universal Soldier” program have come forward and given some mind-blowing accounts of their time on the Red Planet. Can we believe them? They appear to have been selected due to having natural born enhanced psi communication abilities, a highly valued trait.
Our perception of Mars has always been based on pictures transmitted back from the Mars Rover. It’s a pretty safe assumption that the images we do see have been carefully screened by NASA. Yet, even the ones they allow us to see oftentimes have blurry questionable images that can’t be verified. Contrary to general belief, NASA did not just discover liquid water on Mars. They’ve known for some time that the planet is sustainable for life. Mars does not have a red sky and reportedly has some bigger pyramids on it than found in Egypt, which tells us, if true, that ancient civilizations have visited Mars in the past and left their mark.
I asked Madenford for her thoughts about making such a controversial documentary. She quoted that age-old saying, “It ain’t what you ‘don’t know’ that gets you in trouble…It’s what you ‘do know’ that just ain’t so.” How true. It’s evident that from all the recent news stories that NASA and our government are slowly getting the general public used to the idea of possible colonization on Mars. President Barack Obama actually directed NASA to get people to the vicinity of the Red Planet by the mid-2030s. Is there a time frame reason for such urgency? Get ready. Someday, you, too, might find yourself packing for Mars. Hopefully it won’t be a one-way trip.
If we could all look into the future, what might we see? Remote viewer and visionary intuitive E.M. (“Gene”) Nicolay is so good at predicting future events that governments and corporations have tried to pick his brain for years. Consequently, he learned quickly to fly low under the radar, which is why you’ve probably never heard of him. He is a modern-day Nostradamus and his remarkable gift has led him to lead a very seclusionary life.
I’ve known Gene for many years. In 2010 he warned me that my scheduled February 2011 trip to Egypt would most likely be cancelled. He saw escalating civil unrest in the area. He advised me to purchase travel insurance to protect myself against cancellation. Six months later, and two weeks before I was supposed to leave for Cairo, Tahir Square erupted in chaos and the country was literally locked down. The trip was cancelled due to unforeseen “Acts of God.” I was grateful for having taken his advice about buying that travel insurance.
Around the same time that Gene warned me of Egypt’s upcoming civil unrest, he also informed me that World War 3 would be played out in Syria and to look for certain signs. At the time, not much was happening in Syria. But later, when President Bashar Al_Assad was erroneously accused of using chemical weapons on his people (it was later learned that the rebels obtained the chemicals from Western sources), and Russia saved the day by preventing the U.S. from waging war against Syria, I thought we had dodged a bullet on the WW3 prediction. In the past two weeks, I began to wonder if back then was only the beginning of something much bigger heating up and perhaps Gene was right after all.
It is now evident that events in Syria are quickly taking on disturbing global proportions. Many of us are wondering if this is indeed the “war of all wars” as biblical prophesy has predicted. Since I hadn’t spoken to Gene for some time, I decided it was time to see what else was appearing on his personal radar screen. I was surprised to hear he has just released his newest book on this very subject. Timeline Collapse & Universal Ascension: The Future of Third Dimensional Earth and Fifth Dimensional Terra is a riveting look at coming world events on the future timeline of Earth from now until 2569. It also explores the Ascension of Human Angelic Souls to Earth’s Fifth Dimensional counterpart, planet Terra.
While the book is densely packed with information, more importantly it explains why things are transpiring in the world in accordance with one’s soul “essence path.” Man is in the process of moving from a 3rd dimensional plane to a 5th dimensional one, skipping right over the 4th dimensional realm—and all this is within a 12 dimensional sub-level structure within a 12 dimensional universal structure. Yes, it gets complicated, but then the divine plan of our world entails multiple complexities. But after reading it, it all begins to make sense.
Gene explains that people’s concepts about “the Rapture or Armageddon” are very misunderstood from a dimensional perspective. People aren’t going to be just “beamed up” one day. Some souls will choose to cycle out of this 3rd dimensional realm to a higher dimension, while others will choose to stay here and continue to work on this level, but there is a process involved. It doesn’t all happen one sunny day.
Since timelines are always shifting and can’t be measured in a linear way, it is important to understand the difference between “possible vs. probable” futures from a prediction standpoint. There are multiple universal timelines running parallel to each other simultaneously, but there is only one dominant timeline which is the most “probable” one. This is where Gene focuses his energies to see what the future may hold.
Around March 2015, there was an assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin by Western covert operations. During this time, he mysteriously disappeared from the world stage for approximately 10 days. Speculation abounded on “Where is Putin?” and if he was dead or alive. As a result of this attempt on his life, Putin experienced a near-death experience or what might be called a “spiritual awakening” where he was shown his true destiny. This significantly changed him. He turned his back on any secret treaties already in effect with some of the power cabals. Instead, he decided to heavily protect himself and his people from these covert activities by taking new action.
World War 3 has already started even though it is not yet being called that. It will be officially given that title in the latter part of the 2010’s. Expect a lull in the fighting after Russia helps Syria destroy terrorist installations. There will come a regrouping by the terrorists after being re-funded by covert Western operations. Once the war spills over into Lebanon and Jordon there will be an escalation. Nuclear weapons will be deployed in not only the Middle East but important parts of Europe. This will cause devastation, severe economic turmoil and many world economies will collapse by 2025.
Expect Israel to try to rebuild the Temple Mount. They will exile Palestinians from the area.
Conflict continues to rage in the Middle East because many of these areas sit on key vortex portals that amplify and/or quickly manifest what a person thinks or feels, whether positive or negative. Consequently, violence is amplified with more violence due to the energy spiraling through these areas.
There will be continued economic problems in the U.S. but a global currency reset, based on a return to the gold standard, will not actually take place until 2017 or 2019 at the latest.
Around 2030 the U.S. will be embroiled in a civil war after the break off of states into regional unions. One of the strongest and more prosperous unions will be the New England Region. Many of these regions will have their own currency and militias, especially after the bankrupting of the federal government by 2030.
Russia will usher in a new Eurasian Enlightenment period in the latter part of the 21st century. It will lead the world in a cultural revolution and ultimately be seen as the “savior” while other parts of the world lie in ruin.
The second coming of the Christ figure (an enlightened avatar being) will emerge from the Northern Turkey area and help bring forth a “New Golden Age on Earth” beginning in Russia.
Russia and China will eventually become the world’s policemen for protection on U.S. soil.
For their own preservation, Mexico will form a close alliance with China and Canada will be allied with Russia.
From what Gene describes, 5th Dimensional Terra sounds like an answer to many of our prayers. While our soul may never stop learning and growing, this 5th dimension has no need for cellphones or the internet connecting us to each other. Goodbye Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google. Funny—but it appears all our mobile devices and the internet are just a dress rehearsal getting us ready for total telepathic communication with everyone and everything. Stay tuned, it should be an interesting ride.
With the recent concern over the threat of a possible World War III being waged with nuclear weapons, one has to wonder if we are once again repeating the errors of not only our past, but the blunders of ancient civilizations that came long before us. Evidence supports that our current weapons of mass destruction are very similar to weapon technology that may be the cause of some past civilizations mysteriously disappearing.
On February 16. 1947 the New York Herald Tribune ran an article about some unusual archaeological anomalies that had surfaced. They explained that when the first atomic bomb exploded in New Mexico, the desert sand turned to fused green glass. When digging began in the ancient Babylonian Euphrates Valley (current day Iraq), archaeologists uncovered a layer of agrarian culture 8000 years old, and a layer of herdsman culture much older, and a still older caveman culture. Under the caveman culture there was a layer of fused green glass.
Scientists speculated that fused glass could be caused by powerful lightning strikes during thunderstorms and this is what must have happened. The problem was apparent that this did not explain why whole areas of the desert had a uniform and a circular;y distribution pattern of green glass. They also tried to explain it away as the aftereffects of a very large meteor impacting the desert which generated enough sufficient mechanical energy to fuse the glass. The problem with this theory was that meteors leave craters and there were none.
Researchers were left with the only other astounding conclusion—the area had to have experienced blasts caused by nuclear and thermonuclear detonations in some long fought ancient atomic war. Atomic explosions are normally air bursts whose tremendous heat fuses the silica of desert sand and dirt, leaving green glass. This is exactly what happened in the desert of New Mexico when they first tested the atomic bombs that were later used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
Modern mankind had never heard and/or experienced such horrific descriptions until the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet they accurately describe the effects of an atomic explosion and radioactive poisoning which makes hair and nails fall out. In light of this, these Hindu epics may not be as mythological as some people think. In the ancient remains of the India city of Mohenjo Daro, archaeologists found clear evidence of vitrification by intense heat. Human skeletons lie in streets of stone, oftentimes holding hands with each other or engaged in normal human activity. Something must have taken them surprise and caused them to be burnt and fused with the molten stone.
Skeptics tried to dismiss the evidence. David Davenport, a British Indian researcher, spent 12 years studying ancient Hindu scripts and evidence at the site where the great city once stood. In his book Atomic Destruction in 2000 B.C. he reveals some startling findings: the objects found at the site appeared to be fused, glassified by a heat as high as 1500°C, followed by a sudden cooling. Within the city itself there appeared to be an “epicenter” about 50 yards wide within which everything was crystallized, fused or melted, and sixty yards from the center the bricks are melted on one side indicating a blast. A. Gorbovsky in his book Riddles of Ancient History, reported the discovery of at least one human skeleton in the area with a level of radioactivity approximately 50 times greater than it should have been due to natural radiation. Davenport claimed that what was found at Mohenjo Daro corresponded exactly to what was seen at Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Davenport’s theory was met with intense interest from the scientific community. Nationally known expert William Sturm said: “the melting of bricks at Mohenjo Daro could not have been caused by a normal fire,” while Professor Antonio Castellani, a space engineer in Rome said: “It’s possible that what happened at Mohenjo Daro was not a natural phenomenon”.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the modern-day “father of the atomic bomb,” was known to study the ancient Hindu and Vedic texts. Upon the first atomic test detonation, Oppenheimer was asked if this was indeed “the first” nuclear explosion. His significant response was, “Yes, in modern times.” Later when Oppenheimer saw the destruction his work had caused upon the people of Japan, he remarked that it brought to mind words from the holy book, Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” He would eventually come to express a deep wish to see all atomic weapons banned and the end to future nuclear wars.
There’s that old proverb: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Are we doomed to repeat the past, again?? With the world’s growing nuclear arsenal, you would think this would be a deterrent to anyone thinking about a “first strike” nuclear war. But today, we live in a world of extremists who shoot now and think later, if at all. God help us all. | 2019-04-24T20:06:11Z | https://www.trinfinity8.com/2015/ |
This site has been a revelation. I have learned much and hope to share the wealth of new knowledge I am accumulating with this community.
The brick guys came today right on schedule and got started. The contractor pointed out to me that the spaces on the sides of the front door were uneven. I had noticed this, and mentioned it to the framer, but he said nobody will ever notice. I should have stood up to that, but I had a lot of things on my plate right then.
My uncle came out on short notice and helped me fix the front door situation. We reframed and moved the front door to the absolute center of the space, and moved the window and reframed that to stay. It really looks right. The brick work is so gorgeous that's been done so far that it brings tears to your eyes. This is going to be a great house.
The plumber finished up, and I'm having the inspector tomorrow for the four way. We need to get this done so we can bring on the insulator.
The inspector was very helpful. He wouldn't pass the tight clearance over the basement stairs. He also pointed out that the bath fan vents didn't reach the outside. I knew that, I had it almost done, and forgot. One thing I didn't realize was that the gas lines need to be pressure tested, too. The plumbing was fine, but I need to get the heating guy back out for the next inspection, next week so the inspector can check that pressure.
On the stairs, he told me that the joist has to be engineered if you cut into it so it still supports the floor above as designed. I called the engineer after the inspector left and he could see me in an hour. I called my friend with the digital video camera and had him come right over. We took pictures of the joist and framing over the basement stairs and I showed them on the little camera screen to the engineer right after that. He had the fix designed in minutes for a small cost.
Again my uncle came on short notice and helped me make the fix to the joist over the stairs. That thing is so strong it's for sure stronger than before.
The brick work outside looks extremely good. We chose this dusty pink color, and had no idea it would look so good.
It looks like we've found the deal we need on cabinets. Jessica has checked it out and it looks very good. This one came from my salesman at the lumberyard, who knew a source. It looks like $6,000 for the whole house for solid cherry, which is way under the other numbers we've found.
This has been an intense week. I finished up my prewire with category five wire for phone and computer connections and with cable tv wire. I also got the doorbell wired. I probably used most of the 1,000 foot boxes that I bought for about a dime a foot at my supplier. It's helpful to mark on the wire itself, on the plastic sleeve with a sharpie where it's going to. There are a million wires hanging where our panels are going to be.
I got a call from a friend today that one of the big home center stores in Salt Lake has a 20% off store wide sale yesterday and tonight til about 9:00. It's unfortunate, but I'm not prepared to make any more purchases right now. I don't know for sure what else I need, and if the prices I would see are better than what I can get otherwise. I have to let this one go, I don't have two hours to drive back and forth to Salt Lake.
We tried today to put in more strapping to give the house better seismic protection. The foundation guys put in the wrong size straps, and in the wrong places. The engineer has shown us where to put the bigger Simpson ties. It is a real hassle to drill through the existing baseplate, and through the concrete and put them in. My options are to hire it done, to rent very specialized tools, or to let it go entirely. This is a problem that would have been completely eliminated with just $300 of engineering in the beginning.
I forgot to mention that I got the vacuum system for the whole house vac preplumbed for only $280. That guy did very neat work. We have it wired now with 14-2 Romex so it can have it's own power at each inlet. That way you can turn on and off the vacuum at the handheld vac wand, which is much more convenient that having to plug in a cord when you vacuum.
I will be so glad when I can heat this house with natural gas. I can't tell you the hundreds of dollars I've spent buying propane. I ordered my gas meter right after my inspection the other day, that will take some time to get.
My construction loan was a very special package put together by a very sharp mortgage broker who was recommended to me. On it, I am allowed to adjust the interest rate downward one time before the long term financing is locked in. Then we have a 5/5 ARM that can adjust downward on its own, or go up by a limited amount, once a year. With interest rates going down now we are watching for the opportunity to come down from the 7 and 3/8 percent that we are at. At this rate, the long term would be 8 3/8 percent which would be very high with current rates. We can get it down by maybe two whole points if we hit it right.
Nothing against my mortgage broker, who went to bat for me a month ago when my lender had concerns about my job, but I found out that using a broker caused my overall borrowing costs to be quite a bit higher. Maybe $1,500 higher. My neighbor has the same loan that I do, and what he did was see who was the actual lending institution and go direct and hold out for the terms he wanted. In a way, these brokers are like contractors, they are a middleman who performs a valuable service that some people want, but it costs you money.
Before I left the job site today, I made a list of everything that needs to be done before my second four way next Wednesday. Insulation is supposed to start Thursday.
I still need to do some blocking in the walls, nobody else will do these things for you. I want to have good towel bars, good handrails at the stairs, and good door stops. But there is no way I'm doing any more today. I am sick of it and exhausted, and I haven't seen my family for a week.
Amazingly, my four-way inspection was no problem. I had get some fiberglass insulation for the fireplace cavity, because they don't want any cellulose to get in there (it's flammable).
The painter who did my friend's house came by. He does finish carpentry and painting, which is a nice combination, because he gets to fill his own nail holes and caulk his own voids. He charges per foot of baseboard, and is very flexible. For instance, he will let me paint whatever I want to save money and look it over and give me advice. He also said he would loan me his spray equipment. I know he's a nice guy, but it also has to be that work is scarce in the winter like this, and people are bending over backwards to get it.
I called back the gas company to get everything hooked up. On the four-way inspection they checked the gas piping to make sure it held its pressure. It looked like a pretty simple procedure when they checked the plumbing earlier, so I set up the pressure test myself. I borrowed a pressure valve from my plumber and pressurized it with a tank of plain compressed air that I had at home. The inspector checked the pressure reading on the way in and when he left a half hour of more later, he checked that the reading was the same, and I passed.
Once I tried doing the pressure test, I had confidence to make a small change to the gas piping at the gas fireplace. We had placed the piping in the beginning a little too far from the fireplace unit. The idea was to have the piping concealed by the sheetrock enclosure around the fireplace, with just an on/off valve accessible. So I moved the piping by extending it a little bit with different plumbing fittings. I teflon taped my joints and pressure tested the changes, and had a slight leak. I had to rework it so it was tight, but got it done.
Our friend Lucy, who owner-built near us gave us some beautiful scraps of 2 inch thick travertine from her hearth. They are big enough that we think we can adapt them to make our own hearth, which is way smaller.
One of our window sills was 3/8" lower than the other one in the breakfast nook. It was pretty visible when we were checking things. Rather than call those guys back, I talked to the finish carpenter who was estimating our job and he said to just raise the window, and he would make the sills right later. It was a pretty simple thing where the window was held by about 10 screws, and we just buzzed them off, put a 3/8" shim under while holding the window, and put the screws back. Good as new.
Our gas fireplace that you see in the photos was $750. That included a $75 charge for installation. It is furnace rated at 24,000 BTU's.
Before the sheetrock hangers come in, my friend covered all of my furnace vents with scrap wood and screws so there would be no dust or debris damage to the system. When they are done, I'm going to secure some cheesecloth over the vent holes so the furnace can blow free. We have to do that so the house will be warm enough for the sheetrock mud to dry properly when the tapers come in. Also today we put in blocking for handrails, door stops, and towel bars. The pantry looked good enough to secure strong shelves, and we have no plans for drapes, so the house should be well blocked.
It's a little cold outside, and the framers who are working across the street were grateful that I asked some of them to help out on a few things. Some mornings they don't work because the wind is so cold. The supervisor agreed to come over tomorrow and drill and set those pesky bolts for the simpson ties that will make the house secure against earthquakes. He came at lunchtime today with his notebook and looked everything over, which I appreciate. He's going to drill and set each one for $5, about half what I was going to pay in special tool rental.
The insulation guys are coming tomorrow. The plan is for the framer to come in and help me early on and we'll stay ahead of the insulators with our simpson ties before they cover over the spaces we need. I called and asked them if they wanted to delay a day, and they didn't. They said they'd work around us.
The insulators needed everything clean so the first thing they did was clean up. I had to get my stuff out of the way and haul it to the basement, which I should have done before. It has to be clean, because they blow on this sticky cellulose mash, and they scrape off the bulges and they toss the scrapings into a big clean garbage can and immediately reuse it. It's incredible. This makes the place warmer (even though the eaves are still open) and much quieter. I love it. They insulated under the master tub, which is a very good thing. They also sound insulated the master bedroom and the office, using mesh on the open sides. It works great.
We are all insulated now except for the attic, and I think I want my soffit up before they do that to make sure that they don't scrimp on insulating around the edges. There's a debate about whether you should put your soffit up first or do the stucco first.
The only problem with the insulating today was that the carpenter and I could not move fast enough to get out of these guys way. We tried to get the simpson ties in ahead of them, but they were pushing us all day. I had to divide my time and take out two unnecessary outlets around the sink before they insulated that. The framer was very professional. He had brought little glass tubes of epoxy component which you put in the hole, and it bursts and mixes. For all his work, I think I owe him $70, a bargain.
Next time, I'm going to have an engineer certify the plans in the very beginning, regardless of what the city says (they thought we didn't need engineering to be acceptable). Simply because the proper seismic ties could then be placed in the proper places by the foundation guys, and incorporated into the framing by the framers. I think that would have been cheaper. Anyways, our house is solid as can be now.
Before you can sheetrock, you have to have an inspection of the insulation. That was fine, and all, but a little trouble has been brewing between myself and the inspector that came out, and so I'd guess you'd say it all hit the fan this morning.
The insulation inspection rapidly deteriorated into a new four-way type inspection. That's a problem, because we already passed four-way with another inspector, and we don't want to go back on things, particularly. Also, with the insulation in, it's hard to make changes. This inspector was one who came out earlier on a shear wall inspection. Then, since he had some time, I welcomed him walking around and giving us additional suggestions on things. Well, the suggestions weren't binding, and we didn't implement the ones we disagreed with. When he saw that, he felt he needed to undo things and make a big case out of it.
First on the insulation. He complained that there was no baffling in the ceiling for air movement, something that doesn't apply to cellulose. He noticed that little bits of cellulose had oversprayed into the fireplace cavity. There was a little bit of overspray near the shield around the furnace flue.
Then he started to say we hadn't installed the right romex connectors in our can lights, something the other inspector already approved two days ago. When I protested, he said "This is the worst job I've ever seen." He noticed that I had moved the line into the gas fireplace and he said the obvious, that it needed to be pressure tested again. I said that I could do it right now for you. He said, "I'm tired of this crap. I'll have to come out again, and I'm charging you $50 next time I come out."
I had the pressure valve on and the gas system pressurized in less than five minutes after he left. I can't tell you how upset I was. I felt I had the right to call the head inspector and complain. I had dealt with him several times since the beginning, and during the time when we had to get the lot rezoned. He's a very reasonable guy. So I called him and said that I don't want this inspector back on my job because I find him to be rude, condescending, and that he treats owner-builders bad. He said okay. Then I called the secretary and canceled a previous appointment I had for insulation inspection the next morning. I don't want the inspector back for another confrontation by accident tomorrow.
We also got our sheetrock loading done today. They made the piles approximately where it will be needed, we are ready to go on that.
Guess what. He came back. He probably picked up his assignments yesterday, and took this as the time for a reinspection of my insulation. I'd say things went from bad to worse. He didn't like the fireplace. He starts walking around the house. the 110 temporary power wasn't attached to the service panel. The span of support wasn't right under one of the plumbing traps. He said he wasn't passing the insulation on this house. Pardon my French, but I said, "Bull crap!"
He just kept on going. He went down in the basement. He was looking over everything critically. He asks me, "Who did the engineering on this house? I told him the name, and he said, "I can't believe it." Then I told him the house was not originally engineered, because the chief of inspections (his boss) passed it without any engineering. He got quiet after that. I basically insisted that he sign the insulation inspection form, and after walking around in angry silence for a while, he signed it and left.
Things returned to normal after that. The sheetrock hangers were putting up rock so fast an hour or two later, I couldn't believe it.
I got two more of the framers from across the street in who couldn't work because of the cold again, and they framed a header onto our doorway from the master bath into the closet. We decided to save the money and not put a door there, just a nice looking portal doorway into the closet. They also installed a folding stairway into my big storage room above the garage. They do things very fast and I think everybody's happy.
Five minutes after they finished installing that folding ladder, I was up that ladder into the attic over the kitchen ceiling. I called a friend to come help me make sure that the can lights in the kitchen were straight. The rockers probably bumped some of the cans and moved them out of alignment. They are very hard to lock into place, and the rockers were probably moving a little too fast, though I think they do good work otherwise. It might be a good idea for people doing this to tell their sheetrockers they'll have to do it twice if they move cans when they hang the rock.
I went into the ceiling, and we moved the cans slightly by cutting around them with the rockers' Rotozip. We got them perfect in an hour or so, and the guys patched up the cut holes.
The house looks so small with the sheetrock on it. I had no idea of the real size of the rooms when they were just skeletons. It's a little depressing.
I have to make a decision about finish carpentry. I also want to go over and put some more night lights in before they sheetrock over the whole house. The night light system is switchable. We read an article that says it's not good for a child to have a night light on all the time, because their eyes develop best if they sleep in full darkness.
I have to make a decision about the plumber. It's a little hard to know for sure, but one of the O-B's who used him says that he adds a little something in besides his labor for each fixture that he installs that you provide. I don't think that's cricket, if that's true.
I can't get over how quiet the house is now.
I put the screen material over the vents. I couldn't find cheesecloth, but I found a fine screen material at Home Depot and laid it over and fastened it on each vent.
We got the furnace running, and I can say goodbye to that expensive propane heater and all the bottle filling. The house is pretty warm and nice, more inviting than at any time before this. They started mudding and taping today. They will do two to three coats.
The framer missed a door. There was no door header, and it didn't come up until now. I did it myself in about a half hour, and they rocked and taped it this morning and no delays. You have to do so many oddball things to keep up.
The chief inspector came out and looked at things himself this morning. He was very good about it, and I take his word as law. He said we had to rip out some 2X10" supports in the basement and put in a span of 9 1/2" microlam beam. I got the framers from across the street to do that right away.
I made the decision to paint the house myself. It looks like we'll save $4,000 doing that. I'm going to go flat white ceilings, and gloss white on the baseboards. My neighbor has a sprayer I can use. My uncle wants to do the finish carpentry. He's a good craftsman. I'm just a little worried about the time frame.
I know I can paint for less than $1,000 in materials. I don't think I'll be able to use the guy I like that does finish carpentry and painting both. His carpentry cost was going to be about $1,500 or $1,600. The other bids I got were close.
We're looking at $7,500 for cabinets, which will be solid cherry, for the whole house, and Jessica is pretty pleased about it. We're still working on countertops.
As of today I got my interest rate on the construction loan down to 7%. That's a big help. What I'm learning about financing, I'll share here. As I said before, you have to watch when you use a broker rather than go direct to the lender. There can be extra costs there. When you go to refinance your house, check around and compare APR between lenders. You can sometimes go to your original lender and save fees by having them do a simple adjustment of your current rate rather than lose you.
We found a couple with a design and decorating business who do some terrific deals on carpet and tile. They are going to set us up with a travertine shower surround that makes your mouth water for less than the price of marble glass. We're going to get a granite countertop, not solid surface, but granite tile, and it's beautiful stuff. The grout lines will be very thin, and dark grout, to hide any staining. We are going to get granite tile with bull nose and full backsplash all the way up to the cupboards for 1/3 the price of solid slab. About $18 a square foot vs. $45. I'm going to have them lay travertine tile in the master, a wainscoting on the walls, countertops and shower surround. The other baths we'll do ourselves.
We went to one carpet place that some owner-builders recommended and got a price of $2.24 a square foot for 3/4" red oak unfinished flooring. Then we went to National and got $1.89 a square foot. Then the people I just mentioned, High Country Design said they'd beat that by ten cents, down to $1.79 a foot. I'm going to lay the hardwood with a friend. They'll also sell me Dal Tile for under anybody, around $1.29 a foot.
What impressed us about Heidi at High Country was that she asked the budget for carpet and came under it. The other highly recommended lady we saw asked our budget and came right up to it. Heidi came $1,500 under our budget including installation. Same brand of carpet but a lower pile which we like better.
I got some very good references on our cabinet guy today.
The garage door went in today without any problems. It was about $1,200 with the opener and installation, which is good for this quality of door. It is just the look we wanted with our design. I had three bidders and worked them on the price by doing another "round robin" where I called and asked them if they could match the low guy or sharpen the bid in any way.
This page took 0.0194714 seconds to generate. | 2019-04-25T20:11:34Z | https://www.ownerbuilderbook.com/resources/nortons/?ID=65 |
Information about non-executive appointments to the Department of Health and Social Care's public bodies and committees.
Details about appointments made to the department’s public bodies and expert committees.
20 March 2019 Updated with appointment of chair to the NHS Pension Board and member to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.
11 March 2019 Updated with the appointment of chair and reappointment of members to the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection, and appointment of member to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
1 March 2019 Updated with appointment of members to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration and the NHS Pay Review Body.
28 February 2019 Updated with reappointment of members of the Human Tissue Authority.
25 February 2019 Updated with appointment of UK National Screening Committee members.
21 February 2019 Updated with reappointment of non-executive director of the NHS Business Services Authority.
20 February 2019 Updated with reappointment of chair of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.
19 February 2019 Updated with appointment of 2 non-executive directors to NHS Blood and Transplant.
7 February 2019 Updated with reappointment of Food Standards Agency chair and member.
1 February 2019 Updated with appointment of non-executive directors to Health Research Authority.
25 January 2019 Updated with appointment of a member to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration and extension of Independent Reconfiguration Panel members’ terms.
16 January 2019 Updated with appointment of members to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and the NHS Pay Review Body.
16 January 2019 Updated with appointment of non-executive director to NHS England.
15 January 2019 Updated with appointment of interim chair of the Human Tissue Authority.
14 December 2018 Updated with the following appointments: British Pharmacopoeia Commission members, Commission on Human Medicines commissioners, and National Joint Registry Steering Committee member (patient representative).
21 November 2018 Updated with chair and member appointments to the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances.
16 November 2018 Updated with appointment of NHS Counter Fraud Authority non-executive directors and reappointment of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards medical director.
15 November 2018 Updated with appointment of chair of Health Education England.
6 November 2018 Updated with appointments of non-executive directors to NHSBT and MHRA.
1 November 2018 Updated with appointment of member to the National Joint Registry Steering Committee.
25 October 2018 Updated with appointment of members to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.
22 October 2018 Updated with appointments, reappointment and extension of NERVTAG members.
17 October 2018 Updated with appointment of Healthwatch England chair.
16 October 2018 Health Education England chair appointment extended.
2 October 2018 Updated with reappointment of UK National Screening Committee member.
1 October 2018 Updated with appointment of chair to NHS England.
27 September 2018 Updated with the appointment of Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) members.
25 September 2018 Updated with the appointment of the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research chair.
10 September 2018 Added appointments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
7 September 2018 Updated with the appointment of the Chair of Public Health England.
6 September 2018 Updated with appointments to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
10 August 2018 Updated with appointments of Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment members.
2 August 2018 Updated with appointments of NHS Improvement non-executive directors.
24 July 2018 Updated with appointment of NHS Counter Fraud Authority chair.
23 July 2018 Updated with reappointments of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority members.
13 July 2018 Updated with appointments of NHS Digital non-executive directors.
6 July 2018 Updated with appointments of Commission on Human Medicines commissioners.
4 July 2018 Updated with reappointment of Independent Reconfiguration Panel members.
3 July 2018 Updated with reappointment of NHS England non-executive directors.
2 July 2018 Updated with appointment of NHS Resolution non-executive director.
28 June 2018 New appointments and re-appointments for members of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remunerations. New appointments and re-appointments for the NHS Pay Review Body.
22 June 2018 NHS Resolution chair appointment extended.
11 June 2018 Updated with appointment of Health Education England chair and non-executive directors.
15 May 2018 Updated to include extension of a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
9 May 2018 Updated with appointment of NERVTAG Chair.
20 April 2018 Updated with re-appointment of Commission on Human Medicines commissioners.
28 March 2018 NHS Resolution non-executive director re-appointment added.
21 March 2018 Updated document to include appointment of chair to the Human Tissue Authority (HTA).
9 March 2018 Updated document to include re-appointed members of Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
19 February 2018 NHS Improvement non-executive director appointments extended.
6 February 2018 Updated document to include the following appointments: NERVTAG interim chair and members, ACBS members, UK NSC members and COC members.
16 January 2018 Updated with appointment of non-executive directors to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
16 January 2018 Updated with NHS Business Services Authority non-executive director re-appointment.
22 December 2017 Non-executive director appointment to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
13 December 2017 Updated with details of re-appointments to PHE.
5 December 2017 Updated with details of re-appointments to the Health Research Authority.
17 November 2017 Updated with new Prescribed Services Special Advisory Group member.
13 November 2017 SaBTO members re-appointed.
6 November 2017 Updated with COMARE members.
27 October 2017 Updated with new SaBTO member.
20 October 2017 Updated with announcement of Baroness Dido Harding as Chair of NHS Improvement.
13 October 2017 Updated with announcement of reappointed members of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens.
9 October 2017 Updated with announcements of new NHS Improvement chair and Independent Reconfiguration Panel members.
21 September 2017 Added appointments to the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
19 September 2017 Added appointments to the FSA, ACDP, APRHAI, UK NSC, SaBTO, NIB, OSCHR, SACN and COMARE.
13 September 2017 Added HFEA appointments.
1 September 2017 Appointment of Charlotte Moar to NHS Resolution.
30 August 2017 Added announcements for NHS Blood and Transplant, Human Tissue Authority and Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration.
21 August 2017 Appointment of non executive directors to NHS Business Services Authority.
18 August 2017 Added announcement of 2 Health Education England non-executive director appointments.
10 August 2017 Announcement that CQC non-executive directors have been re-appointed.
7 August 2017 Added re-appointment of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) chair.
3 August 2017 New chair for NHS Business Services Authority announced.
18 July 2017 Updated with interim Chair of NHS Improvement appointment.
21 June 2017 Added appointment made to COM, NICE, ARSAC and NHSBT.
13 April 2017 Added NHS Pay Review Body appointment.
10 April 2017 Added appointment made to PHE.
4 April 2017 Added appointments made to ARSAC.
4 April 2017 Added appointments made to ACCEA.
24 March 2017 Added appointments made to HFEA.
16 March 2017 Added appointment made to the British Pharmacopoeia Commission.
7 March 2017 Added appointment made to FSA.
7 February 2017 Added appointments made to the Pay Review Body Northern Ireland and NICE.
27 January 2017 Added appointments made to PHE, NHS Digital and the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.
16 January 2017 Added appointment made to the NHSLA.
5 January 2017 Added appointments made to the OSCHR and COMARE.
19 December 2016 Added appointments made to NHSBT and SACN.
5 December 2016 Added appointments made to NHS Improvement, NHS Digital and CQC.
18 November 2016 Added appointments to NICE.
16 November 2016 Added appointments to NHS BSA.
7 November 2016 Added appointment to HEE.
30 September 2016 Added appointments made to NHS Litigation Authority.
22 September 2016 Added appointment made to NHSBT.
16 September 2016 Added appointments made to the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
25 August 2016 Updated with details of an appointment at NHS England.
5 August 2016 Updated with details of appointments to HFEA and HTA.
4 August 2016 Updated with details of appointments to HRA and CHM.
25 July 2016 Updated with details of members appointed to the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC).
17 June 2016 Updated with details of appointments at MHRA.
6 June 2016 February 2016 updated to include details of members appointed to the JCVI, COMARE AND ABRHP.
2 June 2016 Updated to include appointment of chair at the Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC).
1 June 2016 Added appointments made to Pay Review Bodies.
18 May 2016 Added chair appointment to Health and Social Care Information Centre and non-executive director appointment to NHS Business Services Authority.
13 May 2016 Added chair and member appointments to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.
15 April 2016 Added to non-executive director appointments to NICE and HSCIC.
7 April 2016 Added non-executive director appointments to NHS Improvement.
24 March 2016 Added member appointments to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and the Human Tissue Authority.
4 March 2016 Added chair appointment to FSA, commissioner appointments to CHM and chair appointment to SaBTO.
1 March 2016 Added independent member appointments to OSCHR.
22 February 2016 Added non-executive director appointments to NHS England.
16 February 2016 Added chair and non-executive director appointments to NHSBT.
12 February 2016 Added member appointments for Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances and chair reappointment to Health Education England.
29 January 2016 Added member appointments to the UK National Screening Committee.
14 January 2016 Added member appointments to British Pharmacopoeia Commission.
24 December 2015 Added appointment of non-executive director to NICE.
21 December 2015 Added appointments made to the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC), NHS Improvement and the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.
17 November 2015 updated to include chair and non-executive director appointments to Monitor and chair designate of the NHS Trust Development Authority.
5 November 2015 Added member appointments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
2 October 2015 Added appointments made to the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee and the Commission on Human Medicines.
15 September 2015 Added Chair and Deputy Chair appointments to the Food Standards Agency.
4 September 2015 Appointments added for: Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens, Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment, Standing Commission on Carers, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
1 September 2015 Update includes Chair and Independent Member appointments to the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR).
28 August 2015 Update includes Member appointments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and Advisory Board on the Registration of Homeopathic Products.
7 August 2015 Update includes chair appointment to the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COM).
23 July 2015 Update includes the appointment of a member to the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection and the chair for Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP).
19 June 2015 Update includes an appointment to the Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.
16 June 2015 Update includes information about appointments to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the National Joint Registry Steering Committee.
27 March 2015 Updated to include appointments to Health Education England; Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee; NHS Litigation Authority; Independent Reconfiguration Panel; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
19 March 2015 Member appointments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
5 February 2015 This document has been updated to include an appointment to Monitor.
3 February 2015 Updated to include appointments to the Food Standards Agency.
8 January 2015 Updated to include appointments to the Standing Commission on Carers.
4 December 2014 Re-appointment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
17 November 2014 Updated to include an appointment to Healthwatch England.
17 November 2014 This document has been updated to include appointments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
10 November 2014 Updated to include appointments to the Committee on the Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and the National information Board.
26 September 2014 This document has been updated to include appointments to NHS England.
15 September 2014 This document has been updated to include a new appointment to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
11 September 2014 Includes appointments to Monitor and the Health Research Authority.
30 July 2014 Updated to include chair and members appointments to New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG).
26 July 2014 Updated to include Chair appointment to the shadow NHS Pensions Board and Chair appointment to the Standing Commission on Carers.
7 July 2014 Updated to include the following appointments: New members to the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE); National Advisory Group for Clinical Audit and Enquiries (NAGCAE); and National Joint Registry Steering Committee (NJRSC).
26 June 2014 This document has been updated to include the following appointments: NHS England Non-Executive Directors.
17 June 2014 Updated to include the following appointments: Public and Patient Voice Representatives to the Quality and Clinical Risk Committee; new Chair of the Rare Diseases Advisory Group; and Members to the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens.
23 May 2014 This document has been updated to include the following appointment: Monitor Non-Executive Director.
16 April 2014 Updated to include the following appointments: Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (ARHAI) Chair and Members; Patient and Public Voice Advisory Group (PPVAG) Chair and Members; Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) Member; Rapid Review Panel (RRP) Members; and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Member.
14 April 2014 Updated to include the following appointments: Non-Executive Director of Monitor and Members of the Commission on Human Medicines.
4 April 2014 Updated to include the following appointments: NHS Litigation Authority Chair, Human Tissue Authority Chair, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Chair and Independent Reconfiguration Panel Member.
18 March 2014 Updated to include the appointment of the Medical Director to the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards.
21 February 2014 Updated to include an extension of a Non-Executive Director to the Care Quality Commission.
17 February 2014 Updated to include appointments to the following bodies/committees: Public Health England, Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards, Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research and an extension of a Non-Executive Director to the NHS Business Services Authority.
28 January 2014 Includes information on appointments to the following bodies: NHS Blood and Transplant, British Pharmacopeia Commission, Human Tissues Authority and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
28 January 2014 Updated to include new appointments to the following bodies: NHS Blood and Transplant, British Pharmacopeia Commission, Human Tissues Authority and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
9 January 2014 This document has been updated to include the following appointments: Monitor NED, HSCIC NEDs, CHM Commissioners, COMEAP Members, COC Member, NJRSC Member and Medical Director, CPAG Chair and SaBTO Member.
11 October 2013 First published. | 2019-04-20T19:23:06Z | https://s3.amazonaws.com/thegovernmentsays-files/content/157/1571210.html |
To be Asian in a Western-oriented world is to straddle two worlds, tight-walking the dichotomies between the reality and the stereotype – ie. an innate fondness for Hello Kitty, a penchant for bubble tea and keen abilities when it comes to math. The pulse of this very narrative can be felt throughout the experiences of the wider Asian diaspora, manifesting in a desire to be seen as individuals rather than perceived as a two-dimensional pastiches of our vibrant selves.
In a new book series titled, FAR-NEAR, editor-in-chief Lulu Yao Gioiello sets out to challenge these Western conceptions of Asia. By presenting a unique and beautifully curated selection of creative expressions that highlight genuine, less-discussed perspectives of the Asian experience, FAR-NEAR blurs Asia’s own boundaries which are often thought to extend only as far as the red sun rises (over Far Eastern Asian countries like Japan, China and Korea, while those in countries like Iran, Georgia, Sri Lanka and Yemen are glazed over apathetically.) The result is a curated cross-cultural publication that broadens views of Asia through image, person, idea and history to progress the unlearning of the inherent dominative mode.
Born to a Taiwanese mother and Italian father, Lulu grew up with her father in New York and sought out any opportunity to see herself reflected in the culture around her. Her own understandings of Asianness, culture and ultimately self-identity have culminated here. Hero chats with Lulu about the birthing FAR-NEAR, unearthing the depths of authenticity as we writhe in this sense of becoming.
Lindsey: Initially what was the whole impetus for starting the project? You’ve been working on it for about a year or so now and did you feel like there was a gap in what was out there and what you wanted to see represented?
Lulu: I would say that it came from two things. Two years ago, I made my first photo book that was a result of photographs I had taken while I was in Tokyo and Taiwan. I wanted to provide the viewer with an experience of Asia as I see it – as someone who is simultaneously an insider and outside. I wanted to diverge from the cliché or fetishes of the Western eye but still accept its existence in an Eastern world. I still want to do that. When I look back at this book, although I am happy with it, I already see how much my perspective has expanded and how I was even a bit limited and stereotypical myself when taking my photos. I think, somewhat indirectly, that this magazine is the evolution of my objective for the photo book. The other thing that inspired me is a book I read called Black Boy Feelings, a submission-based book for black guys. The submissions were very broad – drawings, photos, poems, message transcripts – and it was a perspective that I hadn’t previously known about. Once I read it I immediately thought, “Why isn’t there something like that for Asian people?” Of course, there is some really great stuff out there like Banana Mag and Sukeban Gang, but I started to think that what I wanted to do was something a little different, something more curated, really showcasing creatives and intellectuals in a mindful way; highlighting the unique ways in which we’re unified that aren't the stereotypes that are given to us. I also decided I didn’t want to limit it to Asian Americans or Asian Europeans.
Overall, when someone seeks out publications on or about Asian cultures, it’s often not really created by Asian people, but instead a bunch of European creators writing and photographing their experience, or requesting from Asian iconoclasts what they [the westerners] want to see. In turn it only really depicts Asia from a European perspective. What I want to show is Japan from Japan’s perspective, Korea from Korea’s perspective, etcetera. But not only that. As I have been further researching, talking to different people of different upbringings and heritage, getting submissions from them and finding what interested them, I am recognizing that even the more genuine representation that is out there is catered mostly to only one specific section of Asia, Chinese, Japanese, Korean representation.
Lulu: -- Far East Asian people, yeah, but there's a lot less recognition for Iranian, or even Georgian or Turkish or something like that as being considered Asian. I wanted to have people reassess what their perception was of Asia by including a wide range of heritages. You’re already going to have a more open mind when you’re looking through this book because it’s not the expected things that you would see as and for Asian artists.
Lulu: Yeah, definitely. I’ve learned that Asia wasn’t really a “continent” until Westerners decided that Asia was a concept, that the people in Asia were Asian. Before that, and still even now, China considered themselves the “Middle State,” for instance. Each group was not considering itself in relation to the other. But once the West started to expand and perceive Asia as a body of people, then these groups started to have to consider their neighbors similar to them in comparison to the west. That's the other interesting thing, as you mentioned. It's another mission of ours to have the contributors and the readers look at their work in and out of context- to see the non-stereotypical similarities we share with each other through art and personal experience.
Who you’re similar to and who you’re not is made up - it is really relative even though it feels so certain. That’s how nations are generally built, by pinning yourself against the other. Throughout history, the East has been considered this mystery, this exotic place. It's not always in bad connotations but in this book Orientalism by Edward Said, he talks about how the West has used Asian people to project their desires onto, especially the Near East or Middle East. That to the west, Asia is this exotic mystic place to study and fantasize over, and this idea of Asia as they see it in their mind does not exist so drastically. There are certain aspects that come from reality, but it’s an extreme single-minded depiction of a multi-dimensional vast and diverse group of people.
Lindsey: Right but expanding on that, I’m wondering if you got a feel for how artists in places like Iran and Turkey viewed themselves? Did they identify as Asian? There are so many labels slapped onto that region of the world seemingly without asking those who live there how they identify themselves, which is essentially what should matter.
Lulu: I think it really depends on the person. It’s interesting to talk to the “non Far-Eastern Asians” because they are often categorized in so many different ways. I had a great conversation with Iranian artist Pouran Jinchi for our first issue. She was describing to me all the different ways curators have categorized her art – Islamic even though she isn’t personally religious, Contemporary Iranian, and Asian– which often includes ancient Asian works – and it all made me think, why are non-white artists categorized in culture-centric ways? Her work is just as contemporary and abstract as the white artists around her but instead it is categorized by her heritage. Why do we have to do that? Everyone’s heritage and upbringing is important to their work but why is it some are categorized by that specific factor? It this because we are seen as particularly different to a Euro-centric world? This shows how many societies struggle with where to “place” certain Asian countries within categories. It would be amazing to come up with completely new categories that don’t necessarily refer to our cultures when describing our work. But I don’t know what that would be and I think we are still in a transition moment where it is still essential to champion our heritage.
Lindsey: Obviously you’ve done your research and you had to educate yourself on these topics and I’m wondering if you can explain your own background growing up? And being aware of something like this, I know for me at least growing up in Hawaii, everyone’s Asian so you don’t really question anything but in a place like New York, you’re just exposed to a lot more diversity and nuances of the diaspora. Is that how and why you moved into this space you think?
Lulu: Yeah I think it’s a part of it. But, you know, I didn’t grow up with my Asian side. I grew up with my brother and Bronx-Italian dad in New York. But I look Asian. In my life, I have found that I identify as being Asian and I think that started because other people identified me as being Asian. But because of that I searched for things that were Asian in New York. I didn’t necessarily latch onto a single culture, like I wasn’t specifically into Taiwanese culture as I had no real connected to it, which I think has lead to my interest in this kind of overarching idea of what Asian is.
In New York, it’s very much more diverse. Especially in public schools. I didn’t really consciously think about race until middle or high school when I started consciously acknowledging differences between families. I saw that some of these differences came from culture. And I also saw how sometimes differences in culture could create distance between two people.
Lulu: Initially my own perception of things was pretty surface level. Even though I could say that I’ve spent time in Asia and I’m someone who actively looks for content that is Asian, movies and things like that. I don’t think I really started thinking about it more heavily until this last year, right before I started the book series. Once I actually really researched intellectually what Orientalism is, and through talking to people I wanted submissions from, I understood the differences of what they think versus what I had been assuming. I’m not necessarily the person to decide what they think about their own experience. I was reaching out to Asian Americans and then reaching out to Asians living in Asia, Asians living in France and so on, and each person had a different experience, a different way of thinking and attachment to their culture and that’s been really interesting.
Also, the way each person reacts to stereotypes and their attachment to their own “culture” is a really interesting thing. I find that a lot of people’s parents who immigrated here or to Europe, they kind of go from not thinking about their culture to really wanting to go back and find their roots when they’re older and that becomes a very, very important to them. Whereas obviously, for someone living in Asia, it doesn’t really go that “deep” because they’re living it. So they’re more so exploring themselves or their society as a whole instead of personal histories. But these are generalizations, haha. Something to consider but not to live by.
Lindsey: It’s interesting because for the people who are living away, it is such a choice to be where you are and still want to connect with your roots in that environment. With that in mind, how do you define authenticity? There are so many subjective understandings of that in relation to people’s own experiences. I’m imagining it must be hard to validate these experiences when you’re curating stories and that seems like a challenge for FAR–NEAR being submission based.
Lulu: Yeah I did find it a somewhat challenging situation because I don’t want to be the one deciding what’s authentic and what’s not. That’s the problem with what’s out there already. And especially since I still am coming from a Western perspective in this situation. I just try to give some sort of guidance in the sense of what I am looking for and envisioning overall for the book, and most people give me either something they were already thinking about or something we discuss.
Lindsey: Does that then answer the question of honing in on Far Near’s authenticity? It’s a matter of who it’s for and the answer is then, it’s for us.
Lulu: It’s for us, and then it’s also for anyone who’s not Asian to look at. I don’t even want people to immediately recognize it’s only by Asian creatives when they look at it because how is that done? Through intentionally culturalizing the design and wording. I want people to be looking through it, be interested in the content – the creations and the personal stories, and then eventually come to the understanding that oh, these are all people of Asian heritage, they’re all from these 48 countries or heritages and it’s not what I expected of it. I don’t want them to pick it up and be seeing the stereotype of Asia already ready for them to come into and assume things.
Lindsey: That’s difficult, that in itself is a difficult task and that’s the whole problem in the first place. Every time that anyone picks up something that represents one ethnic or racial group publication or they see it as such. Going forward what realities are you looking to create in an ideal world? What does equality and representation look like?
Lindsey: I also feel sometimes these communities are very closed up, they sequester themselves and they want to be in their own communities per se, hence the genesis of Chinatowns. There’s this struggle of breaking out and presenting ourselves to a world in which many times Asian narratives are swept under the rug, hidden, by choice and a muted voice. I don’t know if it’s a generational thing but it seems like now though more people are wanting to share stories.
Lulu: I definitely found that. One photographer I spoke to, her family is from Vietnam but she grew up in France. She had a desire to go back and find out about her history and her roots because she really didn’t know anything about it. As she was getting older her family was getting older and she saw that she had less of an opportunity to know what happened in the past. But her enthusiasm was met by a challenge because her family didn’t want that sort of digging, they didn’t want anyone outside of family to know about their family. She was explaining to me about how Asian families in general don’t want their family history to be out there for everyone to know.
I never experienced that growing up. I don’t know if it is necessarily an Eastern characteristic though most family members on my Italian side are completely ready to tell you their life story from generations past, the good and the bad. But it could also be a generational thing – I find our generation, the younger generations, we basically want everyone to know what’s kind of going on. Some of the stories that are in this book are really, really personal and I really respect the perspective people are willing to reveal, something that is not really out there in the world right now, a view of heritage that is much more personal than the 3rd party documentaries that depict it.
Lindsey: Yeah documentaries are so formal versus being able to pick something up and read a first person, verbatim account. In your curation too, it’s beautiful by the way, and it does have a distinct look and feel. I feel like aesthetic kind of also then becomes an attitude right?
Lulu: Originally I just wanted to take submissions from anyone and everyone, which I still think is really interesting, but I realized I wanted to control the look and feel of it at all. I realized my biggest priority was showing perspectives that don’t already have a voice, and that means I would actually have to curate it. I also think the concept I’m trying to explore is already so complex, it doesn’t lend to a scattered aesthetic. I’m trying to link an entire continent, the biggest continent in the world together without being stereotypical. Plus I want to include everyone who has migrated as that is a whole other piece of the narrative. That’s a lot of perspective.
Lindsey: For you, as the EIC, what have you gotten out of this and how have your understandings of your own identity and Asian culture evolved?
Lulu: I’ve already learned so much! It’s great, because this is really my passion. I’ve always been interested in Asia as a whole and how culture cross-communicates and mixes and evolves. The best thing that I’ve gotten from this is that I just keep learning more and expanding my perception of it because I didn’t even know I was in a narrow mindset in regards to what Asia is. I only realized it as I started hearing from more people, and having people maybe even disagree with me about what Asia is. It’s good because it keeps growing and I feel like there’s so many different things to talk about and learn about from these different cultures and experiences, it’s going to be an endless growth.
Lindsey: Anything else you wanted to add?
Lulu: Yes! FAR–NEAR showcases a mix of up-and-coming artists, writers and people who are developing their creative identity but also put them among stories and interviews of established creatives who may be a bit more seasoned. I think this balances out the types of perspectives and opinions we see. It is not just coming from youth nor is it just coming from the recognized.
Lindsey: Yeah and within the pages you’re creating conversations that currently don’t exist in the same space perhaps.
L: Yeah it’s taking them out of certain contexts and putting them into a new context where you can see the overarching situations that everyone has. | 2019-04-26T11:37:27Z | http://www.lindseyokubo.com/hero-mag-farnear-media-with-luluyao-gioiello/ |
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the synergistic effects of vitamin C and E on methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity in juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus . In a 3×3 factorial design, 9 experimental diets containing three different vitamin C (0, 200 or 400 mg/kg diet in the form of l-ascorbyl-2-monophosphate) and vitamin E (0, 100 or 200 mg/kg diet in the form of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) levels with the Hg toxicity level (20 mg/kg diet in the form of MeHg) were formulated. Triplicate groups of fish averaging 2.3 ± 0.05 g (mean ± SD) were fed one of the 9 diets in a flow through system for 8 weeks. Fish fed 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet with 100 or 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet showed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher weight gain (WG) than did fish fed the other diets. Fish fed 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet at all vitamin E levels and those which fed vitamin C and E equally at a rate of 200 mg/kg diet showed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher feed efficiency (FE), specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) than did fish fed the other diets. Fish fed 200 and 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet exhibited significantly ( P < 0.05) lower Hg concentration in their muscle as well as kidney than did fish fed the other diets. Therefore, these results clearly indicated that the synergistic effects of these two vitamins on MeHg toxicity by supplementing dietary vitamin C (200 and 400 mg/kg diet) with vitamin E (100 and 200 mg/kg diet) in juvenile olive flounder.
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element found in air, water, and soil. It exists in the environment in three oxidation states Hg (0), Hg (I), and Hg (II). Microbial methylation in aquatic ecosystems is a crucial component of the Hg cycle in the environment ( Wiener et al., 2003 ). Once in surface water, Hg enters a complex cycle whereby one form can be converted to another. Mercury attached to particles can settle onto sediments where it can diffuse into the water column, be resuspended, and be buried by other sediments, or be methylated. Methylmercury (MeHg) can enter the food chain, or it can be released back to the atmosphere by volatilization ( During et al., 2009 ).
Fish naturally absorb MeHg into their tissues directly from water as it passes over their gills and by eating other contaminated foods, including fish ( Roe, 2003 ). Mercury contamination in commercial fish feeds also occurs due to high metal levels in the raw materials ( Wang et al., 2012 ). For this reason, dietary exposure is one of the routes of Hg contamination in fish ( Choi and Cech, 1998 ). As a result, Hg has been regarded as undesirable substance in animal feed ( EFSA, 2008 ).
Seafood contamination by MeHg is a public health concern, particularly in countries with high rates of fish consumption, such as Korea. In line with this, olive flounder is among marine fishes being preferred by consumers in Korea. Daily seafood consumption has reached 50.6 g, which accounts for ~3.8% of the total food ingested ( Moon et al., 2009 ; Choi et al., 2012 ). Consequently, high blood Hg levels in a representative sample of the Korean adult population were associated with fish consumption ( Kim and Lee, 2010 ). Accordingly, Moon et al. (2011) suggested implementation of systematic monitoring programs for seafood contamination by Hg in Korea. Limiting fish consumption was also suggested as a mechanism to avoid MeHg intake ( Dorea and Barbosa, 2005 ).
Methylmercury is a neurotoxicant that affects the developing nervous system of humans and has been linked to neurological problems ( Davidson et al., 2010 ). The various toxic effects induced by Hg in biological systems are due to alterations in the antioxidant defense system ( Sheweita, 1998 ; Berntssen et al., 2003 ; Alves et al., 2007 ; Berg et al., 2010 ). Moreover, MeHg has been shown to cause coronary heart disease in humans ( Wang et al., 2012 ) and decreased levels of nutrients in rats ( Fukino et al., 1984 ).
Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium (Se) decrease Hg toxicity in Japanese quail ( Kung et al., 1987 ) and various other organisms ( Chapman and Chan, 2000 ; Agarwal et al., 2010 ; Al-Attar, 2011 ). Bapu et al. (1994) examined the effects of vitamin C treatment after subcutaneous injections of methylmercuric chloride (MeHgCl) for 7 days in mice and found improved recovery of enzymatic activities.
Extensive work has emphasized the damage caused by heavy metal toxicity, but the combined ameliorative effect of vitamin C and E on MeHg contamination in fish should be investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of vitamin C and E on tissue Hg, as well as growth-related problems, in juvenile olive flounder as the result of MeHg.
Nine diets with three vitamin C levels (0, 200 and 400 mg/kg diet in the form of l-ascorbyl-2-monophosphate) and three vitamin E levels (0, 100 and 200 mg/kg diet in the form of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) with Hg (20 mg/kg Hg diet in the form of MeHg) were formulated ( Tables 1 and 2 ). The 20 mg/kg MeHg diet was chosen based on a previous study (unpublished) that was conducted for 5 weeks in our laboratory and showed relatively lower mortality. In diets supplemented with MeHg and ascorbic acid sources, an equivalent amount of cellulose was removed. In a 3 × 3 factorial design these nine experimental diets (C 0 E 0 , C 0 E 100 , C 0 E 200 , C 200 E 0 , C 200 E 100 , C 200 E 200 , C 400 E 0 , C 400 E 100 and C 400 E 200 ) were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, containing 50% crude protein (CP) and 16.7 kJ available energy/g diet. The energy levels of diets were calculated based on 16.7, 16.7, and 37.7 kJ g -1 for protein, carbohydrate, and lipid, respectively ( NRC, 2011 ). Vitamin-free casein was used as the main protein source. All the ingredients were mixed completely and then pelleted using 1- and 2-mm diameter dies ( Bai and Lee, 1998 ). After processing, all diets were packed into small bags and stored at -20℃ until use.
*United States Biochemical, Cleveland, OH, 44122.†Suhyup Feed Co. Ltd.‡Young Nam Flour Mills Co., Busan, Korea.§E-Wha oil Co., Ltd., Busan, Korea.¶Contains (as mg/kg diet): ᴅʟ-calcium pantothenate, 150; choline bitartrate, 3,000; inositol, 150; menadione, 6; niacian, 150; pyridoxine·HCl, 15; riboflavin, 30; thiamine mononitrate, 15; retinyl acetate, 6; biotin, 1.5; folic acid, 5.4; B12, 0.06; cholecalciferol, 2.4**Contains (as mg/kg diet): Al, 1.2; Ca, 5000; Cl, 100; Cu, 5.1; Co, 9.9; Na, 1280; Mg, 520; P, 5000; K, 4300; Zn, 27; Fe, 40; I, 4.6; Mn, 9.1.
Juvenile olive flounder were obtained from Tong-Yeong, Korea. Prior to the start of the feeding trial, fish were fed the basal diet for 10 days as an adjustment to the semi-purified diet, and to deplete vitamin C reserves. The feeding trial was performed in a flow through system with 30 L aquaria receiving filtered seawater at a rate of 2 L/min. Supplemental aeration was provided to maintain dissolved oxygen near saturation. Water temperature was kept at 20 ± 1℃. Twenty experimental fish with a mean weight of 2.3 ± 0.05 g (mean ± SD) were randomly distributed into each aquarium. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups to satiation level three times per day at a feeding rate of 2.0 to 3.5% of wet body weight. Total fish weight in each aquarium was determined every 3 weeks, and the amount of diet fed to the fish was adjusted accordingly.
Growth performance was evaluated using weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency (FE), and the protein efficiency ratio (PER).
After the final weighing, three fish were randomly removed from each aquarium and sacrificed with a lethal dose of benzocaine anesthetic (CAS, Canada). Proximate composition analyses of experimental diets were performed using standard methods ( AOAC, 1995 ). Samples of diets were dried to a constant weight at 105℃ to determine moisture content. Ash content was determined by incineration at 550℃, crude lipid content was determined by Soxhlet extraction using the SOXTEC SYSTEM 1046 (FOSS, Hoganas, Sweden), and crude protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method (N × 6.25), after acid digestion.
Ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol concentrations of the diet and tissue were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; DIONEX, SOFTRON, USA). For ascorbic acid, the ultraviolet detector was set to 254 nm. The mobile phases for ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol were 0.05 M KH 2 PO 4 and hexane: isopropanol (98:2, v/v), respectively. The flow rate for both was 1.0 mL/min. Weighed samples were homogenized in 10% cold metaphosphoric acid (for ascorbic acid) and in 5-mL ethanol (for α-tocopherol). Homogenates were centrifuged at 3,000 g for 20 min and supernatants were analyzed after filtration through a 0.45-μm pore-size syringe filter.
Greater than 90% of Hg present in fish is in the form of MeHg. Therefore, the total concentration of Hg was measured instead of MeHg ( Bloom, 1992 ; Amlund et al., 2007 ). A direct Hg analyzer (DMA-80, Milestone, Inc., Shelton, CT) was used to determine the tissue Hg concentration; the method followed that of Lee et al. (2011) . A certified reference material (DORM-2 dogfish liver, National Research Council, Canada) was used simultaneously during the analyses.
Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA to test the effect of the dietary treatments. Least significant difference (LSD) was used to compare means when a significant treatment effect was identified. SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used and P -values of ≤ 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.
After 8 weeks of feeding, fish that were fed 400 mg/kg vitamin C at all vitamin E levels had better growth performance, compared to the other groups. Significantly higher ( P < 0.05) WG was exhibited by the C 400 E 200 and C 400 E 100 feeding groups. In general, WG appeared to decrease with decreasing amounts of vitamin C. Consequently, fish that were fed MeHg-containing diets without vitamin C and E showed significantly lower WG than the other groups. Other growth performance parameters such as FE, SGR and PER were found to be significantly higher ( P < 0.05) for fish fed diets containing 400 mg/kg vitamin C at all vitamin E levels, and for those that were on the C 200 E 200 diet ( Table 3 ).
*Values are means from groups (n = 3) of fish where the values in each row with different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05).†See Table 1.‡Initial fish wet body weight (g).§Final fish wet body weight (g).¶Weight gain (%) = (final weight - initial weight) × 100 / initial weight.#Specific growth rate (%) = 100 × (ln final weight - ln initial weight) / rearing period (days).**Feed efficiency (%) = (wet weight gain / dry feed intake) × 100.††Protein efficiency ratio = (wet weight gain / protein intake).‡‡Survival rate = (total fish – dead fish) × 100/ total fish.§§Pooled standard error of means: SD/√n.
Muscle Hg concentrations in fish that were fed diets comprising 200 and 400 mg/kg vitamin C were significantly lower ( P < 0.05) than other feeding categories at all vitamin E levels, with the exception of the C 200 E 0 group. In other words, significantly higher muscle Hg accumulation was observed in fish on the C 0 E 100 , C 0 E 200 and C 200 E 0 diets. Significantly lower ( P < 0.05) Hg concentrations in the liver were observed in fish fed diets supplemented with 400 mg/kg vitamin C and 200 mg/kg vitamin E. The remaining diets containing 400 mg/kg vitamin C also resulted in a significant reduction in liver Hg (P < 0.05) compared to those that received 0 and 200 mg/kg vitamin C. Fish fed diets with 0 mg/kg vitamin C and 100 and 200 mg/kg vitamin E accumulated significantly more ( P < 0.05) Hg in their liver than fish in the other groups, with the exception of the C 200 E 0 feeding group. Nevertheless, no significant difference ( P < 0.05) in kidney Hg concentration was detected between fish fed 200 and 400 mg/kg vitamin C and 100 and 200 mg/kg vitamin E. On the other hand, those fish that were on diets without vitamin C (C 0 E 100 and C 0 E 200 ) accumulated significantly more ( P < 0.05) Hg in the kidney ( Table 4 ).
*Values are means from groups (n=3) of fish where the values in each row with different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05).†See Table 1.‡ND Indicates not detected.§Pooled standard error of means: SD/√n.
Although the effects of Hg on fish are complex and multiple ( Weis, 2009 ), MeHg is known to cause oxidative stress, causing damage to vital components of the biological system, from mitochondrial damage to altered behavior ( Berntssen et al., 2003 ; Alves et al., 2007 ; Berg et al., 2010 ). The high affinity of methylmercury for the thiol or sulfhydryl (-SH) groups of proteins underlies its mechanisms of toxicity ( NRC, 2005 ). Therefore, the poor growth performance observed in olive flounder fed diets that did not contain vitamin C and/or E (C 0 E 0 , C 0 E 100 , C 0 E 200 , C 200 E 0 and C 400 E 0 ) might have occurred due to decreased enzyme activity, altered structural functionality, or transport process problems caused by Hg accumulation ( Zalups and Lash, 1994 ). All such functional disturbances might have been caused by excessive release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) driven by Hg accumulation ( Bansal et al., 1992 ; Lund et al., 1993 ). Consistent with the findings in this study, impaired growth and poor gonad development caused by dietary MeHg have been reported in juvenile walleye ( Friedmann et al., 1996 ), Sacramento blackfish ( Houck and Cech Jr, 2004 ) and Green & White sturgeon ( Lee et al., 2011 ).
Excessive release of ROS and increased lipid peroxidation in cells are harmful effects that occur during Hg accumulation ( Bansal et al., 1992 ; Lund et al., 1993 ). Free radicals and the products of peroxidation damage the integrity and function of biomembranes. Vitamin C and E inhibit free radical formation and lipid peroxidation ( Sies et al., 1992 ; Aldana et al., 2001 ; Rao and Sharma, 2001 ; Kalender et al., 2004 ; Valko et al., 2005 ; Agarwal et al., 2010 ). Low Hg concentrations were observed in muscle and liver of fish that were fed the C 400 E 200 and C 400 E 100 , and C 400 E 200 diets, respectively. This was presumably due to the ability of the antioxidant vitamins to neutralize mercury ions, or bind with transition metals and prevent ROS-mediated oxidative damage in tissues ( Ganther, 1980 ; Nandini and Lata, 2010 ).
In the present study, vitamins C and E acted synergistically against Hg accumulation, possibly because of the tendency of vitamin E to maintain vitamin C levels in damaged tissues by inhibiting free radical formation ( Duval and Poelman, 1995 ). Vitamin C is also known to regenerate vitamin E from its oxidized form ( Bruno et al., 2006 ). Therefore, effective dispersal of Hg from –SH groups by these vitamins, along with their ability to inhibit and remove free radicals, might have reduced tissue Hg concentrations and helped to improve growth performance ( Fukino et al., 1984 ; Patil and Rao, 1999 ; Durak et al., 2010 ). In agreement with our findings, Guillot et al. (1998) reported that administration of 1,000 mg/kg ascorbic acid reduced Hg accumulation in multiple rat tissues. Rambeck et al. (1996) also confirmed the role of ascorbic acid to reduce the retention of inhaled Hg vapor. Durak et al. (2010) strengthened the present study`s findings by showing amelioration of Hg-induced toxicity through the combined effects of vitamin C and E, in vitro , using human erythrocytes. The reduction of Hg-driven mortality in Japanese quail ( Welsh and Soares, 1976 ) and improved growth and survival in Hg-exposed rats ( Welsh, 1979 ) as a result of vitamin E supplementation has also been reported. Beyrouty and Chan (2006) also showed that mortality and poor growth resulting from MeHg accumulation in rats could be improved by the synergistic action of vitamin E and Se.
In conclusion, poor growth performance resulting from MeHg accumulation were alleviated and the Hg concentration in muscle, liver, and kidney were reduced by dietary supplementation of vitamins C (200 and 400 mg/kg) and E (100 and 200 mg/kg) in juvenile olive flounder.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2011-0016221). We would like to thank NRF, and all researchers of Feeds and Foods Nutrition Research Center (FFNRC), Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea.
1995 Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 16th ed Arlington, U.S.A.
2011 Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp National Academies Press Washington DC, U.S.A.
2005 Mineral tolerance of animals Second Revised ed National Academies Press Washington DC, U.S.A.
G Park , H Yun , S Lee , F Taddese , and SC Bai1 , “Synergistic Effects of Dietary Vitamins C and E on Methylmercury-Induced Toxicity in Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus”, Fisheries and aquatic sciences, vol. 2, no. 2, Jun 2015. | 2019-04-25T22:05:25Z | http://www.kpubs.org/article/articleMain.kpubs?articleANo=E1HKAL_2015_v18n2_143 |
Because the atomic mass of copper is smaller than that of lead, an atom of copper has less mass than an atom of lead. Thus, 1 kg of copper will have more atoms than 1 kg of lead.
1 C° is larger than 1 F°. There are 100 C° between the freezing and boiling temperatures of water, while there are 180 F° between the same two temperatures.
To be precise, A 0 is to be the initial length of the object. In practice, however, since the value of the coefficient of expansion is so small, there will be little difference in the calculation of ΔA caused by using either the initial or final length, unless the temperature change is quite large.
When heated, the aluminum expands more than the iron, because the expansion coefficient of aluminum is larger than that of iron. Thus the aluminum will be on the outside of the curve.
The steam pipe can have a large temperature change as the steam enters or leaves the pipe. If the pipe is fixed at both ends and the temperature changes significantly, then there will be large thermal stresses that might break joints. The “U” in the pipe allows for expansion and contraction, which is not possible at the fixed ends. This is similar to the joints placed in concrete roadway surfaces to allow expansion and contraction.
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glass vessel and thus changes the temperature at which the coil has expanded or shrunk enough to move the liquid mercury. 8.
If one part is heated or cooled more than another part, there will be more expansion or contraction of one part of the glass compared to an adjacent part. This causes internal stress forces that may exceed the maximum strength of the glass.
If water is added quickly to an overheated engine, it comes into contact with the very hot metal parts of the engine. Some areas of the metal parts will cool off very rapidly; others will not. Some of the water will quickly turn to steam and will expand rapidly. The net result can be a cracked engine block or radiator, due to the thermal stress and/or the emission of high-temperature steam from the radiator. Water should always be added slowly, with the engine running. The water will mix with the hotter water already in the system and will circulate through the engine, gradually cooling all parts at about the same rate. ΔA 1 . The length units cancel, A 0 ΔT so the coefficient does not depend on the specific length unit used in its determination, as long as the same units are used for both ΔA and A 0 .
The glass is the first to warm due to the hot water, so the glass will initially expand a small amount. As the glass initially expands, the alcohol level will decrease. As thermal equilibrium is reached, the alcohol will expand more than the glass expands, since alcohol has a larger coefficient of expansion than water, and the alcohol level will rise to indicate the higher temperature.
Since Pyrex glass has a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than ordinary glass, it will expand less than ordinary glass when heated, making it less likely to crack from internal stresses. Pyrex glass is therefore more suitable for applications involving heating and cooling. An ordinary glass mug may expand to the point of cracking if boiling water is poured in it, whereas a Pyrex mug will not.
On a hot day, the pendulum will be slightly longer than at 20°C, due to thermal expansion of the brass rod. Since the period of a pendulum is proportional to the square root of its length, the period will be slightly longer on the hot day, meaning that the pendulum takes more time for one oscillation. Thus, the clock will run slow.
The soda is mostly water. As water cools below 4°C it expands. There is more expansion of the soda as it cools below 4°C and freezes than there is available room in the can (the can has actually shrunk a small amount, making the mismatch more pronounced), so the freezing soda pushes against the can surfaces hard enough to push them outward. Evidently the top and bottom of the can are the weakest parts.
The buoyant force on the aluminum sphere is the weight of the water displaced by the sphere, which is the volume of the sphere times the density of water times g. As the substances are heated, the volume of the sphere increases and the density of the water decreases (because of its increased volume). Since the volume expansion coefficient of the water is almost three times larger than that of the aluminum, the fractional decrease in the water density is larger than the fractional increase in the aluminum volume. Thus, the product of the volume of the sphere and the density of water decreases, and the buoyant force gets smaller.
For an absolute vacuum, no. But for most “vacuums,” there are still a few molecules in the containers, and the temperature can be determined from the (very low) pressure.
Because the escape velocity for the Moon is 1/5 that of the Earth, heavy molecules with lower speeds will be able to escape. The Moon may have started with an atmosphere, but over time almost all of the molecules of gas have escaped. Hydrogen is the lightest gas. For a given kinetic energy (temperature) it has the highest speed and will be most likely to escape.
Boiling occurs when the saturated vapor pressure equals the external pressure. When we say the oxygen “boils” at –183°C, we mean that the saturated vapor pressure for oxygen will be 1 atm (the same as atmospheric pressure) at a temperature of –183°C. At this temperature and pressure, liquid oxygen will vaporize.
The freezing point of water decreases slightly with higher pressure. The wire exerts a large pressure on the ice (due to the weights hung at each end). The ice under the wire will melt, allowing the wire to move lower into the block. Once the wire has passed a given position, the water now above the wire will have only atmospheric pressure on it and will refreeze. This process allows the wire to pass all the way through the block and yet leave a solid block of ice behind.
A pressure cooker is sealed, so as the temperature of its contents increases, the number of particles inside and the volume are kept constant. Thus, the pressure increases according to the ideal gas law. Assuming there is water inside the pressure cooker, an increased pressure yields a higher boiling point for the water. The water in which the food is prepared will boil at a higher temperature than normal, thereby cooking the food faster. At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is less than it is at sea level. If atmospheric pressure decreases, the boiling point of water will decrease, so boiling occurs at a lower temperature than at sea level. Food being cooked in an open pot (including pasta and rice) will need to cook longer at this lower temperature to be properly prepared. It is actually easier to boil water at higher altitude, because the water boils at a lower temperature. Thus, it will take less time to add enough heat to the water to bring it to the boiling temperature.
Liquids boil when their saturated vapor pressure equals the external pressure. For water, from Table 13–3, the saturated vapor pressure of water at 20°C is about 0.023 atm. So if the external pressure is lowered to that level (about 2.3% of normal air pressure), the water will boil at that low temperature.
Exhaled air contains a large amount of water vapor and is initially at a temperature equal to body temperature. When the exhaled air comes into contact with the external air on a cold day, it cools rapidly and reaches the dew point. At the dew point temperature, the air can no longer hold all the water vapor and water condenses into little droplets, forming a cloud. The white cloud seen is due to the condensed water vapor.
The water in the radiator of an overheated automobile engine is under pressure. Similar to a pressure cooker, that high pressure keeps the water in the liquid state even though the water is quite hot—hotter than 100°C. When the cap is opened, the pressure is suddenly lowered, and the superheated water boils quickly and violently. That hot steam can cause severe burns if it contacts the skin. Also, the violent bursting forth of steam propels some of the overheated water out of the radiator as well, which can spray onto the person opening the cap and again cause serious burns.
Responses to MisConceptual Questions 1.
Students may confuse thermal expansion with elasticity and surmise that the narrower rod would expand more for the same temperature change. However, in thermal expansion the change in length is independent of the rod’s diameter or cross-sectional area.
Equation 13–1a for thermal expansion shows that the change in length depends upon the initial length, the change in temperature, and the coefficient of thermal expansion (which depends upon the type of material).
Many students have the misconception that as the plate expands, the hole will get smaller. To understand what actually happens, imagine that the hole is filled with a steel disk. As the plate and the steel disk are heated, both will expand. After the plate and disk are heated, the disk is removed from the plate. Since the disk expanded, the hole that is left must also have expanded. As the steel ring is heated its circumference will expand, causing its interior to also expand.
The absolute (Kelvin) scale must be used in the ideal gas law. If the Celsius scale is used, it appears that the temperature has doubled. However, 0°C is an arbitrarily chosen point on the temperature scale and cannot be used to determine temperature ratios. When the temperatures are converted to kelvins (293 K and 313 K) it can be seen that their ratio is about 1.07.
By the ideal gas law, when the temperature is held constant, the pressure is proportional to the number of moles and inversely proportional to the volume. If the second bottle has twice the volume with only half the number of moles, it would only experience one-fourth the pressure.
A common misconception is that if the temperature increases, both the pressure and volume will increase. However, by the ideal gas law, when the temperature increases, the product of the pressure and volume must increase. This increase can occur by increasing the pressure, increasing the volume, or both.
The temperature of the gas is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules.
Some students might erroneously relate the temperature of the gas to the velocity of the gas molecules and surmise that the rms speeds would be equal. However, when the two gases are at the same temperature, the molecules will have the same average kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is proportional to the mass of the molecule and the square of the rms speed. Since mass B is half the mass of A, the speed of molecules of mass B must be 2 ≈ 1.4 × greater than the speed of molecules of mass A.
In the mixture, the oxygen molecules and helium atoms will be at the same temperature, which means that their average molecular kinetic energies will be the same. Since a helium atom has less mass than an oxygen molecule, the helium atoms will be moving faster than the oxygen molecules on average.
have a random kinetic energy (according to the Maxwell distribution of speeds). The speeds of individual molecules will vary about this average, so (d ) is false. Per the ideal gas law, the product of the pressure and volume is proportional to the temperature. Therefore, if pressure or volume is held constant as the temperature increases, the other parameter (volume or pressure) must increase, so (b) and (c) are true. For a gas to be ideal, it is assumed that the space occupied by the gas is mostly empty. For this to be true, the molecules are assumed to be far apart compared with their size. Thus, (e) is also true. 12.
Students frequently do not understand that gauge pressure and temperature in Celsius are a comparison of pressure and temperature to an arbitrary zero point. For the ideal gas law to hold, the temperature, pressure, and volume must be measured relative to the true zero points: absolute zero pressure, absolute zero temperature, and zero volume. The volume units are not critical, since changing them only affects the value of the ideal gas constant. Gauge pressure and Celsius temperature have additive terms that change the functional form of the ideal gas law.
The rms speed of a gas is an average molecular speed found by taking the square root of the average of the square of the molecule speeds. Consider a gas in which 2/3 of the molecules are at rest and 1/3 move at a constant speed. The most probable speed is 0, but the rms speed is greater than zero. Therefore, the most probable speed is not necessarily the rms speed, so (a) is false. The rms speed is an average speed; therefore, it will always be equal to or smaller than the maximum speed, so (b) is false. The temperature of a gas is determined by the average molecular kinetic energy. As the temperature increases, the molecular kinetic energy increases; therefore, the rms speed must also increase, so (c) is true.
Solutions to Problems In solving these problems, the authors did not always follow the rules of significant figures rigidly. We tended to take quoted temperatures as correct to the number of digits shown, especially where other values might indicate that. 1.
Because a gold atom is heavier than a silver atom, there are fewer gold atoms in the given mass. 2.
Thus, −40°C = −40°F . 8.
Then the temperature corresponding to length A is T (A) = 0.0°C + (A − 12.61 cm)(9.823C°/cm).
of the change for steel.
The temperature of “dry ice” is about −80°C, so this process will be successful. 14.
The change in volume of the aluminum is given by the volume expansion formula, Eq. 13–2. The percent change is found by taking the change, dividing by the original volume, and then multiplying by 100.
β V ΔT ΔV (100) = 0 (100) = βΔT (100) = (75 × 10−6 /C°)(160°C − 30°C)(100) = 0.975 = 0.98% V0 V0 16.
From Table 13–1, the most likely material is copper.
The answer has 2 significant figures. 29.
This is 1670 atm. 30.
Thus, 1 − 0.926 = 0.074 = 7.4% must be removed. 32.
Thus, the bag has expanded by 33%. 34.
The density from Table 10–1 is 0.598 kg/m3 . Because this gas is very “near” a phase change state (water can also exist as a liquid at this temperature and pressure), we would not expect it to act like an ideal gas. It is reasonable to expect that the molecules will have other interactions besides purely elastic collisions. That is evidenced by the fact that steam can form droplets, indicating an attractive force between the molecules. 36.
We ignore the weight of the stopper. Initially there is a net force (due to air pressure) on the stopper of 0, because the pressure is the same both above and below the stopper. With the increase in temperature, the pressure inside the tube will increase, so there will be a net upward force given by Fnet = (Pin − Pout )A, where A is the cross-sectional area of the stopper. The inside pressure can be expressed in terms of the inside temperature by means of the ideal gas law for a constant volume and constant mass of gas.
The molecules take up less than 0.1% of the volume of the gas. 43.
The rms speed is given by Eq. 13–9, υrms = 3kT /m . Helium has an atomic mass of 4.0.
υrms = 3kT /m = 45.
Set this equal to the kinetic energy of the paper clip.
υrms = 3kT /m = (constant) T , υrms will be multiplied by a factor of 50.
υrms = 3kT /m = 51.
The rms speed is given by Eq. 13–9, υrms = 3kT /m .
From Fig. 13–23, we see that CO 2 is a vapor at 35 atm and 35°C.
From Fig. 13–23, at atmospheric pressure, CO 2 can exist as solid or vapor.
From Fig. 13–23, for CO 2 to exist as a liquid, 5.11 atm ≤ P ≤ 73 atm and −56.6°C ≤ T ≤ 31°C .
From Fig. 13–22, water is vapor when the pressure is 0.01 atm and the temperature is 90°C.
From Fig. 13–22, water is solid when the pressure is 0.01 atm and the temperature is −20°C.
At the initial conditions, the water is a liquid. As the pressure is lowered, it becomes a vapor at some pressure between 1.0 atm and 0.006 atm. It would still be a vapor at 0.004 atm. At the initial conditions, the water is a liquid. As the pressure is lowered, it becomes a solid at a pressure of 1.0 atm, and then becomes a vapor at some pressure lower than 0.006 atm. It would be a vapor at 0.004 atm.
At the boiling temperature, the external air pressure equals the saturated vapor pressure. Thus, from Table 13–3, for 80°C the saturated air pressure is 355 torr or 4.73 × 104 Pa or 0.467 atm .
Thus, the temperature corresponding to 7.27 × 104 Pa is 90°C + [(8.10 − 7.01) × 104 Pa](3.236 × 10−4 C°/Pa) = 93.53°C ≈ 94°C .
The true atmospheric pressure will be greater than the reading from the barometer. In Fig. 10–8, if there is a vapor pressure at the top of the tube, then Patm − ρ gh = Pvapor . The reading from the barometer will be ρ gh = Patm − Pvapor < Patm .
The rms thermal speed is given by Eq. 13–9, υrms = 3kT /m .
υdiffuse 2.5 × 10−5 m/s = = 8.0 × 10−8 (about 7 orders of magnitude difference) 312.1 m/s υrms 69.
Half of this is 4.366 mol/m3 .
The volume of cool water is 5.9 mL less than the desired volume of 375 mL. 71.
At 37°C, the tape will expand from its calibration, so it will read low.
Thus, 6/33 = 0.182 ≈ 18% of the original gas remains in the cylinder. 74.
Assume that the air in the lungs is an ideal gas, that the amount of gas is constant, and that the temperature is constant. The ideal gas law then says that the value of PV is constant. The pressure a distance h below the surface of the water is discussed in Chapter 10 and is given by P = P0 + ρ gh, where P0 is atmospheric pressure and ρ is the density of the water.
It is obviously very dangerous to have the lungs attempt to inflate to almost twice their volume. Thus, it is not advisable to quickly rise to the surface. 75.
The mass entering the house is 1643 kg − 1472 kg = 171 kg ≈ 200 kg . 76.
The iron floats in the mercury because ρ Hg > ρ Fe , as seen in Table 10–1. As the substances are heated, the density of both substances will decrease due to volume expansion. The density of the mercury decreases more upon heating than the density of the iron, because β Hg > β Fe , as seen in Table 13–1. The net effect is that the densities get closer together, so relatively more mercury will have to be displaced to hold up the iron, and the iron will float lower in the mercury.
subscript “displaced” is dropped for convenience.
Assume that a mass M of gasoline with volume V0 at 0°C is under consideration, so its density is ρ0 = M /V0 . At a temperature of 33°C, the same mass has a volume V = V0 (1 + β ΔT ).
Thus, the temperature would have to be controlled to within ±0.11 C° © Copyright 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
The rms speed is given by Eq. 13–9, υrms = 3kT /m . Hydrogen atoms have a mass of 1 atomic mass unit.
Because the “escape temperature” is so high for oxygen, very few oxygen molecules ever escape the atmosphere. But helium, with one-eighth the mass, can escape at a much lower temperature. While the temperature of the Earth is not close to 2.0 × 104 K today, during the Earth’s formation its temperature was possibly much hotter—presumably hot enough that helium was able to escape the atmosphere.
Yes, it is reasonable to neglect the gravitational potential energy. 88.
The temperature can be found from the rms speed by Eq. 13–9, υrms = 3kT /m . The molecular mass of nitrogen molecules is 28.
Solutions to Search and Learn Problems 1.
The answers are different because the first method assumed small temperature changes, such that the relationship between the temperature and volume could be assumed linear. The second method accounts for a nonlinear relationship over large changes in volume and temperature. 2.
When the person is underwater, the temperature and pressure will be different. Use the ideal gas law to relate the original tank conditions to the underwater breathing conditions. The amount of gas will be constant, so PV /T = nR will be constant. The pressure a distance h below the surface of the water is given in Eq. 10–3c, P = P0 + ρ gh, where P0 is atmospheric pressure and ρ is the density of the sea water.
≈ −2αΔT . Evaluate at the given values.
The negative sign means that the frequency has decreased. This is reasonable, because the rotational inertia increased due to the thermal expansion. 4.
One factor limiting the maximum altitude would be that as the balloon rises, the density of the air decreases, and thus the temperature required gets higher. Eventually the air would be too hot and the balloon fabric might be damaged. 5.
Now we scale the molecular diameter up to 4 cm. The intermolecular distance would be 13.8 times that, which is about 55 cm. | 2019-04-25T06:02:08Z | https://propertibazar.com/article/responses-to-questions_5a7fc52dd64ab29f78f92b04.html |
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There are numerous historical and technological reasons why utilities’ industrial networks possess been disconnected from their commercial enterprise IT networks. As utilities continue to devise for and invest in new infrastructure for the arrival decades, they possess got a captious probability to seriously change their networks.
throughout the business, the aim is to future-proof a utility’s infrastructure – each when it comes to how it can accommodate and scale to meet altering wants and how it can too exist secured in opposition t the starting to exist array of cyber threats. Cyberattacks had been no longer a priority when the legacy infrastructure was designed and deployed. today, although, managing security hazards is increasingly essential as utilities circle into greater close objectives of cyberattacks geared toward disruption – or replete takedown – of the grid.
believe that each device on an industrial network represents a practicable point of entry and vulnerability. When a utility’s industrial network is managed with the aid of endemic community operators, it doesn’t edge from the cyber-protection abilities of that utility’s IT crew. That leaves the utility – and its consumers – uncovered.
The architecture of subsequent-generation infrastructure – including implementing a unified, IP-primarily based network – might exist key to fitting greater adaptable and greater comfy.
Turku Energia, which provides heat and vigour era for some 200,000 citizens in its location of Finland, recognized that a cyberattack may well exist devastating. Turku Energia’s leaders made the strategic determination to unify the utility’s networks – and worked with Cisco to Make it happen.
“Cybersecurity is getting more and more extra vital within the utility industry. in the past, they had nearly zero visibility on the network controlling the vigour grid; it fundamentally operated as a divide element,” says Antti Nieminen, neighborhood supervisor, Substations and Automation at Turku Energia.
Get the replete details on how this utility made it cop place—and how your solid can unify its IT and OT networks, too.
click here to exist taught greater about Cisco IoT options.
Apr 12, 2019 (Euclid Infotech Ltd by the employ of COMTEX) -- Auvik Networks, a provider of network management application for IT managed functions suppliers (MSPs), is participating with Cisco CSCO, +0.16% to provide MSPs enhanced perception into the efficiency and fitness of Cisco network gadgets. the mixing will convey Auvik companion MSPs more advantageous effectivity via giving them warranty and firmware information about Cisco community machine at once inside Auvik.
Our MSP partners will now not deserve to manually sight up the guarantee repute of a Cisco machine or its newest firmware version, talked about Auvik Chief Product Officer Alex Hoff. This assistance may too exist valuable when making selections about a course to evolve and optimize a valued clientele community to aid their enterprise, and possess been making it an abominable lot easier for MSPs to entry this information.
In its 2018 record Managing network supplier variety: The MSP problem, Auvik highlighted Cisco as the most generally deployed dealer on todays MSP-managed networks. by using combining Ciscos community machine with Auviks extraordinary community insight, MSPs will too exist assured they possess the guidance they deserve to quite simply manage networks and sustain consumers related.
more and more, essential enterprise applications and records are relocating to the cloud, making networks the gateway to everything agencies should function. The reliability of a customers community can enormously influence their productivity and their skill to generate salary. by taking replete accountability for maintaining networks running, MSPs possess the capacity to distinguish their provider offering and add a brand new circulate of earnings.
Cisco and Auvik are hosting an in-depth reside webinar on April 23, 2019as well as a few joint North American roadshows starting in Mayto exhibit MSPs how they can streamline community management with the aid of augmenting Auvik with Cisco device details. latest Auvik partners can contend with the Auvik expertise ground for particulars on the employ of the Cisco integration. MSPs who arent yet Auvik companions can request a crucible to request greater information.
To cop on the daunting stint the enterprise unveiled a brand new family unit of business-networking yeast switches, IoT developer outfit and assist for Cisco’s DevNet developer program, and it validated IoT network design blueprints valued clientele can labor with to construct sturdy IoT environments.
For the core of this network ambiance Cisco will carry a family of latest ruggedized industrial networking programs. peculiarly the Cisco yeast IE3x00 sequence of Gigabit Ethernet switches and IR1101 built-in services Routers that Cisco says possess been goal-built for IoT environments. The IR1101 are modular so customers can ameliorate to new elements reminiscent of 5G devoid of ripping and changing.
All IE3x00 and IR1101 methods flee IOS XE, the operating gadget utilized in Cisco’s current campus, branch and WAN networking gadgets. the brand new systems can too exist managed by course of Cisco’s DNA center, and Cisco IoT box community Director, letting shoppers fuse their IoT and industrial-network control with their traffic IT world.
DNA heart is Cisco’s imperative administration appliance for commercial enterprise networks, that includes automation capabilities, assurance setting, material provisioning and policy-primarily based segmentation. it's additionally at the heart of the business’s Intent primarily based Networking initiative providing consumers the capacity to instantly enforce community and coverage alterations on the soar and ensure facts start. The IoT bailiwick community Director is utility that manages multiservice networks of Cisco industrial, linked grid routers, and endpoints.
Taking DNA core’s points into an industrial IoT-based community is a vital flux for clients, analysts noted.
“It leverages Cisco’s massive installed ground and bridges IT and OT [operational technology traditionally associated with manufacturing and industrial environments] with a typical framework,” referred to Will Townsend a senior analyst with Morr Insights & strategy.
the industrial IoT rollout has enabled the network side to lengthen its natural boundaries into areas that ordinary IT and network aid hasn't had to possess a lot of complexity and innovation, mentioned Vernon Turner, most valuable and Chief Strategist at Causeway Connections.
some of the hindrances for fulfillment is the consumer event of conclusion-to-end integration and start of capabilities. “as an instance, there can't exist herbal breaks between sensor-primarily based records being generated by course of a store-flooring robotic on a production line and the commercial enterprise returned-workplace methods for constituents and cloth as a result of either divide networks and divide statistics methods – they both should exist delivered in a seamless manner,” Turner spoke of.
in addition to the hardware, Cisco extended its DevNet developers atmosphere to encompass an IoT Developer core the spot consumers can ascertain totality manner of IoT and industrial developer outfit and assist supplies.
furthermore Cisco rolled out three new Cisco Validated Designs for IoT architectures that customers can employ to quickly-tune IoT deployments. The blueprints are directed at manufacturing, industrial automation and utility designs and outline accustomed employ circumstances and safety most fulfilling practices, Cisco observed. The company additionally referred to it would expand its practicing materials as a portion of its IoT companion software.
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There are plenty of historic and technological reasons why utilities’ industrial networks possess been disconnected from their enterprise IT networks. As utilities continue to scheme for and invest in new infrastructure for the coming decades, they possess a captious chance to transform their networks.
Across the industry, the goal is to future-proof a utility’s infrastructure – both in terms of how it can accommodate and scale to meet changing needs and how it can exist secured against the growing array of cyber threats. Cyberattacks were not a concern when the legacy infrastructure was designed and deployed. Today, however, managing security risks is increasingly crucial as utilities become more frequent targets of cyberattacks aimed at disruption – or replete takedown – of the grid.
Consider that every device on an industrial network represents a potential point of entry and vulnerability. When a utility’s industrial network is managed by local network operators, it doesn’t capitalize from the cyber-security expertise of that utility’s IT team. That leaves the utility – and its customers – exposed.
The architecture of next-generation infrastructure – including implementing a unified, IP-based network – will exist key to becoming more adaptable and more secure.
Turku Energia, which provides heat and power generation for some 200,000 citizens in its region of Finland, recognized that a cyberattack could exist devastating. Turku Energia’s leaders made the strategic decision to unify the utility’s networks – and worked with Cisco to Make it happen.
“Cybersecurity is getting increasingly more valuable in the utility industry. Previously, they had almost zero visibility on the network controlling the power grid; it fundamentally operated as a divide component,” says Antti Nieminen, Group Manager, Substations and Automation at Turku Energia.
Following the network transformation, Turku Energia is benefiting from industrial networking that can stand up to harsh environmental conditions, as well as network security that is driving visibility and rapid threat detection, data integrity, and role-based access from any location. It too has centralized management across IT and OT networks, which is saving the utility time and money on maintenance and staffing costs.
Get the replete details on how this utility made it happen—and how your organization can unify its IT and OT networks, too.
A particular description of the features, functions, and benefits of Cisco Ethernet to the Factory (ETTF) solution in ensuring complete network and data security is presented in this paper. Security challenges of manufacturing environments are reviewed along with the manufacturing security requirements and priorities. Cisco's approach to securing manufacturing assets is elaborated and the weight of protecting physical and non-network items while implementing an overall security program is highlighted. Various types of threats to manufacturing networks and the damages caused by them are reviewed and the necessity for estimating the repercussion of security incidents for establishing the relative weight of protecting against various attacks is analyzed. The paper includes an overview and illustration of company's self defending network framework and establishes the relationship between the framework and ETTF solution. Illustrations of the six-level plant frameworks based on ISA-SP99, and with DMZ are too incorporated. The document includes a list of specific security components of the Cisco Self-Defending Network framework implemented in the ETTF solution.
HTF analysts forecast the Global Industrial Wireline Networking market to grow at a CAGR of 25.02 percent over the age 2013-2018.
Industrial networking refers to the capacity to achieve networking functions in an industrial facility. Industrial networking comprises of both wireline and wireless network infrastructure. Wireline networking is one of the easiest and most trustworthy ways to meet an industry’s networking requirements as it offers a comprehensive broadband solution, which optimizes networking over existing power, coaxial cables, phone lines, and other wiring. Ethernet is the most widely used figure of industrial network connectivity, followed by Fieldbus technology; the require for Fieldbus technology is expected to expand at a rapid rate in the near future.
The Global Industrial Wireline Networking market can exist segmented into three: Interconnect Products, Networking Components, and Network Management Software.
HTF report, the Global Industrial Wireline Networking Market 2014-2018, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the Americas, and the APAC and EMEA regions; it too covers the Global Industrial Wireline Networking market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.
? What will the market size exist in 2018 and what will the growth rate be?
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2017-11-10 Assigned to JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT reassignment JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, NAVISTAR, INC.
An internal combustion engine (10) has an intake system (12) that includes a turbocharger (32). An engine control (30) processes data for controlling the opening of the exhaust valves (24) and for controlling fueling of the engine in relation to the engine operating cycle. In response to initiation of engine acceleration, the control increasingly retards exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase pressure in the intake manifold (14) and increases engine fueling in relation to the increased pressure in the intake manifold.
This invention relates generally to turbocharged diesel engines that propel motor vehicles and are equipped with variable valve actuation apparatus, and in particular to a control strategy for concurrently reducing particulate emission and increasing engine torque during transient operation of an engine, such as when the engine is being accelerated to accelerate the vehicle.
A turbocharger is one type of device that is used to supercharge an internal combustion engine. A diesel engine that is supercharged by a turbocharger is sometimes referred to as a turbocharged diesel. A turbocharger comprises a turbine that is powered by engine exhaust gas and coupled by a shaft to operate a compressor that boosts pressure in the engine air intake system downstream of the compressor. Boost is controlled by controlling turbine operation.
A turbocharged diesel engine operating as the prime mover of a motor vehicle can provide certain advantages that are unavailable with other types of vehicle powerplants. For example, increasing boost allows increased fueling of the engine, enabling the engine to develop more torque than without turbocharging. Known devices that enable an engine to deliver increased torque for vehicle acceleration include variable geometry/nozzle turbochargers and superchargers.
A successful strategy for controlling operation of a turbocharged diesel engine in a vehicle should enable the engine to deliver torque appropriate to the manner in which the vehicle is being driven without generating unacceptable levels of tailpipe emissions. Transient operating conditions, like those occurring when a vehicle is accelerating, may have significant influence on tail pipe emission, and so special attention may have to be given to engine operation during those events to assure compliance with applicable emission limits. Attainment of that objective at the expense of compromising engine torque would be undesirable.
Certain commonly assigned patent applications of the inventors have disclosed that certain turbocharged diesel engines, especially engines that have variable valve actuation, can develop increased torque without undesirable consequences on tailpipe emissions, such as smoke in the engine exhaust. That improvement is achieved by certain conjunctive control of: 1) timing at which the engine intake and/or exhaust valves open during an engine operating cycle; and 2) engine fueling.
The present invention concerns a discovery that enables such an engine to develop increased engine torque during transient operation, such as during acceleration, without unacceptable effect on tailpipe emissions, especially particulate emissions.
Because certain principles of the present invention include changing the time in the engine operating cycle when the exhaust valves open, the engine must have an appropriate mechanism for each exhaust valve. An example of such a mechanism comprises an electric actuator for opening and closing an exhaust valve in accordance with an electric signal applied to the actuator. Such an engine is sometimes referred to as a camless engine, particularly where the engine intake valves are also controlled by electric actuators. When the inventive strategy is invoked, the timing of the opening of each exhaust valve during the engine cycle is increasingly retarded.
By retarding exhaust valve opening, the in-cylinder burning time for particulates is increased, and this reduces particulate emission. Retarding the exhaust valve opening has also been discovered to provide increased energy input to the turbocharger compressor, thereby increasing boost. As boost increases and smoke decreases, engine fueling is also increased to develop increased engine torque so that the additional fueling is not adverse to tailpipe emissions in any significant way. In this way, the turbocharger is forced toward operating at its performance limit, thereby enabling the engine to develop a corresponding torque that is greater than the torque that would otherwise be achieved.
If a consequence of retarding exhaust valve opening in conjunction with increasing engine fueling creates incipient turbocharger surging, bleeding charge air according to the inventors' prior disclosure, may be employed to counteract, or prevent, the incipient surging. Because a turbocharger is typically designed with high speed, rather than low speed, operation in mind, surging may be a concern only during an early portion of the acceleration time when turbocharger speed is still relatively low.
A primary aspect of the present invention relates to a novel strategy for controlling exhaust valve opening in a turbo-diesel engine that has a variable valve actuation apparatus. When the engine is being accelerated, the engine control system causes the exhaust valves to open at a later time during the engine cycle than they would in an engine that has a camshaft operating the exhaust valves. The extent to which the control system retards exhaust valve opening is a function of one or more variables that, for example, are used as inputs to a look-up table to yield values for controlling exhaust valve opening.
The disclosed strategy is implemented via a processor-based engine control. The data is processed according to a software algorithm that is executed by the processor to develop data for a control signal that is applied to the exhaust valve actuators to control exhaust valve timing. Engine fueling is also increased, consistent with increasing turbocharger boost to enable the engine to develop increasing torque consistent with limiting particulate tailpipe emissions.
One general aspect of the claimed invention relates to an internal combustion engine comprising an intake system through which charge air is delivered to an intake manifold of the engine, including a turbocharger that comprises a compressor operated by exhaust gases from the engine for creating compressed charge air that provides boost in the intake manifold. A control controls the opening of engine exhaust valves in relation to an engine operating cycle and fueling of the engine in relation to the engine operating cycle. During transient operation of the engine, the control increasingly retards exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase intake manifold pressure and increases engine fueling in relation to the increased intake manifold pressure.
Another general aspect of the claimed invention relates a method for an engine as just described wherein in response to initiation of transient operation of the engine, exhaust valve opening is increasingly retarded in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase intake manifold pressure and engine fueling is increased in relation to the increased intake manifold pressure.
The foregoing, along with further aspects, features, and advantages of the invention, will be seen in this disclosure of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention depicting the best mode contemplated at this time for carrying out the invention. This specification includes drawings, briefly described below, and contains a detailed description that will make reference to those drawings.
FIG. 1 is a general schematic diagram of an engine, in accordance with principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an algorithm used in practicing the invention.
FIGS. 3-7 are various graphs relating to the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates an internal combustion engine 10 that powers a motor vehicle. An example of such a vehicle is a truck having a chassis containing a powertrain in which engine 10 is a fuel-injected turbocharged diesel engine operatively coupled through a drivetrain to driven wheels for propelling the vehicle. The engine has variable valve actuation that allows the time of exhaust valve opening to be controlled according to engine operation.
Engine 10 comprises an intake system 12 through which charge air is delivered to an intake manifold 14 of engine 10. Charge air enters each engine cylinder 16 from manifold 14 via a corresponding intake valve 18. Individual fuel injectors 20 inject diesel fuel into individual engine cylinders in properly timed relation to engine operation. Engine 10 also comprises an exhaust system 22 for conveyance of exhaust gases created by combustion within the engine cylinders from the engine. Exhaust gases pass out of each cylinder via a respective exhaust valve 24.
Engine 10 may be a camless engine, meaning one where each of the normally closed intake and exhaust valves is opened at the proper time in the engine operating cycle by applying an electric signal to a respective electric actuator.
An electronic engine control 30 that possesses digital processing capability is associated with engine 10. Control 30 may comprise one or more processors that process data from various input data signal sources in accordance with programmed algorithms to develop certain data for signals used in the performance of various functions associated with operation of engine 10. The data processed by control 30 may originate at external sources (input variables) and/or be generated internally of control 30 (local variables). Control 30 develops the data for the signals that operate the intake and exhaust valve actuators and for the signals that operate fuel injectors 20.
Turbocharging of engine 10 is accomplished by a turbocharger 32 which comprises a turbine 34 connected in exhaust system 22 coupled via a shaft 36 to a compressor 38 connected in intake system 12. Compressor 38 is operated by exhaust gases from engine 10 that act on turbine 34 to create compressed charge air that provides boost in intake manifold 14.
Engine control 30 contains a software program that implements an algorithm for control of engine fueling via fuel injectors 20 and control of exhaust valves 24. That algorithm is presented in FIG. 2 where it is designated by the reference numeral 50.
When engine 10 is running in a generally steady state mode of operation at low idle speed, or at a low running speed and low load, as represented by block 52, algorithm 50 determines an appropriate value for the timing of engine exhaust valve opening (EVO). The determination may be made either by real time processing of certain relevant variables or via a look-up table pre-programmed with predetermined EVO timing values based on relevant variables. Block 54 represents that determination.
An acceleration request is detected by a step represented by block 56. The acceleration request may come from any suitably appropriate source, such as accelerator pedal position sensor. As long as the algorithm continues to detect the absence of an acceleration request, the steady state operation is presumed to continue in accordance with block 52. Once the algorithm detects an acceleration request, engine control 30 acts to change EVO timing according to the inventive strategy, as represented by block 58.
For changing EVO timing, engine control 30 may either process certain relevant variables in real time to yield values for increasingly retarding EVO in a manner appropriate to the nature of the acceleration request, or it may obtain values for increasingly retarding EVO in a manner appropriate to the nature of the acceleration using a look-up table pre-programmed with predetermined EVO timing values based on the relevant variables.
Concurrent with performance of the step represented by block 58, engine control 30 increases engine fueling in accordance with the increased boost resulting from retarding the timing of exhaust valve opening. The increased fueling increases engine torque while maintaining a desired fuel-air ratio appropriate for compliance with relevant tailpipe emission limits. The step represented by block 58 repeats until a step 60 of the algorithm detects discontinuance of the acceleration request.
Upon such discontinuance, engine 10 will be in the process of resuming a generally steady state mode of operation, but at a higher speed than before the acceleration. The timing of engine exhaust valve opening (EVO) is now determined by algorithm 50 determining an appropriate value for the EVO timing, either by real time processing of certain relevant variables or via a look-up table pre-programmed with predetermined EVO timing values based on the relevant variables. Block 62 represents that determination. Engine fueling is also adjusted as appropriate.
FIG. 3 comprises a plot 130 defining a relationship of engine torque to the time during the engine cycle at which the exhaust valves begin to open, as measured in degrees of engine crankshaft rotation after top dead center (ATDC). It also comprises a second plot 132 defining a relationship of turbocharger speed to the time at which the exhaust valves begin to open. Four different timings of EVO are defined: CTC EVO; BSFC EVO; Smoke EVO; and Over-retarded EVO. Each of these four timings serves to define a respective plot in each of FIGS. 4-7.
CTC EVO represents a baseline condition where the exhaust valve opening occurs close to the time that it would on an engine that does not have variable valve actuation. BSFC EVO represents a condition where the exhaust valve opening occurs at a timing that provides minimum BSFC. Smoke EVO represents timing that produces the same torque as at CTC EVO. Over-retarded EVO represents timing that provides least smoke.
FIG. 4 shows four plots, each for a particular one of the four different timings, showing turbocharger boost as a function of time during an acceleration. At zero time with the engine running at 1000 rpm, the accelerator pedal position sensor is instantaneously-operated from 0% to 100%. FIG. 5 shows four plots, each for a particular one of the four different timings, showing fueling as a function of time during the same acceleration. FIG. 6 shows four plots, each for a particular one of the four different timings, showing torque as a function of time during the same acceleration. FIG. 7 shows four plots, each for a particular one of the four different timings, showing smoke opacity as a function of time during the same acceleration.
While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it should be appreciated that principles of the invention are applicable to all embodiments and uses that fall within the scope of the following claims.
wherein, in response to initiation of transient operation of the engine, the control increasingly retards exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase pressure in the intake manifold and increases engine fueling in relation to the increased pressure in the intake manifold.
2. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 in which the transient operation comprises acceleration of the engine, and the control increasingly retards exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase pressure in the intake manifold and increases engine fueling in relation to the increased pressure in the intake manifold as the engine continues to accelerate.
3. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 in which the engine operating cycle comprises a compression ignition operating cycle.
in response to initiation of transient operation of the engine, increasingly retarding exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase pressure in the intake manifold, and increasing engine fueling in relation to the increased pressure in the intake manifold.
5. A method as set forth in claim 4 in which the transient operation comprises acceleration of the engine, and the step of increasingly retarding exhaust valve opening in relation to the engine operating cycle to cause the turbocharger to increase pressure in the intake manifold and increasing engine fueling in relation to the increased pressure in the intake manifold is performed in response to initiation of engine acceleration. | 2019-04-26T05:16:16Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US6658845B1/en |
Build Neural Network With MS Excel ® Published by XLPert Enterprise Copyright © 2009 by XLPert Enterprise.
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Everyone try to forecast the future. Bankers need to predict credit worthiness of customers. Marketing analyst want to predict future sales. Economists want to predict economic cycles. And everybody wants to know whether the stock market will be up or down tomorrow. Over the years, many software have been developed for this purpose and one such software is the neural network based forecasting application. No, neural network is NOT a medical term. It is actually a branch of artificial intelligence which gains much prominence since the start of the millenium. NN or neural network is a computer software (and possibly hardware) that simulates a simple model of neural cells in humans. The purpose of this simulation is to acquire the intelligent features of these cells. In this book, when terms like neuron, neural network, learning, or experience are mentioned, it should be understood that we are using them only in the context of a NN as computer system. NN have the ability to learn by example, e.g. a NN can be trained to recognize the image of car by showing it many examples of a car or to predict future stock prices by feeding it historical stock prices. We can teach a neural network to perform these particular tasks by using the following procedure: I. We present the network with training examples, which consist of a pattern of activities for the input units together with the desired pattern of activities for the output units. II. We determine how closely the actual output of the network matches the desired output. III. We change the weight of each connection so that the network produces a better approximation of the desired output. I will show you later, on how to integrate the three steps described above with 5 MS Excel spreadsheet models. With these examples, you can easily understand NN as a non-linear forecasting tool. NO MORE complex C++ programming and complicated mathematic formula(s). I have spent much time and effort to simplify how to use NN as a forecasting tool for you. You only need to know how to use MS Excel, in modelling NN as a powerful forecasting method. THAT’S IT!.
Technical Stuff of neural network that you don't really have to know. Neural networks are very effective when lots of examples must be analyzed, or when a structure in these data must be analyzed but a single algorithmic solution is impossible to formulate. When these conditions are present, neural networks are use as computational tools for examining data and developing models that help to identify interesting patterns or structures in the data. The data used to develop these models is known as training data. Once a neural network has been trained, and has learned the patterns that exist in that data, it can be applied to new data thereby achieving a variety of outcomes. Neural networks can be used to learn to predict future events based on the patterns that have been observed in the historical training data; learn to classify unseen data into pre-defined groups based on characteristics observed in the training data; learn to cluster the training data into natural groups based on the similarity of characteristics in the training data.
the name: back-propagation. Step 5: Apply the first part of the training rule using the results of Step 4. Step 2: Hidden nodes calculate their outputs. classification. and steps 4 through 7 are often called the backward pass. In this book we will be developing a neural network model that has successfully found application across a broad range of business areas. the output unit error is used to alter weights on the output units. For both of these example applications. We call this model a multilayered feedforward neural network (MFNN) and is an example of a neural network trained with supervised learning. Steps 1 through 3 are often called the forward pass. This is repeated over and over again until the error is at a low enough level (or we give up). and the weights on the hidden nodes altered using these values. n. the desired response of each neuron will be either zero or one. and this response is compared to the known desired response of each neuron. II. Then the error at the hidden nodes is calculated (by back-propagating the error at the output units through the weights). calculate d(n). the network produces an output (or set of outputs). The main steps of the back propagation learning algorithm are summarized below: Step 1: Input training data.We have seen many different neural network models that have been developed over the last fifty years or so to achieve these tasks of prediction. Backward pass. Models can be developed that learn the relationship between these characteristics (inputs) and outcomes (outputs). Correction and changes are made to the weights of the network to reduce the errors before the next pattern is presented. We feed the neural network with the training data that contains complete information about the characteristics of the data and the observable outcomes in a supervised learning method. Process of a backpropagation I. For each data pair to be learned a forward pass and backwards pass is performed. where the outputs are calculated and the error at the output units calculated. while for prediction problems it tends to be continuous valued. we can develop a MFNN to model the relationship between money spent during last week’s advertising campaign and this week’s sales figures is a prediction application. For example. Step 3: Output nodes calculate their outputs on the basis of Step 2. Forward pass. Step 4: Calculate the differences between the results of Step 3 and targets. The MFNN is then repeatedly trained with this data until it learns to represent these relationships correctly. and clustering. For classification problems. Step 6: For each hidden node. The weights are continually updated in this manner until the total error across all training patterns is reduced below some pre-defined tolerance level. the training data must contain numeric information on both the inputs and the outputs in order for the MFNN to generate a model. For a given input pattern or data. (derivative) Step 7: Apply the second part of the training rule using the results of Step 6. We call this learning algorithm as the backpropagation. Hence. Another example of using a MFNN is to model and classify the relationship between a customer’s demographic characteristics and their status as a high-value or low-value customer. 4 .
1]. This function typically falls into one of three categories: linear threshold sigmoid For linear units. It should be noted that the sigmoid curve is widely used as a transfer function because it has the effect of "squashing" the inputs into the range [0.Figure 1. For threshold units. most commonly tanh which has an output range of [-1. depending on whether the total input is greater than or less than some threshold value. the output is set at one of two levels. the output activity is proportional to the total weighted output. The sigmoid function has the additional benefit of having an extremely simple derivative function for backpropagating errors through a feed-forward neural network. but all three must be considered rough approximations. For sigmoid units. the output varies continuously but not linearly as the input changes. Other functions with similar features can be used.1 Calculations and Transfer Function The behaviour of a NN (Neural Network) depends on both the weights and the input-output function (transfer function) that is specified for the units.1]. Sigmoid units bear a greater resemblance to real neurons than do linear or threshold units. This is how the transfer functions look like: 5 .
We change the weight of each connection so that the network produces a better approximation of the desired output. To summarize.p/g 6 not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x To make a neural network performs some specific task. As the training process proceeds. The weights specify the strength of the influence. II. 6 . this represents the network knowing nothing. we must choose how the units are connected to one another (see Figure 1. We present the network with training examples. and we must set the weights on the connections appropriately.1). which consist of a pattern of activities for the input units together with the desired pattern of activities for the output units. III. The connections determine whether it is possible for one unit to influence another. Thus it can be said that the neural network commences knowing nothing and moves on to gain some real knowledge. we can teach a three-layer network to perform a particular task by using the following procedure: I. Typically the weights in a neural network are initially set to small random values. these weights will converge to values allowing them to perform a useful computation. We determine how closely the actual output of the network matches the desired output.
They are very noise tolerant – so they can cope with situations where normal symbolic systems would have difficulty. They are particularly fault tolerant – this is equivalent to the ―graceful degradation‖ found in biological systems. V.The advantages of using Artificial Neural Networks software are: I. They are extremely powerful computational devices II. Massive parallelism makes them very efficient. IV. They can learn and generalize from training data – so there is no need for enormous feats of programming. In principle. Real life applications The applications of artificial neural networks are found to fall within the following broad categories: Manufacturing and industry: Beer flavor prediction Wine grading prediction For highway maintenance programs Government: Missile targeting Criminal behavior prediction Banking and finance: Loan underwriting Credit scoring Stock market prediction Credit card fraud detection Real-estate appraisal Science and medicine: Protein sequencing Tumor and tissue diagnosis Heart attack diagnosis 7 . and more. VI. they can do anything a symbolic/logic system can do. III.
and this explains why these networks are called feed-forward networks. Each perceptron in one layer is connected to every perceptron on the next layer. There is no connection among perceptrons in the same layer. this is just a general rule and need not be followed strictly. Sales Forecasting. c) simple mathematic operations inside the neural network model d) training the model and e) using the trained model for forecasting Neural Network Architecture Feed-forward networks have the following characteristics: 1. The middle layers have no connection with the external world. 4. Instructions on how to build neural network model with Excel will be explained step by step by looking at the 5 main sections shown below… a) Selecting and transforming data b) the neural network architecture. if you have 5 nodes in the input layer and 1 nodes in the output layer. and hence are called hidden layers. Hence information is constantly "fed forward" from one layer to the next. New drug effectiveness Prediction of air and sea currents In this book we will examine some detailed case studies with Excel spreadsheets demonstrating how the MFNN has been successfully applied to problems as diverse as Credit Approval. Predicting DJIA weekly prices. see the hierarchy or pyramid structure here) However. (5-4-1 or 5-3-1 or 5-2-1. 2. The number of nodes in the input. 3. Predicting Real Estate value Classify Type of Flowers This book contains 5 neural network models develop using Excel worksheets described above. Perceptrons are arranged in layers. then the hidden layer shall have 4 or 3 or 2 nodes.e. Let's start building: 8 . hidden and output layer follows a pyramidal rule -i.. with the first layer taking in inputs and the last layer producing outputs.
it contains exactly what has been transform from worksheet(Raw Data). There are 10 input factors and 1 desire output (end result). We have to do this one by one manually. Figure 1.1) The Credit Approval Model Credit scoring is a technique to predict the creditworthiness of a candidate applying for a loan. we will use neural network to forecast the risk level of granting a loan to the applicant. The ability to accurately predict the creditworthiness of an applicant is a significant determinant of success in the financial lending industry. Open the file Credit_Approval. the data are still in alphabet form. If you select the worksheet(Transform Data). Neural network (NN) can only be fed with numeric data for training. in column B (Input 2). It can be used to guide decisions for granting or denying new loan applications. Refusing credit to creditworthy applicants results in lost opportunity. we have the marital status. So we transform them to 1 for ―married‖ and 0 for ―single‖. NN cannot take or understand ―married or single‖. while heavy financial losses occur if credit is given indiscriminately to applicants who later default on their obligations.xls. a) Selecting and transforming data Open the workbook(Credit_Approval) and bring up worksheet (Raw Data). or mortgage. credit card. We can see that. So we need to transform these raw data into numeric form. For example. Here we have 400 inputs patterns and desire outputs. This worksheet is self explanatory.2 9 . In this example.
nn_Solve will automatically load the maximum (70) and the minimum (15. We need to transform all the 400 rows of data into range between the value 0 to 1.3) Figure 1. Thus we need to scale all the data into the value between 0 to 1. select Scale Data on the nn_Solve menu (see Figure 1. The last 2 rows will be used for testing our prediction later. (see Figure 1.2 above) Apart from this transformation. Press the Tab key on your keyboard to exit. The first 398 rows will be used as training data. we can see that Column A to column L in the worksheet (Transform Data) are all numerical. How do we do that? 1) Copy all data from Column A to L to Column N To Column Y 2) Then. When you press Tab. Click on the Scale Now button. we also need to ―massage‖ the numeric data a little bit. The raw data will be scaled.83) in the Raw Data frame Min and Max textbox. This is because NN will learn better if there is uniformity in the data. We scale Input 1 (Age) first.4 10 . Enter N12:N411 in the Data Range. Figure 1.Now.4 below) 3) Then specify the maximum (1) and minimum (0) scale range.3 Enter the reference that you want to scale in the Data Range. (see Figure 1.
5 The raw input data that need to be scale are Input 5 (Address Time).5 below) Figure 1. (see Figure 1.6 above show the data after they have been scaled.nn_Solve will also automatically store the minimum (in cell N414) and the maximum (cell N413) value of the raw data in the last row and first column of the raw data. Input 6 (Job Time) and Input 9 (Payment History). Figure 1. We need the raw minimum and maximum values later when we reverse the scale values back to raw value.4. We do not need to scale the desire output (Credit Risk) as the value is already within 0 to 1. 11 .6 Figure 1. We do not need to scale Input 2.6.10 as these value are within 0 to 1.3.7.
b) the neural network architecture A neural network is a group of neurons connected together. 6 neurons on the hidden layer and 1 neuron on the output layer. Those lines that connect the nodes are call weights. This worksheet. column N to column AK actually contain the NN architecture shown below: INPUT LAYER HIDDEN LAYER OUTPUT LAYER Figure 1.7 There are 10 nodes or neuron on the input layer. I only connect part of them. Connecting neurons to form a NN can be done in various ways. In reality all the 12 .
I only connect the weights between all the Input nodes to Hidden Node 1 we have 10 inputs node and 6 hidden nodes and 1 output nodes. Column AH = Hidden Node 5 (H5). Column AF = Hidden Node 3 (H3). Column S = Input 6 (I6). Column AG = Hidden Node 4 (H4). Column Q = Input 4 (I4) .1) = $AA$21 -> connecting I10 to H1 13 .1) = $AA$19 -> connecting I8 to H1 w(9. Column AE = Hidden Node 2 (H2).weights are connected layer by layer. this NN model consists of three layers: 1. Column U = Input 8 (I8). Column R = Input 5 (I5) . Hidden layer with 6 neurons. I have put the weights vector in one column AA.1) = $AA$14 -> connecting I3 to H1 w(4. Column AD = Hidden Node 1 (H1). Here the number of weights are (10 x 6) + (6 x 1) = 66 Each neuron has its own input weights.1) = $AA$12 -> connecting I1 to H1 w(2. passing the output of each neuron to the following layer as input.1) = $AA$15 -> connecting I4 to H1 w(5.1) = $AA$17 -> connecting I6 to H1 w(7. Here we have 400 input patterns map to 400 desired or target outputs. In Fig 1. Column V = Input 9 (I9).1) = $AA$13 -> connecting I2 to H1 w(3. Output layer with 1 neurons. Input layer with 10 neurons. Column AI = Hidden Node 6 (H6) 3. The output of the NN is reached by applying input values to the input layer. Column O = Input 2 (I2).1) = $AA$16 -> connecting I5 to H1 w(6.1) = $AA$18 -> connecting I7 to H1 w(8. like Figure 1. Column AK = Output Node 1 Now let's talk about the weights that connection all the neurons together Note that: The output of a neuron in a layer goes to all neurons in the following layer.7 above. Column T = Input 7 (I7). Column P = Input 3 (I3).7. So the weights are contain in cells: From Input Layer to Hidden Layer w(1. while the number of neurons in the output layer depends on the number of desired outputs.1) = $AA$20 -> connecting I9 to H1 w(10. Column W = Input 10 (I10) 2.1 above The number of neurons in the input layer depends on the number of possible inputs we have. We reserve 2 input patterns for testing later. Column N = Input 1 (I1). Like what you see from the Figure 1.
2) = $AA$31 -> connecting I10 to H2 ― and ― so ― on w(1. 6) = $AA$67 -> connecting I6 to H6 w(7. 6) = $AA$70 -> connecting I9 to H6 w(10. 14 .2) = $AA$28 -> connecting I7 to H2 w(8.6) = $AA$62 -> connecting I1 to H6 w(2.1) = $AA$72 -> connecting H1 to O1 w(h2. 1) = $AA$76 -> connecting H5 to O1 w(h6. 6) = $AA$66 -> connecting I5 to H6 w(6.2) = $AA$23 -> connecting I2 to H2 w(3. 6) = $AA$63 -> connecting I2 to H6 w(3.2) = $AA$30 -> connecting I9 to H2 w(10. 1) = $AA$77 -> connecting H6 to O1 After mapping the NN architecture to the worksheet and entering the input and desired output data. 6) = $AA$65 -> connecting I4 to H6 w(5. 1) = $AA$73 -> connecting H2 to O1 w(h3. 6) = $AA$71 -> connecting I10 to H6 From Hidden Layer to Output Layer w(h1. 6) = $AA$69 -> connecting I8 to H6 w(9.w(1. it is time to see what is happening inside those nodes. 1) = $AA$74 -> connecting H3 to O1 w(h4. 6) = $AA$68 -> connecting I7 to H6 w(8.2) = $AA$24 -> connecting I3 to H2 w(4.2) = $AA$25 -> connecting I4 to H2 w(5.. 6) = $AA$64 -> connecting I3 to H6 w(4. 1) = $AA$75 -> connecting H4 to O1 w(h5.2) = $AA$29 -> connecting I8 to H2 w(9.2) = $AA$27 -> connecting I6 to H2 w(7.2) = $AA$22 -> connecting I1 to H2 w(2.2) = $AA$26 -> connecting I5 to H2 w(6.
p/g 15 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 15 .
This process requires that the neural network compute the error derivative of the weights (EW). In other words.p/g 16 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x a way that the error between the desired output and the actual output is reduced. it must calculate how the error changes as each weight is increased or decreased slightly. The back propagation 16 .
The weights specify the strength of the influence. (see Figure 1. moving from layer to layer in a direction opposite to the way activities propagate through the network. Bertsekas 1995. From the nn_Solve menu. Phew. Let’ fill out the weight vector. The back-propagation algorithm is easiest to understand if all the units in the network are linear. the EA is simply the difference between the actual and the desired output. Methods of nonlinear optimization have been studied for hundreds of years. we first identify all the weights between that hidden unit and the output units to which it is connected.11 below) 17 . For a medium size neural network model with moderate number of weights. AA12:AA77 will be filled out with values between -1 to 1. The algorithm computes each EW by first computing the EA. There is no single best method for nonlinear optimization. if you use MS Excel Solver to build and train a neural network model. and Wright 1981. These two optimization method are available with Excel Solver To make a neural network that performs some specific task. You need to choose a method based on the characteristics of the problem to be solved. For a large number of weights. operations research.. The connections determine whether it is possible for one unit to influence another. Murray. d) Training NN as an Optimization Task Using Excel Solver Training a neural network is. easy. and there is a huge literature on the subject in fields such as numerical analysis. e. what craps is this back propagation!!!. After calculating all the EAs in the hidden layer just before the output layer. We then multiply those weights by the EAs of those output units and add the products. For output units. This is what gives back propagation its name. and accurate. it is straight forward to compute the EW for each incoming connection of the unit. To compute the EA for a hidden unit in the layer just before the output layer. we must choose how the units are connected to one another.g. we can compute in like fashion the EAs for other layers. an exercise in numerical optimization of a usually nonlinear function. various conjugate-gradient algorithms are efficient. MS Excel's Solver is a numerical optimization add-in (an additional file that extends the capabilities of Excel). The EW is the product of the EA and the activity through the incoming connection. Once the EA has been computed for a unit. you don’t need to understand this. select Randomize Weights Figure 1. the rate at which the error changes as the activity level of a unit is changed. The weights are contain in AA12:AA77. in most cases. Values between -1 to 1 will be the best starting weights.10 Enter AA12:AA77 and click on the Randomize Weights button. and we must set the weights on the connections appropriately. various quasi-Newton algorithms are efficient. This sum equals the EA for the chosen hidden unit. and statistical computing. Gill. Fortunately.algorithm is the most widely used method for determining the EW. It can be fast.
. This tool has simplified neural network training so much. we have Excel Solver. this may be anywhere from ten to ten-thousand iterations. 18 . Each iteration makes the weights slightly more efficient at separating the target from the nontarget examples. click on the Tools heading on the menu bar and select the Solver . (see Figure 1. Accessing Excel’s Solver To use the Solver.11 The learning algorithm improves the performance of the network by gradually changing each weight in the proper direction. This is called an iterative procedure.12) Figure 1. The iteration loop is usually carried out until no further improvement is being made. item. . Fortunately. In typical neural networks.Figure 1.12 .
and open the Solver Add-In file. If you cannot find the Solver Add-In. What if you still cannot find it? Then it is likely your installation of Excel failed to include the Solver Add-In." item. Although Solver is proprietary. you can download a trial version from Frontline Systems. you will be presented with the Solver Parameters dialog box below: 19 . To do this. You should now be able to use the Solver by clicking on the Tools heading on the menu bar and selecting the Solver item. Search for ―solver. . return to the Add-Ins dialog box (by executing Tools: Add-Ins…).com.12) then you must manually include it in the algorithms that Excel has available. . try using the Mac’s Find File or Find in Windows to locate the file. In the Add-Ins dialog box.14 above: After selecting the Solver Add-In and clicking on the OK button. scroll down and click on the Solver Add-In so that the box is checked as shown Figure 1. Excel takes a moment to call in the Solver file and adds it to the Tools menu.frontsys. . at www. click on Select or Browse.Figure 1.14 If Solver is not listed (see Figure 1. . Run your Excel or Office Setup again from the original CD-ROM and install the Solver AddIn. the makers of Solver. select Tools from the menu bar and choose the "Add-Ins .‖ Note the location of the file. . After executing Tools: Solver .
See Figure 1.Figure 1. whereas Value is used if you want to reach a certain particular value of the Target Cell by choosing a particular value of the endogenous variable.16 below Figure 1.16 Equal to: gives you the option of treating the Target Cell in three alternative ways. You can either type in the cell address or click on the desired cell. the objective function is to minimize the Mean Squared Error.15 Let us review each part of this dialog box. Max (the default) tells Excel to maximize the Target Cell and Min. In our NN model. This cell must contain a formula that depends on one or more other cells (including at least one ―changing cell‖). Set Target Cell is where you indicate the objective function (or goal) to be optimized. to minimize it. 20 . one at a time. Here we enter cell AO1.
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This will allows you to adjust the way in which Solver approaches the solution.18 Figure 1.20 As you can see. (see Figure 1.20) Figure 1.Figure 1.. a series of choices are included in the Solver Options dialog box that direct Solver’s 22 .19 After that select the Options.
Tolerance.0001 Select Conjugate as the Search method. Lowering the Precision. Figure 1. These options may be changed if Solver is having difficulty finding the optimal solution. click Solve to start training. This is the last thing you do in the Solver Parameters dialog box. Clicking OK to return to the Solver Parameters dialog box. The Load and Save Model buttons enable you to recall and keep a complicated set of constraints or choices so that you do not have to reenter them every time. and Convergence values slows down the algorithm but may enable Solver to find a solution.21 Solve is obviously the button you click to get Excel's Solver to find a solution.22 When Solver start optimizing. For a neural network model. This prove to be very effective in minimizing the Mean Squared Error.000001 Tolerance: 5% Convergence: 0. See 23 . you can set : i) ii) iii) iv) v) Max Time: 1000 seconds Iterations: 10000 Precision: 0.search for the optimum solution and for how long it will search. So. Figure 1. you will see the Trial Solution at the bottom left of your spreadsheet.
Sensitivity. you elect whether to have Excel write the solution it has found into the Changing Cells (i. Here.23 A message will appears after Solver has converged (see Figure 1. All constraints are satisfied. the Mean Square Error is not satisfactory and Solver unable to find the solution at one go. Excel presents a series of reports. It is important to understand that a saved Excel workbook will remember the information included in the last Solver run. Excel reports that ―Solver has converged to the current solution. you must diagnose. Figure 1.Figure 1. (Note: value less than 0.0086. From the Solver Results dialog box. If this is the case then you. Save Scenario. Remember. and Limits reports are additional sheets inserted into the current workbook.In this case. its now time for us to predict.01 will be satisfactory) Bad news is a message like. we have save the last 2 rows for testing.. When Excel reports a successful run.01.e. They contain diagnostic and other information and should be selected if Solver is having trouble finding a solution.. I’ve train the model and the MSE is 0... The Answer. Keep Solver Solution) or whether to leave the spreadsheet alone and NOT write the value of the solution into the Changing Cells (i. usually you will need to run Solver a few times before Solver arrive at a satisfactory Mean Square Error.e. enables the user to save particular solutions for given configurations.‖ If this happens. ―Solver could not find a solution. From experience. row 410 and 411. debug.‖ This is good news! Sometime. e) using the trained model for forecasting After all the training and the MSE is below 0. you would usually want it to Keep the Solver Solution. Keep the Solver solution and run Solver again. On the right-hand side of the Solver Results dialog box. The two quickest fixes are to try different initial weights values and to add bigger or smaller constraints to the weights. and otherwise think about what went wrong and how it could be fixed. Follow the step discussed above.. Restore Original Values). 24 . Goto the row 409 of the Credit Approval spreadsheet.23).22 above. Or you may change the network architecture by adding more hidden nodes.
After that goto the hidden layer. When you compare to the actual result in L410 and L411. we are spot on. Thus. 25 . That’s is. Select AD409:AK409 (see Figure 1.26 below). AK410.25) Figure 1. the predicted value is 1 and AK411 is also 1 (see Figure 1. You have successfully use neural network to predict the risk involve when granting a loan to an applicant.25 On the Output cell i.24 below) Figure 1.e. both results we got are High Risk. (see Figure 1.24 Fill down the formula to row 410 to 411.
We have to do this one by one manually.1) This worksheet is self explanatory. we have the Season Influence. The last 2 rows will be used for testing our prediction later. For profitable retail operations. NN cannot take or understand ―Low. production.xls. a) Selecting and transforming data Open the workbook(Sales_Forecasting) and bring up worksheet (Raw Data). Accurate forecasts of consumer retail sales can help improve retail supply chain operation.2) The Sales Forecasting Model Forecasting future retail sales is one of the most important activities that form the basis for all strategic and planning decisions in effective operations of retail businesses as well as retail supply chains. and labor force. We need to transform all the 104 rows of data into range between the value 1 to 0. as well as after-sales services. Medium = 0. High = 0.1 27 .25.5. There are 7 input factors and 2 desire output (end result). (see Figure 2. We also have 104 rows of input patterns in this model. So we need to transform these raw data into numeric form. accurate demand forecasting is crucial in organizing and planning purchasing. Very High = 0. High. Open the file Sales_Forecasting. The first 102 rows will be used as training data. in column B (Input 2). Medium. Very High‖. NN can only be fed with numeric data for training. For example. So we transform them to Low = 0.9. Figure 2.75. we will use neural network to forecast the weekly and daily sales of a fashion store. A poor forecast would result in either too much or too little inventory. In this example. directly affecting the profitability of the supply chain and the competitive position of the organization. Here we can see that. transportation. especially for larger retailers who have a significant market share. the data are still in alphabet form.
Apart from this transformation. we can see that Column A to column J in the worksheet (Transform Data) are all numerical.2) Figure 2.2 Now.3) Figure 2.If you select the worksheet(Transform Data).3 28 . we also need to ―massage‖ the numeric data a little bit. This is because NN will learn better if there is uniformity in the data. (see Figure 2. Thus we need to scale all the data into the value between 0 to 1. How do we do that? Copy all data from Column A to J and paste them to Column L To U Select Scale Data on the nn_Solve menu (Figure 2. it contains exactly what has been transform from worksheet(Raw Data).
Press the Tab key on your keyboard to exit. Input 5 in column P. (see Figure 2.6 below. Of course you can change this.4) Enter the value 1 for maximum and 0 for minimum for the Scale Into frame.4 Enter the reference for Input 1 (L7:L110) in the Data Range.Figure 2.5 We also need to scale Input 4 in column O. I’ve scale all the input data for your convenience. Click on the Scale Now button. Input 7 in column R and the 2 Desire outputs in column T and U. nn_Solve will automatically load the maximum (104) and the minimum (1) in the Raw Data frame Min and Max textbox. See Figure 2. When you press Tab.5 below) Figure 2. Input 6 in column Q. (see Figure 2. The raw data will be scaled nn_Solve will also automatically store the minimum (in cell L113) and the maximum (L112) value of the raw data in the last row and first column of the raw data. 29 .
6 We don’t need to scale Input 2 and 3 as those values are already between 0 and 1.Figure 2. 30 .
Connecting neurons to form a NN can be done in various ways. while the number of neurons in the output layer depends on the number of desired outputs.7 There are 7 nodes or neuron on the input layer. In reality all the weights are connected layer by layer. 31 . column L to column AF actually contain the NN architecture shown below: INPUT LAYER HIDDEN LAYER OUTPUT LAYER Figure 2. Those lines that connect the nodes are call weights. This worksheet. Here we have 104 input patterns map to 104 desired or target outputs.b) the neural network architecture A neural network is a group of neurons connected together. I only connect part of them. like Figure 1.1 The number of neurons in the input layer depends on the number of possible inputs we have. 5 neurons on the hidden layer and 2 neurons on the output layer. We reserve 2 input patterns for testing later.
2) = $W$15 -> connecting I2 to H2 w(3. Column R = Input 7 (I7) Hidden layer with 5 neurons. Column AB = Hidden Node 4 (H4) Column AC = Hidden Node 5 (H5) Output layer with 2 neurons.2) = $W$17-> connecting I4 to H2 32 . Column P = Input 5 (I5) . In Figure 2. Column N = Input 3 (I3).1) = $W$13 -> connecting I7 to H1 w(1. The output of the NN is reached by applying input values to the input layer. Column Z = Hidden Node 2 (H2).2) = $W$16 -> connecting I3 to H2 w(4.1) = $W$10 -> connecting I4 to H1 w(5.Like what you see from the Figure 2.7 we have 7 inputs node and 5 hidden nodes and 2 output nodes. Column AA = Hidden Node 3 (H3).1) = $W$8 -> connecting I2 to H1 w(3.7 above. Column M = Input 2 (I2). Column Y = Hidden Node 1 (H1). Column O = Input 4 (I4) .1) = $W$9 -> connecting I3 to H1 w(4.2) = $W$14 -> connecting I1 to H2 w(2.1) = $W$11 -> connecting I5 to H1 w(6. So the weights are contain in cells: From Input Layer to Hidden Layer w(1.1) = $W$7 -> connecting I1 to H1 w(2. Column Q = Input 6 (I6). I have put the weights vector in one column W. Here the number of weights are (7 x 5) + (5 x 2) = 45 Each neuron has its own input weights. Column L = Input 1 (I1).1) = $W$12 -> connecting I6 to H1 w(7. passing the output of each neuron to the following layer as input. Column AE = Output Node 1 (O1) Column AF = Output Node 2 (O2) Now let's talk about the weights that connection all the neurons together Note that: The output of a neuron in a layer goes to all neurons in the following layer. this NN model consists of three layers: Input layer with 7 neurons.
. 1) = $ W$43 -> connecting H2 to O1 w(h3.w(5. 2) = $ W$49 -> connecting H3 to O2 w(h4. 5) = $W$37 -> connecting I3 to H5 w(4. and could change per network configuration and type of data. 5) = $W$38 -> connecting I4 to H5 w(5.2) = $W$20 -> connecting I7 to H2 ― and ― so ― on ― w(1.5) = $W$35 -> connecting I1 to H5 w(2. 1) = $ W$44 -> connecting H3 to O1 w(h4. c) simple mathematic operations inside the neural network model The number of hidden layers and how many neurons in each hidden layer cannot be well defined in advance.2) = $W$19 -> connecting I6 to H2 w(7.2) = $W$47 -> connecting H1 to O2 w(h2.2) = $W$18 -> connecting I5 to H2 w(6. 2) = $W$50 -> connecting H4 to O2 w(h5. it is time to see what is happening inside those nodes. 5) = $W$41 -> connecting I7 to H5 From Hidden Layer to Output Layer w(h1. 5) = $W$39 -> connecting I5 to H5 w(6. 1) = $W$45 -> connecting H4 to O1 w(h5. 5) = $W$36 -> connecting I2 to H5 w(3. 2) = $W$51 -> connecting H5 to O2 After mapping the NN architecture to the worksheet and entering the input and desired output data. 2) = $ W$48 -> connecting H2 to O2 w(h3. 1) = $W$46 -> connecting H5 to O1 w(h1. 5) = $W$40 -> connecting I6 to H5 w(7.1) = $W$42 -> connecting H1 to O1 w(h2. In general the addition of a 33 .
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we first identify all the weights between that hidden unit and the output units to which it is connected. in most cases. In other words. d) Training NN as an Optimization Task Using Excel Solver Training a neural network is. operations research. and we must set the weights on the connections appropriately. Fortunately. what craps is this back propagation!!!. moving from layer to layer in a direction opposite to the way activities propagate through the network. This process requires that the neural network compute the error derivative of the weights (EW). It can be fast. This is what gives back propagation its name. and there is a huge literature on the subject in fields such as numerical analysis. These two optimization method are available with Excel Solver To make a neural network that performs some specific task. you don’t need to understand this. and Wright 1981. To compute the EA for a hidden unit in the layer just before the output layer. There is no single best method for nonlinear optimization. easy. Gill. the rate at which the error changes as the activity level of a unit is changed. 36 . The EW is the product of the EA and the activity through the incoming connection. You need to choose a method based on the characteristics of the problem to be solved. For a medium size neural network model with moderate number of weights. it is straight forward to compute the EW for each incoming connection of the unit. After calculating all the EAs in the hidden layer just before the output layer. it must calculate how the error changes as each weight is increased or decreased slightly. Murray. the EA is simply the difference between the actual and the desired output. and statistical computing.Our objective is to minimize the MSE. and accurate. Once the EA has been computed for a unit. We need to change the weight of each connection so that the network produces a better approximation of the desired output. if you use MS Excel Solver to build and train a neural network model. This sum equals the EA for the chosen hidden unit. Bertsekas 1995. Methods of nonlinear optimization have been studied for hundreds of years. In NN technical term. We then multiply those weights by the EAs of those output units and add the products. For a large number of weights. e. The algorithm computes each EW by first computing the EA.. The connections determine whether it is possible for one unit to influence another. we can compute in like fashion the EAs for other layers. MS Excel's Solver is a numerical optimization add-in (an additional file that extends the capabilities of Excel). The weights specify the strength of the influence. we must adjust the weights of each unit in such a way that the error between the desired output and the actual output is reduced. Phew. an exercise in numerical optimization of a usually nonlinear function. In order to train a neural network to perform some task.g. various conjugate-gradient algorithms are efficient. The back-propagation algorithm is easiest to understand if all the units in the network are linear. The back propagation algorithm is the most widely used method for determining the EW. For output units. Values between -1 to 1 will be the best starting weights. various quasi-Newton algorithms are efficient. we must choose how the units are connected to one another. we call this step of changing the weights as TRAINING THE NEURAL NETWORK.
(see Figure 2. we have Excel Solver. Each iteration makes the weights slightly more efficient at separating the target from the nontarget examples. W7:W51 will be filled out with values between -1 to 1.12 below) Figure 2. (see Figure 2. item. . Accessing Excel’s Solver To use the Solver.11 below) Figure 2. Fortunately. click on the Tools heading on the menu bar and select the Solver .11 Enter W7:W51 and click on the Randomize Weights button.12 The learning algorithm improves the performance of the network by gradually changing each weight in the proper direction. The weights are contain in W7:W51. This tool has simplified neural network training so much …. This is called an iterative procedure. The iteration loop is usually carried out until no further improvement is being made. . select Randomize Weights (see Figure 2. this may be anywhere from ten to ten-thousand iterations. From the nn_Solve menu.13) 37 .Let’s fill out the weight vector. In typical neural networks.
13 Figure 2. . try using the Mac’s Find File or Find in Windows to locate the file. Search for ―solver.Figure 2. What if you still cannot find it? Then it is likely your installation of Excel failed to include the Solver Add-In. return to the Add-Ins dialog box (by executing Tools: Add-Ins…). and open the Solver Add-In file. select Tools from the menu bar and choose the "Add-Ins .15 above: After selecting the Solver Add-In and clicking on the OK button. Excel takes a moment to call in the Solver file and adds it to the Tools menu. 38 . In the Add-Ins dialog box. To do this.15 If Solver is not listed then you must manually include it in the algorithms that Excel has available.‖ Note the location of the file. Run your Excel or Office Setup again from the original CD-ROM and install the Solver AddIn. You should now be able to use the Solver by clicking on the Tools heading on the menu bar and selecting the Solver item. scroll down and click on the Solver Add-In so that the box is checked as shown by Figure 2. If you cannot find the Solver Add-In." item. . click on Select or Browse.
This cell must contain a formula that depends on one or more other cells (including at least one ―changing cell‖). You can either type in the cell address or click on the desired cell. at www. Here we enter cell AN1. one at a time. you will be presented with the Solver Parameters dialog box below: Figure 2.frontsys.17 39 . In our NN model. After executing Tools: Solver .17 below Figure 2. . It is imperative that you successfully load and install the Solver add-in because without it. . you can download a trial version from Frontline Systems.Although Solver is proprietary.com. See Figure 2. the makers of Solver. the objective function is to minimize the Mean Squared Error. neither Solver nor the Dummy Dependent Variable Analysis add-in will be available. Set Target Cell is where you indicate the objective function (or goal) to be optimized. .16 Let us review each part of this dialog box.
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. you would usually want it to Keep the Solver Solution.e. Follow the step discussed above.‖ If this happens. On the right-hand side of the Solver Results dialog box. Figure 2.e. If this is the case then you. (Note: value less than 0. debug. you will see the Trial Solution at the bottom left of your spreadsheet. and otherwise think about what went wrong and how it could be fixed. Or you may change the network architecture by adding more hidden nodes. and Limits reports are additional sheets inserted into the current workbook.‖ This is good news! Sometime. The Answer. ―Solver could not find a solution. usually you will need to run Solver a few times before Solver arrive at a satisfactory Mean Square Error. Restore Original Values).01 will be very good) Bad news is a message like. The two quickest fixes are to try different initial weights values and to add bigger or smaller constraints to the weights. 43 . Sensitivity.23 When Solver start optimizing.24). From experience. When Excel reports a successful run. All constraints are satisfied. Keep the Solver solution and run Solver again.24 A message will appears after Solver has converged (see Figure 2. Excel presents a series of reports. From the Solver Results dialog box.23 above. you must diagnose. See Figure 2. the Mean Square Error is not satisfactory and Solver unable to find the solution at one go. They contain diagnostic and other information and should be selected if Solver is having trouble finding a solution. Excel reports that ―Solver has converged to the current solution. you elect whether to have Excel write the solution it has found into the Changing Cells (i. Keep Solver Solution) or whether to leave the spreadsheet alone and NOT write the value of the solution into the Changing Cells (i.Figure 2. It is important to understand that a saved Excel workbook will remember the information included in the last Solver run. In this case..
(see Figue 2. (see Figure 2. Remember. Goto the row 109 of the Sales Forecasting spreadsheet. Figure 2.26 below). you fill down until row 110.25 Then goto Y108.01. row 109 and 110.e) using the trained model for forecasting After all the training and the MSE is below 0.27) Figure 2.e. Select Y108:AF108.27 44 . its now time for us to predict.26 After that. we have save 2 rows of data for testing i. Figure 2.
28 So.84799 for predicted Output 1 (AE110) and 0. Row 110 we have 0.Figure 2.28). We need to scale these number back to raw data before they have any meaning to us.29 below) Figure 2. Select Scale Data for the nn_Solve menu (see Figure 2.102692 for predicted Output 2 (AF109). (see Figure 2.29 45 .903441 for predicted Output 1 (AE109) and 0. for row 109 we have 0.080876 for predicted Output 2 (AF110).
now we use them as the maximum and minimum values to be scaled into (See above Figure 2.85714 (in cell AG113) as the minimum.66 as in 46 .Figure 2.30 Enter AE109:AF110 in the Data Range. Now the raw data maximum become 1 and minimum become 0.30). Figure 2. As we are reversing what we did just now when we scale the raw data to the range 0 to 1. As we have automatically save the maximum and minimum of the raw data initially when we scale them. Click on Scale Now. Enter 369400 (in cell AG112) as the Maximum and 16042.31 So our predicted first weekly sales is 335280 as in AE109 and first daily sales is 52329.
47 .95 as in AF110. And our predicted second weekly sales is 315686.00391.57 (see cell J110). you will get slightly different result because of the MSE error that you have derived.31 above) The desire weekly sales is 364000 (see I109) and 353000 (see I110) respectively. The results here are based on the MSE of 0.AF109.2 as in AE110 and second daily sales is 44620. Of course when you do the training on your own. So it is acceptable. There you go. Whereas desire daily sales is 52000 (see cell J109) and 50428. You have successfully use neural network to predict the weekly and daily sales. The predicted values that we have are within 10% error tolerance of these desire values. (see Figure 2.
. In this example. Consumer price index. (see Figure 3. There are 5 input factors and 1 desire output (end result). The desire output is the next week DJIA price.. 10-days Moving Average. relative strength indices. GDP. We need to ―massage‖ the numeric data a little bit. This is because NN will learn better if there is uniformity in the data. Copy all data from Column B to G and paste them to Column J to O. 60-days Moving Average and 120-days Moving Average. (see Figure 3. For technical methods. from the period from 22 April 2002 to 15 Oct 2007. a real life example is use. moving averages. Neural networks are an emerging and challenging computational technology and they offer a new avenue to explore the dynamics of a variety of financial applications. Thus we need to scale all the data into the value between 0 to 1.1a There are 287 rows of data. a) Selecting and transforming data Open the workbook(Dow_Weekly) and bring up worksheet (Raw Data). Select Scale Data on the nn_Solve menu. I have build a neural network to forecast the weekly prices of the DJIA by using the moving averages. Here. The last 1 row will be used for testing our prediction later. There are 287 rows of input patterns in this model. The first 286 rows will be used as training data. etc. How do we do that? Goto worksheet(Transform Data). 20-days Moving Average. They can simulate fundamental and technical analysis methods using fundamental and technical indicators as inputs. could be used as inputs of neural networks to mine profitable knowledge. etc. foreign reserve.xls. The input factors consist of 5-days Moving Average. Open the file Dow_Weekly. the delayed time series.1a) Figure 3.3) Predicting the DJIA weekly price.1) 48 . export and import volume. This data is taken from the DJIA weekly prices. could be used as inputs.
(see Figure 3. That is 6 columns times 287 rows in the worksheet(Transform Data). (see Figure 3.Figure 3.3 below).1 for minimum for the Scale Into.2 Click on the Scale Now button. 49 . Enter the value 1 for maximum and 0. nn_Solve will automatically load the maximum (14.2 ).08) and the minimum (7528.1 Thus we need to convert the data in the range J3:O289 (see Figure 3. Of course you can change this.2 below) Figure 3. I’ve convert all the values for you already in the worksheet (Transform Data). Enter J3:O289 into the Data Range edit box.4) in the Raw Data frame Min and Max textbox. When you press Tab.093. Press the Tab key on your keyboard to exit. nn_Solve will also automatically store the minimum (in cell J292) and the maximum (cell J291) value of the raw data in the last row and first column of the raw data. It is advisable not enter the value 0 as the minimum as it represent nothing. We may need these numbers later.
3 After converting the values. its now time to build the neural network infrastructure. 50 .Figure 3.
while the number of neurons in the output layer depends on the number of desired outputs. Like what you see from the Figure 3. Those lines that connect the nodes are call weights. 51 . Column L = Input 3 (I3). Column M = Input 4 (I4) . Column N = Input 5 (I5) Hidden layer with 3 neurons. I only connect part of them. We reserve 1 input pattern for testing later. Here we have 286 input patterns map to 286 desired or target outputs. like Figure 1. Connecting neurons to form a NN can be done in various ways. 3 neurons on the hidden layer and 1 neuron on the output layer.1 The number of neurons in the input layer depends on the number of possible inputs we have.4 There are 5 nodes or neuron on the input layer.4 above. This worksheet. this NN model consists of three layers: Input layer with 5 neurons. Column T = Hidden Node 1 (H1) Column U = Hidden Node 2 (H2) Column V = Hidden Node 3 (H3) Output layer with 1 neuron.b) the neural network architecture A neural network is a group of neurons connected together. In reality all the weights are connected layer by layer. column J to column X actually contain the NN architecture shown below: INPUT LAYER HIDDEN LAYER OUTPUT LAYER Figure 3. Column K = Input 2 (I2). Column J = Input 1 (I1).
2) = $Q$11-> connecting I4 to H2 w(5. So the weights are contain in cells: From Input Layer to Hidden Layer w(1.2) = $Q$9 -> connecting I2 to H2 w(3.1) = $Q$6 -> connecting I4 to H1 w(5. We have 5 inputs node and 3 hidden nodes and 1 output node. I have put the weights vector in one column Q. Here the number of weights are (5 x 3) + (3 x 1) = 18 Each neuron has its own input weights. The output of the NN is reached by applying input values to the input layer. passing the output of each neuron to the following layer as input. 5) = $Q$14 -> connecting I2 to H5 w(3. 5) = $Q$17 -> connecting I5 to H5 From Hidden Layer to Output Layer 52 . 5) = $Q$15 -> connecting I3 to H5 w(4.1) = $Q$4 -> connecting I2 to H1 w(3.1) = $Q$3 -> connecting I1 to H1 w(2. 5) = $Q$16 -> connecting I4 to H5 w(5.1) = $Q$5 -> connecting I3 to H1 w(4.2) = $Q$8 -> connecting I1 to H2 w(2.5) = $Q$13 -> connecting I1 to H5 w(2.2) = $Q$12 -> connecting I5 to H2 ― and ― so ― on ― w(1.2) = $Q$10 -> connecting I3 to H2 w(4.1) = $Q$7 -> connecting I5 to H1 w(1.Column X = Output Node 1 (O1) Now let's talk about the weights that connection all the neurons together Note that: The output of a neuron in a layer goes to all neurons in the following layer.
1) = $Q$20 -> connecting H3 to O1 After mapping the NN architecture to the worksheet and entering the input and desired output data.w(h1.1) = $Q$18 -> connecting H1 to O1 w(h2. it is time to see what is happening inside those nodes.. c) simple mathematic operations inside the neural network model p/g 52 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x p/g 53 is not available for viewing x 53 . 1) = $ Q$19 -> connecting H2 to O1 w(h3.
This is only one pattern error. Sum up 54 . we fill down the formula again from row 3 until row 288 in this spreadsheet.x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x The closer the actual output of the network matches the desired output. the better. we save the last 1 row for testing our model later. Since we have using 286 rows of patterns. Remember.
the rate at which the error changes as the activity level of a unit is changed. Fortunately. In order to train a neural network to perform some task.. an exercise in numerical optimization of a usually nonlinear function. the EA is simply the difference between the actual and the desired output. in most cases. You need to choose a method based on the characteristics of the problem to be solved. it is straight forward to compute the EW for each incoming connection of the unit. we can compute in like fashion the EAs for other layers.g. if you use MS Excel Solver to build and train a neural network model. To make a neural network that performs some specific task. The algorithm computes each EW by first computing the EA. Methods of nonlinear optimization have been studied for hundreds of years. These two optimization method are available with Excel Solver. It can be fast. and we must set the weights on the connections appropriately. what craps is this back propagation!!!. various conjugate-gradient algorithms are efficient. We then multiply those weights by the EAs of those output units and add the products. This process requires that the neural network compute the error derivative of the weights (EW). To compute the EA for a hidden unit in the layer just before the output layer. This is what gives back propagation its name. various quasi-Newton algorithms are efficient. and there is a huge literature on the subject in fields such as numerical analysis. Once the EA has been computed for a unit. we first identify all the weights between that hidden unit and the output units to which it is connected. Murray. operations research. Gill. The weights specify the 55 . After calculating all the EAs in the hidden layer just before the output layer. it must calculate how the error changes as each weight is increased or decreased slightly.all the error and take the average. Phew. For a large number of weights. The EW is the product of the EA and the activity through the incoming connection. The back-propagation algorithm is easiest to understand if all the units in the network are linear. and statistical computing. MS Excel's Solver is a numerical optimization add-in (an additional file that extends the capabilities of Excel). and Wright 1981. moving from layer to layer in a direction opposite to the way activities propagate through the network. we must adjust the weights of each unit in such a way that the error between the desired output and the actual output is reduced. For output units. and accurate. We need to change the weight of each connection so that the network produces a better approximation of the desired output. The back propagation algorithm is the most widely used method for determining the EW. we call this step of changing the weights as TRAINING THE NEURAL NETWORK. The connections determine whether it is possible for one unit to influence another. you don’t need to understand this. d) Training NN as an Optimization Task Using Excel Solver Training a neural network is. In NN technical term. we must choose how the units are connected to one another. For a medium size neural network model with moderate number of weights. Bertsekas 1995. easy. This sum equals the EA for the chosen hidden unit. In other words. e. There is no single best method for nonlinear optimization. MSE = (SUM(AA3:AA288)/286) Our objective is to minimize the MSE.
Let’ fill out the weight vector. This is called an iterative procedure. .8) 56 . Each iteration makes the weights slightly more efficient at separating the target from the nontarget examples.6) Figure 3. select Randomize Weights (see Figure 3. In typical neural networks. this may be anywhere from ten to ten-thousand iterations.6 Enter Q3:Q20 and click on the Randomize Weights button.7 The learning algorithm improves the performance of the network by gradually changing each weight in the proper direction. Fortunately. From the nn_Solve menu. The iteration loop is usually carried out until no further improvement is being made. This tool has simplified neural network training so much. .strength of the influence. we have Excel Solver. item. The weights are contain in Q3:Q20.7 below) Figure 3. click on the Tools heading on the menu bar and select the Solver . Values between -1 to 1 will be the best starting weights. (see Figure 3. (see Figure 3. Q3:Q20 will be filled out with values between -1 to 1. Accessing Excel’s Solver To use the Solver.
57 .8 above).Figure 3. .xla in Windows and Solver on the MacOS) and open it. When you click on the Tools menu. scroll down and click on the Solver Add-In so that the box is checked as shown by the Figure 3. To do this.10 above.10 If Solver is not listed (see Figure 3.8 ." item. . In the Add-Ins dialog box. click on the Select or Browse button and navigate to the Solver add-in (called solver. Figure 3. If the Solver add-in is not listed in the Add-Ins dialog box. After selecting the Solver Add-In and clicking on the OK button. select Tools from the menu bar and choose the "Add-Ins . Excel takes a moment to call in the Solver file and adds it to the Tools menu. it should be listed somewhere as shown above on the right. you must manually include it in the algorithms that Excel has available. It should be in the Library directory in the folders where Microsoft Office is installed.
.12 Equal to: gives you the option of treating the Target Cell in three alternative ways. Here we enter cell AD1. You should now be able to use the Solver by clicking on the Tools heading on the menu bar and selecting the Solver item. What if you still cannot find it? Then it is likely your installation of Excel failed to include the Solver Add-In. In our NN model. try using the Mac’s Find File or Find in Windows to locate the file. Search for ―solver. See Figure 3.13 below Figure 3. the objective function is to minimize the Mean Squared Error (AD1). This cell must contain a formula that depends on one or more other cells (including at least one ―changing cell‖). to minimize it.11 Let us review each part of this dialog box.If you cannot find the Solver Add-In. whereas Value is used if you want to 58 . Set Target Cell is where you indicate the objective function (or goal) to be optimized. Run your Excel or Office Setup again from the original CD-ROM and install the Solver AddIn. and open the Solver Add-In file. Max (the default) tells Excel to maximize the Target Cell and Min. You can either type in the cell address or click on the desired cell. you will be presented with the Solver Parameters dialog box below: Figure 3. After executing Tools: Solver . .12 and 3. . .‖ Note the location of the file. one at a time. return to the Add-Ins dialog box (by executing Tools: Add-Ins…). click on Select or Browse.
p/g 59 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 59 .
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See Figure 3. This is the last thing you do in the Solver Parameters dialog box. click Solve to start training. 61 . This prove to be very effective in minimizing the Mean Squared Error.Select Conjugate as the Search method. Figure 3.19 above. you will see the Trial Solution at the bottom left of your spreadsheet.19 When Solver start optimizing. The Load and Save Model buttons enable you to recall and keep a complicated set of constraints or choices so that you do not have to reenter them every time. Figure 3.17 Solve is obviously the button you click to get Excel's Solver to find a solution. So. Clicking OK to return to the Solver Parameters dialog box.
―Solver could not find a solution. Keep the Solver solution and run Solver again.21 62 . (Note: value less than 0. you must diagnose. Follow the step discussed above. Or you may change the network architecture by adding more hidden nodes. and otherwise think about what went wrong and how it could be fixed..‖ If this happens. The Answer. All constraints are satisfied.Figure 3. Excel presents a series of reports.. They contain diagnostic and other information and should be selected if Solver is having trouble finding a solution. you elect whether to have Excel write the solution it has found into the Changing Cells (i.20). The two quickest fixes are to try different initial weights values and to add bigger or smaller constraints to the weights.01 will be satisfactory) Bad news is a message like. Keep Solver Solution) or whether to leave the spreadsheet alone and NOT write the value of the solution into the Changing Cells (i. usually you will need to run Solver a few times before Solver arrive at a satisfactory Mean Square Error. and Limits reports are additional sheets inserted into the current workbook. we have save 1 row of data for testing i. its now time for us to predict. e) using the trained model for forecasting After all the training and the MSE is below 0. When Excel reports a successful run. From the Solver Results dialog box.‖ This is good news! Sometime. Goto the row 288 of the Dow_Weekly spreadsheet.01.e. Excel reports that ―Solver has converged to the current solution. If this is the case then you. From experience. the Mean Square Error is not satisfactory and Solver unable to find the solution at one go. Remember. debug.e. you would usually want it to Keep the Solver Solution. Restore Original Values).20 A message appears when Solver converged (see Figure 3. In this case. On the right-hand side of the Solver Results dialog box.e. row 289 Figure 3. Sensitivity.
Figure 3.23 below) .Then goto T288. We need to scale this number back to raw data before they have any meaning to us.23 So. Select T288:X288. Select Scale Data from the nn_Solve menu. 63 . for row 109 we have 0. you fill down until row 289 (see Figure 3. See Figure 3.946003 for predicted Output 1 (X289). Figure 3.22 After that.22 below.
The results here are based on the MSE of 0. The sky is the limit and use your creativity.24 Enter X289 in the Data Range.001265 There you go. As we are reversing what we did just now when we scale the raw data to the range 0 to 1. Click on Scale Now. RSI.Figure 3.25). ADX and etc. You have successfully use neural network to predict the next week price of the DJIA.39 (cell G289). you will get slightly different result because of the MSE error that you have derived. 64 .05 as in X289 (see Figure 3.1 (see Figure 3. like Volume.080 and minimum (7528. now we use them as the maximum and minimum values to be scaled into.. Bollinger bands.4) of the raw data.24) As we have save the maximum (14093. The actual price is 13879. Now the raw data maximum become 1 and minimum become 0. For example. You can also use other factors as inputs data.25 So our predicted DJIA weekly price is 13860. Of course when you do the training on your own. Figure 3.
2) Figure 4. We need to ―massage‖ these numeric data a little bit. Our objective is to use neural network to forecast the value of a residential property in a suburban area. When you press Tab. The first column we need to scale is Column Q (Input 1) Select Scale Data on the nn_Solve menu Figure 4. (see Figure 4.1 Enter the reference for Input 1 (Q5:Q503) in the Data Range. nn_Solve will automatically load the maximum (88.xls. This is because NN will learn better if there is uniformity in the data.4) Predicting Real Estate Value Open the file Real_Estate. There are 13 input factors and 1 desire output (end result). Press the Tab key on your keyboard to exit. Goto the worksheet (Description) to see the explanation of each of the input factors.2 65 . How do we do that? Copy all data from Column A to O and paste them to Column Q To AE. a) Selecting and transforming data Open the workbook(Real_Estate) and bring up worksheet (Raw Data).9762) and the minimum (0. Goto the worksheet (Transform Data) Thus we need to scale all the data into the value between 0 to 1.00632) in the Raw Data frame Min and Max textbox. Here we have 499 inputs patterns and desire outputs.
Enter the value 1 for maximum and 0. The raw data will be scaled nn_Solve will also automatically store the minimum (in cell Q506) and the maximum (Q505) value of the raw data in the last row and first column of the raw data.4 below We don’t need to scale Input 4 in column T and Input 5 in column U as those values are already between 0 and 1. Input 11 in column AA. (see Figure 4. Input 10 in column Z. Input 6 in column V. Of course you can change this. It is advisable not to use the value 0 as the minimum as it represent nothing. 66 . Input 8 in column X. Input 7 in column W.1 for minimum for the Scale Into. (see Figure 3. I’ve scale all the input data for your convenience.3 We also need to scale Input 2 in column R. Input 13 in column AC and Desire Output in Column AE.3 below) Figure 4. below) Click on the Scale Now button. Input 9 in column Y. Input 12 in column AB. Input 3 in column S. See Figure 4.
This worksheet. Connecting neurons to form a NN can be done in various ways.5 There are 13 (column Q:AE) nodes or neuron on the input layer. column Q to column AR actually contain the NN architecture shown below: INPUT LAYER HIDDEN LAYER OUTPUT LAYER Figure 4. 7 neurons on the hidden layer (column AJ:AP) and 1 neuron on the output layer (column AR). 68 .b) the neural network architecture A neural network is a group of neurons connected together.
Those lines that connect the nodes are call weights. I only connect part of them. In reality all the weights are connected layer by layer, like Figure 1.1 The number of neurons in the input layer depends on the number of possible inputs we have, while the number of neurons in the output layer depends on the number of desired outputs. Here we have 499 input patterns map to 499 desired or target outputs. We reserve 1 input pattern for testing later. Like what you see from the Figure 4.5 above, this NN model consists of three layers: Input layer with 13 neurons. Column Q = Input 1 (I1); Column R = Input 2 (I2); Column S = Input 3 (I3); Column T = Input 4 (I4) ; Column U = Input 5 (I5) ; Column V = Input 6 (I6); Column W = Input 7 (I7); Column X = Input 8 (I8); Column Y = Input 9 (I9); Column Z = Input 10 (I10); Column AA = Input 11 (I11); Column AB = Input 12 (I12); Column AC = Input 13 (I13) Hidden layer with 7 neurons. Column AJ = Hidden Node 1 (H1); Column AK = Hidden Node 2 (H2); Column AL = Hidden Node 3 (H3); Column AM = Hidden Node 4 (H4) Column AN = Hidden Node 5 (H5); Column AO = Hidden Node 6 (H6) Column AP = Hidden Node 7 (H7) Output layer with 1 neuron. Column AR = Output Node 1 (O1) Now let's talk about the weights that connection all the neurons together Note that: i. ii. The output of a neuron in a layer goes to all neurons in the following layer. See Figure 4.5 we have 13 inputs node and 7 hidden nodes and 1 output node. Here the number of weights are (13 x 7) + (7 x 1) = 98 Each neuron has its own input weights. The output of the NN is reached by applying input values to the input layer, passing the output of each neuron to the following layer as input.
w(10,7) = $AG$92 -> connecting I10 to H7 w(11,7) = $AG$93-> connecting I11 to H7 w(12,7) = $AG$94 -> connecting I12 to H7 w(13,7) = $AG$95 -> connecting I13 to H7 From Hidden Layer to Output Layer w(h1,1) = $AG$96 -> connecting H1 to O1 w(h2, 1) = $AG$97 -> connecting H2 to O1 w(h3, 1) = $AG$98 -> connecting H3 to O1 w(h4, 1) = $AG$99 -> connecting H4 to O1 w(h5, 1) = $AG$100 -> connecting H5 to O1 w(h6, 1) = $AG$101 -> connecting H6 to O1 w(h7, 1) = $AG$102 -> connecting H7 to O1 After mapping the NN architecture to the worksheet and entering the input and desired output data., it is time to see what is happening inside those nodes.
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incoming connection.Phew, what craps is this back propagation!!!. Fortunately, you don’t need to understand this, if you use MS Excel Solver to build and train a neural network model.
Figure 4.9 Enter AG5:AG102 and click on the Randomize Weights button. AG5:AG102 will be filled out with values between -1 to 1. (see Figure 4.10 below) The learning algorithm improves the performance of the network by gradually changing each weight in the proper direction. This is called an iterative procedure. Each iteration makes the weights slightly more efficient at separating the target from the nontarget examples. The iteration loop is usually carried out until no further improvement is being made. In typical neural networks, this may be anywhere from ten to ten-thousand iterations. Fortunately, we have Excel Solver. This tool has simplified neural network training so much.
Figure 4.10 Accessing Excel’s Solver To use the Solver, click on the Tools heading on the menu bar and select the Solver . . . item.
click on Select or Browse.11). it should be listed somewhere as shown above on the right. . When you click on the Tools menu. It should be in the Library directory in the folders where Microsoft Office is installed.‖ Note the location of the file. . try using the Mac’s Find File or Find in Windows to locate the file. you will be presented with the Solver Parameters dialog box below: 76 .13 If Solver is not listed (like Figure 4. . select Tools from the menu bar and choose the "Add-Ins . Search for ―solver.Figure 4. and open the Solver Add-In file. . To do this. return to the Add-Ins dialog box (by executing Tools: Add-Ins…). Excel takes a moment to call in the Solver file and adds it to the Tools menu. click on the Select or Browse button and navigate to the Solver add-in (called solver. . If the Solver add-in is not listed in the Add-Ins dialog box. What if you still cannot find it? Then it is likely your installation of Excel failed to include the Solver Add-In. Run your Excel or Office Setup again from the original CD-ROM and install the Solver AddIn. You should now be able to use the Solver by clicking on the Tools heading on the menu bar and selecting the Solver item. scroll down and click on the Solver Add-In so that the box is checked as shown by the Figure 4.13 above: After selecting the Solver Add-In and clicking on the OK button." item. In the AddIns dialog box. you must manually include it in the algorithms that Excel has available. If you cannot find the Solver Add-In. After executing Tools: Solver .xla in Windows and Solver on the MacOS) and open it.
14 Let us review each part of this dialog box.15 below Figure 4. See Figure 4. Set Target Cell is where you indicate the objective function (or goal) to be optimized. whereas Value is used if you want to reach a certain particular value of the Target Cell by choosing a particular value of the endogenous 77 . the objective function is to minimize the Mean Squared Error. This cell must contain a formula that depends on one or more other cells (including at least one ―changing cell‖).15 Equal to: gives you the option of treating the Target Cell in three alternative ways. In our NN model. to minimize it. Here we enter cell AV1. You can either type in the cell address or click on the desired cell. Max (the default) tells Excel to maximize the Target Cell and Min. one at a time.Figure 4.
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.e.21 A message appears when Solver converged (see Figure 4. we have save 1 row of data for testing i. usually you will need to run Solver a few times before Solver arrive at a satisfactory Mean Square Error. Follow the step discussed above. Or you may change the network architecture by adding more hidden nodes. From the Solver Results dialog box. ―Solver could not find a solution.e. Keep Solver Solution) or whether to leave the spreadsheet alone and NOT write the value of the solution into the Changing Cells (i. the Mean Square Error is not satisfactory and Solver unable to find the solution at one go. (Note: value less than 0.01 will be satisfactory) Bad news is a message like. and Limits reports are additional sheets inserted into the current workbook. Goto the row 502 of the RealEstate spreadsheet. Restore Original Values). Remember. debug. Keep the Solver solution and run Solver again.21). It is important to understand that a saved Excel workbook will remember the information included in the last Solver run. e) using the trained model for forecasting After all the training and the MSE is below 0. From experience. Excel presents a series of reports. They contain diagnostic and other information and should be selected if Solver is having trouble finding a solution. The two quickest fixes are to try different initial weights values and to add bigger or smaller constraints to the weights. In this case.Figure 4.‖ If this happens. row 503 81 . and otherwise think about what went wrong and how it could be fixed.‖ This is good news! Sometime. you must diagnose. All constraints are satisfied. enables the user to save particular solutions for given configurations. When Excel reports a successful run. you would usually want it to Keep the Solver Solution... Sensitivity.e. Save Scenario. Excel reports that ―Solver has converged to the current solution.01. On the right-hand side of the Solver Results dialog box. you elect whether to have Excel write the solution it has found into the Changing Cells (i. its now time for us to predict.. If this is the case then you. The Answer.
24 82 . Select Scale Data for the nn_Solve menu.22 above) After that. you fill down until row 503 (see Figure 4. Figure 4. (see Figure 4.22 Select AJ502:AR502. (See Figure 4. for row 503 we have 0. Figure 4.23) We need to scale this number back to raw data before they have any meaning to us.23 below) .Figure 4.23 So.26748 for predicted Output 1 (AR503).
25 above). (See Figure 4. Of course when you do the training on your own.25 Enter AR503 in the Data Range.Figure 4. As we are reversing what we did just now when we scale the raw data to the range 0 to 1. Figure 4.26 So our predicted real estate price is 17. The actual price is 17. You have successfully use neural network to predict real estate price. 83 .2 (cell O503).0366 as in AR503 (see Figure 4. The results here are based on the MSE of 0.26 above). Now the raw data maximum become 1 and minimum become 0. Click on Scale Now.1 As we have automatically save the maximum (50) and minimum (5) of the raw data initially. now we use them as the maximum and minimum values to be scaled into.00178 There you go. you will get slightly different result because of the MSE error that you have derived.
we can use neural network to classify which class an Iris flower belongs to. NN can only be fed with numeric data for training. NN cannot take or understand ―setosa. After proper training the network is capable of classifying the flowers with a 100% accuracy.1 Now. This worksheet is self explanatory. The neural network is train with 146 examples of three species of Iris. a) Selecting and transforming data Open the workbook(Irises) and bring up worksheet (Raw Data). So we have 147 records altogether. This is one of the standard benchmark that can be used to show how neural networks (and other techniques) can be used for classification.1) Figure 5. in column F (Desire). it contains exactly what has been transform from worksheet(Raw Data). We reserve 1 example for testing our model later. we have the Flower Type. virginic‖. If you select the worksheet(Transform Data). Two of the species are not linearly separable. 147 inputs patterns and desire outputs. Using the petal and sepal sizes. the data are still in alphabet form. (see Figure 5.5) Classify Type Of Irises Open the file Irises.xls. we can see that Column A to column F in the worksheet (Transform Data) are all numerical. Here we can see that. 84 . For example. versicol.5 for ―versicol and 0 for ―virginic‖. So we need to transform these raw data into numeric form. so there is no simple rule for classification of flowers. We have to do this one by one manually. 0. So we transform them to 1 for ―setosa‖. Here we. There are 4 input factors and 1 desire output (end result).
3) in the Raw Data frame Min and Max textbox. This is because NN will learn better if there is uniformity in the data. Press the Tab key on your keyboard to exit.9) and the minimum (4.3 Enter the reference for Input 1 (H7:H153) in the Data Range. The first column we need to scale is Column H (Input 1) Select Scale Data on the nn_Solve menu (see Figure 5.2 Figure 5. How do we do that? Copy all data from Column A to F and paste them to Column H To M.2) Figure 5. When you press Tab. we also need to ―massage‖ the numeric data a little bit. nn_Solve will automatically load the maximum (7. (see Figure 5. Thus we need to scale all the data into the value between 0 to 1.Apart from this transformation.2) 85 .
See Figure 5.5 below. (see Figure 5. Figure 5. We may need these numbers later.4 We also need to scale Input 2 in column I. It is advisable not to use the value 0 as the minimum as it represent nothing. Input 3 in column J and Input 4 in column K. Figure 5. I’ve scale all the input data for your convenience.Enter the value 1 for maximum and 0. We don’t need to scale Desire column M as those values are already between 0 and 1. Of course you can change this. The raw data will be scaled nn_Solve will also automatically store the minimum (in cell H156) and the maximum (H155) value of the raw data in the last row and first column of the raw data.5 86 .1 for minimum for the Scale Into. Click on the Scale Now button.4 below).
b) the neural network architecture A neural network is a group of neurons connected together.1 The number of neurons in the input layer depends on the number of possible inputs we have. 2 neurons on the hidden layer 1 (columnR:S). this NN model consists of three layers: Input layer with 4 neurons. Like what you see from the Figure 1. Connecting neurons to form a NN can be done in various ways. Here we have 146 input patterns map to 146 desired or target outputs. column H to column X actually contain the NN architecture shown below: It is a 4 layer neural network which is very effective in classification problems. 87 . 2 neurons on the hidden layer 2 (column U:V) and 1 neuron on the output layer (column X). We reserve 1 input pattern for testing later. INPUT LAYER HIDDEN LAYER 1 HIDDEN LAYER 2 OUTPUT LAYER Figure 5.6 There are 4 (column H:K) nodes or neuron on the input layer. like Figure 1. while the number of neurons in the output layer depends on the number of desired outputs. Those lines that connect the nodes are call weights. This worksheet. I only connect part of them.2 above. In reality all the weights are connected layer by layer.
Column J = Input 3 (I3). Column K = Input 4 (I4) Hidden layer 1 with 2 neurons.Column H = Input 1 (I1). Here the number of weights are (4 x 2) + (2 x 2) + (2 x 1) = 14 o Each neuron has its own input weights. Column I = Input 2 (I2). I have put the weights vector in one column O. So the weights are contain in cells: From Input Layer to Hidden Layer 1 w(1. See Figure 5. Column U = Hidden Node 1 (H3) Column V = Hidden Node 2 (H4) Output layer with 1 neuron.2) = $O$12 -> connecting I2 to H2 w(3. 2 nodes for hidden layer 2 and 1 output node.2) = $O$13 -> connecting I3 to H2 w(4.2) = $O$14-> connecting I4 to H2 ― and ― so 88 . Column X = Output Node 1 (O1) Now let's talk about the weights that connection all the neurons together Note that: o The output of a neuron in a layer goes to all neurons in the following layer.1) = $O$7 -> connecting I1 to H1 w(2.2) = $O$11 -> connecting I1 to H2 w(2. o The output of the NN is reached by applying input values to the input layer.1) = $O$9 -> connecting I3 to H1 w(4.1) = $O$10 -> connecting I4 to H1 w(1. Column R = Hidden Node 1 (H1) Column S = Hidden Node 2 (H2) Hidden layer 2 with 2 neurons.1) = $O$8 -> connecting I2 to H1 w(3.6 o We have 4 inputs node and 2 nodes for hidden layer 1. passing the output of each neuron to the following layer as input.
h3) = $O$15 -> connecting H1 to H3 w(h2. and could change per network configuration and type of data.1) = $O$19 -> connecting H3 to O1 w(h4.1) = $O$20 -> connecting H4 to O1 After mapping the NN architecture to the worksheet and entering the input and desired output data. and add more hidden layers if you notice that the network is not learning as well as you like. it is time to see what is happening inside those nodes.h3) = $O$16 -> connecting H2 to H3 w(h1. but at the same time decreases its performance.h4) = $O$18-> connecting H2 to H4 From Hidden Layer 2 to Output Layer w(h3.― on ― ― From Hidden Layer 1 to Hidden Layer 2 w(h1. You could start a network configuration using a single hidden layer.h4) = $O$17 -> connecting H1 to H4 w(h2. In general the addition of a hidden layer could allow the network to learn more complex patterns. c) simple mathematic operations inside the neural network model The number of hidden layers and how many neurons in each hidden layer cannot be well defined in advance.. p/g 89 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x 89 .
x p/g 90 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 90 .
This sum equals the EA for the chosen hidden unit.7a above indicate that the desire Output is 1 i. it is straight forward to compute the EW for each incoming connection of the unit. Since we have using 146 rows of patterns. the EA is simply the difference between the actual and the desired output. we must adjust the weights of each unit in such a way that the error between the desired output and the actual output is reduced. The actual output is 0. This is what gives back propagation its name. This is only one pattern error. the better. For output units.394570671 is not what we want. We need to change the weight of each connection so that the network produces a better approximation of the desired output. The back-propagation algorithm is easiest to understand if all the units in the network are linear. you don’t need to understand this. This process requires that the neural network compute the error derivative of the weights (EW). what craps is this back propagation!!!. The back propagation algorithm is the most widely used method for determining the EW. d) Training NN as an Optimization Task Using Excel Solver 91 . moving from layer to layer in a direction opposite to the way activities propagate through the network. the rate at which the error changes as the activity level of a unit is changed. Fortunately. X7.e.x Remember we present the network with training examples. In other words. we minus this with the desire output. Remember.e. which consist of a pattern of activities for the input units together with the desired pattern of activities for the output units.7a) MSE = (SUM(Z7:Z152)/146) Our objective is to minimize the MSE. The EW is the product of the EA and the activity through the incoming connection. Sum up all the error and take the average. Since 0. we get 0.366545 (in Z7) The closer the actual output of the network matches the desired output. we first identify all the weights between that hidden unit and the output units to which it is connected. To compute the EA for a hidden unit in the layer just before the output layer. After that we square the error to get a positive value Error = (X7 – Y7) ^ 2 . For example in Figure 5. In NN technical term. we call this step of changing the weights as TRAINING THE NEURAL NETWORK. Once the EA has been computed for a unit. it must calculate how the error changes as each weight is increased or decreased slightly. After calculating all the EAs in the hidden layer just before the output layer. (see Figure 5. We then multiply those weights by the EAs of those output units and add the products.394570671 i. we fill down the formula again from row 7 until row 152 in this spreadsheet. we save the last 1 rows for testing our model later. In order to train a neural network to perform some task. The algorithm computes each EW by first computing the EA. we can compute in like fashion the EAs for other layers. Phew. if you use MS Excel Solver to build and train a neural network model. Y7.
There is no single best method for nonlinear optimization. and there is a huge literature on the subject in fields such as numerical analysis.g. O7:O20 will be filled out with values between -1 to 1. select Randomize Weights (see Figure 5. The connections determine whether it is possible for one unit to influence another. Values between -1 to 1 will be the best starting weights. an exercise in numerical optimization of a usually nonlinear function.8) Figure 5. Methods of nonlinear optimization have been studied for hundreds of years. and accurate. From the nn_Solve menu. and statistical computing. Gill.Training a neural network is. various conjugate-gradient algorithms are efficient.. in most cases. MS Excel's Solver is a numerical optimization add-in (an additional file that extends the capabilities of Excel). Murray. Let’ fill out the weight vector.8 Enter O7:O20 and click on the Randomize Weights button. These two optimization method are available with Excel Solver To make a neural network that performs some specific task. operations research. (see Figure 5. and Wright 1981. Bertsekas 1995. and we must set the weights on the connections appropriately. various quasi-Newton algorithms are efficient.9 below) 92 . The weights specify the strength of the influence. For a medium size neural network model with moderate number of weights. It can be fast. easy. You need to choose a method based on the characteristics of the problem to be solved. we must choose how the units are connected to one another . For a large number of weights. e. The weights are contain in O7:O20.
This tool has simplified neural network training so much.9 The learning algorithm improves the performance of the network by gradually changing each weight in the proper direction. Each iteration makes the weights slightly more efficient at separating the target from the nontarget examples. click on the Tools heading on the menu bar and select the Solver .10 . The iteration loop is usually carried out until no further improvement is being made. Accessing Excel’s Solver To use the Solver. item. . 93 . . This is called an iterative procedure.Figure 5. this may be anywhere from ten to ten-thousand iterations. Figure 5. Fortunately. we have Excel Solver. In typical neural networks.
click on Select or Browse. If you cannot find the Solver Add-In. scroll down and click on the Solver Add-In so that the box is checked as shown by the Figure 5.Figure 5. try using the Mac’s Find File or Find in Windows to locate the file." item. return to the Add-Ins dialog box (by executing Tools: Add-Ins…). . you must manually include it in the algorithms that Excel has available. When you click on the Tools menu. Excel takes a moment to call in the Solver file and adds it to the Tools menu.‖ Note the location of the file. select Tools from the menu bar and choose the "Add-Ins . . What if you still cannot find it? Then it is likely your installation of Excel failed to include the Solver Add-In.xla in Windows and Solver on the MacOS) and open it. Search for ―solver. and open the Solver Add-In file. it should be listed somewhere as shown above on the right. To do this.10). .12 above: After selecting the Solver Add-In and clicking on the OK button. Run your Excel or Office Setup again from the original CD-ROM and install the Solver AddIn. you will be presented with the Solver Parameters dialog box below: 94 . In the AddIns dialog box. It should be in the Library directory in the folders where Microsoft Office is installed. If the Solver add-in is not listed in the Add-Ins dialog box.12 If Solver is not listed (like Figure 5. click on the Select or Browse button and navigate to the Solver add-in (called solver. . After executing Tools: Solver . You should now be able to use the Solver by clicking on the Tools heading on the menu bar and selecting the Solver item. .
In our NN model.Figure 5.14 below p/g 95 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 95 . the objective function is to minimize the Mean Squared Error. You can either type in the cell address or click on the desired cell. Here we enter cell AB1. See Figure 5.13 Let us review each part of this dialog box. This cell must contain a formula that depends on one or more other cells (including at least one ―changing cell‖). Set Target Cell is where you indicate the objective function (or goal) to be optimized. one at a time.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x p/g 96 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 96 .
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x p/g 97 is not available for viewing x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 97 .
So.19 above. you will see the Trial Solution at the bottom left of your spreadsheet. This is the last thing you do in the Solver Parameters dialog box. click Solve to start training. See Figure 5.19 When Solver start optimizing. 98 .x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Solve is obviously the button you click to get Excel's Solver to find a solution. Figure 5.
‖ This is good news! Sometime. From experience. They contain diagnostic and other information and should be selected if Solver is having trouble finding a solution. Keep Solver Solution) or whether to leave the spreadsheet alone and NOT write the value of the solution into the Changing Cells (i. If this is the case then you. Restore Original Values).. Remember. debug. All constraints are satisfied. e) using the trained model for forecasting After all the training and the MSE is below 0. and Limits reports are additional sheets inserted into the current workbook.. On the right-hand side of the Solver Results dialog box.01 will be satisfactory) Bad news is a message like. When Excel reports a successful run. In this case. its now time for us to predict.e.20 A message appears when Solver converged (see Figure 5. From the Solver Results dialog box. Sensitivity.‖ If this happens. (Note: value less than 0. Or you may change the network architecture by adding more hidden nodes. Excel presents a series of reports. row 153 99 . the Mean Square Error is not satisfactory and Solver unable to find the solution at one go.e.Figure 5. you would usually want it to Keep the Solver Solution. Excel reports that ―Solver has converged to the current solution. Goto the row 152 of the Irises spreadsheet. Keep the Solver solution and run Solver again. and otherwise think about what went wrong and how it could be fixed. The Answer. we have save 1 row of data for testing i. Follow the step discussed above. usually you will need to run Solver a few times before Solver arrive at a satisfactory Mean Square Error.e.01.20). ―Solver could not find a solution. you elect whether to have Excel write the solution it has found into the Changing Cells (i. you must diagnose. The two quickest fixes are to try different initial weights values and to add bigger or smaller constraints to the weights.
08839486 is very near to 0.21 above).After that.08839486 for predicted Output 1 (X153). The results here are based on the MSE of 0. Of course when you do the training on your own.23 above).22 So.22 below) .23 below). we can take this result as 0. Figure 5. As the value 0. you will get slightly different result because of the MSE error that you have derived. (See Figure 5.00878 100 . you fill down until row 153 (see Figure 5. Figure 5.21 Select R152:X152. The desire output is 0 (cell M153). for row 153 we have 0. We have successfully predicted the exact outcome.Figure 5.23 So our predicted type of Irises price is Virginic which is represented by the value 0 as in X153 (see Figure 5. (see Figure 5.
And if you have a predicted value of more than 0. My suggestion is. this can be round up to the value of 0. There you go. You have successfully use neural network to predict the type of Irises. when you have a predicted value of less than 0.4.6. try to rebuild and retrain the NN model if you get borderline cases like this. then you can round up to the value of 1. 101 .The general rules for classification are.
Conclusion Neural networks’ tolerance to noise makes them an excellent choice for solving real-world pattern recognition problems in which perfect data is not always available. Depending on the domain. In addition. or propagated by hand. Each problem is unique. there are costs. 102 . regardless of the amount of training. and so too are the solutions. but there is one thing for certain. whether a neural network is computed by a computer. to production. With this book. through forecasting. can be challenging. in some cases. In these cases. the weights may not always "settle" at particular values. after the system is implemented it may not converge. neural networks do not cogitate. obtaining sufficient and suitable training data. you have learned the neural network method to enable direct quantitative studies to be carried out without the need for rocket-science expertise. they have already become the method of choice. For example. Training a network can be an arduous process. As with any solution. developing neural networks becomes more of an art than a science. such as fraud detection. This boom in applications covers a wide range of business interests — from finance management. implemented in hardware. There are no hard rules. sometimes called "truth". Their use for risk assessment is also growing and they have been employed to visualise complex databases for marketing segmentation. That is. Sometimes adding additional nodes or layers will stabilize a system. They are simply powerful computational tools and their sophisticated mathematical computation positions them to be used to solve a broad range of problems. speech transcription and natural language systems require large amounts of data to train. Neural networks are increasingly being used in real-world business applications and.
select Tools -> Options -> Security tab. Double click on it. The 5 workbooks that contain the neural network models are: a. Real_Estate e. Irises Installing the nn_Solve add-in : 1. (see below) 103 .This book comes with an Excel add in nn_Solve and 5 neural network models developed with Excel spreadsheets. Select Enable Macros (see below) 3. If you can’t open the addin nn_Solve. 2. Credit_Approval b. Sales_Forecasting c. Select Macro Security on the bottom right and Select Medium. You will see nn_Solve on the Excel menu bar like below: 4. then from the Excel menu bar. Open the folder nn_Solve.zip. You will see the addin nn_Solve. Dow_Weekly_Prices d. This will launch nn_Solve.
This will open nn_Solve Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation 104 .5. Double click on nn_Solve icon again. | 2019-04-25T01:50:50Z | https://www.scribd.com/document/82906787/Build-Neural-Network-With-MS-Excel-Sample |
2 Intelligence Company (abbreviated 2 Int Coy) is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve Intelligence Branch unit based in Toronto, headquartered at Denison Armoury. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division. The Intelligence Officers and Operators of the unit reside in the Greater Toronto Area, work as professionals in the business community and are also active in numerous community service organizations. They deploy on domestic and foreign operations, and are primarily responsible for tactical, or combat intelligence. Recent deployments include to Cyprus, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Canada.
Ordo ab Chaos Latin "Order from Chaos"
2 Intelligence Company perpetuates the presence of a military intelligence unit in Toronto that can be traced back to the original No. 2 Guides Company that was formed April 1, 1903. As mounted units, Guides Companies were tasked to survey their respective regions as well as to collect information of potential military intelligence value. Upon mobilization for World War I, Guides personnel were reassigned to other duties. This was due to the fact that there was no establishment for intelligence units in the British divisional structure on which the Canadian Expeditionary Force was based. Guides personnel however did serve in intelligence capacities at corps, division and brigade level throughout the war. Following the end of World War I, units of the Corps of Guides were restructured as Cyclists and a company assigned to each Military District. On December 15, 1921, the company in Toronto was re-designated No. 2 Cyclist Company. As Divisional troops, these units were tasked to conduct reconnaissance and force protection.
On March 31, 1929, the Corps of Guides was disbanded. As a result, the Canadian Army had no officers or men trained in "field intelligence" at the beginning of World War II. The Canadian Intelligence Corps was formed on October 29, 1942. Overseas, the Corps grouped together several specialist units as well as all personnel employed in intelligence duties at various headquarters, but did not include senior staff officers or intelligence officers at Brigade and Battalion level. Within Canada, Canadian Intelligence Corps units were responsible for the training of specialist personnel, performing signals intelligence and censorship duties as well as conducting counter-intelligence. One of these units was No. 2 Field Security Section (also known as No. 2 Intelligence Section), which operated in Toronto from April 1, 1942, until February 27, 1946.
The need to train officers and men without wartime experience was recognized quickly after the end of World War II and militia intelligence companies were formed across Canada. No. 2 Intelligence Company (also known as 2 Intelligence Training Company) was formed in Toronto on September 4, 1947. Training was provided in combat intelligence, air imagery analysis, field security and languages.
With Unification, the amalgamation of the Regular Force Intelligence component with the Provost Corps led to the amalgamation of their militia counterparts. On February 1, 1970, No. 2 Intelligence Company was reduced to a section within the Military Police Platoon of the Toronto Service Battalion.
2 Intelligence Company returned to the Canadian Army's Order of Battle on October 29, 1993, as Land Force Central Intelligence Company. It regained its historic designation on May 19, 1995.
4th Divisional Cyclist Company of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was organized in Toronto in March 1916 under the command of Captain G. L. Berkley, with a strength of 8 officers and 191 other ranks. They deployed from Halifax aboard the HMT Olympic 1 May 1916 and arrived in England 6 May 1916 and attached to Canadian Reserve Cyclist Company at Swindon (Chisledon Camp). The unit was disbanded by General Order 208 of 15 November 1920.
In addition to the training the Cyclists had received under the direction of the Corps of Guides in Canada, a much more intensive course was started in England which consisted of musketry, bombing, and bayonet fighting coupled with the highly specialized role of learning signalling and topography techniques, range-finding, tactics and the use of Lewis guns.
Captain Olaf Morris Hertzberg, (December 18, 1919 – February 26, 1943). Enlisted: September 2, 1939 Toronto, Ontario. Mentioned in Dispatches, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe."
Sergeant William Allan McCarthy, (January 14, 1917 – September 6, 1944). Son of Mrs. M. E. McCarthy, of Toronto, Ontario.
May 28, 1915 – September 14, 1944. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Son of Frank Allan Pickersgill and Sara Cornelia (née Smith) Pickersgill, of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brother of Jack Pickersgill, a member of the House of Commons of Canada and a Cabinet Minister until 1967.
Captain Frank Pickersgill (code name: Bertrand) spoke English, French, German, Spanish and Greek. After receiving his MA in classics at U of T in 1938, he went to study in London, England. While travelling in Europe he was interned as an enemy alien by the Germans and put to hard labour. After using a metal file smuggled to him in a loaf of bread to saw his way out of his cell and escape, he returned to Britain, briefing Canadian units on conditions in German-occupied France. He volunteered to be parachuted into France with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to support the French Resistance. Along with John Kenneth Macalister, another U of T student and Rhodes scholar from Guelph, Ontario, he was inserted on the night of June 15, 1943. The two were almost immediately picked up in a random search by the German army.
The two men were tortured by the Gestapo, who wanted them to pretend to still be free, and so encourage more SOE personnel to parachute in and be captured. Neither cooperated with the enemy. The Gestapo entertained Pickersgill at their Paris headquarters in an effort to persuade him to assist them. Pickersgill didn't relent. Instead, he broke a wine bottle, used the jagged edge to slit a guard's throat and managed to escape by jumping out a second-storey window before SS guards shot him four times and recaptured him. He was sent to the Buchenwald extermination camp, where he and Macalister were strangled as spies in early September, 1944. Buchenwald survivors said Pickersgill continued to try to keep his fellow captives' spirits up to the very end, telling bad jokes and encouraging them to march in step like soldiers.
Captain Pickersgill, an alumnus of the University of Toronto, was honoured on September 15, 2004, at a wreath-laying at a small garden dedicated to him and his fellow Special Operations Executive agent, Captain John Kenneth Macalister at the foot of the University's Soldiers Tower.
He was buried at Groesbeek Memorial, Netherlands. Grave Reference: Panel 11.
1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp. Mention in Dispatches, 12 November 1945. He was posthumously awarded the Cross of the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (France) in a ceremony on 12 December 1950 at the French embassy in Ottawa, Ontario.
July 19, 1914 – September 14, 1944. John Kenneth Macalister (code name: Valentin, alias: Jean Charles Mauinier) was born July 19, 1914, in Guelph, Ontario. Son of Alexander and Celestine MacAlister; husband of Jeannine (née Lucas) MacAlister, of Paris, France. He spoke French and English. After graduating at the top of his law class at the University of Toronto, Macalister attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He graduated from there with first-class honours, and went on to the bar exams in London where he came first among the 142 from across the empire who sat the tests. He turned down a position teaching law at the University of Toronto in order to serve as an Intelligence Officer, responding to the faculty with only, "Sorry. Many thanks. Macalister."
He was parachuted into France with the SOE to support the French Resistance on the night of June 15, 1943. They were met by agent Yvonne Rudelatt as planned, but were shortly afterward stopped by the Gestapo who had been tipped-off by an informer. Although they tried to get away, shots were fired and Rudelatt was hit, causing the car to crash. They were taken to Fresnes prison where they were interrogated and tortured repeatedly. Macalister steadfastly refused to reveal his security checks to the Germans who had his codes and wished to send misleading messages back to the SOE's London headquarters. Macalister gave his interrogators nothing and when his captors tried to send messages, SOE recognized them as fake. He was sent to the Buchenwald extermination camp where he was executed as a spy September 14, 1944.
Captain MacAlister, an alumnus of the University of Toronto was honoured on September 15, 2004, at a wreath-laying at a small garden dedicated to him and his fellow SOE agent, Captain Frank Pickersgill at the foot of the University's Soldiers Tower. In 1995, the former principal of University College, Douglas LePan published an epic poem on MacAlister titled Macalister or Dying in the Dark.
He was buried at Brookwood Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom. Grave Reference: Panel 21 Column 1.
Mention in Dispatches, 15 November 1945 "for his great bravery and self-sacrifice".
December 25, 1897 – August 19, 1942. Killed in action at Dieppe. He was buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery (Hautot-Sur-Mer), Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Reference L. 51.
November 10, 1905 – August 19, 1942. Killed in action at Dieppe. He was buried at Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery (Hautot-Sur-Mer), Seine-Maritime, France. Grave Reference: B. 26.
September 25, 1919 – August 9, 1944. Son of Anton and Tanya Osipoff. Husband of Ethel M. Osipoff, of Chichester, Sussex, England. Sergeant Ossipoff was working as a furrier when he enlisted at Regina on the outbreak of the war. He was killed in action on Operation Totalize during the push to Falaise, and was buried at Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Calvados, France. Grave Reference: XIII. E. 16.
November 26, 1916 – June 5, 1943. Son of Tom and Mary Place; husband of Ruth Place, of Hamilton, Ontario. He was buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, United Kingdom. Grave Reference: 40. E. 4.
Staff Sergeant James Hillary Struthers was one of the few Canadian Intelligence Corps personnel to serve in the Korean War. He was a World War II veteran who had served in the Royal Canadian Dragoons from 1938 to 1946. Following the end of the war he returned to Toronto where he joined the Canadian Intelligence Corps as a Reservist in 2 Intelligence Company. In May, 1951, he deployed to Korea with 1 Field Security Section, which had a unit strength of two Intelligence Officers, 17 Intelligence Operators and 12 other non-intelligence members. Their tasks included Counter Intelligence and Force Protection through screening of civilian labourers, refugee control, and interrogations; activities now known as HUMINT. The unit was disbanded in December 1951 in an effort by Ottawa to reduce the Canadian contribution to the war.
Soldiers from 2 Intelligence Company deployed on operations in Afghanistan from 2005 through the end of combat operations in 2011, and following that on the NATO Training Mission and withdrawal (2012–14). Throughout the combat operations period, up to 25 percent of the unit's effective strength was deployed.
2 Intelligence Company personnel served with various formations and units, including at ISAF Joint Command (IJC), Information Dominance Centre (IDC) Kabul, Regional Command South, Task Force Kandahar HQ, Battle Group, Canadian Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLTs), National Support Element and the All Source Intelligence Centre. Operations conducted include MEDUSA, ATHENA and ARCHER.
Unit member citations from the war include a Mention in Dispatches October 2, 2007, and a Meritorious Service Medal awarded June 20, 2012.
Monument at the site of Camp X in Whitby, Ontario.
2 Intelligence Company conducts the annual Remembrance Day parade at Intrepid Park, the site of a World War II commando and espionage training site known as Camp X (or Special Training School 103 as it was officially known).
Many in the intelligence world consider Camp X to be the finest espionage training camp of the Second World War. It is said that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency named its training facility the 'Farm' as homage to Camp X, the first school of its kind in North America.
Founded by Sir William Stephenson (more popularly known by his codename 'The Man Called Intrepid'), Camp X operated from 1941 to 1946 as a vital co-operative training ground for agents in Canadian, British and American service, who were inserted deep in Nazi-occupied Europe. Over 500 agents trained at Camp X before going on to work as secret agents, security personnel, intelligence officers, or psychological warfare experts, serving in clandestine operations in German-occupied Europe, supporting the efforts of underground resistance movements, or monitoring Nazi propaganda elsewhere.
Trainees at the camp learned sabotage techniques, subversion, intelligence gathering, lock picking, explosives training, radio communications, encode/decode, recruiting techniques for partisans, the art of silent killing and unarmed combat. Camp X offered no parades for its graduates and none were ever publicly recognized for their accomplishments.
Agents were not protected by the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and many were captured, tortured, and executed by hostile forces. Approximately half of them did not return from their missions.
A monument was erected in 1984 to honour the men and women of Camp X. It is surrounded by four flags: that of Bermuda (where Sir William Stephenson lived for many decades) and those of wartime Allies the United States, Canada and Britain. The annual parade at this memorial honours the service of the fallen soldiers and the veterans who trained at this site, but could never be publicly recognized for their service during their lifetime.
Camp X was also the site of Hydra, a sophisticated top-secret communications relay station that facilitated the transmission of Allied sensitive and secret information during the war, and continued to operate until 1969. Built and run by Canadian electrical engineer Benjamin de Forest Bayly, it was considered one of the world's most advanced communications centres at that time.
In the fall of 1945, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police delivered to Camp X one of its most informative visitors, Igor Gouzenko, a Russian embassy cypher-clerk who defected to Canada. During an extensive debriefing, Igor revealed the magnitude of an elaborate Soviet espionage operation in Canada.
In March 2012 Parks Canada designated "Camp X" a National Historic Event.
On September 15, 2004, alumni veterans from the Soldiers' Tower Committee and members of 2 Intelligence Company held a ceremony to dedicate the Pickersgill-Macalister Garden of Remembrance at the foot of Soldiers' Tower to the memory of Captain John MacAlister and Captain Frank Pickersgill. MacAlister and Pickersgill were members of 2 Intelligence Company who were executed in the Buchenwald concentration camp by the German Gestapo, after being parachuted into France for the SOE prior to D-Day. A plaque at the garden displays the following inscription: "This garden is in memory of those who gave their lives for peace and freedom. It was originally dedicated to the memory of Captain John Kenneth Macalister (University College BA 1936) and Captain Frank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill (University College MA 1938)".
The late University College principal Douglas LePan (BA 1935, DLitt 1990, DLitt Sac. Hon. 1997) a veteran and award-winning poet, had known Macalister as a student, and was chiefly responsible for the creation of the Pickersgill-Macalister Memorial Garden on the west side of Soldiers' Tower. In 1995 LePan published a long verse drama about MacAlister titled MacAlister, or Dying in the Dark.
The Intelligence Corps' Centennial Cannon was produced by Compton House Limited as an operational muzzle-loading cannon to be fired for the Canadian Centennial. It is a George III one-pounder, however it carries the Canadian Intelligence Corps crest in place of the George III cipher. Two C INT C "collar dogs" are mounted on the forward face of the carriage. The squat 30-inch barrel is mounted on an oak carriage, fitted with bronze wheels, trunion caps and hardware. The barrel is cast in iron, with drawn steel bore tube for reinforcement. It weighs 83 pounds.
The Centennial Cannon was proved on December 4, 1966, at Aurora, Ontario, by Duncan Webster, Historian, Antique Arms Expert and Curator of the Canadiana Gallery of the Royal Ontario Museum. The cannon is the first muzzle loading cannon ever produced in Canada, with the exception of some miniatures and replicas made privately by collectors.
The gun was given by Duncan F. Cameron, a retired officer of 2 Intelligence Company, to the unit Officers' Mess to mark Canada's Centennial. He presented the gun to Major Wilford C. Wheeler, Commanding Officer of 2 Intelligence Company at the unit's Christmas Ball, December 16, 1966, at which time it was fired. It was also fired on February 24, 1967, to officially open the Toronto Garrison Officers' Centennial Ball at Moss Park Armoury.
The gun is on display at Denison Armoury, in Toronto.
^ "Units and Formations by Location". Canadian Army. Government of Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ "2 Intelligence Company". Canadian Army. Government of Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ Fyfe, David. "National Intelligence Centre deploys to Kuwait during Op IMPACT". The Canadian Military Intelligence Association Newsletter. 2015 (Summer): 16–17.
^ Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – Light (Volume 2, 1983–1997 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. p. 356. ISBN 0-595-35928-0.
^ Canada Intelligence, Security Activities and Operations Handbook Volume 1 – Organizations, Regulations, Activities (2014 ed.). Washington, DC: International Business Publications. 2014. p. 121. ISBN 0-7397-1615-8.
^ Skaarup, Harold (16 May 2005). Out of Darkness-Light: A History of Canadian Military Intelligence. Iuniverse Inc. p. 356. ISBN 0595671845.
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^ "William Allan McCarthy". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ Brown, Harold E. (1994). University of Toronto Memorial Book Second World War 1939–1945. Toronto: Soldiers' Tower Committee, University of Toronto. ISBN 096986860X.
^ Scott, Alec (Autumn 2007). "Behind Enemy Lines". UofT Magazine. 2007 (Autumn). Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^ "Frank Herbert Dedrick Pickersgill". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
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^ Rolston, Bruce. "Requiem for the Brave". UofT Magazine. 2005 (Winter). Retrieved 13 October 2015.
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^ "George Anthony Osipoff". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
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^ "Joseph William Place". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – L:ight (Volume 1, Pre-Confederation to 1982 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. p. 190. ISBN 0-595-34989-7.
^ Thorn, Marie-Paule. "Governor General Announces the Award of a Meritorious Service Decoration (Military Division) and 27 Mentions in Dispatches". Media. Governor General of Canada – Archives. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^ Bélanger, Marie-Pierre. "Governor General to Present 43 Military Decorations". News Release. Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
^ "Remembrance Day Activities 2013". Whitby Legion. RCL Branch 112. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
^ "Whitby Legion Remembrance Day Services". Whitby. Town of Whitby. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
^ "Government of Canada Commemorates Canada's Secret Agent Contributions to Allied War Efforts Camp X in Whitby recognized as an event of national historic significance". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ Community and Marketing Services (1 October 2012). "Intrepid Park and "Camp X"" (PDF). Town of Whitby Report. Recommendation Report (CMS 59-12): 2. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ "Secret Intelligence Activities at Camp X". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ Laye, Tim. "Whitby – Camp X". Ontario War Memorials. Blogspot. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
^ "Bermuda Flag Flies At Spy School Monument". BerNews. June 1, 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
^ Dambrauskas, Mike (October 2014). "Branch Historical Facts: Camp X and HYDRA" (PDF). The Shield. 48 (10): 3. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
^ "Soldiers' Tower Virtual Tour". Alumni, U of T. University of Toronto. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
^ Friedland, Martin L (2013). The University of Toronto: A History (Second ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-4426-4800-5.
^ Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – Light (Volume 1, Pre-Confederation to 1982 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. p. 402. ISBN 0-595-34989-7.
^ "Centennial Cannon Presented to 2 Int Trg Coy". Silver & Green (Edition 2): 2. March 1967.
^ Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – Light (Volume 1, Pre-Confederation to 1982 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. pp. 402–404. ISBN 0-595-34989-7.
"Units and Formations by Location". Canadian Army. Government of Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
"2 Intelligence Company". Canadian Army. Government of Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – Light (Volume 2, 1983–1997 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0-595-35928-0.
Fyfe, David. "National Intelligence Centre deploys to Kuwait during Op IMPACT". The Canadian Military Intelligence Association Newsletter. 2015 (Summer).
Canada Intelligence, Security Activities and Operations Handbook Volume 1 – Organizations, Regulations, Activities (2014 ed.). Washington, DC: International Business Publications. 2014. p. 121. ISBN 0-7397-1615-8.
Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force – Cyclists (PDF). Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"Canadian "Divisional Cyclist Companies & Corps Battalions" During The First World War". Canada at War Blog. Wordpress. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"Service Records". Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"In memory of". Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
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"Pte. H Folliott Killed" (November 19, 1918). The Toronto Star. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
Brown, Harold E. (1994). University of Toronto Memorial Book Second World War 1939–1945. Toronto: Soldiers' Tower Committee, University of Toronto. ISBN 096986860X.
Scott, Alec (Autumn 2007). "Behind Enemy Lines". UofT Magazine. 2007 (Autumn). Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"Special Agents Faced Capture ad Execution". Altitude. Spring. 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
"Thread: MacAlister, John Kenneth". Special Forces Roll of Honour. vBulletin Solutions, Inc. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"Recommendation for Award for MacAlister, John Kenneth Rank: Captain". The National Archives. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
Rolston, Bruce. "Requiem for the Brave". UofT Magazine. 2005 (Winter). Retrieved 13 October 2015.
"In memory of Sergeant George Anthony Osipoff". Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial. Saskatchewan War Memorial Project Inc and Bill Barry. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
Skaarup, Harold A. (2005). Out of Darkness – Light (Volume 1, Pre-Confederation to 1982 ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0-595-34989-7.
Thorn, Marie-Paule. "Governor General Announces the Award of a Meritorious Service Decoration (Military Division) and 27 Mentions in Dispatches". Media. Governor General of Canada – Archives. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
Bélanger, Marie-Pierre. "Governor General to Present 43 Military Decorations". News Release. Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
"Remembrance Day Activities 2013". Whitby Legion. RCL Branch 112. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
"Government of Canada Commemorates Canada's Secret Agent Contributions to Allied War Efforts Camp X in Whitby recognized as an event of national historic significance". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
Community and Marketing Services (1 October 2012). "Intrepid Park and "Camp X"" (PDF). Town of Whitby Report. Recommendation Report (CMS 59-12): 2. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
"Bermuda Flag Flies At Spy School Monument". BerNews. June 1, 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
Dambrauskas, Mike (October 2014). "Branch Historical Facts: Camp X and HYDRA" (PDF). The Shield. 48 (10): 3. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
"Secret Intelligence Activities at Camp X". Parks Canada. Government of Canada. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
Laye, Tim. "Whitby – Camp X". Ontario War Memorials. Blogspot. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
"Centennial Cannon Presented to 2 Int Trg Coy". Silver & Green (Edition 2). March 1967.
"Soldiers' Tower Virtual Tour". Alumni, U of T. University of Toronto. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
Friedland, Martin L (2013). The University of Toronto: A History (Second ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-4426-4800-5.
"Centennial Cannon Presented to 2 Int Trg Coy". Silver & Green (Edition 2): 2. March 1967. | 2019-04-25T21:54:56Z | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Intelligence_Company |
Professor Dale Martin: The Gospel of Matthew, from the second century on, has been pretty much the most popular famous of the Gospels, that's probably why it's first in our Bible, simply because it was the most populous. It's certainly the Gospel that's most familiar to people nowadays and pretty much throughout history, if people were familiar with the text at all. Both for Christians and non-Christian often, so for example, you have the familiar birth story. Joseph has a dream, he's warned, the star appears in the east, the Magi, the wise men, come and they go to Herod first. This is Herod the Great, so they go to Herod the Great's palace in Jerusalem and they say, where do we find this new king that's been born because we want to go and worship him and bring him gifts. Herod gets all worried because he doesn't want to [lose] his own throne. Remember this story? He tells the wise men, well I think you have to go Bethlehem--his wise men, his own wise men, they looked it up in the scriptures, and they say go to Bethlehem. But he says, come back and tell me once you visit him because I want to go worship him too, and the wicked evil king does not want to go worship Jesus, the baby Jesus, he wants to kill the baby Jesus. The wise men are warned in a dream not to go back. You know the story, right? The whole thing about that, the Egyptian sojourn, the holy family goes to Egypt to escape the wicked king. The slaughter of the innocents.
The beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted, blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth." All these blessed, there are some in Luke, but if you start saying them and somebody starts picking it up after you, and repeats it and they--it shows at least they know it enough so they can kind of finish one every now and then. They almost always finish it in the Matthew form, not the Luke form. The beatitudes are slightly different in Matthew and Luke, and people are--they're famous in their Matthean form. Turn the other cheek, that's also in Luke 6:29, but most people know it from Matthew 5:39.
In Matthew, the Pharisees are called, over and over again, hypocrites, and in fact if you look up the word "Pharisee" in a dictionary, an English dictionary, "hypocrite" will be one of the definitions you'll find for it. Now this is all part of a long tradition of Christian anti-Semitism because of course the word Pharisee doesn't mean "hypocrite" to most Jews, but who traced back Rabbinic Judaism to the pre-seventy Pharisees themselves, Gamaliel in the Book of Acts is considered a Pharisee, and he's a famous rabbi in rabbinic materials. Jews don't think of the word Pharisee as being a bad term, but in a lot of English, and a lot of languages it is because Christians used it. They took it straight out of Matthew, where the Pharisees are called hypocrites over and over again, and they just take that into their own language.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you and remember I am with you always to the end of the ages."
That's a very famous verse that's called "the Great Commission" because this is Jesus telling his disciples after his resurrection, go out and proclaim the Gospel throughout the earth, not just to the Jews.
All these things make Matthew look very familiar even to people who may not know much about Christianity because this is stuff that you see in our culture over again. Matthew, therefore, is at the same time unfamiliar to people if they start reading it carefully because it's the most Jewish of the Christian Gospels that are in the canon, that is. There are some other Gospels from the ancient period that are even more Jewish than Matthew, but they didn't make it into the New Testament. It's the most Jewish, and yet it's also at the same time, one of the most universal of the Gospels because you precisely have an ending with Jesus commanding the apostles to make disciples of all nations, that is all the Gentiles too. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus limits his ministry during his lifetime pretty much to Israel, he's going to Jews. He makes a point of this in the Gospel of Matthew. After his resurrection then the message is supposed to go out.
Look also at the way that Matthew begins. I talked about this the very first lecture of class. Matthew begins with, "The book of the genesis of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham." Notice he calls him son of David, as a descendant of the great king of Israel, son of Abraham as the father of the Jews. Even the Greek word there, "the book of the genesis;" "the genesis" means "the beginning", and of course it's the Greek term that was given for the first book of the Hebrew Bible when they translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, genesis just means "the beginning." Of course in the Hebrew Bible it's the beginning of the world, the beginning of earth, the beginning of history. Matthew appropriates that term, and he begins his own text with that same word, probably meaning for his readers to recall the book of Genesis in a way.
Then you have what we call an Haggadah on Moses. The term Haggadah is used in rabbinic scholarship. Rabbinic work often divides up a lot of rabbinic materials into Halakah and Haggadah. Halakah refers to the teachings that are about how you should live. Haggadah, though, are stories that are about the patriarchs or great figures, and they're meant to make a moral lesson or something like that, but they don't give straightforward teachings. They tell stories and that's how Matthew starts out. All that stuff about the evil king wanting to kill the baby Jesus because he's afraid that it'll be a threat to him. Think of--who does that remind you of? Who does that sound like? The child that comes out of Egypt, who does that sound like? These are all meant to remind you of Moses and so Moses--Jesus is portrayed over and over again like Moses or like Joseph, also from the Hebrew Bible.
Then again you have the fulfillment-of-scripture motif. Now notice that in spite of the fact though that Matthew has throughout Christianity been interpreted as actually a rejection of the Law, the Jewish law, or it presents Jesus as a new Moses, but Christians they'll often taken that to say that Jesus is not only the new Moses who can--fulfills Moses, He displaces the old Moses. So Matthew's may have been put first in the canon because it was read by Christians as being sort of almost like the new Law, the new Torah. And so you have Jesus talking about the Law, the Jewish law Torah, and also getting new commandments. Christians have taken that to mean the displacement of the Jewish Torah with now a new Christian Torah, and that actually puts Matthew in a very odd position.
Of the different Gospels in our canon it's the most Jewish looking and sounding, and I'll emphasize later in the lecture today, but Matthew has also been the source of some of the worst Christian anti-Semitism. Precisely by portraying Jesus as rejecting the Law of Moses, in much of Christian interpretation, and substituting his own law that's Christian anti-Semitism. Notice it's from--as I said it's from Matthew that you get the idea that Pharisees are all hypocrites, and then that gets transferred to being that all Jews are hypocrites. You get the idea in Christianity traditionally that Jesus rejected the Law because that's legalism. The Jews are all legalistic and we Christians are all full of grace and truth. So this idea that the Old Testament represents a God of anger, and a God of strictness, and a God of judgment, and the New Testament represents a God who's a father, and loving, and full of grace. This dualism that's so much a part of European history, even common sense, even people who are not religious will often come up with this caricature that the Old Testament God is the God of anger and judgment, the New Testament God is a the God of grace and forgiveness. Well that's just not true. If you read either testament with any care at all. The Gospel of Matthew has been one of the texts that's been used in this way. Remember it's in the Gospel of Matthew that you get the most anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic line that's been used throughout Western history, when the Jew--when Pilate wants to release Jesus from being crucified the people, the Jews say, "His blood be upon us and our children." That became the Christian charge of deicide; the Jews were then accused of killing God, and especially in medieval Europe. So Matthew is in this very peculiar place when it comes to the history of the interpretation of the New Testament. It is at the same time the most Jewish of our canonical Gospels, in many ways, and yet it's been used in Christian anti-Semitism more than any other Gospel, possibly maybe with the Gospel of John being a rival for that.
Look at the structure of Matthew though. Some people have even suggested that Matthew is intentionally structuring his Gospel to make it look like the Torah, the Jewish law. There are five speeches by Jesus in Matthew. These same sayings--you learned about the synoptic problem last week. If you take a synoptic problem kind of analysis of a lot this stuff that are in some of these speeches in Matthew, a lot of these sayings might have occurred in another context in Luke or in Mark. Matthew seems to have taken tradition--materials that were traditional to him, that he found either in written sources or in oral sources, and he combines them into five separate speeches. Some people say maybe he meant to reflect the five books of Torah; the Pentateuch is the Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Pentateuch is just the Greek word meaning "the five," so the first five books of Jewish scripture are called the Pentateuch and maybe Matthew is imitating that and making five separate speeches for Jesus and his Gospel.
First, chapters 5-7 you have Jesus giving--with the famous Sermon on the Mount. Then chapter 10, you have him giving a speech to his disciples about the mission to Israel, so all of chapter 10 is here's how you're supposed to do your mission when you go out to preach to Israel. You'll be persecuted; this will happen, do this, do that. Chapter 13 in Matthew is all parables. The parables that you'd find in different places in Mark or Luke, Matthew kind of groups them into one chapter and has Jesus kind of give it as one sort of speech. He likes neatness like this. If you look at chapter 18, it's another speech by Jesus, again to His disciples, and this one is mainly about church rules. Jesus talks about when you're neighbor does something that you don't like, go to the neighbor first, try to settle it peaceably, if your neighbor won't receive you or won't settle, take it to the church and let the church handle it. That sort of thing. Jesus is giving instructions about how the church should behave itself and what the church will be like.
Then in chapters 23-25, you get a very long speech by Jesus which includes a big synoptic sermon. Remember last time I talked about Mark 13 and about Jesus' prophecies of all this happening when the end of time would come, and the Messiah would swoop down in the clouds. Matthew takes over that speech from Mark, where he finds it, he adds a lot of materials on his own, he also brings it up to date, because remember I talked about last time, Mark didn't explicitly tell us about the destruction of Jerusalem in his Gospel. You'll find that when we get to Matthew and Luke, they put more stuff in there that shows they were writing after the time of Mark, and using Mark as a source. That's all in that chapter, but then there's all these long woes to the scribes and Pharisees. Woe to the blah, blah, blah; woe to you who do this, there's a whole section of that speech. So five different speeches that some scholars have even suggested may be designed to imitate the five books of the Pentateuch.
Now in a lot of Christian doctrine what you're taught is that Jesus did fulfill the law in his own person. But that's not what he says here. Notice, "Until heaven and earth pass away," that's what he's talking about the fulfillment of it.
Jesus is not saying, okay I've come, now you don't have to keep the Jewish law. He's actually teaching his own disciples--remember if Matthew didn't want this as a message to the members of his church he wouldn't have put it in his Gospel.
One of the things that I'm trying to teach you in my lectures is: what does it mean to do an exegesis of this text? Because you're going to have to write exegesis of your own and this Friday your section leads will walk you through how to write an exegesis paper. There are a couple things that are not exegesis. It's not exegesis to try to figure out what actually happened. Did Jesus actually say this? Did Jesus actually believe that? That's part of the historical Jesus quest which we'll talk about later in the semester too, but exegesis doesn't do that. Exegesis doesn't assume you're trying to read the text to get behind the text for something that happened in history. Nor does exegesis try to figure out is this true or not. We don't care if it's true or not in an exegesis class. What we want to do is what did the writer--what was the writer trying to do with this text? You have to imagine yourself in an ancient context. What would he have been saying to members of his own Christian community in the first century?
This obviously means that we read this text as not Jesus necessarily teaching this. We don't know yet whether Jesus actually taught this. Matthew could have gotten it from some written source, from some oral source, or he could have just made it up. We'll talk about that problem later when we talk about the historical Jesus. Right now we're not going to concern ourselves, we're just going to say, Matthew could have written this but we're trying to figure out what did Matthew want to do with it. What was this testament to them? Obviously it means this writer believes that the proper Gospel and the proper church should be a Law abiding church. He's expecting people in his church not to do away with the Jewish law. Look at "the antitheses," we call these, the Matthean antithesis, 5:21: "'You have heard that it was said to those in ancient times you shall not murder, and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment. But I tell you that the time of the law is over and it's okay to murder.'" That's not what it says, right? What does it say? Just shout it out. What?
Professor Dale Martin: Don't even be angry. "'If you are angry with a brother or a sister you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister you'll be liable to the counsel. If you say, 'You fool,' you'll be liable to hell of fire.'" A lot of us are in trouble, a lot of us are in trouble. He's not saying I'm not--I'm getting rid of the law, murder's okay now. Keep going 5:27: "'You have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery, but I say that's okay, adultery is just fine.'" No! He says, "'But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.'" Wait, what? Well I'm gay so I'm okay about that, but a lot of guys are in a lot of trouble. He's basically saying not only is adultery not okay, even desiring her if she belongs to another man is not okay. That's not getting rid of the law.
"You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I say do not resist an evil doer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek turn the other also, if anyone wants to sue you take your coat, give your cloak as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile go the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow anything from you."
These antitheses have been read throughout Christian history by many people as implying that Jesus is doing away with this bad, strict, legalism of the Jewish law, and he's teaching you a law of grace, instead, and forgiveness. That's not what's going on here, right? What Jesus has said, he's not doing away with the Law here, he's intensifying it. If it's hard not to commit adultery, and believe me for a lot of people it is hard not to commit adultery, it's even harder not to lust. If it's hard not to murder someone, and if you knew some of the people I have to work with around here you'd know that it is hard not to murder someone, it's even harder not to be angry with them. And if it's hard not to retaliate when someone knocks you down, it's even harder to let them knock you down again. Jesus is intensifying the Jewish Torah and making it almost impossible to keep. But he's still expecting His disciples to keep it. What Matthew presents Jesus is doing is not getting rid, at all, of the Torah, the Jewish law, he's intensifying it.
The Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat." He answered them, but why do you break the commandment . . .?
He called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand. It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles the person.
Now in Mark's version of this story, right around here, Mark adds a little sentence. Remember when I talked about Mark, he gives you little clues that you're really supposed to pay attention. Here Mark gives a little parenthetical comment he says, "By saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean." In other words, Mark does a good little Gentile Christianity move. He takes this saying of Jesus and he says, Jesus was declaring all foods clean so we don't have to keep kosher.
Matthew doesn't do that, he saw that sentence in Mark, but you read this whole chapter, that sentence which Matthew knew was in Mark is not in Matthew. Matthew took that out. Why? Because he didn't want Jesus to declare all foods clean; because in his Gospel Jesus teaches that Christians have to continue keeping the Law. Matthew has Jesus disagree with the scribes and Pharisees, but what he says here is that it's much more important--sure, keeping kosher may be important but it's much more important what's going on in your heart and your mind, it's much more important what you say. So Jesus spiritualizes in a way or he--again he intensifies the law and he's saying, yeah it's important to wash your hands perhaps but that's not a big deal. It's important to pay attention to the kosher but that's not a big deal. He makes it a moral lesson. That's not anti-Jewish, that's not at all--you have all kinds of Hebrew prophets in the Old Testament doing that kind of stuff all over the place saying things like, God doesn't want just your sacrifice he wants your heart. This is the way Jesus is presented in Matthew as--just like a Jewish prophet, an Israelite prophet who is intensifying the law, giving it a moral teaching, but he never teaches anything about giving it up.
Jesus, though, also besides being the one who teaches about Torah, and He's being presented as Moses, and Matthew presents Jesus more than any other Gospels as the founder of the church. In fact, if you look for the word "church" in some of the Gospels it's very hard to find it because it's anachronistic. Jesus didn't go around in his own life talking about the church, the church developed after His death; Matthew retrojects the conversation about the church, and even the foundation of the church, and sort of laws about the church into the mouth of Jesus.
Look at 16:17, and this is one we already read very carefully in Mark, the same story. Remember in Mark, Jesus says to the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Peter says, "Some of them say the Elijah, or some of them say one of the prophets, or John the Baptist." Jesus said, "But who do you say that I am?" and Peter says, "You're the Messiah." Jesus tells him, "Be quiet," and then Jesus rebukes him when Peter tells him that he's not supposed to be crucified. Matthew takes that story again from Mark, but notice how Matthew changes it. Verse 13, "When Jesus came from the district of Caesarea of Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" You get the story again. When Simon Peter says, "You're the Messiah, the Son of the Living God," look what Jesus says in verse 17, now in Matthew's version. Remember in Mark's version Jesus said, okay don't tell anybody.
Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth on will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Between the command to silence, which came right after the confession in Mark, Matthew puts all this foundation-of-the church stuff. Now this is a very famous text that has caused all kinds of disagreement between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Roman Catholics take this text as teaching that Jesus, particularly selected Peter as the first Pope, and that when he says, I'm giving you the keys to the kingdom, it means the Pope or the Bishop of Rome is the one who has the right to bind or loose that Jesus is talking about here. Protestants rejected that interpretation and they said well no he's talking--sure he's talking to Peter in one sense but he was really talking to all the apostles, and in fact, the issue of binding and loosing is not--is given to the apostles not just to Peter. So there's a debate among--between Protestants and Roman Catholics traditionally over this passage. I think the debate kind of misses the point because I think Matthew's point is basically just to have Jesus be the one who founds the church and puts it into the hands of his disciples.
That's definitely one of the things that Jesus does. And then in Chapter 18, as I've already pointed out, you have a whole chapter where Jesus gives rules to the disciples for how the church should be run, how it should be organized. The church is also this mixed group. Over and over again, Matthew--you'll have--you'll see a phrase that's only in Matthew where Jesus talks about "little ones." He also talks about people of little faith. Matthew also has a parable about a man goes out and throws a field with seed. And during the night his enemy comes and sows brambles and weeds seeds in and when it all comes up the wheat comes up but it's all mixed in with brambles and thorns, and weeds. And so the servants--the slaves of the man come to the master and they say, What should we do? Should we try to weed out all the weed stuff so we can gather the wheat? Should we try to trim it all out now? Matthew says, no don't worry about it now because if you try to pull up all the thorns and the brambles, you're bound to pull up some of the wheat too, we'll just wait until the end, until it's all ready, and then we'll harvest the whole thing and then we'll separate it out and the wheat we will keep in storehouses, and the brambles and thorns will burn in hell! You're getting the last little hellfire and brimstone sermon at the end.
The main part of the parable is that Matthew is saying is that the world, and possibly even the church, is a mixed bag. In other words, not everybody you see around you is truly who you think they are. There's good and there's evil mixed together but the--you're just going to have live with that. The church is an organization that has both people of little faith and people of greater faith. It has maybe even weeds and wheat in it, so these are all concerns of what kind of--there's a whole group of parables in chapter 13 that we call the "mixed group" parables of Matthew. They're particular to Matthew because Matthew seems to be making the point with these mixed group parables that the church itself is sort of a mixed group.
Another important theme of Matthew--I'm giving you several different major themes in Matthew because I'm going to ask in a moment, why are these things here? What is Matthew trying to do with these different things altogether? For example, why is Jesus the law giver and still Jewish and teaches the acceptance of the Jewish law, and yet this universalistic message at the end of the Gospel of going to all nations. Another thing that exegesis is, is finding problems in the text and then using the text itself to try to find answers to those problems. That's what exegesis does. Why I'm setting up some of themes of Matthew, because these are going to be the problems that then I, as the wonderful scholar and exegete that I am, am going to swoop in with my angels on the clouds of heaven at the end of the lecture and give you answers to all the problems of Matthew, and then you'll do that with your exegesis papers later.
One of the things that Jesus is, also in Matthew, is a teacher. Mark had told us in his Gospel that Jesus was a great teacher, and people said, Wow, he's a great teacher, He teaches not like the scribes and the Pharisees. He teaches as one with authority. Mark didn't really tell us much of what Jesus taught. There are a few parables, a few controversies, but Mark tells you that Jesus is a great teacher without presenting Jesus teaching a lot. Matthew not only tells you Jesus is a good teacher, he presents a lot of teaching of Jesus, and so you get a lot of that.
"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of keaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." When Jesus had finished these parables he left that place.
This is a parable that Matthew is putting in there, I think, to give a hint to his readers. This is what Jesus was, Jesus was a good scribe. That's why Jesus talks about things like, you have heard it said, but I say to you. Jesus is taking out of the Jewish scripture and taking out of the Jewish law the most important parts of it and emphasizing those, and then adding some of his own teachings. He's taking some of the old and some of the new, and that's what a good scribe is like. But Matthew also believes that he and his fellow disciples in his church should be that way too. He writes his Gospel to help people figure out how to imitate Jesus in being a good scribe. How do discern what of the old you should use and what of the new you should use.
On of the last problems that I want to give is this really big problem in Matthew because Jesus is also something--well just right on the surface Jesus comes across as a big like a coward in the Gospel of Matthew. Look at 4:12 in Matthew, in the first part of this chapter 4 you get Jesus going around preaching the gospel, doing some miracles and that sort of thing. He becomes very famous so that people hear about Him. But then you get to 12, "Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he got on his white charger and He rode to the prison and he sprang his friend John the Baptist out of prison." Indiana Jesus, no that's not what it says, right? "He withdrew to Galilee," the word "withdraw" here is the Greek word for "retreat." He retreated to Galilee because he had heard that John had gotten arrested. "He left Nazareth, make His home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulin and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken to the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled," and then he quotes that--verse 17 "From that time Jesus began to proclaim, 'Repent for the kingdom of keaven has come near.'" In other words, Jesus retreats in the face of danger, he doesn't go toward it, but instead of retreating and hiding, he goes to another place and then he starts giving the message out. This is when He really starts his own preaching ministry, after John the Baptist is arrested.
Notice what happens there, look again at--now look at 12:15, Matthew 12:15. Reading just a little bit above that, Jesus is disputing with the Pharisees and verse 14 says, "But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him how to destroy him," another threat this time from the Pharisees against Jesus. Verse 15, "When Jesus became aware of this he departed," again he withdrew, there's that word again, "Many crowds followed Him and He cured all them, and He ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill. . . ." Notice again Jesus withdraws in the face of danger but the withdrawing in a sense increases the ministry in an odd paradoxical way. Then look at 14:13--well I won't read that one, 14:13 if you can look it up, that's another case of danger and Jesus withdrawing.
Let's do spend a little more time looking at chapter 12 because, have you noticed that the Gospel of Matthew likes to foreshadow things and fulfill things? The Gospel of Matthew likes to have Jesus do something, and then he'll tell you something that was not in Mark. He'll say, This was to fulfill the scripture that said--for example when Jesus and the holy family run off to Egypt he then quotes to the fact when they come back he says, "Out of Egypt I will call my Son," the prophecy. Matthew takes an Old Testament reference, a Jewish scripture reference, because remember it's not the Old Testament yet, it's just Jewish scripture, and he takes a quotation in that and saying it's fulfilled by Jesus. In the same way in Matthew 2:13-14 "After they had left," this is after the wise men left, "An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said get up, take the child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about." They flee, there's that word again, withdraw--even Joseph with Jesus retreats in the face of danger to Galilee. Then when he hears they come back in verse 22 of the same chapter.
Now why is all this--Jesus retreating? The other thing is if you look at 10:23, we again get this same word. When you're doing an exegesis you might want to use a concordance. You'll learn on Thursday or Friday in your sections what a concordance is, and you'll learn how to use it. Basically a concordance is a book that takes all the words of the Bible and shows you where they occur. If you looked up "withdraw" in an English concordance it would tell you every time in a certain English translation that the word "withdraw" occurred in Matthew, or Mark, or Luke; you can test them out. You'll also learn how to use an analytical concordance, even if you don't know Greek, which will kind of give you an idea, once you learn how to use it, what's the Greek word lying behind these English words. If you did that you could find out that these different English words that I've been reading from translate the same Greek word "withdraw" anakoresis. This word is here too, and in 10:23 you have Jesus and his instructions to the disciples telling them that they also should retreat in the face of danger.
What is all this going on? How do we take these different issues? Jesus is almost a new Moses, Jesus is teaching the disciples should keep the Torah, the Law, but then Jesus when he faces troubles he withdraws from trouble, and he goes off someplace. But when he withdraws he ends up preaching more. And the Gospel then is expanding, and then the disciples, Matthew believed, will be the next version of Jesus. They also will be threatened. They also will be taught to retreat. They also will then go preach, and they'll eventually go preach to the entire world in the form of the Gentiles. All of this is Jesus functions as a model for the disciples, the apostles, and the apostles function as a model for Matthew and the members of his own church. What is all this doing here and why is it--what's the context in which this kind of picture of Jesus would make sense?
We're going to spend a bit more time on one important passage, Matthew 14:22. This is the famous story called "The Stilling of the Storm." Now you will have--if you remember this you could look at Mark 6:45 and it has the same story. If you took your parallel columns, one from Mark and one from Matthew, and you did your little colored pencil exercises you did last week for your section, it's very interesting to see what does Matthew add to Mark's story? If you figure out what Matthew added to Mark's story you can really get an idea about what was Matthew's own editorial interests. Why did he take something out of Mark, tell it differently, add new stuff to it? That gives you a great clue for what Matthew wanted to say. Remember each of these writers is not just telling you stuff that happened because it happened, they each are writing a book intending to put across a theological message.
If you compare what Matthew says to what he gets from Mark, and see what he adds and what he takes out, you have a really good idea of what his editorial message is, what his editorial concerns are, and we call this Redaction Criticism. Redaction is just a fancy word for editing. Why did scholars not call it "editing criticism"? Because we like two-bit words when one-bit words would work just as well. So it's Redaction Criticism is what you'll see in the scholarship. It just means paying attention to how the Gospel writers edited their sources to get out their own message. So look at 14:22, and if you want to you can flip over to Mark 6:45 and see the change, or if you have Throckmorton you can look it up in Throckmorton sometime. I'll indicate some of it.
Notice for the wind was against them, the boat is battered, the wind is against them. Some of these details won't be in Mark, the basic story will be there, but this thing about the boat being battered by the wind, the wind is against them, I don't think that's in Mark if I remember right.
And early in the morning he came walking toward them out on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. Immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; Do not be afraid.
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord save me!"
"Lord save me!" Now the Greek word for "save me" can mean just "rescue me"--save me from illness, but it also can mean "save me" like I need salvation. The same Greek word means both.
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith [that's a Matthian clue, see Matthew likes this little faith theme so that's one of the things you see he's added here] Why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Now if you compare this what you've got is some important different changes. First, for example, I said the boat is beaten by the waves, that's not in Mark. Why did Matthew add that? Then you have this whole verses 28-31, the whole thing with Peter and all that sort of thing, that's not in Mark. Matthew added that whole little chunk. And then in verse 33 in says, "They worshipped him," and they have this confession, "Truly You are the Son of God," which is a Christian confession.
A famous German scholar, Günther Bornkamm, whom you don't need remember, and one of his students wrote a very famous article published in the 1950s in which they analyzed this story. And they said, if you read this carefully this story's not about Jesus walking on the water and stilling the storm and that sort of thing, this is a story Matthew intends for you to see the boat--it's almost--it's like an allegory, it's almost like an allegory. The boat represents the church, and Matthew sees the church as being persecuted, we've seen that theme throughout Matthew. Jesus prophesied the disciples would be persecuted. So the boat is persecuted and that's represented by the storm, and the winds, and the waves buffeting them, and they're afraid. Peter, who represents every Christian says, I want to be like you Jesus and I want walk on water. I want to overcome all these problems. He gets out of the boat, but he doesn't have enough faith, he has a little faith, and his doubt causes him to start sinking. When he does that, what should he do? He should cry out to Jesus and Jesus will save him. Then Jesus gets in the boat, calms the storm, and they worship him and confess him.
Bornkamm used this Redaction Criticism, he was one of the first pioneers of using this method and calling it by this term to say, compare Matthew with what he gets from Mark and what you do is you see that--what was just a miracle story, just a basic story about the power of Jesus, has now become a moral story about the church. And it's now become something that Matthew is writing to encourage his own church. They are small, lonely, people of little faith, they're a mixed group, remember, some people in the church seemed to have a lot more faith than other people in the church. Some people in the church may not even be true disciples after all. They're not yet perfect.
Matthew has a saying that is different from Luke; they seem to both get it from Q. Luke's version says, "You should be merciful as Your Father in Heaven is merciful." Does anybody happen to know what that comes out in Matthew, it's in the Sermon on the Mount? "You should be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." Matthew has perfect and Luke has merciful. Again, we see little bitty clues of how they write this. But that's Matthew telling his church I know you're not perfect now, but God--Jesus calls you to perfection. They need more faith and according to Matthew's story they do it by focusing on Jesus and worshipping him as the Son of God as they should.
What I've done is walk through several different passages in Matthew. An exegesis wouldn't ask you to do all of those things together. You could write an exegesis paper on just one section of any of those things that I talked about. Notice what I've had to do. I've had to compare Matthew with Mark and Luke, I've tried to figure out why did Matthew include what he included, and why did he leave out stuff, why did he change things from Mark? I've also said he probably used Q, this hypothetical document because we find that by comparing Luke and Matthew. And I might guess at how--whether Matthew has the more original version of Q or whether Luke does, and I might try to imagine what was in Q and how Matthew may have changed that--edited that. That's all of course pure speculation because we don't have Q as a physical document to actually compare it with like we've got Mark as a physical document, but scholars still do that. But the purpose is to--all the way through to figure out what did this author want to do? It's not concerned with whether he's telling us the correct history; we'll leave that for another day. It's not to say whether it's true or not.
Notice this: it's also not to come up with sappy Sunday school kinds of readings. This is the hardest thing for people to learn, and, notice, it doesn't matter whether people have grown up in churches or not. Modern people have just come to think that when you read this book you're supposed to get Sunday school type sappy answers out of it. What is the meaning of this story? Well Jesus is teaching us to love one another. Well, okay yeah maybe so, but dig deeper. Try to figure out--try to imagine a historical context in which a human author is writing the story this way in order to do something socially in his own early community. We imagine an early Christian community, and we imagine what problems they had, by reading the text, and then we see the text as being written consciously by an author to address those problems. With Matthew what you get is this: Matthew teaches that a Torah observant form of discipleship to Jesus.
Now this will be very important because one of the themes of this whole course is that the diversity of different early Christianities. It's anachronistic in the first century to even talk about "Christianity" as one thing, because as we'll show, there were different views of Jesus, there were different views of the Jewish law. And what you'll see very quickly in this course is Matthew has one--has a very different view of what Christians should do with the Jewish law than does Paul, or Luke, or Mark, or John, or several of the other writers. One of the things that makes Matthew present a peculiar kind of Christianity when judged by the standards of Paul's kind of Christianity is that Matthew teaches Jesus as teaching a Christianity that observes Jewish Torah. Even if Gentiles come in, which the Gentiles do come in, Gentiles must be expected to keep the law also. Whereas Paul spent his whole career trying to get Gentiles to understand, no you don't, you're not supposed to keep the Jewish law if you're a Gentile, Jesus absolves you from keeping the Jewish law, Matthew's not that way. He sees Gentiles coming into the church but still being Torah observant. He has a Torah observant form of Christianity, with Jesus as the recognized Messiah. Gentiles are included in Israel, they're not included as a separate church, Gentiles are brought into Israel, it looks like for Matthew, and Matthew presents a church that is in conflict with other forms of Judaism.
I think Matthew was written after the year 70, certainly after the destruction of temple in Jerusalem, that seems pretty clear. Most of the scholars date it to somewhere in the 80s, maybe not earlier then the year 80, maybe not later than the year 90, we're guessing on this, but it seems to be--it has to be after 70, but he's in conflict with whoever is--there are still Pharisees around, there are still scribes, there are other who are offering a slightly different version of what it means to be Jewish, and that's the last thing that I'll say about this, is that Matthew is not presenting a new religion. He thinks what we would call Christianity is simply the right way to be a Jew. What Matthew is presenting is a different sect within Judaism from the form of Judaism that's represented by the Pharisees or the Sadducees perhaps. A lot of people think that the Sadducees may have become extinct after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem because the Sadducees were very--they're power base was the temple, but if the Sadducees are still around Matthew is presenting a different form of Judaism than they followed. He's presenting a different form of Judaism represented by the Jewish writer Josephus, or Philo, but he is presenting a form of Judaism. In fact, scholars nowadays say, Matthew does not represent a new religion with his Gospel; he actually represents a different Jewish sect. Any questions? Yes sir?
Professor Dale Martin: Does Matthew believe that Gentiles should be circumcised? I think so because I can't imagine him teaching a completely law observant--when he says not one dot or tiddle, or jot of the law will pass away until heaven and earth passes away. Well, any Jew at the time pretty much would have thought that circumcision was a very important part of Jewish law not just a dot or a tiddle. So I think so, you'll find lots of scholars who disagree with me, but of course they're all wrong. Any other questions? Okay, see you on Wednesday. | 2019-04-19T11:13:55Z | https://cosmolearning.org/video-lectures/the-gospel-of-matthew-6801/ |
This book did a really good job of holding my attention throughout. I found Elysa a character who was really easy to relate to. Although there were times I got a bit confused by how she was communicating at first, I felt really bad for her with the fact that she’d lost her voice. Although it seemed like she managed to cope, more or less, with the situation, it seemed it was all too easy to allow people to pass over her and that there were times she found it easy to allow that, rather than fight to be heard. Which I think was one of the main points in this book.
I found it interesting that Elysa’s aunt was called Ursula, since it seemed to be a nod to the Little Mermaid. Lemon was a really nice person, though, and it was pretty good to see how Kirby viewed Elysa and how the other characters in this book viewed her, too. There was a variety of different reactions to the fact that Elysa was mute and I thought it was good to see something so true to real life.
There were really only a couple of characters I had a strong dislike for – the mayor and Mr. Kane. It was pretty awful to see the way they pitted their sons together… and that Katz came across as really quite sexist. In contrast, I did like Noah… and it was a pretty awful position, since both Noah and Christian were good people… and good friends (that came across really well in their interactions with each other). I couldn’t really root for one or the other. All I could really hope for was their friendship not to suffer due to the rivalries.
I thought Sebastian was really cute in this book. I thought the author portrayed him really well and it was sweet to see how much he liked mermaids. There were times I got upset on his behalf… which is definitely one of the hallmarks of a good character.
I liked reading about the references to Elysa’s family back home. Although there weren’t many opportunities for the differences in cultures to come across, it was good to see the things like Elysa having to calculate the money in her head and her refusal to eat commercial chocolate. I would have liked to know more about her different sisters, too… though it was good to get something of her interactions with her Granna and twin sister.
I found this book to be quite emotionally moving and one that I expect will stay with me for a while yet. I’m sure I would read more books by this author in the future… especially if I get to see more of the characters.
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Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of young adult novels, including #scandal, The Book of Broken Hearts, Bittersweet, Fixing Delilah, and the critically acclaimed Twenty Boy Summer, a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominee and IndieNext List pick. Her latest, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, hits the shelves in June 2015.
Sarah is a champion cupcake eater, coffee drinker, night person, and bookworm. When she’s not writing or reading at home in Washington, she enjoys taking pictures, hugging trees, and road-tripping through the country with her husband, Alex.
After accidentally reading the wrong book, I picked up this one, not certain how fast I’d be able to read it… as it turned out, this novella was a quick and easy read. I thought it was particularly good, because it dealt with a very real issue.
Although I haven’t read the first book in this series, I knew Halle from the second book and I had been introduced to Blakely in the second book, too. I thought it was good to see that Blakely wanted to learn about her history… where she came from. There were scenes interspersed with Blakely and her family and I found myself sympathising with Hector quite a bit when the book switched over to him.
It was nice to see some scenes of Blakely and Halle just being sisters. I could see a real difference in the sisters’ personalities and how they interacted with each other and the people around them.
I thought it was good to see the protection Blakely had to be under with being such an important figure, but I would have liked to see a bit more of her duties in the palace. I did find Lili to be a bit more of a well-defined character than Graham. I didn’t get to see too much of his interactions with his daughters.
There were some very sad moments in this book and although it was less of a mystery than the one I read in this series, I found there were still some quite intense scenes. It was nice to see some of Max and Blakely and I would have liked to see a bit more of them.
I do intend to read the other book/s in this series at some point in the future, especially the first one. I would like to go back to the beginning and meet the characters properly.
This is a day late, unfortunately, but due to two night shifts and too little sleep… I was writing this while drinking an energy drink just before work.
This… probably wouldn’t have been the kind of film I would have chosen to watch on my own. Although the trailer did look good the first time I saw it, this genre tends to be one further down on my list to watch. But one of my brothers just turned fifteen and this was his first ‘official’ viewing of a movie with that rating.
I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would. Loosely based on a true story, I felt that the concept was one that worked especially well. Danny Collins in the first scene of this movie was a character who I felt a lot of sympathy for. As an older man, it was obvious his lifestyle was stagnating (the not-so-surprise birthday party) and it was clear he did need something of a wakeup call.
There were some really amusing moments in this movie and occasions where I found myself outright laughing. As well as the humour, though, I felt the serious scenes worked really well. There were parts that were really quite emotional, especially towards the end.
I had a lot of empathy towards Tom in this movie. I could really understand his reluctance to let his father into his life and I enjoyed watching his relationship with his wife and daughter. I could fully understand how difficult it had to be for him and Samantha to raise a daughter with those kinds of difficulties.
Hope was probably my favourite in this movie, though she did come across as younger than she actually was supposed to be. I also noticed that there were very little similarities in hers and her parents’ appearances.
I did like the romantic aspects of this film, but it was also good to see that the focus was more on the family… even if the running jokes about dinner were amusing.
I did like the ending of this movie and I though the actors worked really well in their roles. During the end credits, there are snippets of the true story this film was inspired by and I felt those were worth watching.
Personally, I don’t think I would watch this movie again. But it was well-made and well-cast; funny in parts and emotionally moving in others. If you’re on the fence about seeing this, I would suggest giving it a try. It’s not the sort of film I would personally choose to watch normally and I really enjoyed it, so… see what you think.
I was immediately drawn into the storyline of this book. I found Eden to be a character who was easy to relate to… though her own descriptions of herself of pretty, with no actual description, was kind of irritating.
I felt that the society of this world came across really well. There were some pretty awful things about the world that Eden and the rest of her family were in, but the sheer desperation people had to survive came across really well. Even though some of the methods they had to utilise for survival were pretty awful, I could understand how they were driven to it.
Even by the end of the book, I still had some questions about how Erasing worked. It took me a while to figure out that Erasure was a normal punishment and not just for more unusual/major crimes.
I would have liked to learn a bit more about the society Eden was in, although I did think it made sense for her not to know everything. There was a potential lead to her finding out something about her past… but considering what happened after that, it made sense she wouldn’t follow up.
I found the other characters to be really interesting, though I had some mixed feelings about Jonas. Even though he was a good person some of the time, I felt he was a bit of a jerk for most of the time. I much preferred Apollon to Jonas, since I could see that Apollon really did seem to care about the members of his family… and not just about manipulating them for his own goals.
I also particularly liked Miranda, even though there were times I felt she came across as more of a foil for Eden. Apart from Apollon, my favourite character was probably Oscar. I liked the relationship he formed with Eden.
I couldn’t really say I liked Matt as a character, even though I found him an intriguing one. I would have liked to know more about his history and motivations, but although he was ruthless and cruel a lot of the time, I felt there was more to him.
I am hoping to read the next two books in this trilogy, as well as the prequel, at some point in the future. I’m interested in seeing more of the society and the characters.
Although there were hints of a love triangle, I still found this to be an entertaining and easy read. I think it’s worth reading if you enjoy dystopian novels.
Having read the previous two books in this series, I was happy to have this one ready on my Kindle. It was good to see the characters I recognised from the previous books… and there were also a couple of new ones who intrigued me, such as Gracie and Katarina.
It was good to see that Emma and Braylee were being taught about how to fight… but I don’t like the hints of the love triangle developing. Part of the reason I liked the first book so much was because Emma didn’t conform to the paranormal romance heroine who falls for the supernatural guy instead of the one who’s been around for her all the time. So although Asher was a character I’d like to know more about, I don’t like how he seems to have become so obsessed with Emma so quickly.
I did feel even more for Sabrina through this book. It was difficult to read about her struggle to hold onto what little humanity she had left. I also liked seeing how, although Sabrina was a top priority to Kayson, he wasn’t blind to the plight of other halfs.
I found Stille and Falon to be interesting, to an extent, but the scene towards the end between them seemed to be lacking something. At the same time, I did like Stille a bit more as a character in this book.
There were some quite good amusing moments in this book. I did continue to like Gabriel and Riann together and it was good to see that Kayson had the others following him… even though he didn’t see himself as a leader.
There were quite a few tense moments in this book as well. I found it easy to care about the characters I knew from the previous books and it was also good to meet Ree. I would have liked to meet a few more of the halfs, but I thought that the idea of Ree’s piercings was a good idea… even if there’s no guarantee they would work completely.
I definitely do intend to read the next book/s in this series when I have the chance… as long as there aren’t love triangles that take over the whole storyline.
With thanks to the Fantastic Flying Book Club (FFBC) and Brandy Nacole.
Although I wasn’t completely sure exactly where this book was set, I found myself drawn into the plot and world of this book really easily. Although Dorthea did come across as a really shallow character at first, I felt that she developed really well through the course of this book. Even though what happened to her was her own fault, there were times I couldn’t help feeling bad for her.
I thought it was good to see the different worlds and how they interconnected with each other, though I would have been interested in seeing a bit more of the well-known characters from fairy tales and how they all fit in the world. I wasn’t very clear about whether they were the actual fairy tale characters… or their descendents.
Dorthea didn’t really start off as a the typical heroine. In fact, if I was looking at her from an outsider’s perspective, I probably would have found her to be a really irritating character. As it was, seeing the plot from her perspective helped me to empathise with her a whole lot more… and I particulary found it interesting to see her own thoughts about how she’d grown and matured.
I thought it was a good idea to have the snippets of fairy tale lore included where it was relevant in the plotline and how the normal rules of the fairy tale world didn’t apply, after the wish that Dorthea had made.
It was interesting to see the use of words from the world as swear words. I’ve commented a few times that it’s irritating to see modern/this world curse words in a historical or other-world fantasy book, so it was really good to see Dorthea have her own versions.
I did especially like the romance in this book. I thought it was good that the time was taken to develop it and I did like Kato. There were some really sweet moments between the two of them, despite how Dorthea viewed him at first. I also found Rexi to be a really well-rounded character and it was amusing to see her and Dorthea interacting with each other.
I was a bit disappointed to see that the book ends on something of a cliffhanger. It does, however, make me want to read the next book/s in the series.
I felt my own lip curl in response. Howrude! Who the Grimm was this peasant to judge me? I was wearing a Glenda original. Original! Not some fairy-godmother knockoff worn by those servant girls turned royal. I was a crown princess, for the love of fairy, and noone dismissed me.
Becauseacageisstillacage, no matter how big or glittering the bars are.
Although I didn’t really find myself laughing at any of the letters in this book, I did find it entertaining to listen to; in particular the different voices the two readers were listening to, which was a lot more interesting than just bland reading.
I can appreciate that a lot of work did clearly go into this book and it was interesting to hear all of the different imaginings of things that people might write to their president. Some of the letters seemed fairly nonsense (like the one about the housewife saving money by having one of her children go without dinner each evening); others were a bit sweeter, particularly the ones written by young people.
I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at the letter asking for money. And there were a few that seemed to deal with some very real issues, even while there were others that were clearly written as pure entertainment, such as the one written by an alien. There was also a letter with a lot of ‘redactions’ in it… but was somewhat amusing; not because of what was implied by the redacted statements, but by the observations of a television series and long speeches being viewed as torture. That was one of the more amusing letters, I felt.
Although this book is clearly fiction, I can’t help wondering how many of those might be along the lines of letters Obama would actually receive… even the letters that came across as completely random.
It was amusing to see some running themes through a few of the letters, though a couple kind of brought an eyeroll from me. It was also interesting to see a few letters addressed to Obama’s wife… as well as the brief replies penned by Obama.
This is my second attempt to read an audiobook. Although I did manage to stay listening to the end and the voices the readers used really helped to make this a bit more entertaining, I think I’ll continue reading books myself and at my own pace. It’s a bit easier that way… not to mention faster for me. But it was a good experience to try out.
Having read and enjoyed the first book in this series, I was quite happy to read the second book and even though it had my hated multiple first person POVs, I still found it tolerable to read. I just would have preferred the chapters to be in third person if there were going to be multiple POVs.
It was good to see the characters I’d got to know in book one. I liked Kayson’s refusal to leave Sabrina’s side and in a way, it was interesting to see her and the others from his perspective. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Sabrina during this book. What happened to her was vastly unfair… and it only seemed to get worse as everything went on.
I thought it was really good to have the opportunity to learn more of Riann in this book and it was pretty cool to read of her relationship with Gabriel. There were a couple of things that made me smile… although there were one or two scenes that seemed a little cliched.
I did feel some sympathy towards Emma, even though I didn’t agree with what she ultimately did. I also found Tate to be an interesting character and it was good to see that he didn’t just believe everything going on like that. At the same time, I thought that he and Emma seemed to repair their relationship a bit too quickly.
I didn’t feel that there was as much action in this book, apart from towards the end… but I didn’t find myself getting bored. It was good to read about the relationships between the characters and I especially liked Briston and Emma. I would have liked to see some more sweet moments between them, but I thought it made sense that the book focused less on the romance and more on the problems they were facing.
There were times when I really wanted to reach into the book and shake some of the characters, particularly the fallen. Emma’s human friends actually came across as more compassionate than the angels should really have been.
I do have the third book in this series on my Kindle and I will be reading it before this week is out. | 2019-04-23T16:25:29Z | https://inkofblood.com/2015/05/ |
Over a decade ago, my dad sat down to write out his memories. The resulting document sits in an pale green folder on my bookshelf now as one of my most treasured possessions. In it, he describes the cocoa paste sandwiches his mom packed for lunch each day, the novelty of the canned biscuits his Grandma made, and how his dad got laid off most winters from his construction job and resorted to hauling wood for meager pay.
Under a section called, simply, Vivi, he describes at the hot summer night at Gooch’s, a little soda shop in the tiny town of Piedmont, Missouri, where he drove up and saw my mother for the first time.
I saw a beautiful blond, tanned girl that I had not seen before. She was very pretty, and I caught her eye as soon as I drove in. After asking around, I found out she was Vivian Roberts and was in town visiting her cousins. I quickly asked her out . . . I knew I was in love, the moment I saw her.
We wrote letters to each other every day. I called her when it was possible. Kansas City was a good 6 hour drive from Piedmont. Viv was living in a rough situation and her dad treated her like dirt. It seemed like we would never be together. We both prayed for a solution.
The solution came in an unexpected way. My mom’s dad came home after drinking one night and beat her badly, tearing out fistfuls of hair. After getting a sobbing phone call from her, Daddy got in his Torino and made the 6 hour drive in 4 hours to pick her up and bring her back to Piedmont to live with her grandmother. Finally in the same city, Dad says, “I was in heaven. I could date Viv, and see her every night. I fell quickly and deeply in love with the girl I wanted to marry.” They were married shortly thereafter at the First Church of the Nazarene in Piedmont, my mother only 16 years old.
The third challenge in Project Food Blog, a competition to find the next food blog star, was to create a luxury dinner party. It just so happens that this challenge fell on my parents’ 39 year wedding anniversary. Thank you so much for voting in the first two challenges to get me to this point, where I had the privilege of creating a special meal to honor my parents’ marriage.
I wanted to take that night at Gooch’s soda shop and my parents’ memories from growing up in the 1960s and elevate them by creating luxury versions of several classic American dishes. My four course menu featured all-American favorites such as pizza, popcorn, nachos, burgers and fries, and of course, apple pie — fancied up, but still retaining their classic charm.
The amuse bouche truly amused my bouche — each component sung in the bite to produce a harmony that tasted exactly like a fresh Margherita pizza. The appetizers, though, were disappointing. Food blogs represent genuine, real people who are dancing through kitchen highs and lows along with their readers — so I’m not afraid to tell you when things don’t work out. My Saffron Buttered Popcorn only carried the lovely saffron flavor in certain bites and my nachos were dry. Nevertheless, we trekked on to the main course and were rewarded for our diligence!
Served in sweet diner trays (download the template here, print them on cardstock, cut, fold, and glue together. Adapted from Bakerella‘s smaller version), the “burgers and fries” were leagues above your standard diner fare.
The roast was perfectly cooked, juicy, and flavorful, and every accompaniment pulled its weight to make the sliders a true indulgence. I actually forgot the caramelized onions on my dinner party version (they were sitting in a container right behind me, too!), but remade the sliders that evening with them included just to taste. They were dynamite with and without the onions! The herb-salt roasted fingerling potatoes carried a hint of fresh lemon with every bite — delicious.
After a break for conversation, guests sat down to a fresh, light apple puff pastry tart. While everyone loved the tart, the consensus was that the star of dessert was the freshly whipped almond cream on top.
The food was good, the company was fabulous — but my favorite part of dinner was watching my parents read the quotes I had framed for them. A few days before the party, I’d asked each of them to tell me their favorite memory together, but to keep it a secret from each other. Imagine my surprise and delight (I’ll admit, there were a few happy tears) when they both emailed me the exact same memory.
Memories sent by mom and dad and framed for the party.
It was of a time when, according to Daddy, they were “so poor but so happy.” Mom was pregnant with my oldest sibling, Jason, and they lived above a hardware store next to some law offices. At night, after the lawyers had gone home, they would slide through the hallways in their stocking feet, laughing together. It’s a memory that, along with a love as strong as my Grandpa’s lumber-hauling hands and as sweet as my mom’s teenage smile, still unites them after 39 years.
Note: Voting for Round 3 is now open! Please log into your Foodbuzz.com account (or register if you don’t yet have one), go here, and click “Vote for this Entry.” Thank you!
Prepare the roast beef: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Let roast sit out for an hour before cooking so that it begins at room temperature. When ready to begin, rinse the roast and use a sharp knife to cut 8 small incisions over the surface, inserting a sliver of garlic into each. Rub the roast with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place roast in baking dish with lid (or you can use Elise’s on-the-rack method) and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
After 30 minutes, turn heat down to 225 degrees F and continue cooking uncovered until a meat thermometer reads 140 degrees (Elise says this takes 2-3 hours, but for me, it was more like 1.5 hours. I was nervous that I might need to slow it down, but it came out perfect. So just keep an eye on it). Remove roast from the oven and tent with foil. Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing into very thin slices. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F at this point, in preparation for the sliders.
While the roast cooks, caramelize your onions. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it’s hot, add the onions and stir so that they all come into contact with the bottom of the pan. As they start to brown, stir them every 15-30 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Continue to brown for 10-20 minutes until they’re well caramelized.
In the meantime, prepare slider assembly line. Set out baby arugula, Gorgonzola cheese, Swiss cheese, and mayonnaise. Set slider buns onto a baking sheet. On each bun, place roast beef and all the toppings, including caramelized onions. Brush tops of sliders with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until melty. Serve warm.
Sliders with caramelized onions added!
Pick a personal theme. Think of a special memory, book, or food — something that resonates with your guests of honor. Plan your party around that theme. In this case, Gooch’s soda shop was the foundation of my party plan.
Get creative with your resources. I decorated my table with a curtain panel that was $3 cheaper than an actual tablecloth. A local dollar store provided fun popcorn containers and drinking glasses. I picked recipes with simple ingredients and used a few luxury items (saffron, Gorgonzola) to elevate them. I also created many party decorations out of paper.
Plan ahead. A week before the party, I made a list of all groceries and planned out prep work for each day. I also wrote a detailed plan of party day, including what times to prep, bake, and photograph each dish.
When possible, choose dishes that can be prepared ahead of time. I didn’t follow my own advice this time, but the beauty of many desserts and appetizers is that they can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until served. You’ll have more fun if there are only a few things to prepare at the last minute.
i’d love to be a guest at your dinner, everything looks delish!
I love everything about your post and your dinner! So sweet. I can’t wait for voting to open up so I can give you another vote.
Thank you so much, Brandie!!
Wow girl all this looks so amazing!!! The story about your parents though made me cry!! They look awesome then and now!!
Now that is a lovely story.
Omg their both sending you the same memory is too cute. Loves it. Table and food look fab!
This was such a lovely post with such a sweet story behind it! How serendipitous that this challenge fell on your parents’ anniversary. I love that you recreated good old American fare for them. It all sounds glorious.
Sounds absolutely delicious, and the writeup was just beautiful. Congratulations to your parents, may they have many more happy years ahead of them!
Thank you so much, Otana!
That is the sweetest thing. Your parents are lovely, and as always the food looks amazing!
Your posts always make me teary-eyed. You are so honest and down to earth. I love the theme of your dinner. Your parents must have loved it too. The food photos are gorgeous, but the old photos of your parents added such a sentimental touch. Best of luck in this round, Julie!
Aw, thank you so much, Megan!! So sweet!
Happy anniversary to your mom and dad! Your dinner for them sounds wonderful. 🙂 I love the look of those sliders!
I love this anniversary party and the story behind your parents getting together. They look so sweet together, and you wrote the post too well that it got me all sentimental! Love your American classics too, I’ll be reserving a vote for you.
39 years? That’s a huge accomplishment! Congratulations to your parents! And congratulations to you for pulling off a wonderful dinner party! Well done!
What an awesome story of love lost and reclaimed. And the burgers look pretty damn good too!
What an awesome blog you’ve got here. A lovely and touching story of your parents, and the fabulous dinner party you threw them. Simply divine.
Julie, This post is beautiful. You look just like your mother! I’m so excited to be voting for you!
Your father’s wonderful line about being young and “so poor but so happy” reminded me of the line from Hemingway’s _A Moveable Feast_: “This is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.” I’ve thought about that sentiment a lot lately, as part of a young couple who hopefully are as “poor” as we’ll ever be together right now, yet happier than I can imagine. It’s funny how it works that way.
This post is amazing, every piece of it.
Thank you so much, Mary Beth <3 I almost wonder sometimes if the experience of being poor together galvanizes you into a fierce sort of happiness.
Your mom looks just like she did in the original picture! It looks like it was a wonderful celebration with delicious food and fond memories. Good luck, I hope you move on!
Thank you so much! 🙂 By the way, a panini party is SO right up my alley! Just opened your post and can’t wait to read it!
What a wonderful way to celebrate your parents’ anniversary! Sharing such touching memories and eating yummy fancy sliders! Congrats…you’ve got my vote again!
This is such a thoughtful entry! A beautiful tribute to your parents. I love the “elevated Americana” theme. The sliders, especially, look fabulous!
Thank you so much! We loved those sliders!
So gorgeous! It looks elegant, fun and delicious!!!
What an amazing story and the party looks so fun! Those sliders are adorable! You have my vote!
Thank you for sharing your parents’ story and allow us to be a part of the anniversary dinner. Great menu concept, creative and original. You got my vote. Good luck!
Darnit all for making me cry!! That was absolutely beautiful 🙂 Beautiful! Fabulous post.
Thank you so much 🙂 I loved yours too!
What an amazing couple! I love your idea for the menu… I was almost crying reading the introduction.
I voted for you again – Good Luck!
You moved me to tears, what a beautiful story. I loved your dinner party idea, the favorite memories and framing the quotes. You have such a beautiful heart 🙂 Everything is just so touching. Thank you for sharing…wow. And of course I am voting on this post. Looks deeeeelish!
Love your post Julie. Very personal touch. Your table, and food look great!! Best wishes….
Love! I teared up a bit, if I’m being honest.
Thank you so much! 🙂 Means so much to me!
Very touching and whimsical too! What a nice tribute to their love..thank you so much for sharing and good luck ! Thanks for stopping by my blog I’m heading over to vote for you now !!
What a lovely story about your parents and I love that you planned the menu and decor with their back story in mind. Everything about this whole post is so sweet – I love it! Good luck in PFB!
Thank you so much, AJ!
Yes, (this is Julie’s Mom) we DID love it! Everything was lovely and so delicious! My favorite was the dessert, or course, (as usual) but everything was not only great tasting but also presented uniquely! Many thanks to Julie for the nice dinner and all her planning and hard work.
Our story is one for the books… We are blessed by God and know it! 🙂 Running on Butter (love that name!!) Julie does have a beautiful heart, and Mary Beth, I love that Hemingway line! So fitting! Thank you all for your lovely and thoughtful comments!!
Aw, thanks SO much, Sues 🙂 I’m clicking over to read your blog post right now!
What a sweet story! I love the pictures of your parents!
I absolutely LOVED this story Julie! I’m so glad that your dad found your mum not only to save her but now we have you! 😀 best of luck with the competition-you’re a total winner to me!
wow. what a wonderful story and such a special tribute to your parents! this is by far one of the best entries i’ve seen!
Thank you SO much, Natalie — what a sweet thing to say!!
Aw, dude, you made me cry! What a story and I think it’s wonderful how you recreated the meal from the place they met. Definitely getting a vote from me.
Love that you were inspired by your parents’ marriage. Beautiful family, beautiful food.
I love the story behind your delicious dinner party! And how neat that they both sent you the same memory. It made me tear up. Good luck in this round!
Everything looks fabulous! Hope we both make it to the next round! 🙂 You have my vote!
Thanks so much, Jessica! I’ve loved all your posts so far!
Thanks, Ruby! I definitely feel like being a REAL person — mistakes and all — is an important part of food blogging!
thank you so much for sharing such a sweet story! it made my heart ache for your mom and so happy when i read the ending 🙂 you have my vote!
Thank you 🙂 Same to you!
Thank you so much!!! I know what you mean about needing help — I could’ve used 8 more hands!
What a sweet story, you have my vote. Can’t wait to recreate your sliders, yumm!
Julie – have been trying to view this post and comment on it for days, but around National Day in China (Oct 1) internet security always beefs up and I’ve been endlessly frustrated trying to get over, under or through The Great Firewall. Success finally today!
Thanks for a lovely post – the first one to bring tears to my eyes….and the food immediately transports you back to the sixties.
What a terrific story and what a way to help them celebrate it! Now, you know you will have to out do yourself next year. 🙂 Good luck in round 3!
I loved your party, great story. Everything looks amazing. Good luck in this round, you got my vote.
What an incredible family story ( even if some things are sad!) and your dinner is a GREAT idea…Pity I was not there!!
What a beautiful blog you have and such a touching story. I adore blogs that bring back family history through food. You’ve done a wonderful job on recreating such a special moment in time. Voting for sure!
This is such a sweet story, and the perfect way to honor your parents’ marriage. Your adaptations of classic dishes are so creative! I’m voting for you right away!
You are quite the popular blogger with this post!
I love the party you threw for your parents. It’s upscale comfort at it’s best. great job Julie!
Okay…1) this meal sounds amazingly delicious! You are awesome Julie and deserve to win this! 2) that is such a beautiful story about your parents. I’m sad it took me this long to read it. But better late than never right?? Happy anniversary to your wonderful parents!
Thank you so much, lovely Maranda! | 2019-04-23T04:36:14Z | http://willowbirdbaking.com/2010/10/03/elevated-americana-a-celebration-of-39-years/ |
Originally presented as a paper at the conference on “The Vitality of Reformed Theology”, the Netherlands (June 1994). The paper has been published in Veeling, K. ed. 1994. The Vitality of Reformed Theology. Kampen: Kok.
In die Skriflig, 29(3) 1995: 345–369.
Throughout the ages, the role of theology was understood to be that of serving the church to become what it should be, to become true to its own identity. In the theology of the Reformation, the identity of the congregation was sought in its being created and sustained by the Word of God. Consequently, theology was intended to serve the preaching, teaching and pastoral care of the congregation. However, since the Enlightenment, theology as a university discipline has been deeply influenced by the presuppositions of the modern spirit and has mostly lost its close relationship with the church. Because of its resultant critical approach to the Bible it often destroyed the very fabric of the gospel by which the church should live. It often became an impediment on the way of the congregation to remain true to its spiritual identity. The author contends that the time has now come to see the presuppositions of the Enlightenment for what they are: relative and one-sided, the biased assumptions of a positivistic era which is rapidly drawing to its end. He is of the opinion that theology should not aspire to operate within the limits of the modern world view, but accept the challenge to operate on the basis of the faith of the congregation as interpretative community, and to read the Bible as the Book of the church with the presuppositions of the Christian faith.
Without dealing with the interesting and vital problem of the relation between church and theology, one may state without hesitation that this relation is of a vital character. It is in fact so vital, that in the long run the character of the church is conditioned by its theology (Van ‘t Spijker, 1974:40).
We could easily prove this by looking at the history of the church from this perspective. For our purpose, however, it is enough to recall the way in which the theology of the Reformed branch of the Reformation shaped the character of the Christian congregation.
Throughout the ages, theology understood its role to be that of serving the church to become what it should be: to be true to its own identity. During the greater part of the history of the Christian church, theology was regarded as the attempt to understand the meaning of God’s revelation as it was given to Israel in the old covenant, as it found its fulfilment in Jesus Christ in the new covenant, as it is proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures, and as it is believed by the Christian church. Thus the purpose of theology was to study and interpret the Bible and the documents of the Christian faith in order to build up the congregation in its faith and to equip it to fulfil its calling in the world.
In the 11th century, Anselm of Canterbury expressed this characteristic of theology by defining it as fides quaerens intellectum: faith that seeks to understand (Barth, 1958:14ff). This means that the point of departure for theology is the reality of the faith of the church which is shared by the theologian. This faith is awakened by the Word of God and is a gift of God’s grace. The congregation lives by the knowledge of God as he reveals himself in the Scriptures. The proper task of theology is not only to enrich the theologian by helping him or her to grasp more fully how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is, but more particularly it is also to assist the congregation to understand that love together with all the saints (Ephesians 3:18).
Reformed theology may be described as that modality of Christian theology that is practiced within the tradition of the Reformed branch of the Reformation. From the outset Reformed theology, which was shaped by the rediscovery of the gospel in the 16th century, had as its main objective the desire of building up the church of God in its knowledge and faith, its obedience and its hope, in order that the church might become what it should be. In essence, the theology of the Reformation was an affirmation of the primary authority of Scripture. It was a joyous discovery of the liberating power of the gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. The new wine of the message of salvation by grace alone burst the old wineskins of the scholastic theology of the Middle Ages (cf. Matthew 9:17). Theology became an exceedingly practical reflection on the Word of salvation by which the congregation lives. In the theology of Luther, Calvin and the other main figures of the Reformation, we encounter a continuous preoccupation with Scripture itself. These Reformers probed into Scripture’s joyful message and tried to capture the meaning of the law and the gospel for the life of the Christian congregation (De Moor, 1980:47). Their theology was forged in the struggle to reform the church. This process is especially visible in the history of different local congregations like Zürich, Berne, Basle, St. Gallen, Strassbourg, Geneva and elsewhere. Zwingli, Oecolampadius, Farel, Bucer, Bullinger and Calvin all contributed to the restructuring of local congregations to enable them to, become churches of the Word. In this process of restructuring, Reformed theology was born and nourished.
The work of Calvin in Geneva is a unique demonstration of how closely the organisation of the congregation and its own theological program were linked together (Bouwsma, 1988). Calvin’s theology developed in the course of his pastoral duties. He had to preach, to instruct, to provide catechism for the children, to formulate a church order, and to write commentaries on the books of the Bible for the edification of preachers and members of the congregation alike. He was not inspired by academic interest alone, but by the spiritual needs of the congregation. Of course Calvin’s main aim, like Luther’s, was to understand more fully the gospel of grace. Like Luther, the soteriological question dominated his quest for the truth. From the outset, however, Calvin’s theology, and that of the whole Reformed branch of the Reformation, developed a broader scope than Luther’s: it included the life of the church and its calling in the world. Within the sphere of influence of Calvin and his close associates a specific Reformed view of the identity of the Christian congregation was born. This identity had to be served and protected.
We deliberately use the term identity here to emphasise the essential character of the Christian congregation. Lately, identity has frequently been used to describe the characteristics of the congregation. Hough and Cobb (1985:24) defined the identity of the congregation in general terms as the institution that in various ways keeps alive the memory of Israel’s life with God as perceived in and through Jesus and the apostolic witness to him. Alternatively, the identity of the church is constituted by its responsibility to make effective the memory and the resulting anticipation of God’s creative and redemptive activity in the world (Hough & Cobb, 1985:27). While such general descriptions of the identity of the congregation are plausible within a specific context, they are not specific enough for our purpose.
Even as each congregation has a distinctive identity, each is also a particular embodiment of the body of Christ. Thus, insofar as a congregation is faithful in its calling to be the church, its particular identity is also an expression of Christian identity.
When we speak about the theological identity of the congregation we mean nothing else than its ‘being the Christian church’, representing the body of Christ. This identity is given in Christ. Yet, this identity also contains an imperative to the church. Like the individual believer, the church should also constantly strive to be and to become what it already is in Christ. It should become true to its own spiritual identity.
The church is defined in soteriological rather than in institutional terms. Following the terminology of the Apostolic Confession, the church is spiritually defined as the one, holy and catholic church, the communion of the saints. The church is identified with the body of Christ, that is, with all people who are elected and saved in Christ, from the beginning of the world until its end (cf. Heidelberg Catechism 54 and Belgic Confession 27).
The church is defined as the fruit of the saving work of Christ himself through his Word and Spirit, as a creatura Verbi. Thus the marks of the true church are the purity of the gospel preached, the pure administration of the sacraments and the exercise of church discipline (Confessio Belgica:27).
The combination of these two aspects also brings with it the characteristic Reformed dialectical relation between the church universal and the local congregation. The church is that spiritual reality which is essentially universal but is also simultaneously visible and tangible in the local congregation, which is the church of God at a specific time and place. The term congregation therefore can be used interchangeably for the local church as well as for the church universal (Confessio Belgica: 27; Heidelberg Catechism:54). The universal church consists of the local congregations gathered around Word and sacrament. The local congregation is a church of Christ in its own right. As such, it is a complete manifestation of the universal congregation of Christ at a specific place, and not just a parish or part of a larger diocese within the church at large. Balke says that, while Calvin firmly believed in the unity of the universal church of Christ which in its essence is invisible, at the same time he also stressed that the church of Christ is visible in the local congregations (Balke, 1992:122–123). Together these congregations form the visible universal Church which is the Mother of the believers. For this reason it is necessary that the local congregations should foster their communion with one another (Balke, 1992:123).
We should not overlook the tremendous importance of this stance for the character and identity of the church. By identifying the church in the local congregation, the danger of large scale institutionalism was avoided. The locus of the church was primarily seen as the concrete gathering of the flock of God around the Word and the sacraments. This brings us to the second way in which theology should serve the congregation: it should foster the understanding, interpretation and application of the Scripture in such a way that the church may be built up and equipped for its service in the world.
The church is born from and constituted by the Word of God as it is preached and confirmed in the sacraments. This view inspired the way in which the Reformed branch of the Reformation organised the church.
Calvin energetically organised the congregation in Geneva and inspired the whole Reformed movement to do the same (Niesel, 1960:207f). One could describe the identity of the church in the Reformed sense by stating that it is the flock of Christ, gathered and protected by Him to live by faith in the promises of God. But it is also necessary to remember that the real identity of the congregation should not be sought in its own subjective religiosity, but in its being created and sustained by the Word of God. The Word, and not the subjective experience of the congregation, forms the heart of the Reformed idea of the identity of the church, and thus also of the Reformed spirituality. The Reformed congregation is intended to be a well-organised community of mature Christians. Gathered around the Word and the sacraments and leading an orderly and disciplined life as the flock of Christ, Christians are called to live in the fullness of the salvation offered by Christ, and to discern for themselves the signs of the times and the kind of witness which the Word of God demands of them.
Protestantism, and the Reformed type of Protestantism in particular, depended primarily upon preaching to accomplish what the sacramental system of medieval Catholicism was failing to do in the sixteenth century: namely, to communicate God’s grace to human beings.
He stresses that the Reformation can best be understood as a revival of preaching. He refers to the Tetrapolitan Confession of 1530 which started with a chapter called: “Of the Subject-Matter of Sermons”, as well as to the decisive statement of the Second Helvetic Confession (1566): Praedicatio Verbi divini est Verbum Dei (Leith, 1988:24–25. Cf. also Bakker, 1957:6f). Calvin insisted that it was the will of God that the church should be built up by preaching (Institutes, IV,1:5–6). The pulpit with the Bible open on it became the central position in the Reformed church building and church service. The preaching and hearing of the Word formed the heart of the church service. The participation of the congregation consisted mainly in its hearing of the Word of God. The significance of hearing as congregational participation in the service should not be minimised. Calvinists believe that hearing the Word of God is the crucial act in worship. The proper response to that hearing is prayer, singing, the affirmation of the faith and the receiving of the sacraments (Leith, 1988:27).
The strong accent on preaching had a decisive influence on the character of Reformed theology. It stimulated its practical character so that theology was not practiced for its own sake, but was practiced in order to build up the congregation. Although with Anselm, Reformed theology could understand itself as fides quaerens intellectum, its interest was not as speculative as Anselm’s. Reformed theology wanted to understand the message of the Bible in its relevance for the life of the congregation. It was geared to serve the preaching, teaching and pastoral care of the church. This meant that the type of exegesis that was practiced was far more than a literary or philological explanation of the text. It was an exposition of the text within the canon as a whole, and it was read against the backdrop of the confessional and salvation-historical interpretation of the Biblical message.
The accent on preaching also had a decisive impact on the identity of the Reformed congregation and the kind of spirituality that was fostered in it. Much has been written about that lately (Velema, 1990; Graafland, 1990; Van ‘t Spijker et al., 1993; Jonker, 1989). Reformed spirituality contains a marked combination of mystical depth and moral activity. This makes it difficult to contain all its aspects in a simple description. This difficulty is not strange when considered in the light of the Reformed respect for the sovereignty and holiness of God. Such respect brings with it not only a deep sense of awe, but also a profound commitment to obey God’s will. This sense of respect and awe is in keeping with the love of Reformed Christians for the whole Bible as Old and New Testaments. The result is that Christians’ spirituality is not only inspired by the gospel message of the New Testament, but also by the message of the Law and the prophets of the Old Testament.
In no other tradition within Christianity do the Old Testament play such an enormous theological role as in the Reformed churches. The Psalms and the Prophets especially feature in a way that has a marked influence on Reformed spirituality. The theology of Van Ruler, amongst others, has opened our eyes to the importance of the Old Testament in the Reformed understanding of the Christian faith (cf. Van Ruler, 1955). Of great importance also is the way in which the three-fold office of Christ features in Reformed theology as the complete fulfilment of the old covenant. Reformed theology inspired a deep sense of reverence for the priestly office of Christ as celebrated at the Lord’s Table; as well as a great respect for his office as Prophet as encountered in the preaching of the Word; and a clear vision of his office as King, as expressed in the well-known assertion of Kuyper that there may be no inch of this world that should not be brought under the dominion of Christ (Kuyper, 1930:32). Whereas Lutherans gloried in the message of justification by faith and tended to use one word to describe the redemption, Calvinists used two. They rejoiced with the Lutherans in the grace of justification, but were simultaneously fascinated by the Biblical call to sanctification.
Calvinists lived by the gospel of the sovereign grace of God in such a way that it could inspire the service and praise of God in all spheres of life. In accordance with the Lutherans Reformed Christians understood the Law as the mirror of sin, but in accordance with Calvin they regarded the Law in its moral sense as still valid for Christians – the so-called third use of the Law (Wendel, 1976:196-208). Their love for the Law was imbedded in their general appraisal of the Old Testament and especially in their love for the concept of the covenant. Whereas Luther rejoiced in the promissio of God, Reformed Christians rejoiced in the covenant of God with his people (Klappert, 1976). Reformed Christians praised God for the salvation of the individual, but at the same time they treasured the idea of the covenant constituted by believers and their households. They even dreamt about the reality of a Christian nation and a Christian commonwealth. They were taught not only to live for themselves and for their families, but also for the society to which they belonged. They felt that they had an obligation to Christianise the world, not only by bringing men and women to an acceptance of Christ, but also by ordering life in its totality according to the law of God. Politics, economics, science and jurisprudence – every sphere of life was to be brought under the sovereignty of God. This belief accounts for the fact that Reformed Christians were nearly always politically alert. Some of the valid elements of truth stressed by contemporary political theology were in reality already included, although within a quite different setting, in the Reformed concept of the kingship of Christ over all spheres of life (Jonker, 1987:86).
It is not strange that this type of spirituality led the Reformed branch of the Reformation to foster the idea of a congregation of well-informed Christians, Christians come of age, able to distinguish for themselves between right and wrong, truth and error. In her portrayal of cross-sections in the Christian community in the Netherlands, Liebje Kuylman-Hoekendijk described Reformed Christians as having a deep commitment to, and a love for the truth as formulated in their confessions of faith. The whole life of the congregation revolves around the truth of the doctrine, and much stress is placed on the covenant and a joyous reading of the Old Testament (Kuylman-Hoekendijk, 1969:50ff). This could be the case only, because Reformed Christians have often had a keen interest in theology. More than any other confessional grouping, the Reformed churches in their best periods cherished the services of theology. There were times in the history of the Netherlands, for instance, when ordinary members of the congregation were very well informed about theological matters. They felt that they could and should understand what theology was all about, so that they themselves could judge the Biblical character of the views expressed and advocated by theologians. Theological literature formed part of the home library, and serious theological problems could form the topic of discussion when friends visited. They obviously did not regard theology as an academic and esoteric science of interest to, theologians only, but as a form of self-reflection by the Church on the revelation. of God by which it lives.
The picture that I have been painting is idealistic of course. It represents a dream that is not easily realised. Even during its best periods, the church has always been accompanied by weakness and failure. Moreover, the extent to which this dream could be realised is dependent on specific factors. The main factor in this regard is the unqualified acceptance of the Scriptures as the Word of God and the willingness to obey that Word as the only norm for the life of the church. In the dynamic situation of the proclamation of that Word in the power of the Spirit, the congregation is built up in faith and obedience to be a living church of God.
Unfortunately, very soon the spirit of the Reformation was threatened by the emerging Orthodoxy. The rationalism of the scholastic methods used by the Protestant Orthodoxy threatened the relation between theology and pulpit. Rossouw told the fascinating story of how the lively and existential reading of the Bible by the Reformers in its clarity as Word of life, was lost as the emerging Protestant Orthodoxy started treating the Bible as source of proof-texts for the doctrinal system of the church (Rossouw, 1963:271-297). Theology, which should be nothing else than the endeavour to read, understand and interpret the Bible as the Word of God in order to serve the preaching, teaching and pastoral care of the congregation, developed instead into an uninspiring rational system of thought. When the Enlightenment hit the Church in the 18th century, the evangelical and theological momentum of the Reformation had been lost already.
The reaction of the Pietists and Methodists was understandable. In many respects they kept alive something of the tree intentions of the Reformation. The problem was, however, that they shifted the focus of attention: religious experience, rather than the Word of God and the gospel of grace, became central. Despite their enormous impact, especially in the English-speaking world, and their formidable missionary action which led to the expansion of Christianity in many parts of the world, they could not revitalise the spirit of the Reformation. The life of faith often withdrew itself into the inner sphere of personal religiosity and concentrated on personal feeling and subjective experience.
Nobody should underestimate the pressures the modern period exerted upon the church. The Enlightenment brought with it a radical change in the mindset of Western man (Heron, 1980:1–21; Berkhof, 1985:11–19). It represented a cultural shift based on new presuppositions that would henceforth dominate the modern mind and confront theology with its greatest challenge since the time of the apostles. The Church was faced with the rising tide of secularism.
To meet this challenge, a totally new approach to the Bible as the Word of God was introduced. This had an enormous impact on the relation between theology and the congregation (Van Genderen & Velema, 1992:81–82). The historical-critical method meant that positivistic presuppositions were applied in Biblical research, excluding faith in the truth of the Bible as a valid point of departure (Runia, 1972:12). Presuppositions play a decisive role in the process of understanding (Grant & Tracy, 1984:134f, 181f). The modem concept of science as an objective and unbiased search for the truth as rational knowledge simply ruled out the idea of theology as fides quaerens intellectum. Consequently, theology could only retain its status as a university discipline by adapting itself to the new rules of the game. It had to accept the ideal of being a purely objective and rational science that could no longer find its basis in the faith of the congregation and the truth of the revelation. To be acceptable, theology had to become a critical study of the documents and history of the Christian faith as part of the study of the phenomenon of religion (cf. Scholder, 1966; Pannenberg, 1973:255ff; Lindbeck, 1984:124). Theological faculties partly became faculties of literary and historical studies, and partly faculties of religion. Even when the term theology was retained, its character was nevertheless radically altered.
Basic to, this approach … was the shift from an ‘explanation’ (of the Bible) which took revelation as the starting point to an ‘explanation’ based on the observation and analysis of observable facts with a view to discovering their ‘laws’, that is their necessary relations. This ‘framework’ required that the text of scripture be examined on the same basis as any other text in the total corpus of ancient literature.
During the course of the last two centuries theology as a university discipline mostly lost its close relationship with the church. It was practiced outside the control of the church and within the orbit of the modern concept of science (Bosch, 1992:10). Its meaning for the life of the congregation became very limited. Theology as an university discipline did not really inspire authoritative preaching of the Word of God, because its ethos was not that of the church, but that of the scientific community. It did not help the preacher to speak with the power of a Verbi Divini Minister. That many preachers were still able to do that was in spite of, and not because of, the kind of theology that they had been taught. This development was extremely harmful to Protestant churches, precisely because of the specific relation between church and theology in the Protestant tradition. Since the 18th century the mainline churches progressively lost the power to inspire the congregation with a vision of the Kingdom of God. The 19th century tells the story of the struggle, the secession, the estrangement resulting from this development in the Reformed Churches (Schrotenboer, 1992). The influence of the church on its environment often became minimal, because it could not reflect any clear, let alone inspiring Christian identity. Many churches became bourgeois institutions supporting the civil religion of the political society. Reformed churches, like many others, suffered from complacency and uncertainty. This was caused presumably by an academic theology that could not really inspire the life of the congregation. We are reminded of Van ‘t Spijker’s statement that in the long run the character of the church is determined by its theology.
It is often said that the type of answers given by the Reformation in the 16th century simply do not fit the kind of questions asked by people in the 20th century. This statement also implies that the kind of answers that the Bible gives are no longer relevant for the present situation. Since the sixties, numerous new types of modernist theologies have succeeded one another, some more provocative than others. Common to them all was the fact that they were short-lived and soon forgotten. Their existence was symptomatic of the theological void into which the Christian community world-wide had been plunged.
In countries all over the world many churches find themselves in the predicament of having lost their confessional and theological identity. This is also true of the Reformed family of churches. It would be easy to cite examples of this situation from all countries. Alan Sell (1992) describes a typical situation when he writes about the doctrinal diversity among Reformed Christians and churches in America. It is well known that Reformed or Presbyterian theology has had a great impact in America, especially because of the influence of theologians and theological institutions of a very high standing (Wells, 1985; Bratt, 1984). Yet, according to Sell, modern developments have threatened the identity of these churches. He is especially disturbed by the negative attitude in many of these churches towards the classical Reformed confessions. He is not even sure if any consensus could be found on the matter of what it really means to be Reformed. Not only does it seem as if anything is acceptable within the tolerant climate of the churches, but the most typical persuasions of the Reformed tradition often seem the least acceptable (Sell, 1992:433ff). In the same vain, Boice (1985:307) complains about the pervasive Arminian slant in Protestant America, even in churches of Reformed origin. The same type of complaint could be heard about Reformed churches around the world.
While one cannot say that those churches which have been influenced by modernism have totally lost their Christian identity, it is nevertheless clear that their confessional identity is threatened. The deepest reason for this loss of identity must be sought in the lack of certainty that the Scriptures are indeed the Word of God, the lamp to our feet and the light for our path (Ps. 119:105). The modern spirit has undermined the ‘plausibility structures’ within which an appeal to the Scriptures could be meaningful. As a result of this undermining an atmosphere of uncertainty has been created which has a significant effect on the preaching, teaching and pastoral care of the church. Many pastors have lost their confidence in the traditional message of the church. Some try to make their preaching relevant by talking about morals or politics. Others try to revitalise the church services by borrowing liturgical elements from other ecclesiastical traditions or by introducing the style and spirituality of the Charismatic Movement. Quite often the pastoral ministry of the church is replaced by psychotherapy or by the stimulation of a kind of mystical meditation borrowed from the East. When the pastor has lost his trust in the proclamation of the saving and healing Word of God, he has to look for something else to replace it.
We are confronted by the challenge of finding a way back to the kind of theology that could serve the identity of the congregation in our present situation. The modernist quest for relevancy has brought many churches to the brink of theological bankruptcy. A mere return to the historical position of the Orthodoxy is hardly possible. If they want to fulfil their calling in the present situation, church and theology will have to revitalise the basic powers that were at work in the Reformation. Only then will they once again be able to protect and to strengthen the integrity of Reformed theology and the identity of the Christian congregation.
In this regard, we should take heed of the lessons that have been learnt since the 18th century. We must also be thankful that the faith of the Church has survived the cultural onslaught. This survival was due largely to the existence of Christians, churches and groups who had the courage to resist the general modernistic trend and to, remain faithful to the Biblical truth as expressed in the classical creeds of the Church. God in his mercy, kept alive the faith in the gospel. We need therefore to, be thankful to him for the many theologians who did not accept all the consequences of the modern presuppositions, despite the pressure exerted on them to do so by the theological faculties in which they served and which operated on these modern principles. We cannot ignore the work and testimony of many theologians who struggled to find some place to stand within the new intellectual climate, even though we may be critical of the way in which they chose to do it.
The challenge Reformed theology has today is to confront the reality of the secularised world in such a way that the Word of God will be heard, even by people who seem to have no frame of reference other than that presented by the secular age. We will have to trust the Spirit of God to guide us and to bless our testimony in a world in which we are confronted with the phenomenon of massive unbelief and a disregard for the Bible and the church. The congregation itself is the appropriate starting point. The congregation should be helped to attain a clear vision of its own identity and be encouraged to live unashamedly as Christians. It must learn to trust in the power of God who, even in this post-Christian era with its unbelief and syncretism, is strong enough to overcome the obstacles in the way of faith.
From the basis of the Christian faith we are able to make a proper assessment of the real meaning of the cultural shift that took place in the Enlightenment. Nobody should deny the positive side of the Enlightenment in our cultural history. The Enlightenment freed us from a lot of superstition and opened the door to the enormous scientific developments in the Western world. But at the same time it was dangerous because of its one-sidedness; its over-simplification of reality; its belief that scientific knowledge could encompass the whole truth; its ‘Promethean optimism’ (Hall, 1991:37); and its conviction that faith in a special revelation of God was childish in nature and therefore unacceptable to the modem mind. At the end of the traumatic twentieth century, we are in a better position to understand the shortsightedness, one-sidedness and therefore also the relative character of the Enlightenment and its presuppositions. The modern mind should be seen for what it really was: a biased and positivistic approach to reality that could in no way honour its fullness. It was not necessarily modern science per se that led to the unbelief that characterises the modern era (Torrance, 1982). There were also specific cultural factors in the Western intellectual development that led to this choice. Today there is a new realisation that the modem era, with its specific type of approach, is drawing to an end. The post-modern era, into which we have entered already, allows a more pluralistic approach to reality and new possibilities for theology (Brueggemann, 1993:1–8).
Since the time of Schleiermacher, theological modernism tried to reconcile theology and modern culture. The Biblical message was reduced to what could be fitted into the plausibility structures of the modem culture. Because of the limitations given with the presuppositions of the Enlightenment, this reduction led to a distortion of the message of the Bible. As long as the presuppositions of the Enlightenment are taken as valid, they will obstruct the way to the acceptance of the authority of the Bible. Once the one-sidedness and relative character of these presuppositions are exposed, the way is opened to listen to the Biblical message with new ears.
The question is of course, how people should be convinced of the deficiency of their presuppositions. The theological apologetics of the last two centuries has tried to do this in many ways, but with little success. The reason for this failure is that presuppositions cannot easily be changed on the intellectual level alone. More especially, those presuppositions that obstruct the decision of faith cannot be removed by logical argument. This is the valid point in Karl Barth’s rejection of Christian apologetics (Barth, 1947:25ff). This kind of obstruction can only be removed by the persuasion of the Spirit of God within the community of faith. That is why it is so important to have a living faith community in which the authority of the Bible is accepted. Such a community may be instrumental in helping the people of our day to read and understand the Bible as the Word of God in a new way.
At present there is a growing awareness of the interpretative role of the community in our understanding of reality and the reading of the Bible (McKnight, 1988:167ff; Watson, 1993:4). We never read the Bible on our own or in a disinterested way. As a rule, people read the Bible as members of an interpretative community with specific “interpretative interests” in its reading (Fowl & Jones, 1991:15). This is true of the congregation. It is also true of academics and, of those who read the Bible with a view to its relevancy for life in society (cf. the political theology of all ages). It is always relevant to ask why people read and interpret the Bible if one really wants to understand the way in which they go about it. The ‘context’ within which the Bible is read, always plays a role in its appropriation.
The concept of contextualisation refers to the way in which the message of the gospel is received and appropriated in a missionary situation. The world of the listener plays a very definite role in the reception of the gospel (Luzbetak, 1989; Conn, 1984). For the Bible to be understood and internalised, its message has to be interpreted and lived anew in each human culture (Bosch, 1991:452). Although the truth of God is supra-cultural, and can be communicated to many different cultures, it cannot be communicated to all cultures in the same way. It cannot be communicated supra-culturally (Carson, 1987:249–253). It needs to be ‘contextualised’ in each culture: it needs to be seen in its relevancy for its readers within their own context.
In an analogous way, every reader of the Bible comes to it with his or her own world and reads it influenced by his or her own interests. The reader who approaches the Bible with the presuppositions of the modern era and reads it within the context of the modem university, will have a totally different interest in reading the text from that of a reader from the community of faith who is in need of salvation or comfort (McKnight, 1988:73-76). Nobody should think that the first reader, with his or her scientific knowledge, necessarily has a better chance of understanding the message of the Bible than has the ordinary member of the congregation. The congregation needs not feel itself threatened by the fact that the Bible is also read in the university and is then interpreted in an historical-critical way. It should see this approach for what it is: one way to go about reading the Bible. The academic context of the university prides itself in its non-committal stance as far as the convictions of faith are concerned. While such a stance is possible, these academics must also realise that the correct way of reading the Bible is to read it within the context of the church.
The only proper ‘interest’ of the Church in the study of scripture is the glory of the one who speaks to the Church in scripture (Newbigin, 1985:46).
Any attempt to read the Bible in a neutral way, merely as an historical document, is to read it without a true understanding of its intentions. The church has always believed that the Holy Spirit alone can open our eyes to understand the Bible properly. The congregation is the community in which the Spirit works and lives. Therefore it is the proper locus for the interpretation of the Bible (Hall, 1991:289f; Wentsel, 1982:146). It is always a bad sign when theology ignores the contribution of the congregation in its attempt to understand the Bible (Van ‘t Spijker, 1974: 40). According to Rossouw, Calvin subscribed to the idea that the interpretation of the Bible as the Word of God can never be a private matter. Rather, the church, as the historical community of present and past believers, forms the hermeneutical continuum in which the interpretation of Scripture should be carried out (Rossouw, 1982:179- 180). Fowl and Jones (1991) argue that people can only become ‘wise readers’ of the Bible if they form part of a living community of disciples and have acquired the formation and transformation of character appropriate to disciples of Jesus. True understanding of the Scripture is part of the kind of life within the fellowship of believers. Similar positions, although from different angles and with different accents, are taken in by Bird (1982), Jodock (1989), Schneider (1991) and Hall (1991).
Reading the Bible as the book of the church means that it is read with specific presuppositions. It is read as a unity, not just as a collection of different documents. It is also read from a specific perspective and in a specific interpretational framework, supplied by the long history of the church’s reading and interpretation of it (Smit, 1991:167-168; Runia, 1988:94-95). To read it like that, is to read the Bible as Scripture and as the Word of God (Kelsey, 1975:198ff; Van Ruler, 1968:113). It is to interpret it according to the analogia fidei, the analogy of faith (Greijdanus, 1946:14-143; Runia, 1972:18). This way of reading the Bible may be unacceptable to the modernist academic scholarship with its aim of a detached and critical reading of the text. According to this approach, the way in which the church reads the Bible is dogmatic and biased. Ironically, Biblical scholarship, as it is conducted in the modernist tradition, is itself not neutral at all. The ‘neutrality’ of critical scholars is already a decision against the faith which the text intends to evoke (Newbigin, 1985:44).
Apart from that, the scholarly community often brings its own interests and interpretational framework to its reading of the Bible. Just as the interpretation of the text by the preacher is not disinterested because he/she intends to persuade the congregation of the truth of the Biblical message, also the interpretation of the scholar is not disinterested. Scholars are part of an institution which measures success in terms which are set by the existing culture. They themselves have a clear interest in achieving success in these terms (Newbigin, 1985:45). Their work is often of little use to the community of faith which should have heen served by theology in the first place. Biblical scholars should be challenged not just to read the Biblical writings separately and within the confines of their academic world, but to read them also (or even in the first place) as a collection, as the book of the church and as canon, in order to, serve the community of faith (Smit, 1992:303–325).
We must face the challenge to proclaim anew the message of the Word of God. We must do this in such a way that it will provide the people of our time with a frame of reference and a new set of presuppositions that will enable them to see the relevance of the Bible for their own life and for that of the world. Within a situation of great confusion in the spiritual orientation of the world, the church should rejoice in the reality of God’s revelation, the reality of the Scriptures as the Word of God, and the reality of reconciliation in Christ. These three pillars form the foundation of the church (Van’t Spijker, 1974:40-49). Theology should help the church to fulfil its calling in this turbulent time, and not add to the existing spiritual disarray. In order to be able to do this, theology should get clarity about its relation to the Holy Scriptures.
Strangely enough, we have arrived at a very interesting point in the discussion about the relation between theology and congregation. We started off by referring to the role that Reformed theology played, and still has to play, in the building up of the congregation and in the protection of its identity. But now it seems that in modern times the congregation may have the task of reminding theology of its own identity, an identity that has been threatened during the last two centuries. The congregation will have to remind theology of its proper nature as the scientific attempt to read, to understand and to interpret the message of the Bible in such a way that the church will be built up in faith and will be enabled to fulfil its proper task in the world. Essentially, theology is nothing else than the self-reflection of the faith community (Hall, 1991:58). It can best be done from within a community where faith is the source of knowledge (Bosch, 1992:14). This does not mean that theology should be practised in a spirit of dogmatic exclusivism that does not take heed of the world at large, but it does mean that theology should take the Bible seriously as the Word of God (Carson, 1987:253; Van ‘t Spijker, 1974:40–49).
This book is written, however, in the conviction that the primary source of the decline is to be found in the loss of the theological integrity and competence of the church’s witness, in particular in preaching, teaching and pastoral care … The renewal of the church will not come without the recovery of the authenticity and theological integrity of the church’s message and a renewed emphasis on preaching (Leith, 1988:13).
This rediscovery is only possible if the Bible as the book of the church is taken seriously both by theologians and by the congregation. Reformed theology can fulfil its calling only if it stays in close relation with the congregation whose identity it is called upon to protect and serve. We cannot avoid making a clear choice between a type of theology that takes revelation seriously and a type of theology that does not. If Reformed theology is to retain its vitality, it will have to take its place within the living faith of the congregation of Christ.
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Smit, DJ. 1991. Wat beteken ‘die Bybel sê’? ‘n Tipologie van leserskonstrukte. Hervormde Teologiese Studies: 167–185, Maart.
Smit, DJ. 1992. ‘Oor Nuwe-Testamentiese Etiek’. Die Christelike lewe in Suid-Afrika vandag. Scriptura. Journal of Bible and Theology in South Africa. Spesiale uitgawe: 303–325.
Torrance, TF. 1982. Das Verhältnis zwischen christlichem Glauben und moderner Naturwissenschaft. IBW Journal. Sonderbeilage zu Heft 2, Februar.
Tracy, D. 1981. The Analogical Imagination. Christian Theology and the Culture of Pluralism. London: SCM.
Van Genderen, J & Velema, WH. 1992. Beknopte gereformeerde dogmatiek. Kampen: Kok.
Van Ruler, AA. 1955. Die christliche Kirche und das Alte Testament. München: Kaiser Verlag.
Van ‘t Spijker, W. 1974. Eenheid in verscheidenheid? De identiteitscrisis binnen de Gereformeerde Gezindte. Kampen: Kok.
Van ‘t Spijker, W. Balke W, Exalto, K. & Van Driel, L (reds). 1993. Spiritualiteit. Kampen: De Groot Goudriaan.
Velema, WH. 1990. Nieuw zicht op gereformeerde spiritualiteit. Kampen: Kok Voorhoeve.
Watson, F (ed). 1993. The Open Text. New Directions for Biblical Studies. London: SCM.
Wells, DF (ed). 1985. Reformed Theology in America. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.
Wentsel, B. 1982. De openbaring, het verbond en de apriori’s. Dogmatiek II. Kampen: Kok. | 2019-04-19T12:29:26Z | https://williejonker.co.za/19950601-2/ |
Back in high school, I have a hazy memory that I actually ... read... books.
One of the authors I couldn't get enough of was Stephen King. Christine, Cujo, The Dead Zone, Tommyknockers.. I read a whole ton of his work.
And then I came across the Dark Tower trilogy. It was a different sort of story than his usual stuff. A fantasy adventure in a strange world. A twisted Wizard of Oz with "cowboys" and magic doors.
If you're not familiar with the series, I'm not going to explain it to you very well. I couldn't do it justice. But it's basically the story of the journey of Roland, the Gunslinger, toward.. uh.. The Dark Tower.. which is as mysterious as it sounds. Along the way he is joined by a group (a ka-tet) of traveling companions, mostly from "our world". The story is very metaphysical and self-referential, sometimes weird with strange monsters, magic, and science.. and so hard to explain without giving away some spoilers about the nature of the Tower and ka.
But the ending of the third book.. is so... infuriatingly dangling. Acknowledged by King himself, it was just the place he decided to stop.
Those of you who have not yet read the books (and you should!) do not have to wait the excruciating 5-7 years to resolve the cliffhanger at the end of The Waste Lands. Like binge-watching an old series on Netflix, consider yourself lucky in this regard.
That being said, when the fourth book -- Wizard and Glass -- came out in my college years, I tried to read it. I really did. But... I just couldn't. I dunno why. It starts with a semi-satisfying resolution to the cliffhanger, but is mostly told as a flashback with character background that I didn't appreciate at the time. I wanted to know what happened next, after all this time waiting; not hear about what makes Roland tick!
Just recently, in my wise old years, I decided to start listening to audiobooks to encourage more exercise.
And "just to see how things go", I decided to start this ordeal by listening to the whole Dark Tower series, from the beginning. The first 3-and-change books would be familiar enough that I could sort out the technical details while not having to pay 100% attention to the narrative.
The first book was actually significantly revised when the 5th/6th/7th came out on the scene, to put it more in line with some of the later ideas (but I have a theory about that too. See the spoilery part below). So there were parts where I said "huh. I specifically don't remember this part that I would have remembered." as I listened.
But I made it through the first 3 books again.. and the 4th book which was much easier to tolerate and appreciate this time around. (Still slightly dissatisfying that most of the book was such a tangent to the "current action", but at least I hadn't waited 5 years between books this time, and didn't have to wait another 7 for the conclusion).
And then I heard all-new-to-me parts of the story .. from book 5 onward it definitely gets... weird .... in lots of ways, some which would require a spoiler just to use a single word on how weird it gets. But it's amazing.
And the way the story ends.. I am satisfied with it.
There's apparently a new book that takes place between books 4 and 5, a couple of short stories, and a series of comics, and I might even check these all out.
Also, due to the.. multiversal .. nature of the story, there are lots of other works by King that tie into The Dark Tower, subtlely or not. I don't know if I'd count those in a completionist sense, but it's cool to know those references are there.
I definitely recommend this series, and I kind of regret not keeping up with it as it was being released.
On a general arbitrary review scale, I rate this series a GRRRRR!
Blogger's "spoiler tag CSS" didn't work properly -- sorry if you saw it already. But I've just moved my spoilery comments to a Google Doc. If you're interested in some minor spoiler-ridden commentary, go take a look here: Spoily thoughts!
I plugged my cable box into the HDMI port on the Xbox One, and went through the full setup process.
I am ... undecided on whether to keep it this way, and I'll be looking for feedback from my wife (and to a lesser extent, my son) on how it makes things easier or harder.
Even more video stuff that can be done without changing the TV or Receiver input. (Not quite 100% there yet, but mostly because the Chromecast is so convenient for pushing youtube to the big screen).
The Kinect indeed does its magic to pass (a limited number of*) IR codes to the cable box without an IR blaster.
While watching On Demand video* (or, probably, if you have DVR functionality and are watching live tv, but we don't), the "playback control" commands (pause/play/etc) work too.
The OneGuide integration puts everything available to watch in one place. And there's even a "mini-guide" that can pop up during TV-watching.
There is no degradation to video or sound that I can see, even though it adds an extra "hop" in the chain for TV. I had read about some concerns about support for surround-sound, but the option was there (maybe it was a more-recent system update?) and I am satisfied there.
You can, of course, switch between watching TV and doing other Xbox stuff without necessarily even picking up a controller or remote.
If you need something that isn't covered by the Xbox interface, you are still able to control the cable box normally.
In theory, I could ditch the cable box entirely, use this functionality with a cheap Digital Converter Box just to get the basic channels, and use the FiOS App for the paid channels, and it's still somewhat integrated and saves us $10/month.
But then we lose On Demand functionality which we still kind of need for some channels' content because we don't have a DVR and would rather not do anything illegal.
But we could use the web and Chromecast, or Amazon Prime, for the "on-demand-esque" content that isn't accessible from some other app.
With all of this nesting back-and-forth, maybe I should move on to the Cons.
Did I say "when they work" with the Voice Commands? Yeah. Xbox, I said "Watch BBC America", not "BET"!
The only cable-TV-related commands that are passed through the Xbox are channels by name; you can not specify a channel number, nor is there channel up/down functionality.
Lack of channel up/down kind of makes sense, since the Xbox is using IR and not CEC. It is completely blind to the current state of the cable box. But it would still be nice.
...You also don't have control over things like On Demand. You can use the actual cable remote (or the aforementioned Universal Remote) but this can get terribly confusing and almost defeats the purpose. Especially if you want to send the up/down arrow keys, or "Back", or "Menu", etc to the cable box to navigate menus, while sending the same keys to the Xbox is for entirely different functionality that you don't want to override.
And if you get things out of sync in an unexpected way (for example, accidentally leaving the cable box in a menu and then saying "Xbox Watch NBC"), the Xbox voice commands can end up putting your cable box in a funky state.
In order to do anything with the cable box, the Xbox needs to be fully 100% powered-on. This is not exactly happy for the electricity bill.
It would have been nice if the HDMI passthrough was actually a passthrough when the Xbox was off. But no.
Relatedly, if you really want the fully-integrated immersive experience without having to hit any special buttons, you really need to have your cable box turned 100% on while the Xbox is turned on all the time. Due to Kinect magic, you can pair their power-states (and this kind of thing works well so far in my experience) but you shouldn't have to.
This would all be much nicer and simpler if the Xbox could just use a damn CableCard! Or at least if the US could support DVB. Please?
I'm sure there's more, but that's a long enough rant to get us started.
Leave further questions in the comments, or come find me elsewhere!
As promised in my previous post, after receiving my $50 store credit, I immediately placed an order for Kinect.
I took it out of the box, and set it up in the location that I thought would be perfect: Just on top of our Center speaker.
But from there, even at the lowest angle I could adjust it to, Setup complained that it couldn't see my floor.
So, physically, it has ended up in one of the most dangerous places in the room: Right in front of the TV, on the stand, right in the path of oncoming flung dog toys, visiting toddlers, or other disasters.
But for now, it's fine.
At first, it was a little difficult to get used to the gestures, and to get it to hear us just right (still getting used to that).
The free dance game ("Dance Central Spotlight") that comes with the Kinect unfortunately has a major bug: Apparently if you play with 2 players, and both players receive an Achievement notification, the whole thing locks up. So it can only be played with Notifications disabled. That's a bit disappointing.
But we did end up downloading Just Dance 2015... which works a bit better, but is also disappointing in a way (or at least we haven't discovered all the settings yet): In previous Just Dance games, at least on the Wii, you were able to have separate "Dancer Cards" for each person, which kept track of time played, calories burned, personal bests, etc. This seems to only allow you to play one at a time, and assign random names to you while dancing (so, instead of "OssianGrr" and "Eli" and "Talita" dancing, we are forced to be named "Crazy", "Happy", and "Sunny" or whatever). Meh.
Other than that, I do see the benefit of getting exercise out of this, and the dance games are obviously less-forgiving than the Wii ones, since the Kinect is actually watching how you move and not just guessing from a few Wiimote gestures.
Incidentally, when we were setting all of this up, there also happened to be a known Xbox Live Outage, which made some things a little difficult.
Gestures in the main UI are kind of silly, but I'm getting used to it. I guess there's a point to being able to switch tasks and scroll with "grabs", but I think mostly I will default to the controller.
It's almost perfect. The Kinect camera sometimes needs some coercing to recognize me, Eli, or Talita. But it's only been a few days, and I think it's training itself whenever we click the complaint button. And it hasn't had any false positives. Only nondetection.
That being said, it's a (theoretically) super-convenient feature.
Just like some other rants I've given, this suffers from a few problems.
When it works, it works awesomely! Nice that I can say the name of a game and it goes there, and stuff like that.
And "Xbox On" is a nice touch when it's in half-powered-down state.
But: Anyone in the room can shout commands which can lead to some master trolling (taken to an extreme, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWZLa4AnN5k ) and I presume that if someone said "Xbox Sign Out" in a netflix show or something, it would pop up the interface just like when "A Serious Problem" in my audiobook was interpreted as "Hey Siri!".
Recognition of the voice of the primarily-logged-in user would be an amazing feature (Android does this! It's possible!), or at least customization of the trigger word.. but at least since this isn't a mobile device, there is slightly less chance of it overlapping with someone else's device.
This is a bit of scary voodoo.
I was under the impression, all along, that if I wanted the Kinect to control my TV or other components, I'd have to have some sort of hydra of IR blasters sticking out of the xbox. It doesn't support CEC control, and it's just basically Infrared passthrough.
The Kinect is facing outward. Away from everything.
And magically, it "just works" to turn my TV on and off, control volume on the receiver, etc etc.
This means it must be blasting out quite a bit of infrared light, enough to maintain a signal after bouncing off of non-reflective surfaces. I wonder if that's healthy.
That being said, I don't care if it's healthy. It's impressive!
Right now, I have it set up so that when I turn the Xbox on, it turns my TV on (apparently my TV has unique "on" and "off" IR codes! Another great discovery!), and I can use my voice to control volume/muting on the receiver. Pretty amazing.
When the xbox turns off, I don't turn anything else off yet. That kind of changes the setup a bit more than expected, but I might still play around with it.
And, as well as this is going, I might even try out the HDMI-passthrough from cable box after all. I've heard some negative things about this interface -- and I'm not 100% keen on needing both the xbox and cable box on at full power every time I want to watch certain content -- but there's only one way to find out if it works for us.
The poor PS3 will probably not be powered on any time soon for much; ironically it has now been *downgraded* to a games-only machine.
The Wii will likewise probably get *less* usage, but not *none*.
The Chromecast is still the best way to fling youtube (and some other occasional content) at the TV.
All of these have to be taken into account, though. when I decide how much power and control to hand over to Xbone.
So... yes! I am a proud new owner of an Xbox One, and we've spent the last week or so with it.
It came with Halo: Master Chief Collection, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Assassin's Creed Unity (which didn't arrive for a few more days).
And somehow I was convinced to get a game Eli would play, so we got another Batman game: Lego Batman 3.
Plenty of games, and it wasn't even intended as a "gaming machine".
As for the media stuff.. overall, great.
The FiOS app works well, and integrates with the "OneGuide" which is an interesting side effect. (This is the thing that's meant to work with HDMI-passthrough IR-blastthrough cable boxes, which I'll get back to in a moment).
Netflix, Amazon, all the usual media apps..
Unfortunately I didn't make the connection until after logging in to all of these accounts that the SmartGlass app can use your phone's keyboard, and therefore LastPass, instead of needing to use a controller to navigate an on-screen keyboard to type my random jumble. Oh well, useful for the future anyway.
We created 3 separate accounts on the system: One for me (really the "primary" account), one for Talita, and a "Kids" account for Eli with limited privileges.
Oddly annoyingly, even the "PBSKids" media app locks out 75% of its features when a 7-year-old tries to use it, but that's not really that bad.
There are some media apps that seem to be missing on the Xbox One, but are allegedly on the 360, so maybe they'll catch up soon.
And unfortunately, our receiver's "universal remote" didn't work over IR with the Xbox, so I ordered a new cheap universal remote (this one), which works absolutely great with all of our components. Despite being a little clunky to program, I recommend it as a cheap alternative to Harmony remotes.
We've experienced a couple of strange glitches, like starting up to a dark screen -- or in the middle of a Netflix movie, the screen turning into vertical lines -- but they haven't happened often enough for me to be worried.
It's definitely quieter than the PS3, and that on its own is a benefit.
One other media-related thing, which is silly and inconsequential: long ago, I bought a Region 2 DVD set of a UK-only Red Dwarf release (The Bodysnatcher Collection, note the amazon UK address). And I could play it fine on my PC with VLC, or I could watch the ripped videos, but I like the preservation of menu structures and subtitles, bonus features and such.
I tried ripping and re-burning the DVDs to make them regionless, but the PS3 still didn't like the fact that they were PAL format. Well, good old Xbox can play the burned copies. Yeah.. really silly for something I'm probably never going to actually watch again.
So, now that we're getting used to the interface, I've got a $50 Microsoft Store credit which I'm going to apply to buying a Kinect at some point. That will change everything.. again.
So, expect a new blog post about that when it arrives.
And then I find out that in a few months, they're revamping the entire UI of the home screen.. so it will be another learning curve.
Oh.. and speaking of HDMI-passthrough cable boxes?
After we get the Kinect, which is needed for the whole IR-blaster setup, I might look into this. The article is about using a digital tuner box to get OTA channels on the Xbox interface, but allegedly it also works with cable-from-the-wall if you're paying for service. If that does work, then we could theoretically ditch the cable box, save on monthly cost, and truly have all* of our mediastuff going through the Xbox itself.
Overall I am not disappointed.
* Except for the Chromecast, which is still useful and convenient for pushing certain types of content. And with missing "apps", and no Flash in the Xbox IE browser, Chromecast is still a convenient way to legally, freely, stream certain content to the TV without a cable box. | 2019-04-24T02:56:58Z | http://blog.tornsignpost.com/2015/07/ |
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For 3 years I was part of the group that ran the Brighton Zinefest. We started just with the idea it would be fun to have a zine event in Brighton and managed to build a successful and fun event. Sadly we don’t run it any more because some of the original organisers live in Brighton any more, the others were too busy, and nobody new appeared to take over, and so it just wasn’t practical to hold another.
You are not going to make any money from holding a zine event.
Only run a small-scale event by yourself. If you want to hold a bigger event, it’s best to be part of a group. Otherwise you are likely to die of stress.
If you have a group, you need to decide from the outset how it will be run. For the Brighton Zinefest we operated as a collective (with 5-7 per year), where each member had equal say (ie there was no leader) and decisions were made by consensus. We recognised that people had lives outside of the event, and kept minutes of our meetings and emailed them to people if they couldn’t make it that month, and the members increased and decreased their involvement week to week to fit in around their lives. Things ran very well because we respected each other and worked co-operatively. Bringing office politics and power struggles into organising an event that’s supposed to be fun is pointless.
Don’t over-commit yourself. It’s unrealistic to think that you will live, eat and breathe organising this event, and unrealistic to expect anyone else to. You also have a life, don’t forget about that.
On the other hand, don’t expect to be able to skip out on all the tedious organising stuff before the event and expect it to run smoothly.
Use people’s strengths and work round their weaknesses. For instance if you’re someone who tends to panic, get someone with a cooler head to deal with things that go wrong last minute and so on. Make use of people’s contacts and real-life jobs and so on as well. For instance, one of our organisers was very involved with music and putting on bands, so he was able to organise a fund-raising gig much more easily than any of the other members of the group.
Make a spreadsheet to keep track of finances from the outset and be diligent about it. Don’t sink much of your own money into an event, especially if it’s your first. You’re better off holding something small in a cheap/free venue to start out with.
Be prompt and organised about answering emails, and if you work in a group make sure people share their information so everyone knows what’s happening and who’s dealing with what.
Don’t underestimate how much time it takes to organise things. Trying to organise a huge event in a month is just going to be painful. If you don’t have much time to spare, keep it small.
The first step is finding a venue and choose a date and time to book it. It’s unlikely you have much of a budget, especially if it’s your first event. There’s not much money in selling zines, so the stallholders won’t be willing to spend much for stall fees, and visitors don’t really want to pay much of an entrance fee, so you need to find somewhere cheap. Holding a fund-raiser before hand is often better than trying to get stall-holders to pay more for stalls. Community halls, schools, universities and libraries often have suitable rooms available for low prices, and are quite likely to give you a heavy discount or even let you use it for free for a non-profit thing like a zine fair, especially if there are going to be free workshops. They also have tables and chairs already there, which is very important.
Weekends tend to be best, because people are more likely to be free to visit then. In the UK afternoon fairs 12-5 seem to work the best, but you should choose what works the best in your country/culture. It’s also important to consider accessibility. It’s very likely that people with wheelchairs, walking sticks, buggies and other things that don’t go very well with lots of stairs will want to come. This is another reason why places like community centres, schools, etc are a good venue to choose, because they tend to be required by law in most countries to be equipped with step free entrances, lifts, disabled toilets and so on. Places like universities also often have things like induction loops for hearing aids.
Find out what the venue’s policies/facilities are regarding food. They might have a café in the building and not allow separate sales of cake, refreshments etc, they might not allow home-cooked food that’s not from a certified kitchen or they might have a kitchen you can use for whatever you want as long as it’s left clean (this is the most common thing in the UK). In the UK (I don’t know about other countries) it’s very popular for people to bring cakes to either sell from their stall or to donate to the event as a fund-raiser, and it’s important to know if the venue allows this.
The ideal venue is accessible without stairs (so either is on the ground floor, or has ramps or lifts), has a generously sized main room for stalls, plenty of tables and chairs, another smaller room for workshops, facilities to make drinks, decent toilet facilities, a quieter area over to one side to let people relax and chat (a craft table or library box of zines to browse is also nice in this area), is easy to get to and has parking. A lot of people appreciate unisex/non-gendered toilets too. Of course it’s not so easy to always find such a perfect place. In our first year we used a local hall that we were offered for free. It was accessible, had a kitchen, a stage, tables, a car park, clean unisex toilets, and was in the town centre. The downside was that there was no separate room for workshops (we ended up having them at a local café/social club place), the hall was quite small, so it got very crowded, and to get to the kitchen you had to walk over the stage.
The second and third years we moved to a similar but larger hall, which offered us a very cheap rate. It had a kitchen with a serving counter onto the main room and separate rooms for workshops, but we didn’t get to use all of the available space, because some of the extra rooms were up steep stairs, and it didn’t seem fair to put too much up there (it’s a very old building run on a low budget, and I think they’re trying to get money for a stair lift). In the end we ended up putting six or so stalls up there, because there was literally no-where else to put them on the ground floor, and were prepared to ferry a tray of things down for anyone who couldn’t get up there but wanted to browse, but we preferred to keep as much as possible downstairs. The other disadvantage was that it was in more of a residential area, and on a steep hill, which makes it less likely to get curious passers-by pop in.
If you can, try to have a sitting down area with some kind of craft activity. It can be something as simple as some old magazines and pictures for making collages and some paper and colouring things on a small table in a corner. Anxious people and those with children will thank you for this. A popular thing to do is provide pre-cut sheets of paper for people to make a page for a collective zine, and a box to leave them in with a sign up sheet for contact details if you’d like to see the finished zine from the day.
Before you go advertising or allocating any stalls you need to go to the venue and have a physical “dress rehearsal” with the tables and chairs. The inventories/floor plans venues will give you are often out of date or inaccurate. It’s best to have 2 sizes of stall, small and large. Usually these are done as full or half tables on the typical large painting tables that most venues have. I’ve been to events before where they try to cram in 1/3 tables and it just gets cramped and messy. In my opinion you’re better off having fewer stalls fitted in better. It’s very important to know how many tables you actually have and how they fit into the room. I once went to a zine event and there weren’t actually enough tables or chairs for all the people they’d given stalls to. I was running late due to a transport problem, and I got there all flustered and hot only to find I didn’t even have a stall any more, and would have to stand at the bar instead and decided to not bother with the fair. Luckily I hadn’t travelled very far to get there.
Large stalls are for people with lots of stock: distros and people with lots of back issues. It annoys the stallholders to get to an event and find that they have been given half a table for 15 different issues of a zine or a whole distro, and there’s someone with a full table for 2 different issues.
Lay out the tables with plenty of room for people to walk and a wheelchair to pass between, at least 6ft5 / 2m if possible, and try to avoid creating areas where people can get cornered once the event gets busy. Having a gap between tables for stallholders to get out is also helpful. Make sure to put out enough chairs: bare minimum is one chair per small stall and two per large stall. Also make sure that space allocation is fair, measure all the tables and give a set amount of space for large and small stalls. It’s not fair to just go “half tables!” when all the tables are different sizes. Mark out your stall boundaries with masking tape and make a careful floor plan. This might seem excessive or pernickety, but it comes in very useful on the actual day, and means you don’t accidentally over-allocate stalls, and you know where everything is meant to go. You should also allocate a large table for people to bring individual zines to sell, and a table for freebies.
For allocating stalls I think it’s best to set a deadline for applications rather than doing first come, first served, because it stops people with great zines missing out on a stall because they didn’t hear about the event. When you ask for applications you need to have clear policies on what people can have on their stalls spelled out in the info. For instance we said crafts are welcome, but stalls must be 75% zine, and we don’t accept zines with bigoted material (racist, sexist, homophobic, etc, etc). In the application ask people what size stall they want, if they are a distro or individuals, and to describe what their zine(s) is/are about and provide a link to their website or Etsy. If you are clear about these things on the outset you’re far less likely to suddenly find on the day that you’ve given a stall to someone who runs a Klu Klux Klan zine or something. If you don’t specify tables must be majority zine, sometimes it can turn into more of a craft fair with the odd zine. We also came up with a suggested price guide after visiting an event where people were trying to sell standard photocopied b/w zines for ludicrously inflated prices.
If someone writes in and says “I don’t have any zines yet, but I plan to have made one by the event”, don’t give them a table. Who knows if they will actually follow through. If they finish it in time, they can always put their zine on the individual zine table.
When you have chosen what people to give stalls to, remember to send a polite email to the people you turned down. Don’t leave notifying people too late. Often people travel long distances to get to zine events, and if you leave it too long they might not be able to come, because they often rely on cheap advance tickets for travel. Give the stallholders plenty of info weeks in advance: travel directions, the time they should arrive, and a phone number to call on the day if they have problems getting to the venue or finding it. Make sure the phone number you give will actually be answered.
Workshops at zine events are always really popular, and quite easy to organise at very low cost. You can usually get volunteers to give them. Popular things include zine readings, talks, discussion panels and demonstrations of DIY skills (we had over the years: screen-printing, basics of zine layout, vegan cooking, basics of comics and bookbinding). Make sure to have a set timetable for workshops, display it on your website/blog, and have it printed large and displayed very prominently at your zine event so people know what’s happening, when, and where. Having your workshops in the same room as stalls is a bad idea because it’s very easy for people’s voices to get drowned out by the bustle of the stalls. Having volunteers to help with the running on the day will also make it less stressful for you. Volunteers can help set up the tables right at the start, and put them away afterwards. It’s good to have someone to mind the individual zines table and a donation bucket if you have one, and to do tea and coffee if you have the facilities.
I think the most important thing to do here is not start too late. It’s a good idea to set up a website/blog as soon as you have a venue confirmed. On the website/blog at least have a summary of what will happen at the event, contact details for the organisers, how to apply for a stall and travel directions to the venue. You can also appeal for volunteers to help out on the day.Get an artistic/designy friend to do you an attractive flyer with the date, time, website/blog, location and full address of the venue. If your flyer looks boring or scrappy and doesn’t have the full info it’s not going to help you get people to come.
Print lots of quarter-sized flyers cheaply. Black and white photocopies are absolutely fine, you don’t need to bankrupt yourself with glossy colour printing. Using coloured paper can make them look nice on the cheap. Send flyers to distros months before the event for them to send out with zine orders, and hand out flyers and chat to people at other zine events and other things where you think people might be interested in zines (gigs, craft/diy events etc). If you’re shy, maybe get an outgoing friend to help you with this.
The personal touch of talking to someone or receiving a flyer with some zines makes far more of an impact than an email or Facebook mailing list. Having a coloured-in digital version of the flyer available on your website/blog for people to post on their own blogs also helps you spread the word. Make sure to contact your local listings magazine well in advance, they usually require you to send details a month before each issue comes out. Local newspapers are also quite often keen to cover these types of events too, especially if you don’t live in a big city, so try to contact them. A few weeks before the event, go round local shops to leave flyers. Places like independent coffee shops, clothes shops and record shops are usually enthusiastic. Chain places usually won’t let you. Be polite when you ask. If you have left flyers, return once a week to check up on the levels and replace them if possible.
Don’t rely on Facebook events to help you promote. A lot of people get so heavily spammed with events that don’t interest them and are happening 3,000 miles away that they barely pay attention to their Facebook invites. There’s plenty of people who don’t use Facebook or have an account but don’t really bother with it too.
Get to the venue several hours in advance to set everything up. If you aren’t going to get in trouble for it, it’s a good idea to fix up paper signs with arrows pointing the way from places like the local bus or train station. Make sure to have a clear sign outside the venue, this will also attract passers-by. Fix a sign on the door visitors should come in by too. If your venue has multiple rooms, fix up signs inside pointing to the other rooms so people don’t miss them. If there are other things going on in the same building make sure to have signs showing where your event ends. Simple computer printed sheets of paper are fine for all this. If you have workshops, have large printed timetables of them pinned up everywhere. If your country/region uses multiple languages, try to have signs in all the languages, checked by a competent/native speaker if possible. You want the whole place to be easy to find and to look welcoming.
The stall-holders are usually told to arrive an hour before doors open to the public. All the tables and chairs should be set up before the stall-holders arrive, and I strongly suggest marking out the stall boundaries with tape and putting the stall-holder’s name on the space. People tend to spread their stuff out to fill space, and if there’s no boundaries marked it’s easy to go over your space and not realise until your neighbour arrives and you have to move all your stuff again, which makes set-up take much longer. Having the stalls marked out and named also has the advantage that people can swap stalls to be near a friend without messing up the layout much, because all they have to do is swap the name labels on two same-sized stalls.
Stall-holders always arrive late or get lost, so don’t freak out about it, they will get there eventually, and everything will work out fine. This is why giving them your phone number well in advance is a good idea. Having the stalls marked out and named means that if someone does arrive really late they can just be calmly directed to their space, and it hasn’t been taken over by someone else, causing a big reshuffle. Have someone at the door with a list of stall-holders, checking them off as you arrive. Once the public start arriving, it’s also a good idea to get someone with a microphone/loud voice to announce upcoming workshops.
Hopefully everything should be fun throughout the day, and if things do go wrong, don’t worry too much, it’s unlikely anyone will die because the zine reading started 20 minutes late. Make sure the person running the individual zine table keeps careful track of how many issues people left, how many sold, and the money made so there are no arguments at the end of the day when people come back to claim their unsold issues and money. When everyone has gone, put the tables away and clean up, and you’re done. | 2019-04-22T08:49:06Z | http://www.anoteonarainynight.com/popular-posts/how-to-run-a-zine-event/ |
Opening today, Tuesday 31 – but without an official reception, it appears – at theSofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, is Wonders of 1929, a collection of vintage photographs of Cambodia, the work of Georges Portal, a French actor and director. Looks like quite something for those of us that love those tantalisingly few old black and white photographs of Phnom Penh… and you have four months to find the time to get there.
On Saturday 4, Phnom Penh Community College presents a double art workshop. From 9 – 12.30, personal journals using collage; then from 1.30 to 5 pm, reviewing, critiquing and mimicking the work of the abstract oils of Gerhard Richter. To register, send an email to [email protected] with your name and contact details.
On Saturday 4, the French Institute presents an afternoon with filmmaker Davy Chou, discussing the past, present and future of Cambodian cinema, including screenings of his films Golden Slumbers and Cambodia 2099. A French language event with interpretation into Khmer and English. 3 pm start.
Also on Saturday 4 at Bophana Center, A miserable village, the 2006 film of a play performed by the Yike artists of the Fine Arts School retelling the story of the French Protectorate era, a 1925 protest in a village in Kompong Chhnang. 5 pm start.
On Sunday 5 at 8 pm, MetaHouse hosts a Classical Series concert featuring the Banz String Quartet from Bamber, Germany, with a special appearance by Cambodian flautist Him Savy, with works by Beethoven, Mozart and Boccerini. $10/$3. For reservations and additional information please contact 077 787 038 or 016 985 828.
For a more rock’n’roll musical flavour of Phnom Penh, make sure you follow weekly gig guide LengPleng.com as well.
If you are a venue or artist and would like to receive a weekly reminder to provide Kumnooh with an upcoming event or activity, please contact [email protected] ask to be added to the venue/artists list. We are only as good as the information we receive.
Tuesday 31 at the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, Wonders of 1929, a collection of vintage photographs of Cambodia, the work of Georges Portal, a French actor and director.
Saturday 4 from 9 am, Phnom Penh Community College double art workshop: Personal journals using collage, and the work of the abstract oils of Gerhard Richter.
Saturday 4 at 3 pm, the French Institute presents an afternoon with filmmaker Davy Chou, discussing the past, present and future of Cambodian cinema, including screenings of his films Golden Slumbers and Cambodia 2099.
Saturday 4 at 5 pm at Bophana Center, A miserable village, the 2006 film of a play performed by the Yike artists of the Fine Arts School.
Sunday 5 at 8 pm at MetaHouse, the Banz String Quartet from Bamber, Germany, with a special appearance by Cambodian flautist Him Savy.
Asia Foundation Community Art Gallery (#59, Street 242) presents Phnom Penh: Open City, Open Mind, featuring the work of Chhunly Poy and Kolab Koeurm (animation), Davit Pum (architecture), Chansi Voung (art and architecture), Prom Putvisal (painting and etching) and Kim Philley(fiction).
At Metahouse, Jews in Asia: Traces of Jewish Migration, an exhibition by Phnom Penh based photographer Anna Clare Spelman.
Romeet Gallery (St 178 near St 19), presents Undivided Nature; the death within life / the life within death a new solo exhibition by Battambang based artist Sin Rithy.
At the French Institute, an exhibition entitled Photography, space and architecture, focusing on Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports.
At The Plantation, Manu, a new exhibition by painter and sculptor Thang Sothea, a set of 30 sculptures representing the cycle of life and the development of humanity.
At Meta House, Khmer, A Portrait, an exhibition by Canadian photographer Blair McDougall.
McDermott Gallery Old Market Siem Reap hosts the Southern Spirits, a new exhibition by Kampot based artist Vincent Broustet.
Lightbox, in Kampot, hosts Move Kampuchea, featuring photographic portraits, with local students of Mayibuye Cambodia acting as photographers and subjects, in a large-scale, black & white format is produced collaboration with international street art initiative, the Inside Out Project. Currently open by appointment: please contact Katharina at k.glynne [ at ] lightboxart.org to visit.
Plae Pakaa, a program of 3 rotating performances of Cambodian traditional arts at theNational Museum of Phnom Penh. A Cambodian Living Arts production. Every Friday and Saturday, 7 pm (May to September); Monday to Saturday, 7 pm (October to April).
Beginning a quiet week, on Wednesday 25 MetaHouse hosts a Monument Books launch of The Factors Contributing to Cambodia’s Civil War, 1950s – 1980s/Lessons Then and Now by journalist Ek Madra, a book tracing “Cambodia’s long, difficult search for peace, security, and identity.” The author will be present, and hold a Q&A session. 7 pm start.
On Friday 27, 6 pm at Bophana Center, an artist’s talk by photographer Mak Remissa, about his exhibition Leave for 3 Days, which was a part of the PhotoPhnomPenh festival in February. The work deals with the forced evacuation of Phnom Penh in 1975, which he witnessed as a young child. A Khmer language event.
On Sunday 29 at 7 pm, MetaHouse presents the premiere screening of a new Cambodian feature film, A day in the country, that examines the dilemma of modern day arranged marriage practices in Cambodia. Writer/director Matthew Robinson of Khmer Mekong Films will hold a Q&A session afterwards.
If you are a venue or artist and would like to receive a weekly reminder to provide Kumnooh with an upcoming event or activity, please contact [email protected] and ask to be added to the venue/artists list. We are only as good as the information we receive.
Wednesday 25 at 7 pm, MetaHouse hosts a Monument Books launch of new book The Factors Contributing to Cambodia’s Civil War, 1950s – 1980s/Lessons Then and Now by journalist Ek Madra. With Q&A session. 7 pm start.
Friday 27 at 6 pm at Bophana Center, an artist’s talk by photographer Mak Remissa, about his exhibition Leave for 3 Days, which was a part of the PhotoPhnomPenh festival in February.
Sunday 29 at 7 pm, MetaHouse presents the premiere screening of a new Cambodian feature film, A day in the country. With Q&A session.
Tonight, Tuesday 17, 6 pm at Metahouse. the opening of a new exhibition, Jews in Asia: Traces of Jewish Migration, by Phnom Penh based photographer Anna Clare Spelman. The show comprises a selection of photographs examining the experience of Jews in Asia, focusing on Bombay, Calcutta and Phnom Penh.
The latest of the Cambodian Living Arts bi-montly Ket Leng Leng (Think for fun) events, on Wednesday 18, will feature a presentation by Sok Rachny, EPIC Arts finance manager, on the topic of Social Enterprise and Sustainability of EPIC Arts. The talk will be held at 6 pm at the CLA office (Sothearos Blvd, just south of St 294), and includes snacks and refreshments.
Also on Wednesday 18, Java Café hosts the opening of Innermost II, a collection of new paintings by Heng Ravuth, “in which he continues to explore self-portraiture and the body as a medium for expressing the human condition.” Check here for last week’s short profile in the Cambodia Daily. The evening commences at 6.30 pm; the show runs until April 26.
On Friday 20, Metahouse offers a taste of the German capital with Sound of Berlin, featuring DJs and live performance, and including projections by film maker Mark Eberle whose documentary on the Cambodian Space Project, The Rise of a Pop Diva, recently premiered on BBC TV. From 9 pm.
Tuesday 17 at 6 pm at Metahouse. the opening of a new exhibition, Jews in Asia: Traces of Jewish Migration, by Phnom Penh based photographer Anna Clare Spelman.
Wednesday 18 at 6 pm, Cambodian Living Arts presents a presentation by Sok Rachny, EPIC Arts finance manager, on the topic of Social Enterprise and Sustainability of EPIC Arts.
Thursday 19 at 6 pm, Romeet Gallery (St 178 near St 19), presents Undivided Nature; the death within life / the life within death a new solo exhibition by Battambang based artist Sin Rithy, which will be augmented by a live painting performance.
Friday 20 from 9 pm, Metahouse offers a taste of the German capital with Sound of Berlin, featuring DJs and live performance, and including projections by film maker Mark Eberle.
On Wednesday 11 at 6.30 pm, the Asia Foundation Community Art Gallery (#59, Street 242) opens its second exhibition, Phnom Penh: Open City, Open Mind, featuring the work of Chhunly Poy and Kolab Koeurm (animation), Davit Pum (architecture), Chansi Voung (art and architecture), Prom Putvisal (painting and etching) and Kim Philley (fiction). The show runs through to June.
A special powerhouse edition of the monthly Java Café Open Stage poetry night on Wednesday 11 will feature Cambodian stars Anida Yoeu Ali and Kosal Khiev, joined by Botswana poet TJ Dema. From 7 pm.
On Thursday 12 at 6.30 pm at the French Institute, the opening of an exhibition entitled Photography, space and architecture. The works, by of a group of photography students under the guidance of Alban Lécuyer and Sovan Philong, focuses on Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports.
On Saturday 14 from 2 pm, a special Art Festival is being presented by Develop Boeng Kak Art, featuring a range of music and street art. Entry $5/$2, children free!
Phare Ponleu Selpak, the renowned circus and arts organisation, celebrates its 20th birthday with a gala event at the Sofitel Phnom Penh on Sunday 15 from 2.30 pm, featuring a circus show, charity auction and live painting.
For a more rock’n’roll musical flavour of Phnom Penh, make sure you follow weekly gig guideLengPleng.com as well.
Wednesday 11 at 7 pm, at Java Café, the monthly Open Stage poetry night featuring Anida Yoeu Ali, Kosal Khiev and TJ Dema.
Wednesday 11 at 6.30 pm, Phnom Penh: Open City, Open Mind, featuring the work of Chhunly Poy and Kolab Koeurm (animation), Davit Pum (architecture), Chansi Voung (art and architecture), Prom Putvisal (painting and etching) and Kim Philley (fiction), at the Asia Foundation Community Art Gallery (#59, Street 242).
Thursday 12 at 6.30 pm at the French Institute, the opening of an exhibition entitled Photography, space and architecture, focusing on Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports.
Saturday 14 from 2 pm, a special Art Festival is being presented by Develop Boeng Kak Art, featuring a range of music and street art. Entry $5/$2, children free!
Sunday 15 from 2.30 pm, Phare Ponleu Selpak celebrates its 20th birthday with a gala event at the Sofitel Phnom Penh on, featuring a circus show, charity auction and live painting.
Garude Restaurant/Gallery (#21, St 466, off Monivong Blvd, south of Mao Tse Tung Blvd), presents Kar Chabphtaem – New Beginnings, featuring range of artists, both local and international, diverging cultural and artistic backgrounds.
At The Plantation, Manu, a new exhibition by painter and sculptor Thang Sothea, a set of 30 sculptures represent the cycle of life and the development of humanity.
Tomorrow evening, Wednesday 4 at Garude Restaurant/Gallery (#21, St 466, off Monivong Blvd, south of Mao Tse Tung Blvd), a new exhibition Kar Chabphtaem – New Beginnings, featuring range of artists, both local and international, diverging cultural and artistic backgrounds. “Artists were asked to predict what this year would ultimately illustrate to them. Is it destined to be much the same, perhaps life shattering, almost certainly enlightening, probably somewhat brutal and scatted with liberal pinches of the chaotic…?” Liberal pinches of the chaotic will commence at 6 pm.
On Thursday 5 at 6 pm, Manu, a new exhibition by painter and sculptor Thang Sotheaopens at The Plantation. A set of 30 sculptures represent the cycle of life and the development of humanity.
Friday 6 at 6.30 pm, Java Café presents a public talk by arts development consultantDr. Irene Leung, Culture as Resilience: Demystifying systems thinking in the arts, to be followed by a panel discussion with Chea Sopheap, Dana Langlois, Kang Rithisal,Nico Mesterharm, Prim Phloeun and Sophiline Cheam Shapiro. The event is part of a weekend long program Our City: In Transition, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, and co-designed by founder of Our City Festival Dana Langlois and Irene Leung.
On the afternoon of Saturday 7, at 1 pm, a free orchestral concert Sailing in Music will be held by the Worldship Orchestra (WSO) and the Angkor National Youth Orchestra at Kizuna Hall, CJCC Phnom Penh. The Japanese based WSO is visiting Cambodia to perform free concerts and workshops for children. A second concert ($10 including a cocktail) will be held in Siem Reap at Ecole Paul Dubrule on Monday 9.
At Phnom Penh Community College on Saturday 7, an afternoon session on still life oil painting presented by Katsiaryna Montague. To register, [email protected] with your name and contact details.
At Bophana Center on Saturday 7, the screening of two short documentaries by filmmaker Sao Sopheak to celebrate the International day for women’s right and world peace. Two girls against the rain and The Beauty and the Beat will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. 5 pm start.
On Saturday 7 in Battambang, workshop/studio/art space Romcheik Pram celebrates the opening of their new building with their first exhibition, The beginning of the journeyby Hour Seyha, a retrospective of this young artist’s work. “… from his first foray into painting to his latest creation, a journey through the dazzlings, hesitations, researches, false trails, return in his steps, despondency, compromises…”. From 5 pm.
At Meta House on Sunday 8 at 8 pm, a concert by Australian new-music collectivehalfsound, two young Melbourne based saxophonists working from a base in western art music to test the barriers of collaborative sonic experimentation. Definitely worth a look.
Wednesday 4, 6 pm at Garude Restaurant/Gallery (#21, St 466, off Monivong Blvd, south of Mao Tse Tung Blvd), a new exhibition Kar Chabphtaem – New Beginnings, featuring range of artists, both local and international, diverging cultural and artistic backgrounds.
Thursday 5 at 6 pm, Manu, a new exhibition by painter and sculptor Thang Sotheaopens at The Plantation. A set of 30 sculptures represent the cycle of life and the development of humanity.
Friday 6 at 6.30 pm, Java Café presents a public talk by arts development consultant Dr. Irene Leung, Culture as Resilience: Demystifying systems thinking in the arts, to be followed by a panel discussion.
Saturday 7 at 1 pm, a free orchestral concert Sailing in Music will be held by the Worldship Orchestra (WSO) and the Angkor National Youth Orchestra at Kizuna Hall, CJCC Phnom Penh.
Saturday 7, 1.30 – 5 pm, an afternoon session on still life oil painting presented by Katsiaryna Montague. Registrations essential, [email protected] with your name and contact details.
Saturday 7 at 5 pm at Bophana Center, the screening of two short documentaries by filmmaker Sao Sopheak to celebrate the International day for women’s right and world peace. Two girls against the rain and The Beauty and the Beat will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.
Saturday 7 at 6 pm, Meta House hosts the opening of Transparency, an exhibition by Hannah Mills “created to celebrate, through art, the beauty and strength of transgender women”.
Saturday 7 at 5 pm in Battambang, workshop/studio/art space Romcheik Pram celebrates the opening of their new building with their first exhibition, The beginning of the journey by Hour Seyha.
Sunday 8 at 8 pm at Meta House, a concert by Australian new-music collective halfsound, two young Melbourne based saxophonists working from a base in western art music to test the barriers of collaborative sonic experimentation. Definitely worth a look.
Monday 9 in Siem Reap at Ecole Paul Dubrule on Monday 9, orchestral concert Sailing in Music by the Worldship Orchestra (WSO) and the Angkor National Youth Orchestra.
SaSa Bassac presents a parallel exhibitions: Day by Day, by Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, and Rates of Exchange, Un-Compared: Contemporary Art in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, featuring many Bangkok and Phnom Penh artists. | 2019-04-24T14:03:15Z | https://kumnooh.com/2015/03/ |
Advocating for Education in the 2019 Legislative Session-- We will use this time to discuss the outcome of the K-12 Vision Group recommendations and the areas of consensus that SAM, MTSBA, MREA, and MASBO (MT-PEC) have for priorities for the upcoming session.
Transformational Professional Learning Opportunities for Montana Education Leaders -- We will describe the professional learning opportunities we have developed collaboratively (MT-PEC) and the opportunities we have established individually (SAM, MASBO, MTSBA and MREA) for our members.
Recruitment and Retention of Quality Educators for Montana -- We will highlight the progress of RISE4MT and the collaboration with the MUS Rural Recruitment and Retention Task Force leading to legislation, etc. We will also discuss the goals going forward -- the use of the REL NW Survey results, funding of legislation, creating education as a career pathway (Educator's Rising, BPE approval of Teacher Education Dual Credit course for CTE credit at Board discretion), the many other things that RISE4MT established going forward. Click HERE to see the RISE4MT report given to the Education Interim Committee in January that could be used as a resource for this session.
Flexibility and Efficiency Options for Montana’s Public Schools-- Montana’s public schools have gained substantial funding flexibility under changes in Montana law over the last several years. This session will provide an overview of these flexibilities as well as collaborative decision-making processes for reviewing and determining which innovations are right for your district, based on resources in MTSBA’s Flexibility and Efficiency Model Policy Series. Topics covered will include proficiency-based ANB, transfers for school safety, multidistrict agreements, flexible enrollment options below 5 and beyond graduation, tuition levy for unfunded IDEA costs, and Adult Education.
Building Reserve Funds – Permissive Levies -- Need to make improvements to your school buildings? Districts now have the ability to raise local funds through a permissive levy in the Building Reserve Fund. This session will focus on how it all works: the limits, potential state funding, allowed projects and accounting issues.
Drug Testing for Students and Staff -- In this session, the MTSBA policy services staff will review the laws and policies governing drug testing students and staff members. The presenters will review collective bargaining procedures, testing and sample maintenance, and appropriate discipline for positive tests.
Closed Sessions: The Exception to the Open Meeting Law -- In this session we will review the legal standards that must be met before a board may meet in closed session, preparing for a closed session, and recent court decisions guiding how the school district should manage issues requiring a closed session.
Coach Evaluations and Contracts-- In this session, we will review best practices for making coaching and other extra-duty decisions to ensure the rights of individuals and the interests of the district are protected.
Discipline for Change: Re-Integration of Employees After Discipline-- A discussion of rehabilitating employees with disciplinary issues. What can your school do to address disciplinary problems when they occur and how can those subjected to discipline be re-integrated into the staff? Discuss disciplinary best practices, management methods, and effecting change through personnel choices and strategies.
School Construction: Pre-Bond Preparation-- This session will review the legal requirements and best practices for districts preparing for a major building or facilities project before the bond election. The presenters will review retaining the needed professional services, executing needed contracts and securing community input and support.
School Construction: Post-Bond Building-- This session will review the legal requirements and best practices for districts preparing for a major building or facilities project after a bond measure has been approved by the voters. The presenters will discuss bid procedures, alternative delivery options for retaining the needed professional services and executing needed contracts.
Staff Accountability and Evaluations-- A presentation on evaluative best practices and applied accountability in the workplace. How can your school maximize the value it deserves from its employees and document areas for improvement?
Have you wondered if procurement cards would work in your district? Are you aware of the MT ASBO p-Card program? Are you not really sure WHAT a p-Card is? Come to this session to learn about this valuable tool you can use for purchasing in your district. It is completely free and you get a rebate!
The SAM Leaders Professional Learning Program (LPLP) provides a unique and innovative approach to professional learning for Montana school leaders by offering an opportunity for participants to receive student-focused, solution-based professional development designed to be responsive to the challenges and issues administrators face each day. Connecting new and experienced administrators throughout the state, LPLP’s multi-faceted blended learning approach consists of a rich online resource center and collegial learning networks, including one-on-one coaching with experienced Providers. This session is intended for all administrators and school board members who want to learn more about this professional learning experience and how it can benefit your district.
If you are a small school leader in Montana, this workshop is for you. Several experienced Superintendents; MREA Executive Director, Dennis Parman; Rich Batterman, MREA Chief Legal Counsel; and John Iverson, MREA year-round lobbyist will be on hand to help answer questions. Now is the time to join in this informative workshop designed specifically for the new small school leader in mind.
SAM at Work for You!
Join the SAM leaders for an interactive session exploring the resources available to SAM members and members of the education community for Professional Learning and Services, Advocacy and Leadership Involved in Decision Impacting Education. We will show you how to access and use those resources and have a great discussion about opportunities for professional learning, key advocacy issues, and leadership development.
In this session, we will review the polices that assist districts in adopting a research-based governance model called Knowledge-Based Strategic Governance. The policies reviewed will include processes and techniques to ensure regular strategic analysis of the environment in which a school district operates to promote ongoing relevance in meeting staff, student and community needs.
I will be discussing relevant OPI issues current to Montana Hope—The whole child approach; Montana Teach—Growing Teachers and Education Leaders; Montana Learn—Academic Achievement; Montana Ready—College, Career, and Community Readiness.
I will begin the presentation with an update on ESSA and FAQs. I will discuss the opportunities within the ESSA to prepare our students to be college, career and community ready at each grade span. I will share information on the school report cards that will be coming out in December and how they can be used as a tool to set goals and work toward school improvement. I will ask for input on critical areas still under development in the state plan.
MCS is part of the national AEPA consortium that leverages that purchasing power of 27 states in developing bids on thousands of products and services used by schools across the nation. These bids meet all Montana legal requirements and save Montana Schools tens of thousands each year. This session will feature information on the latest national bids now available to Montana schools along with updated information on the Online Marketplace and new Food Services Online Ordering System implemented this past year. MCS can save Montana schools tremendous time and precious resources…don't miss this update on a program owned and operated by-and-for our Montana Schools!!
Learn about the provisions of the Montana Wage Payment Act, minimum wage and overtime law, Public Contracts / Prevailing Wage Law and how it applies to classified versus certified staff. Come with your questions about minimum wage, overtime, vacation and sick leave, holidays, and other wage and hour situations unique to public school districts.
This session is intended for all SAM LPLP 2018-19 Members to engage in dialogue about the start-up of the program and meet with their Providers and Collegial Learning Networks. You are also invited to this session to learn from those in the program the benefits of signing up. The SAM LPLP Program Director, LPLP Providers, and role-alike leaders will be present to meet with school leaders to discuss new questions and challenges that have come to light with their new position. Included will be some handy tools of the trade and advice from successful seasoned administrators. Information about SAM’s LPLP Program will also be available at this session. We welcome any administrator relatively new to their position who would like to come, visit and ask questions regarding their administrative role.
Montana is leading the way nationally in the way we are using EdReady to bridge the math learning gaps between primary and secondary education. Learn about the innovative approaches and impacts of the program at this session. A panel of educators will discuss their experiences with the program and how it has impacted their schools, teaching practices and students.
In this session, the MTSBA policy services staff will discuss the overall issues with school safety and the steps the Montana legislature and Montana school districts have taken to provide students with a more secure school environment. Discussions will include facility safety measures, budgetary flexibility, relations with school resources officers, coordination between school districts and law enforcement, student privacy concerns, and authorizing school employees to carry a weapon.
This presentation will be an overview of U.S. federal policies and how they have historically impacted Indigenous communities of North America, resulting in the loss of traditional ways of life through forced acculturation and assimilation. Resultantly, tribal nations currently suffer from historical and intergenerational trauma due to the impact of colonization. Despite governmental assimilative tactics, tribal nations still possess innate protective factors such as cultural resiliency to overcome historical loss symptoms of poverty, violence, discrimination, and oppression.
We will explore the complexities of the human experience, by examining and validating the historical experiences of American Indians, which is often compromised in the research, literature, and within educational institutions. In addition, information regarding the history of Indigenous people will promote a better understanding of the multi-faceted challenges that exist on reservations, which are direct derivatives of intergenerational and historical trauma. Lastly, this session will help create a sense of community by viewing the current assets of tribal nations as tools to overcome historical loss and contribute to sustainable solutions for future generations.
Join academic leaders from throughout Montana for a discussion of critical issues impacting two-year education and its mission in preparing students for high-skilled, high-demand careers and the challenge of providing America a skilled labor force that meet the needs of the 21st century. Topics include dual enrollment, certificates, and associate degrees that create pathways to employment and/or transferability to four-year colleges and universities. Attend this presentation to learn how two-year education is an investment in the future of our workforce, our economy, and our country.
You will come away with actionable strategies for reducing unemployment costs through the next generation of intelligent claims response. This session will help you identify and eliminate sources of non-compliant claims response. Recognize various strategies for reducing improper and fraudulent charges to a school district’s state unemployment account.
Provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) require an ESSA report card for each school district which includes a per-pupil expenditure report. Districts with an enrollment greater than 1,000 are required to report expenditures by school code beginning in FY2019. The districts with an enrollment of less than 1,000 will have a report completed at the LE level instead of the school code level. This session will explain the ESSA requirements and guidance that was developed by a workgroup of OPI staff, business manager/clerks from affected districts and software programmers.
This presentation will give a better understanding of how the Office of Public Instruction’s Comprehensive Schools Program operates with the assistance of the SAM LPLP. This face-to-face event is for CS CLN members to continue their work in guiding their program and navigating the resources available to them.
ii: information on important steps to consider during the planning, election, financing, rating and construction phases of the process.
The successful recent building projects highlighted during the presentation will provide ideas and inspiration to bring about change in attendees’ districts.
In this session, the MTSBA legal staff will review complaints that can be submitted to school districts under the uniform complaint procedure, Title IX and Section 504. The presenters will cover effective investigative techniques, appeal procedures, and compliance with state and federal laws.
The Social and Emotional Learning Collegial Learning Network is a group of district and school leaders dedicated to implementing effective social and emotional learning practices in their schools. Each network member has his or her own specific purpose. The common purpose they all share is to improve student learning through the application of social & emotional learning strategies in their classrooms.
Join the MTSBA legal staff for a discussion of statutory and other ethical obligations and restrictions for school district trustees.
This presentation explains the opportunities for partnerships between Montana schools and the three Job Corps: Anaconda, Kicking Horse and Trapper Creek in the state. These partnerships give students options for successfully completing their secondary education while obtaining trade certification and still maintaining ties to their home school. The presentation will outline how schools and job corps can work together as well as the trades offered at the three centers.
Do your students need to improve their writing skills? Are you looking for ways to engage your community as supporters of teachers and students? If you answer YES to these questions, then you’ll want to learn about Writing Coaches of Montana (WMC), a non-profit community-based organization that works in middle/high schools with individual students to inspire and improve their thinking and writing.
This clinic session will feature the most popular products and services offered through MCS and our national AEPA bids being used by 27 states across the country. Come hear from a variety of experts on how your school can save thousands on these top-quality products.
This presentation will address many of the concerns teachers, administrators, trustees and parents have about transforming education from a traditional methodology to a personalized learning methodology. Research and data will be provided as well as the progress and results of St. Regis Schools’ implementation of personalized learning and competency-based learning.
How to provide an inexpensive wellness plan for your district. The ins and outs of getting your leadership team to make it effective and positive for your staff. Additionally, how does your dental and vision exams support your overall wellness.
Participants of MASBO’s Procurement Card program are encouraged to attend this session to learn the most efficient and effective ways to work with the SpendDynamics online program management and reporting tool. Bring your questions!
Follow up to The MCS Top Ten!
This clinic session will feature the most popular products and services offered through MCS and our national AEPA bids being used by 27 states across the country. Come to hear from a variety of experts on how your school can save thousands on these top-quality products.
Twitter is a major force in helping schools. From personal pd. to staff help and getting your message out to your community. Twitter has something for all areas of your school. I will talk about how I use it for me, for staff, for our school.
Presenter(s): Liz Cunningham, T.E.S.T., Inc.
Join T.E.S.T.’s workshop where SMART Technologies will model an effective interactive classroom where students(workshop participants) will be fully engaged and interactive with their learning. During this workshop, students will be immersed in a simulation of a real-life scenario that can occur in any classroom in Montana. Using emerging technologies, learn how to implement preventive measures to enable your teachers to use vetted practices to de-escalate some situations. Experience how the SAFE (Signal Alert For Education) System from Audio Enhancement, Inc. will connect the teacher and classrooms to first responders for quick response and communication. This revolutionary system captures classroom proceedings for just-in-time help and safety. Integrated with Avigilon’s unique portfolio of surveillance and access control solutions help protect what’s most valuable, our kids and staff!
You've heard the adage, "work smarter, not harder"? Join Rebekah Rhoades (Lewistown) and Mike Waterman (Bozeman) for a hands-on basic Excel session to help you do just that. Bring your charged-up laptop and join us at the smartest working workshop at MCEL!
The Transformational Learning Collegial Learning Network is a group of district and school leaders dedicated to implementing personalized learning practices in their schools. Each team member has their own specific purpose. The common purpose they all share is to improve student learning through the application of personalizing learning strategies in all classrooms that benefit individual student needs.
Montana is leading the way for the nation in our use of EdReady to help meet the needs of preparing students for college-level math and English. Since 2013, both flagship universities in Montana have worked to prepare students using the program in math. Many of the state’s colleges and high schools are also working to bridge the gap to preparing students for ACT and other standardized tests or directly for college math classes. The data from recent programs at both MSU and UM will be shared and discussed. The MPLEX re-take program at MSU and the soft placement for some math classes at UM have shown great results! Also new in 2018, is the EdReady English program. Learn how schools are using the program to prepare students for ACT test skills and college-level English. Montana has been piloting the new program for 2 years and our educators have helped shape the program into what needed to be leading up to the public release in 2018.
Join the MSGIA risk management team as they guide you through helpful risk management checklists and best practices for this unique group of front-line supervisors as it relates to liability and workplace safety exposures in our Montana public schools.
There are many components that are factors in developing and maintaining high performing schools. Hellgate Elementary, a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School, with an enrollment of 1,500 students, implemented six key components that assisted the school district in re-tooling its culture, its operations and its educational commitment to its students, parents, and community stakeholders in order to be recognized as a high performing school district.
Since 2010, MTDA has been offering distance learning opportunities to students across Big Sky Country. Recognizing the particular importance of our programs to Montana’s rural schools MTDA has established itself as the primary resource and partner in providing equal access to educational opportunities and options to students. Join MTDA leadership along with MREA’s Executive Director and participate in a discussion of the academy’s data and impact as well as plans for expanding AP and dual credit opportunity initiatives for high school students.
Come to hear the latest news out of Washington DC that has been, is, or could be impacting K12 public schools in Montana. From impacts of trade, health care, USED, to the White House – there are many moving parts you will want to hear about.
A discussion of best practices for avoiding discrimination complaints and the process involved in defending complaints filed with the Montana Human Rights Bureau.
Being trauma-informed is a must for every educator in today’s schools. We will provide strategies and information that can immediately be put to use in classrooms at both the primary and secondary level. Our training is specifically geared towards education and providing teachers, school support staff, and administration with a better understanding of students who struggle and how to build relationships with them. This shift in mindset has truly altered how we work with all students on a daily basis and has had a major impact on our teachers who have attended this training.
The principal is the most influential person in the school. The Wild Card. Travis and Jon will delve into 21+ ideas on how the principal drives the culture of a school. Participants will share their work on culture building strategies as well as being part of a larger card game.
We Need a New School…Now What?
Many districts are dealing with either outgrowing their current environment or deteriorating facilities. So what is the solution? Whether the answer is to remodel, add an expansion, or build a brand new school, this presentation will take you through the process from passing a bond to selecting your design team and contractor, to the completion of the project.
Educators have been entrusted with the care, nurturing, and education of our students, and, therefore, our schools must be places where student feel they belong, where they are respected and valued. Schools must also be places where students can become, where their potential is recognized and nurtured. Based on the AMLE book of the same name, Laurie will share practical strategies and programs schools can implement to ensure schools are places where students can both belong and become.
Districts often find themselves in conflict with parents of students with disabilities. This discussion will reveal common mistakes districts make and offer solutions to avoid costly, negative situations that may end up in legal proceedings.
In this session, the MTSBA communications staff will review the best practices for school districts to establish a brand in the community through innovative and traditional community engagement strategies. The presenters will review methods of distributing timely and accurate information to community stakeholders while meeting emerging groups through new platforms.
Accessibility is bigger than just your website! A Board-approved ADA Transition Plan not only will help you plan to remove the barriers to further promote the success of all students…it is the law! Come to learn some general facts, guidelines, and tips for developing an ADA Plan for your buildings and playgrounds.
Attend and learn how to use these FREE services for your school/district.
Effective schools embrace the idea that relationships are key components to learning, engagement, and motivation. However, sometimes relationships cross the boundary into dangerous places. This session explores ways to define and promote appropriate relationships and how to train staff on best practices. | 2019-04-23T12:51:34Z | http://mcel.org/sessions |
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“Bride to Be” Sash Ivory Lace Bachelorette Sash with Flower Pin Bridal Satin Sash – Bride to Be Party Favors – Bridal Shower Supplies by AW - Dimention 715″ in lenth and 37″ in width, with a 32″ dia flower decor the open ends make an easy fit for any size. Features the bachelorette party is undoubtedly one of the most significant nights of a girl’s life why not spice it up with a bachelorette sash beautiful and romantic, let the handmade “bride to be” sash and matching gold glitter letters add the perfect touch to your bachelorette party. Customer guarantee we are confident in our quality, but if you have any concerns, just be free to contact us your satisfaction is our top priority. Occasion they are perfect for bridal shower, girls’ night bachelorette party and hen party would also be a great maid of honor gift or keepsake for the bride. Quality this ivory bridal shower sash made in premium satin fabric which covered with embroidered lace, comes together with a silk flower and safety pin for closure.
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YULIPS Bride To Be Sash – Bachelorette Party Sash Bridal Shower Hen Party Wedding Decorations Party Favors Accessories (White with Gold Glitter Lettering) - – stylish our bride to be sash exudes elegance and class whether it is paired with your favorite dress or a casual outfit the sash is designed to stay on straight without bending or rolling up, keeping the “bride to be” text visible at all times the bride to be will be the envy of the party., Bachelorette party and bridal shower must-have the bride to be will love wearing this sash to any pre-wedding event it’s perfect for photo opportunities and will be a keepsake the bride will love., Tips if ironing is needed, please press the sash from the back not the front, and use a moderately warm iron., Premium quality white sash with gold glitter lettering our sash is made of double face satin fabric with silk feel and luster the “bride to be ” font is well designed, super attractive and elegant., Fits perfectly one size fits all measuring approximately 33 inches long each sash includes a cute pin for easy fit & application.
Elegant Bride to Be Sash – WHITE SATIN RIBBON with GOLD GLITTER encased in the lettering – Bridal Shower / Bachelorette Party Decorations – by Dulcet Downtown - This sash comes with a beautiful gold pin to help you adjust the sash. Made with a white satin ribbon & gold glitter encased in the lettering. This sash comes in one size fits most it’s 3 inches wide and over 5 ft long. Perfect for engagement parties, bridal showers, or bachelorette parties. This beautiful “bride to be” sash is perfect to give that simple touch that will make any bride to be stand out.
YULIPS Bride To Be Sash & Shoulder Length Veil – Bridal Accessories for Bachelorette Party Bridal Shower Hen Party - -Our products are backed by our satisfaction guarantee if for any reason you are not satisfied, please contact us, we will give you a full refund. -Sash this bride to be sash is 33 inches long our sashes are designed to drape perfectly across the body each sash includes a cute pin for easy fit and application all of our sashes are original design, makes you so special and attractive at your big day. -Veil veil measures 12 inches long attached to a combperfect for a fashion forward bride. -exclusive bride to be sash & shoulder length veil set the bride to be will stand out from the crowd in this stunning sash and veil set. -This set is the perfect for the bride to wear to her bachelorette party, bridal shower, engagement party or any pre-wedding event. | 2019-04-26T09:10:43Z | https://www.hotpartystuff.com/best-bridal-shower-sash-out-of-top-24/ |
As you’ll see in the attached photo, we are at the airport waiting for our flight. (I think Justin has found the most comfortable place to crash for now – on the golf cart!) We are tired and looking forward to settling into our seats and going back to sleep for the almost five hour flight to Barcelona. They have just started boarding so we are just about on our way!
That’s all for now. We’re getting on the plane.
Wow! What a day we have had! The flight was uneventful and once we found our driver at the airport we had a smooth ride to our hotel. We enjoyed taking in the scenery as we drove along the coastline for part of the way. After taking a few minutes in the hotel to get ourselves organized, we set out on foot to begin exploring the beautiful city of Barcelona.
We arrived at the famous La Ramla and our excitement was almost palpable. For lunch, some of us enjoyed our first taste of Spanish food, including paella. We then met our guide for the afternoon, Adi, an Israeli who has been living in Barcelona for the last nine years. Together we explored the old Jewish quarter of Barcelona, located just next to La Rambla. Adi took us to a number of sites, through a network or narrow streets, and to beautiful plazas. As we toured the ancient Jewish quarter, we talked about the Golden Age of Spain and focused on some specific individuals from Barcelona, most notably Shlomo ben Aderet, the “Rashba”, a medieval Rabbi, Halachic scholar, and Talmudist who was born in Barcelona and was a leader of Spanish Jewry in his time.
While standing next to the king’s palace, we learned about the Barcelona disputation, which took place there. This was a medieval debate ordered by the king between representatives of Christianity and Judaism about whether or not Jesus was the messiah. It was held at the royal palace in the presence of the king, his court, and many dignitaries and knights. The individuals tasked with debating this topic were the Dominican Friar Pablo Christiani, a convert from Judaism to Christianity, and Nachmanides (Moshe Ben Nachman, also known as the Ramban), a leading medieval Jewish scholar, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator. Adi pointed out to us that among the bricks in the building’s wall there are a number of stones with Hebrew inscriptions, and he explained that they were removed from the Jewish cemetery on Mountjuic after the Jews were expelled, and used for building purposes. While we found it sad that a cemetery was desecrated in this way, we also discussed how the stones are a testament to the Jewish community that once was and felt pride in the return of the Jewish people to a place where they suffered forced conversions and from which they were expelled not so long ago.
We also visited Sinagoga Major, which is said to be the oldest synagogue in Europe. This was a unique experience, more like entering a small cave and seeing remnants of what once was. The synagogue was only discovered when it was bought from the previous owner who was using it as a warehouse. The Jewish community excavated it less than twenty years ago and now it is a museum that thousands of Jews and non-Jews visit every year to learn about the Jewish history of Barcelona.
On the tour, we visited the square where the Catalonian parliament is located and Adi told us about the political tensions which came to a peak last year when Catalonia voted for independence and a number of Catalonian political leaders were imprisoned. Yellow ribbons were tied all around the square and painted on the ground, signifying the people’s demand for the political prisoners to be released. Adi also pointed out that the angle of the building is awkward and out of place and explained that this is due to its history; it is angled to face towards Jerusalem. Part of the building was originally a synagogue and it is built on the remains of the old Jewish quarter.
After wishing Adi l’hitraot until we meet him again on Sunday, we headed down La Rambla to the edge of the water and treated ourselves to Starbucks, ice cream, and a few other treats. Then we boarded the beautiful Goleta Karya, a stunning handcrafted wooden sailboat, and we set sail for a one-hour trip along the coast. We all had a wonderful, relaxing time, enjoying the beautiful weather and the open sea. Well, a few of us who shall remain nameless got a tiny bit sea sick, but a little nap on the couches on deck seemed to help with that (ok, no need to be embarrassed… It was Rachel H, Jamie, and me, who have decided that sailing is not necessarily for us). Back on dry land, the calm of the waters and the lack of sleep overnight started to catch up with us (as you can see in the photos) and most of us decided to go back to the hotel to shower, rest a little, and re-energize before our evening out.
However, Rachel S, Ellie, Jamie, and Jordan could not be slowed down. Instead of taking a break at the hotel, the girls set out to window shop and explore La Rambla even more. When they met up with us at dinner, we discovered that a bit more than window-shopping had taken place, but that’s another story. For dinner, we ate at a tapas restaurant where the food was excellent and the service was lousy. Nevertheless, we had a great time tasting countless dishes of local food. My personal favorite were the spicy potatoes.
The city of Barcelona is celebrating another win as their football (soccer) team defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 this evening. The excitement was in the air as the city celebrated and some of us talked about the relationship between sports and politics. For example, we discussed the cancellation of the exhibition game Argentina was meant to play in Jerusalem in August featuring Barcelona’s most famous player – Messi. The team cancelled the competition at the last minute after threats from Palestinian activists. We also talked about the recent news of Real Madrid soccer club honoring Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, a teenager who was recently released from an Israeli prison after assaulting Israeli soldiers. As Adi explained to us earlier in the day, when Madrid plays soccer against Barcelona, the competition among the fans is not only about sports but also about politics.
Finally, back at the hotel for the night, everyone headed off to get some much-deserved sleep. To put things in perspective, we walked 17km today according to my Fitbit (over 26,000 steps for those of you with trackers.) Not bad, huh? And, everyone had a great time. It has been a pleasure spending this time with your children and I’m looking forward to continuing our adventure tomorrow!
I hope you enjoy the attached photos!
Our first stop was the Case Batllo, one of famous structures designed by Antoni Gaudí. Like everything Gaudí designed, it is incredible to see! There are few straight lines found within the building and many colorful mosaics. As we made our way through the house, we used an audio guide with an accompanying smartphone device that showed us how the house would have looked when occupied by the Battlo family, complete with decorative rugs, stunning furniture, and beautiful paintings on the walls. Gaudi’s imagination is visible in even the smallest of details such as the door handles and even the ventilation system.
The next site we visited was also a Gaudi design, but on a much greater scale, the Sagrada de Familia. Construction on this basilica began in 1883 and it’s not quite finished yet… Gaudi designed this church and worked on the project for over 40 years until his death. In fact, Gaudi is buried in a crypt in the church. Funded entirely by anonymous donations, the Sagrada de Familia is widely considered the most iconic and famous Barcelona landmark. The hope is that by the centennial anniversary of Gaudi’s death in 2026 it will be completed. The building is massive and it felt like a cross between a cathedral and a scary fairy tale castle – surreal yet magnificently beautiful.
Hopping back on the bus, next we headed to explore yet one more Gaudi landmark – the famous Park Guell. This public park includes both gardens and architectonic elements and is located on Carmel Hill with breathtaking views of the city and coast. UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site and we could see why as we wandered around and took in more of Gaudi’s work.
Our last landmark today was the famous Camp Nou stadium, which is the largest stadium in Europe (and the third largest in the world), just a few seats shy of 100,000. As you know, there is a huge passion for football (soccer) in this city (and throughout this part of the world…) and we had a nice time exploring the museum and stadium. It was cool to see all the trophies and other paraphernalia, as well as having the chance to explore the physical therapy room, pressroom, part of the players’ area, and head down to the pitch. While we were not on the grass, we did get to be at field level in the area where the players, VIPs, and press sit/stand during the games. We were also able to enter the area from which the broadcasters operate and see the stadium from that height.
Finally, we visited a large shopping mall called L’illa Diagonal (no Gaudi here, but some of the students may claim that the mall is a significant landmark…) and had a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant nearby. To return to the hotel, we took the Metro and I’m happy to report that Rachel H did not get left on the train (as she did on the Aardvark trip in NY this past summer.) Finally, some of the students headed out to a jazz club to top off the day.
Despite using the bus today, we still managed to clock over 23,000 steps (nearly 15 km)!!! Everyone is having a wonderful time and we are all looking forward to more great experiences tomorrow.
Before we head out to bring in Shabbat with the local Jewish community, I wanted to update you on our day so far. We’ve had another really wonderful day exploring the city and we are looking forward to an enriching Shabbat together.
We began the day with a treat – Starbucks for breakfast! We’re becoming quite the locals, navigating our way around the city, starting to recognize where things are and how to get from place to place by foot and by metro. We made a few changes to the schedule today including skipping our first scheduled site, the Barri Gotic Cathedral, as we saw it on Wednesday with our guide Adi. Since I haven’t already told you about it, I’ll mention now that it’s official name is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia and it is also known as Barcelona Cathedral. It was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. One of the interesting things we learned about the cathedral is that in the late 19th century an entirely new facade was built on top of the original one. The construction was initially quite boring and nondescript, but the newer neo-Gothic façade is really stunning. Another thing we noticed about this cathedral is that all around the roof are gargoyles with a wide range of animals, both real and mythical.
Getting back on the hop-on-hop-off bus, we took a short ride to another famous Gaudi construction: Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera, which means “the stone quarry,” a reference to its unconventional rough-stone appearance. This building was the last private residence designed by Gaudí before he turned his full attention to the Sagrada Familia. The Casa Mila was built between 1906 and 1912. After exploring the beautiful courtyard, we climbed eight flights up to the roof (my fitbit loved this part of the day, my legs not so much…) and we explored the rooftop filled with wild chimneys, slopes, and warrior statues. I should mention that the weather has continued to be incredible and we’re enjoying all the time we get to spend outside! Moving down through the attic we felt like we were in the belly of a whale, which is basically what Gaudi’s intention was. Throughout the attic was an exhibit about Gaudi and his work. We learned about how he used nature as an inspiration for designing many of the structures and how he liked to incorporate the elements into his designs as well. Heading down to one of the residential floors, we saw how a typical family would have lived in the building when it was constructed. Finally, back on the ground level, we had a great time taking photos in the courtyard again.
We then boarded the bus again for a journey through the city which also took us westward through Mountjuic, or “Mount of the Jews,” which is named after the Jewish cemetery that has been there for many years. It is a prominent geographical feature of Barcelona, and the location of many very important venues and sights to the city. The fact that it is named after the medieval Jewish community shows just how ingrained and integrated Jewish history and Spanish culture is. We drove through the stunning Miramar gardens and saw the Olympic venues from the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Like many Olympic cities, this was originally a depressed and run down area of the city until it was gentrified for the Olympics, and today it is still beautiful and well kept, some 26 years later.
Our last stop before dinner was the Mercado de La Boqueria, a market filled with local foods and treats. Located on La Rambla Street, it also gave us the chance to do more shopping and enjoy the vibe of being in one of the most popular areas of the town.
We’re now back at the hotel, heading out in a few minutes to join the local Jewish community at Chabad for Shabbat services and dinner. Tomorrow we will visit the Picasso Museum, have a Shabbat picnic in the park, take a street art walking tour, visit the Poble Espanya, see a Flamenco Show, and finally see the Magic Fountain. Wow! We have an amazing day in store tomorrow as well!!!
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom from Spain!
Picking up where I left off yesterday, we had an amazing Shabbat. At Chabad last night we participated in Shabbat services, which for many of the students was actually a first since the tefillah was conducted according to the Sephardi traditions – the tunes and even some of the prayers were different to what most of us are used to. Between Mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat we listed to Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) being recited by a number of people in the congregation. A different person read each chapter, chanting it from their seat. It was interesting to see this kind of participatory service where there wasn’t really one Cantor/Hazzan who was in charge of the flow of the service. Again during Maariv different members of the congregation took turns chanting parts of the tefillah, including a number of children who recited the Shema and subsequent paragraphs of the prayer. After the services, everyone gathered for dinner and we discovered that there were visitors there from Venezuela, Mexico, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Peru, England, and from many more countries in addition to the locals.
Today, we began our day with a visit to the Picasso Museum. Pablo Picasso was born in Spain and although, he spent much of his life in France, he is considered a significant national figure here in Spain. Wandering through the gallery, we enjoyed seeing the different works from his different periods. My favorites were the portraits he painted of his wife, Jacqueline, as well as the ceramic pieces he painted.
Following lunch, we took a long stroll through the city to the Poble Espanyol, the Spanish Village. As we walked we discovered a number of cool things along the way, including the Mercado de Sant Antoni, a sort of upscale shuk or market through which we wandered through to get a feel for the place. We also marveled at the impressive architecture of many of the buildings we passed… In particular, many building’s balconies give the city a unique feel.
Finally, we arrived at Poble Espanyol, which is essentially an open-air museum and gigantic souvenir shop… Built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, the site consists of 117 full-scale buildings, which replicate Spanish villages. It also contains a theater, restaurants, artisan workshops and a museum of contemporary art. Wandering around the village, we had the chance to see a glass blower working on his craft, musicians, and many others dressed in local costumes from around the country. Each of the shops offered something new to temp us! We especially enjoyed the shops with things that we could taste, such as the rosemary infused balsamic vinegar syrup and the chocolate nougat.
As our day started to wind down, the level of energy increased as we watched an incredible flamenco show along with dinner. The dancers were unbelievable! After the show a few of us tried to stomp and move our feet as the dancers did and let me tell you, it’s not easy. The costumes were also really something special.
Finally, we headed down to the Fountains of Montjuïc and enjoyed a really cool sound and light show. The fountain dances to the music and the colors and choreography of the water was truly exceptional. Thousands of people were gathered to see the fountain dance for us. As the fountain continued its dance, a number of us joined in and danced alongside! It was really a fun evening and the fountain was stunning.
After regrouping at the hotel, a number of us went out to enjoy our last night in Barcelona and tomorrow we will head to Girona before wrapping up our trip. Today was a really wonderful day and we are looking forward to the chance to get out of the city tomorrow as well.
We are at the airport waiting for our flight, which is slightly delayed… Today was another incredible day and a great way to round off our trip. Early this morning it was chilly and we could even see our breath before we left Barcelona. After breakfast, we met our Israeli guide, Ohn, who has been living in Spain for the last ten years. Together, we boarded a private minibus and headed farther to the northeast of Spain to the town of Girona. The students really enjoyed spending the day with Ohn – he was an excellent guide who was fun and informative.
When we reached the local church, we noticed that it was built outside the old city’s walls, which is strange, as one would assume that it would be within the protection of the walls. Ohn explained that the church served as a sanctuary for those who couldn’t reach the entrance of the old city. According to local legend, it was at this church that the miracle of the flies took place. They say that in September 1286, when the army of the King of France, Philip the Fair, besieged Girona, while the city surrendered without a fight, the French behaved abominably when they entered the city: they looted the church and tried to steal the bones of Sant Narcís that were stored there. At this point, huge flies emerged from the body, furiously biting the French soldiers and their horses. After being bitten, the enemies died stamping their feet. This supposed event resulted in the image of a fly becoming a symbol of Girona.
Next, we headed into the Jewish quarter of the city. There we visited the local Jewish museum, which was established at the site where the synagogue and mikva stood in medieval times. Although the Jewish community was expelled from Spain, it was once a thriving center of Jewish life. Notably, the Ramban (Moses ben Nahman also known as Nachmanides) was from Girona. In addition to seeing the museum and the ancient mikva, we visited the Chabad Jewish Center, which was established in the last couple of years to serve the approximately 100 Jews who live in the Girona area. The Center is in an old house that once belonged to a Jewish family and the Rabbi talked to us about the documents that were discovered here along with Jewish texts and Hebrew writing. Interestingly, most of the artifacts in the museum are not from Girona as basically everything was destroyed, but the community wanted to show visitors what Judaism is and what Jewish life had been like in the town. Among the artifacts were gravestones from over 700 years ago from the cemetery on Montjuïc (which we visited yesterday).
After a nice lunch in the beautiful square of Girona, we again boarded the bus and traveled to the medieval town of Besalu, which is located even further to the north, towards the French border. The town was once home to 900 residents, 500 of whom were Jewish. The entrance to the town was picturesque, as if it were right out of Game of Thrones. We entered through two gates to a view overlooking a river with the lush green mountains surrounding us. It was stunning! We really felt as though we had stepped back in time. At the gate, we learned that the Jews of the town had been responsible for collecting tax from visitors to the town. We also learned that because the Jewish community had been so significant here, every year around Purim the town has a festival to celebrate the Jews, during which everyone dresses up like a Jew – with kippot, tzitit, payes, etc. While the whole thing sounded quite offensive to some of us, the goal is to honor the Jews.
Our guide Ohn told us that many local residents are actually descendants of Jewish families who were converted to Christianity during the Inquisition. Statistically, about one third of the Spanish population is thought to be of Jewish heritage. In fact, we discovered that our bus driver for the day is likely from Jewish heritage – his last name was Perez, a known Jewish surname.
Inside the town, we visited the site where the synagogue once stood and entered the mikva, which was really a remarkable site. An interesting fact about this mikvah is that the window was shaped so that the rain would fall straight into the ritual bath. We also had time to wander through the streets and alleys. Some of us went to visit the Miniatures Museum, which was really cool. One of the more remarkable items in the museum was a sewing needle in which the artist has constructed 6 consecutive camels within the needle’s eye. It was only visible using a microscope.
Back in Barcelona, we had the best meal of the entire trip. Dinner was at a restaurant that our guide had recommended and everyone walked away happy! We couldn’t have finished the trip with a better taste in our mouth! As we waited for our food to be served, we went around and shared our personal highlights from the trip. Many of the students agreed that the Picasso Museum, the Flamenco show and being with each other were among the best parts!
Everyone is sad to be leaving Spain, but we are also looking forward to getting home to Israel. The memories we made and friendships we cultivated in Barcelona will surely last far beyond the trip. I’ll update you after we have arrived safely back home.
We are saf and sound back in Israel! It was a smooth flight and everyone is now back in their apartments sleeping. They will rejoin the scheduled programming in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this afternoon when Hebrew class starts at 14:00. Usually flight delays are frustrating but in this instance, it worked in our favor. Justin and Maia were able to make the flight after being checked out of the ER. We all cheered as they arrived at the gate!
It was a real pleasure spending these five intensive days with your children. Spain is a beautiful country and we experienced a lot together. However, what made it truly special was the group of people – we had a lot of fun and really enjoyed being together. We learned a lot about art, architecture, Jewish history, and Spanish politics in addition to so much more.
Thanks to those of you who have emailed me in the last couple of days. I’m glad you enjoyed reading about our adventures and seeing the photos!
I want to give a special thanks to Maia for all her hard work this past week chaperoning the trip with me. I can’t imagine having led this trip without her!
And finally, thanks to the students for being so amazing this week!!! | 2019-04-25T08:18:10Z | https://aardvarkisrael.com/spain-2018/ |
Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith obtained his bachelor's degree in 1907 from City College, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1911. He taught at City College from 1906 to 1923. Goldsmith worked for GE and Marconi of America. In 1919, he joined RCA, where he held a variety of positions, including vice-president of RCA Photophone, and vice president in general engineering. Goldsmith has over one hundred patents in the field of electronics and was Director Emeritus of the IEEE. He was a founding member of the IRE, first editor of the Proceedings of the IRE, and a member of the IEEE Board of Directors for its entire existence.
The interview begins with a discussion of Goldsmith's role in the founding of the IRE. Goldsmith mentions his work with Alexanderson, W.C. White and Langmuir. The interview then moves to a discussion of Goldsmith's studies under Michael I. Pupin at Columbia University, and Pupin's patent dispute with George Campbell. Goldsmith goes on to discuss his 1915 radio transmission tests between New York and Germany and with Hoyt Taylor from North Dakota to New York. The interview concludes with remarks concerning Goldsmith's development of the basic idea of colored radio telephony and his invention of remote control for television.
Interview #023 for the Center for the History of Electrical Engineering, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
Alfred N. Goldsmith, an oral history conducted in 1974 by E. K. Van Tassel, IEEE History Center, Hoboken, NJ, USA.
This is an interview with Doctor Alfred Norton Goldsmith, Director Emeritus of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Doctor Goldsmith was born in New York City on September 15th, 1888. He attended City College and obtained his bachelor's degree in 1907. He obtained his doctor’s degree from Columbia University in 1911. He was a Phi Beta Kappa. In 1930 he married Maud Johnson. He taught at City College from 1906 to 1923. He is a life associate professor of electrical engineering, and was a construction engineer for General Electric from 1914 to 1916. He became director of research for Marconi of America in 1917 to 1919. He then became director of research, chief broadcasting engineer, the vice president of RCA from 1919 to 1933. In addition he was chairman of the board of consulting engineers for the National Broadcasting, and vice-president of RCA Photophone from 1928 to 1931. He also was vice-president in general engineering for RCA from then on. He has acquired over one hundred patents in the field of electronics. He has written several books and numerous papers, and he been honored by a long list of organizations. Among these are the National Pioneers in 1940, the Medal of Honor from the IRE in 1941, and Television Broadcasting Association Medal in 1945. Dr. Goldsmith, can you tell us about the Radio Club of America, and how the IRE was founded?
There were in existence around 1910 to 1912 two major societies in the radio field. One was the Society of Motion Picture Engineers.
Of course. Robert H. Marriott, who was at the time the chief engineer of a radio service for what was called the Wireless Company of America. It no longer exists. These two societies each had a couple of hundred members, and were competitive in a sense, and not in the least co-operative. This was a deplorable state of affairs because in a small and growing field, one really needed an adequate concentration of effort and time and energy. Consequently, a number of us, notably Robert Marriott, felt that there should be a single society brought about through the combination of the two. This was much more difficult to do than might be regarded as possible, because each of the societies wanted to be the kingpin, and consequently each of them was vying for the presidency and the title of the new society if there was one. It was agreed that there should be one.
It was not agreed that they should combine, or if they did combine, that they would have a name that would not favor either one of them. The problem was solved by your humble servant in a very simple way. The Boston-based Society of Wireless Telegraph Engineers, gave part of the name of the new society, and the Wireless Institute in New York gave the rest. The two names, the Wireless Institute and the Society of Wireless Telegraph Engineers combined to form the Institute of Radio Engineers.
So the name was a compromise of two organizations which were otherwise duplicating their efforts. The first president was Robert Marriott, and thereafter came a succession of presidents, the latest of whom was the fiftieth president.
He later became president of the organization down in Texas, I think. It produces great quantities of solid-state equipment.
Texas Instruments. He was its president, and he became president of the joint society up here.
And this name was really adopted as a convenient and correct name for the organization.
Can you tell us some of the first meetings that you had with Mr. Hogan and Mr. Marriott at Columbia? The three of you met together?
We met there and fought it out, so to speak. Thereafter we met a number of times down in Fulton Street, at the White Restaurant, and hammered out details there. Hogan, Marriott, and myself. These were the three.
Well, way back in the earlier days, you had some experience with the De Forest Audion?
That is right. They were used at the time as detectors of the crystal type, crystal detectors. Galena?
And various other crystals. A common figure at the time also was the one of the hard-working presidents of the IRE, namely Pickard.
McCandless, who was a manufacturer of vacuum tubes down on the lower east side of New York City, and therefore seemed to be the logical person to make vacuum tubes for the general sales. He was able to produce a product that was far from uniform. The vacuum in it was sometimes very high vacuum, and sometimes very low. The result was that conductivity was readily enough initiated in these vacuum tubes, and the residual gas in there became conductive. The tubes which were hitherto high vacuum and invisible, or reasonably high vacuum, would glow a bright blue. It was everybody's wish to own one of them because they were of course far more sensitive, and unusually more dependable than the cat’s whisker, the galena crystal.
May we also ask you about 1915 and 1916, when you conducted some experiments in radio transmission? You had a nice big five-kilowatt radio set.
I was at the time a consulting engineer for the General Electric Company and I worked with E. F. W. Alexanderson, who was the chief engineer in the radio field for General Electric in Schenectady. I also worked with W. C. White, who was the vacuum tube man, and at times with Langmuir, who was of course a very eminent scientist and who made available the first of the high vacuum tubes. There was quite a struggle between Langmuir’s high vacuum tube and the circuitry and tubes of Dr. George Campbell in Bell Laboratories.
Campbell had put in a patent application on the tube, and their use over long distance telephone circuit amplifiers. He was competitive in this theorem with Michael I. Pupin, who was a professor of electrical engineering and physics up at Columbia University.
You, I believe, were the student of Dr. Pupin.
I studied under Pupin, who was a very temperamental and very capable person, and a very difficult person. He had odd ways of emphasizing things. He would, for example, get his class in a large classroom and lecture to them. When he got two-thirds of the way through he would say, "No, I do not like this." Pupin had an accent, and he would rub out the whole thing he'd done and start all over again.
He was very difficult that way. He spoke so rapidly and made so many changes in his material, and the field was so dubious, that it became necessary for us to team up. I teamed up with an elderly gentleman who was very bright, and each of us took notes. We then combined our notes over the lectures and used those to study the fifteen lectures on high voltage and tubes. I didn't know anything about my partner, but one day I happened to mention that he and I were working together to a third man and he burst out laughing. He said, "Do you know who he is?" I said, "No, I have no idea who he is, but I know he seems to get the material very rapidly and we work together nicely." He said, "Well, he happens to be C.O. Mailloux, president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers."
Very interesting. That's nice. What were some of the kinds of topics that were taught in colleges at that time?
And electricity. And, of course, typical college material. The particular thing that Pupin was emphasizing at the time was the induction motor.
Induction motor and generators. These were therefore emphasized in his lectures, and he got into squabbles with German inventors, who were working in that field. However, in the field of Bell Laboratories, the Bell Laboratories people were very cooperative and wise. They made an arrangement with Professor Pupin, who competed for claim over a theorem with George Campbell, and this theorem involved loading on long distance telephone lines as I said earlier. If Campbell won the contest over theorem, Pupin was out, that was the end of him. If Pupin won the battle for the theorem they would buy a patent from him. I think he got about seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars payment for the patent and its rights.
And that was the start of his fortune.
Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a good start on a fortune, yes. Apparently Pupin won the patent case.
He did win. At the time, I worked not only with the General Electric Company and W. C. White and Alexanderson, but also with various other people up in Schenectady who were cooperative.
Were you acquainted with Mr. Charles Steinmetz?
No. He was a brilliant hunch-backed gentleman, and extremely important in the field of electrical engineering, as you know. I don't need to go into that.
No. Let's go back to the 1915 radio transmission test that you conducted out to North Dakota.
Yes. I was very desirous of carrying out real experiments over considerable distances. The first thing I tried was reaching the Germans. They had a transmitter and receiver at Nauen near Berlin. This was a high-power transmitter with multiple amplification and repetition. They ran the thing, and I received it at Sayville, Long Island, with a receiving station of ours, and there was a transmitter there of the same type as in Nauen. That circuit from Sayville to Germany was so feeble that the cable that came from the receiver to the receiving set that the operators used was kept away from anything it could rub against because if it rubbed against something the signal was drowned out.
With the static and the noise that it would pick up?
Yes. You can tell what the signal was like.
And your transmitter was in the neighborhood of five kilowatts?
No, it was more than that. It was around ten kilowatts. Amplification and repetition.
You also worked, I think, with Hoyt Taylor.
I put this transmitter into my laboratory, which was the City College of New York, where I was a professor of electrical engineering. I started transmitting in the late fall of 1914. I transmitted up the Hudson valley, to Schenectady. The signal was gorgeous. You would have thought there was a telephone line between my laboratory and the laboratory in Schenectady, but by February of the next year, static had come up tremendously and you couldn't hear a thing, so it was useless.
Was this like an aurora borealis that was causing this type of thing?
No, it was a short. Now, I also wanted to reach Nauen and hear them, so I got up on the top of a high cliff near the City College of New York, near my laboratory, and tuned in to Nauen. I had the circuit running from Nauen to Sayville very nicely.
This was a telegraph service?
That was a telegraph service. There was no telephony.
No telephony at that time, that's right.
You wanted to talk about Hoyt Taylor. Hoyt Taylor was a professor at Grand Fork, North Dakota, and we had an arrangement that we were going to work together. I started sending, and he started sending along about ten or eleven o'clock at night on the days that we worked together. The signals were received at my laboratory and sent up to the Western Union telegraph office about a quarter of a mile away. This was, I think, one of the first, if not the very first, telephones. Because that was telephone.
Yes, that would be telephone. And they transmitted your detected signal over wire. Was that the same office as on Hudson Street now?
Oh, no, I don't know that.
All right. Let us change the time and talk some about this new field that you enjoyed working in: television. You developed and pointed up the first way of having colored tubes. Can you tell us some of those stories?
I became very interested in the next few years in radio telephony. I ran into real difficulties because there wasn't enough power available. You needed much more power for this sort of telegraphy. I hit on the idea that we had to have some way of picking up signals and getting them in color rather than black and white. The method that I used was rather an adaptation, I believe, of something done earlier, namely telephony over wires. I got my signals from Schenectady and tuned them in, and I invented at that time the basic idea of colored radio telephony.
The color was coded and you used the three primary colors.
It was your idea of locating those as separate entities on the face of the tube?
That's right. They were zones or spots. An electron beam came from three guns. It started from the far end of the tube, went through the tube, through the focusing hole, and then out. Then it hit the desired spot and had to be very accurate.
Yes. Accuracy was a very important part. I do believe you also, in connection with television, are responsible for or invented what is called remote control?
That is right. I wanted to use a receiving set in the home and transfer and amplify the signal to a large speaker, amplify to a large speaker across the room. How to transfer it across the room? One way, of course, was just to go under the carpet.
Which was, of course, very obnoxious to the lady of the house. Another way of doing it was to use a modulated tone. Well what kind of tone? If I used a very low pitched tone, it would be heard. If I used a very high pitched tone, it would be absorbed in the walls and actuate neighboring receivers. So I hit on tones in the tens of kilocycles. I modulated that, and used that for the transmission of the tone from the receiving set to the controls of the receiver.
So you were using acoustical sound in the tens of kilocycles.
By being acoustical, this limited the control to a specific room.
And to the party which one wanted. Dr. Taylor was sending signals after he joined the Navy across the Potomac and receiving in Virginia. He found that at the receiving station, the signals dropped in intensity very markedly every time a big size boat went through the beam. This gave him a clue: Here were radio signals which were being absorbed or reflected.
And from this point of view he began to expand?
And he did expand over in Camden, New Jersey at the RCA Laboratory there, and work ahead with his radar concept. Norton Watson Weiss was trying the same thing but he was sending signals vertically to the reflecting lamp and then back to the ground. So the two of them had competing concepts. I was always very much interested in two fields, not one. One of them was radio, and we have been talking about that, but I was also interested in medicine.
Back at that time, I actually sent short waves from the laboratory at Camden to a hospital about a mile or two away and they sent the picked-up signals back to the laboratory in Camden and it was used to produce color signals. The difficulties there were not overcome. It seems that there was a man over at the hospital who was being operated on, they thought he had cancer in the colon and they sent signals back and forth between the two locations, and seated next to me in the lecture room was a professor of electrical engineering in physics from Japan.
The signal was picked up in this hospital and sent to receiving equipment. It was so clear that it was possible for them to see at the other end and in the laboratory at Camden, that the signal was being received and being received clearly. This was in a tile room with several hundred physicians there. They could see the operation taking place; then there was a hush because they saw instantly he didn’t have cancer, it was a benign tumor.
In this way it was the first operation in which people at remote distance could view it and observe it through television.
In another award, Dr. Goldsmith is made a fellow of the college of International Surgeons, testifying to his real interests to the medical profession as well as the electrical and the electronics. | 2019-04-25T11:08:10Z | https://ethw.org/w/index.php?title=Oral-History:Alfred_N._Goldsmith&oldid=112670 |
Peter Agre won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003 for discovering aquaporins (aka water channels) - the pores in a cell membrane that regulate water flow. Since his discovery (in 1992), researchers have found 13 types of aquaporins in mammals and expect that there are many more. They've also found aquaporins in bacteria and plants.
Agre's work has many implications, none of which I'm going to discuss here...but you should read about it sometime because it's pretty interesting.
Now that Agre has won a Nobel Prize, it appears that he is moving on to conquer bigger and better (?) projects - in particular becoming Senator of the Land of 10,000 lakes (that would be Minnesota, for you coasters).
Agre plans to spend the summer with the voters getting a feel for his chances. Although less well-known to locals than other candidates at this point, I think he figures that if the state can elect a pro wrestler, why not a Nobel winner?
The recent opening of the creationist museum highlights the ever-increasing importance of having scientists in important decision-making roles. At a time when American competitiveness, global warming, nano, intelligent design, nuclear, and related phrases are buzzing around Washington, I think it's a good idea to throw more scientists into the mix.
So best of luck Peter!
Check out Scientists and Engineers for America's Campaign Project for information on how to get involved in your local politics.
Physics Buzz started as an unofficial project by APS staff to explore the blogosphere and write about interesting physics-y things that didn't fit in with our normal outlets. After 9 months we've decided to go semi-official. Don't worry, the only thing that is changing is our look (we wanted to align the blog more closely with PhysicsCentral, our home base).
With PhysicsCentral, we communicate the excitement and importance of physics to everyone. We invite you to visit our site every week to find out how physics is part of your world. We'll answer your questions on how things work and keep you informed with daily updates on physics in the news. We'll describe the latest research and the people who are doing it and, if you want more, where to go on the web. So stick with us. It's a big, interesting world out there, and we look forward to showing you around.
Why, when military jets zip by over head, is there a crackling to be heard in the roar of the engines? Know what I’m talking about? If not, here’s an F-18 Super Hornet video. It’s most noticeable around 2:55 minutes in. Space shuttles do it too.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the research, led by Kent L. Gee of Brigham Young University, you’d probably like to know why this matters. Can you imagine working around these planes all the time, hearing crackle-crackle-roar at work every day? Or living in an area that the jet planes pass through on a regular basis?
If physicists understand the noise, they can find a way to reduce it, improving life for military personnel and communities whose airspaces are frequented by these jets.
Apart from that, who doesn’t want to know about the acoustics of jet engines?
Let’s get down to business. A sound, traveling through air, alternately compresses and expands the air molecules, and our ears react to these pressure changes. These physicists wanted to be able to see the sounds of the engine, so they made a graph.
They measured the pressure of the air in the exhaust plume of an F/A-18E Super Hornet. Pressure is plotted on the y-axis to see how the pressure varied over time. In the plot below, all those fluctuations happened in a mere four hundredths of a second!
So, what marks this graph as a crackler? Notice how the peaks go further away from zero than the valleys, with a maximum of 3500 as opposed to the minimum of -1500.
Also notice that the peaks are generally narrower than the valleys. In a more ordinary engine roar, the peaks and valleys would be random but equal. Not so when your engine crackles.
To more clearly demonstrate these observations, the researchers took this data and plotted it another way. Now, the y-axis is the probability that the pressure is a certain distance away from zero. The “Gaussian” curve is just a model of what the graph would look like if the pressures were truly random and centered around zero.
There are two things to notice about this graph.
1) The majority of the graph is on the negative side. This shows that the pressure has a tendency to be below atmospheric pressure.
2) Notice that the graph stretches further on the positive side than the negative side. This shows that the air compressions tend to deviate from normal atmospheric pressure more than the expansions.
Now, the researchers thought they knew what sort of pattern makes the crackle, so they tried to create a sound with the same pattern. These are the patterns for the sound (AB Jet) and the simulated sound.
Have a listen… Hear the crackle? No, there’s nothing wrong with your ears. Apparently, the crackle is dependent on more than just the tendency toward lower pressures and brief, strong compressions.
What went wrong? The graphs of the sound and the simulation look pretty similar. But wait, take a closer look at the peaks for the jet. The rising side is almost vertical while the falling side is more gradual.
The new thought is that the quick jump in pressure causes the crackle, not the overall distribution of peaks and valleys. Can’t be sure without another experiment!
You’re sitting on the rocky surface of a distant planet, in your climate controlled space-suit, watching the suns rise. That’s right, two suns, and one of them is a neutron star. Its companion is not dense enough to keep its matter to itself, so there is a trail of stardust linking the two suns.
The more interesting of the two is the accreting neutron star – a neutron star that is gaining matter. This matter forms a ring around the star as it makes its way toward the surface. Near the surface of the neutron star, the hydrogen-rich matter compresses until the nuclei are forced to higher energies. The hydrogen fuses steadily, creating helium and heat in the atmosphere.
Now the conditions are set for a spectacular phenomenon – an X-ray burst. Carbon and oxygen are rapidly converted to heavier elements in the range from nickel to cadmium, releasing extra energy in the form of X-rays. It's a runaway fusion reaction, exploding in the star's atmosphere!
An X-ray burst requires a trigger. The trigger reaction involves a radioactive isotope of oxygen, oxygen-15 (mass number 15), and a helium-4 nucleus (a.k.a “alpha particle”). The oxygen-15 fuses with the alpha particle, resulting in a neon-19 nucleus and a gamma ray.
When gamma rays are emitted in such a reaction, they usually have a range of different energies. The peaks in the energy distribution, or the most common energies, are called resonances.
Twenty years ago, theorists predicted that the gamma ray has only one resonance, and its energy is 4.03 million electronvolts, or 4.03 MeV. Since then, researchers have been struggling to confirm or refute this calculation through experiment.
The trouble is that current facilities can’t make a beam of oxygen-15 that is intense enough to create the trigger reaction in a laboratory. Many scientists tried, but none succeeded.
Researchers at Notre Dame University, led by Michael Weischer, decided to try it backwards. They made neon-19 with extra energy, 4.03 MeV to be exact. The excited neon nucleus would then decay.
Nuclei decay in many ways. They emit protons, neutrons, alpha particles, gamma rays, and X-rays in many combinations. In this case, the scientists wanted the neon-19 to emit an alpha particle, resulting in oxygen-15.
This decay doesn’t happen very often, so sensitive detectors were needed to accurately measure it. They also measured the lifetime of neon-19 in a 4.03 MeV excited state, or how long it remained excited before decaying.
Researchers use these two pieces of information to figure out the reaction rate, how often the alpha particles and oxygen-15 nuclei fuse. These measurements are also helpful in setting tight limits on the accretion rate, and most importantly, the ignition point of the X-ray burst reaction. This point, between steady burning and explosion, is at about 1.9x1028 grams per second.
Want a more formal rundown? Check out the Joint Institute of Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) "Nugget." Or, if you've got the hook-up, this research is soon to be published in Physical Review Letters.
...for the mathematician in you.
From Auto Week's But Wait... There's more, May 7, 2007.
Inside your computer, data is stored on your hard drive in magnetized form. In magneto-speak, an area magnetized in one direction is called a domain. A domain magnetized to the left becomes a “one” and a domain magnetized to the right becomes a “zero.” The disk must spin while it is read, which makes this mechanical system relatively slow.
Once the data is stored electronically, as in integrated circuits, it moves much faster. We can't use electronic systems all the time, though, because the data disappears when you turn the machine off.
IBM’s Stuart Parkin patented the concept of a “racetrack” hard drive in 2004. Imagine a string of red and blue beads. The beads are pushed past a sensor. Rather than looking at whether the bead is red or blue, the sensor looks for the points where the bead color changes.
In reality, the system is a magnetic wire with many domains. In between the domains is a domain wall, a region in which the atoms switch alignment. It’s like a purple bead in between red and blue groups. A spin-polarized current, or a current in which the spins of the electrons all point in the same direction, causes the domain walls to shift along the magnetic wire. The sensor measures bits as short time slices. If the sensor sees a domain wall in that time, then the bit is a one. If it does not, it’s a zero.
However it’s not quite like beads on a string. For one, the current does not push the domain wall like a hand pushes a bead. Instead, it’s more like a chain reaction in which the spin-polarized electrons start turning the atoms, which turn their neighbors, and so on. The domains and domain walls move even though the atoms stay in place.
So, if this system was patented in 2004, why am I blogging about it in 2007? Well, this racetrack hard drive was only a concept then. Researchers from Germany, South Korea, and California have been collaborating on a project which could help make it a reality. In early May, they published results in Physical Review Letters with the intimidating title, "Direct Imaging of Stochastic Domain-Wall Motion Driven by Nanosecond Current Pulses."
Unfortunately, the domain walls tend to get snagged on imperfections in the wire. Going back to the beads, it's like a knot in the string. Racetrack hard drives have a way to go before you’ll find them at Best Buy, but they may well be on the distant horizon.
Original story from Physical Review Focus.
Text excerpted from writings by Ian McEwan.
Featured artists (T-B): Siobhan Davies, Antony Gormley, William Hunt, David Buckland.
...we will not rescue the earth from our own depredations until we understand ourselves a little more, even if we accept that we can never really change our natures.
Are we at the beginning of an unprecedented era of international co-operation, or are we living in an edwardian summer of reckless denial? Is this the beginning, or the beginning of the end?
On board the 100-year old Dutch schooner, The Noorderlicht, Cape Farewell has sailed right to the heart of the debate. From this vantage point the artists and scientists aim to illustrate the workings of this crucial part of the planet, drawing attention to the role ocean currents play and the effect rising CO2 levels and changing weather patterns will have on us all and our climate.
A beautiful and moving illustration of science and art working together.
Hello physics enthusiasts! Name's Katie.
I just started as a science writing intern for the American Physical Society and thus have the privilege of posting to Physics Buzz. I graduated from Michigan State University about two and a half weeks ago after four years studying professional writing and physics.
I look forward to relaying physics-related news to y'all (along with commentary that is probably intended to be witty :-) Over and out!
As someone that has a certain affinity for Dawson's Creek, Family Feud, and America's Next Top Model you might not want to take entertainment advice from me, but I have to at least bring up this new show slated to premiere next fall on CBS.
From writers/producers Chuck Lorre ("Two And A Half Men") and Bill Prady ("Gilmore Girls") comes a new comedy that shows what happens when two hyperintelligent scientists meet a beautiful woman--and realize they know next to nothing about life outside of the lab.
-Thanks to Physics Babe for the tip!
A number of years ago, I was working a gig as the assistant to an editor of a major journal. My job was simple: process the papers as they were submitted and follow up with the referees.
Aside from an occasional 2am call I made to scientists in places like Russia and Denmark reminding them their reviews were overdue, it was a mostly uneventful, but relaxing, position. But one day, I walked into my office and my life changed.
On my desk was a packet that included a type-written paper and a type-written letter. My boss attached a sticky note asking me to copy and file it. Everything was within normal parameters until I glanced at the signature on the letter.
My heart stopped as I read it – the letter was from Hans Bethe.
To me, the offspring of a scholar of physics history, who knew about Oppie and his crew even as a wee one, this was equivalent to being handed an album autographed by a Beatle (specifically Ringo).
The letter was not important to the review process; it was only the cover letter after all, so I asked my boss if I could keep it. He told me no, and instructed me to file it. As a consolation, he offered that when the next Bethe paper came in, I could keep that accompanying letter. I was obviously disappointed but I respected the editor’s decision.
But I pined for the pen of the Prize-winner. So one day a few weeks later, I opened the file just to glance at the signature of this remarkable scientist and dream about adding it to my collection one day. But shocker of shocks, the letter was gone!
I told my boss about it, concerned that some bandit had snuck into the office and stolen this valuable piece of physics history. Surprisingly, he did not display any sense of astonishment at its disappearance. He simply shrugged it off.
My heart sank. The letter was gone, and my dream of a Bethe signature for my collection broke into a million little quark-sized pieces.
Years later, it finally occurred to me that the editor, realizing its value, probably procured the letter for himself and then pretended to not know anything about its departure. Perhaps he has his own collection of Nobel autographs.
I welcome autographs from all Nobels, both once and future.
Copyright, 2007, Alaina G. Levine.
Some people collect stamps or model trains. I collect the autographs of Nobel-prize winning scientists. I don’t have many, but my collection is growing.
I started seeking the signatures years ago in a fortuitous moment at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. While doing PR at the fair in 2000, I sat in on a panel discussion with five Nobels.
After the talk concluded, I saw in amazement as the kids in the audience rushed the stage, clutching the event program in their sweaty hands with the focused goal of getting the scientists’ autographs.It was pandemonium. It was chaos (in application, not theory). The scientists were celebrities to these children.
Not to be left out, and realizing the youth often are an excellent barometer of value trends, I grabbed my program and pushed my way through the crowd.
I succeeded in securing what I considered at the time to be the most coveted of the autographs: those of Lederman and Curl. Sure, I knocked down some nerds along the way, but collateral damage is to be expected when your eyes are on the (Nobel) Prize.
Later I ran into Lederman and introduced myself. I had been working for the University of Arizona (UA) Physics Department at the time and I complimented him on his work to promote changes in physics education in secondary school. He took my business card and promised to stay in touch.
Lo and behold, within two weeks he mailed me a packet of articles and information about his cause. And as I read the literature I knew I had scored big time: he had included a personal letter to me thanking me for my help, and signed it “Yours Truly, Leon”.
So I realized I had something here. It didn’t take me long to gather more. Alan Heeger stopped by the campus that fall for a lecture and I got his John Hancock on a promotional poster with his picture. And of course, I couldn’t resist asking Murray Gell-Mann for his autograph following a seminar he gave at the UA on Native American archeology. I think he got a kick out of my request.
Like any dedicated collector, there came a time when I was presented with a monumental opportunity to grab what I considered to be the jackpot, the gold at the end of the physics rainbow, the piece that I knew would make my menagerie the envy of all science geeks everywhere and give my life purpose.
Here's another uber-geeky widget I made for your desktop. It's a clock that displays time in the form of resistor color codes.
The time being displayed here is 11:06 AM. Don't worry if you can't remember the colors, if you run the widget you can refresh your memory by right clicking the clock and checking the table in the "About" option.
Besides being a nerdly clock for experimentalists, electrical engineers and all other solder jockeys, it might be good practice if you have trouble telling your resistors apart without a multimeter.
You could always download one of the many binary clock widgets instead, if you're into that sort of thing, but I believe this is the first (and so far, only) resistor color code clock ever.
This stuff is addicting. I've made six widgets in three weeks. Most of them do nothing interesting at all.
I may have to go into widget detox soon.
PS: Now you can get the precision version of the Resistor Clock with seconds displayed as well.
...those species in which there is more social mixing between males and females have evolved bigger brains with higher-level thinking.
...ceiling height affects problem-solving skills and behavior by priming concepts that encourage certain kinds of brain processing.
...people will drive more cautiously if they believe they are in a dangerous environment.
How about a shirt that eats smog, letting you breathe clean air?
Insects of all types get miniature pies flung at them all for science.
I've built various versions of this thing over the years, starting with programs I wrote in BASIC on the Apple II PCs in my high school programming class, to hardware fireflies made of LEDs and TTL chips in my college lab (I was supposed to be doing experiments for my electricity and magnetism lab, but I got distracted), to Pascal, Fortran and Visual C++ programs - and finally a widget.
These days, things like this are described as examples of the emergence of complexity in systems of simple objects. I didn't know that when I made my first one, but I was intrigued to find the pretty patterns that formed all by themselves when I gave the simulated fireflies a few rules to help them decide when to flash.
In this widget, fireflies live on a 25 by 25 grid. They each have an internal timer that tells them how long to wait between flashes.
Interesting things can happen when you instruct them to pay attention to their nearest neighbors and change the timing of their next flash based on what's going on nearby.
To make a firefly want to flash at the same time as those around it, you turn up the coupling between fireflies. If you want them to avoid flashing along with their neighbors, you can turn the coupling down until it's negative.
You can also add some randomness to the timing (with the 'random noise' setting), or change the period that fireflies wait between flashing with the 'flash period' controls.
There are a few other controls to fiddle with. The rest of the instructions are on my other blog, The Dark Net.
I built the widget version of this toy in part for my own amusement, and in part as a present for all the people who have signed up to read my online science fiction novel. I'm also hoping it will keep them from getting bored waiting for the next chapter to come along.
Humans have long displayed an uncanny ability to make emotional connections with their manufactured helpmates.
Even in the face of possible snickering, I admit that there is a stuffed bear in my life. I have old shirts that I won't part with because of the memories. 4 different apartments have played gallery to pictures my college roommate colored for me. I can easily see myself getting attached to a robot.
Digital pets like the Tamagotchi or the Furby, designed to be cute, have long caused children to make spooky levels of connection.
But children aren't the only ones. The Washington Post has a fascinating article about the relationships humans develop with intelligent machines. To the soldiers they work with, robots can become family. Losing a robot IS losing one of the team. These inanimate objects have been promoted, awarded purple hearts, and grieved for.
What's remakable about the battle bots is that humans bond with them even though their designers have made no attempt to load them with emotional cues.
What does this mean for the military? What does it mean for us?
In Cast Away, Tom Hanks risks his own life to save a volleyball named Wilson, who has become his best friend and confidant.
What if people started turning to robots to fulfill their emotional needs instead of turning to people?
The 2 million personal bots in use around the world in 2004 are expected to grow to 7 million next year. The South Korean Ministry of Information and Communication hopes to put a bot in every home there within six years.
Predicting the results of a personal robot in every home is probably as futile as trying to predict the results of a personal computer on every desk was 40 years ago...but it might be a challenge worth facing.
There's been lots of excitement in the past year or so over the possibility that physicists will soon develop a real-life version of Harry Potter's invisibility cloak.
Check out this Google News search to get a taste of the coverage.
The technology relies on unusual manmade metamaterials, with intricate microscopic structures. In addition to cloaking devices, metamaterials are touted as potentially leading to superlenses that could provide distortion-free magnification far greater than any conventional lens.
The only problem with these wonderful applications for metamaterials is that I am pretty sure they can't possibly work.
Why not? The short answer is that, as far as I know, there's no such thing as an invisible fly.
You see, nature (which is to say evolution) is pretty good at making complex structures. The photonic crystals that make peacocks, coleoptera beetles, and Lycaenid butterflies so beautiful are at least as intricate as invisibility-cloak metamaterials would have to be (if they're possible).
Some of my coworkers have argued that I'm being a bit narrow minded about this - after all, they say, insects didn't evolve to make handguns, automobiles, telephones, or radio transmitters, yet those things are possible.
That's true, but insect have ways of managing all the things that those devices do. They have evolved countless ways to move around, communicate, hunt, and defend themselves. Often those things look a lot like our inventions.
It's certainly true that many (if not most) living things rely on some form of invisibility from time to time. The patterns in the coats of jaguars and tigers can make them essentially invisible in the mottled shadows of the jungle. Chameleons and octopi control the flow of pigments in their skin to match their surroundings. Sticks insects, various leaf hoppers, some moths, and countless other insect can be invisible when nestled among the sticks and plants that they resemble.
So, invisibility is terribly important for predators and prey alike. Yet there are limits to most invisibility schemes in nature. A jaguar wouldn't have much luck hunting penguins against the backdrop of the Antarctic, and a polar bear would never be able to hide it's white coat on the savanna.
1. True invisibility would give just about any living creature HUGE evolutionary advantages over it's competitors.
2. Evolution is great at creating complex structures of the type that should theoretically yield the metamaterials necessary for invisibility cloaks.
Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps we're surrounded by invisible animals. I have a feeling, however, that we would know if there were any species of invisible predatory cats. And while mosquitoes are pretty stealthy, I've never been bitten by anything that wasn't at least visible under a microscope.
Does Nature have some objection to metamaterials?
Perhaps. But I'm guessing that Nature hasn't produced any invisible animals because nothing, including metamaterials, can make things invisible.
I was bummed this morning to realize that I missed Baltimore's self-proclaimed "Almost Famous Annual East Coast National Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race."
For those of you unaware of this almost famous race, competitors must build a human-powered sculpture that can travel by road, water, and mud. The sculpture must be no more than 8 feet wide, 13 feet high and 35 feet long...otherwise anything goes. After looking at these pictures I am so kicking myself for missing the show.
What an engaging display of engineering, art, and creativity! It reminds me of the early days of electricity when Franklin and his contemporaries used their newly discoverey knowledge to perform parlor tricks such as electrifying glasses of wine.
Why? I guess because in both cases "increasing science literacy" wasn't a motive behind the event. I believe that when you explore nature you'll always find science, art, and creativity. And what better way to explore nature than to build a human-powered sculpture that can travel on road, water, and mud??
Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.
E equals m c squared? C does not stand for the speed of light, c is for cookie.
A sheet of plastic invented by researchers in Japan could one day make for tables and walls that power devices placed on them — without any need for wires or plugs.
Not science related, but still worth raising an eyebrow over.
Bumper sticker - good astronomy?
The Royal Society of Chemistry said that as maths was a difficult subject, schools feared examination failures which would threaten their standings.
A passionate alchemist who predicted 2060 as the year when the book of Revelation comes to life, Newton was more than a scientist who got hit on the head with apple and composed the theory of gravity. That well-rounded Newton is the subject of a NOVA special that will air for the first time tonight: Newton's Dark Secrets.
Truth is, many great scientists of the past have what today we might call "dark secrets." Marie Curie suffered severe depression, Albert Einstein was a lousy husband, Galileo studied astrology, and Ben Franklin had a weakness for women. | 2019-04-25T08:04:07Z | http://physicsbuzz.physicscentral.com/2007/05/ |
In the sixth article of a series on how key emitters are responding to climate change, Carbon Brief looks at Indonesia’s efforts to curb deforestation and tame polluting peatland fires.
The current government has pledged to cut emissions by 29-41% by 2030, compared to a “business as usual” scenario.
The country is holding a general election this April and polls suggest a win for current president Joko Widodo.
Indonesia is the world’s third largest democracy and almost 260 million people live across its chain of islands, of which there are an estimated 17,508. It also has the world’s largest Muslim population and is highly ethnically diverse, supporting more than 300 local languages.
The country has held general elections since 1955, but only began holding presidential elections in 2004. Its current leader, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, was elected in 2014 and will face another election this April. Widodo is a member of the “left-of-centre” Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and leads a majority coalition government with the support of nine political parties.
Widodo is the first president in Indonesia to not come from an elite military or political background and remains untainted by the corruption allegations that dog other government officials. A year before he was elected, the Economist described him as “an honest man”. However, he faces criticism for doing little to advance human rights during his presidency.
His campaign for reelection is centred around promises to boost economic growth, largely through more infrastructure development, and to increase measures to tackle terrorism and corruption – with any mention of climate change so far “tragically absent”, according to the Jakarta Post, an English-language Indonesian newspaper.
A poll in January by Charta Politika, an Indonesian political consultancy firm, found Widodo had an approval rating of 53.2%. His biggest rival, Prabowo Subianto – a former army general who lost to Widodo in 2014 – had an approval rating of 34.1%.
Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo (2nd R) and his rival ex-general Prabowo Subianto (L Front) talk to the media after a meeting in Jakarta, 17 October 2014. Credit: Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo.
Research released in February by Jatam, an Indonesian NGO that monitors the mining industry, found that 86% of the $4m in donations reported by the Widodo campaign is linked to big mining and fossil-fuel companies. It also found that 70% of the $3.4m declared by the Prabowo campaign is linked to mining and fossil-fuel firms.
On 17 February 2019, both candidates took part in a televised debate on the theme of “environment, energy and infrastructure”. According to the environmental website Mongabay, both pledged to increase the cultivation of palm oil – the major driver of deforestation in the country. Neither candidate mentioned how they planned to tackle climate change.
Across the country, 41% of people describe themselves as “very concerned” about climate change, according to a poll taken in 2015. This is lower than the proportion of people concerned in neighbouring Vietnam (69%), Malaysia (44%) and the Philippines (72%), but equal to the proportion in the UK.
The country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions were 2.4bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2015, according to data compiled by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The figure includes emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF). Indonesia’s emissions represented 4.8% of the world’s total global emissions for that year.
Its per-capita emissions were 9.2 tonnes of CO2e that year – larger than the global average (7.0 tonnes of CO2e) and the average in China (9.0 tonnes of CO2e), the UK (7.7 tonnes of CO2e) and the EU (8.1 tonnes of CO2e).
However, it is worth noting that Indonesia’s total emissions vary widely from year to year, largely as a result of variable peatland “megafires”.
The chart below, which is taken from Indonesia’s latest biennial report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), gives an idea of how the country’s peatland fires can shift overall emissions.
Indonesia’s total emissions from 2000-16. Emissions from peatland fires (blue), forestry and other land use (“FOLU”; green), waste (yellow), agriculture (pale green), industry (“IPPU”; red) and energy (orange) are shown. Emissions are shown in gigagrams of CO2 equivalent (GgCO2e, millions of tonnes). It is worth noting that the figures are self-reported. Source: Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia.
Indonesia’s climate pledge (“nationally determined contribution”, or NDC) targets a 29-41% reduction in emissions by 2030, compared to “business as usual”. The upper end of this range, conditional on “support from international cooperation”, would see emissions in 2030 remain at or below recent levels.
This pledge was submitted to the UNFCCC in the lead up to the Paris climate conference. Indonesia ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016.
The country aims to decarbonise its economy “in a phased approach” – namely, through policies for “improved land use and spatial planning, energy conservation and the promotion of clean and renewable energy sources, and improved waste management”.
This pledge has been rated “highly insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent research project tracking climate policies. The rating suggests that Indonesia is not committing its “fair share” to the emissions cuts needed to limit global warming to less than 2C. If all countries had similar targets, temperatures would reach 3-4C by 2100, the analysis finds.
Indonesia’s emissions have increased at a faster rate than expected in recent years, CAT says, and, under current policies, “might even double by 2030”, when compared to 2014 levels.
Indonesia contains 10% of the world’s tropical rainforests and 36% of its tropical peatlands.
Tropical peatlands are wet and swampy forested environments with soil that can hold up to 20 times more carbon than other types of mineral soil. It is estimated that Indonesia’s peatlands hold around 28bn tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of nearly three years of global fossil fuel emissions.
A Bornean Orangutan feeds on aquatic plants in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Credit: Rosanne Tackaberry / Alamy Stock Photo.
Indonesia also accounts for 53% of the world’s palm-oil cultivation, a product ubiquitous in packaged food, fuels and cosmetics. It is the country’s third most profitable export after coal and petroleum, and the industry employs an estimated 3.7 million people.
The thirst for palm oil has transformed the country’s landscape. From 2000 to 2015, Indonesia lost an average of 498,000 hectares of forest each year – making it the world’s second biggest deforester after Brazil.
Much of this past deforestation involved “slash and burn” clearing, which has played a large role in driving polluting megafires across the country’s peatlands. When fires rip across peatlands, much of their vast stores of carbon are released into the atmosphere.
The practice of draining peatlands has also heightened the risk of megafires. In order to grow palm oil and other crops, such as timber, peatlands are often drained of their natural moisture – leaving them dry and more likely to catch alight.
The smoke from the fires led to 19 deaths and caused up to half a million people to suffer from respiratory illness, the Guardian reported at the time.
A soldier tries to extinguish a peatland fire in South Sumatra, Indonesia, 12 September 2015. Credit: Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo.
That year, changes to land-use, peatlands and forests accounted for 79% of Indonesia’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
In the wake of the deadly haze, Widodo announced a nationwide moratorium on the draining of Indonesia’s peatlands. He later set up the Peatlands Restoration Agency and tasked it with restoring 2m hectares of tropical peatlands by 2020.
From 2016 to 2017, forest loss in Indonesia fell by 60% – in part due to the moratorium, analysts say.
In September 2018, Widodo issued a presidential instruction to place a moratorium on new permits for palm plantations for three years.
However, “threats remain”, analysts say. More than a quarter of the peatlands put under protection in 2015 had already been auctioned off to palm oil and timber firms. To compensate these companies, the government is operating a “land swap” scheme, offering firms access to unprotected land. Some groups warn this could clear the way for more deforestation.
This year, the European Union tightened its rules on biofuels in an attempt to limit the use of palm oil linked to deforestation – a move that was bitterly opposed by Indonesian ministers.
A recent investigation by Unearthed uncovered evidence suggesting that Indonesian ministers had tried to pressurise European countries, including the UK, into opposing the rule change. The investigation also found that, in 2016, France scrapped a proposed tax on unsustainable supplies of palm oil after being warned it could lead to the execution of a French citizen in Indonesia.
Indonesia is the world’s fifth largest producer of coal and is home to the world’s 10th largest coal reserves, according to the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy.
Around 80% of Indonesia’s coal is exported, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). From 2000 to 2014, Indonesia’s coal exports quadrupled, Carbon Brief analysis shows.
In 2017, Indonesia overtook Australia to become the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal, which is used for power generation, according to the IEA.
China is the primary buyer of Indonesian coal and received 31% of its exports in 2017, says the IEA. Other key customers include India, Japan and South Korea.
Coal mining has many environmental impacts in Indonesia. For example, the shipping of mined coal from Kalimantan has destroyed “hundreds of square metres” of tropical coral reefs, according to Greenpeace.
Around 58% of Indonesia’s electricity was generated by coal in 2017. This is shown on the chart below (black area).
The country ranks 10th in the world for total coal capacity (29,307 megawatts), but fifth for planned capacity (24,691MW).
However, it is worth noting that Indonesia has repeatedly scaled back its planned coal capacity. In 2015, Indonesia had plans for 45,000MW of new coal. This figure later fell to 34,000MW in 2018 and again to around 25,000MW this year, according to data from Global Energy Monitor.
In its latest report on the global coal market, the IEA identifies Indonesia as a major driver of rising demand over the next five years. It says demand for coal-fired power in the country is likely to increase as a result of “robust economic growth, a rising population and an expanding middle class”.
The government sees coal-fired power as a “cheap and easy” way to help meet its target, according to the Financial Times.
In March 2018, officials capped the price of domestic coal for power stations for two years – a move intended to help keep electricity prices low around the time of this year’s election, analysts say.
Coal has not been a major talking point in Widodo’s campaign for reelection, according to Mongabay. However, his rival Prabowo has called for coal use to be slashed and replaced with renewables, according to the Jakarta Post.
Just 5% of Indonesia’s electricity came from renewables in 2017 – the vast majority of this from geothermal sources. However, the government has pledged to source 23% of its power from renewables by 2025 and 31% by 2050.
Indonesia is the world’s second largest producer of geothermal power after the US.
The country has installed 1,925MW of geothermal power. However, its untapped geothermal resources are estimated to total 29,000MW – 40% of the world’s total geothermal reserves.
A Buddhist monk sits in front of the Kawah Ijen volcanic crater as sulphur gases are released, east Java, Indonesia. Credit: Malgorzata Drewniak / Alamy Stock Photo.
Indonesia is a hotspot for geothermal resources because of its volcanic activity. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to 139 volcanoes, according to the Global Volcanism Program.
The country aims to have 7,200MW of geothermal energy by 2025, which would make it the biggest geothermal producer in the world.
Widodo opened the country’s first wind power farm in July 2018. The Sidrap Wind Farm, the largest of its kind in southeast Asia, produces 75MW of electricity and supplies power to Sulawesi, an island east of Borneo. A second 72MW wind farm is currently under construction on the island.
Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, inaugurates Sidrap Wind Farm in South Sulawesi, 2 July 2018. Credit: Yermia Riezky Santiago / Alamy Stock Photo.
The country currently has just 16MW of solar power, according to statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
However, the government aims to have 6,400MW of solar and 1,800MW of wind by 2025, according to a report from IRENA.
Yet Indonesia “could feasibly exceed its current goals and deploy even more renewables”, the report says. If policies were adjusted, Indonesia could achieve its 2050 renewables target by 2030, it concludes.
The analysis notes that the potential of solar power is particularly underestimated by current government policy. With new policies and investment, solar has the potential to “provide electricity to nearly 1.1m households in remote areas that currently lack adequate access to electricity”, it says.
Indonesia’s legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law, custom and Islamic law. A wide range of legislation is produced and exists in a hierarchy. This hierarchy is as follows (in order of importance): the 1945 constitution; MPR resolution; law; government regulation substituting a law; government regulation; presidential decree; regional regulation.
Much of Indonesia’s climate-related legislation is directed towards tackling emissions from the forest sector. Such laws, discussed in more detail above, include moratoriums on the draining of peatlands and the conversion of primary rainforest.
In September 2018, Widodo issued a presidential decree to place a moratorium on new permits for palm plantations for three years.
The energy sector is also subject to climate-related regulations. The government issued a regulation in 2014 which contained a pledge to source 23% of its power from renewables by 2025 and 31% by 2050 – up from 5% today.
Indonesia has targets to improve energy efficiency. Its National Master Plan for Energy Conservation (RIKEN) sets a goal of decreasing energy intensity by 1% annually until 2025.
In October 2017, the government announced a new initiative aimed at incorporating climate action into the country’s development agenda. (The country has four separate five-year development plans spanning the period 2005-2025).
The country’s National Medium Term Development Plan for 2015-19 says that a “green economy” should be at the foundation of Indonesia’s development.
This plan targets the eradication of illegal logging, fishing and mining and increased participation of local people in forest management. It also sets out aims to increase vulnerable communities’ resilience to climate change impacts.
It specifically targets emissions cuts from five “priority sectors”, including forestry and peatlands, agriculture, energy and transportation, industrial and waste.
On 25 March 2019, the government launched a report looking at how climate action can be incorporated into the country’s development plan for 2020-25.
The report finds that a “low carbon” development pathway could drive a GDP growth rate of 6% a year until 2045, higher than the rate expected under a “business-as-usual” pathway. This path could also cut emissions by 43% by 2030, when compared to “business-as-usual” – exceeding the country’s current national climate targets.
Indonesia has pledged to cut its emissions by 29-41% by 2030, in comparison to “business as usual” – but the top end of this pledge is conditional on “support from international cooperation”.
The pledge did not, however, specify how much aid it would need to reach the upper end of its target. A separate government document published at the time reported that meeting the country’s renewable energy target alone would cost $108bn.
Indonesia is a major emerging market economy, but its population faces steep financial inequality. A report by Oxfam in 2017 found Indonesia’s four richest men now have more wealth than 100 million of the country’s poorest people.
Analysis by Carbon Brief suggests that Indonesia is the world’s sixth largest recipient of climate finance, having received an average of $952m a year from 2015-16.
Further Carbon Brief analysis shows that, by 2016, Indonesia had been awarded $362m in investment from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Climate Investments Fund (CIF).
Notable schemes financed by the multilateral climate funds include a $150m project to develop private sector geothermal energy and $18m for a community-led project to tackle forest degradation.
As a highly populous nation spread across a chain of tropical islands, Indonesia is considered to be highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Sea level rise threatens the 42 million people who live less than 10m above sea level in Indonesia. A one-metre rise in sea levels could inundate 405,000 hectares of Indonesia’s coastal land and cause low-lying islands to disappear.
The country’s capital, Jakarta – which is home to 10 million people – is acutely threatened by sea level rise and has been described as the “fastest sinking city” on Earth. The threat of sea level rise has been compounded in the city by illegal well digging, which is causing the ground to plummet.
Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia, 10 February 2015. Credit: Dani Daniar / Alamy Stock Photo.
Increased rainfall is projected for most of Indonesia’s islands, except for its southern islands, including Java, where it is projected to decline by up to 15%.
Rainfall increases and decreases could boost the risk of flash flooding and droughts, respectively. Indonesia’s megacities are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding, which can trigger devastating landslides.
The timing of the country’s annual monsoon could also be impacted by climate change. Research suggests the risk of a 30-day delay to the monsoon could reach 40% by 2050, compared to 18% today. This could have large consequences for agricultural production.
Carbon Brief analysis finds that average temperatures on Indonesia’s islands have already risen by around 1.2-1.5C since the start of the industrial era.
Increased temperatures – in addition to changes in the natural climate phenomenon El Niño – could further raise the risk posed by forest fires. As well as accelerating climate change, fires pose a risk to Indonesia’s biodiversity. Indonesia is home to 12% of the world’s mammal species, 16% of its reptile species and 17% of its bird species.
Male Lesser Bird-of-paradise in courtship display, Papua, Indonesia. Credit: Gabbro / Alamy Stock Photo.
The report outlines a plan to improve Indonesia’s resilience to climate change, namely by taking measures to improve energy and food security and to boost the resilience of its forest ecosystems. The report also identifies small islands, coastal regions and cities as “special areas” that most require stronger adaptation measures. | 2019-04-21T12:39:07Z | https://www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbon-brief-profile-indonesia |
Drawing and Painting is an amazing talent for all the kids and toddlers.It is also be one of the most creative things to do when they have nothing to do as it can improve the talent and also develop their minds.Gameiva here brings the latest and amazing drawing game and educational fun game for kids which can help them to learn to create beautiful images by themselves, learn to use the brush and applying colors into them and also learn lot of new words and many educational stuffs.
Lets have a look at the latest addition to the kids toddler educational games also for the Halloween special painting games by "Gameiva" as given below.
Create your own Doodle for the festival of Halloween from this amazing Halloween painting game for kids. Choose your favorite Halloween character from dozens of options of the cartoons. Start coloring each from the different options of coloring tools available. Add Halloween special stickers to it to make it look more attractive. Save it to your gallery which you can show it to your friends later.
Lot of different coloring images to choose from.
Lot of different coloring tools and many different colors.
Use tools like paint brush, pencil, etc. which will all give different amazing coloring effect.
Add lot of different stickers to make it look more attractive.
Babies love playing with mobile phones but why not let them play with the mobile while benefitting them with lot of learning activities. Open your flip mobile phone and start playing lot of different educational games. Select any of your choice from learning or just start playing it. Learn the names of lot of different animals, birds, all the alphabets, different fruits and vegetables and much more in it. The friendly voice combination with it will help will to understand and remember all the words better.
There are lots of different options of educational activities in the game.
Learn the names of many different birds, animals, fruits, vegetables etc. in this game.
The entertaining educational activities will help the kids to learn them with fun.
Share this educational game with all your friends and share the knowledge.
Children will surely develop a very good skill with the brush and colors with the help of these games. These are specially made for kids by "Gameiva" keeping the educational activities and the toddlers imagination in mind. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way.
The "Halloween Festival" is just 3 days away that is on Saturday and kids around the world are getting prepared for this amazing fun filled festival. Keeping all the different forms of preparations and entertaining activities for the Halloween day in mind Gameiva brings you with the latest creations of Halloween day fun games for kids. These games features lot of different fun activities which they kids can play giving them the exact feel of having fun at the Halloween right at Home.
Let’s have a look at the top new Halloween games by Gameiva as given below.
The Halloween princess is going to attend the Greatest Halloween celebration ever and she has to first complete her total makeover before she reaches her destination through the flight. Help the Halloween girl with all her makeover activities and also help her to have the best Halloween look at the festival. Choose the best Halloween dress for her in the dress up room and help her decorate her suit case with different stickers and tag on it. Wash her hair and choose the best hair style for her with lot of different colors of hair style to choose from. Finally Board the flight and enjoy the festival of Halloween.
Select your favorite suitcase and add the tag with your name and a Halloween sticker to it.
Get your luggage checked at the Airport.
Get your passport checked and verified.
Select the best Halloween dress which suits your personality the most.
The Halloween is a time of full entertainment and fun for everyone especially for kids as they will be going from house to house wearing their scary Halloween clothes and asking for trick and treat. Play this amazing Halloween special party game for kids where you can dress up as your favorite Halloween character and go from house to house asking for treat or trick. Do lot of different activities like makeover activities, dress-up for the Halloween and much more. Finally there is a special surprise for you and your friend’s, attend the fun DJ party for kids and get on the dance floor to show your dance moves.
Get dressed up with your favorite Halloween clothes.
Play many different fun Halloween games.
Clean your room when its gets untidy.
Get down to have a delicious dinner with your friends.
Finally get on the dance floor and dance to the song played by the DJ.
These were jut 2 of the top Halloween games by Gameiva. You can find lots more of many different categories related to fun, entertainment, education and much more in the Gameiva channel at Play Store. Gameiva brings you the latest creations of most loved categories of games and apps which are all hugely loved by kids. We are entirely devoted to building user friendly games and apps related to fun and learning for better educational familiarities and enjoyment for children. Stay with us for the latest updates of Gameiva on Google play and get more excellent apps.
Download from play store, Play and Share all these Halloween nail salon games with your friends and have fun with the nail Arts on this festival of fun filled scary Halloween. Get more educational and free fun android games for toddlers at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way.
The Gameiva comes with lot of different educational games for kids with lot of totally new and challenging educational tasks for kids. These games are specially made for kids with the imagination they have with the different stuff they see in their day to day life everyday.
Lets have a look at the latest 3 games for kids with many different activities to learn from it.
Enjoy coloring lot of different uncolored funny images for kids. Learn to add the perfect colors into different images as per your imagination. Choose from dozens of uncolored images. Do perfect coloring to all the different birds, trees, animals and much more to choose from. Select your favorite coloring tool then choose the color for the image and start coloring also using various different stickers and effects to it.
Choose from lot of different colors.
Select your favorite paint brush to start coloring.
Choose images from lot of different options of images.
Save the image into your gallery and share with all your friends.
Learn all the alphabets from A to Z in a totally new and fun way in this educational game for kids. Start the game and choose the alphabet and learn different words starting from each alphabet. All the different words from each alphabet will be shown with an animated cartoon and voice combination which will help to learn the words and the alphabets easily. Touch on the word and the animal that starts from the alphabet you have chosen and watch them all do a different funny activity.
Choose any alphabet and learn lots of different words from it.
Animated cartoon and voice combination to support better learning of the words.
Lot of different funny activity by all the characters in the game.
Toddler learning game is helpful for kids to learn different preschool activities. Here in this Toddler Brain Game 15+ educational activity included in fun way to learn basic math fundamentals & other activities. Kids will love this game its new way to learn & keep them busy as well as entertaining.
Tap the color that appears most.
Drag through the numbers to make the indicated value.
Sum up panels equals to the indicated numbers.
Tap the blocks in the opposite order they appeared.
Move the umbrella with tap.
Avoid the bomb, connect the flags raise your score with star.
These Latest Educational games for kids will help them learn the basic educational stuffs in life with lots of fun and learning activities. Download from play store, Play and Share all these amazing Educational and Activity games for kids with all your friends and enjoy your day with friends and family. Get more educational and free fun android games for kids at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way. Share all these fun activity games with your friends and enjoy your time with them.
The Gameiva is yet back again with some new and latest Educational Games for Kids with whole lot of new activities for kids which will help them to learn lot of new stuff which they will be learning in the school. Learn the Alphabets and different numbers with lot of different funny cartoon characters and by playing some entertaining games which will surely get the kids attracted into the game helping them to learn a lot as well.
Let’s have a look at all the new different games by Gameiva to learn the numbers and alphabets.
The ABC carnival is here to teach all the kids to learn all the alphabets in a totally new and fun way. Learn many different words starting from each of the alphabets and then draw on them. Play the cannon of alphabets where you will be shot with a volley of characters and you will have to burst down the specific character you are told to find. Also learn all the numbers in a fun number game. All these games are made very easy to play and understand easily which will benefit in learning the alphabets easily.
Play different number games with the funny joker.
Learn alphabets and also learn to paint on them.
Learn lot of different words for each of the alphabets.
Play the cannon of alphabets and learn the alphabets in a totally new way.
Share this educational game for kids with your friends and have fun learning.
Learn the numbers all, the alphabets and also draw beautiful paintings with lot of different color filled crayons in this latest Tracing Letters for kid's game. Color on the dotted figures of all the alphabets from A-Z and all the numbers. Choose a lot of different variety of beautiful and attractive colors from the options. Also use the drawing tool to paint on the painting pad with many different varieties of color pencils, brushes and crayons.
Let's play lots of different number games to learn the different operations with numbers like multiplication, subtraction, division and addition. But first learn to differentiate between the odd numbers and even numbers in a fun Giant Wheel number game. There are so many different fun activities in this game which will engage the kids into playing it and learning from it. Arrange the funny dancing numbers into its position to complete the level to move on to the next stage.
Download from play store, Play and Share all these amazing Educational and Activity games for kids with all your friends and enjoy your day with friends and family. Get more educational and free fun android games for kids at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way. Share all these fun activity games with your friends and enjoy your time with them.
Aren’t you excited for the Halloween which is just a few days away? Everyone is pretty excited especially the kids who are collecting their best ideas for the dress up and the other activities for the day of Halloween. Gameiva has brought a new collection of totally new and different Halloween activities, Games and many new things to learn. These entertaining games for kids can help them learn many different activities through many fun, entertaining and learning activities.
Lets have a look at the top fun Halloween festival special game for kids.
Enjoy lot of fun activities in this Halloween girl makeover game for girls and kids. The Halloween girl needs a quick makeover for her appearance for the big Halloween festival which is coming very soon. Start your makeover salon and choose any of the scary customers and begin all your makeover activities. Wash the hair of the girl and trim it to give a proper look. Use the towel and the drier to dry the hair after it has been washed. after all the makeover activities are over help her to choose the best Halloween outfit which suits her hair and face makeover.
Wash the hair, trim it to give it a perfect look.
Choose from a lot of different colorful designs for the hair.
Do face makeover and remove all her pimples and dark marks with different makeover tools and creams.
Design the eyebrows, use the lipsticks and give her the maximum beauty.
A very special spot the difference game for the Halloween festival for all kids. This is a special spot the difference game because probably for the first you will be having to find the difference from 2 animated views of the Halloween characters. Choose any of the views from lot of different options to start playing. You will have to hurry up on each level as the time is very less for each views. Get started with this thrilling game and complete all the Halloween special levels.
More than 18 different views to find the difference.
The animated characters in the views will add to the fun in the game.
Find the difference within the given time.
Use the hint if you find it difficult to find any difference.
The monsters are ready for a thrilling dance party but they don't know to dance well. So now as a dance teacher you have to teach them to see that they do some perfect steps and dance moves. Teach them various different skills in your dancing school. There are many scary monsters waiting for their turn to learn dancing. So get started by choosing them one by one and teach them the perfect dance moves.
Watch out for the arrows which will be guiding you with the different steps.
tap the perfect arrows in the perfect time.
watch the monsters dance and see if they are making any mistakes.
Share all these Halloween games for kids with your friends and have fun at the party.
Download from play store, Play and Share all these Halloween activity games for kids with all your friends and enjoy your "Halloween Day". Get more educational and free fun android games for kids at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way.
Drawing and painting is really an amazing talent which can catch the eyes of many people. Learning to paint and draw from the childhood will really help in growing the talent. Gameiva brings you a superb collection of drawing and painting games for kids which will help them learn to draw and paint easily. Also these games will help them to paint and draw by themselves and also learn it properly.
The below given are the top 3 games you will find for your kids to help them learn painting and drawing by themselves.
Add lot of different stickers to make it look more attractive. and Save it to gallery.
This will be the best way to learn drawing and also painting for kids with dozens of different options and other coloring features. Select any of your favorite pictures and use your imagination to give it the best colors to make it look much more beautiful than it was. Also choose any of the uncolored drawing paper with lot of different designs and different beautiful background. Use any of the painting tools to make your own images and also paint beautiful colors on it. Finally learn to paint and draw by yourself with the help of this game.
There are all the required painting features in this painting game for kids.
Select any of the uncolored drawings and paint beautiful colors on it.
There are lot of different options and features to color on it.
Also make drawings on your own on beautiful ready-made backgrounds.
Learn to draw animal is a complete drawing tutorial of many different kinds and breeds of animals in a very easy way. You don't need to have any drawing skills to use this kid's activity game. This game is specially made with the features and tasks which the kids will surely love and enjoy.
Just follow the guidance and start drawing following the line till the animal is totally complete. Also paint the animals with your favorite colors and make them look very original. This game is very simple to play and also very interesting.
This game has many kind of animals cartoons which you can use to draw beautiful paintings.
Download from play store, Play and Share all these special drawing and painting games for kids with your friends and have fun with the nail Arts on this festival of fun filled scary Halloween. Get more educational and free fun android games for kids at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way.
To make this October 31st a special day for every kid who are preparing for the Halloween we had come up with some fun filled amazing games for kids earlier. And right now within just few days we have come with a new collection of Halloween games of totally new category for kids. You can start your salon activities with many Halloween special monsters and monster princess with these latest Halloween games by Gameiva. Let’s start preparing in a totally new way with all your friends and these friendly monsters by completing all the different activities in the salon.
Lets have a look at the top 3 latest Halloween Salon games for kids by Gameiva as given below.
Help the Halloween girls with their makeup for the festival of Halloween which is coming soon. Be the owner of your own hair salon and choose the customers one by one. Put the Halloween special shampoo on her hair and clean it with the washer. Use the drier to dry off the water on her hair. Use the towel to clean the hair after it has been washed completely. Use all the other tools and complete all the activities. And yes you need to do it fast as the time is very less because there are lots of customers waiting in line for the turn in your salon.
Choose your favorite Halloween customer.
Wash her hair first and cut it to give it a better look.
Use the drier to dry the hair.
Use the perfume to give a nice odor to her hair.
The monsters need a makeover done very quickly and you have to help them with all their makeover requirements. Choose any of your monster customers, bring them to your parlor and begin with lots of fun makeover activities on them. Wash their face and hair and use all the shampoos and cream to make their hair look beautiful. Take them to the spa and also to your hair salon. Finally when you are totally done with the hair and the face makeover bring them to the dressing room and select for them the best and the most suitable clothes.
Select the monster customers one by one.
Wash their hair and apply shampoo to them.
Wash their face with all the different beauty creams and make them shining.
Help them with their dress up and choose the best dress matching their hair style.
The festival of Halloween is closing by and it is the best time that you prepare your dressing styles and shape your nail in a scary way. Learn lot of different Halloween nail art activities in this game Halloween Nail Art. There are lots of different scary costumed customers in your spooky nail salon. Select any of the customers and start you activity as an experienced nail artist. Complete all the design on the nail using lot of different salon tools and make your customer the best looking person during the Halloween.
Lot of different customers to choose from.
Choose any of them and start the nail salon activity.
Do different scary design on their nails.
Use all the makeover tools to make them look totally different from all the others.
Download from play store, Play and Share all these Halloween nail salon games with your friends and have fun with the nail Arts on this festival of fun filled scary Halloween. Get more educational and free fun android games for kids at Gameiva. These educational and learning activity games will highly benefit all the kids for various different useful stuffs in life. They can also learn it in the most entertaining and fun way. | 2019-04-22T20:17:28Z | http://androidkidsgames.blogspot.com/2015/10/ |
Thought experiment time: What if Mhaldor chose the Forestal classes over Alchemists? Play it out.
Basically forestals got enemied for selling to Mhaldor or something, and eventually they said they wouldn't exterminate if forestals gave them concoctions or something.
I started copy parts of the Apocrypha to rationalize my irrationalization of using grove users as aphids to derive essence from via extermination rejuvenation looping, but I think the nefarious words corrupted my post and it wouldn't send on my edit.
One of the points of the Alchemist class was to clean up RP for this very reason: Mhaldorian Forestals. It didn't make much sense to have a Mhaldorian yell "Burn Nature!" and then go ahead and eat a ton of plants to survive raiding. Very hypocritical to use the very thing you're trying to destroy.
As to what would happen now if they did that...a very big shift in Mhaldorian politics and roleplay would be required, resulting in a lot of bloodshed, yelling and complaining on public news, and the Garden stepping in to preserve the RP they want. There is a reason things are the way they are, after all.
Your choice was an illusion.
They would be renamed 'Necroplantsers'.
As an older player and someone as someone who has roleplayed a neutral character, I've always seen Forestal Militarism as a Neutral-Evil thing. If you've read the Viridian Charter recently it seems that Sartan is actually a member of Oakstone. I think that's what inspired this post a bit from that end. When I was in Mhaldor the other day the Viridian charter just appear in my mind as I read the Apocrypha (please allow the Apocrypha to undergo a Reformation period as the Viridian Charter is making some parts of the Apocrypha too goody).
There's not a clause about breeding with city folk (like in the Apocrypha) and converting them - nothing like that! Nothing about encouraging sustainable architecture, stewardship, forestry, or composting. I just don't see how they plan on going about accomplishing their mission unless it is feature to allow them to have cause to attack any non-forestal heathen: constantly keeping them embroiled in conflict, which is why I ventured to simply remove Alchemists from Mhaldor and just accept evil forestals who believe Nature unchecked is just as disastrous as total annihilation. But, thinking this through, Mhaldorian views on Evil would have to reform a bit to take this split in order to work with Forestals who take into account the destructive side of nature.
When I came to write this post I was thinking some of these things: what is taking the roleplay in this direction - why isn't there just an evil faction of forestals so that Oakstone doesn't have to be militarily expansionistic or aggressively claiming all nature as theirs, because they are its custodians. Back in the day FORESTHUGGERS was cause to be enemied, simply because it was more neutral than other organizations. It's just odd to observe forestal characters I've known forced into exile and ousted, when their views are not antithetical to nature, but due to technicalities.
Some questions I often wonder: Are forests without a forest spirit connected to Gaia's realm? I would say no. We see these emanations only when a god's essence is what sustains them. Since Twilight is entwined to the Darkenwood, if his essence leaves, the whole forest dies. We saw this when the Te'Serra attacked, and have seen it repeatedly with every Nature deity. It's the same with the other forests with Spirits, and perhaps what gives Grove users their power. I know for a fact that I haven't thought clearly about it in this way. I was living my character's life as a forestal in some sort of delusion. I operated under the assumption that being a forestal was about guarding the balance of life and death in accordance with the dogmatic expression: the Circle of Life and Death as seen in the Old Gaian temple.
One way to counter-balance this would be to make a forestal class that uses necromancy or some such.
Extremism everywhere and the neutrals are anarchists or CIJ members.
Cyrene seems to be the place you end up if you don't want to be constantly pulled into factionalism. But, I still have hope that Delos or some other such village can transform like Hashan did to be a foil to Cyrene, and just allow non-factional classes.
We call Delos, old Hashan, and Thera villages - why pretend Eleusis is just that. In fact, Delos is what Eleusis used to be. What is between a Village and a City-state? Eleusis has all the features of a city-state - so isn't it just that? Player shops, subdivisions, an eidolon guardian, credit sales and so on, but they've conveniently left out the rats - apparently they can't climb trees, and the jesters all re-educate them!
One only way to counter-balance this would be to make a forestal class that uses necromancy or some such.
Why fix something that isn't broken? Forestals who want conflict are happy to have it out with Evil/Chaos, while Evil/Chaos have their own source of curatives so that they don't need to use flimsy RP to include Forestals in their cities.
Why would any forestal class have, or want, Necromancy? I'm not sure why that would be a thing, considering it's a strictly Evil aligned skillset and is anthame to Forestry for most parts (i.e. Extermination). There were people in the past who were Druids and Sylvans in Mhaldor, but even today they are encouraged to change to something more appropriate for the Mhaldor culture.
I understand and fully support faction based classes such as Priest/Paladin, Infernal, and Sentinel (/Druid?). A lot of people have been at odds with Nature for a while now, but were forced to accept it to some degree because that's the only way they could get curatives. Alchemy was a great addition because it no longer forces faction members to conform and contradict their faction status in order to get curatives.
I'm mostly at this point thinking of ways that they could have simply expanded upon the red fog, @Xith Necroplansters RP that was already in place within Mhaldor. I am trying to think of what makes a forestal a forestal also. Is it concoctions? Is it groves? Is it woodlore? Is it being a member of Eleusis? Is it about Nature > all other organizations. What the hell does it mean?
I'm all fine with Alchemists and Gaia not mixing, but I'd also want to know why that is from an RP standpoint. It's merely putting the focus on an external threat, without resolving the inconsistency within forestal groups/sects. If you don't agree, then you just have to put up with it, otherwise you're not a forestal.
I am trying to figure out what a character is if they _are_ a forestal and are not apart of a forestal organization. This is where RP is overshadowed by technicality: how do you RP that when the character is consistent, but there's no room for them? You see Sylvans in the Merchants, but is this just a vestigial happenstance?
I've read the literature on the red fog experiments and thought they were great whoever wrote them - forget now.
I think @Lodi wrote about the red fog experiments, and attempted to explain how it was created (not going to post details here, because it's worth finding and looking into IG), but I don't remember anything forestry relating being in it. It's my understanding that it was introduced to counter flora growth on the Isle.
There are a lot of Sylvans and Druids and some Sentinels which aren't part of Eleusis, but I think there was something put in place to where a city could choose not to accept those classes anymore if they are Alchemist aligned. I would think this would put those classes somewhat in the same category as classes that utilize Necromancy or Devotionalism, just not to such an extreme degree.
If you want to know about Forestal RP (i.e. their guiding principles and motivations, what puts them at odds with Evil/Chaos), you should just start up an Eleusis alt and learn all you can.
Why would any forestal class have, or want Necromancy: 1) because they feel death isn't a philosophical concept that is widely practiced, with a preference learning towards thriving instead of survival of the fittest 2) I support and understand faction based classes, too. 3) I am mostly criticizing inconsistencies in RP as I see them.
Based on what I"ve witnessed: anything is possible (Twilight merge in Darkenwood, red fog lycopods, grove recycling with extermination and rejuvenation) and anything bad that can happen will happen in these sorts of dilemmas that seem purely one sided.
I am not disagreeing with your logic at all. But, just trying to point out how we automatically bend the rules to make sense of overriding actions of the Garden, which need to happen: access to curatives.
This doesn't always resolve the pre-existing political differences and RP divisions for people residing within the Factions themselves that are diametrically opposed and incompatible with other beliefs outside of their organizations. Instead, it makes it easier to gloss over 'political unrest/alternative views' and put the attention on external incompatibilities, disregarding their on internal inconsistencies.
If Mhaldor allowed forestals instead of alchemists Mhaldor could still get curatives from both sides of the spectrum. Since Forestals are wholly against Transmutations from a ideological angle and Mhaldor is not. Depending on the amount of forests preserved from extermination would place more emphasis on protecting forests with forest spirits, and allow forests outside this demesne to be free-reign. Again, I'm just playing out scenarios.
Several things, based on my above explanation of the connection between Groves-Gaia-Forest Spirits that isn't really talked about, adds a criticism to the whole topic of Alchemy v. Concoctions.
One of these ideas is should essence derived from Extermination be more beneficial if it is derived from a forest linked to a forest spirit, and secondly, should Oakstone abilities work in areas that are not protected by Forest spirits.
Gaia created Oakstone, but she doesn't have forest spirits in every forest or garden. This creates an inroad to using forestals in Mhaldor to constantly restore forest lands so that essence is available, making non-aligned Oakstone forests contested territory. This I feel is more consistent with the Viridian Charter's militaristic stance.
You are clearly not a forestal, the charter is almost exactly like what Babelites say oblivion is. You don't make it happen it just happens over time and is inevitable. It is not a KILL ALL CITIES cry like you seem to think it is, although it can definitely be interpreted that way just like Oblivion can be interpreted as KILL EVERYTHING!
Forest spirits were put there as some kind of mechanic for the forests after Gaia left, they had some kind of potion you made and then just kind of sat around there invincible from what I remember. Not sure why you thought you were protecting life and death, I never got that impression from being a forestal we have always been protecting the forest from extermination and enemies because they don't stand still long enough for the forest to kill them!
I can say Rangor is the Militaristic part of Eleusis/Nature as MoW and the Sentinels call Oakstone some kind of tool to use to defend the forest. I'm not sure why you simply equate Necromancy to evil, a forestal can be evil they just choose not to be I guess because they are always fighting with Sartan, the proverbial god of evil, because he says kill the forests and piss off the forestals.
Asking Mhaldor if they wanted forestal cures or alchemical ones seems to me like it was a rhetorical question.
On necromancy, everything I have read about it is that Thoth, the god of Death, doesn't care for it at all. Yet that is just an impression I got from talking to people about it so not sure what he thinks about it honestly! On Necromancy and forestals, exterminations are the only reason that forestals are against evil, give them necromany and it will be a huge WTF since we ban Necromany in Eleusis and anyone who uses exterminate get enemied to nature! I think that's why Holobomb no longer destroys forest rooms as well, because forestals could "accidentally" exterminate a room with one. So they did kind of have Necromancy already and I'm sure some Sylvans holobombed rooms on purpose making them evil I guess....although it's not Necromancy that makes Apostates or Infernals evil it just gives them an ability which is controlled by Sartan.
The forest spirits were probably only in forests that were around when the spirits were "made" for forestals back when Gaia dispersed! Exterminations are already basically free essence for the necromancer, giving them more won't do anything but give them more.... it's pretty useless if you ask me, spirits aren't signposts that Oakstone works here they have a purpose and well now they are gone since Gaia ate them!
I think may be confusing my actions as Antreus the Character with my understanding and perception of things as a player. This isn't a rant, but I am trying to approach things in a way that makes certain things more perceptible from a paradigmatic perspective as I've seen them.
My character is not currently a forestal. He's an alchemist. That doesn't mean I don't have a perspective as a player on certain inconsistencies that I've witnessed as a character after roleplaying a forestal for more than half of my character's existence - which is what I'm sharing. Antreus as a character is extremely conflicted, because he sees Transmutation and Concoctions utilizing similar frameworks, and that he is wanting to understand the nature of .. well, everything, without compromising his integrity or sympathies with being custodial in regards the Wild places of the world.
Thanks for sharing what I italicized, because it is informative to the historicity of events.
My argument, however, is rooted on the nature of that historicity. If Gaia or another Nature deity leaves or is forcibly removed: the forests suffer. Typically, from what I've experienced this happens to forests who have forest spirits. This is why I bring up the concept of essence and extermination. Should extermination only work in forests that have forest spirits, because they are directly link (based on the observation above) to Gaia's realm, and thus extermination attacks HER essence.
When I was a forestal I got the impression that we were protecting the balance between life and death. Extermination was the most vile act, because it undermined sustainability and stewardship. But, then you start realizing questioning that from a metaphysical standpoint. Is extermination just that, or is it an attack on a God's essence, which necromancers use. When this paradigm is discovered it causes a bit of cognitive dissonance.
Why am I equating Necromancy with evil: I'm not trying to do this, in fact, I'm trying to make sense of necromancy, due to how it is counterbalanced by restoration, or the presence of woodland fires and once upon a time holocaust bombs. I don't want to see Necromancy aligned evil, just like I don't wish to see groves aligned with what is good and natural, because as a player I see them as two sides of the same coin. They are however aligned with Divine that are diametrically opposed organizationally, even though players have consistently found ways to exist outside these confines.
What is and isn't natural? Why is tending a Grove more Natural than Necromancy, or is it? Aren't they merely custodial aspects impinging upon Nature in a symbiotic manner or an parasitical nature. When is destruction good, and when is creation bad. When do our player understandings of what is natural override our understanding of what is NATURE in Achaea. I'm working with semantics, yes - but they underpin a lot of assumptions we make off the cuff.
Again, I'm just thinking of things independently of how Antreus has acted as a player, but things that me of a player have found inconsistent or awkward to reason.
In my view, you simply don't know what nature is because you don't really ask the people of Eleusis, although even if you do ask them they are going to give you an assortment of answers. Yet it's ultimately Gaia who defines nature so if you want to understand it more IC your best bet is to just ask her.
I wouldn't say your best bet to learn about what Nature is would be to directly approach Gaia for a lesson. This typically goes for any divine. They have Orders for a reason. Ask over Market to speak to an Order member and I'm sure you'll get in touch with someone who can answer your questions, or at least point you in the right direction.
I think you ask good questions here in this thread. I think the Achaea today has changed alot from when you were previously active. Factions have become much more organised, many having their own factional skills. Most of all the different coloured pieces have their own corner on the game board. While cleaner segregation facilitates some aspects of gameplay. I feel it also kind of stop people from delving deeper into the fabric of the world. Afterall, if as suggested, if all we need to do is ask the current reincarnation of the Divine of whatever aspect and what they say is so, where is the room for mental work?
Probably related, when I see the Merchant and then subsequently the SerpentLords seperating from Hashan, it creates a positive feeling within me. Not because I have any feelings or knowledge about the mentioned orgs, but because it made me feeling that not everything is static and already set it their place. Things still have room to move around. Things can still be studied and discovered. And that makes me happy as a player to see. | 2019-04-19T09:15:39Z | https://forums.achaea.com/discussion/2775/thought-experiment-time-what-if-mhaldor-chose-the-forestal-classes-over-alchemists-play-it-out |
1998-09-04 Assigned to MICROSOFT CORPORATION reassignment MICROSOFT CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ARCURI, MICHAEL P., MCBRIDE, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL, VAN TILBURG, MARTIJN E.
Customizing a presentation of a set of control elements, such as toolbar, by using a graphical user interface element representing the toolbar control elements, such as a quick customize (QC) menu. This customization approach allows a user to access the QC menu to select which control elements are to be displayed on the toolbar. The controls presented by the QC menu are typically associated with the control items of a particular toolbar or a corresponding set of commands. For convenient user access, the QC menu can be exposed on the toolbar via a special control or an entry point and typically lists the control elements available for the toolbar in order of appearance on the toolbar. For example, the QC menu can present the toolbar's default commands or controls, controls that are "top" or frequently used candidates for the toolbar, and any controls currently on the toolbar. Each control presented by the QC menu has a corresponding selection indicator, such as a checkbox, for easily adding to or removing a control element from the associated toolbar.
The present invention relates to a system and method for customizing the presentation of control elements on a toolbar, and is more particularly directed to adding control elements to and removing control elements from a toolbar by using a graphical user interface (GUI) element presenting information related to the toolbar control elements.
Most modern computer software employs a GUI-type visual presentation to convey information to and receive commands from users. This interface relies on a variety of GUI elements or objects, including icons, text, drop-down menus, dialog boxes, toolbars, buttons, controls, and the like. A user typically interacts with a GUI presentation by using a pointing device (e.g., a mouse) to position a pointer or a cursor over an object and "clicking" on the object. Examples of operating systems that provide a graphical user interface are the "WINDOWS 95" and "WINDOWS 98" operating systems, which are manufactured and distributed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
In a GUI system, toolbars are common user interface elements that provide an effective way to display numerous computer commands or control elements. Toolbars are GUI elements associated with an application window, which is a window for a particular application program in which primary viewing and/or editing interaction occurs. Toolbars provide access to a set of commands that are usually represented by buttons, menu buttons, comboboxes, and other UI controls. A user can invoke any command in the toolbar by clicking on the associated button or UI control. Toolbars typically present groups of controls in rows or columns, which can be oriented horizontally or vertically. Although most toolbars are visually attached to an application window, some may float above, below, or to the side of an application window. The control elements or commands presented on a toolbar are quickly accessible by the user because these items are only one click away while the user is using the associated program.
In some programs that employ toolbars, the toolbars can be modified by adding or deleting controls, or by changing the function associated with a control. This allows the user to customize a toolbar so that the toolbar provides convenient access to the commands that are most frequently used by the user. In addition, these programs support multiple toolbars that can be turned on and off, thereby providing the user with the option of viewing two or more toolbars simultaneously. In some prior art systems, the process of customizing or manipulating toolbars requires use of a dialog box that displays a list of commands available for the toolbar. The dialog box also can display a list of available toolbars that can be displayed in the application window. The user can then customize the toolbar by selecting which controls the user wants displayed.
Unfortunately, in these prior dialog box-type systems, customizing toolbars can be difficult because discovering this type customization feature is difficult for the typical user and, once discovered, use of the dialog box for a customization task is not an intuitive operation. For example, performing a seemingly simple task such as "remove button A from toolbar X" may require the user to not only find the dialog box for customizing the toolbar, but also decipher how to modify the specific toolbar, and decipher how to delete button A. In addition, some prior systems support a drag and drop mouse operation where controls are dragged and dropped on or outside of the toolbar to add and remove controls, respectively. However, the user may be reluctant to experiment with customizing the toolbar using these prior systems for fear that the user will be unable to restore the toolbar to its previous state or original form.
Furthermore, some prior systems provide centralized access to multiple toolbars, thereby making customization of a specific toolbar less certain or precise. Specifically, in an attempt to customize a specific toolbar, the user can accidentally alter another toolbar. Moreover, in these prior systems, removing or deleting a control from a toolbar also may remove the control from the dialog box. Hence, a less sophisticated user may be unable to find the location of the control if ever needed in the future and may be unable to restore the toolbar to its original or default state. As a result, the user may be reluctant to utilize the toolbar customization features.
Therefore, there is a general need for a method for easily and conveniently customizing the presentation of a set of control elements or commands, such as a toolbar, in a GUI-type interface for a program module. In addition, there is a need for a method that allows direct access to each toolbar so that customization is easily available and focused on the active toolbar. Also, there is a need for a single mechanism for maintaining and presenting information related to a likely set of controls that are available for a specific toolbar. There is a further need for a method that allows control elements to be removed from the toolbar without deleting or "hiding" the control elements from future access by the user. There is also a need for a method that facilitates multiple changes to the set of control elements presented by a toolbar during a single exercise a GUI element containing selection indicators having an operational state that determines whether corresponding control elements are presented on the toolbar.
The present invention satisfies the above-described needs by providing a system and method for customizing the presentation of a set of control elements or commands, such as a toolbar, in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a program module. In general, the present invention provides a "discoverable" customization mechanism that allows a user to select which control elements should be displayed on a toolbar by accessing a GUI element presenting information and controls related to the presentation of these control elements. More particularly described, the present invention provide a user intuitive mechanism for accessing a drop-down menu, referred to herein as a quick customize menu ("QC menu"), for presenting selection indicators corresponding to available control elements of a toolbar. In response to accessing the QC menu and selecting a particular selection indicator, the presentation of a corresponding control element can be easily controlled by the user. For example, by enabling a selection indicator, the corresponding control element is presented for operation on the toolbar, whereas disabling this selection indicator results in no presentation of the corresponding control element on the toolbar.
For one aspect of the present invention, the presentation of a toolbar having a set of control elements within a GUI environment of a program module can be customized by controlling the state of selection indicators associated with the control elements and presented in a GUI element, such as a drop-down menu. The GUI element is displayed on a display device in response to receiving an access signal typically generated by accessing a special control or an entry point on the toolbar or by "clicking" a particular mouse button while the cursor is positioned over the toolbar. The GUI element can present information associated with the control elements of the toolbar, and typically provides selection indicators for determining whether corresponding control elements will be presented for operation on the toolbar. If a selection indicator enters a first state, then the corresponding control element is displayed on the toolbar and is available for operation by the user of the program module. In contrast, if the selection indicator enters a second state, the corresponding control element is not displayed on the toolbar and is unavailable for operation by the user. In this manner, a user can create a custom display of the control elements presented for operation on a toolbar by accessing the GUI element and manipulating the state of corresponding selection indicators presented by the GUI element.
For example, the GUI elements can be implemented as a quick customize menu ("QC menu"), typically a drop-down menu, for presenting information associated with and specific to a particular set of control elements or commands for operating features of the program module. The QC menu is readily discoverable by a user because this GUI element is typically exposed on the toolbar via a special control or an entry point, such as a button or a menu, or by "clicking" a particular mouse button while the cursor is positioned over the toolbar. The QC menu typically presents information related to the default commands or control elements for the toolbar, control elements that represent the most frequently used or "top" command candidates for the toolbar, and controls currently displayed on the toolbar. In particular, each control element for a toolbar has a corresponding selection indicator in the QC menu. The state of a selection indicator can be manipulated by a user for easily adding a control element to or removing a control element from the associated toolbar. In this manner, the QC menu provides a simple and straightforward mechanism for customizing the presentation of a set of control elements or commands, such as a toolbar.
For yet another aspect of the present invention, the QC menu contains a set of selection indicators represented by GUI control items, such as checkboxes, each capable of containing a checkmark, for each control element of the toolbar. The checkbox can enter the first state by placing a checkmark the checkbox, thereby resulting in the presentation of the corresponding control element on the tool bar. Alternatively, the checkbox can enter the second state by removing the checkmark, thereby preventing the corresponding control element from presentation on the toolbar. Consequently, as a result of selecting a checkbox in the QC menu, the presentation of control elements available for operation on the toolbar can be easily updated by a user. Alternatively, the selection indicators can be implemented by other modal control items, including radio buttons. Advantageously, the QC menu can remain open during customization operations, and need not be closed until an indication is given to do so--for example, a user may click outside the QC menu, a command may be selected, or some other function may be performed.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides direct access to a toolbar for easy and convenient customization of the toolbar. The present invention also provides the benefit of allowing a user to remove controls from a toolbar without losing subsequent access to these controls based on manipulation of selection indicators in a GUI element associated with these controls. The present invention also facilitates multiple changes to the presentation of controls on a toolbar during a single exercise by accessing a GUI element, such as the QC menu, and controlling the state of the selection indicators corresponding to the controls.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention may be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments and by reference to the appended drawings and claims.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system representing the operating environment for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e, collectively described as FIG. 2, depict screen displays illustrating a toolbar and a quick customize menu displayed by an operating system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of customizing a toolbar in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e, collectively described as FIG. 4, are flow diagrams illustrating a process for creating a quick customize menu in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for checking a checkbox of a quick customize menu to control the presentation of a corresponding control element on a tool bar in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for unchecking a checkbox of a quick customize menu to control the presentation of a corresponding control element on a tool bar in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention provides a system and method for customizing the presentation of control elements on a toolbar by utilizing GUI element, such as a drop-down menu, having selection indicators that determine whether the corresponding control elements should be displayed for operation on the toolbar. The present invention may employ an object-oriented programming framework that supports consistent and reusable components. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention is incorporated into the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" application program, which is produced and distributed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" application program runs on Microsoft Corporation's "WINDOWS 95", "WINDOWS 98" or "WINDOWS NT 4.0 and 5.0" operating systems and utilizes several features that are associated with these operating systems. These operating systems also support Microsoft Corporation's object linking and embedding (OLE) interface. Information about the operating systems, OLE, and other operating system components are available in associated documentation published by Microsoft Press and other publishers of computer-related information.
In the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" suite of application programs an architectural component known as a quick customize menu ("QC menu") provides sets of tool-type UI components or controls, referred herein as selection indicators, for customizing an associated toolbar. The QC menu typically is exposed for operation by the user via a special control or an entry point, such as a button or menu, on the toolbar or by "clicking" a selected mouse button while the cursor is located over the toolbar. The QC menu typically presents information related to the default commands or control elements for the toolbar, control elements that represent the most frequently used or "top" command candidates for the toolbar, and controls currently displayed on the toolbar. In particular, each control element for a toolbar has a corresponding selection indicator in the QC menu. The state of a selection indicator can be manipulated by a user for easily adding a control element to or removing a control element from the associated toolbar. In this manner, the QC menu provides a simple and straightforward mechanism for customizing the presentation of a set of control elements or commands on a toolbar.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, aspects of the present invention and an exemplary operating environment will be described. FIG. 1 and the following discussion are intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which the invention may be implemented. While the invention will be described in the general context of an application program that runs on an operating system in conjunction with a personal computer, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention also may be implemented as another type of program module or in combination with other program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, operating systems, application programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
A number of program modules may be stored in the drives and RAM 25, including an operating system 35, which may include an operating system shell, one or more application programs 36, such as the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" suite of application programs, a word processing program module 37, such as "MICROSOFT WORD" program module, which is a part of the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9", and program data 38. A user may enter commands and information into the personal computer 20 through a keyboard 40 and pointing device, such as a mouse 42. Other input devices (not shown) may include a pen, touch-operated device, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 21 through a serial port interface 46 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 47 or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 23 via an interface, such as a video adapter 48. In addition to the monitor, personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speakers or printers.
When used in a LAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 is connected to the LAN 51 through a network interface 53. When used in a WAN networking environment, the personal computer 20 typically includes a modem 54 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 52, such as the Internet. The modem 54, which may be internal or external, is connected to the system bus 23 via the serial port interface 46. In a networked environment, application programs depicted relative to the personal computer 20, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.
With continuing reference to FIG. 1 and now turning to FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e, the user's environment for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described by utilizing screen displays generated by the exemplary program module 37. FIGS. 2a-2e, collectively described as FIG. 2, illustrate partial screen displays that depict a process by which a user can conveniently customize a toolbar using an associated drop-down menu, known as a quick customize menu. For purposes of this discussion, a quick customize menu is referred to herein as simply a "QC menu". Those skilled in art will appreciate that the QC menu is implemented in the form of a dropdown menu, which is a conventional GUI element, and that the present invention can be readily adapted to include other forms of GUI elements as a substitute for the QC menu, including a dialog box, a toolbar and the like.
In FIG. 2a, a display screen 200 displays a representative toolbar 202 associated with the "MICROSOFT WORD" program module 37 (FIG. 1), which is a word processing program module that is a part of the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" application program suite 36 (FIG. 1). It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the toolbar described herein, but encompasses any type of toolbar containing control elements or commands for controlling the features of a program module. The toolbar 202 includes controls 206-224 that are associated with the program module 37. Specifically, the toolbar 202 includes the following controls: New 206, Open 208, Save 210, Print 212, Preview 214, Format Painter 216, Undo 218, Insert Hyperlink 220, Insert Table 222, and Zoom 224. These controls 206-224 perform specific functions in association with the program module 37. For example, the New control 206 allows a user to create a new document when selected, and the Print control 212 allows the user to print the document to a printer (not shown) when it is selected. The toolbar 202 also includes an entry point 226 for accessing additional options in connection with the toolbar 202.
Specifically, the entry point 226, which is located on the right edge of the toolbar 202, provides access to a feature for customizing the toolbar 202. For example, a drop-down menu, such as a QC menu 240 (FIG. 2b) typically is exposed for operation by the user via the entry point 226. The entry point can be implemented by a conventional toolbar button or menu, or by a special control element. Although this exemplary embodiment includes a visible entry point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the function of an entry point to the customization feature can also be implemented by "clicking" a selected mouse button while the cursor is located over a particular location of the toolbar. In response to accessing the QC menu via an entry point, such as the entry point 226, the user can customize the toolbar 202 by adding controls to and removing controls from the toolbar 202. The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 provides a simplified way of performing these toolbar customization tasks by utilizing the QC menu 240 in connection with the toolbar 202, as shown in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2b.
Referring still to FIG. 2a, to gain access to the customization feature, the user can use the mouse 42 (or keyboard 40) to move a cursor to the entry point 226, and thereafter click on (or select) the entry point 226. When the user clicks on the entry point 226, a dropdown menu 242 is displayed on the display screen 200, as shown in FIG. 2b. The drop-down menu 242 contains an option, Show/Hide Buttons 243, which provides access to selection indicators or "buttons" corresponding to control elements on the toolbar 202. By selecting the option 243, the QC menu 240 (FIG. 2b) appears on the display screen 200.
Referring now to FIG. 2b, the QC menu 240 includes buttons 244-276 which represent controls that are available for display on the toolbar 202. These buttons, also known as selection indicators, represent controls that are determined by software developers of the program module 37 before shipping the program module. These buttons 244-276 include the following: New 244, Open 246, Save 248, Print 250, Preview 252, Cut 254, Copy 256, Paste 258, Format Painter 260, Undo 262, Redo 264, Insert Hyperlink 266, Insert Table 268, Insert Excel Spreadsheet 270, Document Map 272, Show All 274, and Zoom 276. Each button on the QC menu 240 has an associated checkbox 244a-276a for containing checkmarks. The QC menu 240 also includes a Reset Toolbar option 278 and a Customize option 280. The Reset Toolbar option 278 returns the toolbar to its original or default state, which preferably is determined before shipping the program module 37. Moreover, the Customize option 280 provides a full customization feature for the toolbar.
As used with respect to the QC menu 240, the term "button" is defined as a control in the QC menu for controlling the selection of a corresponding control element for presentation on a toolbar. A button, also described herein as a selection indicator, has a pair of operating states: the first state enables the presentation of the corresponding control element on the toolbar, whereas the second disables the presentation of the corresponding control element on the toolbar. This control function of the selection indicators in the QC menu 240 is distinguishable from their corresponding control elements on the toolbar 202. For this exemplary embodiment, a selection indicator can be represented within the QC menu 240 as an icon and associated text, which identifies a control element that may be displayed on the toolbar, and an associated checkbox for indicating whether the control will be displayed on the toolbar. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the selection indicator can be visually displayed within this drop-down menu as other forms of conventional GUI elements, including the combination of an icon and a checkbox, descriptive text and a checkbox, an icon and a radio button, etc.
This exemplary embodiment uses a drop-down menu having selection indicators, preferably implemented as a checkbox, to indicate whether corresponding controls for a toolbar should be presented on the toolbar for available operation by a user. A checkbox is a type of interactive control often found in a GUI and is used to enable or disable one or more features or options from a set of features or options. For example, when a selection indicator in the menu is selected, a checkmark appears in the checkbox for the button, thereby indicating that a corresponding control is displayed on the toolbar. Furthermore, when a checkbox containing a checkmark is selected, the checkmark disappears, and a corresponding control is removed from the toolbar. In other words, the selection indicator, in this embodiment shown as a checkbox, can operate as a control having a first state and a second state. The first state is indicative of the checkbox containing a checkmark, and the second state is indicative of the checkbox being empty. The process of selecting a checkbox causes the state to change from the first state to the second state, and alternatively from the second state to the first state.
It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the controls of the toolbar and the selection indicators of the QC menu are presented as a representative example and in no way serve as a limitation to the number or combination of controls and selection indicators that may be used to implement alternative embodiments of the present invention. Further, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the use of a checkbox for indicating the presentation of a corresponding control element on a toolbar. Alternative embodiments may use other mechanisms suitable for indicating selection of a control--for example, giving focus to or highlighting a selected button, changing the color of a selected button, displaying a different icon, such as a light bulb, for a selected button, or using radio buttons.
Continuing to refer to FIG. 2b, the buttons 244-276 in the QC menu 240 are preferably presented in the same order as their corresponding controls are to be displayed on the toolbar 202. Specifically, the QC menu 240 presents buttons in a top-down fashion, and the toolbar 202 presents controls in a left-right fashion, where the top button 244 of the QC menu 240 corresponds to the leftmost control 206 in the toolbar 202 and the bottom button 276 of the QC menu 240 corresponds to the rightmost control 224 in the toolbar 202 assuming all controls are visible on the toolbar 202. A control corresponding to a button is displayed on the toolbar 202 for each button having a checkmark, such as checkmark 239, in its checkbox. Specifically, buttons 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 260, 262, 266, 268, and 276 contain checkmarks in their respective checkboxes 244a, 246a, 248a, 250a, 252a, 260a, 262a, 266a, 268a, and 276a. As a result, each associated control is displayed on the toolbar 202. Buttons 254, 256, 258, 264, 270, 272, and 274 do not contain checkmarks in their respective checkboxes 254a, 256a, 258a, 264a, 270a, 272a, and 274a. Therefore, the associated controls are not displayed in the toolbar 202.
Referring to FIG. 2c, if a user desires to add a control to the toolbar, the user simply moves the cursor to an empty checkbox for a desired button in the QC menu 240 and clicks on the checkbox using the mouse 42. Once the user clicks on the empty checkbox, a checkmark is placed in the checkbox and the control for the button appears on the toolbar 202. For purposes of this discussion, the term "checking" is indicative of the checkbox entering the first state, as previously described--that is, a checkmark is placed in a checkbox for a button, thereby also indicating that a corresponding control is displayed on the toolbar associated with the QC menu. In addition, the term "unchecking" is indicative of the checkbox entering the second state, as previously described--that is, a checkmark is removed from a checkbox for a button, thereby also indicating that a corresponding control is not displayed on the toolbar associated with the QC menu. Furthermore, an empty checkbox for a button or unchecked button is indicative of a checkbox without a checkmark, while a checked checkbox for a button or checked button is indicative of a checkbox having a checkmark.
In FIG. 2c, as an example of adding a control to the toolbar 202, the user desires to add a Redo control 219 to the toolbar 202. To do so, the user simply clicks on the checkbox 264a. As a result, a checkmark is placed in the checkbox 264a for the Redo button 264 in the QC menu. Moreover, the Redo control 219, which is associated with the Redo button 264, is displayed on the toolbar 202. The user can continue this process of adding controls to the toolbar 202 by clicking on or selecting empty checkboxes for buttons in the QC menu 240. Advantageously, the QC menu 240 remains open until an indication is received based on an action by the user to close the QC menu 240.
Turning to FIG. 2d, if a user desires to remove a control from a toolbar 202, the user simply clicks on or selects a checked checkbox for a button. By doing so, the checkmark in the checkbox for the button is removed. As a result of unchecking the checkbox for the button, the control corresponding to the button is instantly removed from the toolbar 202.
For example, the user desires to remove the Format Painter control 216 (FIG. 2a) from the toolbar 202. To do so, in FIG. 2d, the user simply clicks on the Format Painter checkbox 260a for the Format Painter button 260, thereby unchecking the format painter button in the QC menu 240. As a result, the Format Painter control 216 (FIG. 2a) associated with button 260 is removed from the toolbar 202. The user may continue the process of removing controls from the toolbar by simply clicking on checked checkboxes for buttons on the QC menu to remove the checkmarks from the checkboxes for the buttons. It will be understood that the user also can check (and uncheck) buttons via the keyboard. As previously stated, this exemplary embodiment provides the benefit of allowing the QC menu 240 to remain open during customization operations until an indication is received based on an action by the user to close the QC menu 240.
Once the user has finished customizing the toolbar 202, the user may then dismiss the QC menu 240 by simply clicking outside of the QC menu 240, by selecting the Reset Toolbar option 278 or the Customize option 280, by hitting escape (Esc) (not shown) on the keyboard 40 (FIG. 1), or by using some other suitable means of navigating off of the QC menu 240. Once the user dismisses the QC menu 240, the toolbar 202 continues to reflect the changes that were made to it when the QC menu was open, as shown in FIG. 2e.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the present invention supports convenient customization of a toolbar by allowing a user to access a drop-down menu and to manipulate the menu's selection indicators corresponding to toolbar controls to determine the presentation of controls on the toolbar. Advantageously, the present invention allows a user to add controls to and remove controls from a toolbar as the user desires without facing the concern of whether the toolbar can be restored to its original or default state. Specifically, the present invention can provide the benefit of restoring deleted default controls without having to reset the toolbar, thereby losing other customizations made by the user.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention differ from prior systems in that every toolbar has its own QC menu so that customization is always easily available and focused on the active toolbar. This QC menu presents a logical group of commands available for display on its corresponding toolbar. For example, buttons having empty checkboxes, i.e., disabled selection indicators, remain displayed in the QC menu even when a control element is removed from the toolbar. Consequently, the user is able to view all available controls for a particular toolbar without facing the fear of "losing" a toolbar control should the user decide to remove it from the toolbar. The QC menu preferably remains open during successive mouse button clicks or keyboard selections to facilitate several changes during one customization exercise. For an alternative embodiment, however, the QC menu could be closed in response to these events during a single customization session.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 and 2a-2e, FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an overview of an exemplary method of operation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this exemplary method of operation can be carried out by the computer 20 running the application program 36 (FIG. 1), such as the "MICROSOFT OFFICE 9" suite of application programs. The process begins at the START step 300 by powering the computer 20 (FIG. 1) and selecting the exemplary program module 37 (FIG. 1) for supporting the computer-implemented program for customizing a toolbar. In turn, for step 302, a signal is received for accessing a QC menu associated with a toolbar. The signal is received as a result of an action taken by a user, such as using a mouse to click on an entry point of a toolbar. In step 304, the QC menu is displayed in association with the toolbar, as shown in FIG. 2b. The QC menu preferably contains selection indicators, also described as buttons, which represent controls that are available for display on the toolbar. For this exemplary embodiment, checkboxes preferably correspond to these buttons within the QC menu.
A determination is made, in step 306, as to whether there is a desire to add a control to the toolbar. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 310; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 308, in which case a second determination is made as to whether there is a desire to remove a control from the toolbar. In step 310, a signal is received to add a control to the toolbar. This signal is generated as a result of the user clicking on an empty checkbox for a button in the QC menu. Next, in step 312, a checkmark is placed in the checkbox for the button. In turn, in step 314, the control associated with the button having the checked checkbox is displayed on the toolbar.
If there is no desire to add a control to the toolbar, a determination is made as to whether there is a desire to remove a control from the toolbar, in step 308. If there is a desire to remove a control from the toolbar, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 316; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 330. In step 316, a signal is received to remove a control from the toolbar. This signal is generated as a result of the user clicking on a checked checkbox for a button in the QC menu. When a signal is received to remove a control from the toolbar, in step 318, the checkmark in the checkbox for the button is removed. In turn, in step 320, the control that is associated with the button having an empty checkbox is removed from the toolbar.
Next, a central inquiry is made, in step 325, as to whether there is a desire to make additional changes to the toolbar. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 306, in which case step 306 through step 325 are repeated for additional changes to the toolbar; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 330. In step 330, a signal is received to close the QC menu. Generally, the signal is generated as a result of the user selecting a reset or customize option, hitting escape, clicking away from the QC menu, or using the keyboard to navigate off the QC menu, as previously described in connection with FIGS. 2a-2e. Once the signal is received to close the QC menu, the QC menu is closed in step 335. The customization process terminates at the END step 340.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-3, the tasks performed by a computer 20 (FIG. 1) to implement customizing a toolbar can be described in three segments, namely creating a quick customize menu, checking a checkbox for a button, and unchecking a checkbox for a button. Specifically, the process of creating a QC menu is described in connection with FIGS. 4a-4e. The process of checking a checkbox for a button of the QC menu, thereby adding a control to the toolbar, is described in connection with FIG. 5. Finally, the process of unchecking a checkbox for a button of the QC menu, thereby removing a control from the toolbar, is described in connection with FIG. 6.
FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e, collectively described as FIG. 4, are flow diagrams illustrating an exemplary process for creating a quick customize menu. The process of creating a QC menu involves using the following toolbars: a toolbar (referred to herein as "current toolbar"), which is the toolbar displayed on the display screen; an original toolbar, which is a toolbar containing a list of default controls and is stored in a database (not shown) as a data source; and an extra toolbar, which is a toolbar containing a list of extra controls that are application specific and is stored in the database as a data source. Generally described, the QC menu is created by merging the current toolbar with the original toolbar and the extra toolbar. The extra toolbar can be used to house new controls created by the user for display on the current toolbar. The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, however, is not limited to storing the controls of this extra toolbar in a database, but instead may store these extra controls in any suitable form known in the art. It will be further appreciated that alternative exemplary embodiments do not necessarily include a QC menu having selection indicators corresponding to extra controls.
Referring to FIG. 4a, the exemplary process begins at START step at 400, and in step 402, an indication is received to create a QC menu associated with a current toolbar. Next, in step 405, a button is created in the QC menu for each control on the current toolbar. Quick customize information (QCI) is then created for each button on the QC menu, in step 410. QCI is information, such as whether a control is a default control associated with the original or extra toolbar, whether a control is located on the current toolbar, and whether a control in the menu originated from the current, original, or extra toolbar. The specific QCI that is created for each button associated with a control on the current toolbar is described in connection with FIG. 4c herein.
In step 415, a set or list of controls from an original toolbar is obtained from a database. As previously mentioned, the list of controls are the default controls that are available for display on the current toolbar. Once the list of controls for the original toolbar is obtained, the first control in the list of controls for the original toolbar is selected, in step 416. Next, in step 420, the QC menu is searched for a button corresponding to the selected control from the original toolbar.
A determination is made, in step 425, as to whether one of the buttons in the QC menu corresponds to the selected control in the original toolbar. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 430; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 445. In step 430, a QCI.fBuiltin for the associated button is set to a true state.
The QCI.fBuiltin is a parameter that indicates whether a control is a default control or one of the original controls located in the original or extra toolbars stored in a database. The QCI.fBuiltin exists in two states, namely a true state and a false state. The true state is indicative of a control being one of the original controls--that is, the control is a part of either the original toolbar or the extra toolbar. In the true state, a button drawn on the menu has a selectable checkbox with an associated icon so that a corresponding control can be conveniently added to and removed from the current toolbar. The false state is indicative of a control associated with a button being from some other source. In the false state, a button drawn on the menu has an unselectable checkbox with an associated icon so that a corresponding control cannot be added to or removed from the current toolbar using the checkbox for the button. Specifically, in the false state, the button drawn on the menu is grayed so that it cannot be selected. Moreover, if the QCI.fBuiltin for a control is in a false state, the associated button in the menu is removed from the menu when the control is removed from the current toolbar. However, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented such that the a button having a source other than the original toolbar or the extra toolbar can be drawn having a selectable checkbox on the menu, as opposed to graying the button. In this case, the control is a part of the original toolbar based on step 430. Therefore, when the button is drawn in the menu, it has a selectable checkbox.
Next, in step 435, a LastFoundIndex is set to the current index of the associated button on the QC menu. The LastFoundIndex is an index that provides relative positioning so that buttons can be placed in their proper places in the QC menu. In other words, the index is repositioned so that when a button does not correspond to the selected control, the button can be created and entered in a position before or after the index. If the selected control originates from the original toolbar, the associated button is positioned after the index. If the selected control originates from the extra toolbar, the associated button is positioned before the index.
If a determination is made that none of the buttons in the QC menu correspond to the selected control in the original toolbar, a button is created on the QC menu for the selected control in the original toolbar, in step 445. Next, QCI for the button is created in step 450. The specific QCI that is created for the button associated with the selected control in the original toolbar is described in connection with FIG. 4c herein.
Once the QCI is created for the button, in step 455 (FIG. 4b), the button corresponding to the control in the original toolbar is inserted after the LastFoundIndex in the QC menu. Next, a determination is made as to whether there are more controls in the original toolbar, in step 460. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 441; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 465 (FIG. 4b). In step 441, the next control in the original toolbar is selected. Once the next control in the original toolbar is selected, steps 420 through 455 are repeated for each additional control in the original toolbar.
Referring to FIG. 4b, if there are no more controls in the original toolbar, a set or list of controls for an extra toolbar is obtained from the database, in step 465. As previously mentioned, the list of controls in the extra toolbar is application specific. In step 466, the last control in the list of controls for the extra toolbar is selected. Next, in step 470, the buttons in the QC menu are searched for a button that corresponds to the control in the extra toolbar.
A central inquiry is made, in step 475, as to whether one of the buttons in the QC menu corresponds to the selected control in the extra toolbar. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 480; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 490. In step 480, a QCI.fBuiltin for the associated button is set to a true state because it is a part of the extra toolbar. Next, in step 485, a LastFoundIndex is set to the current index of the associated button on the QC menu.
If a determination is made that none of the buttons in the QC menu corresponds to the selected control in the extra toolbar, a button is created on the QC menu for the control in the extra toolbar in step 490. In connection with the button, QCI for the button is created in step 495. The specific QCI that is created for the button associated with the selected control in the extra toolbar is described in connection with FIG. 4e herein. Once the QCI has been created, the button corresponding to the selected control in the extra toolbar is inserted before the LastFoundIndex in the QC menu, in step 497.
Next, in step 486, a determination is made as to whether there are more controls in the extra toolbar. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 487; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 488. In step 487, the next control in the extra toolbar is selected, and the process is repeated from steps 470 through 497. Once all of the controls in the extra toolbar have been compared to the buttons in the QC menu, in step 488, the Reset Toolbar option and Customize option are added to the QC menu. Next, the QC menu is displayed, in step 498. The process terminates at the END step 499.
It will be appreciated that the method for drawing the QC menu, controls, toolbar, icons, and checkboxes is known in the art and therefore, is not described herein.
FIG. 4c illustrates the process for creating quick customize information for buttons corresponding to controls from a current toolbar. Specifically, this process describes step 410 (FIG. 4a) in greater detail. Referring to FIG. 4c, in step 410a, a QCI.tcr pointer points to the associated control on the current toolbar. Next, a QCI.fOnToolbar is set to a true state. The QCI.fOnToolbar is a parameter that indicates whether a control is displayed on the toolbar. The QCI.fOnToolbar exists in two states, namely a true state and a false state. The true state for a button indicates that the associated control is displayed on the toolbar and that the checkbox for the button is checked. The false state for a button indicates that the associated control is not displayed on the current toolbar and that the checkbox for the button is not checked. Finally, a QCI.fBuiltin for the button is set to a false state, in step 410c. If the QCI.fBuiltin for the button remains in a false state, the button is displayed in the QC menu when merging is complete, but the checkbox for the button is grayed, and therefore, cannot be checked.
FIG. 4d illustrates the steps for creating quick customize information for a button created based on a control in the original toolbar. Specifically, this process describes step 450 (FIG. 4a) in greater detail. Referring to FIG. 4d, in step 450a, a QCI.tcr pointer points to an associated control on the original toolbar. Next, in step 450b, a QCI.fOnToolbar is set to a false state. Finally, a QCI.fBuiltin is set to a true state, in step 450c.
FIG. 4e illustrates a process for creating quick customize information for a button created based on a control in the extra toolbar. Specifically, this process describes step 495 (FIG. 4b) in greater detail. Referring to FIG. 4e, in step 495, a QCI.tcr pointer points to an associated control on the extra toolbar. Next, in step 495b, a QCI.fOnToolbar is set to a false state. Finally, a QCI.fBuiltin is set to a true state, in step 495c.
Based on the foregoing, it will be understood that a QC menu can be created by initiating a menu open event and, in turn, merging a current toolbar, an original toolbar, and extra toolbar to create a list of buttons or selection indicators directly corresponding to the controls for each toolbar. For the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, each button in the QC menu has either a checked or empty checkbox based on whether the button is displayed in the current toolbar. Moreover, each button is presented in an order corresponding to the order presented on the current toolbar. Although this exemplary embodiment presents buttons in the menu and controls on the toolbar in a relative sequential order, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to this type of presentation. An alternative embodiment can instead present buttons and toolbar controls in any order so long as the buttons are displayed in the QC menu as a result of merging the toolbars "on the fly." Yet another embodiment can include a "static" QC menu, in which the default selection indicators corresponding to controls of a toolbar are implemented during development of the underlying program module, and the state of these selection indicators are maintained in memory to support the construction of the toolbar.
Once the QC menu is created for the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the process of customizing the current toolbar can be readily performed by a user of the program module. For example, checking and unchecking checkboxes for buttons on the QC menu adds or removes the associated controls to or from the current toolbar. A button having a QCI.fOnToolbar set to true displays a checkmark in the checkbox for the button, thereby indicating that the corresponding control element should be displayed within the toolbar.
In an alternative embodiment, the process of creating a QC menu involves using only the current toolbar, which is displayed on the display screen, and the original toolbar, which contains a list of default controls and is stored in a database (not shown) as a data source. In this alternative embodiment, there is no extra toolbar. Hence, the QC menu is created by simply merging the current toolbar with the original toolbar in a manner similar to the process previously described.
Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary method for checking a checkbox associated with a button X in a QC menu is illustrated in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. By checking a checkbox for a button X in the QC menu, which is associated with a toolbar, a control X corresponding to the button X is added to the toolbar. The method begins at the START step 500, and in step 505, an indication is received that an empty checkbox is selected for the button X in the QC menu. Once the indication is received, the correct index must be found for the control X corresponding to the button X so that the control X can be placed in the correct position on the toolbar.
To determine the correct index for the control X, in step 510, the QC menu is searched starting with the next button in the QC menu to find a button Y having a QCI.fOnToolbar set to a true state. The true state of a QCI.fOnToolbar for a button is indicative of the button having its corresponding control displayed on the toolbar and having its checkbox checked. A determination is made, in step 515, as to whether a button Y having its checkbox checked has been located. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 520; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 525, in which case the control X corresponding to the button X is placed at the end of the toolbar. In step 520, the index of a control Y, which corresponds to the button Y, is located on the toolbar. Next, in step 530, the control X corresponding to the button X in the QC menu is inserted on the toolbar before the index of the control Y.
A central inquiry is then made, in step 535, as to whether the control X begins a group of controls. Controls typically are grouped according to some related function and usually are demarcated by a separator or gap to distinguish groups. A separator or gap in a toolbar preferably is identified by a vertical line. For example, referring back to FIG. 2a, separators exist between buttons 210 and 212, buttons 216 and 218, buttons 218 and 220, and buttons 220 and 222 on the toolbar 202.
One example of a group of controls is the group of Bold, Italic, and Underline. In this example, the Bold control begins the group and is marked by a bit to indicate that the Bold control is the first control of the group. When the Bold control is displayed in the toolbar, it is accompanied by a separator based on the bit. If the Bold control is deleted or removed from the toolbar, the separator is moved to the next control in the group, namely the Italic control. When the Bold control is added back to the toolbar, the separator is removed from the Italic control so that the Bold and Italic controls are not displayed as separate groups.
If the control X begins a group, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 540; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 545. In step 540, the control Y is located on the toolbar, and determination is made, in step 555, as to whether the control Y has a gap on the toolbar. If a determination is made that the control Y has a gap on the toolbar, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 560; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 565. In step 560, the button Y corresponding to the control Y is located, and another determination is made, in step 570, as to whether the button Y has a gap in the QC menu. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 565, in which case a gap is added to the control X in the toolbar; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 575, in which case the gap for the control Y is removed in the toolbar, and a gap then is added to the control X in the toolbar, in step 565. Next, in step 580, the QCI.fOnToolbar for button X is set to a true state, thereby placing a checkmark in the checkbox for button X. The process terminates at the END step 585.
If a determination is made that the control X does not begin a group, the QC menu is searched backwards from the button X, which corresponds to the control X, to find a button Z having a QCI.fOnToolbar set to a true state or beginning a group, in step 545. Next, a central inquiry is made, in step 546, as to whether the button Z has been located. If so, the "Yes" branch is followed to step 550, where a determination is made as to whether the button Z has a checkmark; otherwise, the "No" branch is followed to step 580. If the determination is made that the button Z has a checkmark or if button Z is not located, the search ends, and in step 580, the QCI.fOnToolbar for button X is set to a true state, thereby placing a checkmark in the checkbox for button X in the QC menu. If a button Z having a checkmark in not located in the QC menu, a gap is added to the control X on the toolbar, thereby indicating that the control X is the first control on the toolbar. Next, in step 580, the QCI.fOnToolbar for button X is set to a true state, thereby placing a checkmark in the checkbox for button X in the QC menu. The process terminates at the END step 585.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1∝5, FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary process for unchecking a button on a quick customize menu in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Unchecking a checkbox for a button removes the corresponding control from the toolbar. Referring to FIG. 6, the exemplary method starts with the START step 600, and in step 602, an indication is received that a checked checkbox for a button is selected. Next, in step 604, the QCI.fOnToolbar is set to a false state. In step 606, the index of the QCI.tcr is located on the toolbar. The QCI.tcr is a pointer that points to the control on the toolbar. Once the index of the QCI.tcr is located on the toolbar, the index is deleted, in step 608. As a result, in step 610, the toolbar is updated to reflect removal of the control, which is located at the index, from the toolbar, where the control is associated with the now empty checkbox for the button on the QC menu. The process ends at the END step 612.
In another alternative embodiment, when a checkbox for a button is unchecked, the corresponding control on the toolbar is simply hidden from view, instead of removed from the toolbar, as described above with respect to FIG. 6. Consequently, the process of merging toolbars to create the QC menu, as described in connection with FIGS. 4a-4e, is unnecessary.
In summary, it will be understood that the present invention provides supports customization of a toolbar by use of a quick customize menu. The present invention provides a "discoverable" customization mechanism that allows a user to select which control elements should be displayed on a toolbar by accessing a GUI element presenting information and controls related to the presentation of these control elements. For example, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a user intuitive mechanism for accessing a dropdown menu, namely the quick customize menu, for presenting selection indicators corresponding to available control elements of a toolbar. In response to accessing the quick customize menu and selecting a particular selection indicator, the presentation of a corresponding control element can be easily controlled by the user. For example, by enabling a selection indicator, the corresponding control element is presented for operation on the toolbar, whereas disabling this selection indicator results in no presentation of the corresponding control element on the toolbar.
The invention may conveniently be implemented in one or more program modules that are based upon an implementation of the features illustrated in FIGS. 2-6. No particular programming language has been described for carrying out the various procedures described above because it is considered that the operations, steps, and procedures described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are sufficiently disclosed to permit one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the present invention. Moreover, there are many computers and operating systems which may be used in practicing the present invention and therefore no detailed computer program could be provided which would be applicable to all of these many different systems. Each user of a particular computer will be aware of the language and tools which are most useful for that user's needs and purposes.
Although the present invention was described in the context of a word processing program module, which displays a standard toolbar, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is applicable not only to word processing program module, but also to other types of GUI features and program modules. Similarly, the present invention may be applied regardless of whether the GUI elements and controls are implemented in program modules associated with an operating system or application program.
Although the present invention was described having a toolbar horizontally oriented at the top of and physically attached to an application window, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to this arrangement, but may include a toolbar that can be positioned anywhere in the application window. Furthermore, the toolbar can be vertically oriented, floating, or any combination thereof.
if the QC menu does not include the default control matching selection indicator, placing on the QC menu a default control selection indicator corresponding to the first default control, the default control selection indicator being placed on the QC menu after the index so as to maintain the relative orders of the first sequence and the second sequence.
if the QC menu does not include the extra control matching selection indicator, placing on the QC menu an extra control selection indicator corresponding to the first extra control, the extra control selection indicator being placed on the QC menu before the index so as to maintain the relative orders of the first sequence and the third sequence.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the first extra control from the plurality of extra controls comprises selecting one of the plurality of extra controls located in a last position in the extra toolbar.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding to the QC menu a reset option for resetting the toolbar to a default state and a customize option for providing additional customization features.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein each selection indicator corresponding to one of the current controls comprises an icon having a corresponding checkbox.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein each selection indicator indicating that the corresponding current control is located on the current toolbar comprises a checkmark placed in each corresponding checkbox.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first default control from the plurality of default controls comprises selecting one of the plurality of default controls located in a first position in the original toolbar.
wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a checkbox control item operating in a first state when a checkmark is placed in the checkbox control item and operating in a second state when the checkmark is removed from the checkbox control item.
in the event that the particular selection indicator is placed in the second state, disabling presentation on the current toolbar of one of the current controls corresponding to the particular selection indicator.
wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a radio button control item operating in a first state when the radio button control item is enabled and operating in a second state when the radio button control item is disabled.
wherein each selection indicator included in the QC menu is represented by a control item operating in a first state when enabled and operating in a second state when the control item is disabled.
14. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.
in response to determining that the next selection indicator has the second associated separator, adding a third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.
in response to determining that the previous control is not displayed on the toolbar, adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.
in response to determining that the next control on the toolbar does not have the first associated separator, adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.
adding the third separator to the selected control on the toolbar.
19. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 15.
"Intelligent Tool Tracker/Display IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin", vol. 37, No. 2A Feb. 1, 1999, p. 175.
"Suitable Icon" IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 39, No. 11, pp. 63-64, 1996.
Microsoft Word User's Guide, Version 5.0, ©Copyright 1991-1992 Microsoft Corporation, pp. 61-66.
Microsoft® Works Reference, Appendix E: Macros, ©Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1987, 1988, 1989, pp. 369-382.
Steve Harris, et al. "Inside WordPerfect 6 for Windows", New Riders Publishing, p. 1063, 1994. | 2019-04-22T13:27:33Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US6133915A/en |
So last Sunday I woke up bright and early at about 5am to pack and drag myself to the Boston bus terminal to ride the Greyhound bus down to NYC. I have to say, 4.5 hours is a long time to be cramped in a chair, with the sun shining in your eyes the entire time. Still, I got to the Big Apple just before noon, and met up with my hung over friend Zheng to grab brunch near his apartment haha. I've been on a brunch roll lately, it's almost like I've uncovered a whole new cuisine altogether (I guess there were benefits to never eating breakfast!). At this place, whose name I can't remember but I know it's located on 9th Ave, I saw that eggs benedict was $9 (hah, no way I'd pay that price now!). What sparked my interest however was the large assortment of omelettes that the cafe served, and with a choice of whole eggs or egg whites.
Feeling like I should eat healthy, I settled on an egg white Irish omelette, which had corned beef, onions, and peppers in it, topped with swiss cheese. It was served with a side of smashed and seasoned potato chunks and whole wheat toast. I have to say, it being the first time I've ever had egg white omelettes, it was really tasty! In fact, I would definitely choose it over whole egg omelettes simply for the health benefits, because I honestly thought it was just as good as the real thing. I think the swiss cheese helped give it a lot of savory flavor that perhaps the plain egg whites would have been lacking. The corned beef was also really tasty with the egg whites, something a little different from the usual ham or sausage meat additions. The potato side was not very interesting though, but I suppose it was nice to rotate amongst the different foods on the plate. And as you'd expect things to be in NYC, the price tag was steeper than I would see in Boston. This brunch platter cost me about $9 before tax and tip, and I only got water to drink on the side.
Later that afternoon, I walked with Zheng through the city to get to his friend's apartment for a Superbowl party. Having grown up in the Northeast, there is no way I could be anything but a Patriots fan, and I was a bit intimidated that I would be the only one at the party who wasn't rooting for the Giants. Luckily I was wrong, because otherwise it would have been really hard to watch the last few minutes of the last quarter by myself heh. Anyway, on my way to the party, I was taking in all the sights and sounds of the city, and then I remembered that I've always wanted to try the frozen yogurt phenomena known as Pinkberry. Since Pinkberry stores are only located in CA and NY, I was set on getting a taste before I left. Zheng informed me that we'd be walking by "Koreantown", which is literally just one block of the city with all sorts of Korean and Japanese restaurants and stores, and that Pinkberry was located there. Apparently Pinkberry is a Korean frozen yogurt concept, which was news to me haha. Anyway, we made our little detour there and I was all giddy and snapping pictures because I've heard so much hype about this place and how celebrities love it. I have to say, the interior decor was nice and hip, very Korean-cutesy. I bet a lot of the people just come here for the decor alone, to be able to say that they hang out at the "cool" fro-yo place lol.
They had these big round white lights hanging from the ceiling, with undulating wave patters on them. Certainly very eye-catching and chic. On the walls were printed names of many famous lovers (Zheng was asking me what half of them were heh), although I'm not sure how it has anything to do with frozen yogurt or Pinkberry… I associate neither with… love haha.
There was a long line from the cash register going all the way to the front door, all people waiting to be served on a winter's Sunday afternoon. Amazing. Notice the cutesy pastel things on the right side wall? I don't even know what they were supposed to be… but definitely your typical Korean cutesy items. The one thing about the way Pinkberry operates (btw all their staff was non-Korean) that annoys me is that they don't tell you anything before you get to the cash register. On the back wall are the prices (and damn, this stuff is over-priced!), which say that a small yogurt is $3, and each topping you'd like to add is an additional $0.95. That's all it really says about the frozen yogurts. I figured out eventually that there were three yogurt flavors: original, green tea, and coffee. They don't tell you what the toppings are at all… how the heck was I supposed to order my $0.95 toppings?!? So when I got to the front of the line, I ordered a small original yogurt with 2 toppings, but the cashier said I needed to specify the toppings. Well you didn't have a list of them!! So I had to run up to the counter where they were serving the yogurt, which is like 7 feet away from the cash register, to observe which toppings were available in the serving bins. Normally that's not a big deal, but when there's like 15 people in line behind you, you feel terrible having to step out of line to figure out what toppings are available before coming back to order. What a poor system. Anyway, I chose cookies & cream (oreo crumbles) and mango chunks for my toppings, which made my small Pinkberry yogurt a grand total of $5 plus taxes. What a ripoff, seriously! For that price, I could buy a whole half gallon of premium ice cream at a grocery store!
Moving on… the Superbowl itself was a pretty intense game to watch, and it was a lot of fun with a room nearly split 50/50 Pats fans and Giants fans. Zheng's friends had an enormous apartment (they had an entire floor of a building to themselves… with 2 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms, and a giant living room with kitchen. In fact, and this was exciting to me haha, the elevator of the building opens right up into their living room when you hit their floor button. How cool is that?!? Okay… sorry haha I clearly am easily excitable. We had the usual pizza and wings and chips and beer at the party, and then we stuck around for a while after the game since there were riots going on in Times Square (near where Zheng lives). We walked through some of that on the way back, and Zheng, a Giants fan, high fived a lot of random people in the streets haha. I saw policemen sitting on horses, trying to keep the order, but everyone was screaming and shouting and cars were honking (I almost got run over crossing the street). It was pretty crazy and a little scary too I have to admit, although I guess we've had our fair share of riots up in Boston for the Red Sox too heh.
The next night for dinner, I went with Zheng to a little French-Italian fusion restaurant on 9th Ave called Nizza. Zheng wanted to get dinner from the Olive Garden, and I was having none of that chain restaurant stuff while out traveling, so we settled on this small but nicely decorated restaurant with decent prices (entrees $12-16 each). After being seated, the waiter came and told us about the menu, and informed us that the food here was a fusion of French food from the area of Nice and Italian cuisine. He also told us that the portions at this restaurant were about 3/4 normal entree portions at other places (no wonder it was priced cheaper than most places I saw), but that worked out nicely for us since neither of us can eat big portions anyway.
We started off the meal with two appetizers, which the waiter told us were tapas-style and great for sharing. We got the warm calamari with potato salad, and a plate of prosciutto crostini with sheep's milk ricotta and balsamic syrup. (Sorry for the pictures with flash, it was just too dim in the restaurant).
The calamari (right) was not fried as I had expected, instead it was naked and tender, probably braised. It came with little jalapeño pepper slices and grape tomato halves that were so sweet and juicy, in a savory vinaigrette sauce, on top of a small bed of skinned and cubed potatoes. I'm not a fan of spicy, so I let Zheng eat all the peppers, and he's not a fan of seafood, so he let me have most of the calamari (oops! I forgot he hates seafood and he didn't tell me not to order it when I suggested it). But in any case, the squid was just so tender, with that warm and perfectly soft chew that fresh and lightly cooked squid has.
On the left is the prosciutto crostini with sheep's milk ricotta and balsamic syrup. It was soooo good. The prosciutto was fresh and lean, sliced very thinly so that it pretty much melted in my mouth. The flavor was wonderful too, not too salty, not too bland. It paired perfectly with the creamy sheep's milk ricotta, which was much milder than I thought it would be, but I thought that was nice, because it would have competed too much with the prosciutto otherwise. And then, with the sweetness from the balsamic syrup on top of a crunchy slice of French bread, I was in heaven with each bite. I really liked the ricotta, it was nothing like cow's milk ricotta with its gritty texture. This cheese was so smooth and creamy I could have sworn it was a different cheese altogether. What a perfect pairing of fine flavors and textures!
Next came the entrees. Zheng ordered something that was pretty much like spaghetti with marinara sauce (it's not on the online menu right now), which wasn't interesting enough for me to waste a flash photograph on :P I ordered the crab ravioli, which came in a lobster cream sauce with fennel and parmesan.
I think the thing about Nizza that impressed me the most was the freshness of everything they served. The ravioli blew me away with how tender and fresh the pasta skin was. It was this pillow-soft texture that I had never ever experienced eating ravioli or any kind of pasta before… simply amazing. The crab meat filling was silky and subtle, with the lobster cream sauce giving it most of its flavor. I really liked the added kick from the fennel in the sauce, which gave the creamy flavor an edge that made it memorable. The portion size was perfect, each ravioli was two bites, and I felt just satisfied after dinner. I had room for dessert, but none of the dessert options (of which there were 4 or so) interested me, so we left to grab dessert at a bakery on the way home. I would definitely come back to have dinner at Nizza again, the appetizers were fantastic and the portions were surprisingly just right (there's something to be said about being able to eat your whole meal and not feel too full or not full enough). The price tag with 2 appetizers is a little steep (I paid about $27 including tax and tip), but that ends up being about on par for dining in NYC, as I was seeing a lot of restaurants advertising prix fixe menus at $24-27 per person before tax/tip.
So then on our way back to Zheng's apartment, I stopped by a busy little bakery called Amy's Bread, which had some tasty looking cakes on display, as well as a lot of sandwiches and breads. Apparently everyone else waiting in line was getting some of their fresh handmade bread to take home, too bad I'm not a big fan of bread. What caught my eye from the street were their red velvet cupcakes, complete with lots of whipped cream cheese frosting on top. It was no Magnolia, but it looked just right for dessert (although $2.50 for a cupcake is steep!).
So those were some of my food exploits on this trip, yummy and pricey as always! Until next time, NYC!
So the past few days I've been visiting California to interview at Stanford and to see some college friends. The weather was amazing, it felt like Boston's spring. The sunshine was warm, there were palm trees, and dusty mountains in the distance everywhere I went. Stanford itself was the most extravagant campus I have ever seen. They really spend a lot of money spoiling their kids lol (maybe me one day?). The sunny happiness of the students being in a country club-like campus and a relaxing curriculum was really infectious. They were literally all smiles, and every student I met couldn't seem to shower the school with enough praise. I have yet to see a school where the students were this much in love with their school (Rochester and Dartmouth are distant seconds).
Um, bamboo forest in the middle of a building anyone?
After seeing Stanford, I had time grab dinner with my friend Tony near the school. We walked up and down the main street with restaurants, and finally decided to stop in at a place called University Cafe, which served American food at a moderate price. First came a bread plate with a tomato-based dipping sauce (I couldn't figure out why it was orange, but it was similar to a marinara I guess). The bread itself was too hard on the outside, and a little soggy in the middle, but it still tasted fine because we were both starving lol.
For my entree I got a chicken pot pie with tossed greens on the side. It was the type of pot pie that has a cap of puff pastry on top of the liquid pot pie, and I really like this kind of pot pie because it was the kind that Baker dining used to serve all the time. The pot pie filling itself was delicious, as it was sort of like a cream of mushroom soup, with asparagus, mushrooms, onions, peppers, corn, peas, and chicken chunks. The flavors came together really well, and even though I was starving when I came in, I was definitely satisfied afterwards. The greens on the side were tossed in a vinaigrette that contrasted nicely with the sweet creaminess of the pot pie. It was jazzed up comfort food, and it definitely hit the spot.
Tony wanted to get a 12 oz steak au poivre, but the waiter got confused and gave him a steak salad instead lol. The steak tasted like it was marinated with teriyaki sauce, which I thought was kind of interesting. It came on top of a bed of stir fried vegetables and some salad. Not quite what he wanted, but at least it wasn't a bad replacement heh. (Sorry, pic is a little blurry, I blame Tony because he took it lol).
And for dessert, we went across the street to a Japanese-European fusion bakery called Satura Cakes, where after trying some free samples of a very rich and dense chocolate cake, we decided on sharing a bread pudding together. For the life of me I can't remember right now what type of fruit was in the bread pudding, but I know the dessert itself was a great way to end the meal. It had the spiciness of a pumpkin pie, with the soft-crunchy chunks of fruit like an apple pie, combined with soft bread and a creamy mousse-like filling, all topped with whipped cream. It was light and refreshing, and although it was cold, the flavor of the spices made a warm impression on me. It was a quintessential autumnal dessert, even though autumn has already passed.
The following day for lunch, I went out with Tony and another friend, Linda, for Shanghainese cuisine at an Asian strip mall. The food was amazing, and reminded me of all the Shanghainese dishes that I've eaten growing up. We ordered "jiao bai" (water bamboo) with peppers and pork, "nian gao" (rice ovals) with napa and beef, pork liver in brown sauce, and "xiao long bao" (Shanghai meat buns). Everything was delicious, and the cooking style was light and clean, just like Shanghainese cuisine is great at when it wants to be. When I had this meal, I realized just how sick I was of the greasy, fried food of Cantonese cuisine up in Boston's Chinatown. They're not kidding when they say that Chinese food is better in California (there are so many Asians here!).
And finally, a picture of me and my friend Tony (I'm almost embarrassed to post this because I look so stupid here, but I guess what the heck, it's for the memories right?). I wish I could have stayed a little longer, and done some more "Californian" things heh, but there's always next time!
I just returned from a chilly but fun trip in NYC! I visited for a little over two days, to attend two interviews and to see my college friend Zheng. I wish I had more time to spend in nyc, taking in all the beautiful sights and sounds and cuisine, but that simply means that I will be back again sometime :) The only bummer on this trip was that I was just at the start of a bad cold, so I was feeling fuzzy and stuffy the whole time, with not much of an appetite and a diminished sense of taste. Thus, I vow to return one day when I am feeling well!
Anyway, onto the food! Unfortunately, out of dining etiquette, I did not photograph most of the food, because it was very dim and I really didn't want my flash going off left and right. We got drinks to start off, a beer for Zheng and a "Taotini" for me, which is Absolut Mandarin, Stolichnaya Raspberry, Malibu Rum, and cranberry and lime juices, all shaken up and decorated with a spear of fresh raspberries. Mmm refreshing! The Taotini is the most popular mixed drink at the restaurant, so of course I had to try that. I figured, this is probably the only time in my life I'll be able to have dinner at this place, so I'd better get the things its best known for.
Appetizers were peking duck spring rolls and squab lettuce wraps, both of which were great. The duck rolls had some sort of paste inside that I was unfamiliar with (not the usual vegetable scraps), and I can only guess that it was a mushroom or bean paste. I made a real mess with the squab lettuce wraps, but they were delicious. It came as a dish of ground squab, cooked with scallions in a soy-based sauce, for us to scoop into bowl-shaped iceberg lettuce pieces. I have never found lettuce wraps to be a food that can be eaten without making a mess, and Tao was no exception haha. But you know, the more hands-on the food is, the more tasty it can be!
Next came entrees – Zheng got the 12 oz. kobe beef ribeye (probably the single most expensive item on the menu, at $88, only topped by the special of the night, which was a kobe beef filet mignon at $200), which came with fried onion strings. Tao is probably best known for its kobe beef, but I would decide to get another one of their highlights, the Chilean sea bass, which came grilled on top of a bed of stir-fried vegetables, and topped with a miso glaze and powder. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful the dish was, I only wish I had a bigger appetite so I could have finished the huge filet. The fish was tender on the inside, and crispy on the surface from the sear. I adored the miso powder and glaze, which was a perfect dichotomy of salty and sweet. The wok-cooked vegetables at the bottom of the dish were lacking in taste and texture, as they were wilted and much too salty, which did not enhance the fish at all, so I left most of it and focused on my sea bass instead, so delicious! I'm so glad I chose this dish, it suited my mood perfectly, because it was not greasy at all and had a delicately sweet flavor and tender texture, all of which suited me in my state of sickness. At a price of $34, it actually is not bad, considering how big of a piece of fish you get.
Finally, dessert. We were both super stuffed after our entrees, but somehow the dessert menu ended up in front of us, and well, I guess if we were going to go all out then we weren't going to skimp on dessert. We ordered a mochi sampling plate, which had six mochi ice cream balls sitting in a triangle shaped plate. The variety included: pistachio, pumpkin, raspberry with white chocolate, and chocolate with peanut butter. They were all so divine, and I really enjoyed the assortment of flavors (I think my favorite was the raspberry white chocolate one, followed closely by the pistachio offering). The pumpkin mochi ice cream was actually quite good also, with its warm spiciness it tasted just like a pumpkin pie, but more refreshing. Mmmm. After dessert was done, we were presented with two chocolate fortune cookies (I can't handle any more more food!!), with funny fortunes inside.
Tao was simply an amazing adventure, something so defining of trendy culture in NYC and yet satisfying all the same. Unfortunately I can't tell you what the final tally of the bill was, since Zheng refused to let me see it, but from my estimates, the total after tax and tip must have been just over $200 (!!!) Many thanks to him for treating me to such an extravagant meal, he's much too generous, I will probably never stop feeling indebted lol. So now in closing, an obligatory picture of me on the second floor balcony, trying to get the Buddha in the background. (Zheng refuses to take pictures with me, god only knows why. He claims it will be incentive for me to visit again, but that makes no sense to me whatsoever haha). Anyway, unfortunately, the flash meant that I was too bright and the Buddha was too dark. If anyone is good with photoshop and can help me fix this picture, I would be so grateful!!! | 2019-04-25T10:54:20Z | https://myediblememories.net/category/travel/ |
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Below you will find an evaluation of the 2014 poll results.
DPRP would like to thank all the labels and artists who generously donated prizes.
The number of participants in the 2014 poll was 374.
This year there were 374 entries, down on last year's 431 and just over half the 723 received in 2012 (the highest response in a number of years), but a huge 'Thank you' to everyone who got involved and took the time to submit their votes. There seems to be a downward trend, possibly driven by the fact that our readership continues to age but also by some of the issues faced by DPRP over 2013 and 2014. Things have been difficult but are now back on track and we look forward to some great developments in 2015, the 20th Anniversary year for DPRP.
The entries we have received cover a huge range of releases and once again it is great to see that many people all over the world are still enjoying Progressive music. 2015 has started well with some fantastic releases and DPRP will continue to cover as many releases and events as we can.
With a fall in the number of votes coming from each of the countries we generally find at the top of the list, the Dutch vote returned to the top, swapping places from last year with the U.K. vote which is the second highest. The U.S.A. and Canada hold their positions in third and fourth places respectively and Germany returns to the Top 5. Overall 38 countries are represented amongst poll voters.
Two thirds of the vote comes from Europe this year, an increase on last year, with a small rise in percentage terms (to more than a quarter) coming from the Americas, the vast majority of which from North America. Asia, Australasia and Africa are also represented underlining the global reach of the music.
This year unfortunately saw a large drop in the vote coming from readers not only in their teens and 20s but also 30s and 40s, the increase of those in their 50s and 60s underlining the fact that the prog audience continues to age. The majority of respondents by far remain in their 40s and 50s and the average age is now 46.57, again up on last year's 45.08 (in 2012 it was 44.64, 2011 was 42.44), but submissions still cover a 50 year span with contributors from age 14 to 64.
This year 446 different albums received votes, down on last year but still a very high number of releases that shows the breadth of listening amongst our readers and the huge array of genre related albums produced in what has turned out to be another great year for Prog. Below you will find the Top 25.
Something of a runaway winner this year is IQ with their long-awaited new album The Road of Bones making waves and being voted for by 58% of poll participants.
Following in second and third places are two albums that each received votes from more than 40% of the poll, Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope and Opeth's Pale Communion.
Anathema continue to be a popular draw and their Distant Satellites hit the same fourth spot achieved by their last album, Weather Systems, in 2012.
Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy have done well this year with their contributions to two albums marked in the Top 5 with Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope and Flying Colors' Second Nature.
Further down the list and away from the heavyweights it is great to see entries for the likes of Abel Ganz, Björn Riis and iamthemorning and the debut solo releases from Dave Kerzner (who did well last year as part of Sound of Contact) and Magenta's Rob Reed also rated highly, as did the long-awaited comeback from Enchant.
Worthy of note is Cosmograf who have appeared in the list for the second time in a row, this time with Capacitor at number 18 bettering their debut The Man Left in Space which got to number 20 in 2013.
A number of albums were voted for by more people than the albums above them but lost out by virtue of the weighted points. The highest rated of these were Steve Rothery's The Ghosts of Pripyat and Threshold's For the Journey which received more individual votes than Abel Ganz's Self-titled release but these votes didn't score them as highly and they finish below Abel Ganz.
Half of the albums in the Top 25 come from U.K. acts and with most of the rest coming from Europe this has been another very good year for bands and artists from this side of the pond.
A poignant entry is Pink Floyd's tribute to the late lamented Richard Wright with The Endless River which was seen by many as a fitting end to their long career.
DPRP have now reviewed all of the albums that made the Top 25, the review of Kaipa's marvellous Sattyg being the final piece in the puzzle. Not a bad result despite the delays on publication for some of them.
In total 51 different DVDs received votes, down from 69 last year, but 46 of these received more than a single vote.
Another runaway winner, perhaps unsurprisingly, this time with Transatlantic's KaLIVEoscope DVD of the Kaleidoscope tour which also did very well in the Concert section of the poll as we will see later. Steve Hackett's live shows continue to be popular with Genesis Revisited: Live at the Royal Albert Hall hitting second place, the same slot as last year's Live at Hammersmith DVD.
Peter Gabriel, Camel, Dream Theater and Marillion also did well, the latter two joining Rush by successfully getting a DVD in the Top 10 for two years running. In fact Marillion also got into the Top 10 in 2012, the DVD records of their Marillion Weekend festivals proving consistently popular.
Beyond the top half a dozen the returns were very small and it appears that DVDs just aren't as popular as they once were.
As usual, most of the DVDs in the list have not been reviewed at DPRP. We get far fewer review copies of DVDs than we do CDs and our offering mainly relies on DVDs obtained by the team themselves. Some of those we have so far missed will hopefully be reviewed on DPRP in the near future.
Before we go to the list of best individual tracks, let's see which 5 bands got the most votes, regardless of for which track.
A completely new Top 5 from last year and as you would expect all of the big winners have done well in the album vote but IQ came out on top ahead of nearest rivals Transatlantic, almost a third of those that voted picking at least one of their tracks.
It is interesting to see how many tracks receive votes from an album as a measure of the perceived quality in depth. In this respect the greatest success goes to Opeth, all 8 tracks from Pale Communion receiving votes. IQ received votes for 10 tracks from the 11 across the 2-CD version of The Road of Bones and Transatlantic got 4 out of 5 for Kaleidoscope. Elsewhere Perfect Beings received votes for 7 out of 10 tracks from their Self-titled debut and Flying Colors got 6 out of 9 for Second Nature. Other bands with 4 or more tracks receiving votes making up at least 50% of the album include Anathema, Glass Hammer, Threshold, Tim Bowness, Tin Spirits, Enchant, Kaipa, Lunatic Soul and Yes.
In total 176 bands are represented in the list, 145 with more than one vote. Now let's see where the tracks placed individually.
Of the 332 tracks voted for this year IQ, Transatlantic and Flying Colors each placed two in the Top 10, IQ's in first and second place with the title track to The Road of Bones and Without Walls respectively, Transatlantic coming third with Into the Blue and also fourth with the title track from Kaleidoscope showing the dominance of these two albums this year.
Anathema, Opeth, Haken and Gazpacho also make the Top 10, as usual the longer tracks proved most popular. Haken are the only band in the Top 10 to also feature last year, their Restoration EP maintaining their popularity after 2013's The Mountain album.
Further down the list it is great to see acts like Cheeto's Magazine, Björn Riis, Fractal Mirror and Tin Spirits doing well and receiving double figure scores.
Like 2013 more than two thirds of the tracks appearing in the overall list received two or more votes suggesting that the quality of a smaller number of songs now appeal to voters.
In total a massive 93 different albums received votes in the 'Best Artwork' category, considerably up on last year, 43 of these getting more than one recommendation.
Quite close at the top of the list this year with Ahmed Emad Eldin artwork for Pink Floyd's The Endless River the most highly regarded. Also scoring significantly were Tony Lythgoe's work for IQ, Travis Smith's design for Opeth, Thomas Ewerhard for Transatlantic and Hugh Syme for Flying Colors. Of these latter two, Thomas also made the Top 5 last year with his sleeve for Spock's Beard's Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep and Hugh last appeared in the list in 2012 with his work for Rush's Clockwork Angels.
Poll participants voted for 187 different concerts from 2014. To get a clearer picture of which stage performances were most highly regarded last year, we'll first have a look at which of the 97 artists got the most votes, regardless of which individual concert.
Given the anticipation of their new album and the quality of their live shows, the "event" nature of Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope tour proved a big draw.
Like in 2013 Steve Hackett makes the second spot again this year showing the respect and appreciation gig goers have for his spectacular Genesis Revisited shows.
Marillion place near the top of the list most years showing the depth of their support and the strength of their performances and material, a testament to them following their own path throughout their long career. Anathema also make the list for the second time in three years.
A good year for IQ on the back of The Road of Bones album also sees them making the Top 5.
Some interesting results further down the list include Yes at number 6 showing that they are still well loved on stage despite the relative dissappointment with their latest studio work. Some unexpected yet unsurprising additions this year include Kate Bush and King Crimson, neither of those would have been anticipated at the start of 2014 and Kate's extraordinary run of 22 dates in London received 8 votes, each for a different night, so she just missed out on the Top 5.
Now let's have a look at which of these 187 individual gigs got the most votes for Best Concert of 2014.
The most highly recommended concert of 2014 was the Transatlantic show at the 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, a venue that hosted many popular gigs in 2014 including the second placed show which was by Anathema.
Due to the nature of the voting and tied scored the Top 5 includes 13 entries this year with Transatlantic, Anathema and Marillion all apearing twice.
Gigs in The Netherlands proved most popular, unsurprising given the number of respondents and the size of the country, with 8 of the 13 shows. Two shows were in the U.K while U.S.A., Germany and Belgium each scored with one.
Event gigs like the Henry Cow reformation in celebration of Lindsay Cooper and the short run of King Crimson dates in the U.S.A. proved popular and it is nice to see Mystery score well to reach equal second place for their gig in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.
Steve Hackett is the only artist who also appeared in the Top 5 last year.
In total, 187 individual gigs received votes.
This year 58 different bands and artists were voted for as Best Newcomer, down on last year but still a very impressive figure and an indication of the amount of new talent (and not so new!) coming through.
Top votes for this year's newcomer went to Synaesthesia from the U.K. whose Synaesthesia debut album was very well received.
Both from the U.S.A., Perfect Beings, the new band from Johannes Luley of Moth Vellum, and Dave Kerzner, who won the Nest Newcomer accolade last year as part of Sound of Contact, also scored highly.
Others making it into double figures of votes were Minor Giant from The Netherlands, Huis from Canada, Norwegian Björn Riis from Airbag with his solo debut and the multi-national group The United Progressive Fraternity involving members of Unitopia and others. There is, as you might expect, a bias towards members of groups who have already had some success but the list is filled with new names and young artists who are already making an impression and should be ones to watch in the coming years.
Many different events received votes for being the 'Biggest Disappointment' of 2014.
We grouped the votes until they referred to a more specific album, gig, event or incident which does generalise some of the more specific points but makes it easier to make sense of them and rank them in some kind of order.
Far and away the biggest perceived disappointment of 2014 was the latest album from Yes, Heaven & Earth, and it is generally albums that rate highly in this category. Pink Floyd, Transatlantic and Pendragon all scored highly as disappointments despite making the Top 25 for best albums of the year.
Elsewhere, the Genesis The Sum of the Parts documentary was seen as a missed opportunity and the perenial problem of the classic band failing to reunite is still an issue. Other anticipated reunions that have not yet happened include Porcupine Tree and also Yes working with Jon Anderson again.
Poor concert performances are also noted as disappointments as are the deaths of such figures as Jack Bruce in 2014.
As a balance to 'Biggest Disappointment' we asked participants what they thought was the best thing to happen to Prog in 2014.
Far and away the biggest happening of 2014 was seen as Pink Floyd releasing their The Endless River album as the final act of their long career.
Other big scorers are the re-emergences of King Crimson and Kate Bush plus the Night of the Prog festival at Loreley in Germany which is always a popular event. Perhaps surprisingly the 'Prog Cruises' are seen as major events despite the costs involved in attending.
Albums scoring well include those from IQ and Transatlantic while live events such as Steve Hackstt's Genesis Revisited concerts and the Resonance Festival in London also receive plenty of support.
Many other live shows, tours, festivals, events and albums featured in the 81 entries.
In this section we asked people what they thought were the best musical performances of 2014.
As usual we received lots of different suggestions, too many to evaluate in great detail, but we have highlighted the Top 3 in each instrumental category with a brief discussion of the results. The full results for each category are linked below each section.
On the back of his debut solo album, The Ghosts of Pripyat, which has been well received by fans, Marillion's Steve Rothery tops the poll ahead of Roine Stolt for his contribution to Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope. Roine also got the runner's up prize in 2013 for The Flower Kings' Desolation Rose release and third place in 2012 for their previous album, Banks of Eden while Steve Rothery came equal first in 2012 for the latest Marillion studio album, Sounds That Can't Be Made showing that these two are certainly amongst the most highly regarded and consistent performers on their chosen instrument.
Another heavyweight, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour comes in at third this year for The Endless River with Flying Colors' Steve Morse, IQ's Mike Holmes and Pendragon's Nick Barrett also scoring 10 or more votes each.
A number of players scored for more than one release. Steve Rothery also got votes for his Live in Rome release and Steve Hackett scored twice with his own Genesis Revisited: Live at the Royal Albert Hall plus his contribution to Tony Patterson & Brendan Eyre's Northlands album.
This year, 68 different guitar performances received votes.
Neil Durant of IQ. Photo: IQ website.
Very close at the top in the Keyboardist category with IQ's Neil Durant just beating Neal Morse for his contribution to Transatlantic, each with around 10% of the overall vote, Pink Floyd's late keyboard man Richard Wright coming third for The Endless River. These three were far ahead of the rest.
Artists scoring with multiple releases were Don Airey for his own Keyed Up album plus his contribution to the Celebrating Jon Lord concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London, Erik Norlander for both of 2014's releases by Rocket Scientists (including the Supernatural Highway album) and workaholic Neal Morse who scored with three, Transatlantic's studio and live albums plus Flying Colors' Second Nature. Neal also hit the top spot in 2012 with his Momentum solo album.
66 different keyboard players gots voted for and you can see the full results HERE.
Another convincing winner in this category with IQ's Peter Nicholls ahead of Damian Wilson for Threshold's For the Journey, he last featured in the 2012 poll for Headspace's debut I Am Anonymous. In third place is Mikael Åkerfeldt for Opeth's Pale Communion with Anathema's Vincent Cavanagh also scoring well for the Distant Satellites album.
A number of artists featured received votes for more than one project: Anne-Marie Helder (Panic Room and Luna Rosa), Damian Wilson (the aforementioned Threshold and Dave Bainbridge's Celestial Fire), Jon Davison (Yes and Glass Hammer), Ted Leonard (Enchant and Transatlantic) and Neal Morse is again represented by three performances (Transatlantic live and studio, Flying Colors).
82 different vocalists got voted for.
A country mile ahead of the field this year is Mike Portnoy for Transatlantic's Kaleidoscope album, polling more than three times as many votes as his nearest rival and a third of all the votes cast. Mike last appeared at the top of the poll results at number 3 in 2012 for his contribution to Neal Morse's Momentum album. Portnoy also manages equal third this year with Flying Colors' Second Nature and actually manages four entries in the list with votes also coming for Transatlantic's KaLIVEoscope live album and Bigelf's Into the Maelstrom to cap an impressive year. In total he polled 88 of the 214 votes cast in the Drummer category.
Opeth's Martin Axenrot split the Portnoy vote to come second this year for Pale Communion and tieing for third place with Portnoy is IQ's Paul Cook for The Road of Bones.
Other players with more than one entry include Gavin Harrison (iamthemorning and King Crimson), Morgan Ågren (Kaipa and Mats-Morgan Band), Nick D'Virgilio (Cosmograf and Dave Kerzner) and Pat Mastelotto (ToPaRaMa and King Crimson).
Overall there were 68 different drummer entries.
Ahead of the Bass Player field is the other half of the Transatlantic rhythm section, Pete Trewavas, for Kaleidoscope with IQ's Tim Esau second for The Road of Bones and Dave LaRue third for Flying Colors' Second Nature. Pete Trewavas last appeared in the Top 3 in 2012 for Marillion's Sounds That Can't Be Made and has three entries this year for both the Transatlantic live and studio albums and Marillion's A Sunday Night Above the Rain live set.
Others who scored in double figures were Jonas Reingold for Kaipa's Sattyg and Mariusz Duda for Lunatic Soul's Walking on a Flashlight Beam. These two managed second and third respectively in 2013 and Jonas also came out second in 2012 and in total has three entries this year (for Kaipa, Karmakanic and Barracuda Triangle) making him one of the most highly regarded and in demand bassists around. Duda also has two entries this year, for his live performances with Riverside alongside the Lunatic Soul album.
There were 69 different bassist performances voted for this year - nearly twice as many as 2013.
After a difficult year or so between 2013 and 2014 for DPRP things have now settled down and are back on track and we have received many positive comments. Thank you for these, we appreciate them and it makes all the work worthwhile.
The Something For The Weekend feature has proved very popular and has just hit its first anniversary of providing mini reviews and links to new releases from lesser known bands and artists that can be listened to in full. DPRP Radio also continues to go from stregth to strength so a huge thanks is due to Andy Read for both of these initiatives.
Criticisms have raised regarding a number of issues. The email newsletter has been sporadic - apologies for this - and we will try to issue it on a more regular basis. The reduced number of Interviews and Gig Reviews has been raised and again we are hoping to rectify this situation in 2015. The Long Songs list has not been updated in some time but this may be done at some point as part of the soon-to-be implemented new website for DPRP. The lack of News Updates has received some negative comments but thanks to the enthusiastic work of Raimond Fischbach this is now back on track. There are still high-profile releases being missed and we can only apologise for this, we try our best to cover as many releases as we can but some are always going to be missed due to the huge number of releases, many of which we don't receive. That said, our dedicated team of reviewers work very hard to bring you quality reviews from across the whole range of prog releases - and sometimes slightly beyond! - so a big thank you to them for their efforts which are greatly appreciated.
Weekly or monthly charts and a new release guide have been requested but at the moment a lack of time and resources means that this won't happen but it may be something we can look at in the future.
A request for regional gig guides for other territories is something that we've considered previously but is not currently an option, our efforts remaining limited at present to those for The Netherlands & Belgium and The U.K., the latter courtesy of our friends at The Progressive Aspect.
The Forum has unfortunately fallen by the wayside but if this can be relaunched in a new form in the future we may attempt to do so.
Various new categories have been suggested for the DPRPoll and this is something that I have been keen to implement for the last couple of years. Time is again the problem here together with the vagaries of the coding behind the current site. This might change for next year.
An interesting suggestion which would be good to try is a feature wherein musicians and artists discuss topics relating to the current state of Prog and the music industry. We'll have to have a think to see if this is something that we can run with.
So on to 2015 and the 20th Anniversary Year for DPRP. We are planning a number of special events to mark the occasion and we hope that our newly designed website will be available too with upgraded design and functionality.
We hope that you continue to enjoy and support DPRP as we try to maintain a vibrant and independent source of information. Thanks for your support so far.
Here you can also check out what the DPRP Team voted for themselves. | 2019-04-23T14:14:11Z | https://www.dprp.nl/dprpoll/2014/ |
It’s clear from the beginning that Legends of the Dark Knight is intended to concentrate on Batman’s early years. It’s also quite obvious that it’s inspired by Frank Miller’s Year One that took place a few years prior in the regular Batman series. That’s definitely one of my favorite Batman stories, and looking back on it, it’s quite amazing the influence it’s had on the Batman mythos and even the way Batman comics were produced in its wake. Some of the events that occur in this particular arc are directly intertwined with Year One, but seen from a different perspective.
I must say that this was rather an odd choice for the first story, since it involves Batman traveling to and from Alaska, occult rituals, and Native American mythology. It was also a bit surprising that the premise and climax are both based on supernaturalism. Batman is one of the few superheroes rooted in “realism” (by tights-n-fights standards, that is), so it’s weird and awkward when magic and the supernatural plays a key role in the story. In the case of Shaman, it’s minor enough that it’s not completely distracting, but still prominent enough to irk me a little.
Otherwise, it’s a solid way to launch this series and still holds up all these years later.
Written by Bruce Jones. Art by Ariel Olivetti.
This is how Batman should be written in LOTDK – a solo adventure that doesn’t rely on Oracle, Robin or the extended Batman family to help him out (though Alfred does a lot of the work – but what else is new). The crime in question is a fairly ordinary kidnapping and the villain is definitely not any of Batman’s usual rogues, nor is there any cheesy supernatural component to it. Though it is a little too convenient that this case is closely connected with Bruce Wayne himself.
The story starts out simple and straightforward, but becomes more and more complex as the issues progress. In fact, I’d say the major flaw to this book is that it’s a little overlong and for rather arbitrary reasons. However, it is told like a standard mystery story so Batman finds a clue with leads him to one suspect who tips him off to another and so on and so forth. Jones’s script is breezy enough to keep it constantly interesting and intriguing. I do find it to be rather melodramatic at times, though. There are many moments throughout this arc that seem a bit over the top, even by comic book standards (inter-tangled love trysts, blackmail, family scandals, secret identities, etc.).
I like that there is no apparent villain, though Batman does encounter a few goons along the way. These situations are also a bit generic and predictable, but like I said, the comic is written well enough that it doesn’t come across as a crutch or an easy cliche.
My only major complaint is that due to the lack of a traditional villain, there isn’t a lot of action throughout any of these five chapters. Even the ending is completely lacking in a showdown – it just kind of ends. I do appreciate the fact that the villain’s identity is a mystery to both Batman and the reader, so much so that when it’s revealed it comes as just as much a shock to both parties.
Written by Denny O’Neil. Penciled by Sergio Cariello. Inked by Matt Ryan.
After a slew of pretty terrible arcs (not counting issues 116-126), it’s nice to have not only a readable arc, but one that’s actually good. Denny O’Neil usually writes some of the most solid Batman stories, though he has penned a few clunkers in this series (Annual #3 for example). This was a nice return to form for him as he has Oliver Queen play a vital role. In fact, this is the first real “crossover” story to appear in an issue of LOTDK.
In fact, this story is nearly 50/50 Green Arrow/Batman. Well, I should clarify that it’s more Oliver Queen’s story than his costumed alter ego. It’s hard to tell where in his continuity this takes place; after all, we know LOTDK is supposed to tell the tales of a young Batman, but what about the other characters that appear? Not being all that knowledgeable about Green Arrow’s history, I was a tad lost. But it doesn’t matter in the long run since it’s a fairly self-contained story.
I will say that this arc has a rather familiar premise. O’Neil seems to enjoy writing adventures that involve secret societies and international assassins and such. This is essentially a Ra’s Al Ghul comic but with a different villain. The delivery is mixed: sometimes it’s serious and intricate, other times it becomes cliché, predictable and just plain cartoony (seriously, there’s a scene where a giant SAFE falls on someone’s head – is this a Wile E. Coyote cartoon?!). Ollie seems to go a little nuts in this book due to the fact there’s a rival archer who’s better than him (but what’s with that goofy outfit?). What’s interesting is that Batman actually seems to lighten up a bit has a few subtle moments of dry, snarky humor.
I really liked the art by Cariello and Ryan. It’s clean and fairly realistic. The layouts are pretty standard for a comic – nothing especially daring about the composition here. Still, it flows well from panel to panel and page to page. I wouldn’t describe it as gorgeous, but it’s some of the best art I’ve seen in a while in this series.
Written by Tom Peyer. Drawn by Tony Harris. Inks by Wade Von Grawbadger and Wayne Faucher (issue 171 only).
Probably my most common complaint about any comic is that it’s unoriginal. I feel like everything’s been done by now, is there anything I’ve never seen? Well, “Irresistible” may be such a book. The premise is that a young man named Frank Sharp has a hideously deformed face but also has the supernatural ability to mind control someone simply by touching them.
Normally, that kind of premise would create for a cliché villain and a cliché story, but Peyer takes a completely different approach by making this guy into a fairly realistic (or at least plausible) tragic character. He narrates almost the entire story, a method rarely used in LOTDK. He’s angry, bitter, twisted, megalomaniacal, and also pretty naïve and quite frankly stupid at times. He thinks money and power will make him happy, but they really don’t.
Though there’s plenty of great moments of mystery and suspense, since this isn’t the kind of villain we’re used to seeing, there’s also a bit of melodrama as Frank is constantly arguing with his parents, friends, and business associates. You pity him because he’s so disgusting-looking, but you also hope he gets his comeuppance because he’s such a pig. The way Batman goes about investigating and confronting him is interesting to say the least; though it does involve a few sequences which are bit overboard even by comic book standards.
Tony Harris was the artist on “Ex Machina” and was great on that series. Here, he’s just as good with his style that is clean and cartoony and yet amazingly realistic. The colors are a bit monochromatic and several pages are more effects than art, but overall the arc looks great (except for Frank’s face – yeesh!).
Written and drawn by Bryan Talbot.
I have to admit that I was beginning to give up on LOTDK after the majority of the story arcs throughout the last 10 issues were of pretty lousy quality. Then along comes Bryan Talbot’s gorgeous two-parter Mask. It has exactly everything going for it that most of the previous books missed: a coherent story, in-depth characterization, mystery, suspense, and surrealism that isn’t arbitrary.
The premise of this story reminds me of something from the Bronze or early Modern Age series or even an episode of B:TAS. Most of it involves Bruce Wayne in a hospital bed with a therapist telling him he’s an alcoholic and has some kind of split personality. It’s quite clear that it’s a dream or some kind of hallucination, but Talbot plays it fairly straight for the most part. There is, not surprisingly, plenty of surreal moments; which would technically make them hallucinations within hallucinations. No matter, there’s a sense of genuine drama here even though you know it can’t possibly be real. It’s certainly does have an element of mystery as you don’t know what’s really going on or how this situation came to be, or how Bruce really will win the day.
Mask does have some cheesy exposition via the classic fallacy of the villain revealing his entire master plan just when he thinks he’s victorious. Otherwise, it’s well-written and extremely well-drawn. One of the most over-looked runs in LOTDK.
Written by John Ostrander. Penciled by David Lopez. Inked by Dan Green.
The only thing better than a good LOTDK story is two of them back-to-back. I might even consider this arc to be superior to the previous one, which is really saying something considering how much that impressed me.
This is old school Batman, very much Year One influenced, but in no way hacky (unlike so many other runs in this series). Some of the better Batman comics are the ones that involve him and Jim Gordon working together other than in Gordon’s office or on the rooftop. It’s easy to forget that Gordon is in fact a cop and not just a bureaucratic paper-pusher.
“Loyalties” delves in Gordon’s personal life and finally explores his pre-Gotham years in Chicago. It’s a messy affair involving the mob, kidnapping and Gordon’s own family. What’s interesting is that in this story, Barbara Gordon (aka Oracle) is Jim Gordon’s niece rather than his daughter; though his wife’s name is Barbara. If you think about it, this would actually seem to make more sense since it’s rare that a mother and daughter have the same first name like fathers and sons sometimes do. In fact, Gordon’s son is James Junior.
Lopez’s art is fairly clean and cartoony much like David Mazzuchelli’s was in Year One. It’s quite possible he’s emulating that look purposefully, though it doesn’t appear to be hacky in any way (it’s not nearly as good as Mazzuchelli’s, though). For some reason, Bruce Wayne looks to be half Asian – this would be fine if this were a Manga comic.
My only complaint might be that there’s a little too much drama within the Gordon family and not enough Batman, but that’s pretty much it. Also, I was hoping for a longer fight scene at the end, but it wraps up entirely too quickly and it’s rather implausible (Batman can fight at the apex of an A-shaped roof, but not some generic gangster goon).
Written and drawn by Matt Wagner.
One the best Batman stories I’ve ever read was Matt Wagner’s Batman/Grendel crossover (the first one with the green covers). I remember him writing the Sandman Mystery Theater series back in the 90s, too. He definitely knows how to tell a good detective story and with Faces, it’s a good attempt at one.
Two-Face kidnaps a bunch of people with deformities and has one of them seduce a realtor into selling him a private island (that Bruce Wayne wanted to buy) for nothing. It’s meant to be a sanctuary for these “outsiders,” but none of them really have much motivation for this exodus.
What I liked was that this story didn’t just concentrate on Batman and his pursuit against Two-Face, it also tells a side story of the real estate agent. I’ve noticed telling parallel stories seems to be Wagner’s forte, and here it works pretty well.
The art is rather cartoony, though. In fact, it’s rather messy at times. Wagner’s style reminds me of Bruce Timm – the designer of Batman: The Animated Series. It makes for an odd read considering the tone is so grim and the art is so simplistic. I do like how he uses sequential art and creates unique, eccentric page layouts.
Written by John Wagner. Drawn by Chris Brunner.
When people ask me what’s so great about Batman, it’s well-known stories like The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, The Killing Joke and many of the epic story arcs that I point to as an example. After reading nearly two hundred issues of LOTDK, many have been excellent, but few serve as a great example of why Batman is an awesome character and how great his stories can be. “Testament” is one of those.
When I first started reading this, I was deeply skeptical for a number of reasons. Firstly, it deals with a gang of vigilantes who go around straight-up murdering criminals. This trope has been used before, including right in this very series (“Faith” back in issues 21-23, for example); the entire character of The Punisher is based on this premise as well. Also the fact the guys committing the murders go by the rather silly name of “Rough Justice” and are kind of fundamentalist yokels seems rather trite. Thankfully, the story is compelling enough so that these aren’t major hang-ups to the plot.
You’d think this would be a rather simple story: Batman chases villains; fight ensues; Batman emerges triumphant – right? It’s not quite that simple. Wagner writes this script with a lot of depth to both the story and the characters. There is a sympathetic character – Lonny Hector – within the Rough Justice gang that gets in way over his head. Even his girlfriend becomes a significant supporting character and affects the plot.
There are plenty of fun and suspense action sequences throughout this five-part arc, including the Rough Justice gang storming Wayne Manor and discovering Batman’s secret identity. The problem with using that device is that you know anyone who knows Bruce Wayne and Batman are one in the same will end up dead by the end of the comic – that’s really not a spoiler. Still, this script is balanced well enough between standard Batman comic and action-oriented movie-like thrills and adventure so that it’s constantly entertaining.
The art by Brunner is fine, but not amazing. It walks a fine line between simple and cartoony and over-stylized and messy. I honestly could not distinguish between the main villains – they all look the same! His layouts and composition need a little tweaking as well as there were a few moments where I had to re-read entire pages to determine what was happening. Otherwise, Brunner is a good artist who is largely responsible for making “Testament” one of the best installments in LOTDK to date.
Written by Dwayne McDuffie. Penciled by Val Semeiks. Inked by Dan Green.
It’s been a long time since I read an arc in LOTDK that made me extremely glad that I did. There was a long spell of pretty abysmal stories followed by an even longer spell of ok or good stories, but “Blink” is the first arc that I would consider great. This is exactly what every LOTDK installment should be: detective work, characterization, surprise twists, dialogue that isn’t overtly “comic booky” and a real sense of mystery and intrigue.
As I’ve often stated, I don’t like it when Batman goes up against the supernatural or against villains with superpowers. That’s because writers use those elements to be completely fantastical and unrealistic (or just as a crutch when they can’t write reality-based stories). In “Blink” the premise is that a blind guy named Lee Hyland can see through the eyes of anyone he touches. It’s a superpower of sorts in that it enables him to be an identity thief, but he finds himself in the role of hero when he sees through the eyes of a killer and attempts to stop him (hey, wasn’t that the exact plot of the movie Unbreakable?).
Batman and Gordon get involved after Hyland stops a murder and winds up as the suspect. They eventually figure out that he’s telling the truth. Meanwhile, we learn that this is no ordinary serial killer but it’s actually a snuff film ring which involves one of Gotham’s more powerful men. Initially, I rolled my eyes when this was revealed since it’s delving into a territory that’s rounded regarded as a myth and also something way too disturbing even for a Batman villain. However, McDuffie doesn’t try to play the dramatic or emotional card as if this were real and trying to generate sympathy from the reader (unlike say, stories about human trafficking or child abuse). It’s basically just another underground criminal ring, but it’s written so much better here than the average comic book.
One thing I really liked about “Blink” was that it was only three chapters and was perfectly paced. It’s not rushed and it’s far from bloated (I wish the same could be said of many of the previous LOTDK installments). The artwork is only okay, though. Semeiks and Green don’t have much of a standout style; mostly illustrative and sketchy somewhere between Neal Adams and Klaus Jansen. Even the coloring is rather gray and drab. Layouts and compositions are fine, but there’s nothing all that memorable. This script in the hands of a better artist would’ve been outstanding, but as it stands it’s still pretty excellent.
It’s very rare that LOTDK has featured the same writing and art teams for more than one story arc (DC repeatedly said in the “Letters to the Editor” section that’s one of the “rule” for LOTDK). Though it’s been done before, I’ve never seen a creative team return so quickly and with just as good a showing as they did the first time, but McDuffie, Semeiks and Green have done just that with “Don’t Blink,” a sequel to “Blink” that had just appeared less than a year prior.
The original story strayed into more traditional superhero comic territory by having one of the supporting characters – Lee Hyland – have a super power. He starts out as a villain but ends as a hero. Here, he’s Batman’s right-hand-man as he has the ability to literally to see through the eyes of any person (or dog) he touches. In the first chapter, Batman has to rescue him for a covert government facility where his powers are being used in a Minority Report-type fashion to spy on and track down terrorists. This is the first reference to terrorists I’ve seen in the post-9/11 run of LOTDK.
Batman of course succeeds, but not after single-handedly fighting his way through a bunch of goons much like Neo in The Matrix movies. Batman and Hyland then track down the leaders of a baby trafficking ring. The final chapter involves Batman having to rescue Hyland and his wife from two of the federal agents he fought in the first chapter.
I mixed feelings about this story. On the plus side, it’s clearly written like a movie with a breezy pace and lots of action scenes. And much like a movie Batman is constantly surviving explosions, avalanches, traps, extreme weather and of course being ambushed by big guys with guns. It’s comic book superheroism in its raw form and it’s actually pretty fun. On the other hand, this work is a bit “fluffy” and derivative. It doesn’t seem like you’re reading a comic, it’s like you’re reading a pitch for a movie; and I don’t meant that a compliment. As I already pointed out, “Don’t Blink” has many similarities to other works; I’m not saying McDuffie is blatantly ripping-off those movies and such, just that the influence is quite obvious.
Still, this is a fun comic to read and it’s easy on the eyes. Semeiks and Green’s art isn’t especially beautiful or stylized so as to be unique and memorable – it’s simply solid and serviceable. It’s certainly better than a lot of other entries in the LOTDK series, that’s for sure.
Written by Will Pfeiffer. Drawn by Chris Weston.
What keeps villains from going all out? The fact that they don’t want to die. But when death is not an issue, that’s when you get crimes committed on the level of 9/11. Though “Blaze of Glory” is not about Middle Eastern terrorists, but rather a fairly ordinary criminal who has only a short time left to live, so he decides to go out in a Blaze of Glory by hurting a lot of people, blowing a lot of stuff up and eventually killing Batman.
I don’t think this is the first time we’ve seen a no-name villain outsmart Batman. I actually think that’s a great premise, since the A-list rogues like Joker, Penguin,Two-Face, etc. always live to fight (and lose) another day. When an unknown outsmarts Batman it’s fascinating because Batman is blindsided and doesn’t even know how to approach the investigation. The caveat to that approach is that we have to believe a no-name villain is capable of acheiving such a feat. Sure, you can write the character extremely well and make it believable within the context of the story, but in the bigger picture you still have to wonder why this rogue might succeed where all the others have failed.
The rogue in question is a dude named Erik Webber. He’s apparently some kind of mercenary as he’s an expert with explosives and high artillery weaponry. Pfeiffer doesn’t bother building him up from scratch, he just drops him it to current continuity ready to go. There’s a flashback where Batman foils Webber’s attempt at robbing an armored car which eventually lands him seven years in prison. When Webber gets out he’s diagnosed with a brain tumor and vows revenge on Batman. He takes a fairly benign route by causing chaos rather than killing people outright (maiming them is another story). His plan totally would’ve worked… if the character of Oracle didn’t exist.
This LOTDK arc takes place in the present-day DCU, so Barbara Gordon is Oracle. I’ve lamented about this character before and I’ll use this story as a great example of why she makes everything entirely too easy for Batman. It turns Batman into more of a soldier than a detective since Oracle does all the hard work for him. Sure, Batman does some foresenics on his own, but Oracle’s ability to hack every computer on the planet in a matter of seconds just makes the story completely far-fetched (yes, even by comic book standards).
I think “Blaze of Glory” could’ve been a masterpiece had the Oracle character not been present. Instead of being confined to three issues, I could easily see this working just as well as a four or five-parter if Batman had to do all the investigation himself. Even the ending is a bit of a downer since it invokes 9/11 imagery only a few years after the event and is also quite reminiscent of Fight Club.
But for all my criticisms, I will say “Blaze of Glory” is still a very good story. Probably what makes it so great is Chris Weston’s artwork. It is absolutely gorgeous – I might even go so far as to say it’s the best-looking line art in the history of LOTDK. It’s exquistely detailed, and yet still fairly clean. It’s not messy and sketchy and illustrative, though not cartoonish like Seth Fisher in the previous arc. His style reminds me a lot of Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons, though Fisher seems to put even more detail into his panels. He also knows how to layout a page and compose a scene. If only the coloring hadn’t been rather brown throughout. There’s a sepia tone quality that does help give the story a dark, disturbing, bleak mood, but it’s also a bit ugly. | 2019-04-23T00:16:46Z | https://blog.timesunion.com/comicbooks/top-10-best-legends-of-the-dark-knight-story-arcs/4261/?shared=email&msg=fail |
Justice Joseph Story served as a Supreme Court Justice from 1811 through 1845. His Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (first published in 1833) was required reading in U.S. law schools for over a century, being a cornerstone of early American jurisprudence. As such, it was and still is a critical source as to the original intent of the American Founders in penning and passing the First Amendment, and more particularly, regarding the Religious Establishment and Freedom of Religion clauses.
§ 984. Let us now enter upon the consideration of the amendments, which, (it will be found,) principally regard subjects properly belonging to a bill of rights.
§ 986. And first, the prohibition of any establishment of religion, and the freedom of religious opinion and worship.
How far any government has a right to interfere in matters touching religion, has been a subject much discussed by writers upon public and political law. The right and the duty of the interference of government, in matters of religion, have been maintained by many distinguished authors, as well those, who were the warmest advocates of free governments, as those, who were attached to governments of a more arbitrary character. Indeed, the right of a society or government to interfere in matters of religion will hardly be contested by any persons, who believe that piety, religion, and morality are intimately connected with the well being of the state, and indispensable to the administration of civil justice. The promulgation of the great doctrines of religion; the being, and attributes, and providence of one Almighty God; the responsibility to him for all our actions, founded upon moral freedom and accountability; a future state of rewards and punishments; the cultivation of all the personal, social, and benevolent virtues; — these never can be a matter of indifference in any well ordered community. It is, indeed, difficult to conceive, how any civilized society can well exist without them. And at all events, it is impossible for those, who believe in the truth of Christianity, as a divine revelation, to doubt, that it is the especial duty of government to foster, and encourage it among all the citizens and subjects. This is a point wholly distinct from that of the right of private judgment in matters of religion, and of the freedom of public worship according to the dictates of one’s own conscience.
§ 987. The real difficulty lies in ascertaining the limits, to which government may rightfully go in fostering and encouraging religion. Three cases may easily be supposed. One, where a government affords aid to a particular religion, leaving all persons free to adopt any other; another, where it creates an ecclesiastical establishment for the propagation of the doctrines of a particular sect of that religion, leaving a like freedom to all others; and a third, where it creates such an establishment, and excludes all persons, not belonging to it, either wholly, or in part, from any participation in the public honours, trusts, emoluments, privileges, and immunities of the state. For instance, a government may simply declare, that the Christian religion shall be the religion of the state, and shall be aided, and encouraged in all the varieties of sects belonging to it; or it may declare, that the Catholic or Protestant religion shall be the religion of the state, leaving every man to the free enjoyment of his own religious opinions; or it may establish the doctrines of a particular sect, as of Episcopalians, as the religion of the state, with a like freedom; or it may establish the doctrines of a particular sect, as exclusively the religion of the state, tolerating others to a limited extent, or excluding all, not belonging to it, from all public honours, trusts, emoluments, privileges, and immunities.
§ 988. Probably at the time of the adoption of the constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration, the general, if not the universal, sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as it is not incompatible with the private rights of conscience, and the freedom of religious worship. An attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation.
§ 989. It yet remains a problem to be solved in human affairs, whether say free government can be permanent, where the public worship of God, and the support of religion, constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state in any assignable shape. The future experience of Christendom, and chiefly of the American states, must settle this problem, as yet new in the history of the world, abundant, as it has been, in experiments in the theory of government.
§ 990. But the duty of supporting religion, and especially the Christian religion, is very different from the right to force the consciences of other men, or to punish them for worshipping God in the manner, which, they believe, their accountability to him requires. It has been truly said, that “religion, or the duty we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be dictated only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence.” Mr. Locke himself, who did not doubt the right of government to interfere in matters of religion, and especially to encourage Christianity, has at the same time expressed his opinion of the right of private judgment, and liberty of conscience, in a manner becoming his character, as a sincere friend of civil and religious liberty. “No man, or society of men,” says he, “have any authority to impose their opinions or interpretations on any other, the meanest Christian; since, in matters of religion, every man must know, and believe, and give an account for himself.” The rights of conscience are, indeed, beyond the just reach of any human power. They are given by God, and cannot be encroached upon by human authority, without a criminal disobedience of the precepts of natural, as well as of revealed religion.
§ 991. The real object of the amendment was, not to countenance, much less to advance Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects, and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment, which should give to an hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government. It thus sought to cut off the means of religious persecution, (the vice and pest of former ages,) and the power of subverting the rights of conscience in matters of religion, which had been trampled upon almost from the days of the Apostles to the present age. The history of the parent country had afforded the most solemn warnings and melancholy instructions on this head; and even New-England, the land of the persecuted puritans, as well as other colonies, where the Church of England had maintained its superiority, had furnished a chapter, as full of dark bigotry and intolerance, as any, which could be found to disgrace the pages of foreign annals. Apostacy, heresy, and nonconformity have been standard crimes for public appeals, to kindle the flames of persecution, and apologize for the most atrocious triumphs over innocence and virtue.
This is a far cry from what is taught in our schools today and insisted upon by many a so-called modern expert who collectively labor – it seems – for a cause the very opposite of the Founder’s original intent – and while so doing, taking aim at, indeed making into PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE, free religious expression in public life. Such speech – consistent with the very Nature of man as a spiritual being – was supposed to be protected as a God-given, Inalienable Right, not crushed with the iron fist of socialism, humanism, and atheism! – And as to religion, in general, as Story notes, it was to be encouraged. The First Amendment then being a legal written check upon Congress, a legal prohibition if you will, on passing ANY bill—ANY bill into law that would interfere with this free expression in ANY forum (public or private) period. —And again, a prohibition against any law that might tend to hinder the prosperity of religion in general. Finally, as to the Establishment Clause, it had one clear purpose, and ONE ONLY, being a prohibition against a national church—avoiding that great evil and enemy to true religion and civic virtue.
Footnote: Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States; with a Preliminary Review of the Constitutional History of the Colonies and States, before the Adoption of the Constitution. Abridged by the Author, for the Use of Colleges and High Schools (Boston: Hilliard, Gray, and Company/Cambridge: Brown, Shattuck, and Co., 1833), pp. iii-viii, 693-703.
President Washington appointed him to be a Justice on the Supreme Court.
In 1774, James Wilson wrote “Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament,” reasoning that since the colonies had no representation in Parliament, the Parliament had no authority over the colonies.
In 1775, James Wilson was commissioned as a Colonel and by the end of the Revolution he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of the Pennsylvania State Militia.
One of the most educated and prominent lawyers in America, James Wilson was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, where he spoke 168 times.
After the Federalist Papers, James Wilson’s speech in the statehouse yard, October 6, 1787, was the most influential in convincing the States of ratify the U.S. Constitution.
At the age of 55, James Wilson died AUGUST 21, 1798.
“The Americans are the first people whom Heaven has favored with an opportunity of…choosing the forms of government under which they should live.
“The history of government on this earth has been almost entirely…rule of force held in the hands of a few.
“In this country of ours took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in the world’s history.
The Moral Liberal Contributing Editor,William J. Federer, is the bestselling author of “Backfired: A Nation Born for Religious Tolerance no Longer Tolerates Religion,” and numerous other books. A frequent radio and television guest, his daily American Minute is broadcast nationally via radio, television, and Internet. Check out all of Bill’s bookshere.
This is the last line of the U.S. Constitution.
They examined nearly 15,000 writings of the 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution, including newspaper articles, pamphlets, books and monographs, and discovered that the Bible, especially the book of Deuteronomy, contributed 34 percent of all direct quotes made by the Founders.
When indirect Bible citations were included, the percentage rose even higher.
Harvard President Samuel Langdon was a delegate to New Hampshire’s ratifying convention.
That as God in the course of his kind providence hath given you an excellent Constitution of government, founded on the most rational, equitable, and liberal principles, by which all that liberty is secured….
The dean of the University of Michigan Law School was Thomas Cooley, who died SEPTEMBER 12, 1898.
His commentaries were influential in shaping American law.
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution do not abandon religion, they embrace it. They do not, however, require that Americans believe in God, nor punish them for failing to do so.
Central to the liberties enshrined in these documents is the belief that they come from a higher power and America exists because of that belief. Without it there would have been no America. There are those among us who insist that, as a nation, we abandon faith in God and, if we do, America will cease to be a power for good in the world.
Aware of the dangers inherent in a state religion, the First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” followed by freedom of speech, the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievance.” There is no state religion in America, but reflecting the values that created it, its leaders have always acknowledged a greater power than government, the belief in God.
There would be no America if the Pilgrims who established Plymouth, Massachusetts had not left England in the quest for their right to worship as they wished, reflecting the Protestant Reformation. Another early settlement, Jamestown, was a business venture by investors to obtain wealth. Jamestown failed and Plymouth is with us today.
I am not a religious person per se, but I do believe in God. Always have and always will. I don’t insist that anyone else has to and neither do our founding documents. They do, however, acknowledge God and sought His protection to create a new nation; a republic with clearly stated protections for all its citizens.
There are, however, those who insist that any reference to God be removed from public documents and recognition. The leader among them is the Freedom From Religion Foundation and their most recent lawsuit is against the U.S. Treasury Department claiming they are discriminating against non-believers by including the phrase “In God We Trust” on the nation’s currency. Their claim is that the government is prohibited from endorsing religion over non-religion.
“In God We Trust” on U.S. coins was first approved by Congress during the Civil War in 1864. In 1956, Congress passed a resolution to recognize the words officially as the national motto, replacing the de facto phrase, “E Pluribus Unum” and it has appeared on U.S. currency since 1957.
The Foundation’s intention is to make any acknowledgement of God illegal by any public institution. If that is true, then we might was well tear up the Declaration and Constitution. Atheists are not content to not believe in God, they insist that everyone else not believe as well. That is a form of tyranny we must not permit to exist in America.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation specializes in lawsuits to advance what it calls the separation of church and state, but this principle is enshrined in the Constitution along with the right to freely exercise one’s faith. Its lawsuits are designed to destroy religion in America. In 2012 the Foundation had total contributions of $2,726,316. Nearly 90% was devoted to its attack on the freedom of religion.
In 2013, the Huffington Post reported that In the past six years the Foundation’s paid membership had increased 130 percent. It was estimated at “nearly 20,000” members. Its co-president, Laurie Gaylor, said that recent high-profile legal victories had increased the foundation’s popularity.
There is still strong support in Congress for the freedom of religion. In 1993 it passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act aimed at preventing laws that substantially burden a person’s free exercise of religion. It was signed into law by President Clinton. In 1997 the Supreme Court found that it was unconstitutional if applied to states, ruling that it was not a proper exercise of Congress’s enforcement power. It does, however, still apply to the federal government. In response, some states passed their own religious freedom restoration acts.
The Act was recently cited by the Supreme Court that ruled that closely held companies may be exempted from a government requirement to include contraceptives in employee health insurance coverage if it contravenes their belief in the sanctity of life.
There are millions more Americans who belong to various religious faiths and who believe that America must protect their right to exercise their faith. A relatively small Freedom From Religion Foundation will continue to use the courts to impose their atheistic views on any public institution. They must be resisted if America is to remain a citadel to the world as a place where people of faith can live together and exercise the tolerance that the atheists will not.
Considered several times as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, he was passed over for not being consistently conservative enough for Republican President Warren G. Harding and not consistently liberal enough for Democrat President Franklin Roosevelt.
His legal decisions, though, were so respected they were referenced in U.S. Supreme Court Cases.
His name was Learned Hand, who served as a judge for over 50 years, first on New York’s District Court, then on the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Though a political progressive, he was an advocate of judicial restraint.
Judge Learned Hand, nicknamed ‘the tenth justice of the Supreme Court’, died AUGUST 18, 1961.
Nearly one and a half million met in Central Park, May 21, 1944, for the annual “I Am an American Day,” including 150,000 newly naturalized citizens about to swear their oath of allegiance to the United States.
After comments by Mayor LaGuardia, Senator Wagner and clergymen of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths, Judge Learned Hand gave his short speech, ‘The Spirit of Liberty,’ which was reprinted in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Life Magazine and Readers Digest.
“We have gathered here to affirm a faith, a faith in a common purpose, a common conviction, a common devotion.
“I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes.
“And what is this liberty which must lie in the hearts of men and women?
“What then is the spirit of liberty? | 2019-04-24T18:29:12Z | https://reflectionsongodsword.com/tag/constitution/ |
Dominic: Hi, Sundari and James.
It’s difficult for me to ask for it, but I need some help. Reading scripture and listening to talks are somewhat helpful at this point, but it doesn’t seem to be getting to the heart of this jiva’s particular experience right now. Can you help me cut through the crap?
The areas that are causing the most turbulence are as follows.
1. Strong limiting beliefs causing almost crippling self-doubt. The root cause lies in a painful parental relationship, but despite knowing this and working on healing this by drawing attention back to awareness, it still perseveres in the background and is often running the show.
2. This leads to an excruciating deliberation when it comes to deciding on a course of action, as there is a great deal of uncertainty about my ability to choose the right way to go. I had taken the voice that said “you can’t do it” to be mine/life’s. Now I see it’s not, but it still resonates emotionally. On some level, I still believe it.
Sundari: I call this the Voice of Diminishment, and it is not your friend. Its origin is tamas, beginningless ignorance. As long as you are still identified with the jiva and its story, these voices will condition the mind. What you need is mind management, which amounts to thought and emotion, or guna, management. See below.
3. It also manifests as near-constant low-level anxiety, a feeling that I should be doing something, becoming better. To me this is indicative of a feeling of lacking something, which is surely ignorance of my true limitless nature, but it seems an almost insurmountable task to shake the “I’m not good enough, therefore I must do _______ in order to be enough” dynamic. And can be a real obstacle to self-inquiry and to enjoying life.
4. Fear that surrendering control of the result of my actions will leave me vulnerable to bad things happening, hence a block when it comes to trying to do karma yoga.
5. This is why I am finding it difficult to ask for or accept help and ultimately why, despite following the logic of all of what I’ve read and seeing how it makes perfect sense to surrender to God, there is still a huge resistance to doing so. I want to, but I am drawing a blank on how to do it. And the doubts are creeping in as to whether there even is such a thing. The intellect and the emotions are not in harmony.
I know that this email is riddled with instances of my ignorance of my true nature. Some days it is all so clear and there are no problems in understanding. Today is not one of those days.
Can you give me some help assimilating what I’ve understood and with removing the doubts?
Sundari: The doer/ego, the person attached to action and results, resists the non-dual teachings of Vedanta, and will create many obstacles to self-inquiry because it threatens its existence. Karma yoga is the answer to the typical anxiety the doer experiences when it is identified with the body-mind. But when such deep fear samskaras arise, karma yoga does not work, and therefore Self-knowledge cannot disarm the trigger for the fear, which is always ignorance of course. Making your life and particularly Self-inquiry work for you is all about managing your primary instrument, the mind, which means managing the gunas.
Fear is a negative desire, and desire is a positive fear; it is rajas and tamas working together and comes with the territory of being human. The kind of fear you are experiencing is what we call free-floating anxiety, and it is not helpful, but it is unavoidable until the doer is negated and all binding vasanas rendered non-binding through Self-knowledge. Fear and worry are built-in for the jiva because the environment it lives in (including the body) is always changing and the jiva is not in control of the objects. Security is the primary motivation for most jivas – the futile attempt to shore up protection from the vicissitudes of life.
As an inquirer or worldly person, it might be necessary to sublimate the fear vasana/samskara until Self-knowledge removes the ignorance anchoring it in the microcosmic causal body. This kind of renunciation is advisable if moksa is the aim and fear is a powerfully binding vasana. But this kind of renunciation is not denial. It is the understanding that nothing is gained by indulging this vasana, so you make a different choice every time the fear (or desire) arises, by sublimating the fear/desire with the opposite thought, with the karma yoga attitude.
All jivas are born in fear because they are born in ignorance. The ego is a fear-thought born of the belief in separation. Without Self-knowledge, most people are at the mercy of deeply rooted fear samskaras. Fear manifests in many variations and intensities, from mild anxiety to worry, from panic attacks to free floating anxiety which causes a non-specific unnamed existential fear or worse, dread. It is the constant (but often unnoticed) fear of things going wrong, of the next shoe to fall, of terrible, unavoidable loss.
Fear is another name for primordial beginningless ignorance, or Maya. It is the king of all vasanas – and it teams up with other similar and seemingly personal vasanas to form samskaras, meaning a conglomeration or complex of vasanas, having a common source and playing out differently for individual jivas, depending on their life story and vasana load.
The more user-friendly term for the fear samskara is “free-floating anxiety.” Existential fear is the “wound of humanity,” as I sometimes call it. It is the fear that causes knots in the solar plexus. It is sometimes called the fear of “being and becoming,” what the Christians call “original sin.” All religions have used this fear to their great advantage in recruiting believers and controlling them. The world of business has tapped into and mined this unconscious fear like an endless vein of gold. This macrocosmic fear is always present, yet hidden in the causal body, and it is looking for objects to attach itself to. It is related to “others.” It is the ultimate experience of duality, or “otherness,” separation.
Not everyone experiences it directly and acutely, although many do, without even knowing it much of the time. The skyrocketing number of people experiencing anxiety/panic attacks is testament to this. In most samsaris fear works out in petty mundane and indirect ways all day long, year after year, death of a thousand cuts. You can see the accretions in the faces of samsaris as they age, the exhaustion of existential suffering, the weight of the vasanas etched in faces inured to delusion, the mask of the (mostly) failed attempts to protect ourselves from the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death.
The fear-thought is reinforced at every turn in our society, though advertising, the media (only bad news sells after all) and of course through “entertainment.” The more violence or threat of violence in a book or a movie, the more it sells. It seems jivas are addicted to fear and are drawn to it like moths to a flame.
If fear takes over the mind, discrimination is impossible and so is dispassion (indifference to results), karma yoga. In this case, the knowledge that our true nature is unborn and undying awareness is totally covered up by this paralyzing fear. In other words, the mind is not available for self-inquiry.
You will notice that this ignorance is called “beginningless” ignorance. The implied meaning of this phrase is that it is not endless, because Self-knowledge ends personal ignorance (avidya) for good. It also ends fear for good. However, the nameless fear samskara is the greatest obstacle for many inquirers and the last to go for most. Self-realization is no guarantee that it has been rooted out. For most people, it disappears for a bit, then reappears, from which we can determine without doubt that fear is not real. Unfortunately, Self-realization is often not enough to slay the fear dragon for good. There is no quick easy fix if fear is playing out in the mind. The only solution is to apply Self-knowledge when it arises by taking a stand in awareness and practising the opposite thought: see the fear for what it is, only apparently real. Go into it, face it. LOVE IT.
Even if you don’t believe it is not real, fake it till you make it, because FEAR IS NOT REAL. It stands for: false evidence appearing real. The universal fear samskara forms a kind of background disturbance in the mind which is so prevalent and pervasive most of us have normalized it. We don’t even notice it is there anymore, yet it colours and distorts our every experience. And because there are so few truly fear-free people in this world, there is nobody to model for us what it is like to live free of the jiva, free of the causal body and free of fear. We don’t believe it is possible. For many, fear is considered “normal,” even smart. Cynicism and lack of trust is admired as the mark of a worldly, experienced person. The cult of the fear is legion, and many feed on it, like sharks in a feeding frenzy, gorging on the gore of darkness, tamas. Fear is a multi-multi-billion-dollar industry, and many worldly people profit greatly from it.
Stress, the seemingly more benign form of fear, is also ever-present (but mostly unseen) and is a more common by-product of this very deeply rooted fear samskara. Usually, vasanas will exhaust themselves after a while, even though they inevitably return, but this one, this unnamed fear samskara, is constantly “on.” Everyone identified with being a person (not Self-realized) is affected by it to some degree. For those who are Self-realized but not Self-actualized, this unnamed fear will come and go, depending on the assimilation of knowledge and the level of qualification of the inquirer. As the Self, it doesn’t bother you at all of course, even if it should arise, as existential fear is over for you. A free person sees the program of fear playing out and does not identify with it, because they are trigunaatita, beyond the gunas. One needs to pounce quickly on fear-thoughts because they are very sneaky.
Observing the mind and how samskaras play out in the light of Self-knowledge is the main step towards rendering all vasanas non-binding. What this entails is tracking the mind and see what the trigger was for the disturbance/agitation, what guna was in play and what value underpinned the guna. All three gunas are very predictable. Ignorance works the same way every time, so it should not be difficult to track the origin of the thought, assuming some ability to be objective. Sometimes though, when it comes to deeply entrenched samskaras like the fear samskara, it can take repeated observation and determination to render non-binding because it is so hidden, so camouflaged by Maya. It will strike when we are least prepared for it and take over the mind, unless we are extremely vigilant and Self-knowledge is firm.
The only protection from Maya is knowledge. Then the world is truly beautiful, and the fear of death is over because you know that everything you see in this shimmering chimera called life is already dead. Only you, the Self, are alive, and because of you everything seems to shine and live. You are the Existence that gives existence to existence. You are the Light that makes light shine. You are the Life that bestows life. You are the desire that is not opposed to dharma.
What we need to realize is that there is not a single thing in our lives that deep samskaras such as fear do not affect. Like bacteria, the effect of ignorance creeps in everywhere, causing inflammation and dis-ease in the psyche; and in the body, which is an extension of the mind. The more fear you feel and feed, the more likely it is that the fear will express as illness and disease in the body-mind because the body is a print-out of the causal body, or the unconscious.
Thus samskaras will take time to go away. They will fade more quickly when they are fully understood. Applying the opposite thought works because it objectifies the fear, the anxiety or the stress, if one can remember to think the opposite thought when you are anxious, stressed and gripped by fear. Karma yoga is perfectly designed to destroy samskaras. However, the nature of rajas in expressing as the fear samskara is such that the tamas (denial, blindness) accompanying it causes us to feel that we do not have “time” to deconstruct the desire/fear on the spot, as fast as possible! Even the slightest delay or inability to deconstruct fear strengthens the samskara, quite a sobering thought.
In the heat of the moment, the doer forgets that it is now an inquirer and that it is supposed to free the mind of worry/fear through Self-knowledge, not to get the object in the world, whatever it is. The mind thinks that the results of action will heal the body and free the mind, which they will, temporarily, leaving the fear samskara carefully concealed and intact, however. The doer acts to correct the situation instead of turning around and correcting the thinking behind it.
To ameliorate the effect of a samskara, it is very effective to dismiss the present thought by taking the line of reasoning it represents to its logical conclusion, thus defusing the power of the samskara in the moment. For instance, when fear thoughts regarding your jiva story arise appear in the mind, ask yourself: What is the worst thing that could possibly happen? And why am I so afraid of that outcome?
But then the doer/ego will immediately try to prevent this logical thought alternative because doing is the key to the maintenance of its identity as someone in control of his or her destiny. But renunciation of karma causes another problem for the doer. It presents the scenario it was trying to avoid in the first place: no control. What most humans fear most is not being in control, and yet they are NEVER in control to begin with! See the fear. If the doer actually analyzed the root thought, the whole problem would go away instantly.
If the fear samskara is doing the thinking, that is the worst alternative: “What if?” and off it goes worrying. Fear is sometimes smart. At some point in the life of the doer, worry is self-validating. It equals love for the doer. It means I care about myself. But it is a purely samsaric value. If one encounters a terrible fear of any kind, dismiss it immediately. Reaffirm the opposite thought: “No bad result, I am awareness.” If you cannot dismiss it, love it.
But fear is hard to love.
The best mantra is “Nothing can go wrong.” Nothing ever went “wrong,” because life is not about me getting what I think I want. It is about the me that does not want. If you don’t want anything, what is there to fear? The only cure for a bad attitude is a good attitude. There so many good thoughts available to remove the fear in any situation, but attachment to the doer make them all unpalatable. The renunciation-thought is particularly difficult for the doer because it indicates a failure to get what it wants the way it wants it when it wants it. It can’t stand that thought, because the “I am the Self” thought does not actually sustain it when it is faced with various everyday situations that involve loss or the fear of loss.
A happy life for the jiva is all about thought-and-emotion management. The mind is our primary instrument for knowing anything. It is so powerful, it has the unique capacity to convert heaven into hell and hell into heaven. A person with every convenience can feel miserable and tortured, and a person weighed down with so many problems can feel totally happy and peaceful. The quality of our life is dependent on this powerful organ, the mind. Isvara has given us an exquisite instrument with which to experience life, but it has a serious drawback inherent in its nature, which prevents most of us from experiencing the joy of our true nature as awareness.
The serious drawback of the mind is that, without our permission, the mind generates continuous involuntary thoughts we have no control over. With or without our involvement, the mind, which is supposed to be our instrument – we are the owner— acts on its own, of its own volition. The mind is supposed to, and can, produce deliberate thoughts of our own choosing, but unless we understand it and know how to manage it (meaning the gunas), its nature is to produce and churn out thoughts continuously. It is simply a machine, and this is how it is made.
If fear-thoughts dominate the mind, they will come at you in every form, from ill health to dreams, from people to situations. The mind can even externalize them into psychic entities that can appear very real indeed, and evil, malevolent. Fear will be everywhere, ever-present. All the gunas build on themselves, so the more rajas (projection) and tamas (denial), the more fear, the more fear, the more rajas and tamas, on and on. It is no wonder samsaris wear themselves out with existential exhaustion.
Managing the mind means managing the gunas, and vice versa. There’s no magic to Vedanta. Vedanta shows us that the mind is our primary instrument for experiencing, realizing and actualizing ourselves in this world. It all boils down to owning your mind as your primary instrument, and repeatedly and consistently reconditioning it with thoughts that are true; in other words, that produce peace of mind. Any seeming failure to realize or actualize ourselves or to have a peaceful life is only due to lack of knowledge and incorrect thoughts that dominate the mind/emotions/intellect. The simple solution is re-conditioning the mind with chosen thoughts that are aligned with the truth and based in Self-knowledge. This is called volitional – deliberate – thinking.
When skilfully managed, the mind will produce peace of mind and allow us to express and enjoy the beauty that we are in our day-to-day life, no matter what life dishes out to us. When you feel bad, for any reason, you can convert your emotional distress/fear and mental agitation into gratitude and peace through managing the gunas with volitional thinking. This entails watching out with hawk’s eyes for the habitual emotional thought patterns dominating your mind and creating your negative state of mind and suffering, and transforming those thought patterns into new thoughts of your own choosing.
4. Your thoughts/emotions don’t come from you, they come from the three gunas. Make sure you understand what they are.
8. Change those thoughts and the actions they produce by conditioning new chosen thoughts into your primary instrument. Apply karma yoga to every thought, word and deed.
7. Relax, stop worrying, as your primary instrument automatically serves your highest values in your day-to-day life, no matter what unfolds.
I know it sounds easier than it is, but if we want to be free of suffering, there is no other way. Vedanta offers you the complete knowledge of reality, along with moksa. It may not be a magic pill for the ego, because it does not inoculate the jiva from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but it does free us from identification with the suffering jiva, which makes all the difference in the world. You are on the Vedanta bus, trust it to take you where you need to go, remembering that the steps to get “there” are the qualities of being there, and there is no there to get to. | 2019-04-20T23:13:19Z | http://www.shiningworld.com/site/satsang/read/3594 |
Each person that participates in the Arlington Heights Youth Athletic Association Softball League must conduct themselves within a certain standard of conduct as outlined by the Arlington Heights Youth Athletic Association Softball League.
Therefore, it is justified to assume that all adults participating, including scorekeepers, umpires, fans, coaches, and managers, would set high standards of conduct for themselves.
Managers and coaches in particular, working almost daily with the players must have a moral obligation to be leaders in every respect.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Your attitude towards umpires, other managers and coaches and other teams are picked up by our youth as the golden rule of competition. It is also picked up by the parents and coaches of your team. Please set the right example.
But win or lose, I will always do my best!
The umpires are the representatives of the league or organization by which they have been assigned to a particular game, and as such are authorized and required to enforce each section rule.
They have the power to order a player, coach, captain, or manager to do or omit to do any act which in their judgment is necessary to give force and effect to one or all of these rules and to inflict penalties as herein prescribed.
The plate umpire shall have the authority to make decisions on any situation not specifically covered in the rules.
When an injury occurs, the umpire must halt play immediately.
Good conduct applies to all Managers, Coaches, Bench Personnel, and all spectators.
We ask that all parents, adults and young adults at all games and practices remember to follow good judgment at all times around the children.
The purpose of our field conduct rule is to promote conduct that fulfills our commitment to our mission statement.
Please abide by this and be responsible for your actions in a positive fashion at all times.
During the game any discussions with the umpire shall be with one and only one participant from each team.
Make remarks which reflect upon opposing, players, coaches, spectators, or the umpire.
Intentionally disregard any of the rules of the game.
Object excessively, persistently or abusively by word or actions to any decision given by an umpire.
Demonstrate conduct unbecoming of responsible adults and the AHYAA organization.
Use Tobacco at any A.H.Y.A.A. game or practice.
Managers, coaches, players, other bench personnel and spectators shall be cautioned when exhibiting any of the inappropriate field conduct. A caution is a warning that the inappropriate conduct shall cease immediately and play shall continue.
The umpire shall stop play.
A caution shall be given to the manager, coach, player, other bench personnel or spectators committing the violation.
The umpire shall notify the team manager a caution is being issued and any repeat of any violation by any manager, coach, player, other bench personnel and spectators shall result in immediate disqualification of said person.
The manager shall be instructed to inform coaches, players, other bench personnel and spectators that a caution has been issued. The umpire shall allow no more than two (2) minutes for both managers to do so.
The umpire shall inform the manager, both scorekeepers, and other umpires of the caution before restarting play.
THE SCOREKEEPER SHALL NOTE THE CAUTION ON THEIR OFFICIAL GAME REPORT.
Exhibiting violent conduct or committing serious foul play in blatant and intentional disregard of the rules of the game including excessive objections to an umpire’s decision.
Any subsequent act of misconduct after having been cautioned.
A disqualification shall be given to the manager, coach, player, other bench personnel, or spectators committing the violation.
The umpire shall notify the team manager and coaches a disqualification is being issued.
The manager and/or coaches shall be instructed to inform players, other bench personnel or spectators that a disqualification has been issued. The manager and/or coaches shall instruct the disqualified person to leave the vicinity of the playing area immediately and is prohibited from any further contact, direct or indirect, with the team during the remainder of the game. Failure to comply shall result in forfeiture of the game. The umpire shall allow two (2) minutes for the team manager and/or coaches to do so.
The umpire shall inform the other manager, both scorekeepers, and other umpire of the disqualification before resuming play or of the forfeiture as appropriate. The SCOREKEEPER shall note the disqualification on the official game report.
When a disqualification takes place, the umpire must notify the umpire coordinator, chief umpire, and Director of Softball.
All personnel disqualified from the game must appear at the next regular A.H.Y.A.A. Softball Rules Committee Meeting (Softball Commissioner & Softball League Representatives) or a special meeting can be called to address the situation. If the disqualification is not deemed major, a warning will be issued. If it is deemed major, banishment for the remainder of the season may occur.
Multiple occurrences may result in removal from the league that season and/or beyond as determined by the board.
The playing field is normally described as the area bounded by straight lines extended from the backstop.
This affects rulings on overthrown balls, and “legal” catches of fly balls.
Ground or special rules establishing the limits of the playing field should be agreed upon by opposing teams whenever backstops, fences, stands, vehicles, spectators, or other obstructions are within the prescribed area. Umpire shall have the final decision after discussion with managers prior to start of game.
-shall take the field first in any given inning (top half of inning).
-shall occupy the third base side of the field.
No manager, coach, player, scorekeeper, or spectator is permitted to view the game from behind the backstop (i.e. directly behind home plate.) except Melas Park.
Limits for spectators and coaches shall start from the fence opening for each team. Batters are allowed to warm-up in a safe area behind the backstop.
Umpires parents may stand or sit behind the backstop.
The bat must be marked “Official Softball” by the manufacturer for Majors and Varsity.
CPS and Juniors do not require the bat be marked as “Official Softball” .
Umpires will check all bats prior to start of games and only those which they deem as legal shall be used in the game.
Illegal bat usage will deem the batter out and manager will be reported to the league.
Any willful destruction of league equipment will result in the responsible person being charged at retail price for the damaged equipment.
This includes league provided bats, helmets, masks, catchers gear, and/or other equipment.
Please treat the equipment like it was your own.
A shoe shall be considered official if it is made with either canvas or leather uppers or similar materials.
The soles may be either smooth or with soft or hard rubber cleats.
Helmet, mask, throat guards, chest protectors, and shin guards must be worn by catchers in all leagues (in CPS shin guards are not required).
All infielders (Pitcher, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS) must wear protective facemasks with NOCSAE certification.
For safety and the prevention of injury, casts, jewelry, such as wrist watches, bracelets, any earrings, and neck chains, or any other items deemed as dangerous by the plate umpire must not be worn during the game.
The managers should instruct all of their players not to wear any of the above to games so the umpires’ job will be made easier.
“Posts” and facial piercings are prohibited at all levels.
Helmets with facemasks and chin straps must be worn by all batters and runners while on the playing field and on-deck circle.
Coach Pitch Softball (CPS) will use a 10” safety ball.
Girls Junior League will use an 11” softball.
Girls Major and Varsity Leagues will use a 12” softball.
A regulation game shall consist of seven (7) innings in Majors and Varsity, (6) innings in Juniors, and will be timed in CPS.
At Melas Park, no new inning can start after 1 hour and 30 minutes after game start time and the game ends automatically (drop dead ending) at 1 hour 50 minutes from the game start time if there is a game to be played after.
Please shake hands with the other team and vacate dugouts so next teams can enter the dugout.
Teams of next game shall not enter the dugout until all equipment is removed from the dugouts by the previous games teams.
Next game players may do warm-up throws on the field time permitting.
Next game is to start within 5 minutes after managers/umpire meeting has concluded.
Batting practice shall be held in the deepest part of the outfield directed away from any on-going games or outside of the fenced area.
At no time shall batting practice be held at home plate or on the synthetic turf.
No new inning may start after 2 hours from game start time in Varsity.
No new inning may start after 1 hour 45 minutes in Juniors and Majors.
No new inning may start after 1 hour 15 minutes in CPS.
A full seven (7) innings (6 innings in Juniors) shall not be played if the home team is leading after the top half of the last inning is completed.
A game that is tied at the end of seven (7) innings (6 innings in Juniors) shall be continued by playing one additional inning until one side has scored more runs than the other at the end of a complete inning, or until the home team has scored more runs in their half of the inning before the third out is made. All games can end in a tie if both managers agree to end the game after regulation. International tie-breaker rules apply at all levels in extra innings.
Games continuing into extra innings when tied after regulation will use the International Tie Breaker rule.
The player that made the last out in the previous inning will be placed on second base and the batting order will continue as normal from the previous inning.
Each batter will begin with a one ball and one strike count (1-1). The rest of the inning continues as normal (3 outs to change sides, etc).
If time permits and there are no games after the extra inning game, the managers can agree to one additional inning in the event of a tie after the first extra inning.
A game is considered regulation after 5 complete innings (4 in juniors) if the visiting team is winning or after 4-1/2 complete innings (3-1/2 in Juniors) if the home team is winning.
All games stopped after these points will revert back to the last completed inning and the team with more runs will be declared the winning team.
For regular season games, if the specified amount of complete innings in each league is not met, the game will resume at the spot it was called by the umpire. Players that are missing for the makeup will not be considered an out in the batting order. Players not at the original game that attend the make-up will be placed at the bottom of the batting order and all innings played rules still carry over from the original game.
A regular season game having met the complete inning criteria can end in a tie if the game is called due to darkness or weather.
Once a game has started, it is the umpires’ responsibility to call a game at any time because of darkness, rain, fire, panic or any other cause that puts the players or patrons in peril.
If a game is called because of weather, the umpire should wait a reasonable amount of time before calling the game.
NO TEAMS SHALL PLAY OR PRACTICE IF LIGHTNING IS SEEN OR THUNDER IS HEARD.
TEAMS MUST WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES TO START AFTER LIGHTNING BEING SEEN OR THUNDER BEING HEARD AT A GAME OR PRACTICE.
If the home team is the leading or meets these run totals in any of these cases, the bottom half of the specified inning will not be played and the game is over.
If after the game has begun, one side refuses to continue to play, unless the game has been suspended or terminated by the umpire.
If after play has been suspended by the umpire, one side fails to resume playing within two (2) minutes after the umpire has called “Play Ball”.
If a team employs tactics designed to delay or hasten the game.
If after a warning by the umpire, any one of the rules of the game is willfully violated.
The umpire will forfeit the game if attacked verbally or physically by any team member of spectator.
If the weather is bad and the game can’t be played it is the responsibility of the home team manager to notify the other manager, the umpire, and the umpire coordinator / assignment chairman, not the umpire rescheduler.
If he or she fails to do this and the other team shows up with their manager and the umpire is there and the field is playable, a win by forfeit shall be awarded to the team present.
Every effort must be made to play the game (either on grass or an alternate field).
If the two managers cannot agree as to whether or not conditions are playable, the umpire shall make the decision to play or cancel.
No game is to be called off more than four (4) hours before the scheduled starting time.
Once the game is started, only the umpire can cancel or suspend the game.
When a game is to be rescheduled, the home team manager after consulting with the visiting team manager will contact the league representative who will assign a reschedule date and a field.
We ask that the managers have two agreed to dates/times to make up the game when they contact the league rep to reschedule.
All games changes must be approved by your league representative.
An inning will end when three (3) outs occur or after seven (7) runs (5 in Juniors) are scored.
Play stops on the 7th run (5th in Juniors).
Run limits apply in all innings, even the last inning.
There is never an inning where unlimited runs are allowed.
There will be a two (2) minute time limit between the third out and the first pitch of the next inning for all leagues.
Violations of this rule will be reported to the appropriate league representative for action.
Managers should prepare a line-up prior to the game to help the team know what position they are at the next inning.
A team must have the required number of players to start and play the game.
The minimum player requirement for Juniors, Majors and Varsity is six (6) players.
The minimum player requirement for CPS is five (5) players.
No unregistered participants are allowed and use of one shall be deemed a forfeit.
Junior, Major and Varsity League field a maximum of nine (9) defensive players.
CPS fields a maximum of ten (10) defensive players.
The 10th CPS player is a short-center fielder positioned behind 2nd base.
The 10th player is NOT allowed to play inside the base paths nor as a 4th outfielder.
CPS is allowed to borrow players from the opposing team if needed.
All girls, in all leagues, must play four (4) innings in the field per game, except when a girl is late for a game.
In Varsity, no player will exceed playing one inning more than a teammate(s) who played the least number of innings.
This rule does not apply if the game is canceled before four (4) innings are played.
A manager may keep a girl out of a game for disciplinary purposes but must notify the opposing manager prior to the start of the game.
Scorekeepers to keep record and home team scorekeeper is book of record.
There is free substitution in all leagues.
A player cannot exchange positions with another player within an inning unless there is an injury or pitching change.
A borrowed player is a player that meets each leagues qualification.
Junior teams can borrow other 3rd graders or 2nd graders from CPS.
Major teams can borrow 3rd or 4th graders from Junior teams.
Varsity teams may borrow 5th or 6th graders from Major teams.
A team cannot borrow the same player more than three (3) times in a season.
A borrowed player cannot pitch.
A team may borrow when their roster falls below ten (10) and may go back to, but not over eleven (11) players.
All borrowed players must play at least FOUR innings or the game will be forfeited.
A borrowed player cannot play more innings than any regular players.
All borrowed players must be put at the bottom of the batting order.
All regular players must bat before a borrowed player except when a regular player comes late.
All regular players must play in the infield before borrowed players.
1 inning in RF and 1 inning in LF equates to 2 OF innings.
In CPS, short-center is considered an infield position.
Lineups shall be provided to the opposing manager at the start of each game showing this rule is being followed.
Infractions will be reported to the league rep by the opposing team manager via email copying the other manager.
No player shall be out more than one inning at a time or three (3) total innings in any game.
A “courtesy runner” for the next half inning’s catcher is required. The last batted out will be used. This applies even with less than two outs.
The batting order in all leagues will be continuous, which means all players bat according to the batting order submitted to the other teams scorekeeper at the start of each game.
All players must bat before the line-up starts over.
All borrowed players must bat at the bottom of the batting order after regular team players bat.
A player coming late, anytime during the game, must be put at the bottom of the batting order.
This player is excluded as a regular player if you have borrowed players.
She does not have to play FOUR innings and must bat after any borrowed players.
She may play less than a borrowed player. Late is defined as after the first pitch.
Bunting is not allowed in Junior Leagues. EFFECT: Batter is out, ball is dead and any runners must return to the base they occupied at the time of the bunt. Major and Varsity Leagues will allow bunting. Slap hitting is allowed in all leagues.
Batters throwing a bat the first time in a game will be issued a warning. If the same batter throws a bat again in the game, the batter will be called out.
An uncaught foul ball that is hit after two (2) strikes in NOT an out.
Manager and coaches are required to refrain from verbally stating their opinion on whether a pitched ball was a ball or a strike, prior to the umpire’s call of the pitch. This includes any comments about the pitcher or about the pitch (“great pitch”, “looks good”, etc).
Similar restraint should also be made regarding out/safe calls on the bases. The intent of this rule is to allow for the umpire’s independent assessment of a call. Umpires have the authority to remove offenders of this rule from the playing field.
This is considered influencing/steering the umpire and is forbidden.
Drop 3rd strike rule will not apply in any League.
In all leagues runners must have at least one foot in contact with the base they occupy until the pitched ball reaches the front of home plate.
If a runner leaves earlier than this, the umpire will first warn the manager and if a second infraction occurs by the same team, play is stopped and the runner is out.
Leadoffs are not permitted in all leagues.
A baserunner may NOT advance from 1st to 2nd base after a pitched ball (in other words, they cannot steal 2nd base).
A baserunner may advance from 2nd to 3rd base after a pitched ball (in other words, they can steal 3rd base).
Overthrows by the catcher on an attempted steal will NOT result in advancement of the baserunner beyond the base they were advancing to.
Overthrows by the catcher beyond the pitcher are NOT considered a live ball in Juniors and baserunners cannot advance.
Under no circumstances will a baserunner be allowed to advance to home plate unless the batter puts a pitched ball into play.
After a ball is hit into fair territory by the batter and a defensive players throw to the 1st baseman goes past the 1st baseman and into foul territory, the ball is dead and play shall stop with no advancement.
After a ball is hit and the ball is not in the possession of a fielder outside of the basepaths, it is still in play and the ball is live. Play shall stop once a fielder has the ball in their possession inside the basepaths.
runners may steal 2nd and 3rd base each time they become a baserunner.
Overthrows by the catcher beyond the pitcher are considered a live ball in Majors and baserunners can advance one base at their own risk excluding home plate.
Under no circumstances will a base runner be allowed to advance to home plate unless the batter puts a pitched ball into play or the runner is forced home via a walk or hit by pitch.
there is unlimited stealing and base advancement on all overthrows until the umpire calls time to stop play.
When a defensive player has the ball or is making a play on the runner and the runner remains on her feet and crashes (this does not include minor incidental contact) into the defensive players, the runner is to be called out.
EFFECT: the runner is out, the ball is dead, and all other runners must return to the last touched base prior to the collision. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender may be ejected if the umpire so chooses.
NOTE: This is not a SLIDE rule though we encourage all players to slide when plays are close. The intent of this rule is to AVOID injuries.
If a fielder is not involved in making a putout impedes a base runner’s path to the next base, the runner is automatically safe at the next base (ie. it is the fielder’s obligation to get out of the runner’s immediate path).
This rule applies whether the interference was intentional or not.
There will be no stealing allowed by any team that is leading by eleven (11) or more runs in an innings (8 in Juniors).
Once the lead has dropped to ten (10) runs or less, stealing will be allowed. (6 in juniors).
The strike zone is from the batter’s highest shoulder to the knee, and over home plate.
A pitched ball dropping before or on home plate is to be called a ball.
We encourage all coaches to teach the players to swing to put the ball into play unless the ball is clearly out of the strike zone.
In Juniors, Majors and Varsity, a batter hit by a pitch is awarded 1st base even if the ball strikes the ground first. Play is stopped immediately upon a HBP and the batter is awarded 1B.
Please note, the batter needs to make an effort to avoid the pitch and the umpires should warn any teams not doing so.
In all leagues, if a pitcher hits two (2) batters in an inning, she must be removed from the pitching position for the remainder of that inning.
If a pitcher hits three (3) batters during the course of the game, she must be removed from the pitching position for the remainder of the game.
There shall be only one charged conference between the manager or other team representative from the dugout with each pitcher during an inning.
The second charged conference shall result in the removal of the pitcher from the pitching position for the remainder of the inning.
There is NO restriction on the number of times a pitcher can be withdrawn and re-enter the game except it cannot be done in the same inning.
Innings pitched need NOT be consecutive.
One pitch in an inning counts as an inning pitched by that player.
Extra inning games DO NOT extend these inning limits.
The pitcher will not deliver a “quick pitch”.
The pitcher will wait until the batter is in the batter’s box with both feet, is facing the pitcher, and ready to hit.
In the Junior League, any batter reaching 4 balls during an at-bat will have a coach from the batting team pitch up to three (3) additional balls to that batter.
The batter gets the three (3) pitches from the coach regardless of the number of strikes or balls thrown.
If the batter fails to put any of the coach’s pitches into play, they are called out.
If the batter hits the third pitch foul or hits a foul tip, the batter will get fourth pitch. This can be repeated on the fourth pitch only.
No more than four pitches are allowed.
Coaches that pitch are encouraged to throw strikes to promote putting the ball into play.
Coaches are to start no more than one foot in front of the rubber.
The pitcher must play defense behind the coach on the coaches glove side.
A.H.Y.A.A. encourages all players and coaches to teach, learn, and use official NSA fast pitch pitching rules.
However, to simplify our rules and to avoid on field conflicts between coaches/coaches and umpires, the following rules will apply to the pitcher set-up and delivery to the plate.
The pitcher shall take a position with both feet in contact with the pitching plate.
No foot can move out of contact and behind the rubber during the pitching motion.
Both feet must be within or partially within the 24” length of the pitching plate.
The pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitching rubber or remain in contact with the ground after release from the rubber, until the non pivot foot (front foot) touches the ground or when the pitch is released to the batter.
Any questions regarding pitching rules that are not covered above or in the Rulebook, should be addressed to your league representative not with the umpire during or just prior to the game.
· The ball remains live until the umpire calls “Time”.
· In Juniors, time will be called when the ball is in the possession of any fielder inside the base paths.
· In Majors, time will be called when the ball is in the possession of the pitcher inside the base paths.
· In Varsity, time will be called when the ball is in the possession of the pitcher within a ten (10) foot proximity of the pitching rubber.
· Runners that have crossed the halfway point between two (2) bases will be awarded the next base when time is called and no play is made on a runner.
· Runners that have not reached the halfway point will be returned to the previous base by the umpire.
· Umpires discretion applies and all judgments are final.
Infield fly rule will NOT be used in any leagues.
Foul pop-up to catcher: Any batted ball which goes higher than the batter’s head, if legally caught, the batter is out.
Foul Tip: A batted ball which goes directly from the bat, not higher than the batter’s head, to the catcher’s hands and is legally caught by the catcher is a strike and the ball is dead. However, if this occurs after the batter has two strikes, it is strike three and the batter is OUT.
Time is called by the umpire immediately and the ball is dead.
When such an errant throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by position of the runners at the time that ball was pitched.
In all other cases, the umpire shall be governed by the positions of the runners at the time the wild throw was made.
In Juniors, an infield ground ball overthrown at 1B results in no award of extra bases.
In CPS, no overthrows result in extra bases being awarded.
When a fielder loses possession of the ball, such as on an attempted tag, and the ball then goes out of play, enters a dead ball area or becomes blocked, all runners are awarded one base from the last base touched at the time the ball entered the dead ball area or became blocked.
Runners intentionally knocking a ball out of a fielders hand or glove with their open hands are to be called out.
When a fair ball bounds or rolls over, under or through a fence, or other obstruction marking the boundaries of the playing field, the ball is dead and all the base runners are awarded two bases from the time of the pitch.
Any equipment thrown at a ball, such as a hat or glove, and hits a batted ball, will be ruled a ground rule triple. If the equipment doesn’t hit the ball, the play goes on as normal.
In Junior, Major, Varsity Leagues when a caught foul fly is unintentionally carried out of play, runners will not be entitled to advance and the ball is dead.
The chalk foul line is fair territory. If any part of the ball is touching the foul line, it is a fair ball.
If a fly ball is hit beyond 1st or 3rd base and lands on the chalk line, it is a fair ball.
Three (3) outfielders must begin at the start of any pitch on the outfield grass, even at Melas Park.
A protest cannot be filed if it is based solely on an umpire judgment.
Protesting a game is a last resort and is applicable only to a stated rule.
Misinterpretation of a playing rule.
Failure of an umpire to apply the correct rule to a given situation.
Failure to impose the correct penalty for a given violation.
Call time BEFORE the next pitch.
If no agreement comes about, the protesting manager informs the umpire and the opposing manager of the protest.
Umpire shall sign both scorebooks and tell scorekeeper to mark that point. (Noting outs, runners on base, count on batter, and score of game).
This protest must be filed in writing within 24 hours to the Director of Softball.
Date, time, and place of game.
Names of umpire and scorekeeper.
The decision and conditions surrounding the making of it.
All essential facts involved in the matter protested.
Protest invalid and the game score stands as played.
Protest is allowed for misinterpretation of a playing rule – the game is replayed from the point at which the incorrect decision was made with the decision corrected.
When a protest is allowed for ineligibility, the game shall be forfeited to the offended team. | 2019-04-18T22:34:09Z | http://ahyaa.org/Page.asp?n=68919&org=M.M.M.M.AHYAA.ORG |
Needless to say, I'm still on something of an old school kick. I've been reading old modules and swimming in nostalgia. I am planning on running some old school games when I can get enough time and players and so I have been looking to some old favorites. One such module that I have recently enjoyed revisiting is L2: The Assassin's Knot, by Lenard Lakofka. This adventure is written for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) and set up for 6-10 PCs of levels 2-5, with the party totaling at least 20 levels.
L2 is the second module in the L - Lendore Isles series. L1: The Secret of Bone Hill is the module before this one. L2 is followed by L3: Deep Dwarven Delve (found only in TSR Silver Anniversary Collector's Edition) and L4: Devilspawn. There is also a Companion (L4C: The Lendore Isles Companion). L1-3 were all part of Len Lakofka’s home setting and were officially added to the World of Greyhawk campaign setting by TSR/WotC, while L4 and L4C: The Lendore Isles Companion were published in pdf format at Dragonsfoot.
Caution!! If you will be playing this adventure do not read any further as this review contains spoilers!!
This adventure takes place in the small town of Garrotten, which is located approximately 18 miles south of Restenford (the town location in L1: The Secret of Bone Hill). The Baron of Restenford is dead and all clues point to nefarious plans in Garrotten. The party is contacted (in Restenford) and tasked with finding out who murdered the Baron and to bring that person back to Restenford for the dispensation of justice. The death of the Baron is threatening to throw the entire region into political chaos.
The Baron was found strangled, but his bedroom was locked from the inside. There are no signs of forced entry, but three clues have been left behind. The three clues point to three strangers that were spotted in Restenford on Sunday. Guards recall seeing each of the three men enter town separately, but none of them were seen leaving (though they are obviously gone). The three men are easily identifiable as residents of Garrotten.
Garrotten has a bad reputation as an apparent hive of scum and villainy and the NPCs for this adventure bears this out! There is suggestion of an assassin’s guild having power in the town, but no real proof. The party must go investigate, following the clues as presented, and figure out what the heck is going on in the small town of Garrotten.
It turns out that a mentally ill canon of a church in Restenford hired an assassin to kill the Baron. Simultaneously, the leader of the assassin's guild in Garrotten has decided to seize power in the region. This leads to the framing of three different innocent individuals in Garrotten and much confusion as to motive. It weaves a tight little knot that is exacerbated by the lack of knowledge held by many of the guild members. The party, if astute enough to pick up on some important clues, can figure it out easily enough, but whether or not they do it in a timely manner could make a huge difference to the region.
At the time of its publication (1983) this module broke the mold of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) adventures, and it still does to some extent. The adventure is based entirely on solving the mystery of the murder of the Baron of Restenford. Garrotten has several interesting NPCs for the party to interact with, and the module places a time limit on the party’s activities. The success or failure of the party has consequences throughout the region and will set the tone for this area for the foreseeable future. Like L1, this module plots out an entire town that can easily be used elsewhere in a DM’s home setting.
Mystery: The Assassin’s Knot is the perfect title for this module because it accurately describes the activity behind the initial murder. A thick knot of intrigue and backstabbing is occurring right under the noses of the party and the townfolk not in the know about the assassin’s guild. The module gives the DM plenty of details about each major NPC and what that person knows and doesn’t know. It also presents a few alternative ways for the PCs to obtain information if they do not find it at the first opportunity, but not nearly enough to make the DM's job easy. As a result the DM has to know this module very well to run it efficiently and effectively as written. Of course, there is enough variety here for the DM to change the motivations of some NPCs and therefore change the outcome of the module; to tie a different knot, so to speak.
Time Constraints: The module comes with a built in timeline that describes certain pre-set events. As the week wears on and events unfold, the gravity of the situation should become clear to the party and they will (hopefully) step up their search for the killer and get some results!
Interesting Town and NPCs: Most homebrew settings, and many published campaign worlds, are populated with small towns that remain un-described until a party of PCs ride into town. This is an area where the DM could use an easy to use town and Garrotten could do the trick. Included here are several NPCs that could, with only slight tweaks (name and alignment mostly), could be dropped into any small town in many different settings.
Consequences: If the party is planning on making this area (Lendore Isles) a home-base of sorts, they should be extremely concerned with the consequences of the events unfolding in L2. Whether or not they discover everything that needs to be brought to light, and how the region reacts, is of great importance. In fact, it could mean the difference between the party being locally respected or completely exiled from the area. In other words, this module sets up a nice place for the party to spend their off-time, make a name for themselves, and recuperate from various adventures in the future. It could even become a place where one might decide to build a stronghold in the future.
The module is split into six main parts. The first of these is a general outline of the plot of the module, some basic instructions for the DM, and a review of the general area (3 pages total). The second section describes the town of Garrotten, along with an entry for each building in town (5 pages total).
Since the players will most likely take the obvious route of wanting to speak to the three NPCs seen in Restenford, the module spends a lot of space on describing the places where the party will find those three. Therefore, the next three parts describe the The House of Abraham (the inn; 5 pages), the Church of Osprem (3 pages), and The Theater of the Mystic Celebration (2 pages), where they find Abraham d’Farmin (the innkeeper), Harper (the high priest), and Balmorrow (the bard), respectively. Each section includes a keyed map to the establishment, descriptions of each room, extensive instructions regarding who can be found there, how they act, and what they know, and stats for each person involved. The last part of the module gives the same treatment to the Castle, where the mayor lives and, if any occurs, where a large portion of the fighting action will take place in this module (11 pages).
The final two pages describe 3 new magic items and the pre-generated characters for use with the module, along with an overland wilderness map of the area. Add the front page and you have 32 total pages packed with information. In fact, this module if one of the more densely packed ones put out, perhaps just because the nature of the adventure requires the DM to know and remember so much of the information in intimate detail.
Town Table: Along with a map of Garrotten, the module includes a town table that gives the DM an at-a-glance view of the town occupants. This table includes which building a typical person is likely to be found in or near and any stats needed. This is an excellent tool that could be utilized in another campaign by an enterprising DM.
Mystery: I like the fact that this is a mystery based adventure - rare thing in a D&D module even now.
Consequences: As stated before, the fact that there are consequences for not getting to the bottom of the story quickly, and that these consequences could affect the long-term livelihood of the region (and the PCs) is a wonderful thing.
Maps: This module has many maps and keyed areas. Being a map lover I think this is a great thing, and the maps here are generally well done and certainly functional.
Role-Playing: Since this module relies upon the interaction between PCs and NPCs to move forward, it necessarily requires a lot of role-playing. This may be a good or bad thing, depending on your group. I consider it a good thing overall, even in a group not accustomed to more talking than fighting, it can be a great experience. Some players may miss the combat heavy adventure, and for them you can add in a few combat encounters if needed (e.g. the octopus in the lake, page 4), though this does have consequences for the group’s timing. Also, DMs may need to learn how to provide clues in-character versus just telling the players what NPC1 told them.
Evil Town: Since the main motive of the murder is a bid for power in the region by the assassin’s guild, it is obvious that many of the NPCs dealt with will be evil in nature. In fact, there are 9 (according to the town table) or 13 (according to the guild roster on page 3) stated members of the guild, and they feature prominently in the plot to derail the party’s investigation. This is a good thing in terms of story, but it makes me wonder about the regular residents of the town. Given the horrible reputation that Garrotten apparently has, why do the non-evil residents not suspect anything? They ignore the rumors about their homes and places of business?
According to the town table, there are 110 men, 56 women, and 80 children in residence. This is not a large town... I can understand residents not wanting to admit, or just being in out-right denial, about the guild but... I don’t know. I guess this could be explained by alignment. Of course all guild members are of Evil alignment, but most of the statted non-guild characters are neutral. In fact, I can’t find a single good aligned person in town. It seems a little excessively un-good to me. I can't decide if it makes sense or is a bit unreasonable.
I suppose this could be an opportunity for the DM to use the townsfolk in any way that he/she pleases. It could be that the townsfolk are happy that the guild wants more power since that might bring prosperity to the area. It is equally reasonable to think that the townsfolk are disgusted by the evil acts of the guild, but are either fearful of the guild, or do not know what action to take against the guild.
Mystery: Yes, this is a good thing and a bad thing. What do you do if a party doesn’t find the clues needed to put together the story and figure it all out? A few tips and alternatives are in the text, but they aren’t extensive and they aren’t highlighted in any way. If you take the information I stated above about the random townsfolk, you could easily add a new NPC into the mix to help out the party - the motive of the NPC may be formed by their previous interaction with guild members. This takes a bit of work though, and it may just muddle and confuse things even more. In fact, the whole mystery chain of events is a bit confusing at first and I recommend the DM planning to run this make a flowchart style graphic that can be used as a guide during the game. Unfortunately this could inadvertently put a linear spin on the adventure, but that is the danger of writing a mystery-based D&D module.
Motivation: In order to give the PCs motivation to really find out what is happening and why, they need to care about the region and know something about it. This is assumed in the module and, as such, it doesn’t make for a very good one-shot adventure. Don’t get me wrong, it can be run as an interesting crime mystery one-shot with money as the main motivation for PC involvement, but it won’t be as interesting. This module cries out for the party to be invested in the area and it will work best and be much more memorable if the PCs are based in the region.
I really enjoyed re-reading this module and it was much more understandable now than it was when I was much younger. With my experience nowadays I feel that I could run this module very well, flesh out the NPCs, make the region memorable to the players, and start a lasting campaign in the area. But this is due to my experience with mysteries and investigative RPGs and not due to the module itself. This adventure may be difficult to pull off by a newer DM; success is very possible due to the details given, but there may be much frustration for the DM.
The town is very well done and with a little tweaking can be placed just about anywhere. I like that about this module and am amazed that more adventure writers don’t find it worthy to spend a few pages fleshing out important towns for a module. There are many examples where an adventure would be greatly improved by providing just this sort of information.
L2 is well written overall, but it is left to the DM to really flesh out the town (as is to be expected). This is usually not a problem, but when the adventure relies upon the party sussing out hidden information kept by NPCs, it can be a difficult run.
At the very least I recommend aspiring DMs read this module. It walks the fine line between the standard linear D&D hack and slash dungeon crawl and the more open-ended mystery investigation style seen in much of the work done for CoC.
Yeah, absolutely Sam. Our group would have made a mess of this back in the 80s but it never got played. I re-read it a couple of years ago and enjoyed the attempt to make it a non-traditional adventure. The experince I've gained would make it much easier to run, and allow me to fill in any plot gaps missed by the players.
The problem of a whole town being "evil" is not addressed well. You could down play the "evil" reputaion of the town without any trouble, as all the leads points to that town anyway... It doesn't seem that smart for a secret assassin's guild to out itself and openly align with a new ruler, but then history is written by the winners afterwards, I suppose. If the higher authority is still receiving their taxes / tithes would they care who is in charge of the town?
I agree - and it was obvious to me with this read, but I don't remember feeling that it would be easy back in the early 80s (I was also really young).
It doesn't seem that smart for a secret assassin's guild to out itself and openly align with a new ruler, but then history is written by the winners afterwards, I suppose. If the higher authority is still receiving their taxes / tithes would they care who is in charge of the town?
True, and this was the train of thought that made me question what the other residents of the town were thinking about having such a bad reputation.
I didn't say it in the review, but the mayor of Garrotten is either the first or second in command (I can't remember which) of the assassin's guild. So, I suppose the bid for power and outing themselves isn't such a bad thing for the guild per se, but one would think that having an active assassin's guild openly running things in an entire region would attract attention - both good and bad. Evil characters may come to the region looking for a quick way to make money in an already corrupt place, where their crimes may not be readily noticed. And good characters may decide to travel to the region and rid it of the corrupted evil that has taken hold.
Even now I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. What it comes down to, I suppose, is that if I were going to put this region in my campaign I would be pleased with all the different ways I could have it go.
Great review! I remember running this way back in middle school and it being really cool but also falling apart at the table.
This sounds like an excellent module. I'm nearly certain I have L1 in my inherited collection. How well does this module tie in with the first one?
Very well if you are playing a campaign that is based in the Lendore Isles. Given that, the tie in is easy since the players would most likely have made Restenford their homebase due to the events in L1: The Secret of Bone Hill. Since this module involves a plot to assassinate the leadership of both Restenford and Garrotten, it ties in really well.
If the players aren't making Restenford their homebase, the tie-in is still possible, but much less interesting. This is because the players won't have an emotional connection to either town and, other than getting hired to find out what is going on, there would be very little motivation.
Anyone willing to GM this via PBF?
I'm thinking about running this with my (face to face) group in the near future. Problem is I'm always the GM and never get to play. I'm trying to train some of them to GM (they are teenagers) but I kind of want to get the full impact of an experienced GM on this on if anyone is willing.
I'm open to any version of D&D. I am most familiar with AD&D2, but recently started playing Pathfinder. | 2019-04-22T14:09:07Z | https://rpggeek.com/thread/673767/knot-plot-mystery-add |
Choosing an apartment remains to be a personal responsibility, and if one wants their desires to be fully accomplished then they have to choose an apartment that they will feel comfortable in. If you are interested in choosing the kind of apartment that will fulfill your needs then the first thing to do is knowing your priorities first.
There are many things that you should put in mind when choosing an apartment, the flexibility to relocate to that place, if it is an area that you can easily move in or if heir are obstructions. The rent paid is of essential since it may be manageable or unmanageable and thus you have to confirm how much the rent is and the mode of payment before you can choose the apartment. In some cases the kind of rent that is charged does not match the quality of the apartment therefore if you are not keen you might end up living in an apartment that does not fit your needs but at a costly price. Security is a critical thing that should be prioritized before getting to an apartment and the kind of neighborhood at that place should also influence your choice.
The appearance of the apartment should also matter since attractive people will always impress people. You should always consider things like the proximity to your work, public vehicles and shopping highways, if you will have an easy access to those services. When you get the priorities of the apartment then you can go ahead and make a list of the apartments that you are interested in and that fit your priorities. It is easier to know about the rentals that have picked and this can be down by picking a rental guide or visiting the website. If you spot an apartment then you contact them and ask some questions concerning the requirements that you have noted down. If the apartments are able to fulfill your requirements then you will have to tell them when you will be moving in and when you will be paying the agreed amount.
After choosing an apartment get the directions and show up for the appointment. When you get there for the appointment then you should be keen of the surrounding and the interior part if they are favorable for your stay. It is important to inquire if there are any special offers in the case you pay your rent early enough.
Everyone struggles with their own problems. You can find many professionals willing to help you in your problem.
Counseling enables to guide you through all your struggles.
Paving a way for you to hone your problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities.
You get to improve on yourself and your relationship with others as well.
Here is a list of factors you should take note of in picking a counselor. Check out the list below.
You can ask the internet for recommendations. Testimony from other clients gives you the information you need for credibility.
To narrow down your choices, go for those within your locality. Inquire about the recommended professionals from your peers.
You should set up a personal meeting to get to know your service provider better. You might want to ask about experiences and their license. Know all about the price tag and the different services that they cater.
Do not limit yourself, instead consult a few professionals in order to distinguish which ones are the best for you. You should compare the options available for you before you decide on who your counselor is.
Given that you know the advantages as well as finding the right professional better consider counselor today. Take time in choosing a suitable professional for you. You should consider all the factors and take time in evaluating each one before you arrive at a decision.
So what are waiting for make sure that you find your ideal counsel to help you address your needs and help you repair your relationship.
Tell your family and friends about what you have learned in this article especially those who are in a rough patch lately so that they would be able to consider a counselor. Waste no more seconds and start searching for a suitable counselor today!
Your dental care is a very important aspect of your life. You need to work towards providing your family with the best dental care they can get. To do this, you need to find the best dentist that will meet the needs of your loved one. It is not very easy to find a good dentist since the industry is full. You need to know how to find the best dentist. Consider the factors below when looking for the best dentist for your family.
You can inquire from your friends to find the right dentist. Friends are the best medium to get the best service providers. You should ask your friends, who have ever visited a dentist, For the referrals of good dentists around. You need to know about the experience of working with the dentist that is being pointed your way. You need to be careful about who you are asking for referrals from since there are friends who will mislead you. To find the best dentist out of the referrals, you need to make a call to every dentist.
You should also consider the experience of the dentist you are choosing. When it comes to your family’s oral health you need to consider the experience. If you choose the most experienced dentist you will be able to receive the best results. You need to know how many clients the dentists has served before you. You should not be afraid to ask the dentist how many of your cases he or she has handled.
You should put into consideration the amounts charged by the dentist for the services offered. Each dentist has his prices for services offered. You need to have a list of every dentist you can find and compare the prices. During your comparison, you will find those who charge higher than the rest. You should be able to find dentists who provide services at affordable prices. You should also ask if the services can be paid for using your insurance cover.
To find the right dentist, you need to read reviews and testimonials from the past and present patients of the dentist you are planning to choose. You will have no problem making the right decision when you choose to read reviews from other patients. You will know the results of choosing the dentist by reading the reviews. You can be able to find the reviews on the website of the dentist. To find the right dentist you need to consider the factors listed above.
When it comes to advertising agencies, you can choose from a number of them. You have to take certain things into consideration when looking for one. But then, the most important question before hiring advertising agencies is if you really need to hire this kind of agency. This is a thought to ponder since the internet and new technology are two of the reasons why regular people can make their own marketing strategies and advertisements. A lot of organizations such as Google have gone great lengths in order for individuals such as yourself to be given the right tools that you need without charge. Nevertheless, hiring their services is beneficial to you, and below are the benefits of hiring an advertising agency.
One of the reasons why you should hire an advertising agency is creativity. This is one of the reasons why people look for advertising agencies and why they change agencies. Surely, there is no denying that you can sort your own creativity in making the advertisements that you want. But then, the kind of creativity that you get from advertising agencies is just different than on your own. There is sparking of creative ideas in these agencies that is why they are able to work on cutting edge campaigns as well as diverse accounts.
There is also a critical mass in the creative people who are behind these advertising agencies. As the client, you will be presented with individuals who have different creative skills who can work with you and your advertising goals. They can create a logo design for you or a business card as well as create and design social media campaigns. Creativity is overflowing among those who work in these advertising agencies.
It is only with advertising agencies that you get both insight and experience in one. There is no agency that can work in a vacuum. These advertising agencies come with experienced individuals who can apply what they can offer to your industry that you are a part of and reuse effective campaigns that have worked for them. Not only can they provide adequate knowledge of best practice but also teach valuable lessons coming from their mistakes and what your competitors may be up to.
Lastly, an advertising agency can offer you speed and flexibility and let you save money. These agencies are trained at responding quickly to whatever changes are out there that you demand. Saving more of your money can also be done when you hire them in enabling you to avoid costly mistakes. Because of the associations with suppliers that established advertising agencies have, they can provide you project timescales and quality to the best of their ability. You can even expect to enjoy what media discounts and bulk buying they can get.
Buying costumes online benefits in that you have many stores to buy compare. In addition, it is times conscious. However, there are disadvantages because of the low regulation in regard to online businesses. You should be cautious when deciding on an online costume store. You should use the guidelines expounded in this article.
Consider the costume varieties at a store. Costumes can be divided into various categories, for example, pets’, kids’ men’s, and women’s. There are more sub-categories of these categories depending on how you intend to use them, for example, ethnic, horror, occupation, fantasy, and clothing pieces. Also, you may be clear on the material, size, design, color, and brand of your intended costumes. Choosing a costume store stocking a wider selection eases your task of choosing every costume you need. In addition, the costumes you acquire are of the same quality.
Ensure you only list stores that are popular. When acquiring costumes online, you should be very careful because a big number of stores are established with the main agenda being to rip clients off. Such stores display costumes they do not have only to get your money. After you have paid, they will give varying excuses until you will let go or deliver costumes whose quality is low. To ensure you get back the value for the money you part with when acquiring costumes, ask from trustworthy people as well as research online.
Make sure you view the website of a store. A costume store’s website has much to help you make an informed choice. Check location to know where to find a costume store in case there are delays with your order. Ensure you check the purchase and return policies to make sure you are supplied with the costumes you order without having to wait for very long. Customer reviews are helpful in pointing the areas in which the store will deliver you satisfaction. By being keen on prices, you will be in a position to compare it with what other stores charge hence knowing the most reasonable price.
Make sure third-party reviews and rating are paid attention to. There are numerous sites allowing clients to give feedback on how it was for them buying costumes at a store. Unlike the comments on the website of a costume store, these reviews have much to tell on the satisfying and dissatisfying side of a store. Moreover, be keen on the rating of a costume store. A suitable costume store will attract positive remarks as well as be rated with the highest number of stars. However, caution should be taken to only check sites that are reputable or else one makes a decision relying on filtered information.
What are the Benefits of Hiring the Best Website Design and SEO Service?
One who owns a business might know that the work of starting up the business was only the beginning, and now, he or she has to work very hard to make it grow and succeed. One thing that you must make sure to do is to make sure that you keep up with all of the changes in marketing, as it is through successful marketing that you can really see growth in your business. An excellent way to do this, then, is to find and to hire the best company you can find that offers you with a package that includes SEO services, digital marketing, website design, and so on. When you find and hire a company like this, then, you can be sure that you will not regret it, as this company will give you a lot of benefits to gain, all of which are wonderful and satisfying altogether.
Many great things can be gained when you hire a company like this, one of the best of which is that you can have a custom designed website that helps you to stand out in the crowded online world. Every business is unique and has its own unique selling point, but getting this out to people can be more complicated than it seems. The good news is that it can be made easy when one has a customized website online, a website that is designed so that it shows the unique personality and the unique offers of his or her business.
Another reason why business owners should hire a company like this is because it will help them to get noticed a lot more online. Yes, having a unique website is really important, but it is hardly enough to let you enjoy the changes in your business that you desire, as when your website does not make it to the top pages of the search engine results, not a lot of people will be able to see it. You should make sure, then, that the custom website service that you hire also offers SEO services, as this will ensure you that what you have invested does not go to waste, and your website will come out on top, attracting many viewers.
The last but not the least reason why business owners should hire a company like this is because it promises them with more returns on investment than they have yet enjoyed. They will be happy to know that the fees required will be very affordable, and that they will soon get what they have invested back because they will be able to reach more clients.
Those who want to see an improvement in their businesses, then, should hire a company like this.
Continue reading to see and discover what to look for in the most trustworthy supplier of materials that will work best for your project within your local environs to enhance the elegance and value of your property beyond your imagination. This informative article will help you identify that most experienced supplier of your landscaping project materials and skills in your locality.
A professional supplier of materials understands that when you need mulch and gravel to use in your yard, you don’t have to buy in bags, they will supply your gravel and mulch in bulk and save you big bucks. All the mulch that the experts will supply you are green, natural and organically dyed for the safety of your pets.
With little creative innovations, you can change those drawbacks in your yard into attractive characteristic hardscapes that captivate your attention and that of your friends, family, neighbors, and guests. For instance, if you were to start with fire pits and outdoor fireplaces, even water features and outdoor kitchens, you will find that the leading supplier of all these materials in your town will avail them for you to use right when you need them and deliver them to your site.
Therefore the experts will provide you with the best and most beautiful rocks you need for your landscaping to keep the outdoors of your property so appealing. Installing new or remodeling pavements, patios, walkways, or driveways will add beauty and value to your home depending on the importance attached to the materials and professionalism that you used, to get the best of these two qualities, you must consult professionals. Above it all you’ll get all these needs met at an affordable price, and you will save on the shipment costs, since experienced suppliers are out to serve you with quality at your convenience while safeguarding your pocket.
Therefore these experts will provide you with some styles and ideas of stone veneers that are available and will transform your living spaces into masterpieces of beauty and glamour. These most significant and well-known landscape commercial and residential buildings materials suppliers in your local area have tirelessly served the people of your town for many years to perfect their art to a fault.
These are the homeowner friendly and your one-stop shop of construction materials that keep sustaining your supply needs. Sure enough they will assist you from the start of your project to its completion. | 2019-04-26T12:33:34Z | http://52duoai.com/page/2/ |
Two weeks ago, when I was writing my special commentary, “Armageddon Is Not What People Think” (https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/the-great-tribulation/armageddon-is-not-what-people-think-by-a-soul/), I felt it placed upon my heart that I write a commentary about the Abomination of Desolation. The fact was, in my research for my Armageddon commentary, I did a quick internet search on the Abomination of Desolation to find out what current Catholic teaching was on the subject. And in the process, I became shocked to learn that there are various interpretations of what the Abomination of Desolation might be, but there was no one definitive agreement accepted by the Catholic Church.
The reason this finding shocked me is because frankly, up until this moment in time, I thought everybody knew what the Abomination of Desolation spoken about in Holy Scripture was. In August 2016, I wrote an important commentary called, “The Warning And Its Aftermath – The Suffering of Purgatory as Penance for Sin” (https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/2016/08/10/the-warning-illumination-of-conscience-the-suffering-of-purgatory-as-penance-for-sin/) and in that writing, I wrote about how through a mystical experience, the Lord allowed me to witness the Abomination of Desolation while at Holy Mass. When I wrote that writing over two years ago, I did not explain what the Abomination of Desolation was, as I assumed that everyone would know what I was talking about. So, I was indeed shocked when I did a quick internet search two weeks ago and learned that there was no agreement on its meaning in the Catholic Church.
So then, I did a related search and realized that there are some matters of End Times prophecy that I need to write further on and explain. Not because I consider myself to be an expert or prophet—I am not—but, because I realized that sometimes, I have been assuming that people already know such details about the End Times, and yet, I may have been speaking above people’s heads.
The fact is, I would like people to know what I am speaking about—to be at least on the same common page, sorta speak. I realized that I need to define the meaning of certain things deeper and I do not want to leave anyone behind in understanding. I want everybody to “get it” and have their unspoken questions answered.
Now, that being said, this special commentary that I am about to write is based on my understanding and interpretation of Catholic prophecy. Unlike some commentaries that I have written this past year which were based on supernatural knowledge given to me by Heaven, this particular commentary is different. Although I did have the mystical experience of witnessing the Abomination of Desolation in 2011, so I know exactly what it is, for the most part, this commentary is based on my private study of Catholic prophecy. I have not received independent heavenly confirmation that my interpretations are correct, but I will share what I believe and leave it up to readers to decide for themselves if they agree.
But, at least, everyone will be on the same page with me!
The reason why the City of Jerusalem is so important in the End Times.
As Christians, we understand its obvious historical importance, but why is Jerusalem so prominent in End Times prophecy? Although many Christians know that Biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled before the Second Coming of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, most people do not understand why Jerusalem is so fundamentally important to God and the future of the world. So, I will attempt to answer the reason why God cares so much about Jerusalem and why all people should care about the fate of Jerusalem.
What exactly is the Abomination of Desolation according to End Times prophecy.
The rebuilding of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
I would like to address this thorny issue as there is currently a Islamic mosque on the site of where the Third Temple would need to be rebuilt according to many Christian believers prior to the Second Coming. I have some thoughts on this topic, which are not mainstream, but I want to share them for people to consider.
Now, I will be very open and frank about this. I am not well-versed in Biblical matters and I do not consider myself knowledgeable in Holy Scripture. The fact is, I read and ponder a lot of heavenly messages, but I do not scour Sacred Scripture engrossing myself in Biblical prophecy. So, I know a lot of prophecy, but that is because Heaven revealed it in messages that I believe in and not because I intensely study Holy Scripture. So, I cannot quote scripture passages all over the place supporting my interpretations, but I can quote Our Lord and Our Lady, which is exactly what I will do!
The fact is, up until a few years ago, if someone asked me why Jerusalem is so important, I would have answered, well, that is because Our Lord, Jesus Christ, died and resurrected there. But, beyond that, I would not have been able to answer the simple question of why Jerusalem is still important—still relevant—for today’s world. As a Christian, I know Jerusalem has important significance in fulfilling Biblical prophecy, but beyond that fact, I was clueless as to why people should generally care about this small city in the Middle East.
Thank God He rescued me from my ignorance! It was not until I found the messages of Locutions To The World that I had my “eureka” moment of realizing why Jerusalem mattered. Because Our Lord and Our Lady told us why in very clear and understandable language. Our Lord and Our Lady explained the Holy Bible passages that I was not reading to me. And so, while I still cannot quote exact scripture passages, I can first tell you plainly why and then quote Heaven’s messages to support why Jerusalem is so important in the Holy Eyes of God and why it still matters today to us.
Firstly, God promised the ancient Jews that peace to all the nations of the world would first come through Jerusalem, known as the “City of Peace” in Hebrew. This is a sacred covenant that God swore to Himself to always keep. Only when there is true peace found in Jerusalem, will true peace be then given and flow out to all the nations of the entire world. Thus, the entire peace of the world is solely dependent on the future of Jerusalem.
Our Lady has said that satan knows Holy Scripture well and that is why he is constantly focusing his attacks on the city of Jerusalem throughout history. satan is well-aware of the covenant that God swore to Himself regarding Jerusalem and that the fate of the peace of the world rests entirely on the future of Jerusalem. satan knows that if he can destroy Jerusalem, he will set back the Divine Plan for mankind and he can ultimately win the heavenly war.
The fact is, all people should care about the fate of Jerusalem—not simply Jews and Christians—because God has guaranteed the entire world His eternal peace through this sacred city. If mankind truly desires world peace, he must first seek it in Jerusalem.
Secondly, the shedding of all human blood is sacred to God and the blood of the martyrs sanctifies the place that it is shed making the land holy. This is why Rome is so holy—not because of the beautiful buildings—but because so many early Christians shed their blood to pass on the Christian faith to the future generations. And so, God honored the early Christians, St. Peter and St. Paul and so many others, their sacred shedding of blood with the living and breathing testament of the Catholic Church for two thousand years.
Yet, there is an even Greater Anointing of Sacred and Holy Martyr’s Blood by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Greatest Victim and Lamb of God found in the City of Jerusalem. By the Shedding of His Holy Blood, all future generations of mankind are to be blessed by God—all centered in Jerusalem. Rome is only a temporary home for God’s people. Jerusalem is the true everlasting home meant by Our Lord for His family.
satan knows that if he can destroy Jerusalem, he will destroy all the future generations of Christendom. By our weapons, we are the first generation capable of destroying all mankind and the earth. Our Lady has said that this generation that is currently living today in this world is the “hinge” upon which the fate of all future generations of mankind rests. It is this generation living today that will ultimately decide whether all future generations will live in everlasting peace, or will be lost and the Divine Plan ruined.
satan’s ultimate plan is to make earth another hell. What does that mean? Our Lady has revealed that it is a future in which every light of God is crushed and eliminated for all future generations of mankind. Our Lady has said that there are many future children of mankind still left to be born. But, if satan wins and makes earth the hell that he envisions, all of these children would have a future of hopelessness. The last lights of Christianity would have extinguished during this present generation irrecoverable according to the Divine Plan. No, the Resurrection of Christ would not be a myth. No, the situation would be much worse than that. No human child would even know how to dream of even such a possibility, because the Resurrection would be totally unknown and inconceivable by any human thought. satan’s future is one in which God does not exist and all human love lost. A continual slavery of future generations to utter hopelessness and utmost despair.
As I wrote in my recent commentary, “Armageddon Is Not What People Think” (https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/the-great-tribulation/armageddon-is-not-what-people-think-by-a-soul/), truly, Armageddon is not what people think it is. Yes, my friends, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, Is Returning to earth to this current generation, but only for the fact that God, Our Sweet Loving and Merciful Heavenly Father, cannot allow satan’s future to be realized for the sake of all these unborn children. The grave and immediate question, though, for those presently living on earth, is how close do we want to choose in meeting satan’s reality now for ourselves?
Now, as I stated in the commentary introduction, when I found out two weeks ago that there were so many varying interpretations for the Abomination of Desolation mentioned in Holy Scripture, I was shocked. Upon discovering this fact, I immediately realized many things. One, I realized why there is so much confusion today in the Catholic Church about End Times prophecy in general; and two, I realized why there is so much confusion among the Protestant Church about End Times prophecy.
The fact is, if everyone plainly knew what the meaning of the Abomination of Desolation is, that would resolve a lot of misunderstanding about the End Times and the antichrist in the entire Christian Church.
But, I will be honest, and admit, that at one point in time, I did not know what the Abomination of Desolation meant either. I was clueless like many people. But, in 2010, I discovered the Book of Truth given to 7th Messenger, Maria Divine Mercy, by Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in which He literally opens up End Time prophecy and the Book of Revelation to quote Our Lord “save our sorry souls.” And well, frankly, the Book of Truth mentions all over the place about the Abomination of Desolation, although those specific words are only used twice in the Book of Truth. Truthfully, I thought everybody knew what it was, as so many people who follow this blog, MaryRefugeOfHolyLove, follow the messages given to Maria Divine Mercy.
And then, when I had my private mystical experience at Holy Mass in 2011 when I actually witnessed the Abomination of Desolation, I had no doubts about its meaning at all. Then, in 2016, when I briefly wrote publicly about witnessing the Abomination of Desolation in my purgatory commentary, I thought everybody knew what I was referring to.
Honestly, I had no idea that many people had no idea what I was talking about back then. I feel bad, as I would have attempted to clear up this confusion a long time ago. But, God Is Good, and Jesus Is obviously giving me another chance to fix the situation, and Blessed Be God, I understand even more now about it than I did over two years ago. God has a Great Plan and He Is All-Merciful. I love second chances.
And sadly, that just adds to more of the confusion in the various interpretations used by the Catholic Church. “Appalling desolation” is inaccurate and incorrect. The Book of Truth given to Maria Divine Mercy is originally written in English and Our Lord and Our Lady use the words, “Abomination of Desolation.” So, please understand, dear readers, the proper prophetic terminology that should be used when likewise translating the Holy Bible.
Now, there may be other Catholic Bible translations that are more accurate, but for the sake of time, I just did a quick internet search and grabbed a translation that simply used the proper words. I am uncertain which Bible version it is from, but it is likely Protestant, which is fine for the purposes of this commentary.
Alright, let me plainly explain what the Abomination of Desolation is. It is actually very obvious although satan has tried very hard to obscure its meaning down through the centuries throughout the Christian Church—Catholic and Protestant.
The Abomination of Desolation is the elimination of the Most Holy Eucharist, the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, from the Holy Mass and Holy Tabernacles. It is the invalid consecration by a priest rendering the bread and wine impotent to the Lord.
That was the mystical experience that I witnessed in 2011 that made me immediately run out of my Catholic parish in horror. I witnessed the Abomination of Desolation—the invalid consecration of the “Eucharist” by a satanic priest and the resulting empty tabernacle.
And so, now truly knowing the meaning of the Abomination of Desolation, Catholic readers will now readily understand why the words, “appalling desolation” is not the correct translation for these Bible verses. It is very clear that “Abomination of Desolation” is exactly what it is—the words are very obvious in interpretation and properly chosen by Our Lord and Our Lady in the Book of Truth once aptly understood.
And now, truly understanding the meaning of the Abomination of Desolation, it is also very clear that any Protestant interpretations are faulty from the onset. Protestants do not believe in the Real Presence of the Most Holy Eucharist. Thus, all Protestant interpretations of what the Abomination of Desolation is are wrong—no matter how honest and sincere the person may be in seeking the correct interpretation of Holy Scripture.
Only Christians who believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist will be able to discern what the Abomination of Desolation is—when and if it happens in the Christian Church. Only Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe in the Real Presence of Christ.
Sadly, though, most faithful Catholics who should intuitively know what the Abomination of Desolation means do not. Catholic interpretations are all over the place for the “appalling desolation” and many Catholics who follow End Times prophecy would rather believe in faulty Protestant errors than spiritually “risk” following a “condemned” visionary, Maria Divine Mercy, and the Book of Truth.
The Catholic Church is in grave trouble. Everyday, the Church is approaching the tragic day of the Abomination of Desolation. The Holy Eucharist is the final hurdle for the antichrist to overcome to enter the Catholic Church and gain control of the universal faith and ultimately, mankind. Please read my special commentary, Exposing Satan’s Evil Agenda – Part One – The Antichrist (https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/exposing-satans-evil-agenda-part-one-the-antichrist-by-a-soul/), to gain more knowledge about this fact.
The sad truth is that the prophetic signs are all there for people to see—just witness everyday the Catholic news—but people would rather chose to be deliberately blind. People are so afraid of being disobedient to Mother Church for threatened fear of losing their immortal souls—they do not realize the precarious situation they have placed themselves in to satan.
It is like watching the sinking of the Titanic and wondering if people will grab the last lifeboat when the Abomination of Desolation happens.
What will it take for people to finally wake-up?
In this final part of the commentary, I want to address the issue of the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. It is a contentious issue among Jews and Christians, because the site for the possible rebuilding of the Third Temple—the Temple Mount—already is home to a Muslim mosque. It actually one of the most holiest sites in Islam, as it is believed to be the site in which the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven. Yet, many Bible-loving Christians believe that the Third Temple must be rebuilt to fulfill End Time prophecy before the Second Coming of Our Lord can take place; while many Jews believe that the Third Temple must be rebuilt so the promised Messiah can come, etc.
Now, I, a soul, cannot compete with a Bible-loving Christian. Like I said, my knowledge of various Holy Scripture passages on prophecy is next to non-existent. I am familiar with some of the Book of Revelation, but I know nothing about Old Testament prophecies about the End Times. I simply cannot quote any verses or passages from Sacred Scripture to “back-up” what I am about to say. Also, what I am about to say are my own private thoughts—I have not been given any special “heavenly insight” on this particular topic of the rebuilding of the Third Temple. However, what I am about to say, I base on my study of heavenly messages.
I do not claim perfect discernment, but I offer my thoughts for your consideration and I hope people can be blessed in some way.
Now, I want to reveal that I have a bias. The fact is, I have always been skeptical about the prophetic need for the Third Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. The idea of the rebuilding of the Third Temple features so prominently in many End Time prophecy circles, especially, among Protestant Christians. But, frankly, this belief always bothered me, long before I encountered any modern-day Catholic prophecies, and only knew simply of Medjugorje and Garabandal.
It bothered me for two reasons: one, because animal sacrifices were abolished and replaced by the True Sacrificial Lamb of God—Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Most Holy Eucharist; and two, it just seemed odd to me that any building—even if it is the Temple of God—had to be rebuilt before Our Lord, Jesus Christ, could return in the Second Coming. The fact is, I have always believed that the Return of the Lord is solely the prerogative of Our Heavenly Father. It is not dependent on any effort of mankind but is wholly the discretionary choice of when Our Heavenly Father deems it to be so.
So, on many levels, this prophetic belief has been troublesome to me. It just never made complete sense.
Now, recently, I have learned that many Bible-loving Christians base their belief on the necessity of the Third Temple being rebuilt on the same Holy Scripture verses that I quoted about the Abomination of Desolation. Simply put, the Book of Daniel and the Gospels of Matthew and Mark speak about a temple existing in which sacrifices are being offered and the antichrist abolishing those sacrifices resulting in the Abomination of Desolation before God.
However, I just shared in the previous section what the Abomination of Desolation truly means according to Our Lord in the Book of Truth given to 7th Messenger, Maria Divine Mercy. It is the abolishment of the Holy Eucharist in the Holy Mass. It is the absence of the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist.
And in that previous section, I also stated that no matter how honest and sincere a Protestant Christian may be in seeking to understand Sacred Scripture, all Protestant interpretations of the Abomination of Desolation are inherently wrong, because they do not believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Most Holy Eucharist. Therefore, all such interpretations are faulty.
Now, I do not mean to cause friction with my dear Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. Truly, I admire many Protestant Christians for their fervent belief and honestly, I wish that I was as knowledgeable of the Holy Bible as my Protestant friends. Indeed, Our Blessed Mother even once said in a Holy Love message that many Protestant Christians have more love for Our Lord than many cradle Catholics. Such a compliment by Our Lady! Wow!
But, I will be frank. I do not believe that the Third Temple needs to be rebuilt in Jerusalem in order for Our Lord to return in the Second Coming. I believe it is a flawed understanding of Sacred Scripture. The fact is, in the Book of Truth, it has been revealed that the Vatican will be destroyed in a fire, resulting in the antichrist ruling in a renovated church building in the outskirts of Rome—a satanic temple built full of occult artifacts and symbols.
Also, as I wrote in my special commentary, “The Great Warning, Islam, and the Divine Plan” (https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/2017/08/12/special-commentary-the-great-warning-islam-and-the-divine-plan-by-a-soul/), it has been revealed in Catholic prophecy that the antichrist is of the Islamic religion. He is the Muslim version of Isa—the Jesus of the Koran—who is prophesied will “break all crosses” of the Christians in Islamic End Time prophecy. This “Jesus” (antichrist) will unite all faiths in one universal religion taking his seat in Rome. So, if this Catholic prophecy is true that the antichrist is the Jesus of the Koran, it does not make sense that the Third Temple would need to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount. The mosque that already exists there would perfectly suit the purposes of the antichrist for ruling in Jerusalem.
The fact is, all the conditions are ripe for the antichrist to take rule any time now in the Great Tribulation, which Our Heavenly Father has revealed at Holy Love Ministries (http://www.holylove.org), is the current time period mankind has entered—the First Seal of the Apocalypse has been broken! We do not need to witness a Third Temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem before the antichrist can take power.
The scary fact is, the temple already exists for the Jesus of the Koran. It has been there all this time ready by satan for the End Times.
Now, I want to reiterate that these thoughts that I have shared with you all in this section are simply my own thoughts not gained from heavenly insight. Again, these are my conclusions based on my understanding of heavenly messages that I have pondered, but I do not claim perfect discernment.
Finally, I want to conclude this part with something that is very important for me to share. It is my own personal belief, but it truly means a lot to me to say. I address this to all Christians, but in particular, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, because they, most of all, believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Most Holy Eucharist.
It is my honest and sincere belief that no Christian should support the idea of the rebuilding of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. I say this because the sole purpose of rebuilding the temple would not be to glorify the Lord. The temple would be supported by Christians to be solely rebuilt so as to set-up a scenario where animal sacrifices could be offered again to God. This would then lead to a possibility where the antichrist could enter and create the Abomination of Desolation, thereby triggering somehow the prophetic need for Our Lord to return to earth.
I have already expressed my personal belief that the Return of Our Lord is not dependent on any effort of mankind. It is solely the prerogative of Our Heavenly Father.
But, more importantly, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, died on the Cross to complete the Final Covenant before God Our Father. Our Heavenly Father spared nothing in His Great Love for His undeserving and wayward children, mankind, in giving us His Only-Begotten Son at the Cross. The Sacrificial Gift of the Most Holy Eucharist in the Holy Mass completes the Final Act of this Sacred Covenant by God with mankind.
Truly, with the most profound love in my heart for the Sacredness of the Most Holy Eucharist, I say to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to offer again animal sacrifices in a rebuilt Third Temple would not glorify God at all. It would be the most complete and utter insult to God on such a high degree than I cannot even fathom how much such an act would truly break the Paternal Heart of Our Loving Heavenly Father.
Honestly, I do not even want to contemplate how hurt Our Father would be by this.
In closing, I want to say that I did not expect that I would write so many pages on these topics. I also want to say that I did not expect that this writing would be “so intense” in nature. I realize that I wrote a lot about some very serious stuff. Part of me wants to attempt to end this commentary on a more “cheery note,” but I do not want to diminish in any way what I wrote even though yes, these are intense topics to think about.
So, I will simply just conclude by expressing my ever-earnest desire for others to be blessed by God through my writings. That is always my intention when I decide to do a writing. That God and Our Lady can somehow use me to help others become closer to God and His Love.
Thank you very much for reading this commentary. | 2019-04-21T03:15:17Z | https://maryrefugeofholylove.com/2018/02/13/special-commentary-the-importance-of-jerusalem-the-abomination-of-desolation-and-the-rebuilding-of-the-third-temple/ |
The events just narrated occurred in the prime of my life, and are partly matters of publicity. My attempted breach of faith in the way of disclosing their secrets was naturally infamous in the eyes of my society brethren, who endeavored to prevail upon me to relent of my design which, after writing my " Confession," I made no endeavor to conceal. Their importunities and threatenings had generally been resisted, however, and with an obliquity that can not be easily explained, I persisted in my unreasonable design. I was blessed as a husband and father, but neither the thought of home, wife, nor child, checked me in my inexplicable course. I was certainly irresponsible, perhaps a monomaniac, and yet in the subject in which I was absorbed, I preserved my mental equipoise, and knowingly followed a course that finally brought me into the deepest slough of trouble, and lost to me forever all that man loves most dearly. An overruling spirit, perhaps the shade of one of the old alchemists, possessed me, and in the face of obstacles that would have caused most men to reflect, and retrace their steps, I madly rushed onward. The influence that impelled me, whatever it may have been, was irresistible. I apparently acted the part of agent, subject to an ever-present master essence, and under this dominating spirit or demon my mind was powerless in its subjection. My soul was driven imperiously by that impelling and rode cribable something, and was as passive and irresponsible as lycopodium that is borne onward in a steady current of air. Methods were vainly sought by those who loved me, brethren of the lodge, and others who endeavored to induce me to change my headstrong purpose, but I could neither accept their counsels nor heed their forebodings. Summons by law were served on me in order to disconcert me, and my numerous small debts became the pretext for legal warrants, until at last all my papers ( excepting my " Confession " ), and my person also, were seized, upon an execution served by a constable. Minor claims were quickly satisfied, but when I regained my liberty, the aggression continued. Even arson was resorted to, and the printing office that held my manuscript was fired one night, that the obnoxious revelation which I persisted in putting into print, might be destroyed. Finally I found myself separated by process of law from home and friends, an inmate of a jail. My opponents, as I now came to consider them, had confined me in prison for a debt of only two dollars, a sufficient amount at that time, in that state, for my incarceration. Smarting under the humiliation, my spirit became still more rebellious, and I now, perhaps justly, came to view myself as a martyr. It had been at first asserted that I had stolen a shirt, but I was not afraid of any penalty that could be laid on me for this trumped-up charge, believing that the imputation and the arrest would be shown to be designed as willful oppression. Therefore it was, that when this contemptible arraignment had been swept aside, and I was freed before a justice of the Peace, I experienced more than a little surprise at a rearrest, and at finding myself again thrown into jail. I knew that it had been decreed by my brethren that I must retract and destroy my " Confession," and this fact made me the more determined to prevent its destruction, and I persisted sullenly in pursuing my coarse. On the evening of August 12th, 1826, my jailer's wife informed me that the debt for which I had been incarcerated had been paid by unknown " friends," and that I could depart; and I accepted the statement without question. Upon my stepping from the door of the jail, however, my arms were firmly grasped by two persons, one on each side of me, and before I could realize the fact that I was being kidnapped, I was thrust into a closed coach, which immediately rolled away, but not until I made an outcry which, if heard by anyone, was unheeded.
" What have I done that you should presume forcibly to imprison me? Am I not a freeman of America?"
" What have you done?" he answered. " Have you not bound yourself by a series of vows that are sacred and should be inviolable, and have you not broken them as no other man has done before you? Have you not betrayed your trust, and merited a severe judgment? Did you not voluntarily ask admission into our ancient brotherhood, and in good faith were you not initiated into our sacred mysteries? Did you not obligate yourself before man, and on your sacred honor promise to preserve our secrets?"
" I did," I replied; " but previously I had sworn before a higher tribunal to scatter this precious wisdom to the world."
" Yes," he said, " and you know full well the depth of the self-sought solemn oath that you took with us- more solemn than that prescribed by any open court on earth."
" This I do not deny," I said, " and yet I am glad that I accomplished my object, even though you have now, as is evident, the power to pronounce my sentence."
" You should look for the death sentence," was the reply, " but it has been ordained instead that you are to be given a lengthened life. You should expect bodily destruction; but on the contrary, you will pass on in consciousness of earth and earthly concerns when we are gone. Your name will be known to all lands, and yet from this time you will be unknown. For the welfare of future humanity, you will be thrust to a height in our order that will annihilate you as a mortal being, and yet you will exist, suspended between life and death, and in that intermediate state will know that you exist. You have, as you confess, merited a severe punishment, but we can only punish in accordance with an unwritten law, that instructs the person punished, and elevates the human race in consequence. You stand alone among mortals in that you have openly attempted to give broadly to those who have not earned it, our most sacred property, a property that did not belong to you, property that you have only been permitted to handle, that has been handed from man to man from before the time of Solomon, and which belongs to no one man, and will continue to pass in this way from one to another, as a hallowed trust, until there are no men, as men now exist, to receive it. You will soon go into the shadows of darkness, and will learn many of the mysteries of life, the undeveloped mysteries that are withheld from your fellows, but which you, who have been so presumptuous and anxious for knowledge, are destined to possess and solve. You will find secrets that man, as man is now constituted, can not yet discover, and yet which the future man must gain and be instructed in. As you have sowed, so shall you reap. You wished to become a distributor of knowledge; you shall now by bodily trial and mental suffering obtain unsought knowledge to distribute, and in time to come you will be commanded to make your discoveries known. As your pathway is surely laid out, so must you walk. It is ordained; to rebel is useless."
" Who has pronounced this sentence?" I asked.
" A judge, neither of heaven nor of earth."
" You speak in enigmas."
" No; I speak openly, and the truth. Our brotherhood is linked with the past, and clasps hands with the antediluvians; the flood scattered the races of earth, but did not disturb our secrets. The great love of wisdom has from generation to generation led selected members of our organization to depths of study that our open work does not touch upon, and behind our highest officers there stand, in the occult shades between the here and the hereafter, unknown and unseen agents who are initiated into secrets above and beyond those known to the ordinary craft. Those who are introduced into these inner recesses acquire superhuman conceptions, and do not give an open sign of fellowship; they need no talisman. They walk our streets possessed of powers unknown to men, they concern themselves as mortals in the affairs of men, and even their brethren of the initiated, open order are unaware of their exalted condition. The means by which they have been instructed, their several individualities as well, have been concealed, because publicity would destroy their value, and injure humanity's cause."
it- yes, merited it- and I steeled myself to hear the sentence of my judges, in whose hands I was powerless. The persons on the seat opposite me continued their conversation in low tones, audible only to themselves. An individual by my side neither moved nor spoke. There were four of us in the carriage, as I learned intuitively, although we were surrounded by utter darkness. At length I addressed the companion beside me, for the silence was unbearable. Friend or enemy though he might be, anything rather than this long silence. " How long shall we continue in this carriage?"
After a time I again spoke.
" Can you not tell me, comrade, how long our journey will last? When shall we reach our destination?"
Putting out my hand, I ventured to touch my mate, and found that he was tightly strapped,-bound upright to the seat and the back of the carriage. Leather thongs held him firmly in position; and as I pondered over the mystery, I thought to myself, if I make a disturbance, they will not hesitate to manacle me as securely. My custodians seemed, however, not to exercise a guard over me, and yet I felt that they were certain of my inability to escape. If the man on the seat was a prisoner, why was he so reticent? Why did he not answer my questions? I came to the conclusion that he must be gagged as well as bound. Then I determined to find out if this were so. I began to realize more forcibly that a terrible sentence must have keen meted me, and I half hoped that I could get from my partner in captivity some information regarding our destination. Sliding my hand cautiously along his chest, and under his chin, I intended to remove the gag from his mouth, when I felt my flesh creep, for it came in contact with the cold, rigid flesh of a corpse. The man was dead, and stiff.
The shock unnerved me. I had begun to experience the results of a severe mental strain, partly induced by the recent imprisonment and extended previous persecution, and partly by the mysterious significance of the language in which I had recently been addressed. The sentence, " You will now go into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and learn the mysteries of life," kept ringing through my head, and even then I sat beside a corpse. After this discovery I remained for a time in a semistupor, in a state of profound dejection,- how long I can not say. Then I experienced an inexplicable change, such as I imagine comes over a condemned man without hope of reprieve, and I became unconcerned as a man might who had accepted his destiny, and stoically determined to await it. Perhaps moments passed, it may have been hours, and then indifference gave place to reviving curiosity. I realized that I could die only once, and I cooly and complacently revolved the matter, speculating over my possible fate. As I look back on the night in which I rode beside that dead man, facing the mysterious agents of an all-powerful judge, I marvel over a mental condition that permitted me finally to rest in peace, and slumber in unconcern. So I did, however, and after a period, the length of which I am not able to estimate, I awoke, and soon thereafter the carriage stopped, and our horses were changed, after which our journey was resumed, to continue hour after hour, and at last I slept again, leaning back in the corner. Suddenly I was violently shaken from slumber, and commanded to alight. It was in the gray of morning, and before I could realize what was happening, I was transferred by my captors to another carriage, and the dead man also was rudely hustled along and thrust beside me, my companions speaking to him as though he were alive. Indeed, as I look back on these maneuvers, I perceive that, to all appearances, I was one of the abducting party, and our actions were really such as to induce an observer to believe that this dead man was an obstinate prisoner, and myself one of his official guards. The drivers of the carriages seemed to give us no attention, but they sat upright and unconcerned, and certainly neither of them interested himself in our transfer. The second carriage, like that other previously described, was securely closed, and our journey was continued. The darkness was as of a dungeon. It may have been days, I could not tell anything about the passage of time; on and on we rode. Occasionally food and drink mere handed in, but my captors held to their course, and at last I was taken from the vehicle, and transferred to a block-house.
I had been carried rapidly and in secret a hundred or more miles, perhaps into another state, and probably all traces of my journey were effectually lost to outsiders. I was in the hands of men who implicitly obeyed the orders of their superiors, masters whom they had never seen, and probably did not know. I needed no reminder of the fact that I had violated every sacred pledge voluntarily made to the craft, and now that they held me powerless, I well knew that, whatever the punishment assigned, I had invited it, and could not prevent its fulfillment. That it would be severe, I realized; that it would not be in accordance with ordinary human law, I accepted.
another through the ages, sacredly cherished, and faithfully protected by men of many tongues, always considered a trust, a charge of honor, and never before betrayed. My crime was deep and dark. I shuddered.
" Come what may," I mused, reflecting over my perfidy, " I am ready for the penalty, and my fate is deserved; it can not but be a righteous one."
The words of the occupant of the carriage occurred to me again and again; that one sentence kept ringing in my brain; I could not dismiss it: " You have been tried, convicted, and we are of those appointed to carry out the sentence of the judges."
The black silence of my lonely cell beat against me; I could feel the absence of sound, I could feel the dismal weight of nothingness, and in my solitude and distraction I cried out in anguish to the invisible judge: " I am ready for my sentence, whether it be death or imprisonment for life"; and still the further words of the occupant of the carriage passed through my mind: " You will now go into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and will learn the mysteries of Life."
Then I slept, to awake and sleep again. I kept no note of time; it may have been days or weeks, so far as my record could determine. An attendant came at intervals to minister to my wants, always masked completely, ever silent.
That I was not entirely separated from mankind, however, I felt assured, for occasionally sounds of voices came to me front without. Once I ventured to shout aloud, hoping to attract attention; but the persons whom I felt assured overheard me, paid no attention to my lonely cry. At last one night, my door opened abruptly, and three men entered.
" Do not fear," said their spokesman, " we aim to protect you; keep still, and soon you will be a free man."
I consented quietly to accompany them, for to refuse would have been in vain; and I was conducted to a boat, which I found contained a corpse- the one I had journeyed with, I suppose- and embarking, we were silently rowed to the middle of the river, our course being diagonally from the shore, and the dead man was thrown overboard. Then our boat returned to the desolate bank.
Thrusting me into a carriage, that, on our return to the river bank we found awaiting us, my captors gave a signal, and I was driven away in the darkness, as silently as before, and our journey was continued I believe for fully two days. I was again confined in another log cabin, with but one door, and destitute of windows. My attendants were masked, they neither spoke to me as they day after day supplied my wants, nor did they give me the least information on any subject, until at last I abandoned all hope of ever regaining my liberty. | 2019-04-25T20:16:37Z | http://www.holloworbs.com/Etidorchapter_vi.htm |
With rebuttal essays from Maurice Broaddus, Monica Valentinelli, Lesley Conner, and more, For Exposure tells Jason’s story with insight from key players along his road to success. It is a comprehensive and frank look at what Apex and the genre publishing business is about. Take a shot with the publisher, dance the night away, and become a legend.
And do it all For Exposure.
Q. For Exposure seems to be equal parts Apex tell-all, an honest look at the publishing business in general, and a hopeful outlook on the next 10 years of Apex Publications. When you first set out to write the book, did you always intend to mix these themes or did you initially plan to focus more on one than the others?
A. One of my worst traits is that I am an optimistic. When something isn’t working out, my mindset isn’t “Cut my losses and run” but “If I simply work harder things will turn around.” Of course, you can’t just force of will into success, and some of these disastrous and poor decisions derived from my stubbornness I tried to share in For Exposure. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, ya know.
Q. Through Apex Magazine and Apex Book Company, you’ve gotten to work with some of the biggest names in speculative fiction: Lavie Tidhar, Brian Keene, Damien Angelica Walters just to name a few. Is there a particular author you were especially excited to work with?
A. Even after ten years in the publishing business, I still have many fan boy moments. You should have seen me at World Con in 2012 where I think I frightened Jacqueline Carey! My inner fan boy squealed when Tom Piccirilli contacted me with the pitch for What Makes You Die. I believe Tom has written one of the defining southern Gothic novels of our time: November Mourns. Having the opportunity to work with such a gifted writer has been a highlight of my career.
Q. A lot of the stories in For Exposure seem to occur at conventions. How many conventions to do you tend to attend in a year, and how important do you believe they are to the success of a small press publisher?
A. I try to do 5 proper conventions a year. They’re so time consuming, expensive, and exhausting that doing more than five is a real stress on a person’s stamina. Having said that, they’re incredibly fun and are important in terms of networking, promotion, and sales. Convention appearances by ‘Apex’ and associated staff is a lot more cost-effective than taking out an ad in a genre publication such as Locus. Genre small press makes a sizable percentage of revenue from the “true fans”, and many true fans attend conventions. So I believe attending major conventions is of the utmost importance.
Q. There is a particularly disturbing story in For Exposure about ham. Just reading it, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to eat it again. Do you eat ham or did the experience turn you off of it forever?
I’ll not go into further details. You just have to read it in the book.
Q. There are several rebuttal essays written by those who have been a part of Apex over the years. How was it asking people to write rebuttals to your essays? Was there anyone in particular that made you little nervous about the response you might get?
A. No one turned down an opportunity to write a rebuttal. Let’s just say that these people know me well and knew the safest recourse was to offer their sides of the story!
I didn’t feel nervous about any of the rebuttals. But there were a couple that I looked forward to reading the most. In particular, Lesley Conner and Monica Valentinelli. Lesley has worked closely with me for years. To get her perspective was fascinating. Monica’s rebuttal addresses a “controversial” incidental in the Apex mythology: the warm splatter. While I disagree with her take on the situation, I loved that she wrote such a funny, open, and honest(?) response.
Q. Your first book Irredeemable is a short story collection. Your second is nonfiction. Are there any novels in Jason Sizemore’s future?
A. Oh, I get this question a lot! The hope is “Yes, yes, there will be dozens.” The truth is “I don’t know, we will see.” I’m co-writing a novel with Maurice Broaddus titled Serpent. It’s a dark SF crime piece set in the slums of alternate Indianapolis where two factions fight over a new drug created by a preacher with the venom of the snakes he handles at his church. I just need life to slow down enough for me to finish my part of the book.
Born the son of an unemployed coal miner in a tiny Kentucky Appalachian villa named Big Creek (population 400), Jason fought his way out of the hills to the big city of Lexington. He attended Transylvania University (a real school with its own vampire legend) and received a degree in computer science. Since 2005, he has owned and operated Apex Publications. He is the editor of five anthologies, author of Irredeemable, a three-time Hugo Award loser, an occasional writer, who can usually be found wandering the halls of hotel conventions seeking friends and free food. Visit him online.
And here’s Gail herself, delving deeper into the magic and the characters of the world of the Ascendant Kingdoms – enjoy!
Q: For readers who haven’t met you, tell us a little about your books.
A: I write the Chronicles of the Necromancer series for Solaris Books and the Fallen Kings Cycle and Ascendant Kingdoms Saga for Orbit Books. I’ve also been in a variety of US and UK anthologies, and I publish two series of short stories on Kindle, Kobo and Nook—the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventure. My most recent book is Ice Forged, the first book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and the next book, Reign of Ash, will come out in April, 2014.
Q: Ice Forged started a new series for you, with a different world and all-new characters from what you’ve written before. What made you decide to write a different series instead of continuing with your other characters?
A: I still have plans to write more stories in the Chronicles world, but I had reached a good place to take a break and do something different for a while. There’s a natural break in the plot line after The Dread that makes a logical resting point. So while my characters are taking a much-deserved vacation, I had the opportunity to write some new stories that had been banging around in my head.
Q: In Ice Forged, the plot hinges on a war going terribly wrong and mages on both sides launching a doomsday strike that not only rains down fire from the sky but also cause magic to stop working. Why is the failure of magic so important?
A: In Blaine McFadden’s world, magic is the convenient short-cut. It’s like our power grid. Sure, you can wash clothes without electric appliances, but it takes more work and nowadays, does anyone remember how? It’s the same way in Blaine’s world. The old ways of doing things without magic have been forgotten, and people have come to rely on magic for as a quick fix. Imagine what a shoddy workman could do with a little bit of magic, things like propping up a poorly built wall or shoring up a sagging fence. When the magic fails, so do those fixes, and things literally begin to fall apart. Then there are the bigger magics, like keeping the sea from flooding the shoreline or using magic to heal. When magic doesn’t work anymore, how do you heal the sick or keep back the tide? Donderath has a really big problem on its hands.
Q: Where did the genesis of the Ice Forged’s main character, Blaine “Mick” McFadden, begin?
I really started with the idea of exile, and what would it have been like if England had sent its prisoners north to somewhere like Iceland or Greenland instead of to Australia. (Obviously Russia had Siberia, but that’s different, in part because there was no sea voyage.) Then I started to think about why a character would be exiled, and murder was a good reason. But it had to be a murder the reader would agree with (so many readers have commented that Ian McFadden “had it coming”). Where Tris, in my first series, was accused of a crime he didn’t commit, I wanted Blaine to be unrepentant about a crime he did commit.
Q: The setting of Velant is a really interesting place, because you’ve combined elements of post-apocalyptic with the classical idea of northern wastes we often see in fantasy, but this setting really affects the characters, doesn’t it?
A: Being sent into exile in an arctic prison colony is bad enough, but having the magic fail is like losing the power grid—it takes away an important factor for survival. I had focused on really big magic in my first books, and in Ice Forged, I wanted to look at what it would mean to lose the little magics that people used in their everyday lives. Food spoils, herds die, crops fail, magical repairs to buildings and ships fall apart, and things people used magic to do as a short cut now needed to be done the old fashioned way, which few remember.
Velant is the same distance as a sea journey from Donderath that Australia was from England, in good weather. The weather is dramatically different, harsh and inhospitable. It gets the arctic 6-months of day and night. The prison itself is run by a commander who was a “useful monster” during a war, but too feral to bring home, so they exiled him by putting him in command of a prison no one else wanted to run. The guards are likewise exiled because they were unsuitable for normal military life and civilized society. While many of the convicts were exiled for real crimes, many more were sent away for petty infractions, political reasons, or just being poor.
It’s not the kind of place anyone wants to live in, but it’s amazing what the human spirit will endure! Prisoners who earn their “ticket of leave” become colonists, and manage to make Edgeland their home.
A: Good question! I’ve just signed on with Orbit for another two books in the Ascendant Kingdoms world, so I’m working on the sequel to Reign of Ashes (it’s weird how you’re working two books out from what anyone else has read). I’m also committed to bringing out a new short story every month, so that’s actually turning out to be a lot of fun. And I’ve got some different directions I’d like to explore in addition to epic fantasy, so I might just surprise you and turn up with something completely different one of these days!
The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event includes book giveaways, free excerpts and readings, all-new guest blog posts and author Q&A on 21 awesome partner sites around the globe. For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.
@GailZMartin Book Giveaway on Twitter—Every day from June 21 – June 28 I’ll be choosing someone at random from my Twitter followers to win a free signed book. Invite your friends to follow me—for every new 200 followers I gain between 6/21 – 6/28, I’ll give away an additional book, up to 20 books!
Gail Z. Martin is the author of Ice Forged in her new The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), plus The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen ) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn and The Dread). She is also the author of two series on ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Series. Her books are available in bookstores worldwide and on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Find her online at www.AscendantKingdoms.com.
Many thanks to Gail, Bradley and Anna for this!
Do you have any plans to turn The Malazan Book of the Fallen into a role playing game?
Not personally: my publishing schedule is far too busy for that. That said, I am amenable to the idea.
You seem to be able to write one novel each year, and still maintain an extreme high quality on your writing. How do you manage that?
Thanks for the complement on writing quality. With respect to writing a novel a year, I seem to have stumbled onto a system that works for me. Four hours a day, five or six days a week, for eight to nine months usually results in a finished book. Each day, I begin by editing what I wrote the previous day, before starting a new section. This helps me maintain momentum and continuity. These days, however, I’m looking at eighteen months between novels. Getting old, I guess.
What are you planning to write next, now that The Malazan Book of the Fallen is finished?
I am signed to two more trilogies, in addition to five or so novellas. At the moment I am writing the first novel in the Kharkanas trilogy, which returns us to the formative period underlying The Malazan Book of the Fallen: specifically, the story surrounding the Tiste Andii and their neighbours.
Will we meet Kalam Mekhar again?
That depends on when you last met him, doesn’t it?
Alas, I can’t really play favourites. I enjoy my time with all the characters I write, even when they’re going through hell. I know, sounds perverse, if not sadistic. The thing with characters is that they bring pressure to bear on a writer – to get them right, to treat them with dignity, even though they are only fictional creations when on the page. In my head, they have to be alive (unless, of course, they’re undead).
“Erikson” is a common Swedish name – do you have Swedish ancestry?
‘Erikson’ is my mother’s maiden name. My actual last name is Lundin, which of course isn’t Swedish at all. (joke) Both my parents were Swedish and I have been back to visit relatives in recent years, in Uppsala and Stockholm.
It´s not uncommon for your characters to die all of a sudden. Have you ever been emotionally upset when you had to finish off some of them?
Although deaths may appear with shocking suddenness on the page, you can be sure that I have been thinking about those moments for months, even years beforehand. Accordingly, I write characters towards an inevitability that a reader might only see should they go back and re-read the series. For the death scenes themselves, if I do not feel any emotion, neither will my readers, so I do my best to achieve a kind of authenticity when writing those scenes.
Which volume in the Malazan Book of the Fallen is your personal favourite?
It depends on how I measure them, and the answer changes accordingly. Deadhouse Gates feels like a compact (!), complete work, where I did what I set out to do, which was to immerse myself (and the readers) as deeply into the Malazan world as I could. House of Chains satisfies me on other levels, in particular the opening part following a single character over multiple chapters, and the novel’s anti-ending, which I knew would throw many readers. Midnight Tides pretty much wrote itself, and for that reason, I appreciate it for its effortlessness. Toll the Hounds is perhaps my most complex novel, and on that basis I rank it as the novel for which I am proudest. That said, I think the conclusion of the series ain’t so bad, either.
How do you create your fictive characters? Do you occasionally glance at real persons in your surroundings, and incorporate traits from them?
Not consciously, but a writer always observes and takes mental notes on body language, physical traits, mannerisms, patterns of speech, relationships, and so on. It all feeds into a stew with plenty of flavours. In practical terms, characters generally arrive (for me) as names first; sometimes that name describes something about the character, in a Dickensian fashion; while at other times that name runs counter to the character’s traits. Two examples would be Antsy for a nervous, agitated, paranoid character; and Tiny Chanter, for the biggest and nastiest of the Chanter brothers. Obviously, some characters arrive with names that have no earthly correlation, and there I find that the ones that sound right in my head often do so because they trigger some related (or not-so-related) image or emotion in me. In still other instances, I use names to resonate with historical, earthly personages, though usually when I do that I disguise that resonance so that only I am aware of it. Finally, some names I invent and keep only because I like the look and sound of them.
How much of the plot is planned in advance, and how much grow “organically” when writing the novels?
I think there needs to be plenty of both in a novel. If it is all planned down to every last detail, chances are that novel will never be written, because it will mean that the creator has already done all the fun stuff – the creative bit – leaving the writing itself a chore. And should that writer actually slog through the ordeal of writing lifeless stuff, well, the finished product will be unreadable.
For myself, I held to broad arcs through the series, and knew where the end of each novel would be, but I left plenty of scope for invention on the fly, and a good many threads were spontaneous creations which I then had to work hard at entwining into the whole. A writer needs room in which to be surprised by their own creation, and to then feel free enough to follow unknown and unexpected paths in the narrative.
To pre-order your copies here are the links you’ll need: Amazon US (paperback & hardcover), Amazon UK (hardcover), and here for South Africa (Kalahari.net hardcover). There are different release dates for the US, UK and SA, so make sure of those details at the links.
Piotr, the man behind Fantasy Fan, was lucky enough to have been able to interview Craig over the phone, and the interview is the result. I really enjoyed it – gave me a bit more background to Craig and answered the all important question: Did he read the books? | 2019-04-25T22:46:15Z | https://davebrendon.wordpress.com/category/interviews/ |
Amen. As Wade says, "Most churches have lost the concept of Jubilee".
That, my friend, is wonderful preaching! I went back and listened to the entire message and was incredibly blessed.
If you are saved,you won't have a problem giving. Titheing in the Old Testament was taught. Why would anyone think that 10% is too much to give.
When I first heard about tithing, I was not makeing a lot of money, it did not seem possible for me to tithe. After some time researching the scriptures I decided that I could not afford not to tithe. Who would not want God's blessings? In those early days people would say you can't tithe because you don't have enough money. Then came the time when they were making a lot of money and they said that tithing now was way too much money to give.
Giving is a heart matter.
Who you tithe to is the real issue here. Beware of false preachers!
While I really like this blog, I just do not understand why people here are so "negative" about tithing.
I understand about the mega pastors preaching gloom and doom if you do not tithe, but I do not understand any of the other issues with tithing. Is it that you do not want to give your money to the church or do you want to give your money to other causes or what? Seriously, not trying to be confrontational. I am just trying to figure out what is wrong with tithing?
I am going to interject this. If you have a sermon that beats you up, calls you names such as robbers, thieves, robbing from God etc. That is a false sermon and you should run from it as fast as you can.
We are God's children, he is not about to call us names. When he sees us he sees Christ and we are precious to him. We have the ability to call God daddy, to approach the throne directly, to cry, to be honest with God, to crawl up on his lap and have him put his arms around us. This was something not available to all in the Old Testament. They had to go through a list of rituals, and then through a High Priest to get to God. So if you want to appeal to the OT for the Covenant, you have to do this too. It's unnecessary because of Christ and his life, death, burial and resurrection. To go back to the Old Covenant is to do as the Jews did in Paul's day when they were stuck in the Old Testament and Paul was telling them a whole new message of Grace, love and freedom. They didn't get it either.
I love the third comment, "if you are saved..."
Yes, and also if you are saved you have enough discernment to know when some money-hungry preacher is out for your wallet.
What Wade is saying in the sermon is so true. He doesn't need a huge building or fancy surroundings to preach the gospel. What a wonderful thing, even though the same Kool-aid drinkers come on here again and again in support of the tithing prosperity gospel.
You're preaching in the wrong place. I think most of the readers here are over it.
Go back to your own church and start a class or better yet a "group" on some made-up topic so you can browbeat and scare people with curses over tithing and make them never want to go to church again.
That's what you people do best.
No New testament writer preached any sermon or wrote anything about New Testament believers being obligated to a any of the three Old Testament tithes.
If its not preached at all as an obligation in the New Testament.
I appreciate the fact that at least one overseer of Christ's sheep is teaching sound doctrine.
He is certainly in the minority. People love their "sacred cow" traditions.
The letter to the Galatians needs to be read, studied, and seared into hearts and minds.
Teaching storehouse tithing demonstrates, at a minimum, a misunderstanding of the relationship of the Old (Mosaic) Covenant to the New Covenant disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ came to set the captives free, but mere men want to lead them back into slavery.
At least he is being honest with what he believes instead of what the bible says. Think about it. If the bible said what Wade states, wouldn't it be best if he at least said, the bible says__________ .
I do appreciate Wade stating his message is his beliefs instead of the bible says. It does keep things neatly separated.
One can follow Wade's reasoning why Tithing is not biblical in the new covenant. Please follow Wade's blog posts from this comment link.
James, we are not negative about tithing or, as we say in this century, giving 10%. It’s the way giving 10% is preached that is wrong.
It is an odd contradiction that the same preachers who Sunday after Sunday get up and proclaim that they believing in teaching the Bible as literally true then twist scripture to mean something that it does not teach.
We are a people of blessings not curses. We are a people of freedom living above the law; not a people trying to obey the minute requirements of a law that not one of us can obey anyway.
We are called to give freely and abundantly without regard to what others give or don’t give and without regard to some promised reward for our alleged obedience.
Well Wade certainly disagrees with the late Homer Lindsay Jr. at FBXJax. W.D., isn't Homer one of your heroes?
"Well Wade certainly disagrees with the late Homer Lindsay Jr. at FBXJax. W.D., isn't Homer one of your heroes?"
Sorry but scripture trumps a mega-church preacher. 2 Corinthians 9:7.
I agree that giving would go up.
Someone who can afford to give $20 a week would do it instead of giving nothing. What difference does $20 a week matter if you're being cursed anyway if it's not 10 percent. Why give anything?
My husband and I give a certain portion of our income, more now than we did when we were poor and barely surviving. However, I do not believe in a legalistic amount. I think it was Stuart Briscoe, when asked about how much we should give, quipped, "For most people , probably a little bit more." No amounts or percentages.
One thing to take into consideration now, as opposed to the long ago past is this. Back in those days, there were no social programs to support the poor, the widows, the disabled. These folks frequently starved to death and were homeless. The church took care of these folks in their churches, providing for them in practical ways. The churches were know for their support of one another.
Today our government takes a large chunk of our income for entitlement programs to care for the homeless, etc.
Today, in some churches, the money goes to supporting the exorbitant salaries of fat cat preachers like Ed Young Jr. Why should a person who is living hand to mouth tithe to support the new gourmet coffee bar?
What would be wrong with allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my giving?
Wow! If Wade says we are free from the tithe then what more needs to be said since he's an expert on all things spiritual and Biblical.
How does one determine if what they give is of the Spirit? Maybe one way is to discover if what we give exalts the name of Christ, helps reach people for Christ and equips the Christians to be more Christ like.
The whining about salaries (not from you here Tom) needs to stop. It comes across as being jealous that the preacher makes more than you. Just sounds sad.
"Wow! If Wade says we are free from the tithe then what more needs to be said since he's an expert on all things spiritual and Biblical."
As my granddad used to say, anonymous, "Put that in your pipe and smoke it."
What a strange thing to say. Instead of making a veiled ad-hominen attack, why don't you lay our your case for tithing?
Wade, thank you for understanding and communicating God's grace.
Let me explain it another way, "Just because Wade says something is true doesn't make it so."
There are more than plenty of great Biblical scholars who agree that tithing is Biblical so I would be hesitant to throw the baby out with the bathwater just because some Oklahoma preacher says it ain't so. If you want those other opinions, just Google tithing and they will appear for your in-depth study.
This has nothing to do with what preacher or Bible scholar says what, but what does scripture say. Scripture is the final authority and all you need to do is check it out for yourself and see if what Wade is saying isn't so. But just like the gospel not everyone is going to be able to see it or embrace it. That is where the Holy Spirit comes in just as He comes into giving.
There is a serious problem with what Wade said. That is....it is not being shouted from the housetops across our Southern Baptist Convention. I am an SBC pastor of 40 years and I thank God for the visionary leadership of Wade. If you want to give ten percent, that is fine. You may want to give fifty percent, but no one should be told to give a mandatory tithe or you are robbing God and cursed.He's right, trust God and if the money does not come in, listen to what God is saying about a new direction.BTW, I am not a mega church pastor and receive only $1,400.00 a month for a part-time pastorate.
One very interesting aspect of Emmanuel - Enid is that during the offering, they encourage anyone who has a need to take up to $20- (only cash, but to leave the checks) from the offering plate. And if they need more to come and see the pastors and that they would be helped.
They've been doing that ever since Wade became their pastor. I was curious because our church was looking at different ways to receive the offering. I emailed Emmanuel and asked if anybody ever took them up on invitation to take money from the plate and I was sent a copy of a letter that a college student wrote to the church thanking them for allowing her to take money. She drove to Enid from Stillwater Oklahoma every week to care for her dying grandfather, attended one of the services on Sunday, and took money from the plate to pay for her gas. Her letter was very moving.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, AND NOT TO LEAVE THE OTHER UNDONE.
Isn't the other, tithe, to be done?
That is pretty clear to me. So only the scribes and Pharasees need to continue to tithe? I don't think so. Am I not right thinking the Lord was saying to do all of these, pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and do the weightier matters , judgment,mercy, and faith?
You ask to be enlightened on why Jesus spoke positively about the tithein Mattew 23:23.
Jesus words were directed to Pharisees who lived under the old covenant”. Jesus also “commended offering sacrifices in the temple" to the Pharisees IN THE SAME TEXT (Matthew 5:23-24).
Are you desiring to take your bulls and goats to church next Sunday and offer them on the altar too--along with your tithe?
Or will you believe the Old Covenant system of Hebrew worship has been abolished in the New Covenant?
Bill, judgement, mercy, and faith may have been in the OT law, but that doesn't mean they are not in the NT Covenant. Are you suggesting that only part of Jesus's words are to be believed?
While we are on the TITHE, ad nauseam, were in the NT did Jesus say THE TITHE SHALL NOT BE GIVEN ANYMORE? Where?
While we are on the topic of Old Covenant laws "WHERE DID JESUS EVERY SAY, EVEN ONCE, THAT YOU WERE NO LONGER TO CELBRATE THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, THE MORNING SACRIFICES, AND ALL THE CEREMONIAL LAWS OF ISRAEL?"
"and receive only $1,400.00 a month for a part-time pastorate."
Let's see. If part time means you preach two services on Sunday, about a hour per service, and one on Wednesday, same amount of time. Boy I sure would like a part time job that pays me $500/hour. Where do I sign up in my little town that is on the skids.
"While we are on the topic of Old Covenant laws "WHERE DID JESUS EVERY SAY, EVEN ONCE, THAT YOU WERE NO LONGER TO CELBRATE THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, THE MORNING SACRIFICES, AND ALL THE CEREMONIAL LAWS OF ISRAEL?"
Since there are no video recordings, we really can be sure when and where he said it, but just keep the faith and all will be well.
I was explaining what I made at the church to demonstrate the fact that I was not making an exorberent salary. Your understanding of the pastorate is most naive and unfortunate.
The notion that God requires all members of a church to give 10% of their income to the church (or to anyone or anything else) is not only not taught in the Bible, it is an inherently unjust concept.
Even our corrupt, secular government recognizes the inequity of demanding the same percentage of income from the poor and the wealthy. Thus we have a graduated tax system that requires a lesser percent from those who have little than is required from those who have more.
It's obvious that it's a far greater burden for someone who makes $20,000 a year to contribute $2,000 than it is for someone who makes $20 million a year to contribute $2 million.
I have known very wealthy people who feel they have done their duty to God financially by contributing 10% of their income to church when they easily could (and probably should) be far more generous.
And I have known poor people who ought to be receiving assistance from their church who are made to feel guilty because they have to choose between giving 10% of whatever income they might have to the church and making sure their family's basic needs are taken care of.
This sort of teaching is absurdly immoral, and any attempt to justify it is no different from those who Jesus criticized for claiming to follow the letter of God's law but missed the spirit of it because their hearts were hard and far from God.
It is a simple as this -- giving 10% of your income to a church is not required by God, and anyone who says otherwise is lying to you, either deliberately or out of ignorance of the truth.
I am just trying to figure out what is wrong with tithing?
It is limiting. It is teaching a "law" where the Holy Spirit is more radical.
It is none of my business how much you give. That is between you and the Holy Spirit. Too bad more pastors don't understand this.
Here's a thought why not try reading Matt 23:23 in context.
If you get tithing out of that whole section of scripture then you are as out of touch as the people Jesus is rebuking.
"How does one determine if what they give is of the Spirit? Maybe one way is to discover if what we give exalts the name of Christ, helps reach people for Christ and equips the Christians to be more Christ like."
It exhalts the Name of Christ when you help a single mom fix her car to get to work because she is struggling.
You seem to think God only likes the big showy things. Typical mega church thinking.
It does not exhalt the Name of Christ when your pastor makes a ton of money and expects those struggling to pay his high salary. That mocks God.
"Even our corrupt, secular government recognizes the inequity of demanding the same percentage of income from the poor and the wealthy. Thus we have a graduated tax system that requires a lesser percent from those who have little than is required from those who have more."
yes. And part of the OC tithe system was a tithe for the poor among them who did not tithe because they had no crops or animals to tithe.
If only they carried that part over....instead they teach the poor to tithe to help pay their high salary at the mega church!
And they forget God was chastizing the PRIESTS in Malichai for being so greedy.
Matt 5: 17-18 (Jesus Himself "fulfilled the Law becaue He kept it perfectly. He talks about the "new covenant" at the Last Supper"
14 He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.
16 So don't let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink. Don't let anyone judge you about holy days. I'm talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. 17 They are only a shadow of the things that were going to come. But what is real is found in Christ.
I tried to point this out to my "pastor" in a private meeting a few months ago. I was only treated with contempt and disdain, and was told I was being "cut loose."
These men have a "religious" mindset that enables them to perpetuate false teachings, such as "storehouse tithing," that are a flat out denial of the Gospel of Christ.
It is sad when seminary trained men do not know how the Bible works.
Hint: everything is for our learning, but not everything directly applies.
You said:"It is sad when seminary trained men do not know how the Bible works."
Thank the CR for that. These men are the rulers of their kingdoms.
I imagine that the majority of you who agree with Wade never tithed in the first place and now you have a preacher that supports your view. And why is it that you always manage to turn a discussion of tithing into your personal views of how much a preacher should or shouldn't make. If you don't like your pastors salary then get on the Personnel or Budget committee and do something about it instead of bad mouthing him all over the universe.
"I believe God prospers you and blesses you according to His graces and His gifts which he gives to you freely and without measure."
The only reason the United States has prospered for so long is the ability of Government to print and borrow. That Day is soon to End and then we will see how these churches survive saying "God Prosper You" because we are a broke country.
Amen! to your comments. Our government can see how the poor should pay a smaller percentage in taxes, but preachers who demand the tithe from everybody no matter what their income CAN'T see it?
That does make them look like Pharisees who just focus on the letter of the law without any overall understanding of "what we're trying to accomplish here."
Your comments made it very clear how the tithe is a burden to some and more like a tip for others. Why can't a preacher just say, "Give as you are able."
The other huge part is what gets done with the money that is given. Does it matter what gets done with it? Are we to cheerfully give to a wealthy pastor? Why? I think Christians should give to something that matters, that truly helps somebody somewhere. What good is being done if the money allows pastors and other church staff to go on fancier vacations?
The more I think about it, the more immoral it becomes. What if you have a job as a construction worker and your wife works as a waitress. The preacher, who has lots more money, education, social and political connections, etc. is demanding your money. That is immoral. Of course they don't say "give your money to me." They say it's for "the cause of Christ,", "winning souls," "reaching the lost for Christ." What the heck do those phrases even mean? They are awfully vague and can mean anything. Besides if the preacher was all that worried about the lost, he'd make sacrifices himself. He wouldn't be touring "the Holy Land," he'd be in the rotten places of the world trying to help somebody.
Apparently this means there are No Poor Christians such as in Africa or any other poor country around the world (what was it? "without measure?" to Christians)""
Yeah, I disagree with this sort of thinking, too. It simply does not line up with what we see played out in the Word.
It actually sounds very Joel Osteenish. It sounds like Mac, too.
Yet, God "blessed" Lottie Moon who starved to death in China.
Teaching a "tithe" for the New Covenant is wrong. But so is teaching a caste system of God's blessing of material wealth for some "special Christians".
I think Wade may be confusing "spiritual abundance" for material blessing.
It's obvious to me that you have not, as have I, listened to the entire message. Your conclusion is really off base.
The ENTIRE message was about the graces and gifts of God to us IN OUR JUBILEE JESUS CHRIST. The gifts and graces referred to in the message is the "spiritual abundance" to which you refer. The point is, you give according to your means, in response to the goodness of God to your in your Jubilee.
Good for Wade! It is nice to finally read that some pastors and ministries are stepping up and speaking out about the "doctrine" of tithing or prosperity; that's really what it is all about, the prosperity of the church or church leadership, I should say. There is absolutely nothing wrong with tithing, if that's what you want to call your giving, but please recognize the Old Testament tithe teachings were for the Levitical priests.
Jesus became our New Covenant and overcame OT law so that we are no longer bound to it; I recently wrote a blog about this, so I will stop here. I totally agree with Pastor Wade , and applaud his leading his church into the truth of the word.
iampastorswife > Tithe or Be Ye Cursed!
The reason that most baptist preachers teach that an OT law is still in effect today is because they don't have faith that the people will give otherwise.
Wade has shown that the fear is unfounded.
So, Baptist preachers, you are free to preach what the Bible teaches about giving in the NT now.
Telling people that they are free to give as the Holy Spirit directs is just as effective (perhaps more) than calling them thieves.
1. Preachers who reject that the Old Testament moral law is still valid today.
2. Preachers and Seminary professors who teach that the biblical principle of storehouse tithing is not valid today.
3. Churches who hold no one accountable for their actions.
4. Seminaries who are churning out Calvinist pastors who have no place to go in today's SBC churches.
5. SBC leaders who promote planting new churches as an evangelism strategy when it is really for the purpose of providing places for Calvinist pastors to work.
6. The devaluing of SBC state conventions and local associations.
7. Seminary trustees who will not stand up against Seminary presidents who are promoting Calvinism.
8. Pastors who preach that the use of beverage alcohol is acceptable in moderation for the Christian.
9. Seminary trustees who defer to the Seminary president instead of providing biblical oversight.
10. The withdrawal of Christians from society instead of being salt and light.
How about churches that don't hold the pastor accountable?
Weren't you a Calvinist pastor at one point?
Yes, Calvinist pastors shouldn't have a place to work.
Almost as bad as the dollar.
Weren't you a Calvinist at one point?
Who does the Seminary president think he is?
Does that include acting in R rated movies?
Jesus fulfilled the law. He sent us the Holy Spirit convict us of our sin. I suppose Les thinks the law (outward appearance) is better than inward conviction.
You mean like Paul? (Good one)But I will remind Les that Jesus told Peter: The sons are free.
How about churches that don't hold the pastor accountable? EXACTLY!
Weren't you a Calvinist pastor at one point? And I will add that some of them might be going to SGM churches since Mohler has backed the Mahaney scandal.
The SBC has no business supporting Acts 29. That I agree with. Ezell? Are you listening? We do not like the vulgar Driscoll and do not want more Driscoll churches in the SBC!
The local church does not have to allow this! Stop following the leaders and be a church. In any event, some state assoc are as corrupt as the SBC.
Many of them do not know what Calvinism is! The trustees are mainly sycophants of the leader and rubber stamp everything.
Most trustees are so enamoured of being around the celebrity, they cannot think straight.
Pastors need to get real jobs. They cannot preach salt and light when they are isolated in their bubble. Let them go to work and report to a gay boss before they tell us how to live in the real world.
Same with Mohler and all the other celebs who tell us how to live. Mohler says get married young and have lots of kids. Have HIS kids done this? No. Mohler only had 2 kids.
they are all about do as I say not as I do. their own rules never apply to them. Just look at what CJ Mahaney is doing right now! Which Mohler totally supports!
Anonymous 6:54, your math is rather suspect here. The anonymous who posted his salary said he made $1400 per month not week. Say he gives those three sermons a week that you mentioned, over a 4 week period, that means he's preached 12 sermons. Not just 3. Add in the preparation time for each sermon, and he's making a far less of an hourly wage than $500 per hour. I'd say he'd be making $10-$15 per hour. It's more than minimum wage, but when you consider this is part time, and he likely doesn't get benefits from his church... then you have a preacher who can't support his family on preaching alone.
"Giving is a heart issue."
Not tithing. Giving. We are told in the new covenant to be cheerful givers. What we give, and where we give it to, is between us and God. Not us and the pastor.
Can you direct me to the blog post where you talked about a certain seminary professor who recently published a book on the whole tithing/giving issue.
I don't remember how far back in your blog history it was when you wrote about it.
Why doesn't Wade tell us that this information he is stating is what God's word says? There can be a huge gap between what we believe and what God's word says. It is possible, for Wade to be honest, he can't. It seems he may be over-spiritualizing. Something preachers ought to not do.
My break with tithing happened when I learned the Hebrews gave 1/3 of their income instead of 1/10. All the arguments for the tithe start to break down after that. It is no longer a carry over, but a modification. Why must we give 10% instead of 33%?
Also, in my studies of Islam, I found out that the poor in some sects are exempt from giving and pilgrimages. I have become fond of this idea when I have struggled financially, even though Islam has no mandate over me.
The Bible does mandate that I support my pastor (1 Tim 5:18), but it does not tell me how much to support him with.
Also, I should mention that the first time that I stopped tithing as an adult was when I repeatedly overdrew my bank account while funding my collegiate education. I thought that God certainly wanted me to pay my bills before tithing. An overdrawn account meant that I had no access to money to tithe. The bank ate my checks for all the money I owed them.
You men shouldn't read that. You might sin by learning something from a woman.
Nevermind I found it. It's in last month's blogs. The book is written by David Croteau: 4 Perspectives on Tithing.
I'm going to place my order.
"When you get in trouble don't call on God. You better call on your lawyer, banker, doctor or friends because you are going to need THEM when you don't trust GOD."
How about Johnny Hunt having to Call on the Doctor for his Prostrate Cancer and his depression.
Frank Pollard who's call on the Doctor didn't even cure him of Parkinson's Disease.
Fred Winters, a Southern Baptist pastor was killed during a morning worship service by a gunman who reportedly suffered from mental illness caused by Lyme disease.
Look , things happen and sometimes they happen to you, so the preacher can say the Devils got you or even God is judging you because of your tithing record.
You just made my argument for catechisms. :) If I did not already believe in believers baptism, I would really suggest that new converts be told what is expected of them before they sign on any dotted lines figuratively or literally.
Oklahoma’s Baptist Convention recently appointed a thorough-going Reformed man, Wade Burleson, senior pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Enid, OK, as their President. Wade is as sound as a bell and a brilliant pastor, evangelist and organiser.
I am pastoring a church plant where we don't "take up" an offering, but have offering stations and encourage people to give as a part of worship, not compulsion. Recently the head of the church plant committee that oversees us asked, "Do you think that is the best way to take up tithes?" I answered simply, "Yes - we desire generous givers, not terrified tithers."
It's not just that tithing doesn't apply because we're not under the Law. There's even more about tithing that pastors are leaving out. For example, under the tithe system, the only ones who had to tithe were farmers, and only farmers who lived within the Holy Land. If you were a scribe or a carpenter (or something like that), you didn't have to tithe at all! This is very different from the idea -- commonly preached -- that the tithe represents 10% of *everyone's* income.
The tithe is *not* a thank offering for God's provision. The basic idea behind the tithe is that the *land* belongs to God, so that everyone who makes his/her living off the land (*viz.* is a farmer) must give 10% of it.
So, for those pastors who think that tithing still applies today, go ahead and collect it -- but make sure that you only collect it from those who are farming within the Holy Land, and make sure that you collect it in the form of animals or crops! | 2019-04-20T12:42:11Z | http://fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com/2011/08/christian-you-are-free-from-duty-to.html |
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CE Class A 9 . 500mA LED Lamp : Model EX-9132 PWR (Green) DATA (Red-Blink during data transferring and receiving) LAN (Red) SYS (Red-Blink) Environment : Operating Temperature : 0℃∼60℃ Storage Temperature : -10℃∼70℃ Dimensions : EX-9132 : 90 * 90 * 25 mm ( W * D * H ) WEIGHT : 110 gm RoHS :Compliant with RoHS Regulatory Approvals : EMC : WARRANTY : 1 year FCC Class A.Watch Dog Function Firmware On-line Updated Via Ethernet Power : DC 9 – 12 V .
2 Converter Description & Installation Product Panel Views Top Side DC-In Power Outlet LAN Reset Serial I/O Port RS-485/RS-422 Serial I/O Port RS-232 LED Indicators 10 .
If power is properly supplied. the LAN LED indicator will light. 11 .Left Side Power Supply EX-9132 TCP/IP supports 9 ~ 12V DC input voltage at a current of 500 mA. Simply connect it to your network switch or Hub. DC-In Power Outlet LAN Reset Button LAN Port The connector for network is the usual RJ45. the green LED labeled with “PWR” will be on. When the connection is made. Connect the power line into the power connector (inner terminal positive/outer terminal negative) of EX-9132 TCP/IP converter and insert the power adapter into the socket. When data traffic occurs on the network. red DATA LED indicator will blink during data transferring and receiving.
Second. or have incorrect settings making EX-9132 TCP/IP converter inoperable. First. 12 .Reset Button Right Side RS-485/RS-422 RS-232 Serial I/O Port of RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 Connect the serial data cable between the converter and the serial device.Reset Button If by any chance. turn off the power. All the parameters will be reset to the factory default. use any point tip to push this button and hold it to turn on the power at the same time for 5 second. you forget the setup password. Follow the parameter setup procedures to configure the converter (see the following chapters ).
the LED will be on. LAN (Red)： Device statues indicator (When EX-9132 TCP/IP converter is operated in normal statues.) DATA (Red)： Data sent & received indicator (When data are sending and receiving to the network.) 10/100 (Green)： Network signal indicator. the LED will be on.) 13 .LED Indicators PWR (Green)： Power indicator (When the power is on. the LED will blink once per second. when the LAN signal is detected and then. the LED will blink.
Wiring Architecture RS-232 Wiring Architecture RS-422/RS-485 Wiring Architecture 14 .
When you finish the steps mentioned above and the LED indicators are as shown.exe” to setup the IP Address. 15 . the converter is installed correctly. To proceed the advanced parameter setup. You can use the Setup Tool “ExpertDAQETM . please use a web browser (IE or Netscape) to continue the detailed settings.
For quick and easy start . the first thing you should do is configure the IP address. see “Web Console Configuration”. We suggest you to reference “Quick Installation Guide” manual.3 Converter Configuration Initial IP Configuration When setting up your converter for the first time. The following topics are covered in this chapter: □ □ Device Management Utility □ □ Refresh □ □ Exit □ □ ExpertDAQETM Config 16 . in next sub section. This chapter introduces the method to configure the device server’s IP address. For more details about network settings.
When you activate the tool. query and configure converters on the network. please shut down or disconnect other converters.Device Management Utility On PC we provide a Device Management Utility named ExpertDAQETM which is an executable program in Windows 32 bit environments. used to detect and setup the installed converters. it will detect the existence of the installed converters and depict the converters’ status such as IP address. ExpertDAQETM can only be used to monitor devices with computer running ExpertDAQETM in the same segment of local area network ExpertDAQETM Setup Tool is It uses UDP broadcast packets to 17 . Even if the IP address of the converters and the computer running ExpertDAQETM do not belong to the same subnet. Other similar issues. Otherwise the ExpertDAQETM can not detect the converter. Due to the nature of broadcast UDP packets.1). and Device ID (see Figure 3. MAC Address. The Setup Tool only can setup one converter at a time. Thus if there are more than one converter on the network. ExpertDAQETM has following characteristics: □ □ Broadcast packets aren’t limited by subnet. Subnet Mask. it still works fine. you may reference to Q&A in Appendix A. □ □ Broadcast packets can not pass routers.
Refresh Refresh the status. ExpertDAQETM will send another query to get updated information. Note: Always run the “View-> Refresh” after any data change. Exit Exit from the program ExpertDAQETM Config Moving the mouse cursor onto the desired device that displaying in information window Clicking the left button of mouse to invoke the ExpertDAQETM Config. 18 .
for the sake of security. it allows configuration only when device's setup password is empty. avoiding any IP conflict with other network devices. 19 .Note : Because ExpertDAQETM uses broadcast UDP packets. the IP address will be refreshed in 2~3 seconds. When you press [Setup] button. Assign an IP Address with the same Subnet Mask of your computer.
if the IP address of the converter is already known. Setup of the converters is as easy as surfing on WWW. will open a new window in browser to login into the device. menu. e. specific device settings can be set through HTTP protocol with popular browsers.Web Console Configuration In addition to basic IP address and subnet mask. etc. Internet Explorer. Alternatively. no special software Press [Alt]+[Enter] or select [Device Settings] in the [Config] will be required. you can connect to the converter directly by providing its IP address in the URL field of browsers. The following topics are covered in this chapter: □ □ Controller Status ● ● The Login Page Field Description □ □ Controller Setup ● ● The Setup Page Field Description □ □ Controller Updated □ □ Factory Default Setting 20 . Netscape.g.
set the IP address of device directly. Popular Browsers. please follow the steps below.) □ □ The “Controller Status” page will be shown (see Figure 3. can easily do the setup process. type the IP address of the converter directly and press ENTER. no special software will be required. or Netscape. To enter the “Controller Status” page.6) 21 . □ □ In the browser URL field. (Figure 3. In the browser URL field. such as IE.Controller Status The Login Page Setup of EX-9132 TCP/IP converter is as easy as surfing on WWW. (The IP address is what you set using the Device Management Utility.6). This chapter will use IE as an example. □ □ Open your browser.
The password will be reset to the factory default as “empty”. even if you supply correct password. If you do not know the password you can turn off the power and then use any point tip to push “Reset” button and hold it to turn on the power at the same time for 5 seconds. However. the login function will be disabled for “15 minutes”. 22 . If you could not login. This prevents intruders from finding the password by computer generated program. This information will be EX-9132 TCP/IP converter uses the same password protection mechanism commonly used in Windows NT or UNIX.Field Description □ □ System time elapsed The time elapsed since start of this device in [Day Hour : Minute : Second] format. it is not recommended to leave it empty in field operation. □ □ Serial number Converter is consisted “Type Number (5 digits) and an unique MAC (Media Access Control) address used by Ethernet in hex format. required in looking for technical support. This information can be useful in identifying the reliability of system. □ □ Firmware version Converter firmware is identified by date code. 8 digits. login will not proceed. During this 15 minutes period. If there are more than “3 consecutive failures” in password check during login. Factory default is “empty”. it means you have to key in the password. □ □ Password(Setup Login) This field is the administration password for authentication.
7).Controller Setup □ □ The Setup Page Type the correct password in the “Password” field and click the [Login] button in the “Controller Status” page. (Figure 3. Note: If you forget the password or can’t login successfully. then the “Controller Setup” page will appear (see Figure 3.7) 23 . please contact the manufacturer directly.
0” is usually used for small network. just or your device owns a real IP address on the internet.□ □ Field Description □ □ IP Address The IP address of EX-9132 TCP/IP converter. please inquire of them that information and type it correctly.0. Don’t 'Gateway' is a device which connects local If you need to communicate with other networks If there's no gateway on the network. “255.255. this field will be assigned by DHCP server automatically. network to external network. 4 digits separated by '. “255.' If your IP address is provided by an ISP or the internal network administrator. If DHCP client mode is enabled and there's a DHCP server on the network. leave it as “0.255.0” for larger network.0. If DHCP client mode is enabled and there's a DHCP server on the network. □ □ Subnet mask Subnet mask of the network EX-9132 TCP/IP converter has connected to. If DHCP client mode is enabled and there's a DHCP server on the network. please inquire of them that information and type it correctly. □ □ Gateway address Gateway or Router IP address.' let it conflict with the other devices on the network. 4 digits separated by '.0”.255.0. 24 . this field will be assigned by DHCP server automatically. this field will be assigned by DHCP server automatically.
x.x. To enter the browser setup page.g. and Gateway address] should be manually assigned. there should be a DHCP server on the network. connectionless 25 . 80 is for HTTP protocol). passive open. we suggest you use the numbers larger than 1000. Normally. active open. connect to the TCP server. UDP : UDP protocol. where “x.. □ □ Socket port of HTTP setup The socket port used to conduct the browser setup. [IP address]. “Auto” means the speed is automatically You can also specify “10Mbps” or “100Mbps” to □ □ DHCP client DHCP client mode could be enabled/disabled statues. If the field is changed to “81”. HTTP protocol use TCP port “80” for communication.x” is the converter’s IP address. It’s a 16-bit number . □ □ Socket port of serial I/O (RS-232/422/485) □ □ Port number A socket port assigned for the serial port. different port number for each serial port.x:81” should be typed for socket port “81” and “http://x. TCP Client: TCP protocol. the port “80” will be reserved for user's own Web. to be connected from the TCP clients. If DHCP is disabled.x. “http://x.x. selected by the converter.x. □ □ Socket type TCP Server: TCP protocol. [Subnet mask]. If DHCP is enabled. match the speed of the HUB. used for the serial communication. ranging from 1 to 65535.□ □ Network link speed Ethernet physical link speed.x” for socket port “80”.x. Because the numbers below 1000 are used Generally the port number 4660 is However you should specify for specific purposes (e.
stop bits Baud Rate: 300 ~ 115200 bps Parity: None.g.□ □ Socket port of Digital I/O □ □ Port number A socket port assigned for the serial port. to be connected from the TCP clients. □ □ Destination socket port The server socket port would be connected in TCP Client and UDP Client mode for a certain serial port. □ □ Serial I/O setting □ □ Baud rate. connect to the TCP server. It’s a 16-bit number . □ □ Connection The connection can be selected in 2 modes. used for the serial communication. ranging from 1 to 65535. 8 Stop Bit: 1 or 2 26 . passive open. Because the numbers below 1000 are used Generally the port number 4660 is However you should specify for specific purposes (e. 80 is for HTTP protocol). “Auto” or “Manual”. TCP Client: TCP protocol. we suggest you use the numbers larger than 1000. active open. connectionless □ □ Destination setting □ □ Destination IP address The server IP address and socket port would be connected in TCP Client and UDP Client mode for a certain server IP address. data bits. Even. parity. Odd Data Bits: 7. UDP: UDP protocol. □ □ Socket type TCP Server: TCP protocol. different port number for each serial port.
□ □ Device ID User assigned ID number for the converter. EX-9132 TCP/IP converter will immediately report its device ID in the following formats: Serial #1 Serial #2 Digital I/O nnnnnA[LF][CR] nnnnnB[LF][CR] nnnnnC[LF][CR] The total length is 8 bytes. 27 .□ □ Interface of serial I/O RS232: TxD. where “nnnnn” is a 5-digit device ID assigned by the user. [LF] is decimal 10. RTS/CTS for flow control RS232 (RTS/CTS. [CR] is decimal 13. DTR/DSR): TxD. RxD for data stream. DTR for socket status. every time when the socket is connected. Available ID is “0 ~ 65535”. RTS/CTS for flow control. no flow control RS232 (RTS/CTS): TxD. If packet mode is enabled. □ □ Report device ID when connected In TCP mode. or the converter detects a 10-character packet gap and no more character arrived. RxD for data stream. RxD for data stream. the data input from UART will be deferred until the input buffer is full. if this parameter is enabled. DSR for socket open/close control RS485 (Half duplex): Half duplex RS-485 interface RS422 (Full duplex): Full duplex RS-422 interface □ □ Packet mode of serial input Packet mode could be in enabled/disabled mode. The block waiting time is extended to avoid the splitting of the complete packet.
If the authentication fails or Otherwise. the authentication is disabled. Authentication password may be empty or up to 15 characters long. the socket will be closed. □ □ Access password During socket connection. 28 . If “Access password” is empty. It may be empty or up to 15 characters long.□ □ Setup password Administration password used to login the “Controller Setup” page. the authentication will be conducted. no password is supplied within 10 seconds.
Controller Updated Press “Update” Button After you finish the detailed parameter setting. (Figure 3. If everything is ok.. you can close the browser now. It takes about 5 seconds to complete the whole process.8) You can re-login and check if all parameters have been correctly saved.8). and a new login page will be presented (see Figure 3.1). The converter will save all parameters into internal non-volatile memory and then reboot (see Figure 3. Note : If the domain of the converter is different from that of the computer running the browser. 29 . the login page won’t appear unless the converter’s “Gateway Address” has been correctly set.
you can turn off the power and then use any point tip to push “Reset” button and hold it to turn on the power at the same time for 5 seconds. you forget the setup password. 2. Use a pin or any point tip to push the screw driver or any conductor to short DTR and CTS (pin 4 and pin 8 in DB9) of RS232 connector. 30 . B: 1. Remove screwed driver or conductor. Turn off the power of the converter. there are two ways to reset the setting and the following procedures can be used to reset all settings to factory default: A: 1. 3. 4.Factory Default Setting If by chance. or have incorrect settings making the converter inoperable. Turn on the power of the converter and wait 5 seconds. The password will be reset to the factory default.
The following topics are covered in this chapter: □ □ Hyper Terminal for TCP/IP WinSock □ □ Hyper Terminal for COM Port □ □ Data Transmission 31 . ME.4 Self-Testing After completing the wiring and parameter setting. This chapter will introduce how to use a single computer to test if the converter behaves well. XP. 98. The wiring architecture is similar to “RS-232 Wiring” in chapter 2. The “Hyper Terminal” utility should be installed on your PC (see Figure 4. It can be found in your Windows installation CD. The operating system can be Windows 95. and the “Serial Device” is replaced by the PC’s COM 1. The same PC also plays the roll of the Remote Host. we should verify if the setting is correct or not. 2000.1).
choose an icon. give a terminal name.2).1) (Figure 4.2) 32 .1).Hyper Terminal for TCP/IP WinSock Initiate a Hyper Terminal from the Start Menu in Windows (see Figure 4. (Figure 4. and press “OK” button (see Figure 4.
) (The Socket type of the Serial Port 1 (Figure 4.g 4660). Figure 4.4) 33 . should be “TCP Server”. 192. and the Socket port number set for the Serial Port 1 at the “Port number:” field (e.0.3) After “OK” button is pressed.168.Select “TCP/IP(Winsock)” option at the “Connect using:” field (see Figure 4.4 appears.3) .g. Enter the converter’s IP address (e.10) at the “Host address:” field. (Figure 4.
After “OK” button is pressed.5 appears. (Figure 4. If the Hyper Terminal connects with the converter successfully. the time clock at the “left lower” corner “Connected hh:mm:ss” will start counting.5) 34 . Figure 4.
Set the COM port Properties to be the same as those set for the Serial Port of the converter.3.3) 35 .Hyper Terminal for COM Port Initiate another Hyper Terminal as a COM Port Terminal (in Figure 4. select COM 1 or other COM port instead of “TCP/IP (Winsock)”). (Figure 4.
Data Transmission When all steps described above are finished. Alternatively. If yes. 36 . then all settings are correct and the converter can operate properly. check if the characters typed on the TCP/IP Winsock Terminal are also displayed on the COM Port Terminal. type any characters on the COM Port Terminal and check if the typed characters are also displayed on the TCP/IP Winsock Terminal.
After finishing the parameters settings. □ □ If your computer OS is Windows XP version which means “WINDOWS Firewall” function in OS is activated. You have to temperately disable “WINDOWS Firewall” function. You can restart “WINDOWS Firewall” function. However ExpertDAQETM. Please check if the network domain of your PC is the same as that of the converter. Q. Please check □ □ if the power is properly plugged to the converter. □ □ if the network cable is properly connected between the converter and the Hub.Appendix A FAQ Q. Why can’t I use IE to setup the converter? A. 37 . Refer to the “Hardware Installation” steps in Chapter 3. therefore.exe wouldn’t detect the converter’s IP address. Why can’t the ExpertDAQETM.exe detect the converter on the network? A.
PIN 1 : DCD PIN 5 : GND PIN 9 : NONE PIN 2 : RXD PIN 6 : DSR 38 PIN 3 : TXD PIN 7 : RTS PIN 4 : DTR PIN 8 : CTS .Appendix B Pin outs and Cable Wiring □ □ DC Power outlet □ □ RJ-45 Pin Assignment □ □ RS-232 Pin Assignment The pin assignment scheme for a 9-pin male connector on a DTE is given below.
□ □ RS-232 Wiring Diagram Serial Device 2 RX 3 TX 5 GND 7 RTS 8 CTS EX-9132 Converter 3 2 5 8 7 TX RX GND CTS RTS (Flow Control) (Flow Control) □ □ RS-422 Pin Assignment The pin assignment scheme for a 4-pin RS-422 is given below. 1 2 3 4 PIN 1 : T+ PIN 2 : T- PIN 3 : R+ PIN 4 : R- □ □ RS-422 Wiring Diagram Serial Device RR+ TT+ EX-9132 TCP/IP Converter 2 T1 T+ 4 R3 R+ □ □ RS-485 Wiring Diagram Serial Device DD+ EX-9132 TCP/IP Converter 1 D2 D+ 39 . | 2019-04-21T16:04:04Z | http://vintageculture.com/?page=document/187863391/Manual-of-EX-9132 |
Have you ever wondered what consulting with Joe Sanok is like? Do you wonder whether or not it would be beneficial to your business? Are you feeling stuck in your phase of private practice?
In this episode, Joe Sanok speaks consults with Melissa Dohse live to give an example of what consulting with him is like.
I specialize with survivors of trauma, women in the postpartum period, and individuals parenting with PTSD.
Melissa is an LCSW that has been out of Grad School for five years doing counseling work for non- profits and a consulting job on a native American reservation. She decided in January that she wanted to commit to starting a private practice, a dream she had for many years. Melissa took the next six months (January-June) to wrap up her previous employment and get all her ducks in a row. She listened to so many of Practice of the Practice’s podcasts, followed the 28-step checklist and read many of our blogs in the lead up to her launch. Melissa officially launched four weeks ago and she’s completely full already and has a waitlist. She only wanted to do the private practice part-time, as she has two young children.
How many clients are you currently seeing?
How much are you charging per session?
What is your office set-up like?
Are you interested in adding clinicians to your practice?
Why do you want a thriving practice?
What’s preventing you from attaining a thriving private practice?
What low-hanging fruit could you look at outsourcing?
How is your website set up?
This is the Practice of the Practice Podcast with Joe Sanok, session #280.
[MUSIC] [INTRODUCTION] Joe Sanok: Well, welcome to the Practice of the Practice Podcast. I am Joe Sanok. You are live in the Radio Center Two Building in beautiful downtown Traverse City. I am so thrilled that you’re hanging out with me today. We are all about starting, growing, and scaling private practices in really innovative ways. On this podcast, we cover all sorts of things that I an curious about, and you know, it has been probably since 2012-2013, that I have been doing one-on-one consulting with people and in the last couple of years have launched some Mastermind groups and we also have our Next Level Practice which is for people just starting out at out supportive community over at www.practiceofthepractice.com/invite. But often if you haven’t had a chance to do one-on-one consulting with me or with anyone, you don’t necessarily know what it’s like. And so Melissa – today’s guest Melissa Dohse – she reached out to me and she has been a big listener. She has downloaded a bunch of stuff, follow the emails, really launched it, and said hey Joe, would you be off for doing a live consulting session to help me get to that next level of practice and I thought, you know, this would be a good chance to really kind of show what’s it’s like for someone that’s just at the beginning phases. Most of my consulting now is for people that are right there on the $100,000 ready to really scale up. And Alison Pidgeon is doing a bunch of one-on-one consulting and also running some Mastermind groups, and we are looking to maybe adding more consultants to Practice of the Practice so that we can really help everybody at every phase of practice.
But today on the show is super exciting for me because… we haven’t done much of this, where I have done the consulting on the podcast. So hopefully get some takeaways and Melissa has just rocked it out and grown so quickly and to learn from her, one of our five fierce females in February. She is rocking it out. So without any further ado, I give you Melissa Dohse.
Well, today on the Practice of the Practice Podcast, we have Melissa Dohse. She is an LCSW and and she is the owner and operator of Cultivate Counseling down in Flagstaff. Melissa has been in the social work for the last 10 years with a focus on Women on Trauma. Melissa, welcome to the Practice of the Practice Podcast.
Melissa Dohse: Thanks for having me. I am excited to be here.
[THE CONSULTING SESSION PODCAST – INITIAL DETAILS] Joe Sanok: Yeah, this is a unique kind of podcast for doing today. You dropped me an email, maybe a month or so ago, and tell the audience what you said in that email.
Joe Sanok: Yeah, so why don’t I sketch out – I [00:05:35.00] like this is like one of our first sessions. We haven’t talked about this before this moment. And so kind of the process of what it would be for people that are listening is they would usually go to www.practiceofthepractice.com/consulting. I have got some testimonials and videos, kind of sketches that sketch out what consulting is. So someone would then kind of have in their mind they have at least a basic framework going into the application. And so they know that we are probably going to do two sessions a month for the first couple months and then we will move to once a month. We use Trello to keep track of kind of all that we are working on and that really is meant to help you create a plan for me to walk through when you get stuck during that time. And so if you had already kind of applied for consulting, then I have Emily my Director of Details. She goes through all of those applications and she reaches out usually within 24 hours, usually faster than that, and then says, hey Melissa. Looks like, you are a great fit for consulting. I just have a couple follow up questions for Joe to prepare him for your pre-consulting call. And so then she would look through what your goals are. Make sure they align with what you get out of consulting. And then we have a pre-consulting call, which is kind of like where you and I are going to start while also may be getting a little into as if there was consulting today. Does that sound, Melissa?
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, that sounds awesome.
[QUESTIONS LOOKED INTO AS PART OF CONSULTING PROCESS] [Why Did You Decide To Go into Counseling] Joe Sanok: Cool. So for consulting phone call, I love to kind of hear your back story of why you went into counseling. Tell me a little bit. You started listening while you are driving to the Hopi Reservation. What was going on that made you want to start a practice?
Joe Sanok: How long it was that you had kids?
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, so I have a 3-1/2-year-old and then I have an almost 1-year-old.
Joe Sanok: That’s a busy age.
Joe Sanok: It really sounds like flexibility, be able to be there for your kids, that’s what really drew you into starting your practice?
[How Many Clients Are You Currently Seeing] Joe Sanok: And then how would you frame out how your practice is right now in regards to numbers, in regrds to how happy you are with where you are at. I mean a few minutes ago, you said that you were surprised that you were so full after just 9 weeks… nine weeks, six weeks?
Joe Sanok: You have 15 clients. How many sessions a week do you think you are doing right now?
Melissa Dohse: I say, 10-12 sessions a week.
[How Much Are You Charging Per Session] Joe Sanok: And what you’re charging per session?
Melissa Dohse: So right now I am paneled with one insurance company and that is the payoff for about $80, but then I have about probably 4-5 private pay clients who pay $120.
Joe Sanok: All right. So if we’re at 4-5 times 120, so that’s about $600 a week and then if we have 7 times 80 or so, that’s $560 a week. All right. So you’re just around like $1100-$1200 a week. Is that about right?
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, yeah. I was averaging, I was kind of estimating around a $1000 plus depending on if I have any cancellations or anything like that come up.
[What are Your Expenses?] Joe Sanok: Okay, and tell me about your expenses what you’re spending money on.
Joe Sanok: Who recommended that, that’s a great idea [LAUGH].
Joe Sanok: Now with that is there any sort of limit as to like could you upgrade to three days a week or four days a week if you wanted to?
Melissa Dohse: Ahm, it’s kind of a conversations I shared with one other therapist, and he is not using it a ton. So we talked about it a few weeks ago, and he is like, yeah, you know, you could probably make it work for a while. There is three of us putting in and so that person looks like they are going to back out. So I think there would be an option to go to a third day. I would probably go up to like $120 a month or something [00:12:44.03]. But, yeah, so there is an option for a third day. Probably not a fourth day because of the other therapists that I am sharing it with.
Joe Sanok: Mm-hmm. And how many offices? Would that just one office?
Melissa Dohse: You know, I don’t actually know. He just had sent me a message, but I think it’s probably one, maybe bigger office.
[Are You Interested in Adding Clinicians to Your Practice?] Joe Sanok: Okay. So, yeah. I think that’s something that when you’re at a point that you are starting to turn people away and you want to have that lifestyle, looking at, well, how do I continue to scale, how do I continue to grow – so looking at do you start raising your rates for private pay, do you start adding clinicians? When you think about scaling and growing since you have such a strong start, what are areas that you are like I definitely would like to do that versus I am not sure I want to do that versus I definitely don’t want to do that?
Joe Sanok: Yeah, I think when I work with people I always look for the low hanging fruit, like what do we do right away that’s going to help bring in money, but use of a ton of your time and so, yes, you want to have an optimized website, you want good marketing, you want all of that, but you’ve got a great flow of people already coming in and you really don’t want to get the reputation that you are hard to get into that takes for ever, that you are not seeing clients because to undo that it takes a lot of time.
Joe Sanok: So I am apt to keep running with the sprint, and if you are comfortable talking about how to add clinicians to your practice and kind of some those first steps and addressing some of that mindset, stuff around. Well, I might good enough. I just started. Like kind I really do this and some of that is genuinely, like yeah you should learn something. You need to learn how to be a manager. You need to learn how to organize people. Like, yes, maybe there are skills that we have built in you over kind of the long-term consulting whereas maybe there is other things that is like you are good enough. You launched a practice. You listen to hundreds of hours of podcast. You know a ton compared to other people and you probably are selling yourself short of the knowledge that you have. Because when you are around other high achievers or you are listening to people that I have interviewed or blogs you compare yourself to those people and feel like you always come up short. Whereas in reality, compared to the local counselors you are probably in the top one percent already in regards to mindset, in regards to knowledge, in regards to your ability to scale your practice.
[Why do You Want a Thriving Practice?] Joe Sanok: Well, I want to step back a little bit from kind of the advice side of your practice and here about your why’s – something I always do kind of on these consulting calls. Tell me why you want to have a thriving practice? I know part of that you said was your kids, but if you had a six figure or a multi six figure practice, how would your life be different?
Melissa Dohse: I think of this freedom to be with my family more. My husband works like 65 hours a week and we really want him to step away from that and it would be great if I could make enough in three days to support our family. So I think that’s been a conversation between us since like If I added a day and you quit this job where we don’t get to see you that much, like how could that change our family. So I think that is a huge piece of it.
Joe Sanok: And so have you looked at how much income would have to be replaced if you were to step back from that position or do a lateral move?
Joe Sanok: So really you are two-thirds of the way there, just another day could potentially change your life in regards to seeing your husband more, being around your kids all that.
Melissa Dohse: Yeah and I think [00:18:37.28] just a huge need. There is… you know, I get calls every week I got a call… actually, I was in Traverse City a few weeks ago and I got a call. I was there and this client was like, “Nobody has openings on this time. Like, everybody is full.” She is like I have called therapists after therapists. And she said you are supposed to be the one with opening. Someone told me you just opened and I was like, “I know and I did like two weeks ago,” so like it’s just a need that I am hearing so often. In fact [00:19:09.01] there’s actually only one group practice in town.
[What is Preventing you From Attaining a Thriving Private Practice?] Joe Sanok: So what’s standing in the way of opening up a third day?
Joe Sanok: Sure. So I wonder [00:20:05.12] if using something like www.care.com… and I know that it sounds like it’s less financial and more like [00:20:10.29] consistent care givers which totally makes sense, but defined even a nanny for that day in the short run so that you can keep that momentum going while you are adding clinicians. Then you won’t be turning people away. I mean you probably in hour or two hours make enough to cover that nanny for the day or to even look at other things you could outsource just even in your personal life like grocery shopping or cleaning or things so that you have that like quality time with the kids rather than just kind of short of time. I think that’s something that often times we underestimate. You know if we spend a Saturday mowing the lawn and trimming the bushes and getting food like, that’s not a day that we genuinely have with our family and I am a big proponent of designing the lifestyle you want. And when you are cash strapped that’s harder, but if it’s like okay, if I work one more day or week, I can then pay for two full days for the family replacement [00:21:06.07] income and have more of a lifestyle and I don’t have to be doing all the stuff that maybe I have done in the past. Does that makes sense?
Melissa Dohse: Right… Mm-hmm. Yeah.
[What Low-Hanging Fruit Could You Look at Outsourcing?] Joe Sanok: What kind of low-hanging fruit would you say there is in regards to potentially moving towards outsourcing certain things in your life that you don’t like doing, that would give you more time with your kids or more time with your husband?
Melissa Dohse: [LAUGH] And cooking. I have looked into, like… we have done the [00:21:40.27] services….
Joe Sanok: Yeah, blue [00:21:42.28] or something….
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, I wasn’t like [00:21:44.24] about them.
Joe Sanok: And it gets kind of expensive. I mean, like for that [00:21:48.16] pretty much like go out to eat at a decent restaurant.
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, so… I think, yeah, probably like food is not my thing, which is so [00:22:05.04] my husband is a restaurant manager and he loves cooking. Right… On his days off he likes to cook. So it’s like, all he does is cook, but… I end up doing most of the cooking. So I don’t really like cooking, and… I don’t mind cleaning and like [00:22:19.21]. So I don’t have much in my home to clean. But, yeah, I don’t know, it’s a hard question. The other piece is we just bought a house this summer. So there’s just a lot of like home projects to be done. So it would probably be more about stuff like hiring someone to put in our baseboards and hiring someone to, you know, like get our yard in place [00:22:39.13] it’s just a lot of house projects now that we’ve never had before.
Joe Sanok: And so I would really want to, if we are working together, over the long haul, I would want to make sure that we really evaluate are there things that are on your plate, the things that have to be on your plate or are there tools or people that could take that off of your plate? Does that make sense?
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, and my and I have talked about him kind of becoming that person, where he quits his job, like becoming kind of the assistant for me, you know, doing some of my dealing with… you know if I move into a good practice, doing some of the management piece, the billing piece, taxes, you know all that kind of stuff.
Joe Sanok: Now, would your husband take a job for 15 bucks an hour?
Melissa Dohse: It would actually be a lateral move for him… yeah.
Joe Sanok: So, it would be a lateral move for him… Okay. And that’s where I want to… For some people, it’s no. Absolutely not. For other people, it’s llike, yeah.
Joe Sanok: But usually as a rule of thumb, that isn’t recommended because it just adds extra stress to the couple than instead of just one of you thinking about your business all the time and having to learn to pull back on that. Now you both are. And so I would want to just make sure we looked at the pros and cons of that versus him finding a job that he can show up to, he can enjoy, he feels filled up with, and then he can come home and would be 100 percent there for you and you guys can kind of step back together. So I would want to make sure we evaluated that. So kind of the three big goals that I am hearing are first, to really just examine how your lifestyle fits in with your business and making sure that we’re outsourcing everything we can, that we are setting up systems that are sustainable for long-term multi-six-figure growth. Because to do this much in such a short period of time, I think it’s important that we really set up systems that aren’t just like this hotch-potch, but that they can take you up to 6k, but that they can also take you to a multi six figure practice without having to change and undo too much. I am also hearing that scaling it, there’s a lot of opportunity here. And so adding contractors to your practice and figuring out how to do that. And a really kind of clear way would be a big goal of our consulting. And then third, I am hearing kind of other streams of income such as supervision being a part of the equation as well. You know, there’s just some kind of logistical things in Flagstaff to get certifications to do supervision. But then how do you market yourself? How do you stand out to be a supervisor, and all of that? Do that sound like it captures kind of your three big goals for consulting?
Melissa Dohse: Yeah, definitely. I think that systems pieces, like, has been really hard for me because I expected to have the time to set up systems.
Melissa Dohse: And I haven’t. So that piece has been where I feel like I am really lacking.
Joe Sanok: Yeah. And so if we are working together over the next six months, the first month I would say we would spend the first two sessions really evaluating your systems – what’s working, what’s not working, what do you understand, what can your outsource. So even something as simple as “I know I should be blogging.” Well, should you be the one that’s blogging? Should we hire a copywriter that will write some blogs for you and then you kind of go and then add your essence to those blogs. So that you write 20 percent of them. Or if you’re more audio for you to just talk into something and have someone transcribe it while you are driving or while you are going for walk or something. So finding ways that we can kind of overlap parts of your life, so we can multiply your time. Because you are busy, you have kids, you have a practice that’s thriving already. So figuring out what really should you be doing, what shouldn’t you be doing. And then having even someone like an IT person that if your website breaks down they jump in there while you are in session rather than you doing it. Who do have your website through?
[How is Your Website Set Up?] [OPTIMIZING PRACTICE; SCALING PRACTICE] Joe Sanok: Squarespace. Okay. So good for SEO, but we may want to have somebody like Jaime Jay from Slapshot Studio at least go ahead and just make sure website is optimized for SEO and kind of outsource that to someone that knows what they are doing SEO wise. And the metaphor that I like is the idea of a ship. You know, I’m a sailor, and so we got to make sure that the hatches are battened down. We got to make sure that everything is kind of tight like it’s supposed to before we set the sail. Otherwise, we are going to take on water and if we add people to the boat that’s not going to help us optimize this. So making sure the practice is optimized, so I say that would be like phase I. And then phase II I would say would be, us really looking at how do we scale. And so what we would do is in Trello. We would create a board for you, where it has Melissa’s one thing, so the one thing that you need to do between now and her session. So that might be here’s the systems to evaluate. l want you to meet with these people and get quotes and see if that fits within your budget and then next let’s look at outsourcing as much of that as we can to free up your time and mental energy to work on bringing clinicians. Then we’ll have Melissa’s next things, which is another column. And so as we talked during consulting, I am talking notes in there, adding cards. I can drop videos and checklists and due dates into that. And so that could be what you need to do next step to your one thing. It could be something that’s six months or a year from now that I want to stay on your radar. Then next column would be questions for Joe. And so if between sessions you had questions or thoughts you wanted to work on, you drop those in there. Then in our next consulting session, we can be super organized and efficient rather than looking through emails and be like, “Didn’t you send me something you wanted to talk about or if kind of what that was?” Like, so it’s all just in that one spot.
Joe Sanok: Then the fourth column would be your KPIs, your key performance indicators. So we would say what are the key performance indicators of success in consulting with me. So that might be I want to be at $2000 a week, but I don’t want to work more than 25 hours a week. So we keep track of those very clear indicators, almost like a treatment plan where there are goals that are measurable outcomes, same sort of idea, but a fancy business term KPI. So we keep it really kind of structured within Trello, so that you know where you are at, I know where you are at. You don’t have this big list of 20 things to do and so you know this is the one next thing that I need to be working at. So then in regards to scaling and adding clinicians, tell me what you’ve thought about in regards to that already, so that we are not kind of repeating things you’ve already thought about.
[HOW TO KEEP COUNSELORS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE/ PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICES / MANAGING PRIVATE PRACTICE] Melissa Dohse: Ahm, I mean I think I have just thought like… I think my biggest hesitancy is like how do you do it well, so that there is an incentive to keep people around. I think the different people I have known in Denver and also have had good practices it seems like kind of revolving door of clinicians that come through. And so my biggest hesitancy is like how do you keep people incentivized to stay, how do you pay them enough and value them enough that they would rather work for you than go start their own things. So I think that’s probably the piece that’s been the biggest question for me. I think too just… yeah, like, how much do I have to check in with those people? How do I ensure they are providing quality services that would be, you know, prior to say yes they were critical to the counseling. Just some of that management piece. I think I have done a lot of supervision of clinicians in Denver, but I haven’t done a lot of managing. So I think looking at that piece. Yeah, those kind of… those are the big ones.
Joe Sanok: … there is a very clear line where I write a check to each one of their companies because the company can’t be a W-2 employee. So my local attorney kind of advised me on [00:34:34.20] how do we best make sure that it’s super clear that they are 1099s. And then they can also write off all their business expenses. So they can work with their accountant on what can I write off these dinners where I’m talking about my practice? Can I write off these expenses? There’s a lot of things that they can then write off that really helps out. So I think that’s kind of decision number one. It’s W-2 versus 1099, and then if you decide to do a percentage-based model which I would say whether you are doing W-2 or 1099 working with an accountant and an attorney on how to do a percentage-based model. I much prefer that. And so that means that they get a certain percentage of what comes in. And so my structure is that when someone first joins Mental Wellness Counseling, they are in what’s called the onboarding phase. And the onboarding phase they are in until they have their first month they bring in $2500. And so they are considered onboarding until then. And so I take 50 percent and then they get 50 percent until they have their first month that they bring in $2500. I picked that number because you know to hit that you have to have some relatively consistent clients. You have to have made some traction, connected in the community and all that takes time for me and for them, because I’m marketing the practice. I am trying to make us look good to the community and also introduce them to the community while they are doing kind of the same. They are out there marketing themselves, shaking hands, meeting people, blogging. And so there’s a lot of extra time on the front end. And so that kind of pays for my time when they are in their onboarding phase. After that, it switches over to that they are full clinicians. And so they get 50 percent of the first $1000 that comes in, then after that they get 65 percent upto $2500 for the month, then after that they get 75 percent. And so that really incentivizes the higher achievers if they are bringing in 8 or 10 grand a month for them to say, well, you know, the first $2500 Joe gets between 35 percent and 50 percent, but I get 75 percent after that. When you really look at most overhead for if they were to go on their own, they can expect 20 percent to 30 percent going towards their overhead. And so their incentive to leave isn’t really there.
Joe Sanok: Also, I look for people that they want to show up into counseling and do really awesome counseling and they are probably not as interested in going out and starting their own practice. And so if somebody says, yeah, I would love to have a practice, well, you are probably not the best person for me because I am going to get you going, and then you’re going to leave, right, when things get going well.
Joe Sanok: So then, that’s kind of how the structure is and then in regards to sticking around, I think that’s more the soft skill of management or of connecting. You know, to emotionally connect with people, help people get growing, giving them opportunities that go beyond just the finances. And so getting them on local radio. Helping them kind of be famous in your community through the press releases that you develop. Those are all things that a lot of people don’t know how to do, so the more that you can know how to market people, the easier that’s going to be to launch them, but also have them stick around.
Joe Sanok: Cool. So if we were in a consulting session, at this point we will talk about kind of your next steps for our next consulting session. And so if I was to say what your one thing is, I would say your one thing kind of moving forward between now and our next consulting session would be to really look at kind of those nuts and bolts of your practice, see where you need to firm things up. And really if you want to be working three days a week, then I would say even if you can fill that, get in the habit of working three days a week so that you can be working on the practice. Get everything kind of set up so that if you are working on your website for day three, then you can slowly start to insert people into that day. And you have the child care kind of all set up for you.
Joe Sanok: Oh no, fell off the conveyor belt. Yeah, and so then I usually end with where do you think you’re going to get stuck or what questions do you have?
[MANAGING WAIT LISTS] Melissa Dohse: Oh, yeah. So the question which is like you know I know you talk about never having a wait list. So what do you do if you… say I get to a third day and it’s like, “Oh, that day is filled up,” what do you say, okay, at the point you really got a push towards adding connections?
Joe Sanok: I would say you’re at the point of adding clinicians now.
Joe Sanok: I want you to tighten things up with the practice and really start to add clinicians now. That’s going to run into a space issue, but I mean you’re pretty close to October and so if you can upgrade your space so that you have one or two offices, that’s going to make it lot easier to scale. And really I would be more apt to say if you and your family don’t need the money right away, I would see if you can try to get a two-office space so that you can really start to scale on the next year rather than just jump up to your own office to only jump up to a two-office suite. I mean if you have a clinician that joins you [00:40:11.04] want to spend more time kind of going into that. But I would say if you can find a two-office space that’s in that $400 to $500 range, you can always sublet it for six months to make ends meet. And then maybe, you know, as you add clinicians in. I would also be apt to probably raise your rates – I mean you’re $120 now. If you are able to get five people that easily, I would say it’s probably time to jump to $135 and maybe have your intake be $150. That’s going to eliminate some people. You may not get as many people, but you will be making more money in a less amount of time, and I hope so. I would [00:40:50.19] on your next couple phone calls and just say my private pay rate is $150 for an intake and $135 per session. And I would be surprised if you didn’t keep getting just as many people.
Joe Sanok: And that’s why I take notes in Trello, and I can say all right, here’s all the stuff you need to do.
Joe Sanok: [00:41:21.12] [LAUGH] it was in the podcast.
Joe Sanok: Awesome. Well, Melissa, thanks so much for reaching out to me and asking if you could have this live consulting session. If people want to connect with you, what’s the best way for them to connect with you?
Melissa Dohse: Aah, probably my website. It’s www.cultivatecounselingflagstaff.com, and they can e-mail me on there. There’s a form they can fill out to connect with me.
Joe Sanok: Perfect. And if every counselor in the world were listening right now, what would you want them to know?
Joe Sanok: Yeah, I totally agree. Yeah, that’s the thing I heard over and over at Slow Down School from the participants like [00:42:17.10], taking care of themselves, like that’s the thing that helps them scale. So… well, Melissa, thank you so much for being on the Practice of the Practice Podcast.
Melissa Dohse: Thanks Joe. It was so fun.
Joe Sanok: All right. Bye.
Joe Sanok: Isn’t that great to see how much Melissa has grown in such a short period of time. You know, you can absolutely do that and if you are just starting out and you want my 28-step checklist on how to start a practice, a 5-minute video to know how easy is to rank in your area and paced-out e-mails to walk you through that process of starting your practice, if you are anywhere under that $40,000 a year and you’re just getting going, head on over to www.practiceofthepractice.com/start. And you know what, if you are growing and you want some extra help, we have tons of downloads over at www.practiceofthepractice.com/resources. That’s where we have books, we have walk-throughs and how to start a group practice, all of our different things that for you are totally free. We aren’t charging for these at all. We have created over 20 different resources and we would love you to head over there. So thanks for letting me into your ears and into your brain. Next week, we have Rachael Norman who has launched a really amazing app to help people get reimbursement from private pay or from their insurance, and it really automates a lot of it. And it’s fully free for you. You clients are… they pay a small percentage for that service and it’s super amazing, super helpful. So next week make sure you tune in, and I’ll see you next week for five fierce females in February. We’re twice a week this month. So tune in. Thanks for letting us into your ears and into your brain. Have an amazing day. See you.
This podcast is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It’s given with the understanding that neither the host, the publisher or the guests are rendering any legal, accounting, clinical or other professional information. If you need a professional, you should find one. | 2019-04-22T00:27:39Z | https://www.practiceofthepractice.com/live-consulting-joe-melissa-dohse-series-3-5-five-fierce-females-pop-280/ |
iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus: Which should I upgrade to?
Before finally seeing Apple making its foray into the phablet market I had been waiting for a number of years now. One of the greatest innovator of our time, Steve Jobs, once famously stated the iPhone size that was original was the ideal form factor. A cellphone with screen size smaller in relation to the iPhone was said to not be good. Anything will be big.
For many years now, Apple’s close rivals have been releasing larger screen smartphones and the strategy seems to be going very well with smartphone users. I thought it was the final opportunity that I’m giving to Apple this year. If they’re not releasing a bigger iPhone, I was all set to produce a switch away from the iPhone. For quite a while now, I ‘d been excited to get the Galaxy Note 3 but it was because of my despise for Samsung that I ‘d not been making the switch.
Now the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had been formally unveiled, it leaves me in a situation that is difficult to make my pick. I know there are millions of people out there who’d similar predicament as me. The massive size of the iPhone 6 Plus is definitely an appealing factor. But not long after it was made available, there had been tonnes of reviews and reports that uncover a possible design flaw with the iPhone 6 Plus. Referred to some as the ‘bendgate’ scandal, when you place it in your back pocket iPHone 6 Plus had been reported to be bendable.
It has been several years now since I’ve been needing to upgrade from my iPhone 4. All the hypes and dilemmas leave me in doubt if it’s the very best time to get the iPhone 6 Plus now or is it better to go with the smaller iPhone 6 instead. Is the screen size of the iPhone 6 large enough. I am thinking if I’ll regret my decision for getting the smaller screen. It makes me wonder whether the screen size is all there is that we have to consider when picking between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. I’m really not sure. I’m still looking for that someone to enlighten me on this issue.
Putting on a hat can tell a good deal regarding a person. The hat is able to unveil the wearer’s occupation, the style quotient of the individual, or perhaps the hat may be worn to protect you from the bright sun light. Hats were once an important part of a woman or man’s wardrobe and, although those days have passed, hats are actually seeing a small come back in the fashion world.
There’s a wide selection of hats for women and men available in the market plus both may select in accordance with their preference. They are able to choose hats produced from different types of materials like wool or felt or straw or cotton or canvas. Coming from a dapper fedora to a lady’s pill box hat, you can find one to match any situation. There are actually occasions in which it is popular to wear hats that are stylish or outlandish. One such popular event where hats take up an important role for the fashion conscious is the Kentucky Derby. It is somewhat like a custom to wear hats during the derby season and individuals that keep to the traditions are pretty serious, while on the other hand few individuals seize the chance to experiment with the design by wearing hats which are produced from fake flowers, feathers, fruits or other one of a kind designs.
Whenever you might be selecting a hat to get, you ought to usually try it on, not only for size, but to see how well it goes along with the shape of your face as well as your complexion. You need to choose a hat that is of bold color as it goes well with the color of your hair and skin. By no means pick a round hat if you possess a round face. It will make your face seem to be shorter and plumper.
Sun hats having wide brims are available in many different designs and colors for spring and summer. There usually are styles which tend to be designed to end up being worn at the pool together with your swimming costume or even some wide brim hats tend to be best to put on with a sundress whenever you decide to go out to lunch with close friends. Wide brim hats are also extremely practical.
Moreover hats safeguard your neck and face area along with head from becoming tanned when you are gardening or are simply lying on the seaside. The brim functions as a shield and in addition to protecting from the sun rays also helps to keep you much cooler. The majority of brimmed hats tend to be designed to offer shade, however for highest protection, you need to select those that have a larger brim.
An additional thing to consider is the material that the hat is made. Whether they happen to be idling in your closet or perhaps on a coat tree, hats accumulate airborne dirt and dust and if you purchase hats made from fabrics like wool, suede or felt, you might need to have them cleaned professionally. Straw can be very easily cleaned and you may be able to toss a cotton or canvas cap directly into the washer to be cleaned. Hats for men and women can be a very exciting accessory and you need not be very serious about selection of any one of them.
It is a gloomy day to most of us who have come to know this man through his adrenaline-pumping books and novels. The passing of Tom Clancy marks a loss to guys like yourself and myslef who have been exposed to (and grown old) with his intriguing espionage stories and close to real-life art of works.
I am writing this piece as a mini tribute to one of the biggest writer that I have known to have ever lived.
I have read every single book authored by Tom Clancy. My ultimate favorite is ‘Red Storm Rising’. I’m sure every one of you has your own favorite, so just feel free to share yours in the comments below.
The discussion about Casio G-Shock watches is virtually equivalent to the discussion about tough watches. A decade has passed since its first production but no other watch could replace G-Shock from the career of king of tough watches. However, there also a number of tougher watches than Casio G-shock Brand which you can easily reach. It is only that neither of the alternative watch makers has their focus solely on making the world’s most solid watches. You’ll be surprised that even in markets like military uses, there are a number of choices available.
The timekeeping procedure is followed all around the world and so there are endless uses of watch. You can also see the apparel style or dress code which is appropriate to your own watch may be distinct from now and again. Watches for armed forces should be created with some consideration about the uniform’s shade. Here is the chief reason for which watches G-Shock military inspired series are of the colors like like grey, olive green, navy blue. Some watches that are specially designed to wear along with glamorous gown should have some sparkle color, for example silver and gold.
Where to purchase your demanding watch is dependent on your own taste. I know some people still love going to their local watch store to buy their watches. If you are the sort of shopper who needs to physically touch and see an item prior to buying, then online shopping may not be your cup of tea. The reason for which I want to buy my tough watches online is the reality that I get to do plenty of research work through the reviews of other users prior to buying. In addition, with hundreds of online stores at your disposal, I normally have a higher possibility of finding small versions such as G-Shock military inspired series online.
It is important consider the several things before deciding to buy a tough watch. The most crucial considerations are watch movement and the strap material. There are few different materials that are usually used to make the strap of tough watches.
Titanium and stainless steel are popular watch materials; although they enrich the look of tough watches they are not the best for the military niche. That is why most G-Shock military inspired series use resin sort of material that can take on different camouflage colors.
The watch movement is very important because poor quality movement will not last particularly during a fall. It is necessary to read rough watches review before making a choice of purchase. It is impossible to get the toughest watches if you do not read and compare the watches available in the market.
Finding the finest watch that will match your character can be difficult for you, particularly should you not know how exactly to do it. It is vital to go through the critiques of tough watches so you have access to the widest change of accessible tough watches. Make sure you are clear about your own personal demand so that you understand what issues to look out for. G-Shock group should be the first name that occurs for most buyers looking for the toughest watches in the world. In case that you don’t like the look of Casio G-shock, then there are other options available from different manufacturers. But do not equate military watches as the toughest watches since they’re not. As a last note, a tough watch will last you for a long time so do not attempt to skimp on this one.
Should there be one thing that unites the various cultures and cuisines together, it’ll be coffee. Today, Coffee remains the world’s most loved drink. This is regardless of numerous efforts to highlight the disadvantage of caffeine which have been conducted through various types of studies.
You are able to go to common sites like Mc Cafe and grab a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Despite the popularity of such institutions, I was astonished to learn that when given a choice, most coffee drinkers prefer to brew their own cup of coffee.
Household appliance makers are quick to identify this growing market segment which explains why we’re seeing a wide variety of form of coffee makers in the market. As consumers, we may genuinely believe that more options always mean better. On the contrary, the task of finding the Best Coffee Maker is made difficult as a result of the aggressive marketing campaign used by the many manufacturers. That is why getting hold of good coffee maker reviews is essential.
Whenever you are buying a coffee maker, there are many factors to consider. While capacity of your coffeemaker is essential, don’t forget about other factors including the ease of maintenance and price. Selecting the most appropriate capacity that fits to your need is very important because of few reasons. If you are brewing for group consumption, the best coffee maker for your case is those with larger capacity such as 4-cups coffee makers instead of single serve coffee makers that are more suitable for individual consumption. The brewing time taken by a single serve coffee maker is faster than the time required by a 4-cups coffee maker. Furthermore, expect smaller water tank capacity when you are buying single serve coffee makers. The size range of most coffee glasses is between 4 to 8oz. It is logical for 4-cup coffee makers to take on greater dimension. Understanding the maintenance effort required out of the coffeemaker that you are purchasing can be important. Some coffee machines have rinse functionality. Using the press of a button, this feature allows you to clean the filter after each use. Your coffeemaker budget might range between less than $100 to more than $1000, depending on the features and brands that you are buying. Rich set of features are found in higher priced coffee machine models but only few of them are really useful. For that reason, to avoid investing in features which is of little use to you, it’s very important to carefully examine the usefulness of each feature.
Having an excellent espresso machine and highest quality coffee beans are not the only part of the equation to making great brew of coffee. A espresso maker may be excellent but unless you learn how to use it, you will not gain the most from it. The exact same can be said of premium quality beans. If you bought a pack of coffee bean, whether it’s from Dunkin Donuts or Green Mountain, it’s very important to understand what level of coarseness is the bean best suited for. Certain beans are suitable for more coarser setting while some are ideal for finer grinding. You will then have to check if the espresso machine that you have can make great coffee with all the coarseness of your pounded beans. Just then, you’ll have the whole ingredients into making a perfect coffee.
Espresso as a drink, will continue to attract new followers and caffeine use will remain a controversial issue. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to brew your own cup of coffee even when this means you’ve to put in more effort. To obtain the most out of your coffees, you have to grind them right before brewing and that is why having coffee grinder at home is essential. Cost isn’t the single factor in determining the best coffee maker but good quality coffee makers don’t come cheap so that you have to be really careful in selecting one.
The greatest sound solution for your living-room at present is definitely a sound bar. Sound bars are now produced by a great number of electronics and sound companies. The end result is that We now have numerous sound bars to choose from, to test, and naturally have fun with. Because there are a great number of sound bars, sound bar reviews grow to be vital when reaching conclusion to buy one. Lately, sound bars have displaced home theater in the box as the utmost prominent music solution in the family area. I am not disappointed considering that sound bars pack quite a value for this cost and the simpleness.
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Sometimes you can purchase sound bars for a substantially lower price tag. You may buy sound bars for slight price cut during Cyber Monday and Christmas period. But the brands often drop the price for the duration of February to May period as these would be the so-called slow-moving calendar months. You could watch for discounts, however, I will locate discount rates all the time online. Cyber Monday and Christmas would be the time for everybody to purchase gift items meant for others. There is absolutely no best time to purchase a little something for your own. Therefore generally Allow me to shop around to get the best price tag in certain time period. Amazon’s price are generally very good, especially throughout price cut time frame. You should set your allowance as you can blow big cash getting sound bar. Last but not least We highly recommend for you to research for sound bar reviews when you are deciding.
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Christmas is the day when all Christians commemorate the birth of Jesus. Nowadays, X’mas has turned into a virtually universal festivity celebrated by millions of people from all walks of life – Christians and non-Christians. The reality that X’mas falls just few days prior to the current year is coming to a finish helps promote the fun and holiday spirits. In the end, it’s a rather good reason to have sometime off from the usual busy days. If there is one single thing that makes every Christmas so different from the rest of the celebrated occasion, it has to be the amazing decorations and lights that people in various corners of the planet has developed. There are an incredible number of ideas around this time of the season and here are some great ideas which will help you this time round.
When discussing elegant Christmas decorations, you’ve got to distinguish between outdoor vs indoor. Ideally, everybody loves to see both inside and outside of the house to be beautified for the holidays. Frequently, the lack of time and budget stop homeowners from achieving this. The theme and decorations necessary for indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations are totally different. For one, with indoor ornaments you’ll not have to worry about the weather, as opposed to outside ornaments where you must consider whether it’s sturdy enough to withstand chilling temperature, rays of the sun or snow. Shining decorations for indoor can help liven the mood of the dwelling in it. On another hand, decoratives designed to be put on the yard are usually pre-lit so they are visible during the night.
Have you ever pondered why sometimes when you visit friends and relatives during the holiday season, you’ve good feeling when entering some houses but not the remainder? I come to understand that what separates elegant Christmas decorations from typical ones has got to do with the theme that is used. The choices and combinations of color, shape and decorative variety have to be blended as one theme. Through the years, we can see enhancement in terms of creativity from house owners in regards to Christmas decoration theme. Rustic Christmas decoration is well-liked by those who are obsessed with something oldies. Recently, the geeks came up with their very own geeky subjects. One of these is a Xmas tree that has been dressed up using icons taken from today’s popular social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Of all the corners of the home, outside is where things will get really enjoyable and exciting to even both adults and kids likewise. Before beginning, remember to set your-self a budget though. Decoration manufacturers have been wonderful in regards to creativity and I can let you know how frequent I have been left ga-ga with all the decoration offering that just blow my imagination away. If budget isn’t an issue, you are able to change your garden to the land of magic that is full of assorted hues lighting populated with popular Christmas figurines. Inflatable characters from Disney are popular among kiddies, particularly one where Donald gets himself dressed up in Santa costume.
Xmas decoration can be described as a exciting thing though to produce elegant Christmas decoration, it is not at all something that everyone can be guaranteed of, especially if no planning is involved since the beginning. If you’re a handicraft lover, you would not want to get your ornaments from the store no matter how convenience it may be. Christmas wreaths are some of the many decors which you could do yourself, and you can hold up to you want in various places in your property. Finally, make sure to set a budget and stick to it closely should you not want to end up footing huge credit card debt immediately after the holidays.
The raging debate on the importance of air purifiers has been on-going for a relatively long time. Just like the nature of air that people breathe in every second where it is always there but it is always not visible to us. Until we’ve an apparatus that measures the quality of the air, it’s nearly impossible for ordinary people like you and me, to distinguish the air quality before and after having a purifier is dispatched. For that reason, in shopping for the best air purifier, we have to rely a lot on the air purifier ratings reviews written by real users who’ve experienced significant benefit of using an air purifier.
Fundamentally, there are only but two main types of air purifiers on the market today; always make certain that you use this directive as you read air purifier reviews. The initial category is filter-based and the second category is ionizer-based. Obviously, filter-based purifier is the older technology among both but by simply looking at the increasing quantity of ionic air purifier reviews, you can tell how popular ionizer-based air purifier among consumers. Regarding which of the two is more superior than the other, my take is it is dependent upon what you expect from the air purifier. It’s important to note that when you eventually buy filter-based air purifiers you’ll have to frequently change or replace filters. Ionizer-based models don’t require regular replacement however the plate used to attract the dust needs to be cleaned regularly if you’d like your unit to work effectively.
The first important step that you’ve to-do when trying to find an air purifier is to consider the reason you need one. This will avert circumstances where you make an assessment of the air purifies but basing on a wrong assessment process. For example, if you are a pet owner and pet hairs is the priority, you would then have to be looking out for the best air purifier for pets. If you’re experiencing Asthma and have been recommended by your physician to obtain an air purifier, then you need the best air purifier for asthma patients. The basic fundamental on what air cleanser works remain the same however it is the component specifications which make the difference. For that reason, if you’re clear concerning this right from the start, you may save a great deal of time.
It’s proposed to have a clear-cut objective about what you really should make your best air purifier ratings reviews research easier. When you know what you need and what you do not, you can make reference to the list of best air purifiers for 2013 and simply see which types accomplish your requirements checklist. This is the recommended approach to jump start your air purifier hunt as it will save you both time and money. Once you’re able to narrow down your option, you should also be sure that you purchase the latest design because you are perhaps not able to purchase the older models from the industry when these old models are sold out.
The festive mood should be here sooner than we have thought. I understand this isn’t the very best economic time we are at, but I think we all would still be forking out a tiny sum presenting gifts to your loved ones.
I have to state that I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford few gifts, at the least to those that are most significant in my life.
That was the easy part. Now, the hard part is, in case you have to decide on a present to your nearest and dearest, what shall it be?
I know the selections are unlimited but here are 3 items which top my list this year.
From the beginning of time, the use of backpack had always been widespread and it is one that is used irrespective of race and civilization. Given the numerous uses of backpacks in several aspects of our life, it is a fact that’s not astonishing at all. If you’re say somebody with obsession for traveling and used to doing it on your own (free-and-easy), you know how a great backpack can conveniently store all type of belongings, from clothing’s to equipment’s to invaluable. If you’re attending school, you know the value of having an excellent backpack as you use it to transport all of the large textbooks and in these days, laptops. Backpacks aren’t limited by these use cases and fashion lovers have made use of backpack as a form of beautiful vogue accessories.
One crucial thing to do if you want to purchase a new backpack is to to define the precise reasons that your backpack is going to be employed for. Your shopping – whether it is for the best backpacks for college or others – is going to be a good deal easier if that is obvious to you since the beginning. I am saying this simply because backpack is a general term and you can find so many backpack manufacturers to choose from, with each likely to have its own market dominance in specific needs or niches. And so the next time you are looking for the strongest hiking backpacks, you have to consider brands like Stansport as opposed to Jansport. This implies that you can straight away zoom in your selections and target only those ranges that you will probably end up buying anyway.
Of course buying a backpack is as simple as stepping into a store, just grab one that is most gorgeous looking and make your payment. There is nothing wrong with this process but you have to understand that it’d take at the minimum several iterations before you find yourself with one that you’ll ultimately use for at least the following few years. If you prefer to boost the chances of choosing the best backpacks for your specific purposes, then it is very important to go through backpack buying guides. A great backpack opinion piece must discuss at the minimum few fundamental features including the level of comfort (pressure that the bag is putting to your back), durability, internal designs and few options that fall within similar price band.
One big section of the backpack industry is the university students. Remember this market segment often lumps both high school and college together though. Throughout my study years, I still recall clearly that I had a need to carry many large books and very often, these were significantly more than what my backpack could cater to. How time passes and the huge wave of adoption of mobile computing (with tablets and slimmer laptops) is really disrupting the classroom teaching paradigm. One of the change is actually towards e-textbooks in place of hard printed books. On initial thought, it seems that lighter backpack would be the natural result as it’s no longer required to carry these weighty textbooks to school. Things didn’t turn out as what many students would have wished for. While e-book carries no weight, laptop is almost compulsory for every single university student and 17-inch laptop, that is becoming popular these days, might weigh up to 2kg. How everybody else wish that all notebooks will be as slim and as weightless as the Macbook Air but its price is still beyond the reach of many college students.
Adventure fans make up a important market segment of the general backpack market. The word outdoor is very universal and it encompasses such niches as professional mountain climbing to camp fire to light trekking. I am aware the first brand which will appear to most people’s thought when discussing backpack would be Jansport. While it’s certainly one of the fine manufacturer, it’s good to keep in mind that they are known in large part due to their college backpack rather than adventure. In this regard, Teton will be the name that a lot of outdoor enthusiasts will be going for. Be warned however that the best outdoor backpacks, say a backpack that is best for mountain climbing,, won’t be one that comes with the best physical appearance.
Based on these facts alone, I believe backpack is something which will always maintain its relevancy. But despite this, I am confident to say that that changes (in terms of dimension, design and style) will continuously take place. Are we going to see the size of student and professional backpacks shrinking later on?It is because the answer is dependent upon the size that future computing devices will need. When the talk of collapsible (or bendable display) becomes a reality, the size of notebooks may shrink to half or maybe a quarter of its current dimension. When this becomes a reality, it’s time for backpack manufacturers to start producing smaller backpacks. | 2019-04-20T16:15:33Z | http://wanderingbirders.com/ |
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Haimerl: "Clarkson's Battalion C.S.A.: A Brief History and Roster"
The recent publication of a well researched history of Clarkson's Battalion is a pleasant surprise, one most welcome to Trans-Mississippi theater enthusiasts for sure. What makes the appearance of this history all the more unusual is the relative obscurity of the unit and scarcity of source material; the brief period of its existence (approximately 8 months); and the unremarkability of its battlefield record. One may ask 'why bother then?', but what author David Haimerl provides us in addition to the unit history is a lens through which we can examine the broader conflict in the region where Missouri, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory meet.
Clarkson's Battalion C.S.A.: A Brief History and Roster (Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing, 2005. Illustrated, maps, notes, rosters, appendices, bibliography, paperback, pp. 228) has a dual focus. Researchers and geneologists will find the highly detailed rosters and appendices--which constitute the second half the book--very useful. The organizational and military history of the battalion itself, along with short bios and other pertinent information about its officers and men, comprise the book's first half. All of this is incorporated into a larger account of the Civil War (from 1861 through 1862) in the area mentioned above, which also includes a discussion of the roles of the various Indian groups in the military organizations and planning of each side.
The book's maps are numerous and, for the most part, very helpful. The author places all relevant units (ranging in size from companies to brigades) on operational maps covering wide swaths of the Indian Territory and SW Missouri/NW Arkansas. Although of interest in and of themselves, these visual aids supplement the text very well and the map of the battlefield at Old Fort Wayne is the best I've come across. I also have a deep appreciation for Mr. Haimerl's emphasis on providing the reader with accurate and detailed orders of battle. The thoughtful inclusion of unit strengths in the text and appendices is an added bonus.
Examination of the notes and bibliography reveals the author has consulted an array of primary and secondary materials and has uncovered a number of unpublished sources. Considering how often it was cited, one of the most significant appears to be the Peter W. Alexander papers from the Rare Book and Manuscript division at Columbia University in NY.
Trans-Mississippi theater enthusiasts of all stripes will benefit from reading this book. Beyond a number of typos and similar editing flaws, the only significant complaint I have with Clarkson's Battalion is the same problem I have with all of the Two Trails publications I've encountered, namely a somewhat substandard production quality. However, I wouldn't recommend that this deter any interested reader from purchasing this well-researched and and very informative book.
Looks like we'll see some great future installments to go along with the guides authored by the professors over at Civil Warriors. Clearly, the success of the 'big-name battle' guides by Woodworth, Grimsley, and Simpson has paved the way for a welcome branching out by the series into more uncharted territory.
Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on the Wire Road is certainly created by the right guys (Earl J. Hess, Richard W. Hatcher III, William Garrett Piston, and William L. Shea). The publisher only gives "when it's available" as a release date, but the Camp Pope Bookshop's "What's New" page has it slated for December 2006.
I am similarly pleased to see a Peninsula Campaign guide authored by Brian Burton in the pipeline. We'll have to wait for 2007 to see The Peninsula and Seven Days: A Battlefield Guide, but I like the direction the series is taking.
Jacobson: "For Cause & For Country: A Study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin"
Both participants and later historians have penned military histories covering all or some segment of John Bell Hood's disastrous 1864 Tennessee campaign. For example, various incarnations of Union General Jacob D. Cox's history of Franklin and Nashville have appeared. Thomas Hay's Hood's Tennessee Campaign was probably the first attempt at an objective campaign history (I need to get a copy of that one someday). In 1983, historian James L. McDonough published Five Tragic Hours: The Battle of Franklin . Despite its flaws, Wiley Sword's The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville (originally published as Embrace an Angry Wind) is widely considered--by me as well--to be the best modern overall history of the campaign.
In the present, Eric A. Jacobson is making his own imprint on the literature. For Cause & for Country: A Study of the Affair At Spring Hill & the Battle of Franklin (by Eric Jacobson and Richard Rupp, O'More Publishing: Franklin, TN. Footnotes, OB, bibliography, photos, 7 maps, pp. 519) concentrates on arguably the two most important days of the campaign. These two days, the last 48 hours of November 1864, saw the seemingly inexplicable lost opportunity at Spring Hill and the tragic bloodbath at Franklin a day later. Prior to this, Jacobson recounts the initial maneuverings of both armies as they struggled with distances, logistical problems, and weather.
The author's study of the "Spring Hill Affair" almost stands on its own as a worthy book-length exercise. This evenhanded examination of this event is the best written, most clearly organized, and most judicously analyzed account that I've read thus far. Jacobson lays out the available evidence in all its many contradictions and avoids pinning the blame on any single person for the sake of creating a narrative villain. The author uncovered no convincing evidence of drunkenness, drug-induced decisionmaking impairment, or of Ben Cheatham experiencing sensual pleasures with Jessie Peters when he should have been smashing Yankees. Of course, even though there was certainly plenty of blame to go around, it is recognized that Hood as overall commander must bear the ultimate responsibility for the aborted advance.
Another positive point deserving mention is the author's original research into the order of battle for both sides. Jacobson discovered several units not present in the OB of previous studies. For Cause & For Country now boasts the most complete OB to date for Spring Hill and Franklin.
On several levels, Mr. Jacobson is a very good writer of non-fiction military history. He approaches the source material with an open mind, and I give him high marks for style, clarity, and organization.
The Confederate infantry assaults are covered in minute tactical detail and reader is guided seamlessly through these tragic events. However, this does lead me to one of my few criticisms of the book. Federal unit positions and movements at Franklin are depicted in the text at a regimental scale (a welcome attention to detail at a level of completeness you won't find anywhere else), while those of the Confederates are predominately at brigade level or above. Whether this was driven by the comparative availability of source material or by conscious decision, I cannot say. Granted, by this stage of the war, many of the brigades in the Army of Tennessee were smaller than a large Union regiment, but I still would like to have seen more regimental-level detail for the Confederate side.
My most significant complaint is with the maps. There simply weren't enough for a study of this level of complexity and small unit scale. The two regimental-level maps showing the placement of Union regiments inside Franklin's main defensive line are very good, but Confederate battlefield positions are limited to a single map showing the placement of each division prior to the first assault. For the Battle of Franklin, no maps trace the maneuvers of either side at any scale, an unfortunate omission. Readers would also have benefitted from a map of cavalry operations during the initial stages of the campaign. On the other hand, it is a tribute to the descriptive skills of the writer that I never felt lost on the battlefield.
For Cause & For Country is certainly deserving of a wide readership. General readers unfamiliar with the campaign will be treated to a highly complex but skillfully organized, easy-to-follow campaign narrative written in stirring fashion. Specialists will appreciate the most detailed treatment yet of the Spring Hill/Franklin battles and will revel in the author's discovery of new source material and his thorough reexamination of previously available evidence. The book is awash with fresh interpretations of controversies old and new. Highly recommended.
As Brett and Dimitri have already pointed out, volume three of Russel Beatie's command history of the Army of the Potomac is scheduled for release at the end of this year (ISBN: 1-932714-25-1; photos, 30 original maps by George Skoch, extensive notes, bibliography, index. Hardcover, dust jacket, 864 pages, $45). It's published by Savas Beatie this time around and that's good news in and of itself. Volume I was very poorly edited, a matter I hope and expect Savas Beatie to improve upon.
It seems with each passing volume, the time interval covered steadily shrinks while book length expands. By the time the Seven Days rolls around, the books will start to exert a noticeable gravitational pull. That's not a real criticism on my part (I will eagerly devour each page), it's just an observation I find a little amusing.
Maybe it's a lack of understanding of just how monumental a project Beatie has undertaken (or maybe it's a 'wait and see' attitude), but it seems to me that even this early stage of Beatie's work remains a bit underappreciated. Granted, his books aren't for everyone. He doesn't have the pleasing narrative skills of Gordon Rhea and some readers appear to be put off by a superficially unstructured framework that can be interpreted as a lack of focus; but none of that bothers me to any great degree. What bugs me most is his penchant for taking passive recollections from the source material and converting them to direct dialogue with quotations. I don't have the inclination to go to the original sources themselves to determine whether Beatie actually takes any untoward liberties with the material, but it does make me uncomfortable.
Overall, though, I can't think of any recent Civil War book project that has this much ambition and that's backed up by such a burgeoning mass of primary source materials, new and old. A great fear I do have is being able to properly appreciate an event on the Peninsula when its setup was perhaps reconstructed by the author 2 years, 2 volumes, and 2000 pages earlier!
Below is a short question and answer session that I conducted by email with Eric A. Jacobson, co-author of the new book For Cause & for Country: A Study of the Affair At Spring Hill & the Battle of Franklin (O'More Publishing: Franklin, TN., 2006). For Cause & For Country is a detailed military history of those two crucial late November days during Confederate General John Bell Hood's 1864 Tennessee campaign.
DW: You took the unusual path of publishing the softcover version of your book first, then releasing a hardcover edition soon after. What was your strategy behind this marketing move?
EJ: Both versions were meant to be issued simultaneously, but the hardcover was slightly delayed. I wanted interested readers to have an immediate choice of which book they wanted to purchase.
DW: Did you submit your manuscript to 'major' publishing houses or any university presses for consideration?
EJ: Two university presses passed on the book and a third publishing company showed only tepid interest.
DW: What led you to O'More Publishing?
EJ: I went to O'More because they are based in Franklin, Tennessee and they were recommended as being very interested in local history. Once there O'More took an immediate interest in the book.
DW: They did nice work with the layout and presentation; and as a reader I always appreciate footnotes over endnotes.
Getting to issues covered in the book, whether or not John Bell Hood was impaired by heavy doses of laudanum is a heated topic among Franklin enthusiasts. What did your research lead you to conclude?
EJ: I spent 10 years looking for a single piece of evidence to support the laudanum theory and found absolutely nothing. Frankly, I think the debate should be put to bed because there was never any contemporary evidence of Hood using laudanum and only in the 20th century did this rumor start to make the rounds. I think folks could never get their hands around what happened at Spring Hill and so eventually it morphed into laudanum, booze, and women because, as latter generations figured, there had to be some nefarious excuse for what happened.
DW: In your research, did you uncover significant source material that was missed by previous authors or has only recently come to light?
EJ: I believe so. In particular, the National Tribune was a goldmine of information. I also found a number of other sources, particularly letters, that added tremendous weight.
DW: I have a particular interest in Cockrell's Missouri Brigade. Were you able to flesh out their role in the battle of Franklin?
EJ: I think fans of the Missouri Brigade might finally understand how the unit was so decimated after reading the book. Cockrell's men got placed into a cauldron of fire that is hard to fathom.
DW: Great. Can you provide some specific examples of how you feel your book 'improves' upon previous works, such as those of Sword and McDonough? By improvement, I mean just about anything from providing a fuller account of events previously described to new discoveries of persons, events, unit participations, etc.
EJ: Honestly, I consider Sword's book to be the only significant book on the subject. Perhaps Cox's book should be included, but it is over 100 years old and was written by someone who was at Franklin. Sword was the only author to provide real detail and he was definitely the only person to source and footnote his book. I think my book goes to the next level. Sword covered the Tennessee Campaign as a whole, but I decided to focus on the early days of the campaign and then Spring Hill and Franklin alone. I felt strongly that they deserved to be studied independent of Nashville.
As for particular points within the book that one may think are "improvements" I think there is no doubt that the manner in which the Federal forces came together to oppose Hood is given more attention than ever before. Also, Hood is treated much differently than in prior books. Different aspects of the Confederate attack at Franklin are analyzed with much more depth, particularly the attacks made by Loring's and Bate's men. Also, the attack by the Missouri Brigade gets heavy treatment.
DW: In your order of battle research (a difficult enterprise, especially with all the unit consolidations on the Confederate side), did you uncover any units left out of previous histories?
EJ: I uncovered a number of units on both sides that had been left out of previous books. I think once and for all the organization of battle for both sides might be accurate.
DW: Finally, are there any new interpretive conclusions from your book that you'd like to discuss with readers who are already familiar with the literature and are considering purchasing your account?
EJ: The basic conclusion is that the story of both Spring Hill and Franklin is far more compelling than any previous author has been able to convey. I think finally the story of the last two days of November 1864 is told as it was meant to be, without bias or agenda. Even those who are familiar with the subject may be shocked by what they discover in my book. The feedback so far has been phenomenal and I hope it continues.
DW: Thank you for your time, Eric, and I wish you the best of luck for the success of your book.
Eric A. Jacobson, who (with co-author Richard A. Rupp) has written For Cause & For Country: A Study of the Affair at Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin has graciously agreed to take part in a short Q&A session to be posted here. If all goes well, I would like to try and make these author interviews a semi-regular feature of this blog. Look for it in coming weeks.
In today's posting on his blog, Dimitri is wondering where William Brooksher has gone. Last I heard, he was working on a history of Steele's wing of the Red River Campaign as a companion to his War Along the Bayous: The 1864 Red River Campaign in Louisiana (but this was several years ago).
What intrigued me most about Dimitri's post is that it's the most glowing assessment by far of his writing that I've ever come across. I've devoured just about every modern work that covers the war in Missouri but Brooksher's Bloody Hill: The Civil War Battle of Wilson's Creek , mainly because I allowed a quick glance through the bibliography and text to convince me that every part of it was superseded by other, more detailed works.
As Dimitri might suggest, I think I'll check out it's coverage of the Harney affair, if nothing else. I've read a bit about it over the years (and I think I can guess what Dimitri is getting at) and have always been meaning to pick up the standard biography of the general General William S. Harney: Prince of Dragoons but still haven't gotten around to it.
Donald S. Frazier has informed us that his next book dealing with the Sibley brigade ("sequel" to Blood and Treasure) will be published by State House/McWhiney Press with a tentative title of Blood on the Bayou. As stated here, it will deal with the Civil War in the E. Texas/SW Louisiana region from May 1862 to June 1863. Look for it sometime in Spring '07. I am liking much of what is coming out of the Texas A&M Press consortium.
Watson: "Fight and Survive!: The Civil War in Jackson County, Arkansas"
Much like the disconnect between scholarly coverage of Civil War events in southwest Missouri vs. southeast Missouri, NE Arkansas is a bit of the red-headed stepchild of the NW corner of the state. I recently lost an ebay auction for a county history that I had never heard of previously but looked interesting, so I decided to use the excellent ILL system from the local library to obtain a copy of Fight and Survive!: The Civil War in Jackson County, Arkansas by Lady Elizabeth Watson (River Road Press: Conway, Ark; 1974, pp. 203, maps, photos, rosters).
Losing the auction didn't turn out to be all that bad. I can't say I was impressed with the book as it made few designs upon objectivity (hardly uncommon to Civil War county histories) and betrayed a simplistic interpretation of complex social divisions and a benignly paternalistic view of race relations. That's not to say it is without value. Watson covers--but not in great detail--some obscure battles and skirmishes in the area that you don't find mentioned in many texts (ex. skirmishes/battles at Waddill's Farm, Buck Pond, and Fitzhugh's Woods). Although a bit one-sided, letters and other first-person accounts convey the civilian experience of guerrilla warfare and occupation. Additionally, a few serviceable maps are included. Researchers will also find useful the several appendices devoted to rosters of units raised in the county.
O'Reilly: "The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock"
It has been a good year for the long-suffering students of the Fredericksburg campaign and battle. Until now, the largest conflict of the Civil War—pitting the Army of the Potomac led by Ambrose Burnside against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at the height of their respective numbers and vigor—has been strangely neglected by historians and has lacked a thorough modern study. Working concurrently, historians Frank O’Reilly and George Rable now treat readers to two excellent, thick Fredericksburg tomes. While Rable’s Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! (reviewed in an earlier issue of North & South) is a vast, comprehensive treatment equal part social, economic, political, and military history, O’Reilly’s book provides the most in-depth tactical study of the battle to date.
The Fredericksburg Campaign is a stupendous effort by a well-known expert on the subject and should be considered the definitive work on the battle itself for the foreseeable future. The author’s vast knowledge of the campaign and battle is readily apparent as he expertly describes each phase of the battle in stunning detail. The horrors of each hopeless assault on Marye’s Heights and the doomed attack on the Confederate left flank at Prospect Hill are brought alive in vivid and often moving detail. Though the battle narrative makes up the bulk of the book, the experiences of the civilians in the area and of the wounded after the battle are not neglected. The large role played by politics in the conduct of the campaign in the periods before, during, and after the battle reminds the reader of how little has changed as purely political considerations all too often fatally harm military operations.
Much of the action is depicted at the company and regimental levels and the many maps provided make sure the reader does not become lost in the swirl of events. The maps themselves are uniformly excellent, including all relevant terrain features, even elevation lines. One only wishes there were more, as several extended sequences of battlefield action do not have an accompanying map. Additionally, the overview maps could have used a bit more detail, as many locations described in the text are not depicted on any of the maps.
One particularly interesting assertion by O’Reilly is that, although Burnside gave equally ambiguous orders to wing commanders Franklin and Sumner, the Army of the Potomac commander clearly considered the army’s main effort to be in the Prospect Hill sector of the battlefield. One wishes this point was better developed in the book as it is only mentioned in passing. On a much more inexcusable level is the complete omission of an order of battle. A complete OOB is essential to every modern battle study and it was baffling not to find one. The book also lacks any of the other “extras” commonly found in battles studies such as appendices providing fresh analysis of numbers engaged and casualties.
The above criticisms do not materially detract from the overall quality of the book. As a traditional battle study, The Fredericksburg Campaign excels, affirming Francis O’Reilly’s place in the top echelon of battlefield historians. Taken together with Rable’s work, we now have the most complete treatment of the campaign to date. This book is highly recommended and belongs in the personal library of all Civil War students interested in this important campaign.
Students of the Atlanta Campaign might be interested in this one, although from the book description on the Mercer University Press website it is difficult to grasp what the book really is... a map study, a collection of personal accounts from citizens living along the line of march, a terrain study, battlefield tramper's guide, or all of the above?
Just heard of a new history of the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky titled Of Savage Fury and authored by Anthony Hawkins. Looks like we will soon have three books on the subject. Back in 1995, the Madison County Historical Society published D. Warren Lambert's "When the Ripe Pears Fell" (OP)-- an excellent book that's also valuable on the secondary market. Additionally, a recent Morningside Books catalog mentioned that Kentucky author Ken Hafendorfer's next book would cover the same battle. Although I have to wonder in what manner these other works have improved or will improve upon Lambert, an increase in attention to the Civil War in the Bluegrass State suits me just fine. | 2019-04-21T14:27:41Z | https://cwba.blogspot.com/2006/05/ |
On 3 May Shape hosted an artist talk with four of the exhibiting artists from our current exhibition ‘In Out There’, which celebrates the tenth anniversary of Shape Arts’ flagship art award, the Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary, and is taking place at Attenborough Arts Centre until 17 June.
In Out There showcases the enduring influence of renowned disabled artist and activist Adam Reynolds, the ARMB’s namesake, and features newly commissioned work by 2018 ARMB recipient Terence Birch, as well as work by Sarah Carpenter, Nicola Lane and Catherine Cleary, who were all shortlisted for this year's award. The conversation took place between these four artists, with discussions reflecting on the influence this award and its namesake Adam Reynolds has had on the artists' work, and was chaired by Jenni Lomax OBE; Jenni was instrumental in setting up the Bursary in 2008, alongside Adam Reynolds’ friends and family, and as Director of Camden Arts Centre (1990-2017) hosted the inaugural ARMB residency.
The transcript of the talk can be found below.
Jenni Lomax: This is a really exciting opportunity to talk about Adam and the residency but also to meet four fantastic artists whose work features in the exhibition ‘In Out There’. I thought I would start off by saying a bit more about Adam.
I was delighted when I came in to see this wonderful installation here because it really does bring Adam to mind. Adam Reynolds was an artist, gallerist and activist and strong champion for disability arts and disability rights. He was all those things but he didn't necessarily always mix them up. For instance the Adam Gallery was not just for disabled artists, it was for all artists. The main idea of the Adam Gallery was for artists to use a space that was challenging and challenge their work. He would say if you are an artist that paints cats and desperately want to paint dogs you can show the new work in the Adam Gallery.
I met Adam when he was a student in East London opposite the Whitechapel Art Gallery when I was working there. Adam was an amazing person, a very strong, dynamic person and a special artist. When I left the Whitechapel in 1990 to be Director of Camden Arts Centre in North London, I invited Adam to take up residency alongside the artist Shirazeh Houshiary. They shared strong concerns with alchemy, and Sufism.There are a few examples of the work you can see here (in ‘In Out There’). One material turning into another. There's this alchemic feel to it.
The Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary, which Shape have been organising and producing for 10 years now, was something that was started through Friends and Family of Adam. It intended to carry on his spirit; allowing artists to do something new and experimental. It recognised that many artists needed additional resources, that there might be barriers to them working in a gallery or in a public space. It was specifically to support institutions which the artist might help to think about their own openness and range of artists that they show. So in many cases the residency has on the one hand enabled artists to make significant new work, but also supported the different institutions in becoming more accessible to all.
We're going to ask everybody to talk a bit about the work in the show and then we'll talk specifically about the relationship to Adam and the residency. We have Nicola Lane, Terence Birch Catherine Cleary, and Sarah Carpenter. We’ll start off with Nicola, can you say a little bit about the work in this exhibition and the context.
Nicola Lane: When we (the exhibiting artists) got together, we all came here to see the space. It was the first time we had met. I was very struck by this particular space and I thought we need to do something big. On the way back on the train, which is when we really started to talk, I think Terence said the word 'celebration' and that set the whole thing in my mind going. ‘Celebration’. What was it a celebration of? For me, Leicester was a very important place in my career as an artist. Me and my friend Mark Prest called the train from London to Leicester the 'Train of destiny'- which it was for me. Mark was curator of the City Gallery in Leicester and I met him in 2000 on the train to Leicester when I was coming back from Nottingham where I had an installation in the Nottingham Playhouse, my first real breakthrough as a disabled artist, as part of the groundbreaking VITAL festival which had disabled people actually in charge. In that installation, which was called ‘Monument to Incompleteness’, I had this piano, a very humble upright piano and I had done the piece about Paul Wittgenstein. But nobody saw it. It is interesting, you make a piece of art and often it doesn't get seen, people don't actually take it in. It was in the corner of the Nottingham Playhouse. So when Terence said ‘celebration’, I wanted to make the work again; fully developed and fully seen. So with the piano, the grand piano now, I was able to celebrate my ideas and the space.
Jenni: Thank you. Terence say something about your work and the exhibition.
Terence Birch: I suppose it was the moment I started thinking about Richard III and the connection of place as well; Adam Reynolds, archeology, and also scoliosis, a condition which I share. The work I created evolved from thinking about some representations of disability and how I think performing is actually the right term, the kind of performing ‘normality’. Performing a kind of gender role or stereotype. I suppose growing up I have internalised those messages. I suppose the kind of parallels with Adam Reynolds’ work for me was a kind of a way to talk about negative portrayals of body image, typified within Shakespeare's Richard III. So instead of looking at the negative appraisal of the body, trying to look at more acceptable, pleasurable ways of being with yourself.
It was made in the University of Chichester and it was the first time I had worked with plaster.
Jenni: Not the first time with sculpture?
Terence: Not the first time I worked with sculpture, no, the first time I worked with plaster and the first time I worked on that scale. There were a lot of challenges in the process and for me, it was important to connect with the work in terms of sculpture, in terms of touch and feel.
Jenni: So Catherine, I will hand over to you. It is very interesting that both Nicola and Terence talked about coming to Leicester, connecting with the place and that trigger. Is that something that happened for you or were these works that you were working on anyway?
Catherine Cleary: The first time I came to the gallery I was excited about the space and the size. I work in a very small space so it is the first time I have seen the paintings properly. In order to see them in the studio I take photographs and look at them on a small screen, it gives that sense of distance. I was excited to put the big work up and see it. I think the word alchemy is really important, the way that Adam transcended his materials, the way that he remade and remodelled space. He picked us up with all our life experiences and our own baggage and took us somewhere that I think is quite magical. I looked at the photos of his work and was amazed how he could take a piece of circular steel and take us somewhere, reconfigure that space and lift a pond up and make it a whole world up there and make a world inside mist filled pyramids that responded to atmospheric conditions. So whilst I was working on my paintings, I think that kind of drip fed in. For me, to paint is alchemy. It is liquid thought and liquid sensation and it has its own language. So all I'm trying to to do in my painting is steer that language. I think something changed as I was working. I felt his voice there somehow. It has been a process.
Jenni: So Sarah, you work with different processes. Do you want to say something about your work?
Sarah Carpenter: I'm actually going through a transitional period with my artwork at the moment which is why I applied for the bursary in the first instance, so that I could experiment. I was really excited when we came here. Firstly by the scale and height of the space and secondly when Fiona told us the title was ‘In Out There’. I like the process of deconstructing things and rebuilding them, reworking them until I can become very familiar with them and understand them better through that familiarity. So when I was creating the new work I was thinking of the title ‘In Out There’ and what it means to be ‘in’ or ‘out’ or just simply be there. It made me think of being in fashion, out of fashion. It made me think of playground games where you are in or you are out. That whole selection process you have throughout life, whether it be your choice; your choosing whether you are in or out and whether it is somebody else making that decision for you which can often be the experience of someone living with disability. I start out with photography and have worked with printmaking but have been keen to experiment with three-dimensional work. I can relate to what Terence was saying about with the tactile quality of materials, perhaps because of my background in movement I enjoy physical processes. I wanted to take my work to new ground and having been in the space, I realised there was that potential. I just loved the idea of recycling a discarded object. That was definitely inspired by Adam's work. Inspiration is all around even in the objects that we disregard in the same way we might disregard the work of an artist who has a disability.
"There are always echoes of my experience present. I don't mind if nobody ever reads them but if I can't read them I know there's something wrong with that piece of work. If I can't see that particular perspective of my life in work I make I know I'm lying and if I make a work that's not telling the truth, what am I bothering for? So from that perspective all of my work has something to do with disability and my disability..."
We were talking earlier about how, in a way, it was Adam talking about the fact that his work wasn't about his disability, it was about him and his experiences and inherent in that was the totallity of who he was It is about truth, really. Are you all happy to just say how you feel about that and how it might relate to what you do?
Nicola: Yes I think it was Catherine that said it was embedded, the experience of disability is embedded in the work and I was thinking about that. I’m trying to think of the right word - it is a compulsion. It is kind of plumbed in. I discovered quite early on through my consultant, actually at the hospital, that they had done research into the drawings that children made after they lost a limb, whichever limb, and they found that children always fragment the image of the body but randomly. They wouldn't necessarily leave out the bit they had lost but they might leave out another aspect of it, and it was built in. She noticed that in my work. I was doing that without knowing, unconsciously. Whenever I did a drawing, I would always fragment it, even if I didn't intend to fragment it. It became clear to me that that process of fragmentation and cutting was part of the process of my work; it was embedded within it. It reappears over and over again even without any intention so it is part of the process of my work as an artist in every medium whether film, installation or drawing or whatever medium.
But I oscillate, Ravel was invisibly disabled by his experience of World War One and Paul Wittgenstein was visibly. That brought them together in a great creative moment. I have been through many of those moments of being visible and invisible.
Terence: For me it was making work, and concepts about direct carving. One of the ideas about direct carving is that there's a truthfulness to the material, to the form, you just work with what is there.
Terence: And the physicality to his work as well. Maybe that's the change of direction, the residency has enabled, yes, a sense of performing ideas and actually becoming more present bodily, so the work has a physical struggle within it. I'm not trying to represent it, I'm actually within the work. That's very much where the work is trying to go to at the moment.
Jenni: Catherine anything more to say about this idea of yourself in the work and experience and the immediacy or truth?
Catherine: I think as a disabled person, sometimes I really feel I'm a disabled person and sometimes I feel like I'm not. It is sort of over-determined because I have a condition that is fluid. Sometimes it is a condition that impinges far more on me than at other times. When I first thought about the bursary I thought ‘am I worthy of doing this’ because I'm conflicted about how I feel about having an impairment and I'm conflicted about how much it does or doesn't show in the work, how much it is or isn't there.
I think there's an apartness it has given me. Being outside the normal bounds of society at certain pertinent times in my life has perhaps given me a sense of apartness that may have been helpful to the way I work. It had never occurred to me before the Adam Reynolds application that my disability could be a strength and I found the process of making the application and doing the interview to be quite transformative actually and very helpful. I loved my interview. I loved it. I was really really nervous because I have done interviews before but I have always felt that I was slightly apologetic. For the first time I felt congruent and yes, it was very liberating.
This is a wonderful show and it is a wonderful thing to be part of, the most important part of the process for me has been the application and the interview and the time that led up to it and the changes to my thinking. Is my disability there in the work? Yes, I think it is part of me, part of my thinking and I think that every artist strives to be truthful. I think that's what Adam was talking about. I think the dialogue I had in my head with Adam Reynolds' work will stay there. I think the experience behind the bursary and the show is something that has changed the way I feel about showing my work and being out there especially, it has been very beneficial.
Sarah: I think I agree. I'm really conflicted all of the time. I have had conversations with a gallery director about being an advocate for artists with disabilities, particularly mental health and what that ‘means’. As someone who suffers with anxiety, I find it difficult sometimes to even leave the house. I think I should be having life experiences because that will feed into the work. I put pressure on myself to be making and doing but you have to be living, living to get inspiration and having something to say in the world. For me, my work is highly driven by my thought process and the way that I process information, mental illness that is going to play a big part in the work. It’s difficult to tell where process ends and the work begins.
Catherine: Running counter to this actually, a few years ago I was told that ‘nobody is interested in the person who makes the work’ or nobody should be interested and ‘don't talk about yourself because you won't be taken seriously’. The author is absolutely dead. You can do it but you will never be taken seriously.
Jenni: Cliché as it is to say; the work speaks for itself and it is its own thing it doesn't need your life story around it. With many artists, it is best not to know.
Jenni: Terence - Do you want to say more about the actual residency at Pallant House Gallery? They have got a really good collection of British Art, particularly 20th Century Art. I can imagine it being an inspirational place to be.
Terence: It is, yes. I have never quite worked in that way before. I’m fortunate to have space within an art gallery within walking distance of the work I'm being inspired by so there's a real connectedness to everything. Currently they have an exhibition of Pop Art which has allowed me to look at the work of Eduardo Paolozzi but they also have works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth. There's a nice mix of past and present.
Jenni: Were these artists that you had looked at before particularly?
Terence: There's a lot of work that I have not necessarily looked at in depth.
Jenni: That's often the case with residencies, artists go to different places. I used to be involved with the British School at Rome. Artists would go there and carry on making the same work but once they had left it would all start.
Thank you all for sharing your experience and your work.
In Out There takes place at Attenborough Arts Centre until 17 June. Please find full information on the exhibition here. | 2019-04-20T22:25:18Z | https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Blog/in-out-there-in-conversation |
It is still dark out, but after slipping into the cozy MoHo bed at 7 pm last night, I can’t sleep another minute. Outside temps are a mild 61 degrees, but I have a feeling it is cloudy and the wind is blowing in gusts and bursts. Here at Sunset Bay we have no internet and no phone, something I expected, but a fact that still takes a bit of adjustment. I can’t check the weather other than sticking my nose outside to get a sense of what the coming day might be like.
I also have no idea when this post will actually get up to the internet, but thought it might be a good idea to at least write it before I have another big backlog of Oregon Coast camping to write about. While I was traipsing about the east coast, Mo was home, and she was definitely ready for a MoHo trip. This time of year, the coast seems to be the place where we are drawn, with no expectations of anything but windy, possibly rainy weather. Rain in Rocky Point is cold and can get snowy in November. Rain on the coast doesn’t often include snow, and has the added benefit of wild surf.
Time to slip back to my week in Vermont before I completely forget the details. Thank goodness for photos.
Wednesday in Vermont was to be simple, with a beautiful morning walk up the hills above Dorset to the orchard and then some explorations around the area. Several guests were scheduled to arrive this evening, and Jeanne and Alan were attending to pre-wedding tasks. In addition, they have another big project that needed a bit of attention, and Jeanne wanted me to see the site where the two of them are building their own home.
When we were up in the airplane on Monday, they pointed the location out to me, high on the hills overlooking the valley below. The house on Alan’s property was first built on in the early 1700’s, when it was a tavern. The two of them wanted so much to keep the building somewhat intact, but it was an impossible task with mold and other issues to contend with.
Instead, Jeanne’s task for the day was to flag the items they wanted to save from demolition. I loved seeing the old house, the old barn, and especially the hand forged square nails and hand hewn beams. The new house will be a timber frame, and they are going to incorporate the beams and some of the existing stones into the design.
Can you imagine living in these Vermont mountains with a view like this? I was told the house will have a walk-out lower level that will be guest quarters, and I do hope I can get back again to visit and see the place when it is completed.
In addition to the gorgeous view, the house has its very own swimming pond. I have never seen a pond quite like this one, absolutely crystal clear. With a diving board.
Jeanne and Alan are excited about having their own home that is truly “theirs”, not one that was “hers” or “his”. Alan laughed with me about the old adage that building a house can break up a marriage, saying that the two of them are having a great time making the decisions and choices together and enjoying every minute of the process.
With two people who love the natural world, I know that the home will be a treasure of local wood and stone, and that it will be filled with art from all over the world from their joint and separate travels. Exciting!
I took some time that afternoon to explore on my own a bit, driving north to Lake St. Catherine to see if I could find the old Kinne Kinnic Camp on the northern shores of the lake. In the early 60’s, when Mo was teaching in China Lake, she decided to apply for a summer coaching job in Vermont.
The camp was one of those tony places where wealthy folks send their kids while they travel in Europe. Mo had quite the summer teaching smartie-pants rich girls how to play tennis. As a born west coast, rather adventurous and outdoorsy young woman, I can only imagine what a culture shock that whole experience might have been. The telling part is that she only did it once.
The original camp is no longer there, but an internet search turned up alumni including Joan Rivers among others. I found an original sign at the entrance to what is now a private housing development, and even with the photos, Mo couldn’t remember for sure which ones were part of her camp.
The major acreage of the original camp is now Lake Catherine State Park. With the season over and the park closed, I parked outside the gates and spent a couple of hours wandering the grounds and taking photos. I had the entire place to myself, without another soul around.
It is a beautiful park, with some very nice RV campsites, (no hookups), an easy place to launch kayaks, and trails for bike riding. I took photos of the best campsites, and of the original buildings, hoping that Mo might recognize some of them. The buildings were obviously much older than the state park, and I could only assume that they were from the original Camp Kinne Kinnic.
Jeanne had warned me repeatedly about the typical fall outbreak of ticks in this part of Vermont, so I was careful to stay out of the brush. Still, I did walk through some tall grass, and sure enough I looked down and saw a creepy crawling on my pants leg. I checked carefully for ticks that night, but not carefully enough.
The next morning, while taking my shower I was surprised to find a mole on my side that hadn’t been there the day before. Ack! I would imagine that little bugger was on my clothes and when I went to bed he found his way to my warm body. Ick. I called Jeanne and she said I needed to get to the emergency immediately to get it removed and that there was a high incidence of lyme disease in the area. Ack again.
Walking up to the house to see what I could do and where I could go, I was greeted by comments, “Russell can probably help you”. Are you kidding me? was my first response. Russell had arrived the previous evening, a very attractive worldly guy with a great sense of humor, a new house in Greece, and a big box of baklava that he carried for 18 hours on the plane to share with all of us. I had completely forgotten that Russell was also an ER doctor. It didn’t take him long to get the tick out from a rather sensitive area, and he assured me that lyme disease was probably not a problem since the tick hadn’t been embedded for even 12 hours. whew. No antibiotics were needed, and the dreaded rash and bullseye ring never appeared.
The next few days before the wedding were filled with people arriving, including Eve, from my very own town of Klamath Falls. Eve is an attorney in town and was one of Jeanne’s great running friends. My other housemates, Tei an Cecil, who live in the previously mentioned village of Waitsfield, also arrived.
I had heard of Tei for years, knowing that she and Jeanne had been friends even before birth, as their mothers were friends when they were pregnant with each of them. Tei was even more delightful than I imagined, a tiny, athletic woman with huge talent and kindness.
As the wedding drew closer, we especially enjoyed the special meet and greet evening at Alan’s house, where once again his master chef style came into play, and we had a Mexican feast worthy of royalty. Drinking, fun and laughter ensued as we all listened and told stories about Jeanne and Alan and their adventures.
The next day, Jeanne wanted to show Eve and I more of the beautiful countryside. Even in the rain and clouds the colors were gorgeous, and seeing two more historic covered bridges not far from Dorset was wonderful.
I also took some time to visit the nearby town of Manchester with another guest. Ellen had arrived from Key West and was staying at the Dorset Inn. We spent a beautiful rainy morning exploring the lovely New England town with great shops, a gorgeous gallery, and a fabulous yarn shop, Yarns for Your Soul. The only thing that kept me from buying skeins and skeins of hand dyed wool yarn was the thought that I would have to pay all those sales taxes and then try to fit it in my luggage. I did buy enough to make a couple of cute ski hats however, yummy stuff.
Ellen and I had lunch at the local independent bookstore, Northshire Bookstore, a wonderful place with real books, real food, and great cappuccino. Ellen is another treasure. She and Jeanne met by chance on some world trip where they were assigned as roommates, and have traveled together since that time to many exotic world locations. I have heard Ellen stories for years as well, and was so happy that I finally got to meet her in person.
It is from this point, however, that the photos of my visit deteriorate completely. I fell asleep the previous night with my camera on the bed. I had been looking at the photos I had taken, and somehow didn’t put the camera away properly. Sure enough, in the middle of the night, I heard a thump.
UhOh. It wasn’t a long drop, and the hardwood floors weren’t that hard, but it was enough that the camera no longer worked. I had no time to find a repair place, so the rest of the week my photos came from the iPhone. I know that everyone seems to think iPhone photos are fine, but they don’t do that great in low light situations indoors at night, or in a church, or at a wedding.
Lucky for me, once I returned home and took the camera to the shop, the only problem was that the mirror was stuck. I had tried dropping and lifting the mirror, but evidently hadn’t tried enough. The camera person had the camera working in minutes. Whew!
Next: I know I keep saying it, but this time really: Wedding Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding, and Reception!
Somehow Jeanne and Alan were calm and collected as the wedding day drew closer. Everything was well planned and on schedule, and with a few more days before guests and relatives were to arrive, Jeanne had no qualms about leaving town for a couple of days to take me on a driving tour. Alan joked that Jeanne had given him a 26 page list of “things to do when Sue gets here”. With smiles and hugs of encouragement, he sent us off to play at “the lake”, and to explore some of the hidden gems of Vermont that Jeanne wanted to share with me.
There is nothing quite as delightful as having your very own personal tour guide with an intimate knowledge of the countryside. Jeanne drove and I simply sat back with no agenda except for oohing and aahing as we passed through the countryside. Our first goal was Alan’s family place “The Lake Lodge” on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain, where we planned to spend the night.
Our route took us a couple of hours north toward the southern end of the lake where Jeanne decided that I should see the famous Lake Champlain bridge. What a beauty! The visitor center was open, and with this being a holiday (Columbus Day), even on this cloudy, somewhat blustery day, it was rather crowded. The original bridge had to be rebuilt in 2010, and the new bridge echoes the shape of the old bridge beautifully.
This area is thick with historical significance, with many forts and sites of pre Revolutionary War events. Across the bridge, on the New York side, we found the ruins of the French Fort St Frederic, built in 1734. There wasn’t much left to see, with the ruins buried by time and by the coming of the British, who occupied Crown Point in 1759 and began constructing one of the largest forts they would ever build in North America.
Here the wooden and earth fortified walls were still somewhat visible, with the ruins of the stone barracks and officer’s quarters still standing. Even though she lived nearby, Jeanne had never explored this area and we thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the walls and ruins without benefit of the little tour guide to describe what we were seeing. Neither one of us felt like paying the fee to go into the museum to buy the guide. We had other goals in mind for the day.
After leaving the forts, we didn’t dally much along the way, hoping to arrive and check out the water conditions on Lake Champlain. Big on my list was a kayak on this gorgeous lake, but once we arrived at the house, the winds were up a bit. Lake Champlain is big and can be surprisingly dangerous. We knew that our chances of still water were probably better the next morning rather than late in the afternoon, so we opted to wait for some time on the water.
The house is wonderful, built some time in the 20’s, with lots of sprawling enclosed porches, cozy chairs for reading and watching the water, and plenty of bedrooms. I opted for the “maid’s quarters”, a sweet room just off the kitchen entry, chosen especially for the cushy down comforter and perfect mattress.
Alan was glad to send us off, but of course was a bit jealous of our chance for time on the lake. He and Jeanne come here often to swim, read, kayak, boat, and fish. Over the last couple of years I have received countless photos from Jeanne of the lake from this vantage point, and it was wonderful to finally see it in person.
We didn’t linger long, however, deciding that a country drive to the little village of Vergennes was in order. On the way, we inhaled the lovely fragrance of fields spread with manure, a common occurrence this time of year in rural Vermont. I didn’t find it unpleasant, though, somehow it fit perfectly with the beautiful farms in the valley of Lake Champlain.
Jeanne took me to a favorite little haunt at a nearby state park, Button Bay, where we paid the $6.00 entry fee to drive into the park. It was the last day of the season, and we had the place almost entirely to ourselves. Just a short hike led to the rocky point jutting into Lake Champlain where we hunted for the fossils that Alan had previously found. We had no luck finding fossils, but the wild wind and waves on the lake and the dark clouds were incredibly dramatic and gorgeous.
There is RV and tent camping at this pretty state park, although I would imagine it could get a bit crowded during warm summer days. There were no hookups, but a dump station and nice showers are available.
We then meandered through the countryside to the nearby village of Vergennes, where Jeanne hoped to get some pastries at her favorite spot “Vergennes French Laundry”. Seems as though the place is only open a few days a week, and Monday wasn’t one of them. Instead, we opted for outside dining at the trendy little Three Squares Cafe.
Specials for the day included a butternut squash and pumpkin ravioli, in a sage cream sauce with roasted veggies. Oh My Yum!! I must say Vermont food is some of the best I have ever experienced.
Back to the lake house, we settled in for the evening with cognac and books in the big comfy chairs overlooking the lake. It was so nice to have quality quiet time in such a beautiful place with a good friend.
The next morning dawned a bit cloudy, but the winds were gentle, and by 7am we had the kayaks on the lake. With just a bit of chill to the air, we paddled across the bay toward Otter Creek (actually it looks more like a river) and paddled upstream against the gently current. Jeanne told a great story about a time when the revolutionaries were in the bay and the British thought they had them cornered. Benedict Arnold, the commander at the time, dug a trench through the natural levee to Otter Creek, and his army escaped. We kayaked to a spot where remnants of the trench are still visible.
It was a beautiful day on the water, and we stayed out three hours or so before returning to the lodge and packing up for the trip home.
Jeanne still had much to share with me however, and her route back to Dorset meandered over the mountains to the Appalachian Gap overlook and down into the little village of Waitsfield. Even though Jeanne was technically raised in New Jersey, the house in the mountains above Waitsfield was her preferred childhood home.
Here the family would come during the summers and on winter weekends to ski. Jeanne’s father took her skiing in a backpack when she was merely three months old, so she comes by her love of skiing naturally. Just up the road from the family home is the small local ski hill that Jeanne talked of so often, Mad River Glen. Once again, I delighted in seeing all the places I had heard about for so many years in person.
The Mad River flows through Waitsfield, and the covered bridge across the river was another treat. We meandered around the town, visiting a few little shops where Jeanne found a perfect little dress for her rehearsal dinner. Isn’t is amazing to have a friend that slips a size 6 over her head so effortlessly?! While we shopped, Jeanne regaled me with some kayaking stories of her time on the rapids of the Mad River.
Later she found the gravestones that were being hugged by trees in an old historic cemetery just outside of town. Sherry, I thought of you with these stones, instead of you hugging the trees, the trees are doing the hugging!
The rest of the return trip to Dorset was through the back roads, along beautiful rivers, and down some dramatic canyons, where Jeanne again pointed out the names of the surrounding mountains where she hiked and skied. By the time we rolled into Dorset, it was late afternoon, and more wedding guests were beginning to arrive.
As Alan said, when I arrived, he felt as though it was “really happening, the wedding was really happening”! But with the arrival of Alan’s best friends from around the world, Jeanne’s other friends from Oregon, and Tei and Cecil it was time to focus on the real reason I had come to Vermont. The wedding celebrations were about to begin!
Next: I do a little exploring on my own and then its time for a Wedding!
I had a year to get excited about my trip to Vermont. My friend Jeanne was getting married, and I knew I had to be there one way or another. The trip was wonderful in so many ways, and yet losing our sweet dog Abby, just a few days after my return, made it impossible for me to write about the beautiful days and the beautiful wedding until now.
Some time has passed since Abby left us. We buried her not far from where our also recently deceased cat Jeremy lies, both small rock headstones visible from the kitchen window. The initial grief and sadness has eased a bit. The huge empty space that a beloved pet leaves behind is no less empty, but feels a bit less shocking. The house is very quiet. I did finally clean the dog spit off the sliding glass door, and just recently Mo put Abby’s toys away somewhere, I am not sure where.
I think October is a beautiful month just about anywhere in this wide country. However the classic New England fall was on my bucket list. Mo and I have talked often of attempting to get back there in the MoHo, to fill in those last few states we have yet to experience in our rig. However the timing for such a journey can be daunting at best. It is always a juggle between catching the height of color and still not getting caught in the snows that follow. If we had attempted it this year, we would have no doubt been caught in the early snowstorms that are hitting the South at this very moment.
Instead, I flew to Vermont on my own, while Mo spent the time caring for Abby and keeping the home fires burning, shutting down the sprinklers for winter, raking the rapidly falling pine needles and beginning the fall burning. I think I got the better end of the deal, except for Abby of course.
With Jeanne’s wedding scheduled for a Saturday, I planned my trip to give me several days of Vermont time before the wedding and before the major influx of guests. When Jeanne lived in Klamath, and we worked together, she often shared stories of her life in Vermont. We were both excited that I would be there in time for Jeanne to show me her beloved home state. I was also happy for the time to spend with Jeanne and Alan and to get a taste of Jeanne’s new life.
Flying from Medford, I flew to Portland and then got a nonstop cross country flight directly to Boston. Mo and I had been to Boston a few years ago, but it was on a cruise ship. This would be my first visit to Vermont, and I rented a car with the thought that I would drive the 200 miles or so directly to Dorset. I obviously wasn’t thinking clearly when I planned this, and realized that I needed to stay somewhere close to Boston rather than attempting to drive unknown back country roads in the dark of night.
Finding a hotel in Boston was a bit daunting, with the cheapest rooms beginning at $329 per night! Not in my budget, for sure. I could sleep in the car if I had to pay that much for a few hours sleep. Instead, I drove an hour or so north toward Marlborough, and found a basic decent room for a mere $149. The bed was OK, but the room wasn’t much more than your average Super 8 out west that goes for 49 bucks. Still, when I woke the next morning to brilliant skies and gorgeous color in the trees, I was so glad that I waited.
It took me nearly four hours to get to Dorset because I just couldn’t resist stopping a bit for photos along the way. It was my first time in Vermont, and the timing was very nearly perfect. The visitor center at the Vermont state line was state of the art, beautiful, and I began to get a feel for the rural nature of the landscape, and the focus on dairy farming, agriculture, and forestry that is the hallmark of this lovely place.
On the winding highway along the West River I came upon the beautiful West Dummerston Covered Bridge, remembering that Vermont has more than 100 covered bridges, and that there are more covered bridges per square mile in Vermont than any state in the country. Of course, after our springtime covered bridge tour of Oregon, I couldn’t miss taking a photo of this lovely bridge. I learned later that it is the second longest covered bridge in the state, but at the time I was taking the photos, I only remembered some of what I had previously learned about trusses and joists and supports. I loved the open window on one side of the bridge especially. Alan’s home on the hill above Dorset.
I really had to make some tracks because the weather was cooperating perfectly for Alan’s offer to take me up in his airplane that afternoon. It was a gorgeous, completely cloudless sunny day, and the rest of the week was forecasted to be rainy and dreary. No time to waste. If I was to see Vermont from the air, I would need to do it on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.
I arrived at Alan’s place by noon, and after greetings and settling in to his brother’s home down the path, Jeanne and I walked to town to the local farmer’s market to get some veggies for supper.
Alan was brining a beautiful “happy chicken”, and only fresh grown organic veggies would be worthy of the meal. Dorset is a beautiful small burgh with lovely historic homes and inns, winding country roads, a town green, and lovely historic churches, one of which would be the location of the wedding the following weekend.
My home for the week, just down the path from the main house.
My home for the week belonged to Alan’s brother, at the moment traveling around the world on a sailboat, and later the three bedrooms would be filled with other wedding guests. It is a dramatic timber frame home, with great views of Mother Myrick towering over Dorset.
Within a short time, the three of us piled into Alan’s new truck for the drive north to Rutland airport. Needless to say, I was excited. Flying in a small plane is thrilling to me, and as a map maker, seeing the landscape below up close is magical. Alan is a forester, and his understanding of the patterns of the vegetation, his explanation of the various timber communities, and the history of the logging industry in Vermont added tremendously to the flight.
Alan was excited about the flight as well, exclaiming over and over how incredibly lucky we were with the clear skies and the beautiful color playing out over the mountains. Alan and Jeanne pointed out the local mountains, and told some sweet stories about their first hike together on Haystack as they flew past the dramatic glaciated peak. It was a perfect introduction for my week in Vermont.
After our flight, Alan drove some of the back country roads around Dorset, searching for color on the hillsides. I learned that Vermont was almost completely denuded of forest when it was first settled in the 1700’s, with more than 80 percent of the state being cleared for agriculture. In the ensuing years, the trees have once again taken over the landscape and there is now only about 25 percent of the state cleared for agriculture.
I knew I wanted to see New England stone walls, but what I didn’t know was that many of those old walls are found in the forests, marking what were once open fields. Now taken over by the forest again, the old stone walls are crumbling and tucked away in the shadowy undergrowth.
After that breathtaking afternoon, we returned home to Alan’s place to partake of one of the most amazing roast chicken dinners I ever experienced. Alan is a fabulous cook, and his favorite resource is Cook’s Illustrated, also a favorite of mine. I have never ever ever in my entire life had such a succulent chicken, set off with Jeanne’s homemade cranberry sauce and fresh beets from the market. The gravy (another favorite food group of mine) was beyond incredible. Thus began a week of some rather fabulous meals, both home cooked and at inns and restaurants throughout Vermont. | 2019-04-21T06:31:15Z | http://mohotravels.blogspot.com/2014/10/ |
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On thursdays, products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are slightly more expensive than the weekly average. The prices are around 16.8% higher than the average weekly price.
On fridays, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are largely the same as the weekly average. friday is typically neither a particularly expensive nor a particularly cheap day on which to buy these products.
On saturdays, products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group tend to be cheaper than the weekly average. The prices are around 2% lower than the average weekly price.
On sundays, products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group tend to be cheaper than the weekly average. The prices are around 3% lower than the average weekly price.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 0:00 and 1:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 1:00 and 2:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 2:00 and 3:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 3:00 and 4:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 4:00 and 5:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 5:00 and 6:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 6:00 and 7:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 7:00 and 8:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 8:00 and 9:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 9:00 and 10:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 10:00 and 11:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 11:00 and 12:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 12:00 and 13:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 13:00 and 14:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 14:00 and 15:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 15:00 and 16:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 16:00 and 17:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 17:00 and 18:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 18:00 and 19:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 19:00 and 20:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 20:00 and 21:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 21:00 and 22:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 22:00 and 23:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
The prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group fluctuate during the course of the day. Between 23:00 and 24:00, they are, however, largely in line with the daily average.
It is probably not a bad idea to shop online for Material Handling Products on monday between 6:00 and 12:00.
On mondays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On mondays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 4.1% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On mondays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 3.7% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On mondays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 3% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On tuesdays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 11.4% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On tuesdays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 2.6% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On tuesdays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.3% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On tuesdays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 3.5% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On wednesdays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On wednesdays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.6% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On wednesdays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.9% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On wednesdays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.8% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On thursdays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 12.7% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On thursdays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 18.2% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On thursdays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 9.2% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On thursdays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 9.7% higher than their respective average weekly price.
On fridays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On fridays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On fridays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.3% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On fridays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.6% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On saturdays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On saturdays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 2.7% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On saturdays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 1.7% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On saturdays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 2.3% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On sundays between 0:00 and 6:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average the same as their respective average weekly price.
On sundays between 6:00 and 12:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 2% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On sundays between 12:00 and 18:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 2.3% lower than their respective average weekly price.
On sundays between 18:00 and 24:00, the prices of products from the Material Handling Products product range in the „Business, Industry & Science“ product group are on average around 3.7% lower than their respective average weekly price.
last verified on 2019-04-26 at 06:10; the price may have changed since.
last verified on 2019-04-26 at 02:41; the price may have changed since.
last verified on 2019-04-26 at 06:33; the price may have changed since. | 2019-04-26T04:40:23Z | https://www.wunderstore.co.uk/Business,-Industry-and-Science/Material-Handling-Products |
Jerry Coyne is a professor in the department of ecology and evolution at the University of Chicago. In Forbes magazine in 2009, he wrote a vitriolic response to an earlier article written by a neurosurgeon who had the audacity to question what the Darwinist establishment insists we are to believe without question.
I found Professor Coyne’s reaction fascinating. We are told (by scientists!) that science is a truth-seeking enterprise where varying theories can be discussed. When we encounter Darwinists, however, we encounter an emotional, intolerant attitude that casts those who question the official story as enemies of science. Professor Coyne’s article is a good, short case study of this absurd imperialism.
My responses are indented following the professor’s comments.
Michael Egnor is a neurosurgeon at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. For the sake of his patients, one must hope that he understands the brain’s anatomy better than its provenance. In an article on this site, “A Neurosurgeon, Not A Darwinist,” he claims that the theory of evolution is bogus.
While Egnor’s misguided attack on evolution tells us nothing about the truth of Darwinism, it does prove one thing: Doctors aren’t necessarily scientists. Some, like Egnor, seem completely unable to evaluate evidence. Why does he so readily dismiss a theory that has been universally accepted by scientists for over a century?
Baffling though it may be to Professor Coyne, there are nonetheless a number of scientists, many with advanced degrees, who question the central tenet of Darwinism that life is a result of a blind and purposeless natural process.
Apparently because a rather old book, Michael Denton’s Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, first published in 1985, convinced him that evolutionary theory was underlain by very weak evidence. If Egnor had bothered to look just a little into Denton’s book and its current standing, he would have learned that the arguments in it have long since been firmly refuted by scientists. Indeed, they were recanted by Denton himself in a later book more than 10 years ago.
Since Egnor is decades out of date and shows no sign of knowing anything at all about evolutionary biology in the 21st century, one wonders what could have inspired his declaration at this time.
Darwin’s Origin of Species is also “rather old” (and more than just decades out of date), but no doubt Professor Coyne still finds its central arguments compelling.
The tenets of evolutionary theory are simple: Life evolved, largely under the influence of natural selection; this evolution took a rather long time; and species alive and dead can be organized on the basis of shared similarities into a tree whose branching pattern implies that every pair of living species has a common ancestor.
Among genuine scientists, there is not the slightest doubt about the truth of these ideas. In contrast to Egnor’s claim, the evidence for all of them is not only strong but copious–so much so that evolution has graduated from a scientific theory to a scientific fact.
Of course, the controversial part of Darwinism is not that natural selection exists, that life development took a long time, or that there are similarities between living things, but rather that life developed entirely by an unguided and purposeless natural process.
The real question is whether the kind of evidence that Professor Coyne presents in his book actually proves (rather than assumes) the central tenet of Darwinism: That life is the result of a purposeless and unguided process. Assuming the point you are trying to prove is, of course, question-begging. Those who do not take Darwinist presuppositions for granted are unlikely to find his arguments compelling, frustrating though he obviously finds this to be.
This is sheer nonsense. As all biologists know, we have many examples not only of gradual change within species but also of “transitional forms” between very different kinds of species. These include fossil links between fish and amphibians, reptiles and birds, reptiles and mammals and, of course, the famous fossils linking apelike creatures with our own species, Homo sapiens. Does Egnor not know this, or is he simply trying to mislead the reader?
No doubt Darwinists sincerely want to believe the fossil record supports their view, but the real question is whether the fossil record actually supports Darwinism when evaluated independently of Darwinist expectations. For example, punctuated equilibrium (a term first coined by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldridge) attempts to explain why stasis (lack of change) is a pervasive feature of the fossil record. What’s pertinent about punctuated equilibria in terms of this discussion is the problem to which it draws attention: The fossil record is characterized by sudden appearance of new organisms, stasis, and extinction. Gould once famously remarked that “the extreme rarity of transitional forms in the fossil record persists as the trade secret of paleontology.” This fact is in stark contrast to Darwinist predictions, which assert that the fossil record should show an exhaustive record of continuous change.
Another specious claim is his assertion that “Darwin’s theory offers no coherent, evidence-based explanation for the evolution of even a single molecular pathway from primordial components.” Nonsense–even the complicated pathway of blood clotting (an example much favored by creationists) is the subject of coherent, evidenced-based explanations.
The article linked by Professor Coyne is technical in nature and carries the title “The evolution of vertebrate blood coagulation as viewed from a comparison of puffer fish and sea squirt genomes.” The article contains a number of sentences such as the following: “Because such a convoluted pathway could not have evolved in one fell swoop, it was long ago realized that a series of gene duplications must lie at the heart of the complex set of interactions observed in mammalian clotting.” Another: “It is thought that 50-100 million years separate the appearances of urochordates (which include the sea squirt) and vertebrates. During that time the machinery for thrombin-catalyzed fibrin formation had to be concocted by gene duplication and the shuffling about of key modular domains.” To the believing Darwinist, mere speculations apparently count as “evidence-based explanations,” but it should be obvious even to the layperson that simple speculations are not the same thing as actual scientific explanations.
Egnor also declares that “intricate biomolecules such as enzymes are so functionally complex that it’s difficult to see how they could arise by random mutations.” He is right here: such complex adaptations could not have arisen under the power of random mutation alone.
What he seems to have forgotten is the process of natural selection, which filters those mutations, preserving the good ones and eliminating the bad ones. It is the combination of mutation and the selection filter that produces the extraordinary instances of adaptation we can document in nature. Bacteria, for example, evolved brand-new enzymes to break down nylon–an artificial polymer that was never encountered by bacteria before 1930.
Processor Coyne uses a comparatively modest example of a bacterial adaptation (presumably produced by natural selection) to claim that therefore natural selection must somehow be able to create new genetic information and construct the amazingly complex biological features we see in nature. The question at issue is whether this claim is true, or whether it is an unwarranted and reckless extrapolation based on very meager evidence. Natural selection, to be sure, has some observable effects, but the belief that it has the amazing creative powers Darwinists want to attribute to it might not be true, no matter how strongly it appeals to the Darwinist’s common sense.
Imagine what would have happened if, over the history of science, we imputed to God’s hand everything we didn’t understand. We would never have cured the plague, which–like most diseases and disasters–was once thought to reflect God’s anger rather than bacteria-carrying fleas. “Barrenness” in women was thought to reflect divine displeasure; it is now treated effectively by scientific means, not by propitiating the gods.
There are no observations in nature that refute Darwinism, but there are plenty that refute Egnor’s creationist alternative. How does he explain the persistence of “dead genes” in species (like our own broken one for making vitamin C)–genes that were functional in our ancestors? What explains those annoying hominin fossils that span the gap from early apelike creatures to modern humans? Why do human fetuses produce a coat of hair after six months in the womb, and then shed it before birth? Why didn’t the creator stock oceanic islands with mammals, reptiles and amphibians? Why did He give us vestigial ear muscles that have no function? Why do whales occasionally sprout hind legs? Did God design all creatures to fool us into thinking that they evolved?
Professor Coyne tries to use the “God wouldn’t have done it that way” argument to say that “creationists” have been refuted, but this is a basic error in logic. It simply does not follow that design imperfections prove life arose naturally via undirected mutation and selection. Engineering often involves numerous trade-offs in design, and there’s no good reason to suggest the same isn’t true in biology.
The good news is that Egnor is just one benighted physician. Far more disturbing is Forbes’ ham-handed policy of “balancing” the views of evolutionists by giving a say to Egnor and four other creationists. (Their articles, found here, are at least as misleading as Egnor’s.) Perhaps Forbes sees Darwinism as “controversial.” But it’s not, at least not in a scientific sense. Scientifically, evolution is a settled issue–a fact.
The only “controversy” is social and political: Will Americans, in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution, be allowed to impose a false, religiously based view of biology in the public schools? This “teach the controversy” approach, so popular among fundamentalists, ill suits a publication with the gravitas of Forbes.
Can we expect that it will balance stories on medicine with the competing views of shamans, Christian Scientists and spiritual healers? Will articles on the Holocaust be rebutted by the many Holocaust deniers? When the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing rolls around this July, will Forbes give a say to paranoids who think the landing was a fraud, staged on a movie lot?
This, in effect, is what Forbes has done by giving equal time to evolution-deniers. Journalists have an obligation to be fair, but this doesn’t mean that they must give charlatans a prestigious platform from which to broadcast their lies. By doing so, Forbes has debased both journalism and science.
The thrust of Professor Coyne’s rhetorical attack essentially amounts to this: You are required to believe everything “we” (the Darwinist scientific establishment) tell you about Darwinism, or “we” will attack you as an enemy of science. This absurd and imperious demand is designed to silence dissenters rather than to discuss questions of substance. When proponents of a purportedly scientific theory feel the need to resort to tactics like this, Darwinism must be on shaky ground indeed.
Technical forums (such as web-based forums or Usenet newsgroups) are among the very best places to get specific technical questions answered because many of the people answering questions in technical forums are very knowledgeable about the specific topic and like sharing that knowledge.
Of course, without forum participants, there is no forum, so new forum participants are welcome. That said, there are a group of reasons why some forum participants do not get their questions answered (or not answered quickly or meaningfully). My purpose here is to educate technical forum participants on the best way to ask questions so that their questions will have a higher probability of being answered in a meaningful and timely way.
Acknowledgements: Raymond Chen (The Old New Thing), Eric Raymond (How to Ask Questions the Smart Way), Eric Lippert (Fabulous Adventures in Coding), and Mike Pope.
You should only ask questions that are relevant to the forum. For example, don’t ask a SQL server question in a scripting forum. If you’re not sure where you should post your question, try to find out (see #1). If you don’t do this, your question might be ignored, or you’ll probably be told you’re asking in the wrong place. This wastes both your time (because you’re not getting your question answered) and Ted’s time (either because he has to read your question before deciding to ignore it or because he has to type a “you’re not asking in the right place” response).
If you can’t find the relevant forum, give some indication that you’re not helpless. For example: “I’m looking for information about how to use the Get-Foo cmdlet’s -Bar parameter in PowerShell. I searched for ‘powershell get-foo bar’, but the results lack detail about the blob the parameter is expecting. Does anyone have any details about the -Bar parameter’s blob format?” In other words, try to illustrate that you’re not just asking Ted to do your work for you.
Your subject line should be as specific as possible and summarize the question. Subject lines such as “please help” or “newbie question” are not helpful because you’re forcing Ted to open the question in order to read it. Ted will probably prioritize questions with meaningful subject lines ahead of questions with meaningless subject lines simply because they’re more interesting.
Subject lines such as “HELP REQUIRED QUICKLY” or “NEED URGENT HELP ASAP” contribute nothing of substance to your question and probably won’t get you a faster answer. Ted may even find this rude, because you’re implying that your question should have priority over everyone else’s.
Remember that Ted can’t read your mind. If you don’t provide enough information, Ted ends up 1) guessing (if you’re lucky, he guesses right), 2) ignoring your question, or 3) asking for more information. Where applicable and when possible, make sure to include the exact error message.
Question: IE is hanging from my script. Is there any solution for it.
Corollary to the “guessing game” question: Don’t forget to ask your question.
There is not much to say here other than what Raymond Chen already said. Just saying “it didn’t work” conveys almost no useful information. Remember: We can’t see your screen.
Ted is often a volunteer and answers questions in his free time; he is not your personal consultant. Ted likes to help and appreciates thoughtful questions, but remember that he’s not obligated to do your work for you.
For example, consider the following request: “I need a script that quims the flobs.” Possible response: “OK; go ahead and write it, then.” Why should you avoid this kind of request? First, the request is not a question (see #4). Second, you’re explicitly asking Ted to do your work for you. Third, we all understand the importance of quick solutions, but if Ted is feeling generous and gives you a script that quims the flobs, you’re not really learning anything. Numerous times I’ve seen Ted post a generous response such as this, only to have the original poster continue to request ongoing technical support for the script and/or ongoing requests to add features to it. After experiencing this a few times, Ted will probably start to feel less generous.
Sometimes, when all you’ve got is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. For example: “We have a script to add a domain group to the local Administrators groups on our computers but it doesn’t work on Windows Vista and later. How can we get this script to work?” The underlying question is how to manage the members of the local Administrators groups on domain computers. (One answer: Use the Restricted Groups feature in Group Policy.) Here’s another example of this principle.
If your question has been answered (or you have at least been pointed in the right direction), don’t forget to post a follow-up message that your question has been answered. Thanking Ted for his time and expertise is also appropriate.
There is a configuration setting in the Windows operating system called “Disable the command prompt.” It “prevents users from running the interactive command prompt, cmd.exe. This policy also determines whether batch files (.cmd and .bat) can run on the computer. If you enable this policy and the user tries to open a command window, the system displays a message explaining that a policy prevents the action” (description copied and pasted from the Microsoft documentation). I’ve seen instances where administrators enable this setting in a Group Policy Object (GPO) under the mistaken impression that this improves security somehow.
This setting is a holdover from Windows 95/98 (which had no security), but it is completely pointless on Windows NT/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista/Server 2008/7/Server 2008 R2/8/Server 2012/8.1/Server 2012 R2/10/Server 2016 and later. I can’t think of a single good reason to disable the command prompt. Why? Because cmd.exe is a program. It is not a security boundary.
In the Windows operating system, a security boundary prevents a program from doing something, or prevents data from going somewhere, without authorization. If a user opens a command prompt (i.e., starts the cmd.exe program), the cmd.exe program is running as that user, just like any other program the user runs. The cmd.exe program does not somehow give the user the ability to do things they can’t do otherwise. The user’s account is the security boundary, not the command prompt.
I have seen many requests for technical help in various forums, and sometimes the answer to a problem involves typing commands at a command prompt. Occasionally, I will see a reply like: “That won’t work, because we have disabled the command prompt.” My suspicion is that some administrators think that disabling the command prompt somehow increases security, but because this is wrong, the only thing it accomplishes in cases like this is slowing down problem solving processes (thus increasing costs).
PowerShell’s execution policy is an administrator safety feature; it’s not a security feature.
Its purpose is to prevent you from accidentally running scripts. It does not stop you from running scripts if you really want to.
So — if you’re under the impression that a restrictive execution policy will prevent users from running scripts, that’s simply incorrect.
Trying to prevent users from running scripts is a strange thing to want to do anyway. Running scripts doesn’t grant users extra permissions. Another way to say this: PowerShell is a program, not a security boundary. Any program a user starts (including a script, which is run by a program, obviously) runs as that user.
The execution policy can be useful where you want to allow only signed scripts to run automatically by default. But it won’t prevent the user from changing the policy on their own and running scripts.
These components are all available and supported on Windows.
Requesting a web server certificate for Tomcat on Windows from a domain CA – Since you should be using HTTPS for web applications, this video shows how to configure Tomcat to use HTTPS and how to request a certificate from an Active Directory CA (certificate authority) server using KeyStore Explorer.
If you have an Active Directory infrastructure, XWiki also has an LDAP Authenticator extension that allows users to authenticate and log onto XWiki using domain credentials.
If your organization has standardized on Windows servers and you’d like to stand up a wiki platform, you should consider XWiki. | 2019-04-21T22:35:51Z | https://westmesatech.com/?author=1 |
GHOSTS: AN HISTORICAL JOURNEY PART 3 HONEST ABE Ghosts are not the exclusive domain of any race, religion or class. In fact, belief in the spirit world would also touch the highest branch of our government. It has been long speculated that Abraham Lincoln utilized psychic mediums and clairvoyants to gain insight into the ongoing Civil War. Many also claim that Lincoln himself had the gift (or curse) of precognitive abilities. Whether this is true is a subject of debate, but First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, would regularly hold séances in the White House. Using a psychic medium, she earnestly sought to contact her dead sons. In 1862, their beloved son Willy died at the age of 12. Willy was a brilliant child, very advanced in reading and in many ways resembled his father more than any of the other sons, Eddie and Tad. Lincoln was crushed by his death. Spiritualists did indeed frequent the White House although it is only pure conjecture to assume that Lincoln ever really employed them in making crucial decisions. In fact, he kept a rather healthy distance from them lest he become the object of derision from the Washington elite. Nonetheless, some would volunteer their insights to him and many of those were of a very dark nature as if catastrophe was inevitable but Lincoln, since the death of Willy, was already in a dark place. Still, reports exist that while attending a séance conducted by a medium named Nettie Maynard in 1863, a piano levitated off the floor as the medium was playing it. Lincoln and an associate climbed onto the piano and eventually had to abandon that when the piano began to shake ever more violently. While Lincoln downplayed any contact with Spiritualists, Mary was the opposite. She had turned to them almost immediately after Willy’s passing as if trying to achieve some type of closure through any means possible. Her grief - like her husband’s - consumed her, but she did not cope as well publicly as he did. She began to exhibit unstable behavior because of her bereavement and there were many who cast blame on the Spiritualists for playing a large role in her growing mental instability although they were likely just an easy target. Then, on April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth gained access to a private box at the Ford Theater where the Lincolns sat watching a play called “Our American Cousin” and fired a pistol, taking the life of the President. But shortly before this happened, it is said that Lincoln foresaw his own death in a dream. One night he told his wife Mary and his chief of security, Ward Hill Lamon of this vision. He claimed that ten days prior to that night, he went to bed late and began to dream. He began to hear the sobbing of a great number of people. He then felt as if he got out of bed and started downstairs. Again, he heard the sobbing, yet no one was there. Going from room to room, he found no one, yet the sounds of weeping continued. He continued on to the East Room and went inside. There he saw a casket and inside a body adorned in funeral garb. It was surrounded by soldiers and it was only then he could see the mourners, crying as they looked upon the body whose head was covered. He asked one of the soldiers who this was in the casket. The soldier replied, “The President.” It was at that point he awakened from his dream, but remained tormented by it in the days to come. This is not the end of Lincoln’s story as it pertains to the supernatural. One night many years later, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid a visit to the White House and spent the night there. Before retiring for the the night, he climbed into a hot bath with a cigar and a glass of scotch. He glanced over at the fireplace and saw the specter of President Lincoln leaning on the mantle. Their eyes met and then, President Lincoln vanished into thin air. There have been further reports from dignitaries and world leaders who have spent the night in the Lincoln bedroom of the sounds of footsteps and door knobs rattling. As for Mary Todd Lincoln, she maintained her belief in the supernatural and her devotion to spiritualism. A photographer from Boston, Mass. named William Mumler claimed he could take photographs of the dead and sometimes would have grieving subjects pose for him. When the photo was developed, the image of the deceased loved one would appear in it. There is some real debate as to the veracity of these claims, and Mumler was denounced as a fraud by many, but that did not deter Mary Lincoln who posed for Mumler and the resulting photograph looked like this. GHOSTS GONE WILDE Oscar Wilde wrote but one novel, but it had a great deal of influence in the world of the unexplained. It was called The Picture of Dorian Gray. In it, a painter sells his soul to remain young, offering a portrait he has painted to absorb and display all the wear and age on his body and countenance. Wilde was born in Dublin and was a brilliant scholar. He spoke both French and German and embraced the philosophy of aestheticism where art had no deeper meaning than its actual appearance. He had a rather acerbic wit, dressed flamboyantly and was a skilled conversationalist. Wilde met a very tragic end at the age of only 46. Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde’s lover and Wilde attempted to have Douglas’s father, the Marquess of Queensbury prosecuted for criminal libel. However evidence was obtained that caused Wilde’s own arrest for gross indecency with men. He was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor. Upon his term ending, he left for France and never returned, dying penniless in Paris. Wilde was also responsible for one of the very first forays into interaction spirits as comedy with his novella, The Canterville Ghost. It was and still remains a classic bit of humor with a paranormal backdrop and the precursor to the Abbot and Costello and Bob Hope films of the 40s and 50s where monsters and ghosts were comedic fodder. The story concerns the Otis family who move into Canterville Chase from America and ignore all warnings from Lord Canterville that the house is haunted. The family as a whole do not believe in ghosts, but soon hear all the typical ghostly devices, the rattling chains, disembodied footsteps and blood stains that show up near the fireplace that they dutifully remove only to have them reappear in various forms. Mrs. Otis at one point makes her position clear by saying, “I do not at all care for blood stains in the sitting room.” The family remains undaunted and in one particularly hysterical encounter Mr. Otis offers to oil the chains the spirit is bound with. The story is a wonderful commentary on modern American consumerism with the family using all sorts of household products to help eradicate the ghost vs. the staid, traditional English attitudes toward the spirit world. The ghost, Sir Simon Canterville remains steadfast in his determination to scare the family, morphing into different forms, each more hideous than the last, yet the family does not waver and soon the ghost feels humiliated by their lack of fear. The combination of ancient spirits and contemporary culture results in situations where Mrs. Otis offers something called, “Doctor Dobell’s Tincture” to the ghost assuming his groaning might be the result of indigestion. She goes so far as to consider joining a psychical research group to help her better understand the ghost and his issues. Meanwhile the ghost, Sir Simon, displays a theatrical bent in trying to scare the family, alternately switching roles as if he were performing on stage, but his different incarnations that have been successful in the past yield no results from the Otis clan. They go so far as to lay booby traps for him all over the house, most of which he stumbles into only exacerbating his growing humiliation. Sir Simon throughout the story begins to open up about his life and what made him who he is. He finds an ally in teenage daughter Virginia who takes him seriously and he tells her the story of losing his wife, Lady Eleanor as well as the torment he has to endure including not sleeping in over 300 years. Finding a kindred spirit, Sir Simon asks her to pray for him, weep for him and finally accompany him to the Angel of Death to beg for release for Simon. She does all these things and eventually returns bearing jewels and gems and informs the family that Simon has indeed passed on to a better place. CAN YOU GIVE ME A LIFT? One of the most enduring ghost stories in more contemporary times is that of the “ghostly rider” or “Phantom Hitchhiker”. In Chicago, the year is 1936 and a young man named Jerry Palus spends the night at the Liberty Grove dance hall. There he meets a young lady who he hits it off with so they dance the night away. When the music stopps, Palus offeres her a ride home which she accepts. She instructs him to drive down Archer Avenue and he complies, but when they reach the Resurrection Cemetery, she tells him he should just drop her off there. Whether he protested this unusual destination is unknown, but she goes on to tell him he can not follow her where she needs to go. As his eyes follow her, she reaches to the gate of the cemetery and simply fades from sight. This figurant phantom would become known as “Resurrection Mary”. For decades, motorists in south Chicago have related tales of their harrowing encounters with Mary. Some even claim she has jumped up on the running boards of their cars, but all describe her as looking the same; wearing a white dress and dancing shoes. It was at another dance hall called the O Henry Ballroom - which later became the Willowbrook Ballroom- that Mary truly became the stuff of legend. She would be there, alone, and men whom she shared a dance with would say her body felt cold and she exhibited a very morose, disinterested demeanor. But the end of the evening the story was the same; a ride down Archer Avenue and the drop off at the cemetery where she would vanish into thin air, or in some accounts, simply disappear right in the passenger seat. Other variations would have her walking down the side of the road and vanishing as a car approached or actually walking in front of a moving vehicle and being struck down only to again vanish as the driver got out to check her condition. So who is Resurrection Mary? The claims of her true identity are as wide and varied as the acts of terror she perpetrates on unsuspecting drivers. In one version, she is the victim of a hit and run driver who struck her on Archer Avenue as she walked home from the O Henry Ballroom after an argument with a boyfriend. The white dress she is seen in was her burial garb and the dancing shoes were a posthumous tribute to her favorite activity. Another version identifies her as a woman named Mary Bregovy who met a similar demise and whose body rests in Resurrection Cemetery, but the scene of the accident and her appearance differs dramatically from that reported by shocked motorists who have encountered the specter on Archer Avenue. What might have led to this dubious claim is speculation from a former cemetery caretaker who offered his opinion that the ghost was indeed Mary Bregovy setting off this (probably) false conclusion. Perhaps the most disturbingly incredible account of a brush with Resurrection Mary took place on August 10, 1976 when physical evidence of her presence was discovered. A passing motorist noticed a girl in a white dress standing inside the gates of the cemetery late one night. She was gripping the bars staring out at the street. At first, the driver considered this an odd sight, but became rather concerned that she had been accidentally locked inside the cemetery, so he stopped at the nearest police station to alert them to this possibility. When an officer drove to the location he found no one there. He left his cruiser and approached the gates and noticed to his astonishment that two bars had been pulled apart in opposite directions. Further inspection revealed there was something resembling burn marks that contained the image of actual handprints imprinted into the metal. As word spread of this anomaly, curious onlookers flocked to the cemetery in droves until it was decided to cut out and replace the bars to discourage the intrusions. It is quite possible that this is just another variation of the oft-told urban legend concerning “phantom hitchhikers”, Chicago-style. In many places throughout the world, tales of ghostly hitchhikers mirror exactly this type of story with only slight variation Most notable are the A229 Road in Kent England, the Red-Headed Hitchhiker of Route 44 in Rehoboth, Mass. and the Niles Canyon ghost in northern California. However, because of the quality of details put forth by eyewitnesses. Resurrection Mary might stand as the most valid and ultimately curious example of all of them. GHOSTS ON FILM It is often said that life imitates art, but the opposite is also true and nowhere is there a more unnerving, albeit entertaining example of this than in the form of Hollywood adaptations of a ghost story “based on actual events.” Some of the more highly successful films of this genre have resulted in “franchise” series such as “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “The Conjuring” and “Friday the 13th”. But what of the stories that triggered their success and led millions to flock to theaters to see further installments of the catalog. Here are some frightening tales that inspired some of the more successful movies ever created. In 1949, the Washington Post ran a front page headline that read, “Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip.” It detailed the harrowing confrontation between Jesuit priests William Bowdern, Raymond Bishop, Walter Halloran and Edward Hughes and a demonic entity that had possessed a boy who was identified only by “Roland Doe” in Maryland. They watched in equal parts horror and amazement as they listened to the boy speak in tongues, watched objects being propelled across a room and his bed shake and levitate off the floor. It was decided an exorcism had to be performed, one of only three sanctioned by the Catholic Church at that time. The actual rites took place at Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri and the boy’s home was not in Rainier, Md, but Cottage City, Md. The story went on to be the basis for one of most iconic and controversial movies ever made, The Exorcist. It was adapted from a book of the same name written by William Peter Blatty in 1971 and combined elements of the Roland Doe story and the Loudun possessions in 1634 France. Soon after the book’s release, director William Friedman was tabbed to direct the big screen version which essentially ended up scaring the hell out of millions across the world. Friedkin told the magazine Time Out that the Washington Post article lent significant credibility to the entire story. “That’s pretty out on a limb for a national newspaper to put on its front page. I don’t think you’d see that too often nowadays. Possibly in a Murdoch paper. But you’re not going to see that on the front page of an intelligent newspaper unless there’s something there." Psychiatrists who have studied the case generally concluded Roland Doe was in fact suffering from mental illness and some of the alleged phenomena was hoaxed by the boy with little objective inquiry from the priests. He was also known among his friends and family as very much an elaborate trickster. In his 1993 book, Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism, author Mark Opsasnick reported that Father Halloran said he never heard the boy’s voice change and thought he likely mimicked Latin words he might have heard the priests say rather than had them channeled by a third party. Opsasnick wrote, "To psychiatrists, Rob Doe suffered from mental illness. To priests this was a case of demonic possession. To writers and film/video producers this was a great story to exploit for profit. Those involved saw what they were trained to see. Each purported to look at the facts but just the opposite was true — in actuality they manipulated the facts and emphasized information that fit their own agendas." In the quiet village of Harrisville, R.I. in the year 1970, the Perron family moved into an old farmhouse. Roger and Carolyn Perron had five daughters, Andrea, Nancy, Christine, Cynthia and April and felt this would be a wonderful place in which to raise them. What they experienced there has gone on to be the catalyst for the blockbuster Warner Brothers film, The Conjuring, which has spawned a sequel and spin-offs Anabelle, Anabelle: Creation and The Nun. It is told from the perspective of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who investigated strange events at the house in 1971. In 2011, oldest daughter Andrea published the first of a book trilogy recounting the family’s experiences titled, House of Darkness House of Light. They encounter a host of supernatural activity during their time there, from strange voices in the middle of the night to furniture moving on its own. In one case, a spirit who made themselves known to the girls was thought to be the ghost of a Mrs. Arnold, whose family previously owned the property. The girls claim she would tuck them in and kiss them goodnight. Another was called “the sweeping ghost” who would literally sweep the floor, the only evidence of which was the presence of a pile of dirt where they had finished. While this somewhat benign activity was fairly commonplace, there was darker side of their haunting. At 5:15 a.m. something that smelled of “rotting flesh” would wake the family by lifting their beds and sometimes tossing them off it. There were spirits who would pull the girls hair and limbs and one in particular, a male spirit, whose actions are still of a nature the family will not speak of. But some of the very worst is alleged to have come at the hands of a suspected witch named Bathsheba Sherman. The former Bathsheba Thayer married Judson Sherman in Thompson, Connecticut on March 10, 1844. Together they lived on the farm and were considered fairly well-heeled people and at the age of 37, Bathsheba gave birth to a son, Herbert Sherman in 1849. For reasons that are still debated, Bathsheba was thought by many in the area to be a witch and some speculate it was because of the deaths of her other children under “suspicious” circumstances. No census records are available that confirm she and Judson indeed had other children, but on a family genealogy website, their names are listed as Julia, Edward and George and its likely they died before the next census could be recorded. There is also nothing that indicates Bathsheba was actually a witch or practiced anything resembling the dark arts, but the stigma may stem from envy of her neighbors as a lovely and well-kept woman or from a reported incident where a neighbor’s infant left in her care died under mysterious circumstances in the 1800s. As the story goes, an examination of the child revealed the cause of death to be a needle driven through the base of the baby’s skull. Some concluded the infant was an offering to the devil. Eventually, Bathsheba was found innocent, but the stigma of the incident would follow her throughout her life. Bathsheba died in 1885, 4 years after her husband’s passing. Her presence and ultimate role in the haunting of the Perron home also is the subject of some debate and it was Ed and Lorraine Warren who reached the conclusion she was some type of embodiment of evil. Carolyn told them a story of something that happened to her a few years earlier when she was lying on the sofa and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her calf and noticed a puddle of blood had formed. She could not explain the puncture in her leg. Andrea in her book described the wound to be a “perfectly concentric circle” and equated it to having a large sewing needle impaling her. Lorraine then offered a theory that Bathsheba might well have taken the needle into the afterlife with her and was brandishing it as a weapon as she did against the infant in her care. It was at that point she became convinced that it was Bathsheba terrorizing the family and perhaps saw Carolyn as a threat to her dominance there. It was during a séance presided over by the Warrens that Carolyn experienced her possession, leading to the family’s realization that the Warrens inadvertently had made things worse. Andrea claims one family owned the house through eight generations and many of them died there. The property was also the scene of two suicides by hanging and another by ingesting poison as well as two drownings and four men freezing to death. An interesting side note to the story is the day the Perron’s moved in, the seller of the house ominously told Roger to “leave the lights on.” When asked why the family simply didn’t leave the house, Andrea Perron told USA Today, "I hear that question most every day. I think we were supposed to have this experience and share it with the world." The character of Freddie Krueger, the shape-shifting, knives for fingers wielding, dream invading monster from director Wes Craven’s historic and successful Nightmare on Elm Street series, actually has a background more based in reality than most people even know about. In 1987, The LA Times published a story about the strange deaths of refuges in a far away land. One that is quite dissimilar to the affluent suburbs that formed the setting of Freddie’s killing sprees. The article stated that, "Since April, 1983, at least 130 Southeast Asian refugees have left this world in essentially the same way. They cried out in their sleep. And then they died." Oddly enough, this is not some conspiracy-based theory where dots are being connected. In Asian culture, this is something recognized. According to Dr. Robert Kirschner in that same article, "In the Philippines, it's called bangungut, in Japan pokkuri, in Thailand something else. "But it all roughly translates as the same thing: nightmare death." None of the victims displayed any signs of illness or disease, they hailed from the same communities and all died in the midst of a nightmare. Autopsies showed that at least some of the victims died when their hearts just suddenly stopped. But Dr, Kirschner found something else quite puzzling. "All of the 18 hearts [he examined] were slightly enlarged, and 17 showed defects in their conduction systems, the array of fibers that carries electronic impulses from the brain to the heart. The fibers were frayed and curled, as if, their hearts just shorted out.'" It is very odd that all of the bodies examined by Dr, Kirschner would have the same genetic defect, but what makes the story even more bizarre is that a nightmare could trigger such a devastating physical reaction. In the case of the victims Kirschner autopsied, 17 were men and one a woman. They came from the Hmong province in Laos. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1975 in fear that the communist regime of Pathet Lao were committing genocide against its people since Lao had taken over. Many of the victims were anti- communist soldiers who aided the American cause during the Vietnam War. Hmong was a very isolated culture that was dragged into the war and very few spoke English when they arrived here. The chief religion was based on Animism, the belief that everything possesses a spirit. It is surmised that this traumatic move to a new country and its customs played a large role in the anxiety and stress they bore and sought out doctors repeatedly for illnesses both real and imagined. Over time, all 18 were found dead in their beds, and the cause of death was listed as “probable cardiac arrhythmia”. But the untold secret here is that another cause is suspected that few, if any doctors will speak of and it’s called, “oriental nightmare death syndrome” which is now called “Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome”, a condition that affects Hmong and Filipinos and claims 43 out of 100,000 victims a year. In short, these people die because they believe whatever they experience in their worst dreams. In their culture, there is an entity that closely resembles that of the “succubus” and it is called the “dab tsuam”. It comes in the form of a jealous woman who takes males away to the afterlife while they sleep. The belief in these entities is so powerful that men will dress as woman to fool it before they go to sleep. In Filipino culture, they are called the Bangungot which is their word for nightmare. These entities take the form of a hag which sits on their chest, effectively suffering them to death. It is no surprise that many associate this with what is commonly known as sleep paralysis, but it is astounding that the belief system of these people overrides any rationality in terms of what can be a debilitating, yet temporary condition and the anticipation of the likelihood of this happening to anyone during a dream can prove to be fatal. There are other films like Child’s Play (Robert the Doll), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Ed Gein), The Haunting in Connecticut (Al and Carmen Snedeker), The Entity (files of Barry Taft and Kerry Gaynor), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Anneliese Michel), Conjuring 2 (The Enfield Haunting) to name just some of a much longer list that fall into this category. | 2019-04-22T02:10:49Z | http://www.riseupparanormal.com/ghosts%20an%20historical%20journey-%20page%203.htm |
The Mediterranean countries include France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal along the north; Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel on the east; and the African countries of Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on the south. The Mediterranean countries utilize many of the same ingredients but each country has a unique way of creating recipes with those same ingredients. So far in this series, I have written about Mediterranean cuisine in general and about the countries of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. This series continues with the country of Greece.
Before it became known as a “Blue Zone”—a region of the world where people tend to live unusually long and healthy lives—the island of Ikaria, Greece, was unknown to most Americans. Ikaria is where the majority of the people live to be well into their 90’s.
In the past few years, Ikaria has received considerable attention from scientists and journalists who want to learn the secrets of its long-living residents. Food clearly plays a large role in the Ikarians’ longevity: The Mediterranean diet they follow has been linked to lower rates of cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and—most recently—heart disease. Although, we, Americans, can’t adopt all aspects of the Greek-island lifestyle, we can incorporate some of the eating patterns and dietary traditions practiced there. And, the best part of “eating like a Greek” is that the food is delicious.
Ikarians regularly dine on potatoes, greens, olives and seasonal vegetables. Vegetables are a big part of every meal and they are prepared in a healthy way—served raw in a salad or roasted with olive oil, rather than fried.
The majority of people in Greece eat a salad as an appetizer before the main course. This way, their appetite is significantly reduced by healthy ingredients.
Shellfish and fish are abundant in their cuisine, all of which tastes great over pasta with lemon and olive oil or in a souvlaki-style flatbread wrap with vegetables. Ikarians also eat smarter snacks—like raw vegetables and protein-rich dips made from Greek yogurt, beans or lentils.
Ikarians typically have a late morning breakfast comprised of goat’s milk, yogurt and or cheese, fruit, herbal tea or coffee, whole grain bread and local honey. At lunch, salads made of beans, legumes and potatoes, along with cooked fresh garden vegetables are standard fare and prepared with generous amounts of olive oil. Locally-caught fish may also be served and Ikarian red wine typically accompanies the meal. Meat is eaten just a few times per month. Ikarians eat a late lunch and it is usually followed by an afternoon nap, a practice that many Ikarians still follow and which results in a restful and stress free rest of the day. Quiet leisurely late afternoons and a heart-healthy routine greatly reduces the risk for heart disease. A light dinner of bread, olives, vegetables and wine is followed by evening visits with neighbors before bedtime.
Ikaria is the Mediterranean Diet in all its aspects, including the ways in which locally produced fresh, seasonal, home-cooked food and community are all integrated in ways that support physical, emotional/ mental health, relationships and the environment.
Coarsely chop one of the onions. Place in a large, heavy pot, sprinkle with a little salt and cook, covered, over very low heat until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir.
Rinse the lentils in a colander. Add the lentils, tomatoes, sage, oregano, bay leaf and chile pepper to the pot, and toss all together for a few minutes over low heat.
Pour in enough water to cover the contents of the pot by 3 inches. Raise heat to medium, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for one hour, or until very tender.
Season to taste with salt. Pour in the olive oil and vinegar just before serving.
To serve: Remove the bay leaf, oregano and sage leaves and discard. Slice the remaining onion. Sprinkle a few onion slices over the top of each soup portion. Drizzle in additional olive oil and vinegar if desired.
FOODS OF CRETE COOKBOOK, recipe and photo by Chef Bill Bradley, R.D.
Briam is an oven baked dish of fresh vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and an optional feta cheese. It is one of the most classic dishes of Greece.
In a large Dutch oven or baking dish, mix together all the ingredients except the feta cheese. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour and stir. Re-cover and bake for another hour. Remove the baking dish from the oven, stir in the feta cheese and serve immediately.
Mix flour, yeast, oregano, sugar, salt, olive oil and water in a bowl. Knead until the dough is soft (at least 5 minutes).
Cover with a warm, moist towel and put in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about an hour).
Spread dough on a baking (cookie) tray, pressing lightly so that it is flat and even.
Oil the dough. Make little cavities throughout the top of the dough by pressing down with your fingers.
Place olives and rosemary in the cavities.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Recipe and photo from GAEA.
Using a rolling pin, glass jar or mallet, pound and flatten the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once heated, sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 1 minute each side.
Reduce heat to low and cover for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the chicken rest, covered, for an additional 10 minutes.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook until slightly softened, about 1 minute.
Place the fennel, oranges, cherry tomatoes and avocado to a large salad bowl.
Mix all of the dressing ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken slices to the salad bowl. Drizzle dressing on top and gently toss all of the ingredients together. Serve.
Orzo is one of the most popular Greek pasta shapes. In Greek, it’s called kritharaki.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Add the orzo and simmer until al dente. It should be a little underdone.
Drain, transfer back to the hot pot and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide pot or deep skillet and cook the onion over medium heat until wilted and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add 3 of the 4 chopped garlic cloves and stir.
Pour in the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add the wine. Simmer until the alcohol has cooked off.
Add 1 cup of hot water, the star anise and hot sauce or hot pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the sauce over medium heat for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the olives to the sauce five minutes before removing the pan from the heat.
If using mussels in the shell, make sure they are cleaned and well-washed.
Steam them in two inches of wine in a wide pot with the lid closed, over high heat, until they open.
You can add herbs or garlic if you want to the steaming liquid, before adding the mussels.
Remove and strain in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same pot and add the shrimp and remaining garlic.
If you are using shelled mussels that have been defrosted, drain them and add them to the shrimp.
Stir over medium heat until the shrimp start to turn pink. Remove.
Toss the mussels and shrimp, the reserved steaming liquid, and the pan juices from lightly sautéeing the shrimp into the tomato sauce.
Stir in the oregano and parsley. Remove the star anise.
Oil a large baking dish, preferably ovenproof glass or ceramic. Place the orzo in the baking dish and mix in the sauce thoroughly.
Pour in any remaining olive oil.
Bake, covered, for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the orzo is fully cooked. Remove, cool slightly and serve.
Whip together the tahini and sugar at high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes.
As you whip the mixture, drizzle in the water. It should end up being the consistency of peanut butter.
Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir in the cinnamon and walnuts.
Preheat the oven to 350F/170C. Lightly oil two sheet pans.
Open the phyllo and place horizontally in front of you.
Cut three stacks of three-inch strips and keep them covered with a kitchen towel and a damp towel on top.
Take the first strip, oil lightly. Place a second strip on top and oil that, too.
Place a tablespoon of the filling on the bottom center of the strip, fold in the sides, and then roll up to form a tight cylinder.
Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until everything is used up.
Bake the flutes for 8 – 12 minutes, until golden. Remove and cool slightly.
To serve: Drizzle with honey.
You can store the cooled pastries in tins in a cool dry place for up to 5 days.
Snacks for game watching or parties are fun to have on hand. They do not have to be unhealthy to taste really good. My kind of snacks have always been a big hit with family and guests – so give them a try. I have never heard that they didn’t go over well. In fact, I get many requests for the recipes. The sports season begins this week, so get ready.
Pumpkin seeds can be seasoned, roasted in the oven and eaten as a healthy snack. They’re a very good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and antioxidants; and they’re also a good source of protein, zinc, copper and iron. Besides – they taste good.
Make a double batch – they go fast.
Toss the seeds with the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and honey in a mixing bowl.
Spread the seeds on a baking pan.
Roast the coated seeds until golden, about 15 – 20 minutes. Scrape the pan and stir the seeds as they cool to prevent sticking. After about 10 minutes cooling on the pan, the seeds will stick together.
They are easy to separate and will finish cooling without sticking after they are separated.
Remove to a serving bowl or store in an airtight container.
Pimentón is the Spanish version of paprika that adds a little smokiness to a recipe. It comes in three types with varying levels of heat. Dulce is slightly sweet with very little heat, agridulce has only a trace of sweetness but a lot of heat and picante is quite hot with just a trace of bitterness.
This is not the typical hummus made with tahini (sesame paste). This hummus uses sun-dried tomatoes and has delicious flavor from the Pimentón. The dip go very well with the homemade pita chips.
Pita chips (recipe below) and raw vegetables, for serving.
Drain the chickpeas, reserving the bean liquid separately.
Put the chickpeas and lemon juice into a blender or food processor and process until chunky.
Add salt, pepper, the garlic and pimentón and process; then add the sun-dried tomatoes and sun dried tomato oil. Process until very smooth.
Add some of the reserved bean liquid to thin the sauce to dipping consistency.
Serve with homemade pita chips and cut up vegetables.
Za’atar seasoning is a Middle Eastern spice mixture that contains ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds, salt and sumac.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil two large rimmed baking pans.
Separate each pita into two rounds. Brush each with olive oil and sprinkle with the Za’atar seasoning mix. Cut each pita circle into 6 triangles.
Arrange the triangles on the baking sheets and bake until crispy and brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate the pans after ten minutes, Cool and store in a large ziplock bag until needed.
Small hand foods are popular and easy to eat while you are watching a game. These can be filled with anything you like and cut as small as you like. Here are some suggestions.
Choose a type of wrap or use a variety. Choose a spread and cover the wrap on one side.
Layer the wrap with a protein and veggies of choice. Drizzle with a little oil and vinegar. Roll-up tightly and place on a serving dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until game time.
The fresh flavors of this seasonal salsa is what makes it taste so good. Homemade chips make it taste even better.
Place the diced vegetables and corn to a medium serving bowl.
Add the lime juice, salt, pepper and cayenne to the bowl. Mix well. Let the flavors combine for at least twenty minutes before serving.
Serve either at room temperature or slightly chilled with tortilla chips.
Brush the tortillas with olive oil and sprinkle each with taco seasoning. Cut the tortillas into 8 triangles and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
Belluno is a province in the Veneto region of Italy and is almost entirely occupied by mountain areas. The climate is among the most severe in the Alps. The Belluno area is representative of a typical alpine environment and a people who are proud of their traditions passed down from generation to generation through experience and oral narrative.
Belluno is one of the most important industrial sectors of northern Italy. The production of eyeglasses (Luxottica), home appliances (Zanussi and others) and bathroom fixtures (Ceramica Dolomite, Ideal Standard) are major industries.
Luxottica Group S.p.A., an Italian company, is the world’s largest eye wear company and is a designer, manufacturer, distributor and retailer of eye wear. Leonardo Del Vecchio and two financial partners launched Luxottica in Agordo, Italy in 1961.
Luxottica is the owner of Lenscrafters, Sunglass Hut, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical and Target Optical. Its best known brands are Ray-Ban, Persol and Oakley. Luxottica also makes sunglasses and prescription frames for designer brands such as Chanel, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Miu Miu, Donna Karan, Stella McCartney and Tory Burch. Luxottica produces more than 130,000 eyeglass frames each day from six factory sites.
The cultivation of beans in the Lamon highlands and the production of Piave cheese in the Dolomites are important to Belluno’s economy. Large scale dairy cattle breeding in Belluno, began centuries ago by small mountain owners and valley sharecroppers. In more recent times, the Belluno area, like many other mountain areas in Italy, was hit with a serious economic crisis. In order to deal with the socio-economic downfall, a local parish priest, suggested a new form of joint management and the first social cooperative dairy was organized.
Piave is an Italian cow’s milk cheese, that is named after the Piave river. As Piave has a Protected Designation of Origin (Denominazione di Origine Protetta or DOP), the only “official” Piave is produced in the Dolomites area in the province of Belluno.
Piave cheese has a dense texture, without holes, and is straw-yellow in hue. It has a slightly sweet flavor. Once fully aged, it becomes hard enough for grating and it develops an intense, full-bodied flavor.
Piave’s rind is impressed repeatedly in a vertical direction with the name of the cheese. Piave is sold throughout Europe and even in the US as a hard cheese. Its taste resembles that of a young Parmigiano Reggiano. The red label is aged at least 1 year and is called Vecchio (Piave Vecchio Selezione Oro), while the blue label is softer.
Place tomato slices on paper towels to drain. In a medium bowl combine panko breadcrumbs, garlic, sage and Piave Cheese; stir to combine.
Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Equally sprinkle breadcrumb mixture onto each tomato; drizzle with olive oil and place under broiler.
Broil for approximately 3 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, top with fresh herbs and serve.
Place a pizza stone on the floor of a gas oven (remove racks) or the bottom rack of electric oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F for 1 hour.
Stretch half the dough into a large round on a wooden pizza peel.
Arrange half the cheese evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with half the lemon and onion slices. Sprinkle with half the rosemary and season with pepper. Drizzle with oil.
Broil until bubbles begin to form in the crust, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the oven temperature to 500 degrees F and bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes more. (If not using the broiler, bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes total.) Remove the pizza from the oven with the peel. Repeat with the second pizza. Slice and serve.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring cream, chicken or vegetable broth to a slow boil. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and Piave cheese, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until the cheese is melted.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, add orzo and cook for approximately 5 minutes; add asparagus and fresh peas (add frozen peas the last two minutes of cooking), continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender – approximately 4 additional minutes.
Drain pasta and vegetables and return to pasta pot; stir in cream cheese sauce and parsley. Garnish with additional Piave cheese and serve.
Cut the cheese in half and slice off the rind on both sides. Cut into 12-15 thin triangle slices.
Cut the top of the figs off and then into quarters. Place the Piave slices on a plate with the figs.
Sprinkle the cheese and figs with cracked pepper. Then, drizzle with honey – about a teaspoon on each fig – and garnish with fresh mint leaves, if using.
Serve on individual plates with a dessert fork and knife.
It’s easier than you think to make good, healthy breads at home. Here are some tips to give you confidence.
Choose the right bread pan.
The bread pan you use will depend on the type of bread you are baking. For standard loaves, you’ll want to use a loaf pan. A loaf pan helps to shape the bread and encourage even browning, a crispy crust and a tender interior. Common loaf-pan sizes are 9 x 5 x 3 inches and 8 x 4 x 2 inches. Lightly grease the whole pan, even if it’s a nonstick pan. Nonstick pans make it easier to remove the baked bread and require less fat for greasing.
Heavy-duty, well-made pans will last longer and perform better. Glass pans can get too hot and overcook the bottom of your loaf. If using a glass pan, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
Set the oven temperature correctly.
If the oven is too hot or too cool when the bread goes in, you’ll end up with a dense loaf. To avoid errors, preheat the oven to the temperature given in the recipe. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven temperature is accurate. If needed, adjust the temperature until it’s correct.
Check your loaf 10-15 minutes before the recommended baking time is up. If it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Remove the foil once you have placed the baked loaf on a cooling rack.
The center is the last part of a quick bread to cook. Insert a wooden toothpick near the center; if it comes out clean, your loaf is done. The very center will firm up while the bread is cooling on a cooling rack.
Let the loaf rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack in order for the bread to firm up before removing it from the pan. Run a spatula or butter knife between the pan sides and the loaf to loosen the bread. Invert the pan over a cooling rack to remove the baked bread. Allow quick breads to cool completely before storing in an airtight container or bag.
When baking yeast breads, the key to successful bread rising is the “oven spring,” which is the final burst of expansion or fermentation of the yeast. Once this occurs, the loaf sets up and starts to brown, creating the crust.
Tap yeast breads lightly with your fingers. It will sound hollow when it is done. If the loaf is browning too fast but doesn’t sound hollow, create a tent out of foil, loosely cover the loaf and continue baking. Yeast breads containing butter and/or sugar often need this step to prevent over browning or burning.
You can also bake yeast bread on a baking sheet, pizza pan or directly on a baking stone. If using a baking stone, place the stone on the middle rack and preheat it for 30 minutes. Use parchment paper to transfer the dough to the stone (or leave it on the parchment). Once the bread is in the oven use a spray bottle of water to mist the inside of the oven and the loaves. This also helps to give the bread a nice, crisp crust.
Here are some easy bread recipes to get you started.
Grease and flour the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, sugar, banana, apple butter and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer combine the milk, honey or brown sugar, yeast and salt, stirring to dissolve the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add bread flour, egg and oil to the yeast mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low-speed until combined. Beat on high-speed for 3 minutes, scraping the side of bowl occasionally.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in the whole wheat flour and the 1/2 cup oats until combined.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (45 to 60 minutes).
Lightly coat a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stir down the dough and spoon into the prepared loaf pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 30 minutes). Lightly brush the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle with additional rolled oats.
Bake about 40 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Of course, this bread is delicious toasted.
Grease two 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pans. Lightly sprinkle pans with cornmeal to coat the bottom and sides; set pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast and baking soda; set aside.
In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, water, sugar and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F).
Using a wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour.
Divide dough in half. Place dough in prepared pans and sprinkle the tops with cornmeal.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 45 minutes).
Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately remove the bread from the pans. Cool on wire racks.
This bread is the perfect side for soup.
Grease a 1-quart casserole or a deep dish 8-inch round baking pan; set aside.
In a large bowl stir together 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, the sugar, yeast, the 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, the salt and the dill. Add the 3/4 cups of warm water, the egg and melted butter.
Beat with an electric mixer on low-speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat on high-speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the rye flour and the remaining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (batter will be stiff).
Spoon batter into the prepared dish, spreading to edge. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (50 to 60 minutes).
Lightly brush the top of the loaf with water and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
Bake about 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove the bread from pan. Cool on a wire rack.
Wonderful served with a bowl of hot chili.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl stir together cornmeal, wheat flour, chives, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk and honey.
Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
Fold in carrots and bell pepper. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve warm. | 2019-04-18T18:28:51Z | https://jovinacooksitalian.com/category/honey/ |
Posted April 7th, 2019 by Scott & filed under Uncategorized.
Posted April 3rd, 2019 by bower web & filed under Uncategorized.
A design patent protects any new, original and ornamental design for a useful article of manufacture. Design Patents are very popular among companies. These cover things like graphical user interfaces, icons on computer screens, smartphone and tablet designs, and any other characteristics that are ornamental in nature. A standard utility patent protects an item’s processes or function, and a design patent protects its looks and form.
A copyright protects any original work of authorship that has been fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.
A trademark protects a word, phrase, symbol or trade dress associated with your business. The moment you name your business and use it in commercial practice, or develop trade dress, a brand or the like, you can mark it as ™ or, if you register it, an ®.
If you would to find out more about any of these forms of Intellectual Property, please call us at 201-739-5555 for a free consultation.
Posted April 27th, 2017 by Scott & filed under News.
Before you can file an international application, you need to have already registered, or have filed an application, in your “home” IP office. The registration or application is known as the basic mark. You then need to submit your international application through this same IP Office, which will certify and forward it to WIPO.
WIPO only conducts a formal examination of your international application. Once approved, your mark is recorded in the International Register and published in the WIPO Gazette of International Marks. WIPO will then send you a certificate of your international registration and notify the IP Offices in all the territories where you wish to have your mark protected.
It is important to note that the scope of protection of an international registration is not known at this stage in the process. It is only determined after substantive examination and decision by the IP Offices in the territories in which you seek protection, as outlined in Stage 3.
The IP Offices of the territories where you want to protect your mark will make a decision within the applicable time limit (12 or 18 months) in accordance with their legislation. WIPO will record the decisions of the IP Offices in the International Register and then notify you.
If an IP Office refuses to protect your mark, either totally or partially, this decision will not affect the decisions of other IP Offices. You can contest a refusal decision directly before the IP Office concerned in accordance with its legislation. If an IP Office accepts to protect your mark, it will issue a statement of grant of protection.
The international registration of your mark is valid for 10 years. You can renew the registration at the end of each 10-year period directly with WIPO with effect in the designated Contracting Parties concerned.
Please contact Kaliko & Associates, LLC at 201-739-5555, [email protected], or visit our website at https://kalikolaw.com if you wish to learn more or discuss how our firm can assist you in filing for an international trademark under the Madrid Protocol.
Posted April 4th, 2017 by Scott & filed under Uncategorized.
“The Department of Justice announced last week that two California men pled guilty in a mass-mailing scam that targeted owners of U.S. trademark applications. The men, Artashes Darbinyan and Orbel Hakobyan, admitted to stealing approximately $1.66 million from registrants and applicants of U.S. trademarks through companies called Trademark Compliance Center (TCC) and Trademark Compliance Office (TCO). The USPTO is proud to have cooperated with law enforcement agencies in the California case.
Posted March 3rd, 2017 by Scott & filed under Uncategorized.
Trademarks are highly valuable assets. According to one recent estimate, trademarks account for, on average, one-third of corporate value. The world’s most valuable brand was recently estimated to be worth more than $180 billion. Developing and protecting trademarks is not a mere “cost of doing business,” but rather an investment in customer goodwill, leading to greater customer satisfaction and higher sales.
A trademark can be almost anything namely a word, a logo, a sound, shape, a color, a scent, taste or any combination of these-that distinguishes the goods or services of one party from those of another. Trademarks also assure consumers of consistent quality and thus help promote efficient competition.
10) Allows US Customs and Border Protection to prevent imports that infringe the trademark or are counterfeits once the registration is separately “registered” with Customs.
Please contact Kaliko & Associates, LLC at 201-739-5555, [email protected], or visit our website at https://kalikolaw.com if you wish to learn more or discuss how our firm can assist you to register your trademark.
Posted September 30th, 2016 by Scott & filed under Uncategorized.
Whether you’re trying to raise money or secure a licensing deal, taking away perceived risk is essential to bringing a concept for a new product to market. You’re always going to have to convince someone of something — namely that your idea and by extension you, are worth investing in. Ultimately, if you want to get paid for your ingenuity, you need to get figure out how to get people behind you.
Do you know what your story is? Your story is your reason for being, your purpose. And when it comes to pitching, when you need to really connect with your audience — Appeal directly to your audience. Remember, we’re all consumers. We share the same experiences, the same pain points and frustrations.
We relate to stories best. Not facts. Not figures. So focus in on your story and practice your delivery. Of course, every audience is different — the best approaches are tailored, not rote.
Know how to protect your intellectual property.
We all want to keep others out of our business. One sure way of mitigating risk is by familiarizing yourself with the intellectual property related to your innovation and your industry. What have others done? How have similar products evolved? What does the market look like today in comparison? What can you deduce about what’s worked and what hasn’t?
Understanding Intellectual Property will become less and less indecipherable. In time, they’ll actually paint a picture. Studying the prior art is so valuable because doing so will help you hone in on the uniqueness of your idea and will help you map out your own way forward.
Posted June 16th, 2016 by Scott & filed under News, Presentation.
Posted June 1st, 2016 by Scott & filed under News.
When the damages are not found by a jury, the court shall assess them. In either event the court may increase the damages up to three times the amount found or assessed.
First, “a patentee must show by clear and convincing evidence that the infringer acted despite an objectively high likelihood that its actions constituted infringement of a valid patent,” without regard to “[t]he state of mind of the accused infringer.” …. This objectively defined risk is to be “determined by the record developed in the infringement proceedings.” …. “Objective recklessness will not be found” at this first step if the accused infringer, during the infringement proceedings, “raise[s] a ‘substantial question’ as to the validity or non-infringement of the patent.” …. That categorical bar applies even if the defendant was unaware of the arguable defense when he acted. ….
Second, after establishing objective recklessness, a patentee must show—again by clear and convincing evidence—that the risk of infringement “was either known or so obvious that it should have been known to the accused infringer.”….
Only when both steps have been satisfied can the district court proceed to consider whether to exercise its discretion to award enhanced damages.
Awards of enhanced damages under the Patent Act over the past 180 years establish that they are not to be meted out in a typical infringement case, but are instead designed as a “punitive” or “vindictive” sanction for egregious infringement behavior. The sort of conduct warranting enhanced damages has been variously described in our cases as willful, wanton, malicious, bad-faith, deliberate, consciously wrongful, flagrant, or—indeed—characteristic of a pirate.
Under that standard, someone who plunders a patent—infringing it without any reason to suppose his conduct is arguably defensible—can nevertheless escape any comeuppance under §284 solely on the strength of his attorney’s ingenuity.
The subjective willfulness of a patent infringer, intentional or knowing, may warrant enhanced damages, without regard to whether his infringement was objectively reckless.
Section 284 allows district courts to punish the full range of culpable behavior. Yet none of this is to say that enhanced damages must follow a finding of egregious misconduct. As with any exercise of discretion, courts should continue to take into account the particular circumstances of each case in deciding whether to award damages, and in what amount. Section 284 permits district courts to exercise their discretion in a manner free from the inelastic constraints of the Seagate test. Consistent with nearly two centuries of enhanced damages under patent law, however, such punishment should generally be reserved for egregious cases typified by willful misconduct.
Given the evolving nature, increasing frequency, and sophistication of cybersecurity attacks – as well as the potential for harm to investors, firms, and the markets – cybersecurity practices are a key focus for FINRA.
FINRA reviews firms’ approaches to cybersecurity risk management, including: technology governance, system change management, risk assessments, technical controls, incident response, vendor management, data loss prevention, and staff training.
FINRA has created a Cybersecurity Checklist (Excel 114 KB) to assist small firms in establishing a cybersecurity program to identity and assess cybersecurity threats, protect assets from cyber intrusions, detect when their systems and assets have been compromised, plan for the response when a compromise occurs and implement a plan to recover lost, stolen or unavailable assets. This checklist is primarily derived from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework and FINRA’s Report on Cybersecurity Practices. Use of this checklist does not create a “safe harbor” with respect to FINRA rules, federal or state securities laws, or other applicable federal or state regulatory requirements.
FINRA’s Report on Cybersecurity Practices in the broker-dealer industry highlights effective practices that firms should consider to strengthen their cybersecurity programs.
The observations and practices in the report are based on a variety of sources, including a sweep we conducted in 2014 of firms of varying sizes and business models, a 2011 survey of firms and interviews with other organizations involved in cybersecurity. As we note in the report, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to a cybersecurity infrastructure. Rather, the risk management-based approach that we discuss in the report enables firms to tailor their program to their particular circumstances.
In addition, forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have enacted legislation requiring private, governmental or educational entities to notify individuals of security breaches of information involving personally identifiable information. For a list of relevant legislation per state or territory, please consult the National Conference of State Legislatures website.
Contact Kaliko & Associates, LLC at 201-739-5555 or [email protected] for your questions related to cybersecurity practices or breaches of information from your systems.
What is the the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA)? What do employers need to do to take advantage of this new federal statute?
The DTSA authorizes a civil action in federal court for the misappropriation of trade secrets that is related to a product or service used in, or intended for use in, interstate or foreign commerce. Previously, Trade secret claims were under state law, and 48 states adopted some version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA). New York and Massachusetts, the only two states that have yet to adopt a version of the UTSA, provide civil remedies under the common law for trade secret misappropriation.
3) harmonize the differences in trade secret law under the UTSA and provide uniform discovery.
The DTSA provides for actual damages, restitution, injunctive relief, significant exemplary relief (up to two times the award of actual damages), and attorney’s fees.
Ex parte property seizures are available to plaintiffs, but subject to limitations. As noted above, an ex parte seizure means that an aggrieved party can seek relief from the court against a party to seize misappropriated trade secrets without providing notice to the alleged wrongdoer beforehand. As a measure to curtail the potential abuse of such seizures, the DTSA prohibits copies to be made of seized property, and requires that ex parte orders provide specific instructions for law enforcement officers performing the seizure, such as when the seizure can take place and whether force may be used to access locked areas. Moreover, a party seeking an ex parte order must be able to establish that other equitable remedies, like a preliminary injunction, are inadequate.
Injunctive relief for actual or threatened misappropriation of trade secrets is limited in that a court will NOT grant injunctive relief if it would prevent a person from entering into an employment relationship. A court could further place conditions on that employment relationship only upon a showing through evidence of “threatened misappropriation and not merely on the information the person knows.” This language was added to guard against plaintiffs pursuing “inevitable disclosure” claims.
The statute of limitations is three years. A civil action may not be commenced later than 3 years after the date on which the misappropriation with respect to which the action would relate is discovered or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have been discovered.
An immunity provision exists to protect individuals from criminal or civil liability for disclosing a trade secret if it is made in confidence to a government official, directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, and it is made for the purpose of reporting a violation of law. This provision places an affirmative duty on employers to provide employees notice of the new immunity provision in “any contract or agreement with an employee that governs the use of a trade secret or other confidential information.” An employer will be in compliance with the notice requirement if the employer provides a “cross-reference” to a policy given to the relevant employees that lays out the reporting policy for suspected violations of law. Should an employer not comply with the above, the employer may not recover exemplary damages or attorney fees in an action brought under the DTSA against an employee to whom no notice was ever provided. Curiously, the definition of “employee” is drafted broadly to include contractor and consultant work done by an individual for an employer.
The “Trade Secret Theft Enforcement” provision increases the penalties for a criminal violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1832 from $5,000,000 to the greater of $5,000,000 or three times the value of the stolen trade secrets to the organization, including the costs of reproducing the trade secrets.
The DTSA also contains a provision that allows trade secret owners to be heard in criminal court concerning the need to protect their trade secrets.
The DTSA further amends the RICO statute to add a violation of the Economic Espionage Act as a predicate act.
In sum, the DTSA provides aggrieved parties with legal recourse in federal court via a federal trade secret cause of action (whereas previously, relief was only available under the state law UTSA or common law claims), as well as new remedies, including a seizure order. A party can now sue in federal court for trade secret misappropriation and seek actual damages, restitution, injunctive relief, ex parte seizure, exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees under the DTSA.
Employers should have qualified counsel or other qualified individuals review policies and relevant agreements to ensure that they contain language required under the DTSA, such as proper notice of the immunity provision referenced above.
Employers need to ensure that if they are using non-disclosure agreements with employees, that such agreements have clear definitions of trade secrets and confidential information and are not overly broad.
Please contact Kaliko & Associates, LLC at 201-739-5555, [email protected], or visit our website at https://kalikolaw.com if you wish to learn more or discuss how our firm can assist you in taking advantage of The Defend Trade Secrets Act.
This is an affirmative duty that is placed on employers if they want to take advantage of the DTSA provisions. | 2019-04-19T19:14:19Z | https://kalikolaw.com/intellectual-property-news-views/ |
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Hack - What is Big Pharma Hiding From You?
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Hack - What is Big Pharma Hiding From You?
During the summer of last year, there was a growing controversy surrounding the FDA’s request to hackers to expose holes in medical devices security, such as insulin devices and other wireless and computer connected home and hospital devices. Understandably, many hackers and security experts were not particularly keen to attempt or test the security of these devices, for fear of incorrect perception, and potential outcry. In December last year, the FDA was itself the target of an hacking operation, in particular the system used by pharmaceutical companies to input data on drug tests, results, clinical trials, and so on. Whether this was an attack by cyber thieves, as the FDA claims, or hacktivists remains to be seen.
Corporate Theft or Exposing the Truth?
The FDA of course, was quick to denounce the attack as a cyber theft. The information reported to have been accessed included medical trial data, marketing information and strategy, and information about drug manufacturing. While on the surface, we could very well accept that this could be a simple case of corporate espionage, it is worth remembering that any company that wants drug approval in the US has to go through the FDA first. Is running the risk of potentially alienating the very body that approves your products a strategy that a multi billion dollar pharmaceutical company would really undertake? While it can’t be rules out as a possibility, unless the hackers come forward, it does seem unlikely. It’s also important to remember that there is a large amount of controversy surrounding the pharmaceutical industry all over the world, but especially in the states. Could hacktivists have been responsible for the attack? If so, what could be the causes for such as attack? As we will see, there may be more than we might initially think.
In the US alone, it is estimated that around 70% of the population takes prescription drugs. Given the amount of people in the US is estimated to be over 300 million, that is a staggering number. With such a large amount of people taking these drugs, addiction rates are rising rapidly - so much so, that currently prescription addicts are more common than illegal drug addicts. It is a very real problem that continues to be skirted around by the US regulators and administration. In fact, where as knowing the signs of heroin or crack cocaine addiction were important pieces of information for people who suspected they may have an addict among friends or family, the same is now true for widely available prescription drugs, and many Americans are being encouraged to learn more about the potential causes and signs of prescription drug abuse, by drug charities and non profit institutions.
At the center of this problem lies the pharmaceutical industry. Adverts for medications are common, and standard practice for getting new drugs to market includes rigging clinical trials to get the desired results in clever ways that do not outright break the law, invasive marketing schemes on family doctors and consumers, where doctors will often be offered ‘sweeteners’ such as free lunches, travel to events, or even help building their reputation as speakers at industry funded conferences. The FDA is also, despite being an independent regulatory body, often effectively ‘bought out’ by companies looking to get drugs to market fast. There is the additional problem that all drug test data is not available for public consumption, meaning academics and doctors are unable to view results of tests or trials for themselves. This has led to a number of large law suits in the US, and around the world, as well as in extreme cases, deaths directly related to withheld side affects of new drugs.
We might then speculate on the nature of the accessed data once again. Bearing in mind the nature of how the industry operates, and the information that was accessed, we could quite easily draw a link between the two, and surmise that the hack may well have been the work of a hacktivist movement. Of course, there is no way to prove whether this was the case or not, but given the ambitious actions of a number of groups over the last few years, it certainly can’t be ruled out.
According to a report by the Washington Post, hackers may soon be setting up a plan to unfold in 2013 that will target 30 different U.S. banking institutions. McAfee Labs, who has compiled a new cyber security report, says that banks should be on the lookout for software that creates false online transactions or targets transfers tied to large dollar amounts.
Sources say that these threats can all be tied back to “Project Blitzkrieg”, which is a program that has been around since 2008. Within the past four years, it has already stolen $5 million and plans to continue for as long as possible. During the past few months, between 300 and 500 victims located within the U.S. have fallen victim to Project Blitzkrieg’s schemes. By the spring of 2013, McAfee says that things could get even worse for U.S. banks and their customers.
Experts note that this scheme may be tied to reports from back in October by security company RSA that mentioned how a hacker out of Russia named “vorVzakone” has been openly discussing his plan to recruit a team to plan the largest Trojan attack tied to banking. McAfee warns that these threats should be taken extremely seriously as the beginning of 2013 is soon to unfold. The software can become extremely dangerous to those doing their banking online because it can replicate transactions and even delete e-mail notifications about certain transfers.
While U.S. banks will no doubt be increasing their security protocols to protect themselves from any unnecessary attacks, most already know that they are continually being cited as targets from hacking groups around the globe. Back in September, both JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America saw their sites crash because of DDoS attacks.
The Register has recently reported that Samsung’s newest Smart TV is completely open and vulnerable to hacking because it gives hackers the ability to steal data very quickly. According to security company ReVuln, this vulnerability most notably affects consumers who own and use their Samsung 3D TVs for internet purposes.
Those who use their Smart TVs can rent movies, browse the web for a cheap line rental, go on Facebook, and more. ReVuln claims that they have found an exploit which allows hackers to see everything the user is doing while they are using their TV, retrieve and access information like web history, and hook up an external thumb drive to the TV to conveniently steal all of this information for future use. While ReVuln noticed this exploit while using a Samsung 3D TV, the true problem is that it seems to affect all of the latest Samsung TVs with internet capabilities, which includes many different makes and models.
As these TVs continue to act more as larger PCs, it is only a matter of time until we see even more security vulnerabilities tied to them in the very near future.
News site KRCA out of Sacramento notes that crooks are using Bluetooth devices in order to steal credit card information from those who are paying for gas at the pump. The biggest issue the cyber security experts noticed is that these thieves do not even have to be near the gas station in order to steal information.
Crooks are using skimming devices that utilize Bluetooth and contain a variety of common security keys that can be used to access gas pumps for maintenance. They don’t simply pull out their device and begin swiping information for oblivious consumers. Thieves will start by installing skimmers on the pumps to collect information from those pumping gas and then pick them back up. Detectives say that these types of devices are impossible to detect.
According to experts, thieves can be up to 100 yards away and continually collect credit card information from unsuspecting users. Because of this, these crooks are impossible to detect, and the problem may only grow larger in the near future.
QR codes seem to be everywhere these days. They’re typically on everything from advertisements to products that we purchase on a daily basis. In the Netherlands, hackers are posting QR codes in heavily trafficked areas like airports and major streets. When these QR codes are scanned in by a user’s smart phone, they are taken to a malicious website that may attempt to phish information from the user or possibly infect their smartphone with malware.
Disclaimer:- Before perfection, on behalf of Team VOGH, I would like to personally thank Eve Halton for sharing this magnificent article with our readers. Eve is a very much passionate Fleet Street, she has done her graduation in International Business and Journalism. She gained decent experience in writing articles on several fields like global politics, economics, sustainability issues, cyber security & many more.
While excavating the past, it was always found that cyber criminals, large hacker collective groups were the culprits for engaging voluminous denial of service attack. But this widely transfusing story get a one eighty degree reverse turn, when the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed another trade secret. Recently a lurid story get spot lighted, as the whistle blower Snowden unfold yet another breathtaking stealthy documents taken from the National Security Agency. The clandestine documents taken the mask from the so called good guys, unveiling British spy agency GCHQ had launched a secret war against the infamous hacktivist collective Anonymous and a splinter group known as LulzSec several years ago. Many of you guessed right, this was happened when Anonymous were targeting various UK companies and government websites. The documents disclose that GCHQ carried out seemingly illegal DDoS attacks against the collective, flooding their chatrooms with so much traffic that they would become inaccessible – and all with the approval of the British government. The revelations come less than a year after several LulzSec activists were jailed by a British court for carrying out similar DDoS attacks against targets including the CIA, the UK’s Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), News International, Sony and the Westboro Baptist Church, among others.
This sensational issue was made public by NBC News deferentially with the help of none other than Edward Snowden. In their exclusive report headed 'War on Anonymous: British Spies Attacked Hackers,' NBC said -The blunt instrument the spy unit used to target hackers, however, also interrupted the web communications of political dissidents who did not engage in any illegal hacking. It may also have shut down websites with no connection to Anonymous. According to the documents, a division of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the British counterpart of the NSA, shut down communications among Anonymous hacktivists by launching a “denial of service” (DDOS) attack – the same technique hackers use to take down bank, retail and government websites – making the British government the first Western government known to have conducted such an attack.
The documents, from a PowerPoint presentation prepared for a 2012 NSA conference called SIGDEV, show that the unit known as the Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group, or JTRIG, boasted of using the DDOS attack – which it dubbed Rolling Thunder -- and other techniques to scare away 80 percent of the users of Anonymous internet chat rooms.
The existence of JTRIG has never been previously disclosed publicly. The documents also show that JTRIG infiltrated chat rooms known as IRCs and identified individual hackers who had taken confidential information from websites. In one case JTRIG helped send a hacktivist to prison for stealing data from PayPal, and in another it helped identify hacktivists who attacked government websites.
As soon as this story getting all the spot lights, immediately the GCHQ responded to this saying all their movements and operations were lawful. “All of GCHQ’s work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensure[s] that our activities are authorized, necessary and proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight, including from the Secretary of State, the Interception and Intelligence Services Commissioners and the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee. All of our operational processes rigorously support this position.” -GCHQ said the press. To know more detail about this story, don't forget to stay tuned with VOGH.
The Intrusion (Cyber) Kill Chain is a phrase popularized by infosec industry professionals and introduced in a Lockheed Martin Corporation paper titled; “ Intelligence Driven Computer Network Defense Informed by Analysis of Adversary Campaigns and Intrusion Kill Chains”.
The intrusion kill chain model is derived from a military model describing the phases of an attack. The phases of the military model are: find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess. The analyses of these phases are used to pinpoint gaps in capability and prioritize the development of needed systems. The first phase in this military model is to decide on a target (find). Second, once the target is decided you set about to locate it (fix). Next, you would surveill to gather intelligence (track). Once you have enough information, you decide the best way to realize your objective (target) and then implement your strategy (engage). And finally, you analyze what went wrong and what went right (assess) so that adjustments can be made in future attacks.
Lockheed Martin analysts began by mapping the phases of cyber attacks. The mapping focused on specific types of attacks, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) - The adversary/intruder gets into your network and stays for years– sending information, usually encrypted – to collection sites without being detected. Since the intruder spent so much time in the network, analysts were able to gather data about what was happening. Analysts could then sift through the data and begin grouping it into the military attack model phases. Analysts soon realized that while there were predictable phases in cyber attacks, the phases were slightly different from the military model. The intrusion (cyber) kill chain shown below, describe the phases of a cyber attack.
Research, identification and selection of targets- scraping websites for information on companies and their employees in order to select targets.
Most often, a Trojan with an exploit embedded in documents, photos, etc.
Transmission of the weapon (document with an embedded exploit) to the targeted environment. According to Lockheed Martin's Computer Incident Response Team (LM-CIRT), the most prevalent delivery methods are email attachments,websites, and USB removable media.
After the weapon is delivered, the intruder's code is triggered to exploit an operating system or application vulnerability, to make use of an operating system's auto execute feature or exploit the users themselves.
Intruders establish a connection to an outside collection server from compromised systems and gain 'hands on the keyboard' control of the target's compromised network/systems/applications.
After progressing through the previous 6 phases, the intruder takes action to achieve their objective. The most common objectives are: data extraction, disruption of the network, and/or use of the target's network as a hop point.
Lockheed Martin's analysts also discovered while mapping the intruder's activities, that a break (kill) in any one link in the chain would cause the intrusion to fail in its objective. This is one of the major benefits of the intrusion kill chain framework as security professionals have traditionally taken a defensive approach when it comes to incident response. This means that intrusions can be dealt with offensively too.
Lockheed Martin's case studies reveal that knowledge about previous intrusions and how they were accomplished allow analysts to recognize those previously used tactics and exploits in current attacks. For example, mapping of three intrusions revealed that all three were delivered via email, all three used very similar encryption, all three used the same installation program and connected to the same outside collection site. All of the intrusions were stopped before they accomplished their objective.
How did they do this? How can my company utilize this approach?
Monitoring and mapping is the key.
The following list contains some of the necessary components (not in any particular order) needed to do intrusion mapping and setting up the kill.
· Coordination and partnering with IT, Application Owners, Database Administrators, Business Units and Management both in investigation and communicating the mapped intrusions.
In short, in order to implement intrusion kill chain activity a company needs to have a mature inter-operating and information security program. Additionally, they need trained staff that can investigate, map and advise 'kill' activities, keep a compendium of mapped intrusions, analyze and compare old and new intruder activity, code use, and delivery methods to thwart current and future intrusions.
The intrusion (cyber) kill chain is not an endeavor that can be successfully implemented in place of a comprehensive Information Security Program, it’s another tool to be used to protect the company's data assets.
The good news is if your company doesn't have a mature information security program there is a lot you can do while making plans to introduce an intrusion kill chains in your department's arsenal.
· Educate your employees to watch for suspicious emails. For instance, emails that seem to be off – such as, someone in accounting receiving an invitation to attend a marketing conference. Let them know that they shouldn't open attachments included in email like this.
· Make sure you have anti-virus and anti-malware software installed and up to date.
· Start an inventory of your computing devices, laptops, desktops, tablets, smartphones, network devices and security devices.
· You have an advantage over intruders. You know your network and what is normal and usual, they don't. Notice user behavior that is not usual and look into it. For example, a login at 2am for someone who works 9 to 5. Or an application process that normally runs overnight that is kicking off during the day.
· Keep your security patches up to date.
· Create and monitor baseline configurations.
· Write, publish and communicate information security policies and company standards.
· Turn on logging and start collecting and keeping logs. Start with network devices and firewalls and then add servers and databases. Set up alerts for things such as repeated attempts at access.
· Spend some time using search engines from outside your network to see how much information can be learned about your company from the Internet. You'd be surprised how much you can find including sensitive documents.
All of these practices and activities give you more information about your computing environment and what is normal and usual. The more you know about your environment, the more likely it is that you will spot the intruder before any damage is done.
Disclaimer:- Before conclusion, on behalf of Team VOGH, I would like to personally thank Mr. Adrian Stolarski for sharing this remarkable article with our readers. I would also like to thank Ryan Fahey of Infosec Institute for his spontaneous effort.
Replace voiceofgreyhat.com with any of your favorite site, and the the said vulnerability will allow you to get redirected to that very website you want to from Facebook. This loophole is still active, and any one can test that with the above url, we thought the impact of this loophole is very serious, as any malicious attacker can misuse the trust-hod of Facebook's url in order to harm regular internet users, while redirecting them to any junk or malfunctional websites.
Disclaimer:- Earlier I told that the issue has already brought into the notice of Facebook Security, but they overlooked the whole issue, so being a responsible cyber media, we VOGH are disclosing this to people. If any one misuse this vulnerability, then Voiceofgreyhat will not at all be responsible for any kind of mishap.
Update:- May be doing more that what we call late repent, but finally the above disclosed vulnerability has been patched by Facebook security team.
Couple of weeks ago, I have talked about the vulnerability of Cartoon Network official website, today I am going to speak about two more big fish who are posing serious security holes in their official websites. Lets not waste time while stretching the preface and come directly to the story -it's the hacker who has recently made his name for some big hacks, has back again.
Many of you are right, I am talking about 'Dr41DeY' because he is the guy who found vulnerability in the official website of Skype Shop and National Geographic Channel Germany (Nat Geo). Both Nat Geo and Skype have non persistent cross site scripting vulnerability also known as XSS vulnerability in their website. We have already informed this issue to concerning authority and webmaster to avoid misfortune. As expected, while writing this Skype have taken this issue seriously and fixed their loopholes immediately. Still for proof- above I have shared the screenshots with our readers, as evidence of the XSS hole. But unlike Skype Shop, Nat Geo yet not responded, so the vulnerability still exist on their portal. Hopefully they will take appropriate steps with out doing more delay. For updates in this story and also other hot cyber issues, just stay tuned with VOGH. Before concluding, I would like to remind you that- in 2012 an Indian hacker named Akshay has found XSS holes in the official website of National Geographic. Again after a year, Dr41DeY found another Nat GEO site vulnerable to XSS, that definitely arises a doubt about the security concern of one of the world's leading satellite television channel featuring documentaries with factual content involving nature, science, culture, and history, plus some reality and pseudo-scientific entertainment programming. | 2019-04-25T05:03:42Z | http://www.voiceofgreyhat.com/ |
When it comes to energy technology, Westinghouse put Pittsburgh on the map. In addition to pioneering countless technologies, including the application of alternating currents, the first fully electric range, the television cameras that made it possible to watch men land on the moon and revolutionary research in batteries and materials, Westinghouse technology made our nuclear Navy possible. In fact, Westinghouse has been responsible for 40 percent of the world's nuclear technology.
After Westinghouse was broken up, many of its energy businesses have spun-off or been purchased by other companies, creating new opportunities in several technologies. At the same time, the use of clean, renewable energies has been growing.
In just the past few years, our country’s economy has faced enormous challenges, including a recession, the terrorist acts of 9/11, the ongoing war in Iraq, the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes that impacted the nation’s oil and gas production and an unprecedented global energy demand.
One of the best solutions to our current energy crisis is to increase our energy efficiency. The comprehensive National Energy Policy Act of 2005 provided incentives for traditional energy production and, more importantly, it placed an emphasis on using science and technology to meet growing energy needs with an environmentally responsible approach. Next-generation nuclear power and hydrogen fuel cells are being developed, but the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also is working towards the establishment of a diverse energy portfolio, which includes renewable energy sources like solar, wind and biomass, as well as traditional fossil fuels.
In addition to creating jobs and promoting economic growth, renewable energy development can help to counteract rising fuel prices. Following the example set by the private sector, which already is putting more of its money into alternative fuels, congress plans to increase funding next year for federal research in clean energy technologies, including biofuels, solar and wind power.
In an increasingly deregulated market, the cost and supply of electricity will become progressively more of concern to all Americans, and because Pennsylvania is a major exporter of electricity, Pittsburgh is poised to take advantage of the changes taking place in the national electricity market.
A 100 megawatt wind farm, over the course of its 20-year lifetime, has the capacity to generate an amount of electricity that would require approximately 2.9 million tons of coal or more than 62 billion cubic feet of natural gas to be generated by traditional U.S. grid sources.
The global utility-scale wind power market is expected to reach $130 billion by 2016, according to a recent study by WinterGreen research. By the fourth quarter of 2013, with 61,108 megawatts of installed wind capacity, enough to power 15.3 million typical American homes, the U.S. had become the world’s wind energy leader, representing more than 19 percent of the world's installed wind power. Concurrently, with 25 existing wind farms or wind power projects, including nine in the southwestern Pennsylvania, the state has gained prominence in the wind power industry, more than tripling its capacity to 1,340 megawatts since 2008. Pennsylvania ranks 15th nationally in total installed wind capacity, with 720 turbines creating electricity which powers approximately 300,000 homes and accounts for nearly 1.5 percent of the state’s power.
Late in 2011, Duquesne University began purchasing up to 20 percent of its electricity from wind power sources in Pennsylvania to supplement the power it generates from an on-campus natural gas-fired cogeneration plant, which produces about 80 percent of the campus' electricity. Duquesne previously purchased about 7 percent of its supplemental electricity from wind-power sources.
The wind power installed in Pennsylvania is equal to nearly 39 million tons of coal each year, and it avoids nearly 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year, the equivalent of taking approximately 350,000 cars off the road. Meanwhile, thanks to technology advancements, the cost of wind-generated electricity has declined from 30 cents per kilowatt-hour since the early 1980s to an average of 6.5 cents today.
Versatile and adaptable, wind energy is the kinetic energy of large masses of air moving over the earth. A wind turbine converts this energy into mechanical energy and then into electric energy. As the blades of the turbine rotate, the energy in the shaft can be used to operate a mechanical device or produce electricity with a generator. Offering more competitive costs in commercial power markets, wind energy is fast becoming a viable, zero-emission, utility-scale energy source.
Some six million residential energy customers of First Energy now may opt in to a wind-generated power program. Carnegie Mellon University, for example currently uses wind to supply approximately 75 percent of its energy needs, which is a significant increase since 2001, when only five percent of its demands were provided by wind.
The 15-megawatt Mill Run Wind Farm is located in Fayette County and has 10 turbines, the nine- megawatt Somerset Wind Farm has six turbines, with more planned for delivery in that county. The two sites operate as a single wind power project, with all 16 turbines capable of producing an estimated 24 megawatts each year, enough energy to power approximately 6,300 average Pennsylvania homes. Owned by the nation's largest windmill owner-operator, Florida-based FPL Energy, these windmills are just the beginning. The company is actively scouting ridges and mountains throughout Pennsylvania, as they follow through on their plans to build more sites.
Greensburg, Pennsylvania-based US Wind Force LLC in 2010 executed two 20-year power purchase agreements for the energy, capacity and renewable attributes from its proposed Mineral County, West Virginia project. Under the terms of the agreements, the University of Maryland and the Department of General Services will purchase 33% and 67% respectively of the project’s output. The 23 turbine “Pinnacle Wind Farm at NewPage” is in operation for Green Mountain, near Keyser, WV. The turbines generate approximately 55 megawatts, which translates to 169 million-kilowatt hours of energy. This is enough power for more than 14,000 households annually. The cost to construct the project was estimated at $131 million.
Meanwhile, EverPower Wind Holdings, the leader in wind power development, has consolidated its offices from New York and Pittsburgh and expanded into 15,000 square feet of new space in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. With two operating wind farms in Pennsylvania and another two under construction, the company’s new facility anticipates room for up to 50 employees.
The expansion of these wind farms is bound to increase the visibility of southwestern Pennsylvania as a laboratory for wind power and other alternative energy technologies. But beyond the wind farms themselves, the industry’s supply chain has an anchor in Pittsburgh-based PPG industries. PPG provides the fiberglass, which is a critical reinforcement that enables wind blade technology. Although PPG’s initial involvement started in Europe with the development of the market, supplies of fiberglass from U.S. facilities increased as the market grew in the America. PPG also provides coatings to protect the composite blades, as well as the towers and other metal components.
Home to locally based operations for Westinghouse Nuclear Power Division, the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI), Pittsburgh always has been a player in the nuclear energy industry. The world’s first commercial nuclear reactor was built not more than 30 miles outside Pittsburgh city limits at Shippingport, PA.
The Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a U.S. government-owned, contractor-operated research and development facility located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. It solely focuses on the research, design, construction, operation and maintenance of nuclear equipment for the U.S. Navy, including nuclear-powered warships.
Bechtel’s BPMI-Pittsburgh and BPMI-Schenectady divisions initially were established in the 1950’s to procure submarine components. Over the years BPMI’s role as an NNPP prime contractor has continued to expand well beyond that initial procurement function. Bechtel personnel are now involved in all aspects of the design, development, procurement, and support of all submarines and surface ship (primarily carrier) construction work. Bechtel also is involved in field support activities, including refueling, defueling and overhauls.
Bechtel’s reactor equipment department provides non-fuel bearing reactor components including heavy equipment and electro-mechanical equipment. The company’s refueling equipment department provides equipment used to refuel and service nuclear plants, including containers for movement and shipment of new and used fuel. Bechtel won the contract to run the Bettis laboratory in 1999; prior to that the plant was operated by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The laboratory developed the design of the pressurized water reactor (PWR) for naval use. It built the nuclear propulsion plants for the first U.S. nuclear submarines and surface ships including the USS Nautilus, the USS George Washington, the USS Long Beach and the USS Enterprise.
Westinghouse's nuclear division adapted the PWR design for commercial use and built the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States, the Shippingport power plant, which was the first large-scale nuclear power plant in the world when it began operating on December 2, 1957, exactly 15 years after Enrico Fermi demonstrated the first sustained nuclear reaction.
The Duquesne Light Company of Pittsburgh constructed and operated the Shippingport plant on a site it owned on the Ohio River. The company also contributed to the cost of developing the government-owned reactor. The plant was retired in 1982. Congress assigned the decontamination and decommissioning of this commercial reactor to the DOE. This was the first complete decontamination and decommissioning of a reactor in the United States. The reactor vessel was shipped to a low-level waste disposal facility at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The reactor site was cleaned and released for unrestricted use in November 1987. Government officials proclaimed the seven-acre site is suitable for picnicking or for a children's playground.
Previously limited by environmental and safety concerns, nuclear energy is coming back into vogue as an emissions-free, economical alternative to coal. Recent economic effects of this resurging interest in nuclear fuel include Bechtel closing most of its Schenectady, N.Y., plant and moving 260 engineering and business procurement jobs to the Pittsburgh area.
Also, in 2006, Westinghouse signed a $5.4 billion contract with Chinese officials to build four nuclear power plants in China, with the first coming on line in 2014. The country wants to increase its nuclear energy power to 40 to 50 percent by 2050, and it has been planning for 28 more nuclear plants in the short term.
Westinghouse won the contract thanks to its newest technology in nuclear reactors: the AP1000. This pressurized water reactor can generate more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity, which is comparable to existing nuclear plants, but the AP1000 is much safer and easier to build because of a simpler design that reduces construction time and cost. China is the first country to order the revolutionary reactor.
The China contract already has required the company to expand its research facilities in Pittsburgh, and to create or sustain more than 4,000 jobs. Westinghouse executives are optimistic that taking this technology forward in China also will help accelerate efforts in the United States. By the end of 2010, the U.S. was producing just 19.2 percent of its electrical power from nuclear plants, as compared to more than 40 percent in Ukraine, where Westinghouse was awarded a five-year contract to provide nuclear fuel supplies to three Ukrainian reactors starting in 2011. The French, also by contrast, gets 78.8 percent of its electrical power from nuclear sources.
U.S. utilities and consortia already have applied for licenses to build about 24 nuclear power plants over the next decade. In preparing for this anticipated surge in worldwide plant construction, Westinghouse recently acquired French engineering firm, Astare, as well as South Africa-based IST Nuclear, a nuclear service systems provider.
Westinghouse also built a $20 million nuclear power plant simulator in the Pittsburgh region that essentially is a full-scale nuclear reactor, but without the nuclear fuel, and that will serve as a maintenance and operations training facility that is unique to the world. The training facility and lab eventually will employ 1,000.
Today, Westinghouse builds and operates nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants.
Other preparations for this industry’s expansion are of significant importance to the Pittsburgh region, as well. Currently, only 10 percent of all U.S. engineering universities are offering nuclear engineering degrees. And with one-quarter of all U.S. nuclear engineers beginning to retire, it is paramount to train the next generation nuclear workforce. The Pennsylvania State University founded a graduate nuclear engineering program in 1959 and is among the nation’s oldest. The university has seen its enrollment in then program grow in the double digits over the past several years. The University of Pittsburgh, meanwhile, also has seen increased interest in its nuclear certificate program, which certifies that a student has completed five courses in nuclear engineering.
The earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than worldwide human activity uses in a whole year. The future of solar power lies in innovative ideas in which the sun’s energy can be absorbed directly into roofing shingles or incorporated into fabrics, like tents. Traditionally, solar cells have been bulky. Cumulative solar energy installations in 2012 reached 31.5 gigawatts. The top 20 global solar producers had sought to raise production, and some estimates show supply will rise to nearly 100 gigawatts 2014.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the United States imported $3.1 billion worth of solar components in 2012. And despite imports from China, the U.S. market grew 34 percent in 2012 and shipped $11.5 billion worth of solar products overseas.
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is the 11th largest solar power producing state in the nation, with 235 megawatts installed by 2013, enough to power 25,800 homes. A grant at the end of 2011 from the U.S. Department of Energy totaling more than $315,000 further helped spur more installations by creating financing to help defray costs of solar panel installation for businesses and individual homeowners.
The Solar Energy Industries Association currently counts more than 440 solar companies at work throughout the value chain in Pennsylvania, employing 2,900. These companies include manufacturers, contractor/installers, project developers, distributors and those engaged in other solar activities, such as financing, engineering and legal support.
Crystalline silicon cell technology forms about 86 percent of solar cell demand. The balance comes from thin film technologies. Historically, crystalline silicon (c-Si) has been used as the light-absorbing semiconductor in most solar cells, even though it is a relatively poor absorber of light and requires a considerable thickness (several hundred microns) of material.
The cost of solar power has lowered significantly over the years, but it continues to be more expensive than other sources of electricity. Bloomberg estimated that the U.S. capacity for solar energy will grow from one percent in 2010 to four percent or 14 gigawatts by 2020.
One problem for the solar industry is a shortage of silicon, the material now used for most photovoltaic cells. New technologies, including the next generation p-type semiconductor technology for commercial organic solar cells currently being developed at Pittsburgh-based Plextronics, could dramatically cut the cost of solar power.
Today’s silicon-based solar energy systems cost about 70 cents per watt in 2013. Plextronics has worked to supersede that benchmark using revolutionary thin film technologies designed to unlock the sun's potential. Created at Carnegie Mellon University, Plextronics’ signature product is Plexcore PV, a platform polymer technology that absorbs the sun's light and generates electricity by acting like a semiconductor. Ten times cheaper to manufacture than silicon-based modules, the polymers are turned into inks that can literally be printed onto thin layers of flexible plastic substrates or even fabric. Plexcore received a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and a grant in excess of $300,00 from the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center to fund their efforts.
In 2005, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection awarded an $88,000 Energy Harvest grant to Carnegie Mellon University and its School of Computer Science (SCS) for the renovation of 407 S. Craig Street. The building includes a photovoltaic (PV) energy system and now houses members of SCS' Interactive Systems Lab and the Institute for Software Research International. The PV energy system contains the silicon cells and feeds directly into the building's main power supply, providing approximately 10 percent of the building's electricity needs.
With 100 percent of CMU’s electricity coming from renewable power sources, the university is ranked as a green power leader by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This solar energy system supports Carnegie Mellon's university-wide effort to reshape the way society thinks and acts about environmental issues and to improve life in the region and the world.
In 2006, Conergy AG, a German-based maker of solar-power products, located its North American headquarters of its financial subsidiary and the East Coast operations of its solar-engineering and installation subsidiary in Pennsylvania. Conergy is a world leader in the development of renewable energy systems. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Conergy’s subsidiaries (called voltwerk and SunTechnics) expected to have created up to 50 engineering, financial and management jobs and originate up to $100 million in clean energy deals.
In a related initiative, about $200 million of the $850 million Energy Independence Fund proposed in January 2007 for the governor's Energy Independence Strategy is committed to have some 858 megawatts of electricity generated by the sun by 2021. One megawatt powers about 800 homes.
Under the governor's plan, homes and small businesses could receive rebates of up to half the cost of a solar power system, especially if the solar power panels are manufactured in Pennsylvania. That could amount to savings of up to $22,000. In addition, system manufacturers were eligible for a production grant of $5,000 per job created within a three-year period, as well as grants for up to $1 million for distribution projects and up to 50 percent of the cost of feasibility studies.
On average, a typical solar system today provides four kilowatts of power and ranges in price between $6,800 and $15,400, not including installation; this system would handle between 80 percent and 90 percent of an average home's energy needs. With Pennsylvania rebates, along with federal tax credit, costs of a four-kilowatt system could drop significantly.
In mid-2009, Community Networks LLC announced plans to build a solar power station that would be only the second such station in Pennsylvania and that would generate three megawatts of power a year, enough electricity to power 450 homes. With that announcement, United States Green Energy Corp. has stated its intention to build yet a third solar power station in the Pittsburgh region, which will employ up to 225 people.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh-based Fortune 500 company, PPG Industries, has recognized the upside market potential and has established a new business unit that develops and markets glass and coatings technology for use in the solar power industry.
On the demand side of the solar equation, prominent Pittsburgh roofing company Burns & Scalo, spun off Scalo Solar Solutions LLC to focus on the installation and financing of panels on commercial buildings. The firm, anticipates growth to a $60 million business, with more than 50 employees.
As a result of high market activity, Pittsburgh was chosen to host the first Solar Cities Conference in October of 2009, when leaders from more than 20 cities from across the Northeast met for two days of seminars conducted by the Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories with the goal of advancing the integration of solar technology. Pittsburgh's program was used as a model.
In 1999, only around a half million gallons of biodiesel fuels was produced nationwide.
National sales of clean diesel vehicles grew more than 41 percent in 2013 and at that pace will represent eight and ten percent of the total vehicle market by 2018. The Diesel Technology Forum expects continued growth in the diesel market, with diesels accounting for more than 7.4 percent of new vehicle sales by 2017, up from approximately 2.3 percent in 2009.
A wide variety of alternative fuel sources for the automotive industry are currently under development. But in today’s market, there are few options available to the average American consumer. However, as we become more knowledgeable about options like ethanol, diesel and fuel cells and their ability to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, the demand eventually will boost production for various types transportation fuel alternatives currently being employed or explored.
Clean diesel vehicles combine diesel technology with cleaner burning fuels and emissions control systems, thereby running on 30 percent less fuel than gasoline-powered vehicles. Fifty percent of all cars sold in Western Europe run on diesel, and in France, that percentage is more than 70, but the American market is beginning to catch on fast.
Locally, the City of Pittsburgh is advancing the use of biofuels for its 1,000-vehicle fleet. The city announced plans to turn waste vegetable oil and grease from Heinz Field's refreshment stands and restaurants into cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel for the city's 300 public service, maintenance and first responder vehicles that run on traditional diesel fuel.
Prior to leaving office, Governor Ed Rendell committed $8 million in state grants for 21 projects that would promote biofuels and technologies to foster electric cars and vehicles that run on natural gas. More than $2.5 million of that was awarded to projects in southwestern Pennsylvania. Recipients include O'Hara-based Giant Eagle, which received $750,000 to buy 29 vehicles that run on electricity and compressed natural gas, and to install 10 electric vehicle-charging stations.
Another local recipient was Waste Management of Pennsylvania Inc., which is using $700,000 to build a compressed natural gas fueling station at its hauling facility in Washington, PA. The company plans to use natural gas to fuel its trash and recycling trucks. The station also will be available to other fleet operators.
In Westmoreland County, Western Pennsylvania Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program will have used $486,000 to convert heavy equipment into construction vehicles that accept locally produced biofuels.
Recently, Pennsylvania Bio Diesel opened a $15 million manufacturing facility to produce an initial total of 12 million gallons of biodiesel, with a capacity for 40 to 50 million gallons each year.
Diamond Star Energy also announced plans to build a biodiesel plant on Neville Island that initially would produce about 35 million gallons a year, but that would expand to 100 million gallons, which would represent one percent of all biodiesel made in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Thar Technologies, Inc. has developed an environmentally friendly and cost-efficient technology in high pressure processing techniques, known as supercritical fluid technology. Extracting oil from oilseeds had its drawbacks, especially since the process required the use of hexane, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as a hazardous air pollutant.
Thar’s process replaces hexane with high-pressure carbon dioxide and eliminating many of the inefficiencies of current processes. Successful development of the technology will profitably produce biodiesel directly from both edible and inedible oilseed feedstock while reducing energy consumption and eliminating environmental hazards and the need for production subsidies.
Flex fuel vehicles run on a fuel blend called E85, which is a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. This is in stark contrast to a fuel blend that includes only 10 percent ethanol, which virtually any existing make of car can use. Besides its obvious advantage as a replacement for gasoline, ethanol burns cleaner, producing less air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It also lessens our dependency on foreign oil producers and supports American farmers and refiners.
Up until 2006, it had not been possible to purchase E85 in Pittsburgh, but the Sheetz convenient store chain became the first chain retailer in Pennsylvania to carry E85. This is an encouraging and exciting development in light of the fact that Pennsylvania’s goal is to replace 900 million gallons of gasoline with domestically produced renewable fuels within the next decade.
Commonwealth Renewable Energy Inc. purchased the former Sony-owned American Video Glass plant in New Stanton, PA. The company, a subsidiary of the Pittsburgh-based Anderson Group of Companies, originally planned to transform the 700,000-square-foot facility into the largest ethanol plant in the country. Investment in the plant called for upwards of $250 million, but financing difficulties during the recession have stalled the project.
When production begins, company officials expect to create hundreds of jobs and for the plant to consume about 75 million bushels of corn to produce about 110 million gallons of ethanol annually.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Energy Independence Strategy at one time included an $850 million Energy Independence Fund. In concert with available funding, enactment of new laws and regulatory policies, the initiative was projected to save consumers $10 billion in energy costs over 10 years. During the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) invested $4.7 million in 36 clean energy projects.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ranks among the top six of all U.S. states for the usage of alternative or renewable energy sources. With more than 2,100 companies involved in alternative or renewable energy sources, like wind, solar, biomass and geothermal, the Pittsburgh region boasts a heavy selection of those types of companies.
One such project involves Consol Energy, which recently received a state grant of $529,000 to assist in the development of a power generation project fueled by waste methane. The grant allowed Consol to demonstrate and deploy a microturbine generator to capture and use a waste stream from a coalbed methane processing plant in Fallowfield Township to produce electricity.
Another reclamation avenue is the potential production of 115-million gallons of biofuel. Energy recovery from biomass and waste, including sewage sludges, wood waste, landfill gas, waste coal, municipal and production waste and even manure are becoming attractive alternatives. Pennsylvania has taken the lead with many groundbreaking projects, and it hosted the first international exhibition and conference on Energy from Biomass and Waste Expo, held in Pittsburgh in 2007.
Energy production from biomass and waste is both environmentally and economically attractive. By utilizing resources available domestically like those waste resources that can be processed into biofuel, power can be generated and vehicle fuels can be produced without harmful greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, this creates jobs and growth opportunities for local business, instead of exporting money and employment to other countries. The EBW Expo created a marketplace and an educational forum for domestic vendors, international experts and users of the energy technology.
Also with respect to energy reclamation, one interesting technology invented by two University of Pittsburgh engineering professors is a new gelling agent for carbon dioxide. Eric Beckman’s and Robert Enick’s CO2 gelling technique is less expensive and more environmentally attractive than previous processes, and the potential applications for this unique development include enhanced tertiary recovery of petroleum from aging oil fields.
Because of the viscosity of natural CO2, the fluid dispersion in a reservoir is difficult to control. Increasing the viscosity of the CO2 offers the potential to significantly improve the well stimulation, thereby improving oil recovery. Also, since the CO2 is environmentally benign, thickened CO2 is very attractive for reducing the environmental impact of well stimulation procedures. A current focus is on the utilization of this technology for environmentally benign gas and oil well operations.
Another Pittsburgh area company in the energy reclamation space is Separation Design Group, which has invented a unique heat exchanger that uses solar thermal collectors to generate, not only heat, but primarily mechanical energy, which in turn will be able to run electrical appliances.
When Edwin Drake drilled the first successful commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859, he had no idea that the largest natural gas deposit in North America was lodged in shale 6,000 feet below the surface of upstate New York, across most of Pennsylvania and into West Virginia, eastern Ohio and parts of Kentucky.
The Marcellus shale dwarfs the Barnett shale region of Texas, and it is widely considered to be the third-largest natural gas field in the world. It contains an estimated 141 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids. The Marcellus Shale region eventually is expected to produce enough natural gas to sustain U.S. demand for a six years or more, with a value of recoverable gas estimated at least $2 trillion.
At the end of 2013, 65,536 of all types of gas-producing wells were operating in Pennsylvania, with permits issued for thousands more, and new filings of gas leases across the state are keeping county deed recorders very busy.
As of January, 2014, southwestern Pennsylvania had the lion’s share of Marcellus wells at more than 2,600. About 70 companies from places as far afield as Texas, Louisiana and other states have set up operations in southwestern Pennsylvania, creating thousands of jobs.
Texas-based Range Resources LLC was among the first to open an office in the region, currently employing about 450 and has drilled about 675 wells here since 2004. Current production is approximately 670 million cubic feet of shale gas per day. The company expects to employ up to 1,000 people.
Other gas producers with operations in the region include Chevron, EQT Production, Consol Gas Company and XTO, a division of ExxonMobil. Southwestern Pennsylvania–based Consol achieved an average production of 10.7 million cubic feet of gas a day in 2013. Rice Energy, also regionally based, had announced that it will complete 31 wells in 2014, thereby bringing the company’s total to 41.
Meanwhile, Shell Oil has been given an extension until 2014 to decide whether it want to purchase land in nearby Beaver County, in order to build a multi-billion-dollar cracker plant that would convert natural gas liquids into more profitable chemicals, such as ethylene, which in turn is used to make plastics and other products. If built, the plant would be the largest private investment in the region in 50 years, and it would employ up to 600 people.
About half of Pennsylvania's electricity generation comes from burning coal. Pennsylvania is the fourth largest coal-producing state, and southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia produce nearly 20 percent of the nation's coal and nearly half of the coal mined east of the Mississippi River. Consol, headquartered here, is the largest producer of high-BTU bituminous coal in the United States with 4.3 billion tons of proven and recoverable coal reserves throughout six states. Consol also operates the largest privately owned fossil fuel research facility in the world.
Augmenting Consol’s research capacity is the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which is part of the DOE’s national laboratory system. With major research facilities in Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV, the NETL is the only U.S. national laboratory devoted to fossil energy research. The NETL mission is to implement a research, development and demonstration program to resolve environmental, supply and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil resources.
The NETL implements a broad spectrum of energy and environmental research and development programs that will return benefits for generations to come. These programs enable the economical use of domestic coal, natural gas and oil to power our nation’s homes, industries, businesses and transportation, while protecting our environment and enhancing energy independence.
Targe Energy LLC is an Aspinwall-based energy company that operates surface coal mines, reclaims coarse waste coal, performs contract drilling services and acquires its own natural gas reserves. Targe Energy owns multiple waste coal mining operations in Northern Appalachia.
Targe and Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy and Power Fund III, L.P. (C/R) invested $100 million in Targe to fuel the company's growth strategy. In addition to C/R's commitment, Targe also received $17.5 million from various minority investors and management. The $117.5 million in new capital has enabled Targe to advance its Appalachia-focused coiled tube drilling business, acquire additional coal reserves and roll in three existing surface and waste coal businesses that were being operated by Targe management.
Waste coal represents a major environmental hazard throughout the entire Northern Appalachian region; yet it also presents an opportunity. Historically, waste coal has been a byproduct of coal processing and cleaning that occurred at major mine facilities. It only recently has come to be viewed as a useable fuel source. Waste coal reserves represent two additional primary revenue streams: traditional and co-generation steam fuel and metallurgical coal.
Beyond reclaimed waste coal,Consol Energyand Utah-based Headwaters Inc. are jointly developing coal-based liquid fuel plants. Under the agreement, both companies are performing engineering and environmental activities related to potential development of several Consol coal sites. This joint venture also involves the construction of one or more coal-based facilities to produce clean liquid transportation fuels such as diesel, gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, and jet fuel. The facilities also may produce certain petrochemical feedstocks.
While fuel cell technology was first discovered in 1839, commercialization is only now occurring.
In their simplest form fuel cells generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, producing water as a result. Hydrogen is available from a variety of fuels, including methanol, natural gas, coal gas, gasoline and other existing fuels. Because fuel cells are based on electrochemical reactions and not combustion of fossil fuels, they are extremely clean. The fuel cell also is more energy efficient than current combustion technology, and the heat generated by the electrochemical reaction also can be captured for use, boosting overall efficiency. The federal government’s Departments of Energy and Defense fund considerable fuel cell R&D activity.
Fuel cells also benefit from expanded interest in distributed generation. Power generated on-site can be more reliable than grid-supplied power, virtually eliminating transmission costs and reducing demand for additional grid-based power generation and transmission improvements. In-turn, distributed power generators can sell excess capacity through the grid in a deregulated market.
Locally, rising energy costs often are blamed on the state's decade-old electricity deregulation, and the detrimental effects of rising costs (a 30 percent increase after deregulation) have big electricity users, including giant steelmakers Allegheny Technologies and U.S. Steel, very concerned. In fact, Allegheny Technologies says high power costs are the reason it has not committed $400 million to expand its Allegheny Ludlum subsidiary. U.S. Steel has said Pennsylvania’s electricity rates are much more costly than those in other states where the company operates.
But before the full benefits of distributed power can be realized, the process of connecting distributed units to the grid must be improved, and the adoption of regulatory mechanisms allowing generators to offset costs by capturing the benefits of distributed generation also can help the adoption of distributed technologies.
Alkaline fuel cells have been on space missions. They operate at low temperatures and start quickly, but reactions with carbon dioxide make use impractical for commercial transportation applications. Alkaline fuel cells also are extremely sensitive to impurities in fuel. Power efficiencies of approximately 70 percent have been achieved with alkaline fuel cells.
Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) operate at relatively low temperatures (50 degrees to 120 degrees Celsius). They have efficiencies of 40 percent and are well suited for use with mobile devices. Still in early development, costs must be lowered by reducing the amount of platinum used in the catalyst before commercialization can occur. The DMFC has the advantage of using liquid methanol fuel directly, without prior reforming.
Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) operate at high temperatures (650 degrees Celsius), and with efficiencies of 60 percent for electricity and 85 percent with cogeneration of waste heat, they are well suited to utility and large industrial applications. This type of fuel cell allows for the use of a wide variety of fuels, but its electrolyte causes corrosion of cell components. This technology competes in the same markets as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) are one of the most commercially advanced technologies. They operate at low to moderate temperatures of 150 degrees to 200 degrees Celsius. They have efficiencies of 40 percent, and the primary application for PAFCs is in the stationary market.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are the most promising technology for transportation and portable device applications, as they operate at low temperatures (80 degrees Celsius) and have high power density, allowing for a smaller size. They operate at high efficiency (40 to 50 percent), start quickly and are rapidly responsive to changes in power demand.
Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFC) are a newly emerging technology that operates at high temperatures (700 degrees Celsius); they can use a variety of fuels, and they operate at high efficiencies. The electrolyte in the PCFC is solid and is not susceptible to leaking or drying out.
Regenerative fuel cells are a promising recent invention. Regenerative fuel cells are a closed-loop system that requires no external supply of fuel. Solar energy is used to separate the hydrogen and oxygen in the exhaust water, returning it to the fuel cell as a fuel supply. Considerable solar power research must occur before regenerative fuel cells are commercialized.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) operate at high temperatures (700 - 1,000 degrees Celsius) using a wide variety of fuels and is the fuel cell most tolerant to impurities and sulphur contamination. The solid-state ceramic electrolyte has enabled continuous unattended operation of demonstration systems for periods of two years. Solid oxide fuel cells also are highly efficient, operating at 50 percent efficiency for electric generation; 60 percent efficiency when pressurized and operated with a gas turbine and 85 percent efficiency, if the exhaust heat also is used. These fuel cells are very promising for stationary markets, such as electricity generation companies, large facilities (e.g. factories, shopping malls, hotels, hospitals, office buildings), and facilities needing a reliable, high quality off-grid power supply. These fuel cells also are projected for use in auxiliary automotive power systems.
Zinc air fuel cells use zinc as a fuel and can be operated as a “closed loop” system, where no additional external fuel is necessary. Zinc air fuel cells are a potential low-cost, high-power alternative to existing battery technology. Prospective applications for the technology include transportation and portable devices.
Solid oxide fuel cell technology was developed in Pittsburgh by Westinghouse beginning in the 1950’s, with R&D efforts continuing in the region with the acquisition of the division by Siemens. A search of patents issued clearly shows that Siemens is a prominent company in fuel cells and the industry leader in SOFC technology, even though the company’s marketing efforts have lain dormant, due to market conditions for fuel cells.
While Siemens Power Generation was a leader in solid oxide fuel cells, having successfully operated a 100 kW cogeneration SOFC in the Netherlands, and with 250kW and 1MW systems in various stages of development, other regional companies, like Genco ATC and Pittsburgh Electric Engines, are strengthening their position in SOFC technology.
Water-based electrolyte batteries are a new development by Pittsburgh-based Acquion Energy that uses a simple water-based electrolyte and abundant materials, such as sodium and manganese, to produce a kilowatt-hour of storage capacity for about $300, less than a third of what it would cost to use lithium-ion batteries. Third-party tests have shown that Aquion's battery can last for more than 5,000 charge-discharge cycles and has an efficiency of higher than 85 percent.
The company has now received upwards of $55 million in venture capital, including the participation of Bill Gates, to step up manufacturing of its sodium-ion batteries, making it perhaps the cheapest way to store large amounts of energy for the power grid using batteries.
Aquion's disruptive technology uses an activated carbon anode and a sodium- and manganese-based cathode. A water-based electrolyte carries sodium ions between the two electrodes while charging and discharging. The principle is similar to lithium-ion, but sodium ions are more abundant and hence cheaper to use. Compared to solvent-based electrolytes, the aqueous electrolyte is also easier to handle; it is nontoxic, and the battery is 100 percent recyclable.
With Eastern European industrial customers as a prime target, Acquion plans to begin commercial production by the third quarter of 2014 at the former Sony plant in Westmoreland County, where it has leased 350,00 square feet. With growth planned over an 18-month period thereafter, the company had planned to build a demonstration unit by turning the Westmoreland industrial facility into a microgrid.
In addition to these companies, the Pittsburgh region also has several research strengths in fuel cells. Besides comprehensive fossil fuels research, the NETL is a major source of federal funds and both conducts and manages internal and external research on other varieties of energy technologies, including stationary fuel cells. In addition to conducting cutting-edge research and technology development on site, NETL shapes, funds and manages contracted research throughout the United States and in more than 40 foreign countries. The NETL’s research portfolio includes more than 1,800 projects, with a total award value of more than $9 billion and private sector cost sharing of more than $5 billion. These projects are carried out through various contracting arrangements with corporations, small businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, and other national laboratories and government agencies.
The NETL manages the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), a group of corporate developers, universities, government agencies and national laboratories working to develop commercially viable SOFC technology. The SECA is the primary U.S. government stationary fuel cell program, and the association spearheaded six industry teams charged with developing cost competitive (less than $400 per kilowatt) fuel cells for commercial markets.
A full megawatt-scale SOFC system for coal plants that will capture more than 90 percent of greenhouse gases with near zero production of other environmental pollutants, all with electrical efficiencies exceeding 50 percent, compared to 35 percent today, and with virtually no increase in cost to the electricity consumer.
Concurrent Technologies Corporation operates the Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center from its Environmental Technology Facility in Johnstown, PA for the Department of Defense. The Center provides independent, unbiased testing and validation of fuel cell power plants for military and commercial applications. The primary goal of the Center is to accelerate the development and commercialization of fuel cell power plants.
Mechanical and chemical engineering are two disciplines closely related to fuel cells. Interdisciplinary relationships also exist between the distributed power industry, advanced materials (chiefly with regard to ceramics and advanced metals) and power electronics. Pittsburgh’s universities, especially Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, have worldwide reputations in all these engineering disciplines.
Carnegie Mellon’s Electricity Industry Center (CEIC) is supported by core funding from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Electric Power Research Institute, with additional funding from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, the U.S. Office of Naval Research, McDermott Technology the ABB Group, Alliant Energy, the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association, the Pennsylvania Office of Energy and Technology Development and Customized Energy Solutions.
Most recently in the spring of 2013, Carnegie Mellon University received its largest private foundation grant of $30 million from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to increase the university's energy research projects. The grant will assist CMU’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, which was opened in September 2012, to focus on smart grid technology, reducing carbon emissions and storing of energy, among other things.
While the agenda for the RUA is still in its infancy, many of the research topics are expected to remain, but with an added emphasis on technology commercialization. One manifestation of this emphasis is a recent three-year, $1.7 million grant awarded to the University of Pittsburgh from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new materials and processes for improving the efficiency of multicore transformers for energy conversion systems.
The research could help substantially reduce the size of a standard industrial grid transformer and also improve efficiencies of power electronics conversion systems. The project will assess complete systems engineering and turnkey installation aspects of the advanced converter technology for renewable energy applications, including economic impacts.
The project is under the aegis of the Power and Energy Initiative in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, a major component of the University’s Center for Energy, which focuses on partnering to meet industry needs in workforce and technology development through innovative education and collaborative research. The initiative’s electric power research group is engaged in a wide range of activities in the areas of advanced electric power grid technologies and systems, including emerging technology development needs for grid-level power electronics technologies and supporting systems and components for both AC and DC system infrastructures. The group also conducts research in aspects of renewable energy integration, energy storage, and smart grid applications.
From a broader perspective, Pitt also is involved in a Pittsburgh-based consortium of companies and public entities devoted to promoting job opportunities in southwestern Pennsylvania's energy sector.
The group, the Energy Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh, composed of nearly 100 companies, universities, government agencies and nonprofits, is dedicated to enhancing the greater Pittsburgh region's position in American energy leadership.
According to the Alliance, the Pittsburgh region's energy sector now accounts for $13.7 billion or 10 percent of the area's economic activity. It found that the growing sector of about 1,000 companies is now employs more than 105,000 people with the potential for 7,000 employed by 2020. In addition, the energy sector is responsible for $1 billion in energy-related research and development annually. In addition, only two other regions in the country, Chicago and Detroit, are among the top 25 employers in energy industries. Of these, only Pittsburgh sits atop a base of natural resources that will be an essential part of the portfolio needed to address the world’s 21st century energy needs. That is why Pittsburgh is considered the new energy capital of the U.S.
When George Westinghouse founded his electric company in Pittsburgh in 1886, it was a catalyst for this country to tap into the alternating current electric power grid. Westinghouse also pioneered and patented the equipment needed in the measurement and distribution of natural gas, and it also was responsible for putting the region on the map with respect to atomic power.
Today with its centers of excellence in both academics and commercial ventures, and with its close geographical proximity to wind, coal and solar technology facilities, the southwestern Pennsylvania region represents a confluence of several energy technologies. | 2019-04-21T18:51:05Z | http://pghtech.org/news-publications/state-of-the-industry-report/energy-technology-in-the-pittsburgh-region.aspx |
Will an upcoming vote in Congress signal the end of Medicare?
In the next few weeks Congress will decide whether to cut $54 billion in overpayments to Medicare insurers, igniting a battle that may well determine whether the program survives. On one side are Medicare supporters, who want it to continue as a successful social insurance program. On the other is the insurance industry, which is spending millions and lobbying hard to put Medicare on a fast track to privatization, a goal long sought by fiscal conservatives and their allies in right-wing think tanks.
The seeds of the conflict were sown in 2003, when Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), which gives seniors a prescription drug benefit that is sold and administered by private insurers, not the government. This drug benefit, known as Part D, opened new markets for insurers, some of which have profited handsomely from the government’s gift. The story of one of those companies, Humana, a forty-six-year-old carrier based in Louisville, Kentucky, shows what’s at stake.
Before 2003 Humana, a regional company peddling health insurance, including HMOs, was hardly a household name. One of its policies had been a big money loser, and the company was struggling to dig its way out of a financial hole. Vice president Steve Brueckner called the MMA “an unprecedented opportunity to establish relationships,” and his company made the most of it. Humana gained 4 million new policyholders and reported to stockholders in April that it had amassed “record breaking revenues.” What’s more, Humana has become a national brand poised to sell policies in the non-Medicare market, where people will increasingly be forced to buy their own health coverage, especially if an “individual mandate” becomes a solution for the country’s healthcare woes. “Part D transformed the company,” says Bridget Maehr, an analyst for A.M. Best, an insurance rating service.
Humana’s game plan centered on the options the MMA gave seniors for obtaining their benefits. They could keep traditional Medicare, in which the government provides the benefits, and buy a “stand-alone” drug benefit; or they could get the new drug coverage plus regular Medicare benefits provided by one of the Medicare Advantage plans, which include HMOs, the less restrictive preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and private fee-for-service plans, which usually offer traditional Medicare benefits, drug coverage and benefits for extras like dental, vision and chiropractic care. There are no limits on specialist referrals, and seniors can choose any doctor who accepts the insurer’s fee schedule.
Some Medicare Advantage plans were not new. Medicare HMOs had been around since the 1970s. But by the late 1990s, conservatives had seized on HMOs, as well as new options such as medical savings accounts and PPOs, as ways to speed up privatization. Under the guise of “consumer choice,” always a popular concept, Congress authorized four new kinds of plans, in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, that would compete with traditional Medicare.
In theory, private plans, particularly managed care, would reduce the program’s escalating costs. Government payments, it was argued, would allow these plans to offer both standard and extra benefits and encourage efficient, low-cost care. However, after 2003 the government began shoveling huge sums of money into the Medicare Advantage plans to entice seniors to leave the traditional program–in effect subsidizing privatization even more and bringing right-wing think tanks like the Heritage Foundation closer to their objective of ending Medicare as social insurance. The ultimate goal, of course, is to make seniors bear future costs, sparing their benefactors the need to pay more taxes to keep Medicare afloat. This year the government will pay insurers on average 12 percent more than it costs to provide the same benefits to people who stay in the traditional program, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent group that advises Congress. HMOs will get 10 percent more, but private fee-for-service plans will get a whopping 19 percent more, a subsidy that lets them offer rock-bottom premiums and lots of extras–at least for now.
An unlikely player in the 1997 debate was the National Right to Life Committee. Worried that Medicare HMOs would euthanize old people, the committee lobbied Congress to allow private fee-for-service plans in the 1997 law as an alternative to managed care. Carriers were slow to market them, and in December 2005 only about 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries had signed up. But thanks to the federal honey pot, all that has changed. By February of this year, 1.3 million seniors had chosen fee-for-service plans, a sixfold increase that makes them the fastest-growing segment of the Medicare Advantage program.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois also did his part to give an edge to certain fee-for-service plans. As Congress put the finishing touches on a catch-all bill late last year, Hastert got the House Rules Committee to insert a provision that gives sellers a larger window of time to sell these plans. They can be sold all year, not just between November 15 and March 31, the only time other Medicare Advantage plans can be sold. According to the New York Times, Aon, a large Chicago-based carrier, pushed for the change to help its subsidiary Sterling Life, the first carrier to market private fee-for-service plans in 2000. Aon recently told stock analysts that its health insurance business had a strong first quarter with good growth, “driven primarily by Sterling.” According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Aon is the twentieth-largest insurance contributor to political campaigns. It has given generously to the Illinois Republican Party and to Hastert. In the 2003-04 election cycle, Hastert received a run-of-the-mill contribution of $5,000; in 2005-06, as fee-for-service plans were becoming more important, Aon and its affiliates gave Hastert $23,900.
Private fee-for-service plans are also catching on with United Healthcare, Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the country’s insurance giants, which like these plans not only because of generous government payments but also because they are easy to administer. There are no cumbersome networks of doctors and hospitals to police and little oversight of the quality of treatment delivered to beneficiaries. So insurers are prospecting for new markets, selling fee-for-service plans to employers obligated to provide health benefits for their retired workers. The Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System, for example, just moved 115,000 retirees into a fee-for-service plan sold by Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Nearly 20 percent of the 43 million Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, up from 13 percent in 2004. Citigroup estimates that one-quarter of all beneficiaries will belong to one by 2010. “Enormous growth prospects remain,” Citigroup analyst Charles Boorady told investors in February.
All that, of course, depends on what happens in Congress. When the Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill for the overpayments at $54 billion for five years and $149 billion over ten, cuts seemed likely. After all, Medicare’s chief actuary, Richard Foster, has said that overpayments shorten the life of Medicare trust funds by two years and raise premiums that all beneficiaries pay for doctor and outpatient services. MedPAC has recommended giving all Medicare Advantage plans no more than it costs the government to provide benefits under the traditional program. “I don’t see any possible defense for the overpayments,” says Robert Berenson, MD, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. “Managed care has been ineffective at controlling costs in the commercial sector. Why would we want to turn Medicare over to private plans and abandon traditional Medicare, where if we wanted to, we could actually manage costs?” For example, Congress could lift the MMA prohibition on negotiating lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. But earlier this year the Senate refused to do that, bowing to lobbying pressure from Big Pharma, which believes government negotiations will lead to the dreaded price controls.
Despite convincing evidence for cutting payments, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade association of insurance companies and HMOs, has managed to marshal strong support in Congress for continuing them; many legislators see nothing wrong with seniors reaping extra benefits from private fee-for-service plans, which they argue bring more choice to constituents, especially in rural areas without managed care. “It’s absolutely brilliant how this has been orchestrated,” says Bonnie Burns, a training and policy specialist with California Health Advocates. AHIP has turned the usual industry/consumer lobbying dynamic on its head, casting legitimate consumer groups like California Health Advocates and the Medicare Rights Center as bad guys for wanting cuts and the insurance industry as good guys for wanting more money poured into the program. Consumer groups generally advocate more money for social programs, but in this case they see the overpayments as a strategy to destroy Medicare.
To confuse legislators even more, the industry has called on its own sham “consumer” group, the Coalition for Medicare Choices, to push its agenda on the Hill. AHIP founded the group back in 1999 and still provides administrative support, according to spokesman Mohit Ghose. The address on the coalition’s website turns out to be the same one as Democracy & Data Communications, a public relations counseling firm whose clients include AHIP, Humana and United Healthcare, another carrier riding the Part D gravy train with lucrative deals to sell plans to members of AARP, the retirees’ organization. The coalition now has 400,000 members, in every state; and the group has gained 140,000 new members in the past sixty days. Its main purpose seems to be ginning up letters and calls to members of Congress “to protect choices and additional benefits provided through the Medicare Advantage program.” Sterling Life’s website, for instance, tells visitors about the Coalition for Medicare Choices and urges them to send letters–sample included. Nowhere does it say that the coalition is a creature of the industry’s trade association.
AHIP has also played the race card, forming a minority advisory committee of community leaders “to protect low-income and minority seniors from Medicare cuts.” According to its press release, members, including representatives of the NAACP, Latino and Korean groups, and churches, will “reach out to members of Congress and provide guidance as the Coalition for Medicare Choices conducts grassroots efforts in their communities.” This spring Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau, and Rosa Rosales, national president of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, sent letters to Congressional leaders arguing that minority members would be hurt by the cuts. They cited statistics from a study done for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association by Emory University health economist Ken Thorpe showing that more low-income and minority Medicare beneficiaries obtain supplemental coverage from private plans than from other sources, so cuts would hurt them. (A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis says Thorpe’s study is misleading because it inflates the importance of Medicare Advantage plans by excluding those who get coverage from retiree plans and from Medicaid, which is the primary source of coverage for low-income seniors.) United Healthcare has hired former Ohio Congressman Louis Stokes, a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, to add lobbying heft to the effort. AHIP has targeted for special attention fifty legislators, primarily Democrats and members from rural areas where a lot of private fee-for-service plans have been sold.
Enmeshed in this political clash are the demands of doctors, who are facing a mandated 10 percent cut in their Medicare fees; the need to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP); and the consequences of tax cuts over the years. The fate of Medicare’s overpayments may well be decided at this intersection of healthcare and budget politics. Under Washington’s budget neutrality rules, new programs or expansions must have a “pay for,” that is, money coming from an existing pot of revenue or new taxes, which isn’t likely. Medicare overpayments are the juiciest target.
The American Medical Association, a large donor to political campaigns, is eyeing the overpayments as a way to redirect money to its members, who are threatening to withhold services from Medicare beneficiaries if their fees are cut. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a far less powerful voice, argues that a substantial portion of the money now going to insurers could be used to expand health coverage for some of the 9 million uninsured children, many of whom are eligible but not covered under SCHIP, setting up a confrontation between old people and children. Without savings from the cuts, the center says, it may be impossible to allocate anything close to the $50 billion over the next five years to expand SCHIP. Such an expansion would move the country closer to universal insurance coverage, which presidential candidates say they want. Of the Senate Democrats who will vote on the issue, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both say they support cutting the Medicare overpayments.
If AHIP wins, however, Medicare beneficiaries will lose in the long run. Some have already started to lose. “There’s an explicit decision to create a funding crisis for Medicare predicated on overpayment to private plans,” says the Urban Institute’s Berenson. MedPAC chairman Glenn Hackbarth has warned that the overpayments weaken Medicare financially and threaten the government’s ability to sustain it. Overpayments raise overall costs, and the program’s trustees have already signaled looming financial troubles for the trust funds. A little-publicized provision in the MMA requires that if the trustees estimate in two consecutive reports that more than 45 percent of Medicare’s budget in the next six years will come from general revenues (which partly finance doctor and outpatient services), the President must propose legislation to bring costs below 45 percent. Trustees say that point will be reached in 2013.
That means benefits could be drastically cut and more costs shifted to beneficiaries, hastening the conversion of Medicare from a social insurance program to a defined contribution or voucher plan, under which the government would give seniors a set amount of money each year to buy coverage from private carriers. If the money is insufficient over time, the cost of ever-rising medical care will shift to beneficiaries, who will have to pay more out of pocket for insurance or foot the medical bills themselves. “It’s a very scary thing,” says Marilyn Moon, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, a large social science research nonprofit, and a former Medicare trustee. “What looks good today could look pretty terrible in five years. If you get to the point of a defined contribution, people will be hurt.” Those hurt the most will be the low-income beneficiaries that minority groups doing the bidding of AHIP want to protect.
Beneficiaries who flock to Medicare Advantage plans because of the low premiums and the promise of extra benefits may be hurt long before full privatization becomes a reality. Marketing abuses and hidden traps in policies, reminiscent of the Medicare supplement market two decades ago, are starting to pinch. With some of the Medicare Advantage plans, seniors may end up paying more out of pocket than they would under traditional Medicare. Take hospital copayments, for example. Most private fee-for-service plans have them, but if policyholders are unlucky enough to stay in the hospital for seven days–a not-unreasonable stay for heart-valve surgery–they could spend more than the $992 hospital deductible, which (if the copay is $150-$200, the typical range) is all they would pay had they stayed in traditional Medicare.
Patients who require a lot of medications lose money for companies and are discovering that some carriers make it hard to access benefits; others change the rules, dropping some benefits altogether. Maureen Doyle of South Weymouth, Massachusetts, listened to the government and advocates who urged her to take advantage of the new drug benefit. But ever since, she has tussled with her insurer, WellCare. Several times last year, WellCare refused to authorize prescription refills. Each time she went to the pharmacy to pick up medicine, she was told she had no coverage. Each time, after numerous phone calls and correspondence, the company admitted a mistake and allowed the prescriptions. “Our government assured us that private insurers would provide the most efficient drug coverage,” says Doyle. “The casual, go-to-hell attitude of this private insurer belies this promise.” After other problems with WellCare’s marketing surfaced this spring, it announced enhanced oversight measures.
The story of Humana is emblematic of a major transition in healthcare, to a more privatized system in which insurance companies can discard policyholders when they are no longer profitable. This raises a question: If the private market doesn’t provide long-term, effective and efficient care, why does the government have $50 billion to subsidize companies while claiming not to have the same $50 billion to pay for care directly? | 2019-04-24T22:40:20Z | https://www.thenation.com/article/medicare-privatization-scam/ |
ACCEPTANCE -- AGREEMENT. Seller's commencement of work or shipment of the goods subject to this order, whichever occurs first, shall be deemed an effective mode of acceptance of this order. Any acceptance of this order is limited to acceptance of the express terms contained on the face hereof, this Exhibit A and any additional exhibits or schedules furnished by Buyer which shall collectively be referred to as the “Agreement”. Any proposal for additional or different terms or any attempt by Seller to vary in any degree any of the terms of this offer in Seller's acceptance is hereby objected to and rejected, but such proposals shall not operate as a rejection of this offer unless such variances are in the terms of the description, quantity, price or delivery schedule of the goods or services, but shall be deemed a material alteration thereof, and this offer shall be deemed accepted by Seller without said additional or different terms. If this order shall be deemed an acceptance of a prior offer by Seller, such acceptance is limited to the express terms contained on the face hereof and this Exhibit A. Additional or different terms or any attempt by Seller to vary in any degree any of the terms of this order shall be deemed material and are objected to and rejected but this order shall not operate as a rejection of the Seller's offer unless it contains variances in the terms of the description, quantity, price or delivery schedule of the goods or services.
TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE. Buyer reserves the right to terminate this Agreement or any part hereof for its sole convenience. In such event, Seller shall, and shall cause any of its suppliers or subcontractors to immediately cease work pursuant to this Agreement. Seller shall be paid a reasonable termination charge of a percentage of the order price reflecting the percentage of the work performed prior to the notice of termination, plus actual documented direct costs resulting from termination. Seller shall not be paid for any work done after receipt of notice of termination, nor for costs incurred by Seller's suppliers or subcontractors, which could reasonably have been avoided.
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. Buyer may terminate all or any part of this Agreement for cause and without penalty if Seller fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions of this order, or if Seller ceases to conduct its operations in the normal course of business (including as a result of its inability to meet its obligations as they mature), or if any proceedings under the bankruptcy or insolvency law is brought by or against Seller, or a receiver for Seller is appointed or applied for or an assignment for the benefit of creditors is made by Seller.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION -- CONFIDENTIALITY -- ADVERTISING. Seller shall treat all information furnished by Buyer as confidential and shall not disclose any such information to any other person or entity, or use such information itself for any purpose other than performing this Agreement. This paragraph shall apply to drawings, specifications, or other documents prepared by Seller for Buyer in connection with this order as well as information that may be provided orally by Buyer or observed by Seller at Buyer's facility. Seller shall not advertise or publish the fact that Buyer has contracted to purchase goods or services from Seller, nor shall any information relating to the order be disclosed without Buyer's written consent.
WARRANTY. Seller warrants that the products furnished under this Agreement (the “Products”) will (a) conform to Buyer's manufacturing standards, specifications, drawings, samples or descriptions furnished by Buyer, including but not limited to all specifications attached as exhibits hereto, (b) will be merchantable, of good quality and workmanship, free from defects for a period of twelve months or longer if specified in writing, and fit and sufficient for the intended use (c) will comply with all federal and provincial laws, regulations and ordinances pertaining to the manufacturing, packaging, labeling, sale and delivery of the Products (d) will be of good title to and be free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (e) will not infringe any patent, copyright or other intellectual property rights of any third party, and (f) have been produced, packaged, marked, labeled and will comply with all applicable governmental and regulatory requirements including, without limitation, the Food and Drugs Act, Food and Drug Regulations, all applicable public or occupational health and safety laws, including the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario) and all applicable laws in respect of the natural environment, and the manufacture, importation, handling, transportation, storage, disposal and treatment of hazardous substances. Seller agrees to reimburse Buyer for any losses, costs, damages or expenses, including attorney's fees, arising from failure of the Products to meet such warranties. These warranties shall be in addition to all other warranties, express, implied or statutory, shall survive Buyer's payment, acceptance, inspection or failure to inspect the Products, and shall run to Buyer and its customers.
PRICE WARRANTY. Seller warrants that the net prices for Products sold to Buyer hereunder are not and will not be less favorable than the net prices Seller extends to any other customer for Products or products that are substantially the same in similar quantities and on similar terms. (In determining net prices extended to other customers, discounts, rebates, allowances, premiums, favorable payment terms and other benefits to the customers shall be taken into account.) If Seller reduces its prices to others for such goods during the term of this Agreement, Seller will reduce the prices hereunder correspondingly as of the date of such reduction. Buyer's remedies for Seller's failure to reduce Buyer's prices when required by the foregoing shall include, without limitation, the rights to return the Products to Seller at Seller's expense, to purchase the Products or products that are substantially the same from another supplier thereof and reduce any quantities specified in this Agreement or any other agreement between the Buyer and the Seller, and to reduce payment to or obtain a credit from Seller to the extent its prices to Buyer are not as favorable than the net prices extended by Seller to any other customer. Buyer's representatives shall have the right to audit the relevant records of Seller at times and with advance notice that are reasonable to determine whether the requirements have been satisfied.
DISCOUNTS. Any discount terms provided herein shall date from the later of the date of delivery of the goods at destination or the date of receipt of a complete invoice by Buyer.
INDEMNIFICATION. Seller agrees to protect, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Buyer and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their employees, agents, shareholders and directors, from and against all claims, actions, demands, liabilities, losses, cost and expense, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and expenses, arising out of: (a) any breach or violation by Seller of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth herein; or (b) any actual or alleged death or injury to any person, damage to any property or any other damage or loss by whomsoever suffered, claimed to result in whole or in part from the goods or any actual or alleged defect in the goods, whether latent or patent; (c) any act, activity or omission of Seller or any of its employees, representatives or agents including, but without limitation, activities on Buyer's premises and/or the use of any vehicle, equipment, fixture or material of Seller or Buyer; or (d) any claim resulting from any actual or alleged trademark, trade dress, patent or copyright infringement or trade secret misappropriation related to the goods sold hereunder. Buyer shall have the right to direct the conduct of any such defense. In addition, Buyer shall have the right to be represented by counsel of its own choosing in any action, at its own expense.
CHANGES. Buyer shall have the right at any time to make changes in drawings, designs, specifications, materials, packaging, time and place of delivery and method of transportation. If any such changes cause an increase or decrease in the cost, or the time required for their performance, and equitable adjustment shall be made and this Agreement shall be modified in writing accordingly. Seller agrees to accept any such changes subject to this paragraph.
INSPECTION/TESTING. Payment for the goods and/or services delivered hereunder shall not constitute acceptance thereof. Buyer shall have the right to inspect such goods and/or services and to reject any which are in Buyer's judgment defective or nonconforming. Goods rejected and goods supplied in excess of quantities called for herein may be returned to Seller at its expense and, in addition to Buyer's other rights, Buyer may charge Seller all expenses of unpacking, examining, repacking and reshipping such goods. In the event Buyer receives goods whose defects or nonconformity are not apparent on examination, Buyer reserves the right to require replacement, as well as payment of damages. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve the Seller from the obligation of testing, inspection and quality control.
INSURANCE. Seller shall carry and maintain, at its expense, the following insurance with companies satisfactory to Buyer: Comprehensive General Liability including products/completed operations, blanket contractual liability and a waiver of subrogation endorsements. Limits shall not be less than (a) bodily injury $1,000,000 each person and $3,000,000 each occurrence and (b) property damage $1,000,000 each occurrence, Auto Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence, Workers Compensation, if applicable, and Employer's Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000, but not less than statutory limits. All policies must be from good acceptable companies and Seller shall furnish Buyer with certificates, policy numbers and expiration of insurance maintained by Seller as evidence that such insurance is in force and Buyer, its parent and affiliated and subsidiary companies shall be named as an additional insured. Additionally, a waiver of subrogation in favor of the Buyer will be provided and noted on the certificate of insurance. Seller shall furnish certificates of all insurance required prior to the commencement of any work. The certificate shall require thirty (30) days’ notice to Buyer of cancellation of such insurance.
ASSIGNMENTS AND SUBCONTRACTING. No part of this Agreement may be assigned or subcontracted without prior written approval of Buyer.
WAIVER. The failure of either party to insist in any one or more instances upon strict performance of any of the provisions of this Agreement or to take advantage of any of its rights, shall not operate as a continuing waiver of such provisions or rights and shall not prevent such party from insisting upon such provisions and taking advantage of such rights in the future.
DELIVERY. Time is of the essence of this Agreement, and if delivery of goods or performance of services is not completed by the time promised, Buyer reserves the right without liability in addition to its other rights and remedies to terminate this Agreement by notice effective when received by Seller as to goods not yet shipped or services not yet performed and to purchase substitute goods or services elsewhere and charge Seller with any loss incurred. If in order to comply with Buyer's required delivery date it becomes necessary for Seller to ship by a more expensive way than specified in this order, any increased transportation costs resulting there from shall be paid for by Seller unless the necessity for such rerouting or expedited handling has been caused by Buyer. Title, possession and risk of loss of all Products sold hereunder shall pass to Buyer upon delivery of Products. If delivery is made F.O.B. destination, Seller is responsible for any taxes, duty, licensing, freight and other miscellaneous transportation expenses.
LIMITATION ON PURCHASER'S LIABILITY. In no event shall Buyer be liable for loss of anticipated profits or for incidental or consequential damages or penalties of any description. Buyer's liability on any claim of any kind for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with or resulting from this Agreement or from the performance or breach thereof shall in no case exceed the price allocable to the goods or services or unit thereof, which gives rise to the claim.
GOVERNING LAW; VENUE. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada applicable in such Province and this Agreement shall be treated, in all respects, as an Ontario contract. Each party agrees (i) that any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement may (but need not) be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario, and for that purpose now irrevocably and unconditionally attorns and submits to the jurisdiction of such Ontario court; (ii) that it irrevocably waives any right to, and will not, oppose any such Ontario action or proceeding on any jurisdictional basis, including forum non conveniens; and (iii) not to oppose the enforcement against it in any other jurisdiction of any order duly obtained from an Ontario court as contemplated by this section.
LANGUAGE. The parties hereto have expressly requested that this Agreement and all documents related thereto be drafted in the English language. Les parties aux présentes ont expressément requis que la présente convention et tous les documents y afférents soient rédigés en langue anglaise.
ACCEPTANCE -- AGREEMENT. Seller's commencement of work or shipment of the goods subject to this order, whichever occurs first, shall be deemed an effective mode of acceptance of this order. Any acceptance of this order is limited to acceptance of the express terms contained on the face hereof, this Exhibit A and any additional exhibits or schedules furnished by Buyer. Any proposal for additional or different terms or any attempt by Seller to vary in any degree any of the terms of this offer in Seller's acceptance is hereby objected to and rejected, but such proposals shall not operate as a rejection of this offer unless such variances are in the terms of the description, quantity, price or delivery schedule of the goods or services, but shall be deemed a material alteration thereof, and this offer shall be deemed accepted by Seller without said additional or different terms. If this order shall be deemed an acceptance of a prior offer by Seller, such acceptance is limited to the express terms contained on the face hereof and this Exhibit A. Additional or different terms or any attempt by Seller to vary in any degree any of the terms of this order shall be deemed material andare objected to and rejected but this order shall not operate as a rejection of the Seller's offer unless it contains variances in the terms of the description, quantity, price or delivery schedule of the goods or services.
TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE. Buyer reserves the right to terminate this order or any part hereof for its sole convenience. In such event, Seller shall, and shall cause any of its suppliers or subcontractors to immediately cease work pursuant to this order. Seller shall be paid a reasonable termination charge of a percentage of the order price reflecting the percentage of the work performed prior to the notice of termination, plus actual documented direct costs resulting from termination. Seller shall not be paid for any work done after receipt of notice of termination, nor for costs incurred by Seller's suppliers or subcontractors, which could reasonably have been avoided.
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. Buyer may terminate all or any part of this order for cause and without penalty if Seller fails to comply with any of the terms and conditions of this order, or if Seller ceases to conduct its operations in the normal course of business (including as a result of its inability to meet its obligations as they mature), or if any proceedings under the bankruptcy or insolvency law is brought by or against Seller, or a receiver for Seller is appointed or applied for or an assignment for the benefit of creditors is made by Seller.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION -- CONFIDENTIALITY -- ADVERTISING. Seller shall treat all information furnished by Buyer as confidential and shall not disclose any such information to any other person or entity, or use such information itself for any purpose other than performing this contract. This paragraph shall apply to drawings, specifications, or other documents prepared by Seller for Buyer in connection with this order as well as information that may be provided orally by Buyer or observed by Seller at Buyer's facility. Seller shall not advertise or publish the fact that Buyer has contracted to purchase goods or services from Seller, nor shall any information relating to the order be disclosed without Buyer's written consent.
WARRANTY. Seller warrants that the Products furnished under this agreement will (a) conform to Buyer's manufacturing standards, specifications, drawings, samples or descriptions furnished by Buyer, including but not limited to all specifications attached as exhibits hereto, (b) will be merchantable, of good quality and workmanship, free from defects for a period of twelve months or longer if specified in writing, and fit and sufficient for the intended use (c) will comply with all federal and state laws, regulations and ordinances pertaining to the manufacturing, packaging, labeling, sale and delivery of the Products (d) will be of good title to and be free and clear of all liens and encumbrances (e) will not infringe any patent, copyright or other intellectual property rights of any third party, and (f) have been produced, packaged, marked, labeled and will comply with all applicable governmental and regulatory requirements including, without limitation, the Food Additive Regulations of the Food and Drug Administration, Hazard Communications Standard (MSDS) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Ozone Depleting Chemical Restrictions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the CONEG Heavy Metal Restrictions and the California Proposition 65 Disclosure. Seller agrees to reimburse Buyer for any losses, costs, damages or expenses, including attorney's fees, arising from failure of the Products to meet such warranties. These warranties shall be in addition to all other warranties, express, implied or statutory, shall survive Buyer's payment, acceptance, inspection or failure to inspect the Products, and shall run to Buyer and its customers.
PRICE WARRANTY. Seller warrants that the net prices for Products sold to Buyer hereunder are not and will not be less favorable than the net prices Seller extends to any other customer for Products or products that are substantially the same in similar quantities and on similar terms. (In determining net prices extended to other customers, discounts, rebates, allowances, premiums, favorable payment terms and other benefits to the customers shall be taken into account.) If Seller reduces its prices to others for such goods during the Term, Seller will reduce the prices hereunder correspondingly as of the date of such reduction. Buyer's remedies for Seller's failure to reduce Buyer's prices when required by the foregoing shall include, without limitation, the rights to return the Products to Seller at Seller's expense, to purchase the Products or products that are substantially the same from another supplier thereof and reduce any quantities specified in this Agreement or any Other, and to reduce payment to or obtain a credit from Seller to the extent its prices to Buyer are not as favorable than the net prices extended by Seller to any other customer. Buyer's representatives shall have the right to audit the relevant records of Seller at times and with advance notice that are reasonable to determine whether the requirements have been satisfied.
CHANGES. Buyer shall have the right at any time to make changes in drawings, designs, specifications, materials, packaging, time and place of delivery and method of transportation. If any such changes cause an increase or decrease in the cost, or the time required for their performance, and equitable adjustment shall be made and this contract shall be modified in writing accordingly. Seller agrees to accept any such changes subject to this paragraph.
INSPECTION/TESTING. Payment for the goods and/or services delivered hereunder shall not constitute acceptance thereof. Buyer shall have the right to inspect such goods and/or services and to reject any which are in Buyer's judgment defective or nonconforming. Goods rejected and goods supplied in excess of quantities called for herein may be returned to Seller at its expense and, in addition to Buyer's other rights, Buyer may charge Seller all expenses of unpacking, examining, repacking and reshipping such goods. In the event Buyer receives goods whose defects or nonconformity are not apparent on examination, Buyer reserves the right to require replacement, as well as payment of damages. Nothing contained in this order shall relieve the Seller from the obligation of testing, inspection and quality control.
INSURANCE. Seller shall carry and maintain, at its expense, the following insurance with companies satisfactory to Buyer: Comprehensive General Liability including products/completed operations, blanket contractual liability and a waiver of subrogation endorsements. Limits shall not be less than (a) bodily injury $1,000,000 each person and $3,000,000 each occurrence and (b) property damage $1,000,000 each occurrence, Auto Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence, Workers Compensation, if applicable, and Employer's Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000, but not less than statutory limits. All policies must be from good acceptable companies and Seller shall furnish Buyer with certificates, policy numbers and expiration of insurance maintained by Seller as evidence that such insurance is in force and Buyer, its parent and affiliated and subsidiary companies shall be named as an additional insured. Additionally, a waiver of subrogation in favor of the Buyer will be provided and noted on the certificate of insurance. Seller shall furnish certificates of all insurance required prior to the commencement of any work. The certificate shall require thirty (30) day's notice to Buyer of cancellation of such insurance.
ASSIGNMENTS AND SUBCONTRACTING. No part of this order may be assigned or subcontracted without prior written approval of Buyer.
WAIVER. The failure of either party to insist in any one or more instances upon strict performance of any of the provisions of this contract or to take advantage of any of its rights, shall not operate as a continuing waiver of such provisions or rights and shall not prevent such party from insisting upon such provisions and taking advantage of such rights in the future.
DELIVERY. Time is of the essence of this contract, and if delivery of goods or performance of services is not completed by the time promised, Buyer reserves the right without liability in addition to its other rights and remedies to terminate this contract by notice effective when received by Seller as to goods not yet shipped or services not yet performed and to purchase substitute goods or services elsewhere and charge Seller with any loss incurred. If in order to comply with Buyer's required delivery date it becomes necessary for Seller to ship by a more expensive way than specified in this order, any increased transportation costs resulting there from shall be paid for by Seller unless the necessity for such rerouting or expedited handling has been caused by Buyer. Title, possession and risk of loss of all Products sold hereunder shall pass to Buyer upon delivery of Products. If delivery is made F.O.B. destination, Seller is responsible for any taxes, duty, licensing, freight and other miscellaneous transportation expenses.
GOVERNING LAW; VENUE. This contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Illinois, excluding its conflicts laws and the U.N. Convention on the International Sale of Goods, without the presumption or construction against the party preparing it. The parties acknowledge that substantial elements of performance of this contract will occur in Illinois and irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal and state courts of Illinois on any matters whatsoever arising out of or related to this contract and irrevocably waive any objection to venue or inconvenient forum. | 2019-04-21T00:37:41Z | https://earthchoicepackaging.com/EarthChoice/off-nav/Static-Content/Terms-and-Conditions.htm |
The Offa's Dyke Castles Alternative is a route from Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye that follows a line further east than the Offa's Dyke Path. It gives an excellent alternative to Days 17 and 18 of the End to End Trail, particularly if you have walked Offa's Dyke before and would prefer to follow a different route. The Castles Alternative was originally published by the Offa's Dyke Association in 1980, revised in 1987 and 1994, and the description is given below with their permission, with a few updates of my own (including minor updates to the foreword). The maps are the original ones from the Offa's Dyke Association booklet, scanned in and then amended where necessary, so my apologies for their presentation. I hope to get time to re-draw them at some point, but don't hold your breath. The maps appear a bit small when viewed from a browser, but if I make them any bigger, Internet Explorer 6 can't print them. Firefox doesn't have the same problem: it's to do with JPEG files not having an "actual size" stored in them I think, so the browsers make their own mind up when printing, and IE6 isn't very good at it (in my view). To get bigger maps, save them as separate images and print them whatever size you want with a graphics package. Copyright of the original text, maps and diagrams remains with the Offa's Dyke Association, and it may not be copied without permission.
This name is used to describe an alternative (not waymarked) to the official Offa's Dyke Path route between Monmouth and Hay-on-Wye. Existing rights of way are used, but although there is evidence that these paths are receiving increasing usage, the route is seldom as clear as the official route: care must therefore be taken to keep exactly to the route, especially near farmyards and when crossing gates and stiles. Remember to act responsibly when crossing farmland so that others walking this route in the future may be welcomed. This route misses out White Castle and the Hatterall Ridge, but these exceptions are amply compensated for by the castles at Skenfrith, Grosmont and Longtown and the spectacular Cat's Back Ridge above Llanveynoe, and by the use of generally higher and more interesting terrain. We think many walkers will enjoy this route and we hope that these notes and maps will make its following more practicable. The maps are diagrammatic and should be used with the accompanying notes and the relevant OS maps. We recommend the use of sheets 161 and 162 of the 1:50,000 OS Landranger maps (and a compass to help you use them!): the relevant 1:25000 Explorer sheets are OL14 - Wye Valley the Forest of Dean, 149 - Hereford and Ross-on-Wye, and OL13 - Brecon Beacons Eastern Area.
A route between Hay and Monmouth via the Border Castles is briefly mentioned in Frank Noble's early Offa's Dyke guide, and this was followed by his initial YHA groups in the early 1960s. The route was surveyed in 1975 by a team under the direction of Ernie and Kathy Kay, and a set of notes were published following survey. Mark Richards' guide includes maps of the 1975 survey route, from whihc this route deviates but little. Our thanks are extended to these three sources of much aid and advice.
John Allder, Iain Liddell, April 1980.
The following notes are a rewrite, based on a complete re-survey of the route, of the description worked out in 1980 by J.A. and I.L. This new survey was carried out by the undersigned during April to June 1987. Part of the route was also checked by Eve Tovey and her colleagues and they have produced the wet weather alternative which avoids the Cat's Back and Black Hill.
Kathy and Ernie Kay, June 1987.
And one more for the online edition, 2007!
I walked most of the route in 2002, and have updated the description and maps to bring them up to date as at that time. I haven't rechecked most of the route since, but it should still be more or less correct - email me if you find anything needs changing. The sections I haven't checked are the final part of the route into Hay, from the road below Hay Bluff (both routes), and the wet weather alternative route. These sections remain unchecked since the 1994 revision to the Offa's Dyke Association booklet.
Start at GR508129. From Agincourt Square, turn up Castle Hill (the lane to the left of Woolworth's store) - this leads to Monmouth Castle. Turn right behind Woolworth's and down steps to cross the River Monnow on a new bridge to reach playing fields. (N.b. this bridge is M.O.D. property and isn't dedicated to the public, i.e. it can be closed.) Head right along the river bank to the end of the next bridge - to Vauxhall Training Camp. N.b. should the first bridge be closed, the alternative street route (see map) is via Priory Street, Monk Street and Osbaston Road.
GR508134. Go through railings and right (i.e. over the bridge) to the road at the entrance to Vauxhall Training Camp. Go left along the road. (The map shows the alternative route by road from Agincourt Square to this point.) Note the old mill with the remains of a weir and leat on the left.
GR507136. Fork left (Forge Road) beside the river at the old weir; follow the road past all the buildings. At the end of the road go into the field and keep straight on to reach the river bank at a large weir. Follow the riverbank, crossing a small footbridge. Beyond a field with a couple of fruit trees in it (below a house), cross a stile into an orchard and turn right up its edge on a clear path, through an iron gate in front of a barn and out to the road by another iron gate.
GR501141. Head slightly left and across the road to take Manson Lane (footpath sign). Go through the gateway ahead into the field, then keep the field boundary on your left, to turn left (gap) well before the end of the field.
GR502144. Cross a sunken lane on the left by a broad track and continue downhill. Cross a stream. Go up a holloway and along the right edge of a field to its top - cross a stile in the corner and continue with woodland on your left. At the top of the field cross a stile a few yards to the right. Aim just right of both the crest of the next field and the barn visible ahead, then cross a fence on the right, by an electricity pole. Aim across the corner of the field to reach the Great Manson farm track by means of a gate just right of all the main farm buildings. Turn right up a track and left along a minor road.
GR499156. Follow the road to Old Shop and Moyle's Cross. (A potential alternative route marked on the OS map leaving the road at Old Shop on a track left of the cottage - not through its garden - was still not followable in 2002. It would, after 100 yards, continue on a shelf in woods just above fields on the left. It would then go through a gate and continue on a shelf at the edge of the field, and through a further gate to meet a surfaced drive. The upper fork then leads to the road; turn right to the junction at Moyle's Cross).
GR496175. Go over an iron gate ahead into a field; proceed with a hedge on your right. After two fields, cross the remains of a gate in a holloway in the right corner of the field. Climb the field, with a hedge on your right, then cut across left to a stile 50 yards left of the field corner. Cross and continue in the same direction with the hedge now on your right. Cross another stile in the next field corner and keep straight on, passing well to the left of the farm (Parkside), to go through a gate at the top corner of the large field.
GR485190. Cross the field at right angles to the high-voltage power lines and go to a gap at the furthest corner. (To reach Pembridge Castle continue on right of next field to a road, turn right and follow the road for 400 yards). To continue route to Skenfrith: Do not go through the gap, but swing left and contour across the right side of a large field, under power lines, to a large barn, reached at the end by going through a gate in the fence on your right 80 yards before the barn. Do not go through the gate just beyond the barn, but swing right downhill with a fence on your left. Near the bottom of the slope pass a restored house on your left (over a fence) and join its drive to cross the stream. Continue on this drive for 2/3 mile to Llanrothal, at the end of the drive (gate) turning right along the last few yards of road into what used to be Llanrothal Court farmyard but was, in 2002, being converted to housing. (Llanrothal Church - mediaeval - is just to the left along the road at this turn).
GR469189. Go straight on past the buildings (on your left), down a slope and straight across the field ahead (no visible path) to a stile in the middle of the opposite side. Cross and go half right in the next field, now on a clear path, and through a gap in a hedge. Continue in the same direction (north, parallel to the river) in the third field, still on a clear path, to join the bank of the River Monnow as it bends to the right. Follow the river to enter Daren Wood over a stile by a gate. The path is soon by the river again. At a sharp lefthand bend in the river cross a tributary stream on a footbridge. Continue along the bank of the Monnow, at first by the edge of the lawns of Sand House to a footbridge and stiles, then through meadows by the river for 2/3 mile into Skenfrith; there are stiles and footbridges where necessary.
GR459203. Cross a stile to the road at a sign ("Tregate Bridge 6.5km"), cross the bridge and enter the village, the Bell Inn on your left.
GR457202. Turn right at the castle (which should be visited), passing the church on your right and continuing on the road to Drybridge House after crossing a small stream.
GR453205. Turn right in front of Drybridge House and follow a surfaced lane ("No Through Road") towards Birch Hill Farm, with views to the River Monnow down to the left.
GR454213. In just over 1/2 mile, just before the first farm buildings, go right over a stile, then keep left. Cross two stiles through the garden, between the rightmost building and a pond, to a track, and descend to a stile above the riverbank, continuing in the field above the river. This bit is waymarked for Skenfrith (Three Castles Walk). The path descends almost immediately to a "footbridge" across nothing on its way into trees and a stile. Over this, cross a muddy patch on a boardwalk and then a stream. Then, keeping a hedge on your right, make directly for Trevonny Farm, visible ahead, through three fields.
GR444219. In the fourth field go on to a stile in the field corner, then continue, hedge now on your left, turning left on a track through a gate. This avoids Trevonny farm by following a permissive path, with the farm to your right. Turn left along the farm access road, past Box Farm to the B4347.
GR433218. Head right along the road for 350 yards, then go left at a junction just before a postbox. Soon you will pass White House Farm on your left. 300 yards from the junction (at the summit of the road) fork right uphill on a track (stile and iron gate), doubling back right immediately after the stile (not through the second gate straight ahead). Follow the track for about 40 yards, then at the first opportunity turn left off the track into the field above (footpath sign). Climb the field (no visible path), gradually converging with the line of trees to the right (on a bank). At the top corner of the field cross a stile in the fence (at the edge of the trees), and climb up right immediately onto the bank to follow a clear track along the top of it, with a fence on your right. A stile takes you into the corner of the next field: continue straight on, now with the fence and line of trees on your left. Cross a stile in the field corner then continue straight on (no visible path), cutting across the bottom of the next field to join a fence. Follow it, now with a wood on your left. A clear (but sometimes muddy) track appears at the next field corner. Follow the track straight on when the fence on the left turns away. A modern barn on your right is all that remains of Upper Graig Farm. Continue through a gate on a track to the far side of the next field.
GR416224. Go through the righthand of two gates then diagonally up right to a stile visible at the opposite corner of the field (keep left of the bottom end of a tongue of woodland). Cross it and head left along a farm track (this is soon enclosed). At a sharp lefthand bend the track begins to become surfaced.
GR409225. Turn right through (gate and stile) and straight on down a steep track. After 600 yards, the track bears sharp left, then descends past Barns farm. Keep straight on to the left of the main buildings and farmyard and follow the surfaced drive down, through a gate to the road beside a stream.
GR406241. Go left over the stream on a footbridge and up a steep path to Grosmont village; turn left up the road to the Market Hall.
GR405244. Continue on the main road through the village to the school, then turn left along the road signposted "Abergavenny 11". Continue for about 600 yards, then immediately beyond a large corrugated iron building to the right, cross a stile on the right into a field. Cross diagonally and over a stile (above a gate) to reach a green track below an orchard to the left; follow this until it fades out, then continue to a stile into the road just left of a house. Turn right and proceed down the road for about 150 yards.
GR396253. A path enters the second field on the left over a stile; head down the field to a gate in the middle of the hedge and continue down with a fence and holloway, with a stream on your right, to a gate at the end of the next field. Continue down to a gate, turning left just before it to follow a track along the bottom of the field. Cross a stile in the corner. Go half-left here to cross two more stiles into the corner of another field (ignore all the gates). Climb left to the top of the field to the right of another holloway. Using a large solitary tree as an initial bearing, descend to a narrow stile in a fence to reach the A465 just south of Llangua church.
GR389255. Cross the A465, go over stile then the River Monnow on an iron footbridge. Take the path trending left from the bridge past a meander in the river to an old gateway near the river, and diagonally right across a field to cross a railway (it is not easy to cross the track formation - take care) by stiles at the end of field. Proceed at a right angle to the railway with a small stream/ditch on your left. At some times of year you could find this field and the next hard to cross due to crops, as the right of way isn't walked much. Before the end of the field, cross the ditch and circle the right edge of a large field. 100 yards before you'd reach the railway again, go over a stile on the right. Cross a field to reach a stile crossing a hedge beside the railway embankment on the left (do not cross the railway via the gate to the left). Follow the embankment to a stile in the left corner of the next field. Head diagonally right across two fields - gate between - to Llancillo farm and cross the stream and stile below and to the left of the farm buildings to reach and go right on the farm drive.
GR368254. Cross a stile to the left of a barn to the left of the farmhouse and go up the field to Llancillo church, passing to the left of the motte. Go through the churchyard, over a stile and immediately another one across a small orchard. Continue along the lower edge of a field on a high terrace above a stream on the right for two fields, with a stile between them. Cross a small stream and go through a gate. Head up the centre of the field, making for a barn and tall tree on the horizon. Cross a stile by a gate to the right of a barn and keep a hedge on your left for two fields. At the end of the second field go over stile and footbridge: head diagonally right across the field to a gate into a road below and left of Arcadia farm.
GR356262. Turn right along the road, forking left just beyond the Arcadia farm buildings onto the drive leading to Upper House farm. Just before the farm, bear right over a gate and follow a sunken lane, keeping the farm on your left. Continue at the end of the track (stile) and through a field with a hedge on your right. Go through the gate ahead into a young plantation, still with the hedge on your right, then at the top of the plantation turn left, then right in 20 yards through an iron gate. Cross a field, keeping the hedge on your right to reach Pen-yr-Heol farm drive. Go left along the drive to the road: there are fine views towards Hatterall ahead and Skirrid half-left.
GR350268. Turn left along the road, and, after 150 yards, turn right up Trelandon farm drive. Turn left opposite the farmhouse and then right through two gates to pass round the left side of a newish barn. Continue up a farm track with a stream below on your right to reach a stile in the hedge. Cross and go straight on with a dry "valley" and fence on your right to a stile at the top of the field. Go straight on across the next field (footpath sign) to a stile, then across the next as well to join a hedge at a corner. Keep straight on, now with the hedge on your left.
GR338272. Follow the hedge round to the left, passing through a gate and then immediately right through a gap. Keep the hedge on your left for a few metres to another gate. Go through and descend (no path), keeping to the right side of the field. (Hatterall ridge is ahead, Longtown and Cat's Back are half-right). At the bottom of the field, a track is well-defined to the right of an outcrop. Head down the righthand edge of the next two fields and then through Garngaled farmyard (no longer lived in). Continue downhill slightly to the right (aim for the church seen below), and follow the lefthand side of the fields as you descend (waymarks, stiles and gates) to reach a gate left of a bungalow. Go through and down the right side of field to reach a gate and stile in a holloway. Go through the gate (ignore the stile to the right) and follow the track down to the road by the bridge at Clodock. Turn right along the road.
GR327275. Cross the bridge and turn right along the riverside path. Enter the churchyard by a stone stile (the first of many in the area, several of which are recycled headstones!), and leave by another. Follow the river bank by a garden and through one field into another, leaving the second field through a gate one field away from the river. Keep to the left of the hedge for one field, then cross a wide stile and go across the next field. Cross a stone stile into an orchard and turn left, crossing two stone stiles to reach a road.
GR327281. Cross the road bridge and immediately turn left over a stone stile into a field. Make for the corner of the hedge, initially following the river. Cross to other side of the hedge by a stile just beyond the corner. Go through four fields with a hedge on your left to reach the Pen Rhewr farm road. (To visit Longtown village turn right along the road to a T-junction. Turn left here for the post office and shop, 300 yards away, or right for the pub).
GR324285. Cross the road and go through two iron gates. Pass a sewage works, cross a field in the same direction and cross a stile. Cross the centre of a field to the far corner above the river. Go through a gate, down a slope by the river and cross a stile in a hedge on a concrete slab. Turn right, at first with a hedge to your right, then across the corner of a field in the same direction, and down to a stile by a gate into a lane.
GR321288. Turn right uphill on a lane past a stone barn on your right, and, about 40 yards beyond this, turn left along a hedged track. At a farmhouse, turn right and follow a lane below the ramparts of Longtown Castle (on your left) to join a road just right of the church, shop and Outdoor Education Centre.
GR322291. Turn left along the road, with the castle to your left, through the "Roman" camp to leave Longtown with a new school on your left. Follow the road for 1/2 mile to Perthi-Pertion, with cottages on each side of the road.
GR318297. Beyond the house, and before a new bungalow on the left, turn left at the second footpath sign pointing left (through a gate into a field), and head away from the road at an angle of 60 degrees (bearing 290 degrees). Pass through the lower of two iron gates. Follow the top (right) side of a field to join a surfaced lane over a stile. After 20 yards, go through an iron gate ahead. Go forward on a roughly surfaced track through trees to another gate, then turn right before the gate, on a track with a fence on your left, parallel with the drive to Lower House Farm. Cross a stile in a fence and continue in the same direction in the edge of a deciduous wood, with a ditch and fence on your left. Leave the wood at a gate and continue along an old sunken grassy lane with a fence now on your right and the farmhouse now below you on the left. Descend to cross a stile near the farmhouse, and follow the path down the slope to reach a footbridge over the River Olchon.
GR309303. Cross the footbridge and turn right, keeping between the holloway and stream as far as a waterfall, where you bear slightly left and cross a wooden stile in a fence. Follow the left side of the field, cross a stile in a fence ahead, then swing right away from the farm, descending to recross the River Olchon by a footbridge. Cross the corner of the field to the left, heading upwards to cross a stile. Climb and cross the next field, aiming for the lower edge of a group of trees on the far side, where you cross a stile to reach a slightly sunken green track. Where this track bends right, cross the stile into the corner of a field and climb diagonally, heading to the right of Llanveynoe church. (Celtic crosses and other antiquities make St Beuno's worth a visit).
GR304313. Leave the field at a gate and turn L along the road. Take the right fork at Papillon Cottage and follow the minor road to its end at a farm.
GR295324. Go through the gate straight ahead; after 20 yards (wet) go through another gate on the left. Climb up through trees to cross a stile at the top of them, cross a small field to cross another stile by a gate into more woodland. Follow a rising track through the trees. Keep right at the top of the wood to cross a stile into a field corner. Follow a path along this narrow field to reach a minor road: follow this to the right for 150 yards to reach a car park and picnic site. (See below for the "bad weather" route).
GR288328. Cross the stile by the car park onto the hill. Aim half left upwards onto and over the rocky top of the Cat's Back Ridge, keeping to the right of the ridge as it broadens and eventually reaching the trig point on Black Hill.
GR275348. Bearing slightly left keep to the top of the ridge (Crib y Garth) until the head of the Olchon valley is reached on the left. (N.b. in wet conditions the path rising from the Olchon valley may be followed to here.) Trend right and make for the main north-south ridge (compass bearing 300 degrees), rising gradually all the time and keeping near the right edge, overlooking the valley to the east.
GR253359. Reach the main north-south ridge just north of a 100-foot drop bearing the route used by most Offa's Dyke Path walkers off Hatterall Ridge by Llech y Lladron (The Robber's Stone), a rock outcrop on the left. (Just before this you cross the official Offa's Dyke Path route - paved along this stretch - which makes it's way towards Hay to your right. It crosses the shoulder of Hatterall Ridge, passes the source of the River Monnow and descends the east face of Hay Bluff by a rhiw (a narrow grooved path), crossing two streams and traversing the heathland at the right edge of gorse bushes to meet the Gospel Pass road. This route is, however, little used as most ODP walkers proceed to Hay Bluff). You, on the other hand, should swing right and continue in as straight a line as the peaty morass will allow to reach the summit of Pen-y-Beacon (Hay Bluff).
GR244367. Swing right and then left down a rhiw descending the northwest edge of the bluff: at a group of rocks go sharp right and down a track leading to the Gospel Pass road adjacent to the car park. Turn right along the road for 400 yards to where the ODP rejoins from the right.
GR240377. This point marks the end of the Castles Alternative route - the Offa's Dyke Path via Cadwgan may now be followed into Hay-on-Wye. However, there is also the alternative former ODP route via Hay Common into Hay. Both of these are described below.
This is the former official ODP route via Hay Common.
GR240377. After going 400 yards along the road, 100 yards before a road junction, go down a track on the left to reach a T-junction of roads below. Go forward on the green track beside the road opposite (or on the road itself). Go forward on the road over the cattle grid and immediately take the right fork.
GR230397. In 1 1/4 miles (at a point with fine views to Hay) the road bends sharp left at Pen-yr-Henallt. In a further 1/4 mile, at a horseshoe bend in road, where it swings right for the second time, go over a stile to the left of a gate on the left and go forward by a line of old trees, soon passing a long barrow to your left (an exposed stone chamber). Near the end of the field swing right to a stile by a cattle trough in a dingle (beware of going too far down to the right). Over a stile, go up and immediately over another stile into the wood. This leads into a field: go straight across, contouring, through a small patch of wood, across an arm of a field, into another larger wood.
GR224403. Cross a boggy area and swing right downhill at a large tree. Head out into the field, pass a cottage (ruined) through a gate to the right, then go left then right round the field to a stile by a gate in the hedge on the left. Go down across the field heading for Hay Church seen in the valley ahead; down left of slope with bracken and gorse, then at the bottom this leads to an enclosed track. Follow the right side of the next field, soon swinging to the right with an iron fence to the right. Where the track swings left by a confluence of small streams, go through the gate below (not the kissing gate to the field above). This soon leads to a footbridge and down a dingle, crossing and recrossing the stream. Follow the track down to the B4350 and follow this right into Hay town centre.
GR240377. Continue down the road for a further 1/4 mile.
GR240382. Where a wall leaves the road to the left, fork left along an ill-marked track across grass midway between the wall and road.
GR238395. Nearly a mile further on, the track converges on a wood and goes through a gate into a sunken track. Ford a stream, then pass Cadwgan farm on your left.
GR237397. Beyond the farm, go down the lane and cross a stile on the right, heading diagonally across to the lower side of the field just R of an old incomplete hedge boundary. Take the track sloping down steeply to the right, then swing left and go down to cross a stile into a lane just right of Upper Dan y Fforest farm. Turn left, then immediately right over a stone stile. Continue straight down over three more stiles, with a stream to your right, then go right over a stile and footbridge. Turn left and continue with a stream on your left to a stile and road.
GR237409. Turn left along the road for about 400 yards, then cross a stile on the right. Go diagonally left across the field to a stile in the corner, and forward to Cusop Dingle, with Dulas Brook on the right. Go through a gate, over a footbridge, and continue with the main stream on your right. The path continues straight on through kissing gates, with the buildings of Hay visible ahead. The final kissing gate leads to a narrow alley right of a car park.
GR233423. Reach the B4348 opposite the castle at Hay-on-Wye.
GR288328. ...from the car park cross the stile and follow the well-defined track along the foothills.
GR278357. A track on the right soon leads down to reach Craswell road and the Bull's Head public house, but your route is ahead through a gate - the enclosed track can be very muddy. There are several streams and no bridges, but the track is easily negotiable. Continue in a north-westerly direction along the track through fields and wooden gates. After the 8th gate keep straight ahead at a crossing of tracks.
GR267364. Cross a stream, bear right along a wider path which swings left ot continue northwest (a lane on the right leads back to the Bull's Head). Keep right after passing through a gate near a sheep pen on the right.
GR262366. There is no footbridge, but the ford is easy to negotiate (as is another at GR258368). Cross open land keeping within a short distance of the wire fence on the right. When this fence turns sharply right keep straight ahead - there is no single clear path.
GR243375. A short distance after passing old some quarries on the right, the path is joined by the Offa's Dyke Path coming off Hatterall Ridge.
GR240377. In 1/4 mile the Gospel Pass road is reached and either of the two routes described above can be followed into Hay.
These notes describe briefly some of the buildings to be seen on the route. Many have their own guides or are described in more detail in standard guides to the area.
Pembridge Castle is an example of a small, private border castle. It was held by the Wake family up to the 14th century, and then by the Mortimers. The earliest feature is the northwest tower which is early 13th century. The gatehouse and curtain wall are late 13th century.
Llanrothal, now only a farm near the Monnow, was once a village and still has a church with a Norman nave and also 13th century features. Only the east end is in use.
The route includes two of the Castles of the Trilateral, held by the Duchy of Lancaster as a check to the growing power of the Lords Marcher. The third (White Castle) is on the Offa's Dyke Path north of Llantilio Crosseny.
Skenfrith Castle was probably built by the Justiciar, Hubert de Burgh, 1219-1232, and then passed to the Crown at his fall. The castle has a moat fed by the Monnow, a curtain wall with a simple gate and drum tower, and in the middle a round three-storey keep on an earlier motte, late 11th century or early 12th century.
Skenfrith Church is early English, has a perpendicular tower with a timbered belfry and contains some good woodwork inside.
Grosmont Castle is mentioned in 1182 but the earliest masonry is early 13th century, comprising the Great Hall and the curtain wall to the southwest of it. Hubert de Burgh built the gatehouse and three four-storey drum towers, 1220-1240. Further apartments were built c1330, including the elaborate chimney, and a drawbridge was added to the gatehouse, from which the pit survives.
Grosmont was a corporate borough until 1860, is the centre of a complex road network, and has a little town hall with an open market area at ground level. The church, which is large and much of which is now unused, is cruciform with a south chapel funded by Henry III's queen, and has an octagonal tower with a spire.
Llancillo has Norman work in the church, whose chancel has tufa quoins. The mound has traces of a shell keep.
Clodock has a church with Norman nave and chancel arch, and 17th century woodwork including a 3-decker pulpit. The watermill retains the large wheel of 1868 and other machinery.
Longtown, the ancient borough of Ewyas Lacy, was the centre of the de Lacies' territory until 1240. There are references to the borough in the 13th century. The church dates nowadays mostly from 1868, but has a Decorated E window and a timber chancel roof of 1640. It was built as a borough chapel because the parish church was too distant. The market place is in front.
Longtown Castle may be the earliest round keep in England, being late 12th or early 13th century. It stands on an earlier Norman motte, the whole occupying one side of a large rectangular area of uncertain date (Roman? Saxon?), part of which was adapted to form an inner and outer bailey, with a cross wall with gatehouse between.
Llanveynoe church is of predominantly recent building, but it contains carved panels, probably 11th century, of a crucifixion and a cross with inscriptions. | 2019-04-24T09:12:20Z | http://longwalks.org.uk/oldsite/castlesalternative.html |
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Ten years ago I went on a quest to become an expert on coffee and to sample as many different ways of making it and as many different varieties that existed. I tried everything from the French Press to the Coffee Siphon, Hawaiian Kona to Jamaican Blue Mountain. But unsatisfied with mere coffee, I went on a quest to find out how to use chemicals to enhance my mind. It had its roots in old high-school days when I'd bring a sixpack of Jolt cola to a computer-programming marathon: cramming together study halls and lunch breaks in my senior year. The nootropics of that era were caffeine, sugar, cortisol, dopamine, epinephrine and norepineprhine, and the last four in that list were all natural hormones my body was making itself.
The first "smart drug" I heard about was Modafinil, which was described as a pill that could let you stay awake without fatigue for 48 hours, sleep for 8, and then repeat the experience again indefinitely. Modafinil can do that under the right circumstances, but it turns out that it was not a drug that would turn you into a superthinker overnight. "Moda" was to be just one of many substances I'd experience firsthand.
Take apart the word "Nootropic" and you get fragments of Greek words that mean "affecting the mind", but the word is used to label drugs that affect the brain in what we expect is a good way. Each of the drugs described below will have a physiological effect, and my list does not cover substances that bear no published or firsthand evidence of such.
Some of the drugs described below are dangerous and can kill you.
You must not take them until you have seen a doctor for a physical exam and a psychiatrist for a mental health exam. Both exams are important: one of the drugs below affects homeostasis and can kill someone who isn't in good physical condition. Others affect the production of neurotransmitters, and if you have a mental illness such as depression then they can exacerbate the disease or interfere with its treatment.
The first drugs on our list are commonly regarded as basic nutrients or dietary supplements and aren't harmful. The list will then progress to the stronger substances that I've tried.
I haven't been paid by any of the companies mentioned in this article, but the Amazon links do pay me a percentage. The advertising accompanying this site is Google's AdSense. Where I've listed a retailer to purchase from, it means I have bought that drug from them for personal use.
A critical nutrient, the lack of which leads to mental retardation. It isn't typically included in lists of smart drugs, but it needs to be for two good reasons. The first is that iodine deficiency is responsible for more unrealized intellect worldwide than any other nutritional factor, and populations with poor nutrition can be 10 or 15 IQ points behind the average. The second is that even in western nations you can have an iodine deficiency and not know it. Most westerners get their iodine from iodized salt and enriched flour, But if you prefer to use non-iodized flour or salt for cooking, and you live in an area with low soil iodine levels, then you may not be getting enough.
Iodine is part of the process of making thyroid hormones, and it's here that a deficiency leads not only to retardation but also to goiter. Iodine also acts as an antioxidant (one of the first in biological history--its presence in early blue-green algae made it possible for them to produce oxygen without poisoning themselves in the process, and led to Earth having an oxygen-rich atmosphere).
There are no subjective sensations from consuming recommended doses of iodine.
If you are not using iodized salt or enriched flour, then you and your children need to take iodine supplements. Most once-a-day multivitamin pills contain plenty, but check the label because some don't.
Every morning or with a meal.
Used to treat alcoholics and sleep-apnea patients with memory loss, as it helps to rebuild neurons--particularly those in the mamillary bodies of the hypothalamus in the brain.
Nope, but if you take an overdose you may feel nausea.
Pork and yeast have the highest natural concentrations, but most of us get it from cereals (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) In pill form, you can find it in any supermarket or drugstore's nutritional supplements aisle.
All are unregulated in the United States and sold over-the-counter as nutritional supplements. You're unlikely to find them in nutrition stores like GNC or Vitamin World, but all variants are easily found for sale on the Internet.
The differences between the varieties come down to whether they are fat soluble or not, which affects how easily they cross the blood-brain barrier. To you, the matter is not of effectiveness but of convenience. Piracetam is water soluble and extremely cheap ($20 buys a large tub of Piracetam powder, of about 500 doses worth, and which dissolves easily into any beverage), but Oxiracetam and Pramiracetam are fat soluble (add cream to your drink before you dissolve them, if you bought powered forms) and proportionately more effective. Whichever you chose you will get the same bang for the buck.
The racetams are also called cognitive enhancers, but this is a subjective term used when advertising them. Studies of the drug have only tested for, and revealed improvements to memory.
Recetams are currently considered to be risk free, hence their unregulated status. There are no immediate negative side effects, and--at the time of writing--no studies have exposed any long-term negative side-effects.
If you buy a tub of oxiracetam powder and take a teaspoonful, it'll probably have the taste and texture of sugar. But buy it from a reputable source and you won't have been ripped-off. There is a patented method for manufacturing drugs in a form that resembles and tastes like sugar. Piracetam in powdered form tastes like nasty sugar, so try mixing it with chocolate milk or a citrus drink.
You may experience a slight buzz 30 minutes to an hour after taking your first high dose (2,000mg of piracetam), but this will soon go away. If you take piracetam regularly then this sensation will rarely ever return, even with higher doses. The real effect of the racetams is on learning.
Some users experience headaches while taking racetams, which can be eliminated by supplementing with Choline (described below).
Users have recommended taking a quadruple-dose 30 minutes before a study session, then taking regular doses every 2-4 hours afterward. Piracetam's suggested regular dose is 800mg (one pill, but check). I have not experienced any side-effects after doses of 3,200mg at one time, but remember that Aniracetam and other formulations are more potent and require lower dosages. The 'racetam family haven't been proven effective as a daily supplement, so their usage ought to be restricted to study sessions specifically.
A memory enhancer, and the most basic of a class of substances called cholinergics. Choline is an essential nutrient that you get in your diet already, particularly from eggs, fish and chicken. Your body uses it in at least two places: cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The first role has been found important for pregnant and post menopausal women, since pregnancy and low estrogen levels can drain the body's choline reserves. Its second role in neurotransmitters is what makes it a possible nootropic, since a 1975 study found that increased choline intake resulted in higher levels of acetylcholine in the brain, and acetylcholine is believed to be involved in the formation of memories.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, it bridges the gap between synapses when they're ready to "fire"
Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that "cleans up" acetylcholine, removing it from the synapse to reset it. Ie: it's anti-acetylcholine.
Rosemary, sage and marijuana are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. For that matter, so is nerve gas and some types of snake venom. Mild inhibitors such as Huperzine A are being used to treat Alzheimer's disease, as it's suspected that the inhibition of the neurotransmitter stimulates nerve growth--a little bit like how you need to tear down muscle with exercize in order to make the body grow it back stronger.
Some users of the racetam family of drugs experience headaches that can be relieved by taking a choline supplement, and there is also subjective reports that it potentiates racetams (makes them more effective).
If you chose to supplement with choline, don't take too much of it or you'll soon have an embarrassing body-odor problem. Choline is also a precursor to trimethylamine, the chemical produced by decomposing fish that give them their distinctive smell. Your body has the ability to break-down trimethylamine when you consume choline in normal quantities, but overdosing on choline can overwhelm this process.
No, although choline can eliminate headaches caused by other nootropics such as piracetam.
Choline is naturally found at high concentrations in eggs. It's also found in an emulsifier called lecithin, which can be derived from either soy or eggs. Many processed foods use lecithin to prevent the oils in emulsions like chocolate and peanut butter from separating. Another popular form of choline is Choline Bitartrate, which is cheap, or CDP Choline, which is more expensive but better quality.
No more than 500 milligrams, taken as either a daily supplement (watch out for fishy-BO), or at the same time as your first dose of Piracetam.
Is bunk. It's still marketed as a memory enhancing herbal supplement, but its banner test case--Alzheimer's--turned up squat. Other findings conducted on healthy adults and published in JAMA also concluded that the supplement has no effect on long-term memory.
An IQ booster. Creatine is already very popular with bodybuilders, and this makes it extremely easy and cheap to obtain. There are dozens of manufacturers and it's sold everywhere that dietary supplements are. It occurs naturally in your body and improves the supply of energy to your muscles. It has been found safe in doses of up to 20 grams per day, but there are known problems in those with kidney and liver disease, as well as those with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Add to that its tendency to increase the production of formaldehyde with long-term use. Its popularity with bodybuilders comes from giving them the ability to do more in a workout, leading to an increase of muscle tissue.
Its nootropic effects come from its effect on the production of Adinosine Triphosphate--the chemical energy that drives cellular activity. This makes it a type of stimulant, and in studies it was found to improve results in tests of fluid intelligence, which is the ability to find meaning in confusion, draw inferences, make symbolic connections, and solve problems. This is compared to crystalized intelligence, such as when you learn how to add, or tie your shoelaces. These studies were performed on vegetarians in order to isolate the effects of the supplement with natural creatine in meat.
Creatine supplements come in two chemical forms: Creatine monophosphate and Creatine ethyl ester. The latter, CEE, is supposed to have higher absorption rates and half-life, but there haven't been any studies that bear this as true. In fact, the addition of the ethyl group appears to hasten its breakdown and instability, meaning that you're better off with the monophosphate variety.
You may notice that you have more energy when you exercise 30 minutes after taking a dose of creatine. If you're taking creating for nootropic effect, you should combine it with exercise such as walking or running in order to experience the stimulant effect.
Creatine is a supplement that can be taken daily. Take two 750mg capsules two to three times per day.
Is a stimulant as well as a memory enhancer. It's a chemical variant of vitamin B1, and the crucial difference is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier better than conventional B1 (thiamine). The B-family of vitamins tend to be stimulants because of their role in the metabolism of stored energy, and the more sensitive you are to stimulants such as caffeine, the more sensitive you're likely to be to the B vitamins, including Sulbutiamine.
It's sold over-the-counter in powder form. It's better to get it in pill form, if you can, for it has a bitter taste and is hard to mix with drinks without making them taste nasty.
Note: The nutritional supplement company Fast 400 has been selling Sulbutiamine as Sublutiamine, apparently a typo that they haven't fixed. It is the same substance, however.
You might feel more energetic, especially if you combine it with light exercise. If you take a dose higher than 500mg you may experience nausea or upset stomach.
I've noticed an increasing trend to pull pure Sulbutiamine off the market and retail it as a cocktail instead. The following are where I've purchased pure Sulbutiamine in the past, and Your Results May Vary.
As needed for a stimulant.
A memory enhancer first used to treat Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia in the elderly. There's been a rush to raid the Alzheimer medicine cabinet, lately, in the hopes that what will make the senile keep their memory will make the healthy get even smarter, Centrophenoxine is the poster child of this movement. The chemical itself is a compound made from one naturally occurring substance--dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE)--and one synthetic, which is parachlorophenoxyacetate (pCPA). Exactly how it improves memory isn't known, but there are two leads: 1) it's a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and may increase levels of it in the brain, and 2) it removes lipofuscin deposits in the brain and skin.
Lipofuscin on the skin lead to "liver spots", while its build-up in the brain is suspected to be behind the "plaques" that are observed in brain tissue samples taken from Alzheimer's patients. The theory for Alzheimers is that the lipofuscin clogs ion channels on the surface of nerve cells, preventing the movement of potassium through these channels and degrading memory and cognition in the process.
Centrophenoxine gave the author mild nausea when it was taken on an empty stomach, but not when taken with food. Avoid it completely if you suffer from high blood pressure or epilepsy. It's available over-the-counter from nutritional stores, but usually only those on the Internet. Like with the racetams and Sulbutiamine, I have not seen it in main-street nutrition stores.
Centrophenoxine's benefit comes from preventative maintenance. Take 250 to 500mg per day in the morning with breakfast.
Now we're cooking with gas. Modafinil was first prescribed to narcoleptics to help them stay awake during the day, and then used by the Navy and Air Force to help pilots stay alert on long missions. Modafinil keeps you awake and alert, has an effectiveness that spans up to 8 hours, increases the capacity of your working memory, and is the closest thing you can get to the fictional NZT-48 from the movie Limitless. It remains prescription-only in the United States, and any US resident would need to either obtain a prescription from a doctor, or purchase it from a foreign supplier.
Modafinil increases the level of dopamine in the brain, and is therefore potentially addictive. I will go out on a limb to say I've not developed an addiction to it, in spite of taking it frequently, but this is only my experience. Do not take Modafinil if you have cirrhosis of the liver or heart disease, and do not mix it with alcohol.
Because this list is given in order of increasing risk, I'll point out that Modafinil is our turning point between unregulated "nutritional supplements" and drugs that are powerful enough to stay behind the counter. From Modafinil and onwards in this list, you will not want to take these if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have not received a physical exam from a doctor in the past year.
As yet, few side effects are known that would threaten your health. But since 1998, the FDA has seen several cases of dermatologic (skin) reactions to Modafinil, some severe enough to require hospitalization. I have only experienced mild headaches and stomach discomfort, however.
Modafinil is broken down by the liver enzyme CYP 3A4, and 3A4 itself is inhibited by the naturally occurring chemicals found in grapefruit juice. Doctors who prescribe Modafinil therefore warn their patients against drinking grapefruit juice while they're on the medication (and as it happens, many other drugs are broken down by 3A4 and are similarly affected). Given that Modafinil has low overdose potential, the author tried deliberately taking it with grapefruit juice but did not perceive a change in effect.
Modafinil can promote wakefulness without the jitters of caffeine, and under the right conditions can let you stay awake for 48-hours without feeling excessively sleepy. But taking it doesn't mean you'll suddenly be fatigue-free and spend the next two days wide awake; Modafinil--used as a nootropic--helps those who already have a good sleep pattern. The author was not able to dispatch sleep by popping a few pills, but he was able to perform and concentrate superbly under its influence for hours at a time.
Take about 100mg for every 100lbs of body weight, anything less and you won't feel much of a difference. If you take the right dose then in about an hour you'll start to feel a subtle buzz, like someone swapped the battery in your brain with one that has a higher voltage. Take the first dose in the morning, and--if necessary--a second dose in the afternoon. While some have used it to pull all-nighters, you can't use it to eliminate sleep--there's no drug which can do that. Nor should you take it every day for nootropic use, because your body will adjust and require higher doses to get the same effect. My practice is to use it no more than once a week on a day that I've set aside for an important project.
If you want to take it for nootropic effect then don't take it when you feel tired, because while it will lift you out of your stupor it will just be an expensive way to get the same effect as a nap and a cup of coffee.
Modafinil is far and away the superior alertness drug, but it is expensive. A 30x100mg package of Progivil will cost around US$175, while the licensed brand Alertec is at least $140. The author has recently tried a cheaper generic brand called Modalert with excellent results, at $130 for 80 x 200mg. This brand is manufactured in India and it does not use the exact same formulation as Provigil--a difference that affects the rate at which it's absorbed into the bloodstream. As such, slightly higher doses are required for the same effect.
Beware of firms that advertise prices significantly lower than the above, because you will probably not get the real thing. Since Modafinil is in extremely high demand, with would-be-superheroes willing to get it from almost anywhere, there are a lot of scam operations in business trying to take your money and sell you sugar. The author has purchased from the sources listed below and can vouch for them.
Domestic generic modafinil should become available in 2012, but this is only after generic drug makers contested Cephalon's patents that cover both modafinil itself and its formulation as a drug. It may not go truly generic until 2015.
Adrafinil is Modafinil lite, but specifically a prodrug that your body will metabolize into Modafinil in vivo. It's both cheaper than Modafinil and unregulated in the United States, but you have to take a much larger dosage to get the same effect. Being unregulated doesn't mean it's available over-the-counter at your local drugstore, though; you'll still need to order it over the Internet.
Adrafinil is also harder on your liver than Modafinil is, since your liver has to convert it into Modafinil before it can have an effect. In my experience, Adrafinil is disappointing: you can take a huge dose, feel little effect, and wonder if your eyes are going to turn yellow as a consequence.
Cephalon has also introduced a similar drug called Nuvigil (Armodafinil), which is the right-hand enantiomer of Modafinil--another way of saying it's Modafinil's sister, or what you get when the molecule is flipped back-to-front like a mirror image. Many drugs fit into this class called stereoisomers, where the drug molecule comes in "left hand" and "right hand" shapes. Sometimes the two enantiomers have the same physiological effect in the body, and when the patent is due to expire on the "left hand" version the Pharmacy company patents and begins selling the right-hand version. The popular heartburn medicine Prilosec (Omeprazole), for example, has an identically functioning twin sister called Nexium (Esomeprazole), but while you can now get generic Omeprazole OTC, Nexium is still a patented drug sold by prescription.
And this is what Armodafinil is. So far it seems to have the same effect as Modafinil, but the looming 2012 availability of generic Modafinil has spurred Cephalon to market Armodafinil (Nuvigil) as a "better" version for a broader range of ailments (including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia).
Yes, you will. Oh boy will you notice it. First time users will feel significantly more alert, like "my mind is a laser beam" alert. Some notice its effect in retrospect, after they realize they've just consumed a few books and papers in one afternoon.
About 2-3 hours after taking a dose of Modafinil you will also notice a change in the odor of your urine--somewhat like the odor after eating asparagus. This is normal and caused by the sulphur metabolites of the drug when your body breaks it down.
However, if you take it too frequently (every day), then the effect will diminish until you don't notice or benefit from it anymore.
Your doctor, by prescription. It's prescribed for Shift-Work Sleep Disorder, so you may qualify if you work nights.
MyModafinilDR.com - Probably the best place to obtain Modafinil without a prescription. The company is based in the US, but the product ships from Mumbai, India. The brand they carry is ModAlert, which is significantly cheaper than Alertec or Provigil. I received my order from this company 7 days after placing it and the product appears to be genuine. MyModafinil claim that they will re-ship any order that gets confiscated by Customs.
Biogenesis Antiaging - A South-African company that sells Provigil and Alertect brands without a prescription and will ship to the US, although it'll take a couple of weeks. So far, none of my shipments (4 and counting) have been stopped at the border, but Biogenesis claims that they will reship it at least once if it gets confiscated.
Not more than twice a week in doses of 200mg or less. I have tried taking big doses (400mg at once, and 200mg in the morning followed by 200mg at noon) without any substantial effect. If you want to march for 48 hours then you need to take a bodyweight-appropriate dosage every 18 hours.
Moda is for when you need it. It's not a supplement. Your body will get used to it and then the next "wake-me-up" dosage will just cost you more.
Windows and Linux were written by geeks chugging Pepsi and Mountain Dew, but the Saturn V and the Lunar Lander were designed by engineers puffing on cigarettes. Nicotine is a stimulant that can increase concentration. To insects it's a poison (the tobacco plant produced it because it killed herbivorous bugs). It can be absorbed through the lungs by smoking tobacco or it can be absorbed through the skin by chewing nicotine gum (most of the nicotine is absorbed through the cheeks and tongue, just as with chewing tobacco) or by wearing a nicotine patch.
The effects of smoking on your health are well discussed outside of this article, so I'll focus on its mental effects: Nicotine can cross the blood-brain barrier very easily--about seven seconds from the first puff--and binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on nerve cells. One consequence of this is the increase of dopamine in the brain that brings about a sensation called a "buzz". It induces the liver into releasing glucose, providing a sense of increased energy, and it stimulates the adrenal gland into producing epinephrine (adrenaline). Then there is the major metabolite of nicotine called cotinine, which is being investigated under the speculation that it has an effect on cognition, too.
Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter that activates skeletal muscle cells, making them flex. But because of a single amino-acid difference between brain-cell acetylcholine receptors and muscle-cell receptors, nicotine will activate brain cells without activating muscle cells. That's a difference between life and death, for if it did activate muscle-cell acetylcholine receptors then nicotine would kill with a mechanism similar to the way nerve gas works. Now you know how tobacco plants deploy their own insecticide: insects don't have this difference, and the nicotine in tobacco plants kills them.
With cigarettes you'll have a choice of regular or mentholated. The addition of menthol increases the half-life of nicotine in the bloodstream because it inhibits the oxidization and glucose breakdown of the drug by the enzyme CYP 2B6, similar to the way the components of grapefruit juice inhibit CYP 3A4 and extend the half-life of modafinil.
Besides cigarettes there are now chewing gums, patches, and battery-powered false cigarettes that deliver nicotine via steam, but these are not like a "Get Out Of Cancer Free" card.
My experience with cigarettes is that they do not contribute much towards mental powers, not enough to justify their use. I entertained the thought that the "buzz" could be beneficial for rare--once-a-year problems that require intense concentration to crack--but there doesn't seem to be any advantage over a good night's sleep followed by a fresh cup of coffee.
Yes, nicotine will give you a noticeable buzz and this is the primary reason for smoking cigarettes. This buzz will wane if you become a regular user, until you don't experience it anymore.
In general "never" is how often because of its addictiveness, additives, and nature as a carcinogen. Outside of that, nicotine's value as a stimulant appears to work best when you are working on a difficult problem that matters. This is strictly Your Judgement, Your Risk.
These drugs can also function as cognitive boosters, but have not been tried by the author.
Both are amphetamine stimulants--and Schedule II controlled drugs--that are prescribed for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It also has extensive use off-label as "focus in a pill", the "study drug", or a drug that makes it easier to concentrate and stay awake.
For nootropic use by students looking to ace their exams, it should be taken 30 minutes before a study session, and the study session should replicate the kind of environment they expect to be in when they take their exam. IE: At the same time of day, similar lighting conditions, sitting with the same posture, and with no distractions. On the day of the exam the student would need to take another dose of Adderall 30 minutes before the exam starts in order to settle into the same mood and state of attention they were in when studying. It's the matching of mood and environment that makes it easier to recall the material.
Addrall, being a stimulant, can cause heart attacks in people with a history of heart disease and seizures in people who have a history of seizures--sufficient that one should think twice about taking it recreationally, even if you don't think you have a medical problem. There are also a large number of adverse drug interactions with Adderall, particularly antidepressants.
If that wasn't enough, some of the effects of long-term use of Adderall are coming to bear. Scientific American has published an article citing evidence of cognitive decline. Heavy users of the stimulant who suddenly discontinue taking it will also find themselves "falling off a cliff" into extreme fatigue and depression.
This turns on the tape-recorder in your brain. It's also the most dangerous nootropic in the list because it interferes with homeostasis. Desmopressin is a synthetic analogue to the natural hormone vasopressin, which not only acts as a vasoconstrictor (shrinking the diameter of blood vessels) but also affects the hypothalamus and vastly improves memory formation. For nootropic use you need the nasal spray as to absorb the drug through the nasal membrane closest to the brain. Its effect is almost instantaneous and its users tend to take it immediately before lectures, conferences, and study periods. The effect can last for several hours and tends to leave one with a stronger recollection of the material studied while under its influence.
Having too much water in your bloodstream can lead to electrolyte imbalance, and in severe cases this is called hyponatremia, or "water poisoning"
Hyponatremia is difficult to treat. If your doctors cannot control the rebalancing of your electrolytes, you may experience central pontine myelinolysis--nerve damage to the central pons area of the brain stem, which regulates autonomic functions such as breathing. Heart failure is also possible.
Use Desmopressin irresponsibly and you'll enjoy the rest of your life in an iron lung, unless you die before they can hook you up to one. If you remember the "Hold your wee for a Wii" contest held by a radio station, where a woman held her bladder for so long she died, know that she died of hyponatremia--the same malady that can be caused by the wrongful use of this drug.
If you were to take Desmopressin then you must avoid heavy exercise and the excessive consumption of liquids for at least 6 hours afterwards. Do not drink sport drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. Drink only when thirsty and only until you're no longer thirsty.
Desmopressin costs about $25 for a nasal spray bottle containing enough liquid for 6-7 doses, and is available over the Internet without a prescription from suppliers such as Biogenesis Antiaging. For nootropic use, hold your breath while you administer about 2 squirts per nostril, then breathe in through your nose. You may experience a runny nose and sneezing, but this is normal and will go away. The author has also experienced a mild buzz immediately after use that diminished after a few minutes.
Desmopressin should not be used more than once a week. It isn't a supplement and it won't make you smarter. It's what you would take before you have to study and memorize material that doesn't lend itself to memorization easily, such as a lecture.
In many ways, this drug is the opposite of alcohol. Booze makes you pee and forget things, while Desmopressin restricts urine production and makes you remember everything, and the mechanisms for each are strikingly similar. Alcohol is a vasodilator: it makes your blood vessels expand and encourages the kidneys to remove more water from your blood. But you would be a fool--perhaps a dead fool--if you were to mix the both in hopes to get the fuzz of alcohol without the side-effects.
Unlikely, its effect is on learning and memory retention. However, if you took it and then guzzled lots of sports drinks then you'll soon experience headache, nausea, confusion, lethargy and other symptoms. If you experience any of those symptoms then call an ambulance and hope they know how to treat water poisoning.
Immediately before studying or attending a lecture. Never more than once a week. Never before heavy exercise. Never before drinking alcohol or lots of fluids. This is not a nutritional supplement, it is a drug and it's dangerous.
Are these "Brains in a pill"?
None of these drugs, nor any other kind of drug, can make you smart on their own. They are just like the protein supplements and amino acids sold to bodybuilders: they can't make you strong, only exercise can do that, but the idea is that the right nutrition combined with the right exercise will make you stronger than the exercise alone.
Taking these drugs and then vegging-out in front of TV will only turn you into a dope who knows a lot about TV. They will only work to make you smarter, or remember more material, or hold your focus longer if you combine them with study and mental exercise.
A "stack" should be restricted to what's sensible to take on a daily basis, no matter what you plan to do each day. Never add stimulants and memory enhancers to a daily stack: your body will acclimatize to them too quickly so that their effect drops to zero. Adding caffeine, racetams and modafinil to a daily stack will erase their effectiveness after only a few days, making every pill after that a waste of money. Only take those substances on special occasions.
The responsible use of "smart drugs"
Sport drinks, dietary supplements and amino acids are safe and acceptable chemicals used by athletes and fitness enthusiasts every day with no ill effects or moral hazard. They improve health and physique, if simply because humans are animals of a chemical origin with chemistry at the heart of our basic functions. In the above I've covered everything that I've personally used myself, and all but cigarettes and Desmo should be considered on the same level as what you'll find in a GNC or Vitamin World store on any street in America.
Some substances that are otherwise safe are banned in sports competition because they confer an unfair advantage. Modafinil happens to be one of them because it can improve endurance. In competition we certainly should ban these substances if the point is to discover the natural excellence of man. But nootropics are different. If you are dying of a disease and the cure was invented by a doctor under the influence of any of the above substances, then it would be quite absurd to bring up fairness of competition. Life isn't a competition, and it isn't a zero-sum game. | 2019-04-19T18:54:51Z | http://www.thinkinginanutshell.com/nootropics |
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(a) Misprints/Errors: The Canada Drives Companies endeavour to provide current and accurate information on Websites and in communications relating to your applications and orders for Products and Services, but misprints, errors, inaccuracies, omissions (including incorrect specifications for Products and Services) and other errors may sometimes occur. Each Canada Drives Company reserves the right to correct any misprint, error, inaccuracy or omission at any time without prior notice or liability to you or any other person, and to change at any time Products and Services advertised on Websites, the prices, fees, charges and specifications of those Products and Services, any promotional offers and any other Website content, all without any notice or liability to you or any other person. If you submit an order for a Product or Service for which incorrect information was displayed on a Website, the relevant Canada Drives Company will provide you with a reasonable opportunity to cancel your order.
(b) Availability: Products and Services advertised on a Website may not be available when ordered or any later time. If you order a Product or Service that is not available, the relevant Canada Drives Company will notify you by email. The Canada Drives Companies reserve the right in their discretion to refuse or cancel any order you submit and to limit quantities available for sale or sold.
(c) Prices: All prices and other amounts appearing on a Website are quoted in Canadian dollars, unless expressly indicated otherwise. The Canada Drives Companies reserve the right to change prices advertised on a Website at any time. The total price of your order will include the price of the ordered Products and Services plus all applicable taxes and delivery and handling charges. The price, applicable taxes and charges will appear on the completed order, and will be charged to your credit card or other payment method when your order is accepted.
(d) Orders: The advertisements on Websites are invitations to make offers to purchase and are not offers to sell. Your properly completed and delivered application or order constitutes your offer to purchase the Products and Services referenced in the application or order. Your application or order will be deemed accepted by the relevant Canada Drives Company when the relevant Canada Drives Company confirms that your application or order has been accepted.
You are solely responsible and liable for obtaining, provisioning, configuring, maintaining, paying for, and protecting from loss and damage, all equipment (including compatible computing devices), software (e.g. Internet browser and PDF reader software) and services (including Internet access and mobile data services) necessary for your use of your Account, Products and Services. The Canada Drives Companies are not obligated to provide technical support, but may do so in their discretion. Your use of that technical support is governed by these Terms.
For greater certainty, electronic communications (including text messages) that you send to or receive from a Canada Drives Company may be subject to standard message and data rates charged by your service providers, and you are solely responsible and liable for payment of those charges.
The Canada Drives Companies are not obliged to monitor your use of your Account, but reserve the right to do so in their discretion (including for the purposes of administering the Account and providing Products and Services, quality assurance and training, verifying compliance with these Terms and compliance with applicable laws) without notice or liability to you or any other person.
If you give feedback (including ideas or suggestions for enhancements or improvements) about a Website or a Product or Service to a Canada Drives Company, then each Canada Drives Company and its licensors may use and commercialize the feedback in any way and for any purpose without providing any compensation to you or any other person.
You authorize each Canada Drives Company to: (a) accept communications it receives from you by means of your Account or by email as if those communications had been given directly by you in writing and signed by you; (b) disclose your communications to its service providers and to any other Canada Drives Company; and (c) respond to your communications through your Account, a Website, by email or other means of communication. Communications you send to a Canada Drives Company are not effective unless and until they are actually received and processed by the Canada Drives Company’s responsible representative. A Canada Drives Company may refuse to process any communications that you send to the Canada Drives Company, or may reverse the processing of any communications that you send to the Canada Drives Company, at any time in its discretion, and without notice or liability to you or any other person, if the Canada Drives Company believes the communication to be fraudulent or unlawful or defective, inaccurate or incomplete due to a technical malfunction.
Copyright © 2016. Canada Drives Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Products and Services, the technologies and data used to provide Products and Services and all related proprietary rights (including copyright) are owned solely by the Canada Drives Companies and their licensors and are protected by Canadian and international intellectual property laws. Your purchase or use of a Product or Service does not transfer to you any right, title or interest in, to or associated with the Product and Service or any related technologies and data or any related intellectual property rights.
A Canada Drives Company may provide a referral to an independent business, such as a car dealer, lender or credit card provider (each a “Referred Business”), and Websites and communications from a Canada Drives Company may include advertisements for products or services (including cars, car loans or other financing, extended car warranties, insurance, roadside assistance services, personal loans, credit building services and credit cards) offered by a Referred Business (each a “Referred Product/Service”). Those referrals and advertisements do not guarantee that a Referred Product/Service will be offered or available to you as indicated or at all, or that you will qualify to purchase or receive a Referred Product/Service. The availability of a Referred Product/Service is within the discretion of the relevant Referred Business (not the Canada Drives Companies) and will be subject to the terms and conditions specified by the Referred Business (not by the Canada Drives Companies).
Referred Businesses are independent from the Canada Drives Companies, and the Canada Drives Companies do not have any control over, and are not responsible or liable for, any Referred Business or any Referred Product/Service. Each Referred Business will provide its Referred Products/Services subject to a separate agreement between you and the Referred Business, and the Canada Drives Companies are not parties to that agreement or any related transaction between you and the Referred Business. Your dealings with Referred Businesses and your use of a Referred Product/Service are at your own risk, and you will not make any claim against any Canada Drives Company arising from, connected with, or relating to your dealings with a Referred Business or any Referred Product/Service.
For your convenience, Websites and communications sent by a Canada Drives Company may provide links or references to Internet sites or resources operated by independent persons (collectively “Linked Sites”). Linked Sites are independent from the Canada Drives Companies, and the Canada Drives Companies do not endorse, and have responsibility or liability for or control over, any Linked Site, any products, services or content available through a Linked Site or the collection of your personal information through a Linked Site or by the owner or operator of a Linked Site. Your use of a Linked Site and your dealings with the owner or operator of a Linked Site are at your own risk, and you will not make any claim against any Canada Drives Company arising from, connected with, or relating to your use of a Linked Site, your dealings with the owner or operator of a Linked Site or any product, service or content available through a Linked Site.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ARE MADE AVAILABLE AND PROVIDED TO YOU ON AN “AS IS”, “AS AVAILABLE” AND “WITH ALL FAULTS” BASIS AND WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR GUARANTEES OF ANY NATURE OR KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, OR ARISING FROM CUSTOM OR TRADE USAGE OR BY ANY COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING ANY REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR GUARANTEES OF OR RELATING TO ACCURACY, CAPACITY, COMPLETENESS, DELAYS, DURABILITY, ERRORS, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, LACK OF NEGLIGENCE, VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENT, INTERRUPTED SERVICE, MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, PERFORMANCE, RESULTS, QUALITY, TIMELINESS, TITLE OR WORKMANLIKE EFFORT, ALL OF WHICH ARE HEREBY WAIVED BY YOU AND DISCLAIMED BY EACH CANADA DRIVES COMPANY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW; AND NO REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR GUARANTEES WILL BE CREATED BY ANY ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, PROVIDED BY OR ON BEHALF OF ANY CANADA DRIVES COMPANY.
DISCLAIMER FOR LINKED SITES, REFERRED BUSINESSES AND REFERRED PRODUCTS/SERVICES: WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF ANY OTHER DISCLAIMER, YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION OF LINKED SITES, REFERRED BUSINESSES AND REFERRED PRODUCTS/SERVICES TO ACHIEVE YOUR INTENDED RESULTS, AND YOU ACCESS, DEAL WITH, PURCHASE AND USE LINKED SITES, REFERRED BUSINESSES, AND REFERRED PRODUCTS/SERVICES AT YOUR OWN RISK. CANADA DRIVES GROUP DOES NOT MAKE OR GIVE ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, CONDITION OR GUARANTEE OF ANY NATURE OR KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, OR ARISING FROM CUSTOM OR TRADE USAGE OR BY ANY COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, REGARDING ANY LINKED SITE, REFERRED BUSINESS OR REFERRED PRODUCT/SERVICE. CANADA DRIVES GROUP DOES NOT CONTROL, AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR, ANY LINKED SITE, REFERRED BUSINESS OR REFERRED PRODUCT/SERVICE.
TECHNOLOGY DISCLAIMER: WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF ANY OTHER DISCLAIMER, WEBSITES, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MAY BE AFFECTED BY NUMEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND CANADA DRIVES GROUP’S CONTROL, AND MAY NOT BE CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED OR SECURE. WEBSITES, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MAY ALSO BE SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS, DELAYS, AND OTHER PROBLEMS INHERENT IN THE USE OF THE INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS. CANADA DRIVES GROUP IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DELAYS, DELIVERY FAILURES OR OTHER DAMAGE OR LOSS RESULTING FROM THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, LIMITATIONS, DELAYS OR OTHER PROBLEMS.
LIABILITY EXCLUSION: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CANADA DRIVES GROUP BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR LIABILITY (INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES) ARISING FROM, CONNECTED WITH OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR ANY RELATED MATTER, UNDER ANY THEORY (INCLUDING CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, STATUTORY LIABILITY OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LAW), REGARDLESS OF ANY NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER FAULT OR WRONGDOING (INCLUDING FUNDAMENTAL BREACH OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE) BY OR ON BEHALF OF CANADA DRIVES GROUP, EVEN IF OTHER REMEDIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR DO NOT ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR THE LOSS, DAMAGE AND LIABILITY AND EVEN IF CANADA DRIVES GROUP KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE POTENTIAL LOSS, DAMAGE OR LIABILITY BEING INCURRED.
INDEMNITY: YOU WILL DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS CANADA DRIVES GROUP FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, COSTS, EXPENSES (INCLUDING LEGAL FEES), CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, DEMANDS, ACTIONS, SUITS, PROCEEDINGS, OBLIGATIONS AND LIABILITIES (INCLUDING SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS) ARISING FROM, CONNECTED WITH OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF A PRODUCT OR SERVICE OR YOUR NEGLIGENCE, MISCONDUCT OR BREACH OF THESE TERMS. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, CANADA DRIVES GROUP RETAINS THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEFENSE OF AND SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO ANY THIRD PARTY CLAIM, COMPLAINT, DEMAND, ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING WITH COUNSEL OF THEIR OWN SELECTION AT THEIR SOLE COST AND EXPENSE.
DEFINITION: IN THESE TERMS, “CANADA DRIVES GROUP” MEANS EACH CANADA DRIVES COMPANY AND EACH OF ITS LICENSORS, SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, SHAREHOLDERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND REPRESENTATIVES, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY.
RESERVATION: THE LAWS IN SOME JURISDICTIONS PROHIBIT OR LIMIT THE DISCLAIMER OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN LIABILITIES AND REMEDIES, AND SO THE DISCLAIMERS, EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS IN THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS MIGHT NOT APPLY TO YOU.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE ALLOCATION OF RISK SET OUT IN THESE TERMS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN YOU AND THE CANADA DRIVES COMPANIES AND AN INDUCEMENT TO THE CANADA DRIVES COMPANIES TO PROVIDE YOU WITH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
These Terms as they apply to you will continue in full force and effect unless and until you cease using all Products and Services, and in those circumstances these Terms will continue to apply and be binding regarding your access to and use of Products and Services before termination and all related matters (including any related dispute).
The termination of these Terms will not terminate any other agreement between you and any Canada Drives Company or any other person (including a Referred Business).
The Canada Drives Companies have their head offices in Vancouver, British Columbia. These Terms, Products, Services and all related matters are governed by, and will be construed and interpreted solely in accordance with, the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada and applicable federal laws of Canada, excluding any rules of private international law or the conflict of laws that would lead to the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
Except as expressly set out below, and unless applicable law requires otherwise, all disputes, controversies and claims arising under, out of, in connection with, or in relation to these Terms, Products, Services or any related matter will be referred to and finally resolved by binding arbitration administered by ICDR Canada in accordance with its Canadian Arbitration Rules. The number of arbitrators will be one. The place of arbitration will be Vancouver, British Columbia. The language of the arbitration will be the English language. If ICDR Canada is not operative, the arbitration will proceed ad hoc and be governed by the Arbitration Act (British Columbia).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Canada Drives Company may commence legal proceedings against you in the courts of any jurisdiction seeking injunctive relief (or similar urgent legal remedies) to enforce these Terms or to protect the Canada Drives Company’s rights and interests.
Miscellaneous: These Terms are binding on you and your heirs, executors, administrators, successors and personal representatives. These Terms are for the benefit of Canada Drives Group. No consent or waiver by a Canada Drives Company to or of any breach of these Terms by you will be effective unless in writing and signed by the Canada Drives Company or will be considered to be a consent to or waiver of a continuing breach or any other breach by you. The rights and remedies of Canada Drives Group under these Terms are cumulative and not exhaustive or exclusive of any other rights or remedies to which Canada Drives Group may be lawfully entitled under these Terms or at law, and Canada Drives Group may pursue any and all rights and remedies concurrently, consecutively and alternatively. You will not assign or transfer these Terms or any of your rights and obligations under these Terms without the express prior written consent of Canada Drives, which consent may be withheld in Canada Drives’ discretion. Each Canada Drives Company may, without your consent, assign its rights and obligations under these Terms. If any provision of these Terms is held by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable or invalid for any reason, then the provision will be deemed severed from these Terms and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect unless as a result of the severance these Terms would fail in their essential purpose.
Notices: Each Canada Drives Company may deliver notices to you by email or postal mail to any of the addresses that you provide to any Canada Drives Company (including when you register for an Account or when you apply or submit an order for a Product or Service). You are solely responsible for ensuring that your email and postal addresses on file with each Canada Drives Company are and remain current and correct, and you will promptly give notice to each Canada Drives Company of any change to your email or postal addresses.
Force Majeure: Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms or any Additional Terms and Conditions, a Canada Drives Company will not be liable for any delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations under these Terms or any Additional Terms and Conditions to the extent performance is delayed or prevented due to any cause or causes that are beyond the Canada Drives Company’s control, any delay or failure of that kind will not be deemed to be a breach of these Terms or any Additional Terms and Conditions by the Canada Drives Company, and the time for the Canada Drives Company’s performance of the affected obligation will be extended by a period that is reasonable in the circumstances.
Interpretation: In these Terms: (a) a reference to “Terms” refers to these General Terms of Service as a whole, and not just to the particular provision in which those words appear; (b) headings are for reference only; (c) words importing the singular number only include the plural, and vice versa; (d) “person” includes an individual, corporation and any other legal entity; (e) “including” or “includes” means including or includes (as applicable) without limitation or restriction; (f) “law” includes common law, equity, statutes and regulations; and (g) “discretion” mean a person’s sole, absolute and unfettered discretion.
Testimonials: Testimonial advertisements used by Canada Drives reflect personal experiences of those who have used our products and/or services in some way or another, however the customer details have been changed to protect our customer's identity. Results do vary and the testimonials are not necessarily representative of all of those who will use our products and/or services.
If you have any questions or comments regarding these Terms, please contact Canada Drives’ customer care at [email protected].
IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT AND AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEN YOU MAY NOT REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT OR APPLY OR SUBMIT ORDERS FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE. | 2019-04-19T16:55:11Z | https://www.canadadrives.ca/general-terms-service |
Apr. 9 5:41 PM PT6:41 PM MT7:41 PM CT8:41 PM ET0:41 GMT8:41 5:41 PM MST6:41 PM CST7:41 PM EST4:41 UAE (+1)02:4120:41 ET7:41 PM CT23:41 - Jordan Clarkson scored 16 points Tuesday on 7-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Charlotte Hornets 124-97. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -14 in his 23:01 of playing time. Clarkson went 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Apr. 7 1:36 PM PT2:36 PM MT3:36 PM CT4:36 PM ET20:36 GMT4:36 1:36 PM MST2:36 PM CST3:36 PM EST0:36 UAE (+1)22:3616:36 ET3:36 PM CT19:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored two points Sunday on 1-of-8 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the San Antonio Spurs 112-90. Clarkson did not grab a rebound nor have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -24 in his 25:18 of playing time.
Apr. 6 9:17 PM PT10:17 PM MT11:17 PM CT12:17 AM ET4:17 GMT12:17 9:17 PM MST10:17 PM CST11:17 PM EST8:17 UAE06:170:17 ET11:17 PM CT3:17 - Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points Friday on 4-of-15 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors 120-114. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of 0 in his 32:24 of playing time. Clarkson went 2 of 6 from behind the arc.
Apr. 4 8:16 PM PT9:16 PM MT10:16 PM CT11:16 PM ET3:16 GMT11:16 8:16 PM MST9:16 PM CST10:16 PM EST7:16 UAE (+1)05:1623:16 ET10:16 PM CT2:16 - Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points Thursday, going 9 of 13 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Sacramento Kings 117-104. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -13 in his 31:28 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Apr. 1 8:33 PM PT9:33 PM MT10:33 PM CT11:33 PM ET3:33 GMT11:33 8:33 PM MST9:33 PM CST10:33 PM EST7:33 UAE (+1)05:3323:33 ET10:33 PM CT2:33 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Monday, going 8 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Phoenix Suns 122-113. Clarkson grabbed six rebounds and had three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +4 in his 32:34 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Mar. 30 2:08 PM PT3:08 PM MT4:08 PM CT5:08 PM ET21:08 GMT5:08 2:08 PM MST3:08 PM CST4:08 PM EST1:08 UAE (+1)22:0817:08 ET3:08 PM CT20:08 - Jordan Clarkson scored 26 points Saturday, going 11 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 132-108. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +6 in his 24:07 of playing time. He added two steals.
Mar. 28 6:58 PM PT7:58 PM MT8:58 PM CT9:58 PM ET1:58 GMT9:58 6:58 PM MST7:58 PM CST8:58 PM EST5:58 UAE (+1)02:5821:58 ET7:58 PM CT0:58 - Jordan Clarkson scored 10 points Thursday, going 4 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs 116-110. Clarkson grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +3 in his 21:00 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from 3-point range.
Mar. 26 5:49 PM PT6:49 PM MT7:49 PM CT8:49 PM ET0:49 GMT8:49 5:49 PM MST6:49 PM CST7:49 PM EST4:49 UAE (+1)01:4920:49 ET6:49 PM CT23:49 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Tuesday on 7-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics 116-106. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and dished out five assists, tallying a plus-minus of +2 in his 29:54 on the floor. He tacked on one steal.
Mar. 24 3:07 PM PT4:07 PM MT5:07 PM CT6:07 PM ET22:07 GMT6:07 3:07 PM MST4:07 PM CST5:07 PM EST2:07 UAE (+1)23:0718:07 ET4:07 PM CT21:07 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Sunday on 7-of-16 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 127-105. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 34:31 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from 3-point range.
Mar. 22 6:38 PM PT7:38 PM MT8:38 PM CT9:38 PM ET1:38 GMT9:38 6:38 PM MST7:38 PM CST8:38 PM EST5:38 UAE (+1)02:3821:38 ET7:38 PM CT0:38 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Friday, going 9 of 19 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 110-108. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +5 in his 33:22 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 10 from 3-point range.
Mar. 20 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET0:40 GMT8:40 5:40 PM MST6:40 PM CST7:40 PM EST4:40 UAE (+1)01:4020:40 ET6:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points Wednesday on 9-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 107-102. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +9 in his 32:03 on the floor. He added two steals. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from 3-point range.
Mar. 18 5:35 PM PT6:35 PM MT7:35 PM CT8:35 PM ET0:35 GMT8:35 5:35 PM MST6:35 PM CST7:35 PM EST4:35 UAE (+1)01:3520:35 ET6:35 PM CT23:35 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Monday on 6-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 126-119. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -14 in his 27:22 on the floor.
Mar. 16 7:02 PM PT8:02 PM MT9:02 PM CT10:02 PM ET2:02 GMT10:02 7:02 PM MST8:02 PM CST9:02 PM EST6:02 UAE (+1)03:0222:02 ET8:02 PM CT1:02 - Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points Saturday, going 6 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Dallas Mavericks 121-116. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 30:25 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
Mar. 14 5:29 PM PT6:29 PM MT7:29 PM CT8:29 PM ET0:29 GMT8:29 5:29 PM MST6:29 PM CST7:29 PM EST4:29 UAE (+1)01:2920:29 ET6:29 PM CT23:29 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Thursday, going 6 of 18 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Orlando Magic 120-91. Clarkson grabbed four rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 26:45 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from behind the arc.
Mar. 12 5:37 PM PT6:37 PM MT7:37 PM CT8:37 PM ET0:37 GMT8:37 5:37 PM MST6:37 PM CST7:37 PM EST4:37 UAE (+1)01:3720:37 ET6:37 PM CT23:37 - Jordan Clarkson scored 13 points Tuesday, going 5 of 20 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 106-99. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +1 in his 30:14 on the floor. Clarkson struggled from 3-point range, missing all eight of his attempts.
Mar. 11 5:29 PM PT6:29 PM MT7:29 PM CT8:29 PM ET0:29 GMT8:29 5:29 PM MST6:29 PM CST7:29 PM EST4:29 UAE (+1)01:2920:29 ET6:29 PM CT23:29 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Monday, going 5 of 11 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Toronto Raptors 126-101. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +18 in his 30:46 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 3 of 7 from 3-point range.
Mar. 8 7:25 PM PT8:25 PM MT9:25 PM CT10:25 PM ET3:25 GMT11:25 8:25 PM MST9:25 PM CST10:25 PM EST7:25 UAE (+1)04:2522:25 ET9:25 PM CT2:25 - Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points Friday on 6-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Miami Heat 126-110. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -11 in his 28:46 of playing time. Clarkson went 6 of 10 from 3-point range.
Mar. 6 6:14 PM PT7:14 PM MT8:14 PM CT9:14 PM ET2:14 GMT10:14 7:14 PM MST8:14 PM CST9:14 PM EST6:14 UAE (+1)03:1421:14 ET8:14 PM CT1:14 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Wednesday, going 5 of 11 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 113-107. Clarkson pulled down seven rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +6 in his 26:06 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 3 of 5 from behind the arc.
Mar. 3 4:24 PM PT5:24 PM MT6:24 PM CT7:24 PM ET0:24 GMT8:24 5:24 PM MST6:24 PM CST7:24 PM EST4:24 UAE (+1)01:2419:24 ET6:24 PM CT23:24 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Sunday on 5-of-9 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 107-93. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +20 in his 26:37 of playing time. Clarkson went 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Mar. 2 3:34 PM PT4:34 PM MT5:34 PM CT6:34 PM ET23:34 GMT7:34 4:34 PM MST5:34 PM CST6:34 PM EST3:34 UAE (+1)00:3418:34 ET5:34 PM CT22:34 - Jordan Clarkson scored 11 points Saturday on 4-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Detroit Pistons 129-93. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -16 in his 23:12 on the floor. He added two steals.
Feb. 28 6:24 PM PT7:24 PM MT8:24 PM CT9:24 PM ET2:24 GMT10:24 7:24 PM MST8:24 PM CST9:24 PM EST6:24 UAE (+1)03:2421:24 ET8:24 PM CT1:24 - Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points Thursday, going 7 of 13 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the New York Knicks 125-118. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +4 in his 28:57 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 3 of 8 from behind the arc.
Feb. 25 5:32 PM PT6:32 PM MT7:32 PM CT8:32 PM ET1:32 GMT9:32 6:32 PM MST7:32 PM CST8:32 PM EST5:32 UAE (+1)02:3220:32 ET7:32 PM CT0:32 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Monday, going 8 of 18 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 123-110. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +1 in his 28:29 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
Feb. 23 5:41 PM PT6:41 PM MT7:41 PM CT8:41 PM ET1:41 GMT9:41 6:41 PM MST7:41 PM CST8:41 PM EST5:41 UAE (+1)02:4120:41 ET7:41 PM CT0:41 - Jordan Clarkson scored five points Saturday on 2-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-107. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 21:47 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Feb. 21 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT0:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Thursday, going 5 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Phoenix Suns 111-98. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had five assists, tallying a plus-minus of +2 in his 23:46 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Feb. 13 6:30 PM PT7:30 PM MT8:30 PM CT9:30 PM ET2:30 GMT10:30 7:30 PM MST8:30 PM CST9:30 PM EST6:30 UAE (+1)03:3021:30 ET8:30 PM CT0:30 - Jordan Clarkson scored 42 points Wednesday on 16-of-34 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 148-139 in triple overtime. Clarkson pulled down eight rebounds and had five assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -10 in his 47:32 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Clarkson went 7 of 17 from behind the arc.
Feb. 11 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Monday on 6-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks 107-104. Clarkson pulled down six rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -2 in his 27:59 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 8 from behind the arc.
Feb. 9 5:27 PM PT6:27 PM MT7:27 PM CT8:27 PM ET1:27 GMT9:27 6:27 PM MST7:27 PM CST8:27 PM EST5:27 UAE (+1)02:2720:27 ET7:27 PM CT23:27 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Saturday, going 8 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers 105-90. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had six assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -3 in his 31:16 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from behind the arc.
Feb. 8 5:31 PM PT6:31 PM MT7:31 PM CT8:31 PM ET1:31 GMT9:31 6:31 PM MST7:31 PM CST8:31 PM EST5:31 UAE (+1)02:3120:31 ET7:31 PM CT23:31 - Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points Friday, going 6 of 18 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Washington Wizards 119-106. Clarkson pulled down six rebounds and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -5 in his 31:41 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
Feb. 5 5:18 PM PT6:18 PM MT7:18 PM CT8:18 PM ET1:18 GMT9:18 6:18 PM MST7:18 PM CST8:18 PM EST5:18 UAE (+1)02:1820:18 ET7:18 PM CT23:18 - Jordan Clarkson scored seven points Tuesday on 2-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics 103-96. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -14 in his 26:38 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
Feb. 2 6:15 PM PT7:15 PM MT8:15 PM CT9:15 PM ET2:15 GMT10:15 7:15 PM MST8:15 PM CST9:15 PM EST6:15 UAE (+1)03:1521:15 ET8:15 PM CT0:15 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Saturday, going 7 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Dallas Mavericks 111-98. Clarkson pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -10 in his 30:41 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Jan. 29 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 28 points Tuesday on 10-of-15 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Washington Wizards 116-113. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 29:15 on the floor. Clarkson went 6 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 27 10:12 AM PT11:12 AM MT12:12 PM CT1:12 PM ET18:12 GMT2:12 11:12 AM MST12:12 PM CST1:12 PM EST22:12 UAE19:1213:12 ET12:12 PM CT16:12 - Clarkson (illness) will play Sunday in Chicago.
Analysis: The Cavs' leading scorer with 16.5 points per game, Clarkson has averaged 11.6 points and shot 35.5 percent overall and 25.8 percent from 3-point range in his last five contests.
Jan. 27 2:07 PM PT3:07 PM MT4:07 PM CT5:07 PM ET22:07 GMT6:07 3:07 PM MST4:07 PM CST5:07 PM EST2:07 UAE (+1)23:0717:07 ET4:07 PM CT20:07 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Sunday on 8-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Chicago Bulls 104-101. Clarkson grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists, tallying a plus-minus of +6 in his 21:55 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Jan. 25 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Jordan Clarkson scored six points Friday on 3-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Miami Heat 100-94. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of -12 in his 27:18 on the floor. He tacked on two steals.
Jan. 23 6:35 PM PT7:35 PM MT8:35 PM CT9:35 PM ET2:35 GMT10:35 7:35 PM MST8:35 PM CST9:35 PM EST6:35 UAE (+1)03:3521:35 ET8:35 PM CT0:35 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Wednesday, going 6 of 14 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics 123-103. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 22:25 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
Jan. 21 11:36 AM PT12:36 PM MT1:36 PM CT2:36 PM ET19:36 GMT3:36 12:36 PM MST1:36 PM CST2:36 PM EST23:36 UAE20:3614:36 ET1:36 PM CT17:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Monday, going 4 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Chicago Bulls 104-88. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 19:51 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson struggled from behind the arc, missing all five of his attempts.
Jan. 19 8:27 PM PT9:27 PM MT10:27 PM CT11:27 PM ET4:27 GMT12:27 9:27 PM MST10:27 PM CST11:27 PM EST8:27 UAE05:2723:27 ET10:27 PM CT2:27 - Jordan Clarkson scored 13 points Saturday on 5-of-12 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Denver Nuggets 124-102. Clarkson grabbed four rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -21 in his 23:27 of playing time. Clarkson went 3 of 8 from behind the arc.
Jan. 18 7:38 PM PT8:38 PM MT9:38 PM CT10:38 PM ET3:38 GMT11:38 8:38 PM MST9:38 PM CST10:38 PM EST7:38 UAE (+1)04:3822:38 ET9:38 PM CT1:38 - Jordan Clarkson scored 13 points Friday, going 4 of 13 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Utah Jazz 115-99. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of -3 in his 31:19 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Jan. 16 8:21 PM PT9:21 PM MT10:21 PM CT11:21 PM ET4:21 GMT12:21 9:21 PM MST10:21 PM CST11:21 PM EST8:21 UAE05:2123:21 ET10:21 PM CT2:21 - Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points Wednesday on 9-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 129-112. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -4 in his 29:10 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Jan. 13 8:06 PM PT9:06 PM MT10:06 PM CT11:06 PM ET4:06 GMT12:06 9:06 PM MST10:06 PM CST11:06 PM EST8:06 UAE05:0623:06 ET10:06 PM CT2:06 - Jordan Clarkson scored nine points Sunday, going 4 of 11 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-95. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +1 in his 27:33 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 2 from behind the arc.
Jan. 11 6:27 PM PT7:27 PM MT8:27 PM CT9:27 PM ET2:27 GMT10:27 7:27 PM MST8:27 PM CST9:27 PM EST6:27 UAE (+1)03:2721:27 ET8:27 PM CT0:27 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Friday, going 5 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Houston Rockets 141-113. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -32 in his 25:06 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 9 6:55 PM PT7:55 PM MT8:55 PM CT9:55 PM ET2:55 GMT10:55 7:55 PM MST8:55 PM CST9:55 PM EST6:55 UAE (+1)03:5521:55 ET8:55 PM CT0:55 - Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points Wednesday on 9-of-16 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 140-124. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -8 in his 29:51 on the floor. He added three blocks and three steals. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Jan. 8 5:45 PM PT6:45 PM MT7:45 PM CT8:45 PM ET1:45 GMT9:45 6:45 PM MST7:45 PM CST8:45 PM EST5:45 UAE (+1)02:4520:45 ET7:45 PM CT23:45 - Jordan Clarkson scored 26 points Tuesday on 11-of-20 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers 123-115. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -4 in his 32:09 of playing time. He added three steals. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from behind the arc.
Jan. 5 6:31 PM PT7:31 PM MT8:31 PM CT9:31 PM ET2:31 GMT10:31 7:31 PM MST8:31 PM CST9:31 PM EST6:31 UAE (+1)03:3121:31 ET8:31 PM CT0:31 - Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points Saturday, going 8 of 17 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 133-98. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -9 in his 24:10 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Clarkson went 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
Jan. 4 6:02 PM PT7:02 PM MT8:02 PM CT9:02 PM ET2:02 GMT10:02 7:02 PM MST8:02 PM CST9:02 PM EST6:02 UAE (+1)03:0221:02 ET8:02 PM CT0:02 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Friday on 6-of-12 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Utah Jazz 117-91. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -14 in his 19:09 of playing time. He added one steal.
Jan. 2 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 11 points Wednesday on 4-of-9 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Miami Heat 117-92. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had five assists, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 24:41 of playing time. He added one block. Clarkson went 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
Dec. 29 6:16 PM PT7:16 PM MT8:16 PM CT9:16 PM ET2:16 GMT10:16 7:16 PM MST8:16 PM CST9:16 PM EST6:16 UAE (+1)03:1621:16 ET8:16 PM CT0:16 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Saturday, going 6 of 14 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Atlanta Hawks 111-108. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -9 in his 28:50 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from 3-point range.
Dec. 28 6:26 PM PT7:26 PM MT8:26 PM CT9:26 PM ET2:26 GMT10:26 7:26 PM MST8:26 PM CST9:26 PM EST6:26 UAE (+1)03:2621:26 ET8:26 PM CT0:26 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Friday, going 6 of 11 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Miami Heat 118-94. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -16 in his 31:13 on the floor. Clarkson went 3 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 26 6:36 PM PT7:36 PM MT8:36 PM CT9:36 PM ET2:36 GMT10:36 7:36 PM MST8:36 PM CST9:36 PM EST6:36 UAE (+1)03:3621:36 ET8:36 PM CT0:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points Wednesday on 10-of-20 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 95-87. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of 0 in his 30:52 on the floor. He added three steals. Clarkson went 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 23 4:27 PM PT5:27 PM MT6:27 PM CT7:27 PM ET0:27 GMT8:27 5:27 PM MST6:27 PM CST7:27 PM EST4:27 UAE (+1)01:2719:27 ET6:27 PM CT22:27 - Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points Sunday on 8-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Chicago Bulls 112-92. Clarkson pulled down one rebound and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -10 in his 30:52 on the floor. Clarkson went 1 of 3 from behind the arc.
Dec. 21 5:34 PM PT6:34 PM MT7:34 PM CT8:34 PM ET1:34 GMT9:34 6:34 PM MST7:34 PM CST8:34 PM EST5:34 UAE (+1)02:3420:34 ET7:34 PM CT23:34 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Friday, going 6 of 14 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Toronto Raptors 126-110. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -12 in his 32:42 of playing time. He added one block. Clarkson went 4 of 9 from behind the arc.
Dec. 19 5:37 PM PT6:37 PM MT7:37 PM CT8:37 PM ET1:37 GMT9:37 6:37 PM MST7:37 PM CST8:37 PM EST5:37 UAE (+1)02:3720:37 ET7:37 PM CT23:37 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Wednesday on 8-of-19 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Charlotte Hornets 110-99. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -8 in his 35:16 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 4 of 10 from behind the arc.
Dec. 18 1:45 PM PT2:45 PM MT3:45 PM CT4:45 PM ET21:45 GMT5:45 2:45 PM MST3:45 PM CST4:45 PM EST1:45 UAE (+1)22:4516:45 ET3:45 PM CT19:45 - Clarkson, who sat out Tuesday at Indiana with a sore back, is not on the Cavaliers' injury report for Wednesday's game at Charlotte.
Analysis: Clarkson should continue his high-volume role with the tanking Cavs and enters Wednesday's matchup averaging 23 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists over his last three games.
Dec. 16 2:03 PM PT3:03 PM MT4:03 PM CT5:03 PM ET22:03 GMT6:03 3:03 PM MST4:03 PM CST5:03 PM EST2:03 UAE (+1)23:0317:03 ET4:03 PM CT20:03 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Sunday on 6-of-16 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 128-105. Clarkson grabbed six rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -6 in his 27:37 of playing time. Clarkson went 2 of 6 from 3-point range.
Dec. 14 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points Friday, going 8 of 19 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 114-102. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -1 in his 32:46 on the floor. He tacked on two steals. Clarkson went 2 of 8 from 3-point range.
Dec. 12 5:42 PM PT6:42 PM MT7:42 PM CT8:42 PM ET1:42 GMT9:42 6:42 PM MST7:42 PM CST8:42 PM EST5:42 UAE (+1)02:4220:42 ET7:42 PM CT23:42 - Jordan Clarkson scored 28 points Wednesday on 12-of-21 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the New York Knicks 113-106. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +10 in his 34:02 of playing time. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
Dec. 10 2:39 PM PT3:39 PM MT4:39 PM CT5:39 PM ET22:39 GMT6:39 3:39 PM MST4:39 PM CST5:39 PM EST2:39 UAE (+1)23:3917:39 ET4:39 PM CT20:39 - Clarkson will play Monday despite dealing with a tight back, according to The Athletic.
Analysis: Clarkson had to sit out the final stretch Saturday because of the injury.
Dec. 10 6:25 PM PT7:25 PM MT8:25 PM CT9:25 PM ET2:25 GMT10:25 7:25 PM MST8:25 PM CST9:25 PM EST6:25 UAE (+1)03:2521:25 ET8:25 PM CT0:25 - Jordan Clarkson scored nine points Monday on 4-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-92. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 20:16 on the floor.
Dec. 8 5:57 PM PT6:57 PM MT7:57 PM CT8:57 PM ET1:57 GMT9:57 6:57 PM MST7:57 PM CST8:57 PM EST5:57 UAE (+1)02:5720:57 ET7:57 PM CT23:57 - Jordan Clarkson scored seven points Saturday on 2-of-9 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Washington Wizards 116-101. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +23 in his 22:39 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 5 from behind the arc.
Dec. 7 6:07 PM PT7:07 PM MT8:07 PM CT9:07 PM ET2:07 GMT10:07 7:07 PM MST8:07 PM CST9:07 PM EST6:07 UAE (+1)03:0721:07 ET8:07 PM CT0:07 - Jordan Clarkson scored 26 points Friday on 11-of-19 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Sacramento Kings 129-110. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +12 in his 29:53 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 4 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 5 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points Wednesday on 7-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors 129-105. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -25 in his 30:02 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from behind the arc.
Dec. 4 10:31 AM PT11:31 AM MT12:31 PM CT1:31 PM ET18:31 GMT2:31 11:31 AM MST12:31 PM CST1:31 PM EST22:31 UAE19:3113:31 ET12:31 PM CT16:31 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Monday, going 9 of 22 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 99-97. Clarkson grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists, tallying a plus-minus of +10 in his 28:03 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Dec. 1 6:37 PM PT7:37 PM MT8:37 PM CT9:37 PM ET2:37 GMT10:37 7:37 PM MST8:37 PM CST9:37 PM EST6:37 UAE (+1)03:3721:37 ET8:37 PM CT0:37 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Saturday on 7-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Toronto Raptors 106-95. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 29:01 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Nov. 30 5:31 PM PT6:31 PM MT7:31 PM CT8:31 PM ET1:31 GMT9:31 6:31 PM MST7:31 PM CST8:31 PM EST5:31 UAE (+1)02:3120:31 ET7:31 PM CT23:31 - Jordan Clarkson scored 16 points Friday on 5-of-14 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics 128-95. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 21:44 on the floor. Clarkson went 3 of 5 from behind the arc.
Nov. 28 6:41 PM PT7:41 PM MT8:41 PM CT9:41 PM ET2:41 GMT10:41 7:41 PM MST8:41 PM CST9:41 PM EST6:41 UAE (+1)03:4121:41 ET8:41 PM CT0:41 - Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points Wednesday, going 10 of 22 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-83. Clarkson pulled down three rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of -10 in his 31:39 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Nov. 26 5:49 PM PT6:49 PM MT7:49 PM CT8:49 PM ET1:49 GMT9:49 6:49 PM MST7:49 PM CST8:49 PM EST5:49 UAE (+1)02:4920:49 ET7:49 PM CT23:49 - Jordan Clarkson scored four points Monday on 1-of-5 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-95. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -11 in his 21:36 of playing time.
Nov. 24 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Saturday on 8-of-16 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Houston Rockets 117-108. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of -4 in his 27:54 of playing time. He tacked on one steal.
Nov. 23 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Friday, going 8 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 121-112. Clarkson grabbed three rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of +1 in his 20:07 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Nov. 21 6:59 PM PT7:59 PM MT8:59 PM CT9:59 PM ET2:59 GMT10:59 7:59 PM MST8:59 PM CST9:59 PM EST6:59 UAE (+1)03:5921:59 ET8:59 PM CT0:59 - Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points Wednesday, going 6 of 18 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 109-105. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and dished out five assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +4 in his 26:30 of playing time. Clarkson went 4 of 8 from 3-point range.
Nov. 19 5:55 PM PT6:55 PM MT7:55 PM CT8:55 PM ET1:55 GMT9:55 6:55 PM MST7:55 PM CST8:55 PM EST5:55 UAE (+1)02:5520:55 ET7:55 PM CT23:55 - Jordan Clarkson scored 16 points Monday on 6-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Detroit Pistons 113-102. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and dished out four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +4 in his 25:28 on the floor. Clarkson went 1 of 2 from behind the arc.
Nov. 14 5:52 PM PT6:52 PM MT7:52 PM CT8:52 PM ET1:52 GMT9:52 6:52 PM MST7:52 PM CST8:52 PM EST5:52 UAE (+1)02:5220:52 ET7:52 PM CT23:52 - Jordan Clarkson scored nine points Wednesday, going 4 of 13 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Washington Wizards 119-95. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -11 in his 27:21 on the floor. He tacked on one steal.
Nov. 13 5:36 PM PT6:36 PM MT7:36 PM CT8:36 PM ET1:36 GMT9:36 6:36 PM MST7:36 PM CST8:36 PM EST5:36 UAE (+1)02:3620:36 ET7:36 PM CT23:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points Tuesday, going 9 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113-89. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +18 in his 27:32 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Nov. 10 6:34 PM PT7:34 PM MT8:34 PM CT9:34 PM ET2:34 GMT10:34 7:34 PM MST8:34 PM CST9:34 PM EST6:34 UAE (+1)03:3421:34 ET8:34 PM CT0:34 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Saturday, going 6 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Chicago Bulls 99-98. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -10 in his 24:59 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Nov. 7 6:05 PM PT7:05 PM MT8:05 PM CT9:05 PM ET2:05 GMT10:05 7:05 PM MST8:05 PM CST9:05 PM EST6:05 UAE (+1)03:0521:05 ET8:05 PM CT0:05 - Jordan Clarkson scored 11 points Wednesday, going 5 of 17 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-86. Clarkson pulled down nine rebounds and had eight assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 32:55 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
Nov. 5 5:54 PM PT6:54 PM MT7:54 PM CT8:54 PM ET1:54 GMT9:54 6:54 PM MST7:54 PM CST8:54 PM EST5:54 UAE (+1)02:5420:54 ET7:54 PM CT23:54 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Monday on 5-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Orlando Magic 102-100. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -6 in his 25:34 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
Nov. 3 5:34 PM PT6:34 PM MT7:34 PM CT8:34 PM ET0:34 GMT8:34 5:34 PM MST6:34 PM CST7:34 PM EST4:34 UAE (+1)01:3420:34 ET6:34 PM CT23:34 - Jordan Clarkson scored 13 points Saturday on 6-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Charlotte Hornets 126-94. Clarkson did not grab a rebound nor have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -29 in his 21:24 of playing time. He added one block and three steals. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Nov. 1 5:44 PM PT6:44 PM MT7:44 PM CT8:44 PM ET0:44 GMT8:44 5:44 PM MST6:44 PM CST7:44 PM EST4:44 UAE (+1)01:4420:44 ET6:44 PM CT23:44 - Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points Thursday on 7-of-14 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Denver Nuggets 110-91. Clarkson grabbed four rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -13 in his 19:43 on the floor. He added one block.
Oct. 30 5:36 PM PT6:36 PM MT7:36 PM CT8:36 PM ET0:36 GMT8:36 5:36 PM MST6:36 PM CST7:36 PM EST4:36 UAE (+1)01:3620:36 ET6:36 PM CT23:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Tuesday, going 7 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Atlanta Hawks 136-114. Clarkson grabbed two rebounds and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of +4 in his 27:15 of playing time. He added one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 5 from behind the arc.
Oct. 27 5:59 PM PT6:59 PM MT7:59 PM CT8:59 PM ET0:59 GMT8:59 5:59 PM MST6:59 PM CST7:59 PM EST4:59 UAE (+1)02:5920:59 ET7:59 PM CT23:59 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Saturday on 5-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Indiana Pacers 119-107. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -6 in his 19:34 on the floor. He added one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Oct. 25 5:57 PM PT6:57 PM MT7:57 PM CT8:57 PM ET0:57 GMT8:57 5:57 PM MST6:57 PM CST7:57 PM EST4:57 UAE (+1)02:5720:57 ET7:57 PM CT23:57 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Thursday, going 8 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Detroit Pistons 110-103. Clarkson pulled down one rebound and did not have an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -2 in his 20:40 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 4 from behind the arc.
Oct. 24 5:32 PM PT6:32 PM MT7:32 PM CT8:32 PM ET0:32 GMT8:32 5:32 PM MST6:32 PM CST7:32 PM EST4:32 UAE (+1)02:3220:32 ET7:32 PM CT23:32 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Wednesday on 4-of-14 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Brooklyn Nets 102-86. Clarkson pulled down five rebounds and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of +7 in his 22:35 on the floor.
Oct. 21 4:41 PM PT5:41 PM MT6:41 PM CT7:41 PM ET23:41 GMT7:41 4:41 PM MST5:41 PM CST6:41 PM EST3:41 UAE (+1)01:4119:41 ET6:41 PM CT22:41 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Sunday on 7-of-12 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 133-111. Clarkson pulled down three rebounds and had two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -25 in his 23:02 on the floor. Clarkson went 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Oct. 19 7:02 PM PT8:02 PM MT9:02 PM CT10:02 PM ET2:02 GMT10:02 7:02 PM MST8:02 PM CST9:02 PM EST6:02 UAE (+1)04:0222:02 ET9:02 PM CT1:02 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Friday on 8-of-14 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 131-123. Clarkson grabbed four rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -8 in his 23:42 on the floor. He added one block and one steal.
Oct. 17 6:35 PM PT7:35 PM MT8:35 PM CT9:35 PM ET1:35 GMT9:35 6:35 PM MST7:35 PM CST8:35 PM EST5:35 UAE (+1)03:3521:35 ET8:35 PM CT0:35 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Wednesday, going 7 of 15 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Toronto Raptors 116-104. Clarkson pulled down three rebounds and did not have an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -8 in his 23:09 on the floor. Clarkson went 1 of 4 from behind the arc.
Oct. 12 5:43 PM PT6:43 PM MT7:43 PM CT8:43 PM ET0:43 GMT8:43 5:43 PM MST6:43 PM CST7:43 PM EST4:43 UAE (+1)02:4320:43 ET7:43 PM CT23:43 - Jordan Clarkson scored eight points Friday, going 4 of 11 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Detroit Pistons 129-110. Clarkson grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -17 in his 23:08 on the floor. He added one steal.
Oct. 6 6:30 PM PT7:30 PM MT8:30 PM CT9:30 PM ET1:30 GMT9:30 6:30 PM MST7:30 PM CST8:30 PM EST5:30 UAE (+1)03:3021:30 ET8:30 PM CT0:30 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Saturday on 4-of-8 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Boston Celtics 113-102. Clarkson pulled down six rebounds and had three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 14:12 of playing time. Clarkson went 2 of 6 from 3-point range.
Oct. 2 6:52 PM PT7:52 PM MT8:52 PM CT9:52 PM ET1:52 GMT9:52 6:52 PM MST7:52 PM CST8:52 PM EST5:52 UAE (+1)03:5221:52 ET8:52 PM CT0:52 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Tuesday on 5-of-8 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Boston Celtics 102-95. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and dished out three assists, tallying a plus-minus of +4 in his 16:01 on the floor. Clarkson went 1 of 1 from behind the arc. | 2019-04-26T16:57:03Z | http://scores.seattlepi.com/nba/players.asp?id=5357&fn=Jordan&ln=Clarkson |
The highlighted information on this page refers to functionality not yet generally available. It is available only in the Preview Sandbox environment.
Workfront enables you to easily edit your projects as often as needed. We recommend that you edit projects minimally after they become Current, to avoid confusion by sending out notifications about the changes to the entire project team. You should ideally edit a project when the project is in Planning status.
You must have a Plan license and Manage permissions to a project to be able to edit it.
Navigate to the project you want to edit.
Select the Project Details tab.
To edit fields that are associated with a specific sub-tab, navigate to the sub-tab to edit the information under that sub-tab.
The Edit Project box opens. The sections in this box contain the same fields available in the sub-tabs of the Project Details tab.
Begin editing your project as described above.
Name: Specify a name for the project.
Description: Add additional information about the project.
URL: Specify a web link that relates to information about this project.
Schedule From: Specify whether the project is scheduled from the Start Date, or from the Completion Date. This selection determines the planned dates of the tasks on the project.
- Schedule From Start Date: The first task of the project has the same Planned Start Date as the project. The project timeline calculates from the Start Date and the Completion Date of the project is calculated by the system, based on the duration of all the tasks.
- Schedule from Completion Date: The last task of the project has the same Planned Completion Date as the project. The project timeline calculates from the Completion Date and the Start Date of the project is calculated by the system, by subtracting the duration of all the tasks from the Completion Date of the project.
Planned Start Date: Specify the date when you select Schedule From Start Date.
This is a read-only field when you select Schedule from Completion Date.
Planned Completion Date: Specify the date when you select Schedule from Completion Date. This is a read-only field when you select Schedule from Start Date.
- Progress Status: Workfront automatically sets the condition based on the Progress Status of tasks on the Critical Path. For more information about understanding Progress Status, see "Understanding Progress Status."
Depending on the Project Preferences selected by your system administrator, the names of priorities might be different for you. For more information about editing priorities, see "Customizing and Creating Priorities."
Status: Select the status of the project. For more information about project statuses, see "Understanding Project Statuses."
Project Owner: The user specified in this field is added to the project team and is automatically given manage permissions to the project. The user who is designated as the Project Owner must be a Workfront active user.
Project Sponsor: The specified user is added to the project team and is automatically given view permissions to the project. The user who is designated as the Project Sponsor must be a Workfront active user.
Resource Manager: The specified user is automatically given manage permissions to the project and can assign resources to the tasks and issues of the project. You can specify more than one Resource Manager.
Group: Specify a Group associated with the project.
NOTE This is a required field. You cannot have a project which is not associated with a group. By default, the Home Group of the creator of the project is the group associated with the project.
Company: Specify a Company associated with the project. You must create the Company before you can associate it with a project. Only active companies display in the list.
(Optional) Continue editing the following sections, depending on the information you want to modify.
Performance Index Method: Specify whether the Earned Value metrics of the project are calculated using hours or costs. For more information about the Performance Index Method, see "Setting the Performance Index Method (PIM)."
For more information about how the Estimate at Completion calculates, see "Calculating Estimate at Completion (EAC)."
Budget: Specify a Budget for the project.
Fixed Cost: Specify the Fixed Cost for the project. This is different than the Labor Cost which comes from the hours on the project and the Expense Cost which comes from the amount of expenses on the project. The Fixed Cost of a project is taken into account when calculating the Net Value of a project and it is part of the Budgeted Cost.
Fixed Revenue: Specify the Fixed Revenue for the project.
Allow company-level billing rates to override project-level billing rates: Select this option to allow company-level billing rates to override historical job role rates unless those rates are marked as billed. Enabling this option overrides historical job role rates unless they are marked as billed.
For more information, see "Overriding Project-Level Billing Rates with Company-Level Billing Rates."
Project Currency: Specify the currency for the project, if it is different than the default currency of your system. You cannot change the currency of a project if there is already financial information on the project. This field is not visible if you have only the default currency in the system.
For more information about currency, see "Setting up Exchange Rates."
Require time to be approved for this project: Select this option to require the Project Owner to approve time logged on the project. If you are using Billing Records and you select this option, only the approved hours on the project appear as available billable hours for the Billing Records. Approving time on the project is independent of approving timesheets. For more information about requiring time to be approved on a project, see "Requiring Time to Be Approved on a Project."
Portfolio: Specify a Portfolio for the project. You must create a Portfolio first, before it appears in the drop-down list. Only active portfolios display in the list. For more information about creating portfolios, see "Creating Portfolios."
Program: If you selected a Portfolio for the project, specify a Program for the project. Some Portfolios might not have Programs. You must create a Program first, before it appears in this drop-down list. Only active programs display in the list. For more information about creating programs, see "Creating Programs."
Planned Benefit: Specify the Planned Benefit of the project which is used in the Business Case of the project and the Portfolio Optimizer. For more information about the Planned Benefit of a project, see "Understanding the Planned Benefit of a Project." The Planned Benefit of a project is taken into account when the Net Value of a project is calculated. For more information about using the Portfolio Optimizer, see "Using the Portfolio Optimizer."
Actual Benefit: Specify the Actual Benefit of the project. This represents the amount of money your company or department would benefit from after this project is complete.
Milestone Path: Select a Milestone Path for the project. Only active milestone paths display in the list. For more information about Milestone Paths, see "Creating a Milestone Path."
- Automatic: The project is marked Complete when all the tasks and issues are completed.
- Manual: You have to manually select the Complete status for the project, when all the tasks and issues are completed.
- Automatic: The parent tasks are marked Complete and they update their percent complete automatically, as the children tasks are completed and the percent complete of the children is updated.
- Manual: You have to manually update the percent complete and the status of the parent tasks, independently of what changes are made to the children tasks.
- change parent-child relationships, adding or removing assignments in addition to changing the task constraint or duration type.
When the tasks update, their parent objects (parent tasks or the project) update at the time indicated by the Update Type.
NOTE If the parent objects do not update immediately after the change when selecting "Automatic and On Change" or "Change Only" Update Type, refresh the page.
- Automatic and On Change (Default setting): The project timeline is updated each time a change occurs in the project or in another project that the project is dependent on (On Change). The project timeline is also updated each night (Automatic).
This is the recommended setting for this field because it ensures that the project is always up to date.
When you perform an action on a task or project that triggers a timeline recalculation, all available dates are immediately displayed, allowing you to continue working. On projects with more than 100 tasks, dates that require longer recalculations display briefly as a question mark (between 1 and 5 seconds, or up to a minute for large projects). This indicates that the recalculation is not yet finished, and the dates are subject to change.
- Change Only: The project timeline is updated each time a change occurs in the project or in another project that the project is dependent on. You might want to select this option if changes rarely occur in the project or in other projects that the timeline is dependent on.
- Automatic Only: The project timeline is updated each night; the timeline is not updated immediately after changes are made.
You might want to select this option if many changes occur each day in the project or in other projects that the timeline is dependent on. However, be aware that you chose this setting, as the project will not update at the same time that the changes are made.
- Manual Only: The project timeline is updated only when you select the option to Recalculate Timeline. For more information about manually recalculating the project timeline, see the "Manual Recalculation" section in "Recalculating Timelines for Projects."
You might want to select this option if you are making many changes to the project at one time, and you want the timeline recalculation to occur after all of the changes have been made (rather than after each individual change).
Schedule: Select a schedule for your project. This should be the same schedule assigned to most people that are working on the project. You must create a schedule before you can assign it to a project or a user. For more information about creating schedules, see "Creating Schedules." If you have not created custom schedules in your system, the Default Schedule is selected.
- Automatic: Workfront levels your resources.
For more information about Resource Leveling, see "Resource Leveling."
Risk: Define the level of risk of your project. The risk is just an indicator of how risky a project can be. You can prioritize the execution of your projects based on the level of risk.
The levels of risks you indicate here cannot be customized.
NOTE These are not related to the potential Risks that could occur during the life of a project and which you should record in the Risks tab of the project, or in the Business Case. For information about potential project Risks, see "Creating and Editing Risks on a Project."
Legacy Resource Pool: Specify the Legacy Resource Pool associated with the project. Legacy Resource Pools allow you to manage your job role allocations for the tasks in the project, according to the timeline of the project. You can also select a Legacy Resource Pool in the Resource Estimates section of the Business Case, as you are planning the project. For more information about Legacy Resource Pools on the Business case, see "Applying Legacy Resource Pools to the Business Case."
You must create a Legacy Resource Pool before you can assign it to a project. For more information about creating Legacy Resource Pools, see "Working with Legacy Resource Pools."
Resource Pools: Specify the Resource Pools associated with the project. Resource Pools are collections of users that are needed at the same time for the completion of a project and allow for project budgeting in the Resource Planner. For more information about Resource Pools, see "Working with Resource Pools."
NOTE When you edit projects in bulk, only the Resource Pools that are common to all the projects selected appear in this field. If the projects selected have no shared Resource Pools, this field will be empty. The Resource Pools you specify here will overwrite the projects' individual Resource Pools.
Approval Process: Select the Approval Process you want to associate with the project. You must create an Approval Process before you can associate it with a project. Only active approval processes display in the list. For more information about creating Approval Processes, see "Creating Approval Processes."
If you select this option, only the hour types you select are made available to select when logging hours on the project (or on tasks and issues within the project). You must select at least one hour type; if you select this option and you do not select any hour types, all hour types are made available on the project.
The same hour type selections must be made at the individual user level in order for the user to see these hour type options on the project. For more information about defining hour types at the user level, see the section "Defining Availability at the User Level" in "Recording Time."
Reminder Notification: Select the Reminder Notification that should be associated with the project. You must configure Reminder Notifications for projects for this field to appear during editing a project. For more information about configuring Reminder Notifications, see "Setting Up Reminder Notifications."
This is linked in other articles, don't rename section.
When someone is assigned to a task: Select from View, Contribute, or Manage access to a task. The user assigned to a task is automatically granted this access to the task.
Also grant access to the project: Select from View, Contribute, or Manage access to the project. The user assigned to a task is automatically granted this access to the project, as well.
When someone is assigned to an issue: Select from View, Contribute, or Manage access to an issue. The user assigned to an issue is automatically granted this access to the issue.
Also grant access to the project: Select from View, Contribute, or Manage access to the project. The user assigned to an issue is automatically granted this access to the project, as well.
When someone submits a request: Give them access: Select from View, Contribute, or Manage access to the request. When they submit a request to the project, they are granted this access to the request they submitted. For more information, see "Understanding Issue Permissions."
People from the same company will inherit the same permissions for all requests: Select this field if you want people from the same company to have the same access to all the requests on the project, whether they submitted them or not.
When someone is given access to this project: Give them access to ...: Select the access options that you want users to have on the project, if the project is shared with them. Select the specific options for their access, if they are designated as Viewers, Contributors, or Managers when sharing the project with them.
Select the custom form or forms that you want to associate with the project. You must build the custom forms before they are available to select in this field. Only active custom forms display in the list. For more information about building custom forms, see "Creating Custom Forms." You can add up to ten custom forms to a project.
(Conditional) If you attached a custom form to the project, edit any fields on the form. You must specify all required fields before you can save the project.
NOTE Depending on how your Workfront Administrator set the permissions for the sections in your custom form, not everyone can view or edit the same fields on a given custom form. The permissions to edit fields within a section of a custom form depend on the permissions you have on the project itself. For information about setting permissions on sections of a custom form, see "Creating Custom Forms." For information about setting permissions on projects, see "Understanding Project Permissions."
(Optional) Continue editing the following section, depending on the information you want to modify.
You can define the defaults that will be associated with all the new tasks when you add them to the project.
For information about how these settings affect creating new tasks, see the "Understanding Task Default Information when Adding Tasks to a Project" section in the "Creating Tasks in a Project" article.
In the Task Default Approval Process box, select the Approval Process you want to associate with all new tasks when you add them to the project. You must create an Approval Process for tasks before you can associate it with tasks. Only active approval processes display in the list. For more information about creating Approval Processes, see "Creating Approval Processes."
In the Task Default Custom Forms box, select the custom form or forms that you want to associate with all new tasks when you add them to the project. You must build the custom forms before they are available to select in this field. Only active custom forms display in the list. For more information about building custom forms, see "Creating Custom Forms." You can associate up to ten custom forms with a task.
Specify a comment that you want to display in the updates stream of the project in the available field. This comment is visible for everyone with View access to the project and with access to view Notes.
Your changes will be submitted for this project. Any notifications that are triggered by making edits to the project and meet the conditions to be sent at this time, will now be sent to the users who subscribe to them.
You can edit projects in bulk and update all their information at the same time.
Navigate to the Projects area in the Global Navigation Bar.
Select several projects in the list.
The Edit Projects dialog box opens.
Specify the information on all selected projects.
Editing the information on all projects is identical to editing information on one project.
For more information about editing a project, see "Editing a Project."
NOTE The information you are changing on all the projects selected will override the existing information on individual issues, except for the Resource Manager field. Adding a new resource manager in bulk edit will add that manager to all the selected projects. If other resource managers are associated with the selected projects, they will remain on the projects in addition to the one added through bulk edit.
Click Custom Forms to edit the custom forms attached to all the projects selected.
If the projects selected do not have any common custom forms, no forms are listed in this section.
You can edit only the fields on the forms that are attached to all projects selected and which you have permissions to edit.
Recalculate Costs and Revenues: Select this option to recalculate Costs and Revenues on all projects selected.
Recalculate Timelines: Select this option to recalculate the Timelines of all projects selected.
Recalculate Scorecards: Select this option to recalculate the Scorecard values for all projects selected.
(Optional) In the Custom Forms section, select the Recalculate Custom Expressions option to ensure that all Calculated Custom Fields that are on the Custom Forms attached to the projects selected are up to date.
All changes you made are now visible on all the selected projects.
***Linked to many articles, do not change/ remove: Creating a Project, Planning in the Resource Planner, etc.
Remove this note after 18.1 production release: NOTE If the parent objects do not update immediately after the change when selecting "Automatic and On Change" or "Change Only" Update Type, refresh the page. | 2019-04-20T14:41:44Z | https://support.workfront.com/hc/en-us/articles/216676478-Editing-Projects |
The day after Christmas in Indianapolis: 64 degrees, lowering clouds, promise of rain and falling temp, an almost perfect morning for a fast ride to wake up a sleepy set of muscles.
It was a good day to stay on familiar routes where it would be easy to turn around and sprint for home if a thunder storm brought in the rain: north on Illinois Street past the Wild Things public art, Riverview Drive to Broad Ripple Village, and north on a fine stretch of the Monon Trail. Pushed along by the wind, I rode easily and quickly. Not many cyclists were out, but walkers and runners had seized the moment, and I felt a vibrancy of happy people enjoying a surprisingly happy day.
On previous rides along the Monon, I had seen the Ghost Bike at the 75th Street crossing, but had never stopped. Today was different. Maybe the bold, white paint on a glowering day caught my attention. Many Ghost Bikes are recreational frames with straight handle bars, but this one has aggressive lines and serious drop bars. A plastic encased story hangs from the top tube. The first paragraph outlines the plot.
The surviving cyclist collided with the windshield of the car and is confident that he would have died had he not been wearing his helmet. He found himself on the pavement with one leg “split open from knee to ankle.” Other people on the trail came to his rescue, applied a tourniquet, and phoned 911. He was hospitalized fourteen days and has had numerous operations and skin grafts.
He now has a “drop foot” and will always walk with a brace. He kept on cycling and reports that he has done two Hilly Hundreds. As all of us who have ridden the Hilly know, the hundred-mile, figure-eight weekend ride through the southern Indiana hills, calls for experienced riders in good shape.
It’s an intersection that invites trouble. At this point, Westfield Boulevard, once a country road taking people out of town and long since a residential arterial, is close to the railroad right of way that became the Monon Trail. Because northbound Westfield angles toward the east just beyond this crossing, sight lines are obscured. The intersection is controlled with traffic lights, but even so drivers push. I know because when my children were growing up, we would take 75th to Westfield on our way to the swimming pool at the Jordon YMCA.
While I was reading the story, a married couple in their 50s, who were walking on the trail, stopped to talk. “The cyclist always loses,” he remarked, and I agreed that this is usually the case.
I could have countered that most people continue to drive their automobiles despite the daily recitation on TV news of motor vehicle smash-ups, life-threatening injuries, and deaths. It wouldn’t make any difference to this couple. They are too scared to ride outside.
The irony of this story is that at this intersection cyclists are probably safer on Westfield Boulevard than on the bike trail. At the real intersection, drivers are at risk of colliding with other motor vehicles and they are less likely to let their attention wander or take a quick glance and run the light (whether yellow or red).
This part of the Monon is especially nice and I, along with other cyclists, will continue to use it, but the Ghost Bike at 75th will help me pay close attention to what I’m doing.
I continued my ride to 96th Street and then turned back into the wind toward home. With the change of direction, my energies quickly dwindled. When starting, I had felt strong enough to try for my end-of-the-year 50-mile ride. But as it turned out, 24.75 miles were as many as I wanted to do on this quiet day after Christmas.
Blacks and Whites in Christian America: How Racial Discrimination Shapes Religious Convictions, by Jason E. Shelton and Michael O. Emerson (New York University Press, 2012).
The oft-repeated statement that 11:00 o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America can be understood in at least three ways: people, both black and white, like to go to church with people like themselves; white racism has forced black Christians to establish their own churches; and other theological and historical factors continue to shape belief and practice of African American Christians.
Blacks and Whites in Christian America gives support for all three explanation. As a white Christian, I’m interested in this study because I need to understand and overcome my own prejudice and privilege and change my ways of life.
Another reason for my interest is my work through the years on behalf of Christian unity. During a forty-year period ending in 2002, the major unity effort in the United States was the Consultation on Church Union. Three predominantly African-American churches were full participants alongside six predominantly white denominations.
The Consultation defined racism as a theological problem and made serious efforts to overcome the denominational separations that kept the participating churches distinct. When the Consultation concluded its work, these denominations continued as separate bodies, perhaps closer to one another than they had been, but with none of the causes of division, including race, significantly overcome.
Shelton and Emerson are sociologists rather than historians or theologians and therefore used empirical studies of religious practices and ideas, giving major attention to black and white church goers. They interviewed selected groups of church goers and studied published treatments of their topic, featuring James H. Cone (both his writings and interviews).
Early in the book the authors narrow the focus of attention: “… for our most specific comparisons, we restrict our analyses to black Protestants and white evangelicals—whose common heritages derive from the Great Awakening of previous centuries of American life” (p. 12). Throughout the book, however, they appear to use white protestant and white evangelical interchangeably, which can lead to confusion about their analyses.
A major feature of this book is the identification of five “building blocks of black Protestant faith.” These they identify as (1) Experiential building block, (2) Survival building block, (3) Mystery building block, (4) Miraculous building block, and (5) Justice building block (pp. 8–9).
Four features of their exposition stand out for me: First, the role of black churches as places where American blacks experience themselves and relate to one another in their full humanity despite slavery and segregation; second, the continuation of characteristics from African religion, in a way analogous to how Native American religion was embraced in Spanish Catholicism in the Southwest and Mexico; third, struggles to understand and obey the Bible as literal truth despite what seem to be contrasting understandings derived from science and history; and fourth, substantial agreement of black Protestants and white Evangelicals on the central beliefs of the Christian faith as articulated in the Apostles’ Creed.
I have to believe that the authors are correct in their assertions that systems of white privilege and prejudice are still in place, thus continuing to disadvantage black people. Shelton and Emerson help us understand a second difference that exists between most black Americans and most white Americans (but especially among white Evangelicals), which is that black Christians support the necessity of structural changes, including legislation, that have to continue so that American society will tear down the systems and structures that continue to impede black people in American life, whereas white evangelicals are strongly opposed to these measures.
One more conclusion, which the authors state tentatively, is that blacks and whites may be “drifting toward a consensus … about the causes of racial equality.” There is a growing tendency among black and white Americans to “attribute racial inequality to motivational individualism” rather than to the inheritance of segregation (p. 206).
Rightly, Shelton and Emerson remind us of Dr. King’s admonition that since structures of evil do not crumble on their own we must continue the hard work of breaking them down and building a new unity. Although the authors don’t say so, it should be clear that the burden of responsibility rests upon white Americans.
The findings and insights reported in this book are going to help me as I continue my efforts to further the unity of black and white Christians. The line of argument sometimes seemed to waver, but persistent readers will be able to find their way as the exposition unfolds. Shelton teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington and Emerson at Rice University.
Polite Protest: The Political Economy of Race in Indianapolis, 1920–1970, by Richard B. Pierce (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2005).
My first direct encounter with structural racism in America occurred in 1961 when I began my thirty-three-year career at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. In earlier years I had lived in the Pacific Northwest and the San Joaquin Valley of California where there was only a small presence of African Americans.
Indianapolis, however, was a different kind of place. One of the first northern cities to develop a significant percentage of black residents, Indianapolis had a mixed record of interaction between the dominant white society and the black population.
My family and I came to the city at a time when the struggle between these two cultural groups was reaching a major climax. We were involved primarily at two points: our decision to buy a house and live in the recently integrated Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, and the determination to have our children attend the assigned public schools, which included Shortridge High School where black students were an approximate two-thirds majority.
Hoping that the city was moving past its racist history, my wife and I participated in organizations and activities that fostered better patterns of interracial relations in the city. With many others, we were ambivalent about Unigov, the 1970 amalgamation of city and county governments that gave increased political and economic power to white, suburban, and conservative Republican voters and effectively constricted efforts of black people who were moving toward equality.
Not until my recent return to Indianapolis after a twenty-one-year, post-retirement sojourn in western America, have I come to understand my earlier years in the city. My teacher has been Richard B. Pierce, Ph.D., who teaches at the University of Notre Dame and specializes in African American, urban, and civil rights areas of study.
His 2005 book, Polite Protest, is a thoroughly researched, sharply focused, lucid, and persuasive analysis of actions by the African American community during an important half century. Black people sought to balance two purposes: preserve the standing and levels of participation that they already enjoyed, which were generally superior to those that blacks experienced in other northern cities; and press for more complete participation in Indianapolis life.
Pierce labels the result “polite protest.” Instead of using aggressive methods, including demands and demonstrations, African American leaders sought to form coalitions with groups, including many white leaders, that would try to negotiate improved relations between the dominant while society and the tightly controlled black citizenry.
Pierce describes this half century (1920–1970) by examining segregation in schools, housing, and employment. He calls attention to the Klan’s ascendancy in Indianapolis during the 1920s and describes the creation of a segregated school system at that time. He explains the processes used to restrict housing opportunities, including the establishing of coalitions, such as the Capitol Avenue Protective Association, that at one time tried to keep the street on which our family later lived free from black incursions.
Inherited racially shaped structures of segregation were part of the ongoing problem. More important, however, were the explicit and on-going racist attitudes and practices with which the white citizenry resisted the polite protests of their black neighbors and co-workers.
The climax was Unigov, a political unification of city and county governments, that built a political fence around the old city that has now endured for nearly half a century.
Although polite is Pierce’s word to describe the tactical approach of black activities in former years, it may also be used to characterize the actions of white people in later years. Instead of aggressive segregation to control the black population, white people especially in the suburban margins could do it with quiet, political containment.
This book helps me understand the cultural world that I lived in for so many years. I am better able to see the structural racism that has shaped everyone’s life and provided continuing privilege to white people. It was easier for me to escape the burdens of serious poverty during my childhood years because I was white than it would have been if I were black. It has been more difficult for me to acknowledge the racism that is part of my inner life. Reading Pierce’s book is helping me do that, too.
America continues to change, as Jason E. Shelton and Michael O. Emerson acknowledge in their 2012 book Blacks and Whites in Christian America. Americans of both races may gradually be moving toward a new consensus in which “majorities of both black and white Americans will attribute racial inequality to motivational individualism” rather than to the historical residue of personal and structural racism (p. 206). Polite protest may work better in the future than it has in the past, but there still is hard work to do.
American religion began long before the Spanish missions in Florida and the Southwest or the Pilgrims and Puritans of New England. As archaeologist Robert F. Boszhardt shows, it can be traced back some 14,000 years in the rock art that can still be seen in the Upper Midwest. Yet, as water color artist Geri Schrab affirms, the Spirit that inspired the ancient ones still “flows through all life’s invisible veins” (90).
The primary focus of the book that scientist and artist have created is the Wisconsin Dells, an unglaciated region in the southeast part of the state and close to glacial Lake Wisconsin. Although the existence of Native American rock art had been known much earlier, serious attention was not given to it until the early 1980s.
During the relatively short period since then, explorers, scientists, artists, and native peoples have identified nearly 200 sites in the Upper Midwest where ancient rock art exists. Much work has been done to inventory, interpret, portray, and protect this art. Because it is subject to vandalism, the locations of most sites are not reported to the public.
Hidden Thunder is unique in the way it portrays and interprets this art. The coauthors have chosen twelve sites and each writer contributes an essay describing their experiences with these locations and their ancient treasures. Interspersed throughout the volume are viewpoints contributed by members of the nations whose ancestors created the art.
As archaeologist, Boszhardt describes what scientists are learning about these locations, the art, and the peoples who created these paintings and carvings. He also describes how people today are desecrating some of these sites. His photographs appear throughout the book.
In her essays artist Schrab describes the emotional and spiritual dimensions of her experience with these ancient images and the caves and rock walls where they can be viewed. She gives attention to interpretations by social scientists and native peoples, but more important is the time she spends at each site.
As she senses the ambiance of each place, Schrab becomes aware of the spirit that she encounters there. Only then can she withdraw to her studio and create her own artistically enhanced portrayals of this art. Many of her images appear in the book.
Some people today describe themselves as being spiritual but not religious. When asked to say more, however, some of these same people often give only vague comments about experiencing god in nature.
Artist Schrab, however, confesses a deeper sense of communion with Spirit. In her essay on Roche-A-Cri State Park in Adams County, Wisconsin, she describes Spirit as “that tantalizing, sparkly, sticky, divine substance we can’t pin down but that flows through all life’s invisible veins” (90).
Describing her experiences in Tainter Cave in Crawford County, Wisconsin, she reports that here she has “a rare opportunity to immerse myself, sync my heartbeat to that of Mother Earth, and glean information that I hoped would translate to watercolor on paper back at my studio” (171).
Later in this essay she continues: “Entering Tainter Cave, facing my fears and working through them, seems analogous to my entire journey through rock art. I leave the comfort of my middle-class life to venture into the unfamiliar, risking missteps along the way, hoping to bring back spiritual riches” (175).
A few weeks ago, I was reading personal correspondence in which John Muir describes his experiences in nature, in Wisconsin and in Yosemite Valley. Although he says nothing about rock art, he expresses sentiments similar to Schrab’s as he describes the way that divinity seems to infuse the natural world, in the flow of water, the wild power of wind, the womb-like character of mountain glens, and the intricate texture of ferns and lichens.
In his biography of the young John Muir, Steven J. Holmes writes that earlier in his wanderings Muir had described God “as a landscape gardener whose power and love consists in protecting and caring for the things of the world.” Later, however, “Muir understood divine presence as existing in and through the world itself: ‘The warm blood of God through all the geologic days of volcanic fire & through all the glacial winters great & small, flows through these mountain granites, flows through these frozen streams, flows through trees living or fallen, flows through death itself’” (The Young John Muir, 237).
The naturalist long ago and artist in our own time have much to teach all of us we seek to become more spiritual.
Environm ental Justice and Activism in Indianapolis, by Trevor K. Fuller (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2015).
This book is a short, technical study of two neighborhoods near downtown Indianapolis. Each community has about 10,000 residents, mostly African American in one and mostly Caucasian in the other. Both neighborhoods have a long history of heavy industry and high levels of land, water, and atmospheric pollution. Since the 1980s efforts to remediate these parts of the city have taken place, but with different degrees of success.
The author, a professor of geography at State University of New York at Oneonta, is interested in several aspects of his topic, including: the spatial distribution of hazards, the impact of social movements, environmental activism, attachment of residents to their space, social capital (networks that work for mutual benefit), the influence of the socio-ecological environment, and race.
Four of my long-time interests come into focus in this carefully drawn study: environmentalism, the role of churches in urban life; political activism, and cycling as a way of wandering around to experience the character of a place.
During my first period of life in Indianapolis (1961–1995), I was vaguely aware of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood located on the near east side of the city. What I had heard of the community was that it was largely African American, low income, and struggling to improve the well-being of the people who lived there.
Ten years ago one of my daughters bought a house a little west of the neighborhood, and on family visits I frequently drove and bicycled through M-B on East 25th Street and saw a wide range of its positive and negative aspects. Since reestablishing my home in Indianapolis, I’ve cycled along its perimeter and am even more aware of the industries and brownfields that are part of its environmental history.
As Fuller tells the story, M-B has a record of community action since the 1980s, often in close association with community development agencies and the City of Indianapolis. One of the churches is cited as having had an important role in energizing efforts to deal with brownfields. Bicycling around M-B, I see some church buildings that are large, well-tended, and related to historically black denominations. They stand in sharp contrast to small store front churches described as a problem to the community (109).
There has been a continuing effort to rebuild the housing stock and upgrade the neighborhood with sustainability as a goal. The intention is that M-B be a good place to live, both for the people who are there now and those who will follow them in the next generation. To the dismay of many, however, sustainability leads to gentrification, so that many of the current residents find it difficult to remain.
Liberals are gored either way. When they live in the white suburbs and send their money down to MB, they are profiteering. When they choose to come back to the city, they are taking advantage of poor folk who can no longer afford to live there (104).
West Indianapolis, on the city’s near south side, has long been an industrial center. Heavy industry, such as a General Motors’ engine block foundry, have been there for a century and longer. Residents have made efforts to organize in order to get rid of pollution, but with limited success. Since I have no personal history with this neighborhood, I intend to begin bicycling around to experience it first hand.
The evidence seems strong that various entities, including city agencies and representatives of industries in the neighborhood such as Eli Lilly, discourage active efforts to remake West Indianapolis. Their goal would seem to be that the neighborhood should continue to be a base for industrial activity with residents continuing to get along as best they can in isolated pockets. Fuller uses the phrase “Cooptation by Corporation” (113). Churches are referred to as community assets “because they are attractive and add charm” (110). It is clear, however, that the City has no interest in making West Indianapolis a sustainable community (117).
Fuller concludes that the “current spatial distribution of environmental hazards is predominantly based on class and income differences across the city” and that “the explicit racist policies and actions of the state over many decades. . .produced and re-produced the uneven environments across the City of Indianapolis” (119–20). The subtitle of Fuller’s concluding chapter is “Co-opting Environmental Justice.” Fuller writes that “government and non-government institutions, and public and private entities, exert influence on the perceptions and responses of residents within the two study areas” (119).
One reason why Martindale-Brightwood has been more effective than West Indianapolis is that “it appears to hold a higher amount of the institutional form of social capital which revolves around churches and formal organizations” (121). One conclusion that I, a life-long church goer, draw is this: by continuing to be what they already are, churches are assets to their community.
After living in mild climates for twenty-one years, I moved back to Indianapolis where real winter comes every year. In my former life as a Hoosier, I was able to make the seasonal shift, cycling to my teaching job all year ‘round, even on days when the morning temperatures were ten below zero. The guideline for recreational rides was twenty-five and sunny.
One dark morning this week, with a temperature in the twenties, however, was unnerving. I have clothes that can keep me warm and OK routes on which to ride. What’s missing is the habit, the firmly implanted custom of not asking if it’s too cold to ride and, instead, checking the temperature only to decide how much to bundle up before heading out.
These days in Indianapolis, commuting is well under way an hour before glimmers of daylight brighten the dark sky. From my writing desk, I see them on the street five stories below my window: strong beams of light, some steady, some blinking, as people bicycle to work some place downtown. Not as many as on a summer day, but enough to prove that some riders keep going even as a warm fall morphs into a cold winter.
During the day as I wander around town—sometimes on foot and sometimes by bike—I see other cyclists who are riding, seemingly oblivious to forty degrees and twenty-mph northwest gusts. One day last week, when there were glints of sunshine in the sky, I was doing an errand on my bike. At a traffic signal, a man twenty-five years my junior was on his much-used bike next to me. ”It’s the only way to get around town!” he declared through the scarf that covered his face. And I agreed.
On another day, when my errands were easier on foot than on my bike, I realized that many of the cyclists I saw right then looked like bike messengers. Mostly young men, dressed in black, tight jeans or shorts, on simplified bikes with single gears and some with no brakes, they rode hard and fast; mostly on the street, but sometimes on sidewalks, darting through parking lots, little daunted by red lights or the niceties of urban traffic.
A quick check on the internet suggests that the number is large, and it certainly must be the case that they’ll be out all winter, doing twenty to sixty miles a day, delivering goods and communications as fast as they can go. Blizzards in the air and thick ice on the streets, I suppose, will keep them in, but then the whole city will likely shut down for a few hours or days.
Since I’m a retired, self-directed writer, there’s no place where I have to go. My church, grocery store, and coffee shop are close enough to walk, and family members can come to dear old dad’s rescue when winter gets him down. But it irks me to let a mere contingency like winter keep me off my bike.
On a cold New Year’s Day in 2011, with temperature in the thirties and a cold east wind blowing down the Columbia River Gorge, I chickened out by driving ten miles to my Friday morning breakfast with the Friendly Old Fellows from my church and coffee with the New York Times at Peets Coffee and Tea. Usually I cycled down but on this morning it seemed too cold.
There at her usual table at Peets was one of the regulars, knitting while she sipped her tea. In a little while, she told me, she would suit up and join friends for a fifty-mile ride including hard climbing in Portland’s west hills.
Today, however, I won’t be heading out into the coldest day of the year so far. I’ll take a nap, write this blog, and wait for the winter storm that’s coming our way. There’ll be plenty of time next week, after the first snow fall of the season, to work on character.
You are currently browsing the Keith Watkins Historian blog archives for December, 2016. | 2019-04-20T03:19:46Z | https://keithwatkinshistorian.wordpress.com/2016/12/ |
Although the answers provided here specifically reference Kentucky Bankruptcy Law, the bankruptcy law of your state is almost always the same or very similar, since bankruptcy codes are ultimately the province of the federal government. However, the property that you keep is governed by your individual state’s exemptions law and in some cases we explain the range of the exceptions. In the bankruptcy manual, over half of the states in the US are covered in a chart explaining the exemptions for most states. We provide the exemptions for the other states by mailing an additional chart. Please e-mail us questions so we can add them to this ever-growing list of commonly asked questions. We hope that you will find that this information helpful. But a Bankruptcy FAQ – (Frequently Asked Questions) is not intended as a substitute for legal counselling.
This is not legal advice. Each individual case is different, but these are the “standard” answers to common questions. If you have a question about your case, you need to ask your attorney for an answer based on the facts and particular circumstances of your case.
Q1: We seem to be losing our home and car. We just don’t know whether or not to keep it or let it go.
Whether or not to keep a home should always be a financial decision, not an emotional one. A car can be replaced at a normal interest rate about a year after a Bankruptcy discharge and a home 3 years after the foreclosure sale or 2 years after discharge under FHA, HUD and VA rules. My wife Nancy often finances these loans. For 2 years she was President, and prior to that Treasurer, of the Mortgage Bankers Association. We often buy more home or car than we need. A 2-year-old hail-damaged Ford may not look as nice as a Lexus, but it may last the same miles, serve its purpose and cost thousands less.
It’s common to see someone paying $200,000 for a home that is only worth $150,000 or less. The $50,000 difference may fund a college degree or retirement. If you owe more than the home is worth, then you are probably better off letting a home go back. The average time it takes nationwide to foreclose is about 630 days. If a person answers a foreclosure and issues discovery, it will take much longer. During that time, people often live in the home without paying the mortgage, taxes or insurance and save thousands by staying in the property.
It is unlikely you will be able to find a lender that will refinance a home with negative equity. If your interest rate is much higher than normal, you may be much better off letting the home go back.
If the home has a second mortgage, a Chapter 13 may be a better option. A Chapter 13 can strip away a second mortgage, something a Chapter 7 cannot do. It isn’t unusual to see a person better off by filing a Chapter 13 than a Chapter 7 if he is stripping away the second mortgage in the Chapter 13. The Chapter 13 will discharge more debt than the Chapter 7 will, and may significantly lower your monthly payments.
If the home or auto does not meet your needs or if it is too expensive, it can be replaced. Cashing in your retirement or mortgaging a home often shifts the burden of retirement to your children or other taxpayers. The bank that made the predatory loan or car sale should bear the burden of the bad debt, not the public.
Q2: Should I file Bankruptcy?
A person should file a bankruptcy if, and only if, he or she can’t pay bills as they come due or is about to lose property, or have property attached by the Court. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy normally has less impact than a foreclosure or repossession on credit. A Chapter 13 will takes 3 years if your income is less than the average income, or 5 years if above average, but it has more powerful tools and may cost less in the long run if you are stripping a second mortgage than a Chapter 7.
Very few people lose property when they file bankruptcy. For 2011 in Kentucky, you are allowed to keep about $3,450 equity in a car, $10,775 in personal household goods, $21,625 in a home, and at least $1,000 in any property that you choose in a general exemption plus ½ of the unused portion of the home exemption. The exemptions are adjusted in April every year. For married couples filing jointly, these exemptions are doubled. See our website for the current amounts.
To stop a foreclosure in Kentucky with a Chapter 13, you only need to cure the arrearage within a reasonable time period, and you may take up to five years.
Q3: What does it cost to file Bankruptcy?
Court costs are about the same, $310 for a Chapter 7 and $285 for a Chapter 13, plus postage for sending the plan to the creditors ($25), so both filing fees are about $310. Uncontested Chapter 7 Attorney fees at our office will run about $1,000 for a single, $1,200 for a couple, plus any filing fees, but expect fees to increase. They have been the same for 8 years. About 5-10% of the cases may require additional work for a motion to redeem, strip a judicial lien, etc.
Chapter 13 attorney fees are set by the Court, and the Court is presently paying about $2,750 in Western Kentucky for Chapter 13 through confirmation and the schedule of allowed claims. This is paid to the attorney as you pay the Court and normally only decreases what is paid to unsecured creditors.
Q4: What happens when I file?
When you file a Bankruptcy, a Court order called a stay goes into effect immediately, stopping all collection activity. This includes stopping foreclosures, attachments, garnishments, and creditors from calling you. The sooner you come in to the law office, the sooner you can get relief—and the more you can save from creditors. You will have a 341 hearing within about 4 to 6 weeks after the Bankruptcy is filed. When the Bankruptcy is finally over, a discharge is issued. This is a final and permanent order that permanently stops all collection activity and declares the debts to be non-collectable. Bankruptcy does not normally get rid of a security interest that you gave to a creditor, such as a mortgage or a standard car lien, but it can destroy or modify some mortgages and liens. It makes you no longer liable for the debt if you successfully get the discharge.
Q5: I live in Pikeville (Eastern District). Can I file in another District (such as Louisville in the Western District)?
A lot of this answer depends on whether or not you have real property and if you are living in the Western District at the time of filing. Procedural rules vary from district to district making it more or less difficult, expensive or time consuming. It normally costs less to file Bankruptcy in the Western District, etc.
Jurisdiction and Residence are based on your intent to live in a place—so, if you say you live in the Western District and you have substantial contacts there such as you live with family, you vote there or have a driver’s license with a local address, you probably do reside there. Many people live in an area because of school or work but have their real contacts elsewhere. For instance, a serviceman or student in Alaska does not generally lose his right to file in Kentucky if they are from here. If you move to the Western District from another state, the other states exemptions may apply if they are lower.
1) Can I plan my Bankruptcy?
Of course! Good planning is why you want to read this manual. Planning allows you to save more money and property and gives you a workable budget for success. For instance, you may wish to delay filing your Bankruptcy to insure that your taxes are over 3 years old and dischargeable. This is just like taking proper tax exemptions when you file a return. There is nothing illegal or improper with properly taking exemptions. But you can become too greedy in converting assets. Always involve your attorney in planning your Bankruptcy. Waiting a few months until your tax debt becomes bankruptable is acceptable. However, converting large amounts of corporate assets into your retirement, or going on a spending spree with credit cards just prior to filing isn’t.
2) Which bankruptcy is right for me: Chapter 13 or Chapter 7?
A Chapter 13 is like a bill consolidation loan, and you normally file it to keep property, discharge or control certain debts, and stop foreclosures. A Chapter 13 will discharge a wider variety of debts. A Chapter 13 will require you to budget. Budgeting is a skill the court is trying to teach the Debtor in a Chapter 13, so problems do not reoccur. A Chapter 7 is generally used to wipe out unsecured debts and surrender property you don’t wish to keep. Both stop garnishments and creditor harassment. If you earn more than the average wage for your state and size of family, you will often be required to file a Chapter 13 due to the means test.
Chapter 13 cases are becoming more popular. Over 95% of all Chapter 13 cases used to fail because they became unaffordable in Kentucky. But now, 10% and lower repayment plans are often approved in Chapter 13 cases if that is all the Debtor can afford. Chapter 13 plans are now more successful, especially if you ensure you include often overlooked expenses in your budget. See our website for a list of commonly overlooked expenses. Often an attorney may want to file a Chapter 13 because he will earn more than he would in a Chapter 7. Usually, the only times you want to file a Chapter 13 are 1) when you have already filed a Chapter 7 and can’t yet file another Chapter 7; 2) you have so much property and equity that a Chapter 13 is necessary to keep property or 3) you have certain non-dischargeable debts that require repayment in a Chapter 13.
You may have to file a Chapter 13 if you have so much disposable income (after you pay normal monthly living expenses) that you can repay something to your debts. A Chapter 13 can no longer be used to discharge certain unusual debts such as trust taxes. But it has always been used to repay income taxes less than 3 years old, child support, student loans, or to protect cosigners.
The fortunate thing about virtually all Chapter 7 cases is that the Debtor’s assets are normally exempt, so there are rarely any assets to liquidate. Married couples with valuable assets, such as over $40,000 in equity for a home or over $7,000 equity in cars (these amounts are for Kentucky), may want to choose Chapter 13. Each state can have different rules for what property can be kept. Kentucky uses the Federal exemptions. Indiana allows far less property to be kept. Florida and Texas allow far more.
3) Why file a Chapter 7?
If you have substantial unsecured debts, little equity in property and an average or less disposable income, you may want to file a Chapter 7. You may also want to file a Chapter 7 if you want to surrender property and not owe for it. You can usually keep all your property in a Chapter 7, because most Debtors lack any substantial equity in any property that exceeds the exemptions allowed.
4) Why file a Chapter 13?
You may want to file Chapter 13 if you have secured debts, are threatened with foreclosure or repossession, if you filed Chapter 7 less than 8 years ago, if you wish to protect a cosigner, or if you have certain debts that are not dischargeable in a Chapter 7 but are payable or dischargeable in a Chapter 13. Taxes and child support (priority debts) can be paid first in a Chapter 13, before secured creditors. This gives you the advantage of not losing a car or property but having all of your payments go to the IRS or child support at the start of the case. If a debt has to be paid for a term longer than the plan (such as mortgages or student loans), the Debtor can pay full payments directly. This may allow the Debtor to bump up student loan payments and nearly pay off a student loan during a 13 at the expense of unsecured debt.
5) Can I convert from a Chapter 13 to a 7 or from a 7 to a 13?
Yes, a Chapter 7 or 13 can be converted. There is an absolute right to dismiss a Chapter 13. Conversion of a Chapter 13 to Chapter 7 has a lower level of scrutiny. Dismissal of a Chapter 7 or conversion of a Chapter 7 to Chapter 13 is only with permission. Very few people convert from a 7 to a 13 unless they have been audited by the Trustee and caught with improper transfers, excess property or excess disposable income. If you get caught, it is generally too late to convert because the panel Trustee earns a 25% fee from property he can locate, seize and sell for the benefit of creditors.
If you file a Chapter 13 you have a good chance that you will have to convert from a 13 to a 7. Over 3-5 years, you are likely to miss payments and have a Chapter 13 dismissed (or have to re-file). In a Chapter 13, you will have to file an annual budget in our district and lose your income tax refunds if the plan is less than 100%. Many Chapter 13 cases are never finished and are converted into Chapter 7 cases. If you are close to completing the plan, you may be granted an early hardship discharge, but there are 3 factors that the court considers in any application for an early discharge that must be proved. Primarily the Debtor must show that the disability to complete the plan was not his fault. Plans can also be later modified if incomes change.
6) What is a Chapter 20? What is a Chapter 26?
Some people file a Chapter 7 to wipe out unsecured debts and then file a Chapter 13 to keep a property from foreclosure. This is jokingly referred to as a “Chapter 20”. However, it saves the Debtor money by insuring that only the mortgage is repaid in the later Chapter 13. Since the Debtor just got a discharge in the Chapter 7, there is no need for a second discharge. Filing a “Chapter 20” can be the intelligent and affordable way to file a Chapter 13. Filing a Chapter 7 and then a Chapter 13 to obtain the benefits of both is very effective in stopping a foreclosure. Although you have the right to dismiss a 13 after you cure the arrears, you may not want to dismiss and then have to face unsecured creditors.
A “Chapter 26” refers to filing back-to-back Chapter 13 cases. You would do this to pay debts that can’t be paid in 5 years by just one Chapter 13. In a sense, you are “extending” your repayment time by filing two Chapter 13s to handle taxes or student loans. This may stop wages or property from being attached and allow you to obtain freedom from the debt by waiting for a disability discharge of a student loan or currently noncollectable status of an income tax debt.
7) How long will Bankruptcy take?
It will take about 3 to 4 months for a Chapter 7 to be final. (You will get a letter within 10 days of filing, telling you the time and date of the 341 hearing and that you are required to take the second class (Debtor education). A hearing will be held about 5 weeks after you file. Chapter 13 normally take 5 years, but if you earn less than the average income some districts will consider a 3 year plan.
8) What are the most common mistakes I can make when filing?
Not showing up for your hearing and not listing all of your debts. Fail to show up at the hearing, and your case may be dismissed. Fail to list a debt, and you may have to reopen your case after discharge to add it, with considerable cost and time spent. The best policy is to list all debts and assets. List every debt, even if you think it is non-dischargeable. It may be discharged anyway. You may wish to list large utilities, but you may be required to make a deposit equal to one month’s service if you do discharge a utility. Cable is not a utility.
9) How do I qualify for Bankruptcy? Can I not be approved?
You qualify for Bankruptcy if either your outgo exceeds your income or your liabilities exceed your assets. If you don’t qualify, we will tell you when we type up the Bankruptcy. It is very rare not to qualify. In my first 15 years of practice, I had one person not qualify for a Chapter 7. You only have to be a US citizen, reside in the state you file in, and not have filed within the designated time period (you can’t file two Chapter 7’s within 8 years of each other).
10) What if the Court does not approve my Chapter 13 or Chapter 7?
If there is anything wrong with your Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy, it can normally be easily corrected by amendment. Of course, it is less costly and time-consuming to do it right the first time. If you earn so much money that you can afford a Chapter 13, you will be forced to convert it from a Chapter 7 to a Chapter 13. Repayment plans are often modified. Occasionally a case will be dismissed because of fraud, but not being approved is very, very rare.
11) How often can I file?
You can file a Chapter 7 eight years after your prior Chapter 7 was discharged (prior to 10/2005, the time limit was six years). You can file a Chapter 13 two years after a prior Chapter 13 discharge. You can file a Chapter 7 four years after a Chapter 13 discharge. You can only have one Bankruptcy going on at a time.
12) If I file does it mean my old debts are erased from my credit report?
No! What is reported is that you had a debt and that a Bankruptcy was filed. Bankruptcy does not give you a good credit record or “repair” your credit record automatically. You repair your credit by paying your debts on time after the Bankruptcy and by deleting inaccurate information from your report.
13) Can I file without an Attorney?
Yes. You can file a Bankruptcy yourself. This is called “filing pro se”. You can also do dentistry on yourself, but we don’t recommend it. Doing your own case is a very bad idea. Remember in a Chapter 13, attorney fees are paid out of the money that the court deems is reasonable for you to pay to all creditors. If you try to save money by filing pro se, the amount of money paid to creditors simply increases. You have saved nothing, but you have caused yourself more work and lost the expertise of of a qualified attorney to help you plan and process the case. This book alone won’t give you the 20 years of experience and training you need to file. Use this manual to educate yourself, but find a good attorney to handle your case.
There are also other problems if you file pro se. If you file a reaffirmation and represent yourself, it must be approved in a hearing by the Judge, and that will mean extra hearings and time for you. Consider the time and risk involved. You often lose far more in Court than what the attorney would have cost—plus there is the extra time and effort on your part.
14) What about a Bankruptcy Mill?
Some firms have one experienced attorney that rarely meets clients. To give you quality representation the attorney has to have experience, knowledge and spend time meeting with you to analyze your needs. Some firms file thousands of cases by spending exorbitant amounts of money on advertising, and then hand your case to a paralegal or a junior attorney with little experience. However, if you do your research you will discover that these “bankruptcy mills” normally do not charge less for their services. You may be better served by hiring an experienced attorney who will personally handle your case.
15) Are you a real Attorney?
Yes. I have been filing Bankruptcy cases for over 20 years, and I have filed thousands. I have worked for banks and financial companies and as an assistant attorney general assigned to the tax department. I personally prepare every case. I never have a secretary or paralegal prepare the petition.
16) How much do you charge?
We charge a flat fee of $1,000 for doing a personal and $1,200 for a joint uncontested Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Court costs are $310. Your total cost as an individual is about $1,400 including credit counseling, and $1,600 as a couple.
Chapter 13 Court costs are $285 plus $25 for mailing. In Kentucky and most states, the attorney fees are normally set as a flat fee. There is no shopping for a lower attorney fee in a Chapter 13. Attorney fees in a Chapter 13 mean less is paid to unsecured creditors.
17) Can I pay you in payments?
Filing fees must be paid before we file any petition. Filing fees can be paid to the court in installments, but our policy is to not do that. If you pay the filing fee in payments you are more likely to have the case dismissed. For a Chapter 13, you only need to pay the filing fee before we file the petition.
18) How do I get to your office? Do you have an office in Lexington?
No, we don’t have an office in Lexington, but we are only about an hour away from Lexington and Covington and only 2 hours from Bowling Green or Owensboro. Take I-64 to Louisville, and then north on the Hurstbourne Exit. We are at 800 Stone Creek Parkway, Suite 6, 40223 just behind the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on Hurstbourne Parkway in the office condos.
19) What paperwork do I need to bring to my attorney?
There is a list of required documents on our website you may download. Bring the names, amounts, account numbers, and the proper addresses of all of your creditors if you can’t input the debts on our website. Credit bureau reports have the addresses on them. We have the ability for you to input your information on our website, but we will still need your last two years of tax returns, last six months of paystubs and bank statements, and copies of your car titles, deed and mortgages. See our website for audios, PowerPoints, and manuals.
20) How can I get a copy of my credit report?
You can get a free copy of your report at www.annualcreditreport.com or at 1–877–322–8228. Please don’t pay for it unless you recently got one within the prior year. You can get a free credit report if you have been denied credit, are unemployed, are a victim of fraud, or are on welfare (or if you live in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey or Vermont). To get one for a small fee without going through a “middle man” by contacting any of the 3 major reporting services below. They may charge between $3 and $8.50 depending on your state of residence.
1. Experian (TRW) at 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742) allows you to charge your credit report to your Visa or MasterCard over the phone.
3. Equifax at 1-800-685-1111 or write to: Equifax Information Service Center, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241. For $8, you can get an immediate report online from Equifax.
If you decide to write to any of these services, be sure to include your: name, address, phone number, previous addresses for the past two years, social security number, birth date, employer, signature—and be sure to include your payment. (You’ll have to call to get the payment amount.) Proof of identity, such as a photo copy of your driver’s license, will also be required.
21) Can I file jointly with my spouse? Does my spouse have to file or sign if I want to file individually?
Yes, you can file jointly or separately. Sometimes a spouse may want to file separately to delay a foreclosure even longer. The first spouse files the first Bankruptcy and delays the foreclosure 6 months or more, and then the second files just prior to the sale and the second Bankruptcy delays the foreclosure an additional 6 months to a year or more.
Your spouse doesn’t have to file with you, but if most of your debts are joint debts, he or she may want to file with you. There are few reasons for a spouse to file if the debts are not in their name. If you are filing a Chapter 7 and the bills are also in your spouse’s name, he or she should generally file. (Cosigners are protected in a 13 with 100% plans, but are not in a Chapter 7.) There is often a minor additional charge for a spouse filing, but it is far less than being charged for a second case.
22) Will it affect my spouse’s credit? Is he/she responsible for my credit cards if he/she is an authorized user?
No, filing will not affect your spouse’s individual credit, but if he or she is jointly responsible on any debt that is not paid, that will affect him or her. The fact that you filed Bankruptcy does not appear on a spouse’s credit report unless he or she also files Bankruptcy.
Unless your spouse has signed to be legally responsible, they are not responsible. Many credit card companies will argue that he/she is responsible, but this is simply not the case. Collectors are often paid a commission, which can cause abuse. Often, collectors will submit “no pay” statements to credit agencies for the spouses of bankruptcy clients. This can easily be corrected by filing a dispute with the credit reporting agency demanding that the collector show proof of liability.
23) Will my cosigners be protected?
Cosigners are protected only if the Chapter 13 pays the full amount of the co-signed debt. If the plan pays the debt completely, the cosigner is protected, but it will be listed in his or her credit record as being paid late. The creditor may ask the cosigner for any remaining portion of the debt if it is not paid completely. In a Chapter 7, the cosigner will have some small protection regarding the collateral during the proceeding, but only because the creditor can’t go against the property of the estate. After a Chapter 7 is over, the creditor will proceed against the cosigner personally.
24) Can I file a personal Bankruptcy and not have it affect my business?
If you completely own the business, the business is merely your asset. If it has a substantial value, it may belong to the court like any other asset. If the business is co-owned, such as a partnership or corporation, then it becomes almost impossible for creditors to reach assets for your personal debt. You may want to file a Chapter 7 to officially terminate a business that is losing money, but normally you would merely dissolve a failed business without a corporate Bankruptcy. If your business files Bankruptcy, it generally doesn’t affect you unless you are personally responsible for the debts of the business.
25) Can Bankruptcy stop foreclosures, wage assignments, help me get my license back from an uninsured accident, stop evictions, a judgment, or remove a lien?
26) What will happen to my bills?
When you file a Bankruptcy, a Court order called a stay goes into effect that keeps creditors from legally collecting from you. At the end of the case, a permanent court order called a discharge is entered. The creditor “charges off” the debt and gets a tax deduction for the loss. The bill is not paid, and the debt shows up as a Bankruptcy charge-off on your credit report. Some creditors attempt to get around the law and will continue attempts to collect after the Bankruptcy is filed. They can be sued for this, but you need to prove they violated the order. One of the best methods is to record their call and then surprise them in Court with it when they deny ever making the call. Most creditors that ignore the law will never send you letters or put anything on paper after you file, but they may make phone calls hoping you pay or sell the account.
27) What if I keep getting bills?
You will continue to get some bills from bankrupted debts after you file. What happens is that the Bankruptcy Court sends out notices to the addresses that you give them (that is why correct addresses are so important), but some creditors never get these notices and continue to bill you. You should make copies of your hearing notice. If you get a bill from a creditor, send them a copy of the bill and the notice. Some creditors will continue to send bills even if they receive notice. It may be that their computer can’t stop sending out the bills, or they may simply be ignoring the stay hoping that you will pay anyway. We can file a motion for contempt with the Judge, and we may also be able to sue for a violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.
28) Do I have to pay my bills during the Chapter 7 or 13?
No. Don’t pay any bill after you file a Chapter 7 until you have negotiated with the creditor to keep the property. Don’t pay any payment in a Chapter 13 unless it is the regular monthly mortgage payment or car payment, and the 13 was filed to retain that property and catch up the arrearage. A stay is a Federal Court order to stop. If the item is secured, your overdue payments will continue to add up while you don’t pay on the item. However, the creditor can’t take the collateral until the stay is terminated. If no reaffirmation is filed within 45 days after the Bankruptcy is filed, the stay automatically terminates and the bank can take the car. The creditor may also file a motion to terminate the stay after the Bankruptcy is filed. Bankruptcy stops your obligation to pay, but the creditor still has a lien and rights in the property. Bankruptcy can affect liens of some creditors.
You often quit paying for items when you file so that you have time to decide on repayment, redemption, or surrendering. I rarely have a bank refuse to agree to repayment, but you don’t want to make payments if they aren’t going to let you keep the property. Singing a reaffirmation will make you liable for any deficiency if you have it repossessed later. In rare cases, with people who are never going to repay, the bank may refuse to reaffirm. Some credit unions may refuse to reaffirm a car or mortgage unless you also repay their credit cards. In cases like this, you may want to redeem property instead. That is why you don’t want to make payments just before or after you file. You can take the time to negotiate your options. You don’t have to be caught up on your payments to reaffirm. A Chapter 13 can be filed to force creditors to allow you to keep property, so they will often negotiate to cure arrearages over time.
29) Who notifies the creditors and bill collectors?
After the Bankruptcy petition is filed, the Court mails a notice to all the creditors listed in the schedules. This usually takes a week.
30) Do I have to go to court?
You have to attend a hearing presided over by a bankruptcy trustee. This hearing is called the 341 Hearing (Meeting of creditors). At this hearing, the Trustee (who is an Attorney or CPA) will ask questions, under oath, regarding the content of your Bankruptcy papers, assets, debts, and other matters. It is very much like a deposition. It is not a trial. If you can’t attend (example: if you are disabled or in military service overseas), you can answer the questions by Affidavit. The Trustee is not the Judge. He is there to take any assets from you, if he can, check accuracy of paperwork and determine what Chapter your case should be. The Trustee represents the banks—not you.
31) Where is my 341 hearing?
Your 341 hearing is always at the Federal Court in your district. In Louisville, your hearing will be on the 5th floor of the Federal Gene Snyder Courthouse at 6th and Broadway. Use the elevator on the 6th street side, next to the Courier Journal newspaper building. If your paperwork is done correctly, your hearing will only last 5 minutes. Just bring yourself, proof of insurance on your car, a picture ID, and proof of your social security number (social security card, W-2, etc.) to the hearing. Dress appropriately.
In Lexington, the hearings are at 100 Vine St. Most Courts require your attorney to bring a second set of documents.
32) What do I wear to the hearing?
Don’t wear cut-offs, jeans with holes in them or sandals. Suits are not required, but dress properly for a hearing in Federal Court. Children are not supposed to be in the hearing room. Do not borrow and wear flashy jewelry. This is not the time to brag how rich you are or how much you own. The trustee is looking for assets to take from you. He is not your friend. He represents the persons you owe. You must report what you own and its value, but don’t brag about your income and how much your car is worth—especially if it is worthless.
33) Do you show up with me at the hearing?
Your attorney will personally appear! Well, unless he or she has 10 offices in 3 states with 12 attorneys. Large firms will send someone, often someone you never saw before. We take care of you, and assist through the process. We don’t just file paperwork. However, there is work you must do such as supply documentation. If you read this manual, you should be able to make the most of your bankruptcy.
34) When should I file tax returns if I am going to file bankruptcy?
If you are considering filing a Bankruptcy, you must file your tax returns (unless you didn’t have any income and were exempt). The court may dismiss your case if you don’t file returns and we normally won’t file the case until you supply them to us. The tax returns and other documents are due to the Trustee within 2 weeks after your Bankruptcy is filed.
If you can get your refund before you file, and spend it, you will keep your refund no matter how much it is. It is very rare for persons in Kentucky to lose a tax refund because the exemptions are so large. But in Indiana, they are commonly lost because the exemptions are so small.
If you get your refund after you file Bankruptcy, and the refund is over the exemption, you may lose part of your refund. File a quick refund if you have to. Some Indiana Trustees start claiming tax refunds in November or prorate them.
35) What will happen to my house and car?
Usually, you keep them. If your equity is less than or equal to your mortgage and exemption, you keep the property. You are allowed to keep a certain amount of property in Bankruptcy. When we prepare your Bankruptcy, we will tell you if you are at risk of losing property. At the time of filing, all property that is not exempt belongs to the Court. The idea is to exempt it all so that you keep it all. Of course, the law concerning what property you can keep varies from state-to-state. We provide you with the exemptions in the manual and on our website. If you are in another state, please beware that many of the websites have the amounts wrong, and the amounts may not be up to date. We keep the amounts for our state (Kentucky) up to date.
36) Do I have to keep up the insurance on my vehicle? Will my rates be affected or will I be dropped?
If you fail to keep full coverage insurance on your vehicle paid for three months, the creditor may automatically pick up your vehicle, according to the local rules in the Western District of Kentucky. Other jurisdictions have similar rules.
37) Can a creditor be forced into a reaffirmation or agreement to allow me to keep property in a Chapter 7? Can a creditor be forced into redemption?
No, a creditor can’t be forced into a reaffirmation, mortgage modification or workout. A creditor can be forced into redemption which allows you to purchase the vehicle or other personal property from him. Redemption is an agreement to pay the bank what the security is worth in one lump sum. They cannot refuse the redemption after the Judge orders it.
If they have started a foreclosure, the filing of the Bankruptcy stops the foreclosure, but in a Chapter 7, the bank may file a motion to terminate the stay with the Bankruptcy Court and ask to foreclose anyway. If the bank is adamant that it wants the house or car back, it may file a motion to terminate the stay in a Chapter 7 and take a loss.
38) Can I choose which creditors I repay?
Yes, you can pay one creditor, but not another. You can keep one car, but let the other car go back.
39) Can I revoke a reaffirmation?
Yes, but it must be revoked within 60 days of the 341 hearing or before discharge, whichever comes first. It should be revoked in writing and sent by certified mail so you have proof.
40) I want my house or car to go back. Will I lose it immediately?
No. You will normally have until at least the 341 hearing to return your car and owe nothing. Use that period of time to look for another vehicle you can afford.
If you choose to let your house go back, you will normally have at least a year to live in it after you stop making payments. The shortest period for a foreclosure is about six months, and we have seen it take up to 7 years. Consider filing an answer to a foreclosure to stay in the home longer and filing discovery to remain in it even longer. Remember, a foreclosure will normally do more damage to your credit than Bankruptcy. Filing a Chapter 13 to catch up on your payments is one way to keep your home. The only good reasons to let your house go back are 1) you have a large amount of negative equity in it, 2) a bad mortgage or 3) that it is an overwhelming burden.
41) Will I lose my 401(k) or retirement fund?
Your retirement is completely exempt and protected under Kentucky law. Other states have other exemptions to protect retirement plans. However, you should talk to a qualified Attorney to get his opinion. The United States Supreme Court has held that pension plans, 401(k) plans, and other “ERISA-qualified plans” are generally excluded from the Bankruptcy Estate under 11 U.S.C. sec. 541(c)(2). Unlike 401(k) plans, IRA accounts are not ERISA-qualified plans. However, in Kentucky and most other states, an IRA may be excluded from the Bankruptcy Estate or otherwise exempt because of a state statute. Some Bankruptcy Court Judges have held that an IRA may be partially exempt under 11 U.S.C. sec. 522(d)(10)(E).
42) I have a personal injury lawsuit—will I lose those funds?
In Kentucky, you can keep up to about $21,625 as an exempted amount of a personal injury lawsuit that you have pending. If both are injured you may keep $43,000. Other states have different rules.
43) The finance company took my household goods as collateral. Do I have to turn them over?
It is possible that you may be able to avoid such liens, if they are old enough and if you have not borrowed within a certain time before filing Bankruptcy. Also consider a redemption.
44) I was just sued and they have just attached my paycheck or bank account. What can I do?
If property was taken from you just before filing Bankruptcy, and it was over $600, it can normally be gotten back. Liens on property that were from a lawsuit can be removed. Garnishments and foreclosures can be stopped. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can stop the procedure. It is important to seek help as quickly as possible.
45) Am I liable for income taxes on debts discharged or property taxes for items surrendered in bankruptcy?
People often give up cars and then the auto is sold in another state. The car property tax bill will continue to be sent to the Debtor, even though he surrendered property. To correct this in Kentucky, you can file an affidavit with the County Clerk’s office to correct the matter, proving the Debtor did not have the car after discharge. If you kept the auto then you are liable. Property taxes are statutory liens on property, and the new home or car owner will have to pay the property tax to obtain a clear title. There is no property tax if you discharge a debt in bankruptcy before the lender takes the write off for the debt. You must file bankruptcy before a foreclosure sale to prove you didn’t have the obligation when he writes off the debt.
46) If the trustee doesn’t want the property, can I have it?
Yes. But if you hide an asset, you cannot use the exemption on the property. You have committed fraud and you lose hidden assets and the right to claim any exemption to keep it. If you are on a title, claim it.
47) How long do I have to repay in a Chapter 13?
You can s-t-r-e-t-c-h out your payments and take up to 5 years, but no longer. Kentucky state rules require that you can take up to 5 years to catch up overdue payments to stop a foreclosure or repossession.
48) What happens if I quit making my payments in a Chapter 13?
Your Chapter 13 will be dismissed from Court, and you will go back to owing the original debt and being unprotected. If you refile a Chapter 13. you may not get the automatic stay and you may have to file a motion to obtain the stay or be denied if the case was dismissed for cause.
49) Can I reduce my monthly payments in a Chapter 13?
Yes, a Chapter 13 can reduce your monthly payments. It can also reduce your interest rates to 8%, or even 0% on priority debts such as taxes, secured, and unsecured debts.
50) Do I have to pay back 100% of what I owe in a Chapter 13?
No. You can repay as little as 0% to unsecured creditors in a Chapter 13. Your Chapter 13 must pay at least what a Chapter 7 would have paid. Certain plans may pay much less than 10%, if that is all you can afford. You must repay your disposable income.
51) Can I pay some creditors and not others in a Chapter 13?
You can’t (shouldn’t) discriminate and pay one unsecured creditor differently than other unsecured creditors in that class. However, different secured, unsecured and priority debts are often paid differently.
52) Should I try a debt settlement service instead of filing bankruptcy? How do debt settlement services work?
If you pay a debt counseling service $100 a month, what happens is that they often take $40 for themselves and then send your creditors $60. Your bills fall even farther behind. Very few of these “repayment plans” work, but over 90% fail, leaving you worse off. Another scam is that some companies will charge thousands of dollars by promising to find you a consolidation loan as a loan broker or mortgage broker. These loans end up being at a high-interest rate or they pocket your money and never give you the loan. Others strip the equity from your home in a home mortgage loan. Whatever method used, “Debt Counseling Services” are often scams meant to take your money when you are already in trouble. Also be wary of using services that claim to “repair” your credit file. You can easily find all the information you need to repair your credit for free at the library or from reputable online information sources. Remember, nothing repairs your credit better than paying your bills on time.
53) How long should I keep a copy of my bankruptcy?
You should keep a copy of your Bankruptcy, with your tax papers, for at least 7 years. You will need them for any mortgage application. but they are now filed electronically and available for download at any Bankruptcy attorney’s office if you filed after October 2002. You are only required to keep tax receipts 3 years—after 3 years they have the burden of proof—but keep tax and Bankruptcy records for 7 years anyway.
54) When will I be able to get credit again?
You should be able to get other credit within 6 months to a year. Your ability to get credit is based on your income and your history of repayment, as well as the security you offer. You should be able to purchase a car or house if you reaffirm one or two debts and pay for them on time after your discharge. You always have to be able to afford what you are buying on credit or meet credit standards. You will have to reestablish your credit by paying on time after your filing. In Kentucky, we will be happy to talk to you and recommend home mortgage bankers and other services that will assist you in cleaning up your credit file so that you can qualify for a home—or that work specifically with Bankrupt Debtors. There are also companies that lend to you while you are in Bankruptcy and just after Bankruptcy. 722 Redemption Funding will sell you a car at wholesale price (at about 21% interest), and they will also finance the redemption of some cars at the wholesale book value.
55) Will my employer and landlord find out about my bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy petitions are public records; however, under normal circumstances, no one will know you filed a bankruptcy petition unless you tell them. Chapter 13 debtors are often required to make payments through wage deduction, which means the employer will learn about the bankruptcy.
56) Will this affect my getting an apartment?
57) Can employers discriminate or fire me?
Generally, no. There is an anti-discrimination section of the Bankruptcy Code that prevents employers and the state of Kentucky from denying you licenses or discriminating against present employees, but they can discriminate in hiring. Do yourself a favor: Keep it to yourself. They generally won’t know unless you tell them. Series 7 securities license holders do lose their licenses if a Bankruptcy is filed.
58) Are there bankruptcy crimes?
Yes. Criminal statutes related to Bankruptcy can be found at 18 U.S.C. sections 151 to 157. Examples of Bankruptcy crimes are knowingly and fraudulently concealing assets, lying under oath or on Bankruptcy schedules, and knowingly and fraudulently filing a false proof of claim. Bankruptcy fraud can also be used to support a RICO claim. Bankruptcy crimes are often the result of claiming you don’t own property that you do own or that has been transferred to hide it from the Court.
59) Do I have to disclose all of my assets?
Yes. If you knowingly and fraudulently conceal an asset from the Court, you have committed a felony and you can be fined up to $5,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. However, conviction is very rare and normally comes up in only the worst cases. Normally, the Court will deny a discharge, take an asset or dismiss or convert your Bankruptcy proceeding.
60) Can I run up charges on my credit cards just before filing?
The official answer is “No”. Many people do make some minor charges on their charge cards just before filing. Spending sprees and charges of over $1,000 on any one card within 90 days before filing are presumed to be fraudulent and non-dischargeable. Luxury items of $500 within 90 days and cash advances of $750 within 70 days are non-dischargeable. Charges to an account more than 90 days before filing are presumed proper. The rule that you can’t charge within 90 days of filing isn’t written in stone. There are 12 factors Judges use to determine if it is fraudulent. The only penalty is that you will have to repay what you charged, not the entire debt. There isn’t really a “penalty” to these spending sprees. American Express monitors them the most, Lowe’s department stores the least.
61) Can I give property away just before filing?
Gifts of property over $600 just before filing are improper. Selling property for less than its value is also a fraudulent transfer, and the Court can go after that property and the person you gave items to. Gifts under $600 are not improper. For example, give one gift of $900 to your child, and that is improper. But, give two separate gifts of a $450 computer to one child and a $450 car to another child — even minutes apart — and that is proper.
62) Can student loans or taxes be bankrupted?
(YES, in some cases) If someone tells you it can’t be done, it often means that they doesn’t know how to do it—or that they don’t want to do it. Student loans over 7 years old were dischargeable until October 1998, but are no longer bankruptable in a Chapter 7 unless you get a discharge proving repayment is an undue hardship. This normally requires disability or retirement, but it is possible and requires an adversary proceeding.
63) Can I bankrupt a utility bill?
Yes, but they may make you pay a deposit equal to one month’s service to keep service with them. Cable TV is the exception because it is a luxury, not a utility. Cable TV can discontinue service if you bankrupt their bill. You won’t have to pay it, but they don’t have to turn it back on until you do.
If you include utilities in your bankruptcy, you need to immediately advise your utility, phone, water, gas and electric company that you have filed and tell them your case number and the date you filed. If you simply file a Chapter 7, don’t pay and don’t contact them, you may end up having your service turned off. It may be a month before the utility finds out that you have filed, so if you list a utility, advise them immediately.
64) Can bankruptcy stop a lawsuit?
Yes, but it will not stop criminal cases or criminal restitution. Criminal restitution cannot be bankrupted.
65) Can I get my driver’s license back?
66) Can bankruptcy help with tax matters or high rates and penalties?
The key is often to wait long enough for income taxes to be bankruptable. You can include taxes and student loans in a Chapter 13 repayment plan. The IRS lien is a statutory lien and cannot be avoided or stripped. However, it only lasts for 10 years after the tax is assessed. The tax is assessed when you file a proper return, so you must file your taxes on time so that it will dissolve 10 years later.
67) What are predatory lenders?
Certain lenders don’t care if you repay. They lend on the equity in your home, not on your ability to repay. They never intend or expect you to repay. They intend to steal your home. Others profit on overcharges and then selling very profitable loans to another lender. When you fail to pay, they repossess or foreclose to collect. They charge prepayment penalties, higher interest, and upfront loan costs to get you the loan. They often use unfair lending tactics, like flipping and packing, to increase income and then don’t keep the loan, but sell it to another company. They target the poor, the elderly, minorities, and the uneducated with false advertising, and overcharge heavily so that the loan can never be paid off. Home improvement companies will sometimes use these mortgage companies to process loans for home improvements that are poorly made (if they are made at all), and the result is that you have signed away your home for second-class home improvements. Predatory lenders often overcharge for filing fees, reporting costs, and closing fees, and then fail to report the charges. If you are lucky, you will be able to sue them for truth-in-lending violations and, perhaps, have a free home. The more they steal or overcharge you, the more proud they are of doing it to you.
68) I have a small retirement account. Is it exempt? My regular stock brokerage cash account on the day of filing will only have a minimal amount (if any) of cash and some shares of companies who are bankrupt. As of the moment, the stock is worthless.
Normally retirement accounts can’t be taken by creditors or the Bankruptcy court. The question is whether or not this is a retirement account. Just calling it a retirement account does not make it one. Real retirement accounts can’t be assigned or attached. If it can be easily spent by you, assigned, or attached, it isn’t a retirement account for purposes of the exemption. Of course, putting large amounts of money into an account just before filing (within 6 months) is wrong.
If the stock is worthless, you can list it and if the Trustee abandons it then it will belong to you. However, at the moment of filing your Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, all your property technically belongs to the Trustee.
69) Will I have a life after bankruptcy?
Absolutely. Most persons can purchase a car within a year after discharge and obtain a home mortgage within 2 years at reasonable rates. Some landlords may require a co-signer for a lease. Most clients report that bankruptcies drastically improve their circumstances.
70) What is the discharge?
When a Bankruptcy is filed a temporary court order called a discharge goes into effect stopping foreclosures, garnishments and collections. If the Debtor completes the Bankruptcy a permanent court order called a discharge is issued. After you file bankruptcy you must complete a debtor education course to obtain the discharge.
71) What if I forget a debt or asset?
If you forget to add a debt you may add it on later . . . at a cost. If you have to file an amendment to add the debt on after the case closes you will have to pay another (299) filing fee. If the creditor is not listed they may garnish and attach property later.If you forget an asset like a car you may have lost it. A judge may or may not allow you to add on an asset and protect it by filing an amendment. “Forgetting” an asset and failing to list it or transferring cars, boats, money and other assets to relatives just before filing is fraudulent and it may cause a person to lose property.
The means test is used to determine whether you can file as a Chapter 7 or 13. If your income is less than the average income for your size family that you automatically are presumed to be able to file a Chapter 7 in good faith. If your income is above the average income you may still be able to file if after deducting for reasonable expenses you are unable to repay a reasonable part of your debt. You can choose to file as a Chapter 13 even if you are poor and you may want to in order to strip a second mortgage or to stop IRS and student loan collections.
73) How is my retirement affected?
Only qualified retirement accounts are protected from creditors and the Bankruptcy court. Simply sticking money in a bank and calling it your retirement account won’t save it from attachment. Generally if you can reach it creditors and the bankruptcy court can take it. If you have contributed to your retirement account for the last 8 months to a year then you may generally continue to contribute at that level of contribution in a Chapter 13. Also if you have borrowed from a 401k those deductions continue as allowed expenses in your allowed budget in the means test and in your schedules. .
74) What if creditors continue to call?
If a creditor continues to call after the case has been filed you may file a contempt action against them for damages. The creditor is liable for damages plus attorney fees but you must keep records. If you can record the calls and keep any documentation and records. | 2019-04-22T15:13:15Z | https://www.bankruptcy-divorce.com/contact-us/bankruptcy-faq-frequently-asked-questions/ |
Dust in our homes is a pain. Every few days it reappears. However, there are times when it can be beautiful. For example, when the sun streams in from a window and all the dust particles drifting in the air twinkle in the light. This is when I see Delilah Dusticle with little fluttering wings, waving her duster like a wand, making the glittering particles of dust glide around.
We are all familiar with the idea of a little pixie fairy that sprinkles sparkly dust. Tinkerbell from Peter Pan comes to my mind first. Delilah Dusticle is somewhat different. She is a dust fairy who can sprinkle or remove actual dust. When I imagine this, I see it as the normal dust that relentlessly covers every surface in my home. At the same time, I also imagine her fairy dust to be like snow. Beautiful, quiet and at times filled with sorrow. When she is sad and unable to come to terms with her emotions she showers dusts everywhere.
Perhaps this is why I find physical expression of sadness so interesting. When we feel pain, delight or even serenity it can have such an impact that it almost deserves some kind of outward reaction, some kind of physical image. Thunder for anger for example, or dark clouds swiftly passing in the iris of the eye. If you were to physically manifest sadness, what would it be? How would it look? How would it sound?
The next story I am writing is called Delilah Dusticle’s Mission Impossible. So far in the series, Delilah has mastered her powers and her emotions. I am now looking at what else can challenge her that she must overcome, how this will manifest itself and how it will look. I have realised when I write, I always start the story with a picture in my mind and a sensation of how I want the reader to feel.
Today, I am imagining her kryptonite. All kinds of variations of the story are running through my head. This is one of my favourite parts of story-telling because anything is possible. So excuse me now as I drift off into my imagination.
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Are you a member of Booklikes? They host giveaways and on this site you can win eBook copies of Delilah Dusticle, Delilah Dusticle's Transylvanian Adventure and Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest.
Are you a member of Goodreads? They host giveaways and on this site you can win paperback editions of Delilah Dusticle, Delilah Dusticle's Transylvanian Adventure and Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest.
I have been working in the school library now for a few weeks. We are doing a summer reading campaign and I have to come up with a book suggestion as well as an activity. I chose Sophie’s World as the story has loads of content that you can turn into a discussion. I tend to reread this book every two years because my memory is like a sieve. I love reading about the different philosophers.
written on the front. This text is taken directly from the book. The envelop will also have ‘OPEN ME’ on the front. I guess I am mixing a little of Alice in Wonderland in there too. The students will be asked to open the envelops and inside will be a question that is raised in the book. We will then share our ideas.
I have put a summary and the questions below, just in case you would like to take part .
Jostein Gaarder is a Norwegian writer, who is best known for Sophie’s World, which has been translated into 60 languages. The story is about 14 year old Sophie. One day she comes home from school and finds strange letters addressed to her in the postbox. They contain questions, which jolt her out of her everyday life, making her question the world.
Sophie then receives another letter and this time it is a course in philosophy. In the letter, it introduces what philosophy is all about. It uses the metaphor that there are people who watch a magician pull a white rabbit from a hat and never ask how it was done. Then there are those who want to know how this mysterious trick happened. This is philosophy, asking how the mysteries in life have come about. In the letter it also goes on to say that the white rabbit being pulled out of the magician’s hat is the world, and we are snuggled deep in its fur. Only philosophers will climb the strands of the fur to look out and see what is out there.
Are you snuggled in the fur? Today we will climb out and ask some philosophical questions.
Is there any will or meaning behind what happens?
The one thing I need to be watchful over is that the students respect each other beliefs. This is the sort of discussion activity I would have loved at school. I hope it inspires some of the kids to read Sophie’s World. We start the campaign next week. Fingers crossed it will go well.
I almost choked on my tea when I found out that Eliza Bluebell had been nominated for Best Children's Book award. I am truly grateful to whoever it was who put my book forward. The winner is announced in August during their virtual book fair, and it is the book with the most votes that will win. It is shame they do not have a panel who also judges the books. Nevertheless, I am thrilled to be part of the e Festival of Words.
To visit the e Festival of Word website, please click here!
Gothenburg enjoyed a mini heatwave this week. I also started working in the school library, so it has been a really good week all round. I have learnt to check books in and out, put new books into the library catalogue and I have helped the librarian plan her autumn activities. I am also going to write a blog post for the library blog. I have to say I love it, but it is only temporary and I will just have to enjoy it while it lasts.
You may remember a blog post I did called ‘Every Object has a Story’. If not, you will find it in my archives from last month. I am pleased to say it inspired me to write a short story. I have written a tale based on a twelve year old girl who helps her Grandmother on Sundays at the local charity shop. She discovers that they both have flashbacks of memories when they touch the objects. I will leave it in a draw for a few months and then reread it. Distance makes for a better editor in my view.
I am also in the process of getting in touch with my book blog contacts to see if they are interested in reviewing Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest. I have had four reviews come in already and I am pleased to say two were four stars and the other two were five stars. All the reviews have been posted onto Goodreads and some are on Amazon too. It is such a relief because I never know for sure how the stories will be received.
One of the reviewers is called Namrata and she is based in India. Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest is also set in India and I am pleased that Namrata has given the story her stamp of approval.
You can read the review in full on Namrata’s book blog called Red Pillows by clicking here.
This week I plan to set up some giveaways where you can win the all three books in the Delilah Dusticle series. I will post the details here as soon as I have everything up and running. I also plan to write the post for the library blog and share it here. It might even be two post. So those are my plans. I guess I better get started then.
When deciding what to read is the size of a book a factor? Does size matter?
I sometimes visit the author forums just to check in and see if there anything new in the publishing world. The topic that comes up time and again is the size of the book and how to price it. There are a quite a few authors who are upset about other authors publishing a very short book and charging a tidy sum for it. Amusingly, they are calling these very short books ‘pamphlets’.
There is a size classification for books and it is based on word count. It can vary, but here is an approximation.
A Short Story should be under 7,500 words.
A Novelette is between 7,500 – 17,500 words.
Novel is over 40,000 words.
Word count is important, but I think it depends on your genre. For example, there are many reluctant middle grade readers out there and offering them a hefty novel may just turn them off. But offer them an exciting short story, then they might just give it a chance.
My Delilah Dusticle stories vary from short story to novella, but put together they become a novel. I intend to publish them as an omnibus after I finished Delilah Dusticle's Mission Impossible. I have published Delilah Dusticle, Delilah Dusticle's Transylvanian Adventure and Eliza Bluebell as a story bundle called The Delilah Dusticle Adventures. I am not fond of the cover and I intend to change that over the next few months.
As for pricing, there are no guidelines, except for those issued by the retailers. An author could publish a short story and price it at 7.99, but I doubt that anyone would buy it. However, a children’s story is expected to be quite short and can have the same price of an adult novel. But then children’s stories and middle grade books tend to have illustrations in them too, which is another cost and dimension to factor in.
I can see the attraction with a big fat book and as a reader I would be very disappointed to find myself enthralled in a story, only to find it finished within a few pages. At the same time, I am also tired of books that add in extra text just to extend the books length. The text usually could be omitted from the story and the reader would be none of the wiser. I call this ‘filler chapters’. I like a well fleshed out story, but I get bored if the pace has been drawn out with filler chapters.
I have also noticed this in TV series. It seems that programming now requires at least 6 episodes even if the story is about 3 episodes. I watched a BBC Three TV series called Thirteen recently and there was an episode where nothing happened that effected the storyline. You could have missed that episode out and still been able to follow the story. Even advert breaks seem to be longer. It used to be long enough so you could make a cup of tea. Here in Sweden, advert breaks are so long I can take a shower.
There are stories that warrant an epic length. The BBC also did a great adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. However, this time the series was criticised for being squished into six episode. I guess when it comes to length there is no one size fits all.
I understand that a thick book could be seen as more value for money, but I am much happier reading a shorter book that is well paced. Fat books that have been padded out do not do it for me. I see this as a bit of con. In conclusion, I guess size doesn’t matter to me, it’s the content that matters. Stretching things out to make a book look bigger or to fill programming demands is just dumbing down. Isn’t it?
Delilah Dusticle and the Cursed Tempest is now available on Amazon, iBooks, and Kobo. Here is the first chapter to wet your appetite.
Dev wiped the sweat from his forehead and gasped at the hot, soupy air. Footsteps pounded on the flimsy roofs above, echoing all around the slum. The smell of rubbish and waste was overpowering.
He pushed himself further out of view into a crevice between two frail dwellings. The Bombay sun was setting, but the heat was stifling and swaddled his body like unwanted fur.
The sound of footsteps melted away and a door slammed in the distance. The slum was unusually quiet. The paths that snaked around the makeshift houses were empty. All doors were firmly shut and those lucky to have windows had covered them up.
Squeezing himself out of the crevice, Dev began to run. Shadows loomed around a corner and he changed direction. He disappeared into a dark passage and stood flat against the wall, breathing hard.
“Welcome, Dev. We have been expecting you,” whispered a soft female voice from an open door.
Dev looked over. Standing in front of him was a short, elderly Indian woman with blue eyes, dressed in a blue sari. She led him inside. The room was bare and, sitting on the dirt floor, were three grey-haired women dressed in saris and four elderly men in tunics. They sat in a circle around a fire.
Dev stood shocked for a moment and then made long strides to the door.
“No, Dev,” said the woman. “That is why we are meeting here, in the slums of Bombay, and not in our village. I knew you would try to rescue her. It is difficult to understand, but you are not to do this. There is only one now who can save Kirin, who can save us all. Do you have it with you?” She led Dev back to the fire.
Devastated, he gripped the locket hanging around his neck. “Yes,” he whispered.
Dev sat down and opened the locket. The speck of dust inside glistened as he placed it on the tip of his finger. The blue-eyed woman sat beside him and then blew the speck from his fingertip. They all watched as it floated gently into the fire. There was a moment when nothing happened. Suddenly, white shooting flames exploded from the fire, up through the chimney and into the sky like fireworks.
“Feisty,” said a voice from within the circle.
The blue-eyed woman turned to Dev. “You must bring her here. It is your destiny. If you fail, Kirin will not survive and nothing will change.” Dev nodded silently. The blue-eyed woman looked out of the window.
“It is dark enough that you will be hidden. Go, save my granddaughter, save your sister,” she said placing her hand softly on Dev’s cheek. Dev kissed his grandmother’s hand and then jumped out the window.
Get you copy now! Click the relevant button below!
Not read the first two stories yet? No problem, you can get the Delilah Dusticle Adventures story bundle by clicking the link button below.
Where does Delilah Dusticle's magic come from?
Spoiler alert! I recommend missing this post if you have not read Delilah Dusticle and Delilah Dusticle’s Transylvanian Adventure.
I have written many times about how a bad cleaning experience gave me the idea for writing a story about a magical maid. However, I have never written about where her magic comes from. When I came up with Delilah Dusticle and her magical ability to eradicate dust, I had not completely formed who she was, where she was from and where she was going. It seemed obvious that she would work as a maid in a big house. I just needed to fill in the other details.
In the first story, Delilah gets her heart broken, she looses control of her dust disappearing magic and begins to shower dust everywhere. When she breathed she would exhale dust. When she walked across the room she would leave a trail of dust. At her most miserable, the dust would fall around her like snow. Making more mess than she could clear away she is let go. This is when her journey of rebuilding her life begins. She makes an unlikely friend and they start a business called Dustbusters and employ a team of Dustbusters. Delilah starts to control her ability to make and eradicate dust.
Here is their company logo. Pulvis et Servitium is Latin for Dust and Service.
So, where does this crazy dust magic come from? Well, Dustbusters becomes famous, and weird and wonderful offers to clean grand houses start to come in. Delilah and the Dustbusters accept an offer to go abroad to Transylvania to clean Dracula’s castle. Actually, this is what they think they have been invited over to do. When they arrive they find it quite the opposite. I can't give any more away so, I leave that to your imagination.
While in Transylvania, Delilah finally discovers from Count Dracula who she is. She discovers that she is a Brownie. This is where I need to explain, as I expect some of you reading this might be thinking of a chocolatey treat or even the girl guides/scouts (in the UK, a Brownie is a girl scout). But did you know a Brownie is also a type of house elf that helps out around the house or on the land? They are seldom seen by normal humans and exchange their hard graft for gifts of food. Brownies features in folklore all over Europe.
I grew up knowing about this mythical creature because in Sweden we have Tomtes. They are mainly represented at Christmas time, but they do chores around the house or on the farm in exchange for porridge.
In the UK, Brownies were mainly associated with the North of England and Scotland. They were also known as Hobs (hobgoblins).
I took all these details about house elves one step further and came up with the idea that each Brownie would have one special magical skill. Delilah can eradicate dust, but her brother can make things grow from nothing. Other Brownies would be able to bake amazing dishes from a few ingredients. Anything domestic, then there would be a Brownie that would be able to charm it into being.
I came up with a reason why humans rarely saw a Brownie and this was because they would take advantage of them. There is a house gnome in Germany called Heinzelmännchen and the story goes that the people of Cologne had gnomes working throughout the night, so they could be lazy during the day. I considered that Brownies all around the world felt tired of being used for their skills and wanted their freedom. They ran away into hiding and as far as Delilah knows, she and her brother are the only ones left.
So there you have it! Delilah is a Brownie, a mystical being, and that is where her magic comes from. Her adventures are fun, mystical and weird. Her friends are loyal, hilarious and complex. Her origin is written in folklore and she is quite possibly the only one left of her dust making kind. Or is she?
To read the first chapter of Delilah Dusticle, click the button! | 2019-04-26T14:56:53Z | https://www.ajyork.com/blog/archives/05-2016 |
All of at RG 21 would like to wish our friends, subscribers and supporters a very Happy Chinese New Year 2019: Gong Xi Fa Cai.
We wish all of you health, happiness, and prosperityThis year promises to be a challenging and interesting year full of world-class events, breaking news and technological changes.
On January 1, 2019 the Supreme Leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un, sat down to deliver his annual address to the people of North Korea, and by extension to the world. Mr. Kim outlined the various achievements of his government during 2018, noting the 70th anniversary of the country, and then mentioning various sectors of the economy including steel, coal and munitions. He praised the efforts of the agriculture sector that had to deal with severe weather conditions during the year. He even mentioned the areas of art and culture and their work in supporting the idea of juche, or self-reliance.
Following this, like any good manager, Mr. Kim set out targets for 2019 in government and industry. He called for a better life for the people of the DPRK and stressed the need for defense.
He then turned to inter-Korean dialogue punctuated by three summit meetings. He called for making even greater strides in this dialogue with expanded relations.
Finally, Mr. Kim talked about the meetings between himself and the US president, Donald Trump and said he is willing to meet Mr. Trump any time. However he cautioned the US that if it did not keep its promises and tried to influence DPRK policy, then his country “we may be compelled to find a new way of defending the sovereignty of the country…” Mr. Kim closed by noting that great progress had been made in 2018, and that great challenges lie ahead.
Mr. Kim’s speech, despite being filled with rhetorical flourishes and jargon, gives us an insight into the state of his country and its economy. The areas to be improved give us a window into life in the DPRK, particularly in the area of basic infrastructure such as electric power generation and distribution. The real take-away seems to be Mr. Kim’s emphasis on the inter-Korean dialogue which he took time to cover, while giving limited attention to US-DPRK relations. Mr. Kim’s strategy seems to be two-pronged; i.e. improving his relations with the South, and at the same time positioning his country on the international stage.
Respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made the New Year Address for 2019.
Having seen out the year 2018, in which we adorned the history of the motherland, the revolution and the nation with meaningful events leaving another indelible imprint in the history, we are seeing in the new year 2019 full of hope.
As we see in the new year, I extend heartfelt greetings to all the people and service personnel who devoted their all for the cause of socialist construction sharing the same mind and pace with our Party in the eventful days of last year, and wish that homes across the country will brim with affection, hope and happiness.
My warm new year greetings go also to the compatriots in the south and abroad, who shared our will in writing a new history of reconciliation, unity, peace and prosperity of the nation.
I wish success in the work of heads of state and other foreign friends who are making efforts for social progress and development and global peace and justice.
The year 2018 was a historic year, in which remarkable changes took place in the internal and external situations and our socialist construction entered a new stage thanks to our Party’s line of independence and strategic decision.
The Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Party Central Committee held in April last year constituted an occasion of pivotal significance in developing our revolution onto a new stage and continuing to speed up the advance of socialism on the basis of the great victory of the line of promoting the two fronts simultaneously. Following the road of arduous struggle with faith in certain victory of socialism, our people provided by their own efforts a sure guarantee for defending their sovereignty and achieving peace and prosperity, and became able to set out on a grand revolutionary advance to attain still higher goals for the construction of a prosperous country.
Thanks to our proactive and positive efforts, a peace-oriented current was created on the Korean peninsula and the international prestige of our Republic continued to be raised, and in the midst of this we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the glorious DPRK in splendour with great dignity and self-confidence.
Through the celebratory events held in September, the might of the DPRK, which achieved the ideological oneness of the whole society and the single-hearted unity of the Party and the people and which possesses a reliable self-supporting economy and self-reliant defence capabilities, and the ardent will of the heroic Korean people to fight to the end for the victory of the socialist cause were fully demonstrated in front of the eyes of the world.
Last year all the people further consolidated the foundations of the self-supporting economy by turning out in the struggle for carrying out the Party’s new strategic line of concentrating all efforts on economic construction.
Meaningful and valuable advances were made in the struggle for implementing the line of making the national economy Juche-oriented. The generation capacity of the Pukchang Thermal Power Complex was increased remarkably, the Kim Chaek and Hwanghae iron and steel complexes and other metallurgical works built on their successes in establishing the Juche orientation in production, and dynamic efforts were made to strengthen the independent foundations of the chemical industry. The quality of various vehicles and light-industry products that give us pleasure at sight as they were made by our efforts, technology and resources was raised to a higher level and their mass production was realized, bringing delight to our people.
The working class in the coal-mining industry, in defence of the lifeline of the self-supporting economy, conducted a do-or-die campaign for production when everything was in difficulty, and the agricultural sector waged an unremitting struggle for increased cereal production, thus producing a large number of high-yielding units and farmers even in adverse weather conditions.
The munitions industry, in hearty response to our Party’s militant call for concentrating all efforts on economic construction, produced a variety of farm machinery, construction equipment, cooperative products and consumer goods, thereby giving an impetus to economic development and the improvement of the people’s living standards.
Last year the gigantic construction projects, geared to adding glory to the era of the Workers’ Party according to the Party’s long-term plan and operations, proceeded in a three-dimensional way and on a grand scale. This demonstrated in reality the stout mettle of socialist Korea that never flinches in the face of any adversity but achieves victory after victory by surging forward more forcefully, as well as the inexhaustible potentials of our independent economy.
True to the decision of the April Plenary Meeting of the Party Central Committee on bringing about a revolutionary turn in science and education, the sector of science and technology presented valuable research findings conducive to accelerating the growth of hi-tech industries and revitalizing the national economy; the efforts to make education modern and scientific gained momentum, the teaching conditions and environment being updated at many universities, colleges, middle and primary schools across the country.
The sector of art and culture produced and staged a grand mass gymnastics and artistic performance, evoking positive response from at home and abroad and vividly showing the advanced level of Juche-oriented art and its peculiar features and advantages.
Through the struggle of last year, which added a new page of proud victory to the annals of our revolution, we have been convinced once again of the validity of our own cause and the invincible strength of our state. Thanks to our people’s indomitable fight against the challenge of injustice, our state’s might of self-development has increased on a steady basis and the cause of building a powerful socialist country is progressing at a faster pace.
Availing myself of this opportunity, I should like to extend my heartfelt thanks, once again, to all the people including the service personnel of the People’s Army for advancing non-stop along the road of victory indicated by the Party and thus performing feats that will shine brilliantly in the history of our country.
Having grown seasoned and powerful amid the struggle to glorify the new era of the Juche revolution, our Party and people are launching the new year march full of greater confidence and ambition.
This year we are faced with the task of expanding the country’s capability of independent development to open up bright prospects for taking a step forward towards socialist construction.
We have the strength and foundations to bring forward a brighter future of socialism by our own efforts, and we have also developed our own strategy and creative methods to this end. When we strive hard with an indefatigable spirit on the principle of self-reliance by adhering to the Party’s new strategic line, our country’s strength will redouble and our people’s dreams and ideals will come true.
“Let us open a new road of advance for socialist construction under the uplifted banner of self-reliance!”–this is the slogan we should uphold. We should bring about a revolutionary upsurge on all fronts of socialist construction by regarding self-reliance as a treasured sword for prosperity, a spirit which has always been a banner of struggle and driving force for a leap forward in the whole course of the Korean revolution.
The might of the independent socialist economy should be further strengthened.
We should rely on our own technical forces and resources and the high creative spirit and revolutionary enthusiasm of all the people so as to succeed in attaining the strategic goals of national economic development and enter a new stage of growth.
We should properly plan and thoroughly implement the national operations aimed at maintaining, reinforcing and reenergizing the national economy as a whole.
Strategic measures should be taken to give full play to the potentials of the self-supporting economy and utilize the new elements and driving force for economic development, and the manpower and material resources of the country should be enlisted in economic construction in a cost-effective way. We should focus on the main link in the national economic work, reenergize the other links of its whole chain and promote the long-term development of the economy, so as to push forward its revitalization.
The management method should be innovated to satisfactorily realize the unified guidance of the state over the overall economy and give fullest play to the voluntary enthusiasm and creative abilities of the working people. The Cabinet and other state and economic guidance organs should improve planning, pricing, and monetary and financial management in line with socialist economic law and make sure that economic levers have a positive effect on the revitalization of production and expanded reproduction in enterprises. They should adjust the structures and system of work to raise the efficiency of economic work and to make enterprises smoothly conduct their business activities.
Talented personnel, science and technology are our major strategic resources and weapons with which to bring about a great leap forward in socialist construction.
The state should promote talent training and sci-tech development purposefully and increase its investment in them.
It is necessary to improve the quality of training talented personnel, who will shoulder the socio-economic development, by improving the teaching contents and methods in conformity with the world trend of developing education and pedagogical requirements. We should set a high goal of developing new technologies and concentrate our efforts on the research into core technologies of great practical and economic significance, so as to secure the leading force of economic growth. We should also take institutional measures so that scientific research institutes and enterprises, in close cooperation, can boost production and technological development and enhance intellectual creativity.
Every sector in the national economy should give impetus to hitting the targets of the five-year strategy for national economic development.
We should direct primary efforts to relieving the shortage of electricity to make a breakthrough in revitalizing the national economy.
One of the most important and pressing tasks in socialist economic construction for this year is to radically increase the production of electricity.
By focusing state investment on the electric-power industry to maintain and reinforce its existing foundation and making maximum and effective use of it to renovate and modernize one by one badly needed sectors and projects, we can, for the present, raise power generation to the peak year level.
We should take the problem of easing the strain on electricity as an undertaking of the whole state, step up the construction of hydroelectric power stations including Orangchon and Tanchon power stations and create a capacity for generating tidal, wind and atomic power under a far-reaching plan. Provinces, cities and counties should develop and utilize in an effective way various energy sources available in their local areas.
The coal-mining industry is a primary front in developing the self-supporting economy.
Only when coal is mass-produced can we resolve the problem of electricity and satisfy the demand for fuel and power for different sectors of the national economy including the metallurgical industry.
The coal-mining industry should channel efforts, first and foremost, into supplying coal to thermal power stations so that they can normalize electricity generation without letup.
The whole country should render active ideological and spiritual, material and technical assistance to coal mines, and the state should take stringent steps to provide in a responsible manner facilities and materials needed for coal production and good living conditions for coal miners.
A greater development should be achieved in establishing the Juche orientation in the metallurgical and chemical industries, the two pillars in economic construction.
The metallurgical industry should lower production cost to the minimum by perfecting the scientific and technological aspects of the Juche-oriented iron- and steel-making processes and ensuring their normal operation, and work out and implement an operations plan for providing them with full amounts of iron ore, refractories and ferro-alloys to meet their increased production capacity.
The chemical industry should step up the building of the phosphatic fertilizer factory and the establishment of the C1 chemical industry, develop the glauberite and synthetic fibre industries and convert the existing equipment and technical processes into energy-saving and labour-saving ones. This year a nationwide effort should be made to run the chemical fertilizer factories at full capacity and boost production at the February 8 Vinalon Complex.
Rail and other transport sectors should launch an intensive campaign to strengthen discipline and increase their carriage and traffic capacities to ease the strain on transport. The machine-building industry should upgrade designing and processing techniques to develop and produce a variety of modern machinery and equipment in our own way to suit our actual conditions.
Improving the people’s standard of living radically is a matter of greatest importance for our Party and state.
The agricultural front, the major point of attack in socialist economic construction, should conduct a campaign for increased production.
The Cabinet and other relevant sectors should give effective scientific and technical guidance for each farming process and supply sufficient amounts of materials needed for this year’s farming, thus increasing cereal production decisively. They should respect the opinions and interests of farmers, masters of farming, and meet the demands of the socialist principle of distribution properly.
It is necessary to adhere to the four key factors set forth by the Party for the development of livestock farming, modernize and reenergize stockbreeding bases like chicken farms, and encourage the joint stockbreeding by cooperative farms and the sideline stockbreeding by individual farmers so as to supply the people with more meat and eggs.
The fishing sector should consolidate its material and technical foundations, put fishing and aquatic culture on a scientific basis and protect and increase aquatic resources, so as to open a new path for developing the fishing industry.
The sector of light industry, by consistently upholding the banner of modernizing production lines, obtaining at home everything needed for production and improving quality, should produce and supply various kinds of consumer goods that are favoured by the people, and ensure that provinces, cities and counties renovate the condiments factories and other locally-run plants and maintain their regular operation by relying on the locally available raw materials and other resources.
This year, too, we should push ahead, in a bold manner, with huge construction projects for national prosperity and the people’s wellbeing.
The whole Party, the entire army and all the people should turn out to transform Samjiyon County into a model of modern mountainous city, an ideal socialist village, and complete on the highest possible level the construction projects that would represent the present era, including the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area and other new tourist areas. It is important to steadily improve architectural designing and construction methods, and ensure domestic production and better quality of finishing materials, so as to build all the architectural structures magnificently and in our own style and provide our people with a cultured, happy life. With the national-level construction projects underway on an extensive scale, we should build up the capacity of producing cement and other building materials as planned.
We should make proactive efforts to implement the tasks for the second stage of the forest restoration campaign, improve landscaping, urban management and road administration, and take every precaution against environmental pollution.
All sectors and all units should fulfil their quotas of the national economic plan in all its indices by identifying and enlisting every last reserve, possibility and potential and by increasing production and practising economy.
The politico-ideological strength of our socialist state should be increased in every way possible.
It is necessary to unite the broad sections of the masses solidly around the Party by thoroughly applying the Juche-oriented view on the people, a people-oriented philosophy, in Party and state activities.
Party and government organs and working people’s organizations should give top and absolute priority to the people’s interests whatever they plan and whatever they conduct; they should lend an ear to their sincere opinions, prioritize their wants and anything beneficial to them, and strive to translate them into reality without any conditions attached. Anywhere, anytime and under any circumstances, they should make selfless, devoted efforts for the good of the people, direct primary attention to their livelihood, and ensure that everybody benefits from the politics of affection and trust, the one of embracing and taking care of them all. They should intensify the struggle to eradicate both serious and trivial instances of abuse of power, bureaucratism and corruption, which would wreak havoc on the harmonious whole of the Party and the masses and undermine the socialist system.
However the situation and circumstances may change, Party members and all other working people should cherish the principle of our state first as an element of their faith and step up socialist economic construction in our own way. They should glorify the country’s great history by working with sincere devotion and a patriotic desire for developing their homeland by their own efforts before the eyes of the world, the precious land of socialism which they have defended from generation to generation.
We should accelerate the building of socialist civilization.
A revolutionary habit of studying and a way of cultural and emotional life should be established throughout society, so that all the people possess versatile knowledge and cultural attainments as required by the developing times. The sector of art and literature should create splendid works including films and songs that reflect the times and reality and touch the people’s heartstrings, thus enriching the spiritual and cultural wealth of the nation and giving a powerful impetus to today’s grand revolutionary march.
We should ensure that all the people realize the advantages of the socialist public health system by modernizing pharmaceutical and medical appliance factories, upgrading medical institutions and raising the level of medical service. Mass-based sporting activities should be conducted briskly and specialized sporting techniques developed to ensure that the whole country brims over with vigour and optimism and the sportspeople continue to demonstrate the wisdom and might of Koreans in international competitions.
We should launch a powerful drive to establish a socialist way of life and ennobling moral discipline, thus ensuring that no immoral and uncultured practices that run counter to our people’s emotions and aesthetic view are revealed. By doing so, we can turn the whole society into a large, harmonious family filled with moral excellence and tender feelings.
The national defence capability should be solidified.
The People’s Army should reliably defend the Party and revolution and the security of the country and the people and continuously perform miraculous feats at all sites of socialist construction as in the past by consistently holding fast to the four-point policy for developing it into a powerful army. By doing so, it should demonstrate to the full the might of the revolutionary army, the invincible might of the army of our Party.
The Korean People’s Internal Security Forces, as befitting the red shield of the revolution, should defend unto death our Party, system and people, and the Worker-Peasant Red Guards should effect a turn in strengthening its combat efficiency in this year of its 60th founding anniversary.
Powerful self-defence capacity is a cornerstone of the existence of a state and a guarantee for safeguarding peace.
The munitions industry should, on the one hand, steadily raise the national defence capacity to that of the world’s advanced countries by stepping up the effort for making the defence industry Juche-based and modern, therefore guaranteeing the peace on the Korean peninsula by force of arms, and, on the other, should actively support economic construction.
In order to successfully carry out the militant tasks facing us this year, officials, leading members of the revolution, should make redoubled efforts and struggle with determination and courage.
It is none other than the masses of the people that constitute the motive force and are responsible for carrying out Party policy, and they know actual conditions better than anybody else. Officials should always immerse themselves in the pulsating reality, seeing everything with their own eyes and conducting a comprehensive analysis of how matters stand; they should go deep among the masses, sharing board and lodging with them and motivating them to resolve bottlenecks if any. They should set their ideals and ambitions in keeping with the Party’s plans, and steadily improve their practical abilities and widen their horizon; in this way they should become competent organizers and hands-on workers who make persistent efforts to achieve everything perfectly at the standard demanded by the Party. They should throw themselves into doing any challenging task, burn the midnight oil pondering on how to bring benefit to the country and people, and find the worth of their work in the people’s happy laughter.
Today young people should play a large part in promoting socialist construction.
With the same spirit and mettle which they displayed in recent years to create legendary tales of the new era in response to the Party’s militant appeal, they should honour their title of vanguard at the revolutionary posts where the Party wants them to be. In the present stirring era they should become pioneers of new technology, creators of new culture and pathfinders for a great leap forward; they should make sure that youthful vigour and stamina are overflowing wherever they work.
It is needed to decisively increase the role of Party organizations.
Party organizations at all levels should conduct political and ideological work in a progressive manner in line with the requirements of the times and the developing revolution in order to make our people give full play to the strength of their indomitable spirit on all fronts of socialist construction. They should give a boost to administrative and economic officials so that they can map out plans and provide guidance for implementing Party policy in a responsible way, and fire a zeal for collective innovation and competition in their sectors and units. Provincial, city and county Party committees should wage a powerful struggle to bring about a turn in the development of farming, education and local industries.
With a determination to usher in an era of national reconciliation, peace and prosperity by putting an end to the abnormal state on the Korean peninsula which had suffered a constant war crisis, we took proactive and bold measures to effect a great turn in north-south relations from the outset of last year.
It is unprecedented that three rounds of inter-Korean summit meetings and talks were held in a year amid great expectations and interest of peoples at home and abroad, and this clearly showed that north-south relations entered a completely new stage.
The Panmunjom Declaration, the September Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the north-south agreement in the military field, which were adopted by reflecting the firm resolve and will to usher in an era of peace in which war exists no longer on the Korean peninsula, are of great significance as a virtual nonaggression declaration in which north and south have committed themselves to terminating fratricidal war based on force of arms.
While sportspersons of north and south displayed the wisdom and strength of the nation by jointly entering international competitions, artistes came and went to Pyongyang and Seoul to fire the enthusiasm for national reconciliation and reunification.
We took the significant first step towards common prosperity of the nation by promoting cooperation projects in various fields including railways, road, forestry and public health while resolutely overcoming manifold obstacles and difficulties.
The surprising changes which took place in inter-Korean relations last year convinced all the fellow countrymen that when they join minds and efforts, they can turn the Korean peninsula into the true home of the nation, which is the most peaceful and will prosper forever.
Though it was the initial step, north and south pooled intentions and wisdom to surely reverse inter-Korean relations in the utmost extremes of distrust and confrontation to those of trust and reconciliation and make in a short time eye-opening achievements which were unimaginable in the past. I am very satisfied with that.
In the New Year 2019 we should make greater strides in our efforts to boost inter-Korean relations, achieve peace and prosperity and reunify the country on the basis of the priceless achievements we made last year which was wonderfully adorned with unprecedented events.
It is our steadfast will to eradicate military hostility between north and south and make the Korean peninsula a durable and lasting peace zone.
North and south, as they agreed, should take practical measures proactively to remove military hostility on the whole of the Korean peninsula, including the ground, airspace and sea, as a follow-up to its ending in the areas of confrontation.
Given that north and south committed themselves to advancing along the road of peace and prosperity, we maintain that the joint military exercises with foreign forces, which constitute the source of aggravating the situation on the Korean peninsula, should no longer be permitted and the introduction of war equipment including strategic assets from outside should completely be suspended.
It is also needed to actively promote multi-party negotiations for replacing the current ceasefire on the Korean peninsula with a peace mechanism in close contact with the signatories to the armistice agreement so as to lay a lasting and substantial peace-keeping foundation.
All the fellow countrymen should unite as one, being conscious that the master of peace on the peninsula is our nation, in order to wage a powerful struggle to check and frustrate all the moves that wreck peace and incite military tension on this land.
Inter-Korean cooperation and exchanges should be expanded and developed in an all-round way so that national reconciliation and unity can be consolidated and all the fellow countrymen can practically benefit from improved north-south relations.
For the present, we are willing to resume the Kaesong Industrial Park and Mt Kumgang tourism without any precondition and in return for nothing, in consideration of the hard conditions of businesspersons of the south side who had advanced into the Kaesong Industrial Park and the desire of southern compatriots who are eager to visit the nation’s celebrated mountain.
When north and south join hands firmly and rely on the united strength of the fellow countrymen, no external sanctions and pressure, challenges and trials will be able to hinder us in our efforts to open a broad avenue to national prosperity.
We will never tolerate the interference and intervention of outside forces who stand in the way of national reconciliation, unity and reunification with the design to subordinate inter-Korean relations to their tastes and interests.
North and south should not pass up the favourable atmosphere of today when all the nationals’ interest in and aspiration for reunification are growing unprecedentedly, but actively try to find a peaceful reunification plan based on nationwide agreement and direct sincere efforts to this end.
All the fellow countrymen in north, south and abroad should further accelerate in high spirits the nationwide advance for implementing the north-south declarations, and thus glorify this year as a historic one when another radical change is brought about in the development of inter-Korean relations and implementation of the cause of national reunification.
Last year, our Party and the government of our Republic exerted responsible efforts to safeguard the peace and security of the world and expand and strengthen friendship with different countries.
The three rounds of our visit to the People’s Republic of China and the Cuban delegation’s visit to our country were remarkable events in boosting strategic communication and traditional ties of friendship and cooperation among the socialist countries.
Last year, frequent visits and exchanges were made on Party, state and government levels between the DPRK and many countries of the world, with the result that they deepened mutual understanding and confirmed the stand and will to promote sound development of the international community.
The historic, first-ever DPRK-US summit meeting and talks brought about a dramatic turn in the bilateral relationship which was the most hostile on the earth and made a great contribution to ensuring peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the region.
It is the invariable stand of our Party and the government of our Republic and my firm will to establish a new bilateral relationship that meets the demand of the new era as clarified in the June 12 DPRK-US Joint Statement, build a lasting and durable peace regime and advance towards complete denuclearization.
I am of the opinion that, while meeting and holding talks beneficial to both sides with the US president in June last year, we exchanged constructive views and reached a consensus of understanding for a shortcut to removing each other’s apprehensions and resolving the entangled problems.
The stabilized situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region is never something that has been created with ease, and the countries that are truly desirous of peace have the common responsibility for setting great store by the current situation. The neighbouring countries and international community have to support our sincere stand and efforts for promoting the positive development of the situation on the Korean peninsula and fight against all practices and challenges that wreck peace and run counter to justice.
Our Party and the government of our Republic will continue to bolster up unity and cooperation with the socialist countries and develop relations with all countries that are friendly to us under the ideals of independence, peace and friendship.
We are beginning the journey of the new year as we brace ourselves once again with the resolve to work devotedly for our country, our motherland, and the happier laughter of younger generations.
What we are convinced of once again as we proudly review the past year when we made rapid progress while paving our way by our own efforts with belief in our own strength in the face of harsh economic blockade and sanctions, is the truth that our state is fully capable of dynamically advancing along the road of development of socialism of our own style by dint of our people’s great strength and efforts, without any external assistance or any other’s help.
This year, too, we will face constant obstacles and challenges in our progress, but no one can change our determination and will and stop our vigorous advance and our people will successfully achieve their beautiful ideals and goals without fail.
Let us all work energetically and with one mind and will for the prosperity and development of the genuine people’s country, the socialist motherland.
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is the premier international forum for public-private cooperation. The 2019 meeting to be held from January 22-25 will be no exception. Leaders from all quarters will gather in Davos to not only talk about, but also to create our shared future in an increasingly complex world. Davos 2019 will host around 2500 participants.
Leaders from 100 governments and from 1,000 top companies as well as cultural and societal leaders and Young Global Leaders, Global Shapers and Technology Pioneers will meet in at an open and inclusive forum covered by TV, webcam broadcasts and social media.
The theme for 2019 is titled, “Globalization 4.0 Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The meeting will use the “spirit of Davos” to guide discussions on building a better world for this century and the centuries to follow.
These are truly perilous times, and it is important that solutions be found to address not only these problems, but also the challenges of immense and ongoing technological and social change.The Davos 2019 participants have their work cut out for them. Let us hope that they rise to the occasion. Our world depends on it.
In selecting John R. Bolton as his third National Security Advisor, it looks like Donald Trump has finally gotten what he both wants and needs: a political soul-mate with a world view so close to his own as to be almost indistinguishable. After going through two military men, Trump has finally found not just a conservative, but his kind of conservative, in Bolton.
Trump’s National Security Advisor is no “yes man” to Trump. He doesn’t have to be. Apparently the only thing that they would disagree on would be Bolton’s moustache, otherwise it seems that, on policy, they could finish each other’s sentences. And if Bolton harbors any resentment about being third choice, he hasn’t shown it.
Bolton has a fine resume; an impressive record of government service and private employment. Since he graduated from Yale University with a BA and JD in 1974, he has been on a slow but steady upward trajectory. His early career saw him hold a couple Assistant Secretary of State Jobs and a couple of Assistant Attorney General jobs. For a brief period in 2005-2006 he was ambassador to the United Nations on a temporary basis, but withdrew before being confirmed by congress. Bolton has also worked in the private sector in a law firm, worked as a commentator on Mr. Trump’s favorite conservative network, FOX, and been involved with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank.
Mr. Bolton, like his boss, is a unilateralist. For him, like Trump, “America First” is the rallying cry and fundamental proposition of his politics and worldview. Bolton has been a harsh critic of the JCPOA or “Iran Deal” signed by the US, Russia, China, the UK, Germany, France, and the EU. His language echoes Trump’s when he describes it as a monumental bad deal. Bolton is also a strong critic of North Korea, but has dialed back his rhetoric now that Mr. Trump has been engaging with DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. Mr. Bolton has also weighed in on Taiwan, suggesting that the US might even station troops there and, in the process, displaying an abysmal lack of understanding of both the PRC’s history and of its resolve regarding Taiwan.
And to cap off Bolton’s hard line (which is, of course, Trump’s hard line) he has, in effect, reset the tone of America’s Latin America policy by branding Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua a “Troika of Tyranny.” In the speech delivered at Miami Dade Freedom Tower November 1, 2018 he announced sanctions would be used to bring these countries into line with the current administration’s view of proper international behavior.
It is now the end of November 2018, and just over four weeks from now, in January 2019, a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives will be sworn in. Things will surely change, and in times to come, people may look back and consider this period the high-water mark of Trumpism and Trumpian politics. Donald Trump and John Bolton’s worldview of politics and human life will soon be consigned to the trash bin of history–where it belongs. | 2019-04-24T00:36:40Z | http://rg21.jp/?cat=3 |
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BARBARA OSADCIW was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 178-26-1165 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died March 1990. Research in ZIP Code 10704.
BARBARA PARRISH was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 156-05-2580 (indicating New Jersey) and, Death Master File says, died July 1987. Research in ZIP Code 31406.
BARBARA ROMANCHAK was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 380-18-8657 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died November 1980. Research in ZIP Code 48228.
BARBARA STALA was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 139-44-7568 (indicating New Jersey) and, Death Master File says, died 03 April 1997. Research in ZIP Code 08853.
BARBARA VOGTMANN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 365-26-9481 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died 12 October 1998. Research in ZIP Code 48070.
BARBARA WEGENER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 319-03-5747 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died June 1987. Research in ZIP Code 62002.
BARBARA WILCZEWSKI was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 233-03-5834 (indicating West Virginia) and, Death Master File says, died February 1987. Research in ZIP Code 48126.
BARBARA ZATORSKY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 048-20-4054 (indicating Connecticut) and, Death Master File says, died July 1981. Research in ZIP Codes 06878 and 06902.
BART DAVIS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 267-16-7135 (indicating Florida) and, Death Master File says, died 12 September 1988. Research in ZIP Code 36477.
BARTHOLOME MAHONEY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 011-01-0901 (indicating Massachusetts) and, Death Master File says, died July 1964.
BARTOLOMEU SILVA was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 125-05-4866 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died November 1975. Research in ZIP Code 10037.
BATTISTA BELLESI was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 321-03-1814 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died February 1976. Research in ZIP Code 91402.
BEATRICE BROOKS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 112-32-6798 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died 04 September 2001. Research in ZIP Code 33418.
BEATRICE PATTERSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 256-08-9099 (indicating Georgia) and, Death Master File says, died February 1973. Research in ZIP Code 31201.
BEATRICE F BAKER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 434-46-2096 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died 02 April 1999. Research in ZIP Code 70669.
BEATRICE M OGLESBEE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 436-34-2466 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died 05 November 1989.
BECKY LENCHNER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 111-36-3650 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died 29 April 1995. Research in ZIP Code 33319.
BELLE GOODMAN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 289-20-2678 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died October 1974. Research in ZIP Code 44124.
BEN FABER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 391-05-5002 (indicating Wisconsin) and, Death Master File says, died August 1987. Research in ZIP Code 54935.
BEN SMITH was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 327-05-2141 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died July 1966. Research in ZIP Code 62376.
BEN WILLIAMS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 411-22-4084 (indicating Tennessee) and, Death Master File says, died 16 February 1994. Research in ZIP Code 37015.
BEN C KAUK was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 506-20-7210 (indicating Nebraska) and, Death Master File says, died 23 February 1990. Research in ZIP Code 68979.
BENJAMIN PEAVY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 296-07-1663 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died October 1945. Research in ZIP Code 44304.
BENJAMIN REYNOLDS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 430-10-8879 (indicating Arkansas) and, Death Master File says, died October 1983. Research in ZIP Code 75862.
BENJAMIN SCHIAVON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 113-03-4155 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died November 1968. Research in ZIP Code 11372.
BENJAMIN SPENADAL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 099-03-0270 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died February 1986. Research in ZIP Code 11224.
BENJAMIN TERMIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 354-16-4610 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died June 1975. Research in ZIP Code 61611.
BEN L BELL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 355-07-2452 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died 15 November 1969. Research in ZIP Code 62881.
BENNIE LAMORTE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 700-10-1925 (indicating Railroad Board) and, Death Master File says, died September 1986. Research in ZIP Code 94928.
BEREND SPELDE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 332-09-7046 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died February 1974. Research in ZIP Code 60473.
BERGIT ALBRECHTSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 321-56-9541 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died November 1986. Research in ZIP Code 61103.
BERNADINE DANNENHAUER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 545-18-7002 (indicating California) and, Death Master File says, died October 1971. Research in ZIP Code 19711.
BERNARD CARR was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 579-24-5759 (indicating District of Columbia) and, Death Master File says, died February 1984. Research in ZIP Code 22714.
BERNARD KENT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 539-05-4189 (indicating Washington) and, Death Master File says, died November 1978. Research in ZIP Codes 59453 and 59036.
BERNARD LABLANCE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 329-10-2300 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died July 1973. Research in ZIP Code 62208.
BERNARD MICHAELSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 032-01-7750 (indicating Massachusetts) and, Death Master File says, died September 1960.
BERNARD PLOEGER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 545-34-2113 (indicating California) and, Death Master File says, died October 1981. Research in ZIP Code 94595.
BERNARD QUERICIA was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 072-10-2397 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died November 1977. Research in ZIP Code 10543.
BERNICE DILLON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 555-01-3364 (indicating California) and, Death Master File says, died December 1984. Research in ZIP Code 94611.
BERNICE NISSEN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 479-30-3867 (indicating Iowa) and, Death Master File says, died March 1967. Research in ZIP Code 85710.
BERNICE H TAYLOR was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 458-48-7387 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died 14 July 1992. Research in ZIP Code 75644.
BERNICE I CLARK was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 299-20-8445 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died 08 November 2000. Research in ZIP Code 63701.
BERNICE M BROOKS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 313-16-2514 (indicating Indiana) and, Death Master File says, died 10 September 1996. Research in ZIP Code 46107.
BERRYMAN CLEGG was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 709-05-3835 (indicating Railroad Board) and, Death Master File says, died August 1994. Research in ZIP Code 39067.
BERTA MILLS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 232-48-8483 (indicating West Virginia or North Carolina) and, Death Master File says, died May 1986. Research in ZIP Code 25570.
BERTHA BOXLEY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 230-44-0813 (indicating Virginia) and, Death Master File says, died September 1974. Research in ZIP Code 23024.
BERTHA DORSETT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 200-40-6131 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died 15 December 1968. Research in ZIP Code 17870.
BERTHA HELMS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 243-68-4011 (indicating North Carolina) and, Death Master File says, died October 1968. Research in ZIP Code 28110.
BERTHA LITCHKO was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 207-03-5591 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died February 1970. Research in ZIP Code 17921.
BERTHA MANSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 438-40-2453 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died June 1987. Research in ZIP Code 70005.
BERTHA MCKNIGHT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 293-16-9751 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died March 1987. Research in ZIP Code 44406.
BERTHA MOREIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 053-18-5680 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died 30 December 2003. Research in ZIP Code 07950.
BERTHA RICE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 519-46-8113 (indicating Idaho) and, Death Master File says, died April 1987. Research in ZIP Code 83628.
BERTHA WILKING was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 050-52-9959 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died December 1972. Research in ZIP Code 11227.
BERTHA WILSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 372-24-0435 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died August 1973. Research in ZIP Code 48201.
BERTHA A MUNRO was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 278-24-8264 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died 31 August 1988. Research in ZIP Code 44305.
BERTHA B WALLIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 472-03-6823 (indicating Minnesota) and, Death Master File says, died 02 August 1991.
BERTHA C DAVIS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 221-01-1053 (indicating Delaware) and, Death Master File says, died 08 January 1988. Research in ZIP Code 19806.
BERTHA D HUNN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 436-08-1081 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died 02 May 1993. Research in ZIP Code 70114.
BERTHA M HYVONEN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 056-20-2661 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died 04 September 1987. Research in ZIP Code 13132.
BERTHA O HELMER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 369-48-8076 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died 16 May 1994.
BERTHA O RUTLAND was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 454-17-4825 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died 23 August 1989. Research in ZIP Code 79541.
BERTHA V ELKIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 189-24-2251 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died 27 December 1988. Research in ZIP Code 21795.
BERTIE CARRICO was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 408-05-5040 (indicating Tennessee) and, Death Master File says, died June 1980. Research in ZIP Code 37643.
BERTIE TALBOTT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 226-92-6013 (indicating Virginia) and, Death Master File says, died August 1978. Research in ZIP Code 23185.
BESS ELWELL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 511-05-5525 (indicating Kansas) and, Death Master File says, died September 1979. Research in ZIP Code 67202.
BESSIE BERNARD was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 311-22-0195 (indicating Indiana) and, Death Master File says, died November 1984. Research in ZIP Code 46219.
BESSIE LEE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 385-22-9143 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died July 1987. Research in ZIP Code 33577.
BESSIE MARABLE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 262-28-1191 (indicating Florida) and, Death Master File says, died February 1989. Research in ZIP Code 75216.
BESSIE ROOTH was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 520-24-0939 (indicating Wyoming) and, Death Master File says, died January 1978. Research in ZIP Code 99510.
BESSIE SAVAGE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 140-26-6900 (indicating New Jersey) and, Death Master File says, died February 1977. Research in ZIP Codes 08096 and 08103.
BESSIE SCOTT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 257-60-7907 (indicating Georgia) and, Death Master File says, died August 1981. Research in ZIP Codes 30033 and 23607.
BESSIE WILSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 360-12-7658 (indicating Illinois) and, Death Master File says, died February 1979. Research in ZIP Code 60635.
BESSIE A SHUSDAK was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 041-05-2680 (indicating Connecticut) and, Death Master File says, died 31 March 1992. Research in ZIP Code 06831.
BESSIE C DIETERICH was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 558-16-3972 (indicating California) and, Death Master File says, died 26 December 1992. Research in ZIP Code 96001.
BESSIE E BETTERS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 461-80-1821 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died 04 January 1989. Research in ZIP Code 78213.
BESSIE M HARRIS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 448-38-7892 (indicating Oklahoma) and, Death Master File says, died 22 December 1996. Research in ZIP Code 73120.
BESSIE R MORRISON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 479-44-9121 (indicating Iowa) and, Death Master File says, died November 1990.
BESSIE V HOLLINGSWORT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 479-52-2879 (indicating Iowa) and, Death Master File says, died 22 September 1993. Research in ZIP Code 50316.
BETSY HENRY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 453-72-4751 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died May 1983. Research in ZIP Code 76067.
BETTY DAYTON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 525-54-9777 (indicating New Mexico) and, Death Master File says, died January 1978. Research in ZIP Codes 90006 and 90015.
BETTY M CLARK was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 505-03-2874 (indicating Nebraska) and, Death Master File says, died January 1991.
BEULAH BROOKS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 434-01-3005 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died April 1984. Research in ZIP Code 70118.
BEULAH FORSYTHE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 237-05-1321 (indicating North Carolina) and, Death Master File says, died 18 January 1996. Research in ZIP Code 27320.
BEULAH FOSTER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 264-41-2338 (indicating Florida) and, Death Master File says, died August 1974. Research in ZIP Code 32905.
BEULAH JACKSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 154-05-8953 (indicating New Jersey) and, Death Master File says, died July 1968. Research in ZIP Code 08028.
BEULAH OLSEN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 517-26-0199 (indicating Montana) and, Death Master File says, died October 1969. Research in ZIP Code 59047.
BEULAH OWEN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 190-20-5370 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died December 1986. Research in ZIP Code 16407.
BEULAH STRADER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 301-10-2869 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died December 1981. Research in ZIP Code 43228.
BEULAH P PLEASANT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 238-10-8283 (indicating North Carolina) and, Death Master File says, died 04 March 1995. Research in ZIP Code 28339.
B G STAUFFER was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 198-30-5033 (indicating Pennsylvania) and, Death Master File says, died 07 January 1991. Research in ZIP Code 17603.
BILLIE M LOY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 293-24-9327 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died 25 December 1996. Research in ZIP Code 44312.
BIRDIE E SWANSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 523-60-5610 (indicating Colorado) and, Death Master File says, died June 1989. Research in ZIP Code 80203.
BLAKE BIDDLE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 246-01-7736 (indicating North Carolina) and, Death Master File says, died February 1983. Research in ZIP Code 28001.
BLANCHE EMARD was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 368-68-2491 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died 27 April 1990. Research in ZIP Code 48087.
BLANCHE HARTLEY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 523-30-5801 (indicating Colorado) and, Death Master File says, died November 1974. Research in ZIP Code 90605.
BLANCHE HERDT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 310-12-7591 (indicating Indiana) and, Death Master File says, died October 1982. Research in ZIP Code 60628.
BLANCHE G CAMPBELL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 578-66-6965 (indicating District of Columbia) and, Death Master File says, died December 1987. Research in ZIP Code 20003.
BLANDINE VEZINA was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 044-01-5101 (indicating Connecticut) and, Death Master File says, died 14 January 1988. Research in ZIP Code 91786.
BLASA CALDERIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 146-34-1691 (indicating New Jersey) and, Death Master File says, died November 1986. Research in ZIP Code 07104.
BOBBIE HARDEGREE was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 417-54-6366 (indicating Alabama) and, Death Master File says, died March 1981. Research in ZIP Codes 36106 and 36109.
BOHUMILA KALIVODA was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 370-22-8960 (indicating Michigan) and, Death Master File says, died May 1984. Research in ZIP Code 48228.
BONIFACIO BURGOS DIAZ was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 581-40-6314 (indicating Puerto Rico) and, Death Master File says, died January 1984. Research in ZIP Code 00619.
BONNIE SUMROW was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 452-88-5573 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died 17 December 1991.
BRAEMAR SNELL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 528-10-7142 (indicating Utah) and, Death Master File says, died January 1954.
BRIDIE FAHEY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 093-24-0429 (indicating New York) and, Death Master File says, died July 1993. Research in ZIP Code 10591.
BRITTA M JOHNSON was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 012-01-8980 (indicating Massachusetts) and, Death Master File says, died 12 October 1996. Research in ZIP Code 02174.
BROOKS CHAUVIN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 438-01-0737 (indicating Louisiana) and, Death Master File says, died November 1965.
BRUCE ROADARMEL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 296-34-3508 (indicating Ohio) and, Death Master File says, died 04 October 1995. Research in ZIP Code 43402.
BUFORD MAY was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 304-10-8878 (indicating Indiana) and, Death Master File says, died January 1968. Research in ZIP Code 46168.
BULA F KING was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 432-30-4444 (indicating Arkansas) and, Death Master File says, died October 1993. Research in ZIP Code 97601.
BURLEY L WALDEN was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 461-32-4254 (indicating Texas) and, Death Master File says, died 14 August 1994. Research in ZIP Code 75409.
BURTON CARROLL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 015-09-9041 (indicating Massachusetts) and, Death Master File says, died June 1987. Research in ZIP Code 01902.
BYRD BARRS was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 261-01-7566 (indicating Florida) and, Death Master File says, died August 1979. Research in ZIP Code 32205.
BYRON D STOVALL was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 259-36-2256 (indicating Georgia) and, Death Master File says, died February 1991.
BYRON G BRYANT was born 17 December 1900, received Social Security number 403-32-8346 and, Death Master File says, died 30 December 1988. Research in ZIP Code 42101. | 2019-04-20T21:23:32Z | http://sortedbybirthdate.com/daypages/1900/19001217b.html |
Please tell us on Facebook: What do you think about the movie Avatar?
Avatar, the special effects extravaganza movie by James Cameron, has just recently become the number one box-office blockbuster of all time. But more importantly, we live in a global world, and Avatar is also number one in the worldwide box office, breaking $2.5 billion and passing up the previous reigning champion, Titanic-also by Cameron.
To be sure, the movie is a simplistic tale of Manichean morality without nuance, two-dimensional characters without complexity, and thinly veiled political propaganda without subtlety. But those who attack its faults are missing a much more important point: Avatar’s success cannot be dismissed. It is resonating with tens of millions of people around the planet. Regardless of Avatar’s faults, James Cameron knows storytelling better than his detractors. Ebert is right. It is not merely special effects entertainment; it is cult-like in its effect.
The movie Avatar is a worldwide box-office success, not merely because it is a technological marvel of special effects, but because it is a religious myth on the level of ancient texts like The Epic of Gilgamesh. First, it is a postmodern multicultural critique of America and Western civilization, where the good guys are primitive natives who worship nature, and the bad guys are greedy multinational energy corporations protected by warmongering mercenary militia, facilitated by the scientific depersonalization of nature. Images and concepts of many religions, including Hinduism, Animism, and Christianity are integrated into its multicultural story creating global appeal. Second, it is a narrative incarnation of the pagan worldview of earth worship as described in the Gaia Hypothesis, a scientific theory of planets as living organisms with consciousness. The notion of nature worship in opposition to the Judeo-Christian notion of man’s dominion over nature is an ancient theme that originates in Israel’s battle for the Promised Land with the pagan nature religion of the Canaanites. This same theme is at the heart of Avatar and it fuels environmental religion and hatred of the West in third world and socialist countries, resulting in a “battle of gods” over the future of the planet.
The hero of the story is Jake Sully, a crippled marine who arrives at a lush green planetary moon light-years from earth called Pandora. He replaces his deceased twin brother in a scientific experiment being headed by nature-loving scientist Grace Augustine. They have developed technology to splice human DNA with the DNA of the native inhabitants, called the Na’vi, ten feet-tall blue bipeds that dress, act, and worship like alien versions of historical Native Americans. This genetic engineering has led to the creation of Na’vi bodies without consciousness that can be remotely controlled like avatars in an online multi-player role-playing game. Jake gets in a tech pod that connects his consciousness to the Na’vi body, resulting in a remote virtual link, seeing and feeling through the avatar, similar to “jacking in” in The Matrix.
Jake soon discovers that his mission is to make contact with the Na’vi as “one of them,” for the purposes of a corporation that controls the project. That corporation is led by Parker Selfridge, a greedy capitalist fat cat who doesn’t care about the natives, but only wants to get them out of the way so he can exploit Pandora’s richest natural resource, “unobtainium.” The problem is that the Na’vi village is in a massive tree that sits over a massive deposit of that unobtainable resource.
Parker has hired a mercenary force of military men as security, led by the gritty, heartless, “take-no-prisoners” warmonger, Colonel Miles Quaritch. Quaritch enlists Jake to report secretly to him with military intel for nefarious purposes. Grace, the scientist, can’t stand either Parker or the natives and explore the natural and biological wonders of this world, in the manner of a Victorian naturalist.
We then follow Jake on his journey as he meets the Na’vi, who at first distrust him because they can smell his alien DNA, and don’t like anyone who speaks English. He wins their confidence, however, through Neytiri, a female Na’vi who rescues him in the forest. Neytiri is then commissioned to train Jake in all their Na’vi traditions.
He spends months learning how to hunt with a bow and arrow and ride the land beasts and flying dragons. He also enters into their religious views that seek to interact with the flow of energy that they believe unites all the life on the planet with Eywa, the Mother Goddess.
Just when Jake is falling in love with Neytiri and the Na’vi people, we see the monster-sized corporate machines clear-cutting the jungle on their way to blow up the Na’vi tree and scatter the Na’vi.
Jake escapes, but is rejected by the Na’vi because of his betrayal. But when he discovers that the military is on their way to blow up the sacred “Tree of Souls” that holds the souls of all the Na’vi ancestors, Jake switches sides and manages to regain the Na’vi’s trust and lead them in an all out battle against the “sky people” in their flying machines.
After Jake wins the day, he discovers that the sacred tree has the mystical power to transfer life from one organism to another. He decides to transfer his soul from his human body into the Na’vi avatar body he had been using, in order to permanently become a Na’vi and live the rest of his life with his love interest, Neytiri.
Avatar is a postmodern pagan myth of nature worship. It’s a condemnation of “Western imperialism” as racist scientific exploitation of the environment and a replacement of that worldview with the Gaia Hypothesis, a scientific theory that asserts that the earth is a living organism, and humanity a servant unto it.
If you want to know what worldview a filmmaker is attacking, look at the villain. The villain is the bad guy who we root for the hero to overcome. The way the villain (or antagonist) thinks and lives is condemned by the storyteller through the villain’s failure to win. Cameron’s trio of antagonists in Avatar are all archetypes of Western civilization: the corporation, the military, and science.
According to the postmodern narrative, the biggest evil in civilization is the corporation, which only cares about money, not people, and will exploit third world natives without a concern for destroying their sacred spaces or their lives. Parker is clearly depicted this way as he throws out racist epithets against the Na’vi as “blue monkeys” and “fly-bitten savages.” At first, he wants to avoid public outrage by negotiating with the Na’vi to get them to move, only because “killing the indigenous people looks bad.” When Jake turns against his own people, he questions the benefits to the Na’vi of making a deal with the humans, “for what, lite beer and blue jeans?” In this story, there is no benefit to primitive natives from Western civilization, only the plundering of natural resources and product exploitation of the masses.
Next in line of Western villains for postmodern storytelling is the military class, who are not peacekeepers protecting the freedom and lives of a people, but tools of the corporation to protect financial interests through violence against “the other.” Thus Quaritch is a warmongering mercenary who can’t wait to kill the Na’vi and, drinking his coffee in battle, muses over his decimation of both environment and creatures as if it were a fun party. And all of Quaritch’s bad guy militia is white. The only one that isn’t is the sole minority female pilot who mutinies with Jake.
Cameron also makes a political allusion to the Bush administration’s War on Terror as being morally equivalent to this exploitation of Pandora. The human warmongers use phrases and slogans against the Na’vi reminiscent of Bush-era phrases such as “shock and awe,” “pre-emptive attack,” and “we will fight terror with terror.”3 The mercenary military is an obvious parallel of Blackwater, a Bush-era private security force employed in Iraq. RDA, the big energy corporation led by Parker, is an apparent analogy to Halliburton, the energy company attacked by Bush opponents for its alleged question able interests in the war. One of the good guys fighting with Jake against the corporate military onslaught refers to their impossible odds as “martyrdom,” a moral equivalency of freedom fighters with Islamic insurgents and terrorists in Iraq.
This depersonalization of nature and its subjugation to man was the philosophical foundation of science. The Enlightenment then dispensed with this Christian foundation and turned science into a materialistic pursuit of exploitation. Grace is shown in pictures on a refrigerator with the natives, teaching them and learning from them, a visual parallel to missionaries who are historically known for this kind of ministry to primitive peoples. Apparently, the scientist as the moral conscience of cross-cultural concern has replaced the Christian.
The true global multicultural appeal of Avatar lies in its Matrix-like syncretism of many religions and cultures: Hinduism (powerful deities of Hinduism are blue like the Na’vi), Animism (Na’vi mirroring Native Americans and other primitive tribes), Judaism (Navi is the Hebrew word for prophet), Christianity and other Christ stories (the messianic anointing and journey of Jake), religious environmentalism (Gaia theory), and pantheism and panentheism (the oneness of all living things).
If you want to know the worldview that a filmmaker is affirming, look at the good guys. Look at the hero and how he ends up seeing the world. In Avatar, the worldview of the good guys (the Na’vi) that the hero ends up embracing is a pagan religion of nature worship. The Na’vi are clearly the “oppressed” and exploited third world indigenous peoples of Pandora.
The Na’vi worship Eywa, the Great Mother goddess, who is described as “a network of energy that flows through all living things,” connecting them as carriers of the deity whose energy is “borrowed, and someday we will have to give it back.” This panentheist belief of a deity within all living things is further exegeted as a “oneness” or unity between those things. God is in all and all is part of God. Like Native American religion, the Na’vi kill animals for food, and then speak to their prey as a “brother whose spirit goes to Eywa, and the body to the earth.” Their sacred burial ground is the “Tree of Souls” that contains the souls of their dead ancestors to whom they petition. When they accept Jake into their community through ritual, they create a circle of interlocking hands connecting to each other, symbolizing their oneness in Eywa. The Na’vi are able to unite with horse-like beasts and flying dragons through an organic connection that allows the beast and rider to move symbiotically as one creature.
Jake turns out to be a multicultural messianic redeemer for the Na’vi, incarnate in their flesh, yet from the sky above. When he is first discovered by Neytiri, she mistrusts him until she sees a “sign from Eywa” that persuades her he may be an anointed one: Seeds that are pure in spirit from the Tree of Souls float down on him and bathe him in a transfiguration of mystical light. Later in the story, he becomes the warrior who will free their people by leading them in battle against the forces of darkness. And when he does so, it is through the “Great Mother” fighting back with him, as all the animals that once sought to eat each other now become a united army fighting the marauding militia of humans.
The pagan religious dogma of the interconnectedness of all life and the pantheistic deity that emerges to protect it is verified by the scientist as being a biological organic response of the planet seeking to maintain an equilibrium of life. There is a name on Earth for this theory, and that name is the Gaia Hypothesis.
In the 1960s, scientist James Lovelock formulated a theory related to his work detecting life on Mars for NASA. He hypothesized that the earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and soil was a complex entity, “constituting a feedback or cybernetic system which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life.”8 Earth is a self-regulating living organism with a consciousness. He called this the Gaia Hypothesis, based on the Greek goddess of the earth, Gaia. In later years, noted microbiologist Lynn Margulis collaborated with Lovelock to develop the theory, attracting both scientific and public attention.
Gaia theory is apparent in Avatar’s pantheistic “Great Mother” who, as Neytiri explains, “does not take sides” in the battle with earthlings, “She protects only the balance of life.” So Gaia comes alive when all the animals on Pandora unite as one force to protect the sacred Tree of Souls (the cerebral cortex of Pandora) from destruction by the marauding crusaders. The scientific justification of a pagan religious worldview that drives the Gaia Hypothesis is readily apparent throughout Avatar. Many of the religious beliefs of the Na’vi have natural biological explanations. The Na’vi’s have the ability to become one with other living things through their “neural queue,” a hair-like extension of their nervous system that has living tendrils.10 These tendrils look and operate exactly like fiber optic cables-the naturalistic explanation of a mystical belief. When Jake transfers his consciousness into the Na’vi body, the tendrils of the Tree of Souls (a neural network of fiber optic cables) connects to his cerebellum and relocates his soul like a computer upload of software from one hard drive to another. When Grace, the materialist scientist, is dying while connected to the Tree of Souls, even she converts and says to Jake, “The Great Mother, the All Mother, She’s real. I’m with her.” In the Gospel according to Avatar, Gaia is a personal emergent consciousness with scientific foundation and religious expression.
Space does not permit a detailed critique of the philosophies of animism, panentheism, and pantheism that are embedded within Avatar. What I want to do is a brief deconstruction of the narrative of Avatar, illustrating its own internal contradictions and anomalies as a paradigm of political and religious prejudices.
Second, Avatar is also an exaltation of the “noble savage” myth, made popular by eighteenth-century Romantic Jean-Jacques Rousseau that imagines “an idealized concept of uncivilized man, who symbolizes the innate goodness of one not exposed to the corrupting influences of civilization.”14 This is a common Hollywood motif that shows up in movies such as Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves, which portray peace-loving indigenous peoples at one with nature-a politically constructed fiction that doesn’t bear out in historical reality. Depraved cultural traditions such as female circumcision, head hunting, cannibalism, human sacrifice, slavery, and bloodthirsty warring are commonly present in indigenous tribes unaffected by Western civilization throughout history. It is not civilization, but human nature that is corrupt. The tragic reality of pagan culture is more like the bloodthirsty human sacrifice of Apocalypto than the oneness of all life of Avatar.
The other conceit of Avatar’s mythology of oneness with nature is in its moral condemnation of humanity and beatification of nature. Like the noble savage, this is another self-referential absurdity. If the “circle of life,” that is, the cycle of “eat or be eaten” is indeed a harmonious beauty, then humans cannot be condemned for consuming natural resources, which is in effect eating the life of others. Humans are just as much a part of nature as anything else, and moral condemnation of gluttonous excess and exploitation is arbitrary subjective manipulation by those being eaten. Blowing up trees, killing Na’vi, and consuming unobtainium is just as natural as Na’vi killing and eating viperwolves and Thanators killing and eating Na’vi.
According to the dominant global narrative of natural selection assumed in the film, the extinction of species is a natural process of “the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.”15 Richard Dawkins’s infamous description of natural selection as “blind, pitiless indifference” is exactly the description of Selfridge and Quaritch’s characters. No amount of rationalizing about “cooperation” and “group selection” can change the fact that the circle of life that is nature is in fact hostile, “nasty, brutish and short,” destructive, “red in tooth and claw,” and full of thorns and thistles-which brings us to the war of cultural narratives: Earth and nature worship versus man’s dominion stewardship.
I believe that the reason for Avatar’s success lies in James Cameron’s skill as a mythmaker. Avatar is essentially a postmodern pagan myth on the level of the Babylonian Enuma Elish or the Ugaritic Baal Cycle of ancient Mesopotamia. Like Avatar, these epic myths were tales of warring deities of nature embodying the claims of religious and political supremacy.
Despite our very scientific modern culture, mythology still connects with our human hearts because it appeals to transcendence, that is, a reality outside of the world that gives meaning and purpose to our existence within the world. Humanity, created as it is in the image of God, craves transcendence regardless of our technological advancement. Unfortunately, as the apostle Paul revealed, that craving for the transcendent God is suppressed out of moral guilt (Rom. 1:18-21) and results in pagan worship of the environment as the most primal natural instinct. Humanity exchanges the truth of God for a lie, and worships and serves the creature and creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25).
The battle between cultural narratives of worshipping Creator or creation is an ancient one. Augustine was right (the church father, not the fictional character): the creation narrative of Genesis 1 teaches man’s rulership over the environment with a corresponding need to bring it into subjection (Gen. 1:26-28).16 Critics of Judeo-Christianity are right when they suggest that the Bible desacralized nature by draining the deity out of it, but wrong when they conclude that such theology necessarily leads to destructive exploitation of the environment. Genesis also teaches man’s responsible stewardship over the earth (Gen. 2:15). In paganism, man is the earth’s servant, but in the Bible, man is the earth’s steward.
Avatar is a chaoskampf myth that incarnates the battle of worldviews and their gods, of Gaia overcoming the destructive forces of chaos (the Christian West) to establish order through earth and nature worship. It is a modern narrative of the most ancient conflict of worldviews.
Atheistic and secular humanistic texts of materialism are quaint myths, but ultimately inadequate in describing reality. Only a transcendent personal divinity will satisfy the hearts and imaginations of humanity. We are not in a culture war. We are in a war of gods, and the three dominant religions proclaiming the supremacy of their deity over the earth are Christianity (Jesus), Islam (Allah), and Paganism (Gaia).
Christian mythic narratives in movies such as Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia have surely captured the imaginations of many. For the moment, Avatar, like a newly written Epic of Gilgamesh, heralds the rising influence of a pagan global religion of nature worship that posits humanity, not as a unique creature in God’s image ruling over nature and the earth as God’s vice regent, but as a common part of nature, serving the earth and its ruling authority over all energy and life. It’s not that Avatar is itself the game changer, but rather, that it is part of a cultural wave of ideas affecting all areas of global culture, from religion to entertainment to science to politics-promising pagan redemption, but providing subordination and slavery to nature.
Brian Godawa is the screenwriter of To End All Wars and the author of Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom and Discernment (InterVarsity Press, 2009 updated), and Word Pictures: Knowing God through Story and Imagination (InterVarsity Press, 2009).
3 Although fighting “terror with terror” is not a Bush administration phrase, it indicates Cameron’s interpretation of exactly what America was doing. In other words, the Iraq war is not just, it is the moral equivalence of terror.
4 Ironically, this reduction of religious beliefs to natural causes is normally used to demythologize religion, but in the face of Christian “dominion,” it magically morphs into a mysticism/science fusion against the West. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
5 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God XII, 24, Confessions, XIII, 23.
7 Quoted in “The Pagan Roots of Environmentalism,” American Policy Center Web site: http://www.americanpolicy.org/un/thepaganroots.htm.
8 James Lovelock, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1979, 1987, 1995, 2000), 10.
11 http://www.zbi.ee/~kalevi/lwhite.htm, quoted in Joseph Brean, “The Green Fervour,” National Post, Saturday, February 10, 2007: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=07407be3-1f9f-4f41-a16a-5a286a5b374c.
12 Al Gore, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (New York: Rodale, 1992, 2006), 264-65.
14 “Noble Savage,” Encyclopedia Britannica online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/416988/noble-savage.
15 The subtitle of Charles Darwin’s game changing On the Origin of the Species.
16 The original Hebrew words for “rule over” and “subdue” are military and governmental words that include forceful power.
17 Ronald Simkins, Creator and Creation: Nature in the Worldview of Ancient Israel (Peabody, MS: Hendrickson, 1994), 46.
18 Bernard F. Batto, Slaying the Dragon: Mythmaking in the Biblical Tradition (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1992), 75-77.
19 Alexander Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis: The Story of Creation (Chicago: University of Chicago, 1942, 1963), 14.
20 Michael David Coogan, trans., Stories from Ancient Canaan (Louisville, KY: Westminster Press), 75-115.
21 Bruce R. Reichenbach, “Genesis 1 as a Theological-Political Narrative of Kingdom Establishment,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 13, 1 (2003): 48.
22 This explanation of a theological-political purpose behind Genesis does not mean it is fictional or any less truthful as God’s Word. | 2019-04-23T02:19:54Z | https://www.equip.org/articles/avatar-a-postmodern-pagan-myth/ |
After Zeitgeist, the movie makes several easily disputed claims (which I have refuted) about how similar pagan gods are to Jesus the film then goes on to list attributes to Jesus and then attempts to show that he is astrological. The point of listing them is to show further on that Jesus is no different than Horus, Dionysus or Mithras.
As attributes of Jesus, Zeitgeist lists that he was born of the virgin Mary on December 25 in Bethlehem which event was announced by a star in the east. He was then visited by three kings who adored him, was a teacher at twelve years of age, baptized at thirty years, traveled and performed miracles, was betrayed by Judas for 30 silver pieces, was crucified, placed in a tomb tor three days and then resurrected.
The film also mentions he was called “Alpha and Omega,” “King of Kings,” and the “Lamb of God.
A lot of what is listed here is true, but several of the assumptions made in the film are based on popular assumptions that have no basis in fact. The movie then also makes the claim that Jesus’ birth is astrological.
Several of these questions in previous posts have already been shown to be moot since there is no evidence found that any of them were born on December 25th, were dead for three days nor even had twelve disciples. However it is necessary to point out that a lot of what Zeitgeist, the Movie says depends heavily on Jesus being born on December 25th. — If it can be shown that he was not, then a good 50% of its claims are irrelevant, though I still plan on going into them. The truth is the Gospel of Luke indicates that Jesus was born during any season but winter (much less December 25). Luke 2:8 mentions that the same night he was born shepherds were out in the fields caring for their flocks. If this were winter they would have been sheltered away from the elements.
The birth sequence is completely astrological. The star in the east is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, which, on December 24th, aligns with the 3 brightest stars in Orion’s Belt. These 3 bright stars are called today what they were called in ancient times: The Three Kings. The Three Kings and the brightest star, Sirius, all point to the place of the sunrise on December 25th. This is why the Three Kings “follow” the star in the east, in order to locate the sunrise — the birth of the sun.
Even if they were known as such in ancient times it would still be irrelevant for two reasons: 1) They are called “magi,” not kings. And 2) Matthew (the Gospel that tells the story) never specifies their number. Also, it is untrue that Orion’s Belt and Sirius point to the sun’s travel route (Click here).
During this three day pause, the sun resides in the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or Crux, constellation.
Because it is not visible from most latitudes in the Northern hemisphere, Crux is a modern constellation and has no Greek or Roman myths associated with it. Crux was used by explorers of the southern hemisphere to point south since, unlike the north celestial pole, the south celestial pole is not marked by any bright star.
The “Southern Cross” constellation is a new discovery made in the 16th century AD and therefore cannot have anything to do with Jesus. — Zeitgeist gives the impression that the Southern Cross was well known in ancient times but that is known not to be the case.
The Virgin Mary is the constellation Virgo, also known as Virgo the Virgin. Virgo in Latin means virgin. The ancient glyph for Virgo is the altered “m”. This is why Mary along with other virgin mothers, such as Adonis’s mother Myrrha, or Buddha’s mother Maya begin with an M. Virgo is also referred to as the House of Bread, and the representation of Virgo is a virgin holding a sheaf of wheat. This House of Bread and its symbol of wheat represents August and September, the time of harvest. In turn, Bethlehem, in fact, literally translates to “house of bread”. Bethlehem is thus a reference to the constellation Virgo, a place in the sky, not on Earth.
It claims that Mary represents the constellation of Virgo because Virgo is Latin for virgin. It is true that Virgo means virgin, but it also means a maiden or a young girl. (Source) Also, it is far more likely that Virgo stands for Astraea, Zeus’ young virgin daughter who was chased away by the what she was offended by in the Bronze Age (Source) According to Greek Mythology, Zeus placed her among the stars and she became Virgo and, except for being a young virgin, has absolutely nothing in common with Mary.
Also, the argument that the “M” like symbol for Virgo stands for Mary, Maya and Myrrha as virgins because their names start with M is moot because the film doesn’t take into account that Hebrew, Hindi and Greek do not use our Alphabet, though Greek is the closest.
Next, the film tries to tie Virgo to Bethlehem where Jesus was born saying that they both indicate “house of bread.” It is true that Bethlehem, in fact, does mean “house of bread,” (Bible Dictionary Vol. 8 Commentary Reference Series page 136) however there is no evidence that “Virgo” has any such meaning.
Now, probably the most obvious of all the astrological symbolism around Jesus regards the 12 disciples. They are simply the 12 constellations of the Zodiac, which Jesus, being the Sun, travels about with. In fact, the number 12 is replete throughout the Bible. This text has more to do with astrology than anything else.
The claim is that Jesus’ twelve disciples are the same at the twelve constellations of the Zodiac. — All through the film Zeitgeist uses a play on words to connect Jesus to the Zodiac by saying that “‘Sun’ of God” is the same as “‘Son’ of God.” This is an attempt to show that Jesus is a solar deity (i.e., a Sun god.) Of course the hardest piece of evidence is this particular play on words which only works in English.
The trouble is that “SUN” and “SON” cannot be equated. In Hebrew “Son” is pronounced as ben and “sun” is shemesh. In Greek “son” is huios and “sun” is pronounced as helios. (Bible Dictionary Vol. 8 pgs. 1033-50) — Given that the two terms are only similar in English but not in the original Biblical languages, the most important piece of evidence that supposedly identifies Jesus as a Sun god and as the center of the Zodiac is superficial.
With these facts taken into account, it turns out that the number twelve is only a coincidence. The most likely reason why Jesus would have 12 disciples is because of the twelve tribes of Israel. — Also, as the film says, it is true that the number twelve is “replete throughout the Bible.” But so are many other numbers such as 3, 7, 30, and 40. There is no indication that 12 is any more sacred than the others.
This is not a symbol of Christianity. It is a Pagan adaptation of the cross of the Zodiac. This is why Jesus in early occult art is always shown with his head on the cross, for Jesus is the Sun, the Sun of God, the Light of the World, the Risen Savior, who will “come again,” as it does every morning, the Glory of God who defends against the works of darkness, as he is “born again” every morning, and can be seen “coming in the clouds”, “up in Heaven”, with his “Crown of Thorns,” or, sun rays.
This claim is just as dependent on the falty assumption that “Sun = Son” as the last, so that detail needs no further refutation.
Ironically, the Pagan Roots of the Celtic Cross is essentially a Christian legend in its development. It is only in the last quarter of the 20th century that the “Christians stole it” spin of the story has become widespread, promoted mainly by those who make no secret of their distrust of Christianity. But there is more irony yet. The negative version of the story is also spread by some Christians, who unaware of the Celtic Revival version, believe the Neo-Pagan version of the story as true and feel compelled to spread the alarm, lest their fellow Christians unwittingly offend God by use of a pagan symbol.
The film claims that because of the Zodiac, Jesus’ head in art depictions (like the one above) is on the cross with the sun in the back. — It is true that this circular shape was used by pagans before the Christians adopted it. For example, the Greeks used it to portray their gods (especially the Sun-god). After then, the Romans adopted it.
Not only is the adoption of the halo in the 6th century too late to bear any relevancy to Christianity, I cannot find any reference that ties it to the Zodiac. Also, the claim that Zeitgeist makes that Jesus’ crown of thorns is a representation of “sun rays” has no real basis and hangs on a very thin thread.
To make a long story short, the supposed “evidence” that Zeitgeist, the Movie gives to show that Jesus is a solar Sun god that is based on the Zodiac is either superficial or completely incorrect. Since his evidence of Jesus representing the Zodiac is based of the superficial coincidence that “sun” and “son” are pronounced the same in English (but not in the original Biblical languages) there is no reason to believe that his 12 disciples are to be equated to the 12 constellations.
The claim that that Jesus’ birth sequence is only astrological is based on falty claims that any investigation can refute. Since Jesus was not born on December 25, a lot of the arguments presented in Zeigeist (which are dependent on that date) are worthless. — The attempts to tie the Virgin Mary to the constellation Virgo are also flimsy at best. The film maker shows a lot of ignorance of the facts, too much to make a movie that supposedly refutes the origins of Christianity.
This entry was posted on December 3, 2008 by krissmith777. It was filed under Jesus, Jesus Myth and was tagged with Adonis, Astrology, astronomy, Buddha, Christianity, Constellation, Halo, Jesus, Jesus Myth, Myth, Myth of Jesus, Pagan, Paganism, skeptics, twelve, Virgin, Virgo, Zeitgeist, Zodiac.
Excellent post! The arguments made in Zeitgeist never sat well with me, but I was never motivated enough to research the arguments. Thank you for all the useful information.
The southern cross was visible in the sky for centuries. Back in the time of the Egyptians on up to christ’s time and was visible as far north as ancient greece until 1000bc. The earth wobbles. The stars in orions belt were named after 3 kings by the Egyptians and the pyramids depict their postion/ratio to each other almost perfectly.
No one says the sun quits moving, duh. It only rises so high during those 3 days, its lowest point in eliptical orbit. And it was in the vacinity of the southern cross in ancient times.
Arabic for Virgo is Al Adhra al Nathifah (the innocent – or pure – maiden) and the “virginesque” quality predates by 1000’s of years any greek mythology, where do you think the stories of that mythology came from.
Almost all ancient religion and mythology is an extension and building upon of Ancient Sumerian mythology, (in Iraq, near the supposed Garden of Eden in case you didn’t know.) The Egyptians also had an Ark, look it up, it looks almost just like the ark of the covenant.
You shouldn’t just do some light surfing on the web and repost the same old debunkers crap that is total void of fact. Do the research yourself. Download a celestial program and figure it out for yourself. I’ve read every one of the arguments you posted some where else and they are all lame. Zeitgeist isn’t perfect, but its awfully close, and makes the entire birth scenario of Christ seem just a bit coincidental. Do you know who wrote the book of Mark? And where was he when he wrote it? (it wasn’t Mark). And where he was, what was the ancient mythology of that place.
About what you say about the Southern Cross, I linked two academic sources to prove my point. Now give your sources to back up yourself.
It’s a modern constellation. Get it?
Also, give the sources for the rest of your claims. I exclusively linked academic and unbiased sources. What are yours?
This shows you have not read my post well enough, or that you have not checked my sources. Follow your own advice, and stop repeating “crap” from long refuted conspiracy theories from Acharya S and others.
The Sun is NEVER in the vicinity of the Southern Cross. If that were true, it would be a sign of the Zodiac.
Honestly, don’t preach to me about doing research when you obviously have not done any of your own.
You cannot say that it wasn’t Mark. There is no way to positively identify who wrote it, nor does it matter. It matters not to its authenticity.
As for when Mark was written, most scholars agree it was no later than 73 AD.
I did pretty well in astronomy class. You apparently would flunk. — I know there is a wobble, but it doesn’t wobble that much. Such a thing would be catastrophic.
As for the stars in Orion’s belt and the Giza pyramids matching up, I already know that. But that fact is irrelevant.
As for saying that the Egyptians called the three stars “the three kings,” cite a source for that! — The earliest reference to them being called “the three kings” is from 1,700 years AFTER Christ. — DO THE MATH!!!
Even if they were called the “three kings” by the Egyptians, it wouldn’t matter, because there are no three kings in the story of the birth of Jesus. — They are “Magi,” or magicians.– Very different from kings. And there number isn’t three. It could hve been two, it could have been 12.
I’ve already answered most of what you bring up in my post.
I guess I was right in assuming you have not read it or checked my sources.
Excellent post. I was just thinking about how they intricately weaved different myths and unreliable hear-say and delivered it as fact. It’s preposterous to believe something that can be debunked so easily. Thank you for the refutation.
You better study harder astrology. The procession of equinox is also known as the wobble of the earth. The earth wobbles in the opposite direction of the earth rotation at a rate of one full rotation approximately every 25,500 years. The 12 “ages” of the Zodiac are based on this rotation. Each time the earth enters a new era by its wobble, we enter a new age. Each age is approximately 2,125 years long. We are entering the “age of aquarius” as the song suggests. Jesus’s supposed birth was at the beginning of the age of Pieces. That is why you see Jesus represented by the sign of the fish. This wobble is the basis of much of the ancient pagan sun worship.One consistent thing I find on blogs is religious people making false statements to justify their beliefs. I don’t think it is malicious, but it is frequent. I have made the study of man and religion a hobby of mine for over 30 years. By the way, the 3 stars of Orion’s belt have been the called “The Three Kings” for at least 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus. The stars were even referenced as this on the Luxor Pyramid. Please do some research before you make all these false claims, it makes Christians like bad. The bible even references the changes in eras. It says at the end of the age of “Jesus”, or Pieces, you should walk into the room of the man pouring water from a bucket. This is referencing the age of aquarius. The bible was mis-translated to indicate “the end of time” instead of “the end of the age”. This is another fact if you go back to the original Hebrew bible, and it is also well known by religious scholars. The symbol of aquarius is a man pouring water from a bucket. The bible is full of astrological references. Read it again with an open mind and look for them. Also, do some research, it is irrefutable !
Telling me to study what is already common knowledge? Hmmmmm, nice.
Actually, even though the Zodiac is old, the concept of “Ages” in this sence is actually a modern concept. That is an indesputable fact.
You are in error here. I have already explained the origin of the Christian fish. Christians used it because in Greek its letters were “ΙΧΘΥΣ” which stand for “Ιησους Χριστος Θεου Υιος Σωτηρ.” — This translates as “Jesus Christ, God’s Son is Savior.” This is why it was used, not because of paganism.
I’ve made no such false statement in any place on my refutation of Zeitgeist. — I’m willing to bet my eternal salvation with God on that.
This is only a partial truth. They were named “The Three Kings,” but long after Jesus existed. Aroung the 1700s, I think. — This fact is already addressed in this very blog post which makes me suspect that you haven’t read what I wrote very well. BTW, my source which shows that the “Three Kings” were named long after Christ isn’t even from a Christian source.
Even if the three stars in Orion’s belt were caled “The Three King’s” before Christianity, it would not matter because there are NO three king’s in the Jesus story!!! — Don’t believe me?? Then read the Bible for yourself.
Give me your sourcecfor that claim, please.
I have. That’s how I know Zeitgeist’s claims are false. The vast majority of my sources are neutral and are not even Christian on this topic. What I said is 100% true.
I know what verses Zeitgeist cites to prove its point. (Luke 22:10). If you had read the Bible verses, you would realize the context gives no such indication that Zodiac ages are being alluded to. — In part 7, I have already refuted this claim.
This is yet another good indication that you have not read my complete refutation of Zeitgeist. The term does indeed mean “Age,” but it also can indicate “the universe,” or even “the world.” — So there is no reason to believe that the Bible translators got it wrong. — I have already covered this in part 7 of my refutation.
Again, this is refuted in part 7, as are most of the points you have brought up. In the context of the verse, there is nothing that indicates such a thing. The is actually no man “pouring water from a bucket” in the verse you are citing. (Luke 22: 10) He is carrying a jar of water, not pouring it. And even if he was pouring it, there is nothing in the contect that indicates this is pointing to astrology.
Besides, 2,000 years ago, there were many servants that carried water in jugs because there was no indoor plumbing at the time!!!! — Are we to assume that al of them point to Aguarius?? No! That would be ridiculous.
I did. And the claims made by Zeitgeist are extremely refutable.
there are 5 parts for this link, please just click on the side bar for the other parts required, they are easy to find.
Im just trying to open some up some eyes on a new persepective of who i think we are.
Your research is wrong. I’ve studied this for decades. I stopped being a Christian when I found it all to be true. Jesus is the Sun period. You are cherry picking the facts that suit your side of the argument just like I did at first. But it’s true. Take all you have studied and add this. The book is literally called the Sun book. Thats what holy bible means. Its taken from the Greeks Helios Biblia or books of the Sun.
I’m just going to call your bluff. I did too much research to fall for your bs. We both know you did no research. | 2019-04-21T06:17:50Z | https://explanationblog.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/the-myth-of-jesus-a-refutation-of-the-zeitgeist-part-6/ |
Interesting research by Profs. Guo Xu (Berkeley Haas School of Business), Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago) and Robin Burgess (LSE).
Nice piece by Rekha Misra and Anand Shankar of RBI in the April-2019 Bulletin.
….mobile telephones are fundamentally changing the profile of India’s imports. The composition of India’s import basket has largely been dominated by gold and petroleum products. These two commodities, with a combined share of close to 40.0 per cent, have virtually defined the trajectory ofIndia’s overall merchandise imports.
In recent years, however, electronic goods imports increased from a little over US$ 0.9 billion in 1993-94 to US$ 51.5 billion in 2017-18, an annual growth rate of over 15.0 per cent. Consequently, the share of electronic goods increased from less than 4.0 per cent of India’s total merchandise imports to over 11.0 per cent during the same period. In fact, from 2013-14 onwards, electronic goods imports have had a higher share in merchandise imports than gold and currently constitute the second largest import item for India!
This article undertakes an incisive examination of the phenomenon of India’s electronic imports and implications for the viability of India’s external balance. Specifically, the article studies the behavior of imports of mobile phones and parts thereof which lie at the heart of the surge in electronic goods imports. It seeks to highlight the role of policy initiatives in driving the phenomenon and its composition, with longer-term implications for domestic production.
This paper seeks to illuminate the uncertainty in official GDP per capita measures using auxiliary data. Using satellite-recorded nighttime lights as an additional measurement of true GDP per capita, we provide a statistical framework, in which the error in official GDP per capita may depend on the country’s statistical capacity and the relationship between nighttime lights and true GDP per capita can be nonlinear and vary with geographic location. This paper uses recently developed results for measurement error models to identify and estimate the nonlinear relationship between nighttime lights and true GDP per capita and the nonparametric distribution of errors in official GDP per capita data. We then construct more precise and robust measures of GDP per capita using nighttime lights, official national accounts data, statistical capacity, and geographic locations. We find that GDP per capita measures are less precise for middle and low income countries and nighttime lights can play a bigger role in improving such measures.
To illustrate such issues, Figure 1 compares satellite images of nighttime lights for mainland China, the lower 48 states of the United States, and Africa between 1992 and 2013. While all of them became brighter at night in 2013, China’s transformation was most visible. Variation in nighttime lights may thus contain useful information on China’s real economic growth. In contrast, the United States was already bright enough in 1992. The small change in the intensity of lights over this period may not correspond well to economic growth, most of which likely happened on the scientific and technological frontier rather than on infrastructure development. While the latter was captured by satellite, the former was certainly not. Most countries in Africa, despite their fast growth, started from low levels of income and inadequate access to electricity.
As a result, they were still mostly dark in 2013 and the information contained in nighttime lights may be insufficient for accurately assessing economic growth. Figure 1 highlights that the relationship between nighttime lights and real GDP may be nonlinear, that the relative accuracy of nighttime lights to real GDP may change, and that the extent to which nighttime lights are useful as proxy for real economic activity may differ over time and across countries.
What economic factors are driving the tech firms to enter financial services?
Really nice paper by a team of authors: Jon Frost, Leonardo Gambacorta, Yi Huang, Hyun Song Shin and Pablo Zbinden.
We consider the drivers and implications of the growth of “BigTech” in finance – ie the financial services offerings of technology companies with established presence in the market for digital services.
BigTech firms often start with payments. Thereafter, some expand into the provision of credit, insurance, and savings and investment products, either directly or in cooperation with financial institution partners.
Focusing on credit, we show that BigTech firms lend more in countries with less competitive banking sectors and less stringent regulation. Analysing the case of Argentina, we find support for the hypothesis that BigTech lenders have an information advantage in credit assessment relative to a traditional credit bureau. For borrowers in both Argentina and China, we find that firms that accessed credit expanded their product offerings more than those that did not. It is too early to judge the extent of BigTech’s eventual advance into the provision of financial services. However, the early evidence allows us to pose pertinent questions that bear on their impact on financial stability and overall economic welfare.
IMF has released the analytical chapters of World Economics Outlook for April 2019.
The blogpost explaining the research is here.
• Disclosure design: How can we apply behavioural insights to the presentation of disclosures to optimize retail investors’ absorption of essential information and resulting behaviour, and to what extent does the answer to this question vary for different segments of retail investors and different product types?
• Online interfaces: Many entities provide online interfaces primarily directed at attracting investments from retail investors. What design features, such as layout, reminders, and warnings, can online interfaces incorporate to help investors make informed investment decisions?
• Timeliness of information: When are retail investors most receptive to relevant disclosure or educational content (e.g., when the investor begins a new job or is about to make key decisions about retirement)?
This report acknowledges that, while behaviourally-informed measures in these areas have the potential to promote informed investor decision-making, their potential comes with limits.
Disclosure and information, no matter how well-designed and no matter how well-timed their delivery, may not be sufficient on their own to achieve comprehensive retail investor protection. Standards of conduct imposed on the investment professionals on whom retail investors rely to recommend and manage their investments, as well as the regulation of investment products sold to retail investors, will continue to be part of the comprehensive set of measures employed by regulators to further retail investor protection.
Much has been said about the role of the euro in the international monetary and financial system and about the currency’s prospects. And much of it is not particularly encouraging.
anything of value to that aspect of the debate.
role paints a similarly unflattering picture.4 One might conclude from all this that the euro has lost clout across the board.
Today, I would like briefly to question this verdict. My thesis is that the verdict is too categorical – a more nuanced assessment is in order.
I would like to argue that, in some significant but underappreciated respects, the euro’s heft has actually grown in recent years. I shall highlight three aspects: the euro’s influence on global bond markets; its influence on exchange rates globally; and its influence on the “effective pricing“ of commodities, regardless of the currency in which their prices are actually denominated.
Interesting sets of graphs in the speech..
Ideas of Charan Singh (former Indian Prime Minister): the lone agrarian intellectual?
Germany’s new National Industrial Strategy 2030, unveiled by Economy Minister Peter Altmaier in February 2019, advocates an aggressive industrial policy. Although it stays clear of the virulent economic nationalism of the 1930s and the protectionism of President Donald Trump, its tone and much of its content are unmistakably nationalist.
Zettelmeyer concludes that three of Altmaier’s five proposals—attempting to further raise the German share of manufacturing, restricting non-EU imports of intermediate goods, and promoting national champions in Germany and the European Union—are bad policies. The two remaining ideas—preventing some foreign takeovers and ramping up state support for certain technologies—are somewhat easier to justify, based on either market failures or the risk of technological dependence on foreign companies susceptible to political interference.
But even in these areas, the specific policies proposed may well do more harm than good.
IIM Ahmedabad will be hosting an international conference on Indian business and economic history in memory of Prof. Dwijendra Tripathi on August 29-31, 2019.
The conference invites researchers to submit research papers and ideas to two separate tracks of the conference – PhD Student Workshop and Conference Research Papers.
The conference will commence on Thursday, August 29th , with a 1-day workshop for PhD students working on Indian business or economic history or keen to explore this research interest in the near future. Students may belong to any disciplinary background. The workshop will provide feedback on the student’s research topics and ideas and have sessions conducted by leading scholars of the field.
To apply, students have to email [email protected], their CV, one-page synopsis of their ongoing research and a one-page statement of interest to attend the workshop, before April 30, 2019.
Students from within and outside India are encouraged to apply for the workshop. Women and students from historically marginalized communities are particularly encouraged to apply for the workshop. MPhil and Masters’ level students can also apply if they are able to demonstrate their keenness to work in the field, and the application would require an additional reference letter from their research supervisor.
Selected students will be notified about their applications by May 10, 2019, and are expected to participate in all three days of the conference proceedings. The workshop is fully-funded and covers three days of accommodation and food on the IIMA campus. It also covers the cost of travel to IIMA, not exceeding Rs. 10,000 per participant.
Sector wise histories: eg. Aviation, Media, Advertising, Finance, Real Estate, Coal, etc.
The conference also invites research spanning other time periods and topics.
A 500-1000 word abstract with title and participant’s affiliation, should be submitted to [email protected] , before April 30. Selected speakers will be notified by May 10, 2019, and full research papers are expected to be submitted by August 1, 2019. For the selected speakers, two days of accommodation and food related expenses at IIMA will be borne by the conference organizers.
What a title of a research paper: The Return of the Policy That Shall Not Be Named: Principles of Industrial Policy!
Hmm.. Looks like a good read.
Polarised politics in the wake of financial crises echo throughout modern history, but evidence of a causal link between economic downturns and populism is limited. This column shows that financial crisis-induced misery boosted far right-wing voting in interwar Germany. In towns and cities where many firms were exposed to failing banks, Nazi votes surged.
In particular, places exposed to the one bank led by a Jewish chairman registered particularly strong increases of support – scapegoating Jews was easier with seemingly damning evidence of their negative influence.
Interesting research by Jan Br˚uha and Jaromír Tonner of Czech National Bank.
The Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004, i.e. after 1993, and it is therefore obliged to adopt the euro sometime in the future. Obviously, euro adoption would have its benefits and costs. This paper aims to contribute to the macroeconomic analysis of the costs and benefits. By “macroeconomic”, we mean those costs and benefits which are related to business cycle fluctuations, to positive trade effects and to the nominal convergence of the Czech economy. We therefore do not investigate other costs and benefits, such as the change of legal tender, the change in the country’s credibility after adopting the euro and the costs of potential fiscal free riding by other member countries. This is not to say that these other aspects are not important, but this paper concentrates on the above-mentioned well-defined aspects of euro adoption.
of the euro area economy. The relative importance of the costs and benefits of adopting the common currency is ex ante unclear and the literature offers conflicting results. Therefore, it is worth investigating the macroeconomic costs of joining the euro area.
rate and with the monetary policy rate equal to the ECB rate.
To evaluate the effects of euro adoption on the Czech economy, we employ two approaches. We compare the unconditional volatilities of important macro variables implied by the two macroeconomic models. The volatility of nominal variables increases after joining the common currency, as the common monetary policy does not react to purely domestic shocks.
We also simulate the counterfactual outcomes of macroeconomic variables that would have happened if the euro had been adopted in the past. We find that euro adoption would have meant an increase in the volatility of macroeconomic variables, while the effects on the levels of real output and consumption would have been positive. These positive effects on the real economy are due mainly to the trade effect, but temporarily lower real interest rates would also have contributed. Nominal exchange rate appreciation during the ERM II phase could partly alleviate the nominal volatility caused by euro adoption.
Bringing epistemology back into economics curriculum..
Fascinating short paper in EPW by M.A. Oommen, honorary fellow at the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.
The concept of epistemology, derived from the Greek word episteme (knowledge) and logos (reason) refers to the theory of knowledge. An important branch of philosophy, it is the study of the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge. The nature of knowledge is as important as the origin of knowledge in generating relevant epistemology.
No scientific study can be evaluated or justified by the norms of faith or dictates of authority. For example, the discoveries of Copernicus (1473–1543) and Galileo (1564–1642) were epistemologically shocking to the College of Cardinals who had the monopoly of knowledge in the 16th century in Europe. Ultimately only scientific truth and not beliefs can promote and sustain progress. Kuhn’s (1962) view of the evolution of science as characterised by long periods of gradual “puzzle-solving normal science” followed by paradigm shifts offers an explanatory hypothesis about the nature of knowledge creation. Ola Olsson (2000: 254) argues that knowledge is created through convex combinations of older ideas and through paradigm shifts. We investigate in what manner this happened in economics.
The nature of knowledge creation in the discipline of economics, has not been subjected to any in-depth analysis or interrogation. The almost unquestioned dominance (certainly during 1980–2008) of neoclassical economics in the academic profession and the rather pathological antipathy to Marxian epistemology and institutional economics has not been subjected to proper scrutiny. What I am concerned here is not Marxism as a creed but Marx’s unique contributions to the knowledge of understanding the dynamics of economic progress and the nature of the process of social history.
It is not too often that one gets to see Finance Minister of a State (even at centre) writing a research piece in EPW. Kerala’s Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Issac (who holds a PhD from CDS) coauthors a piece on fiscal federalism along with R Mohan and Lekha Chakraborty.
Are we quite far from what cooperative federalism envisages? Assessing the trends in tax devolution, the experience with the FRBM acts in the light of the recommendations of the FRBM review committee, the structure of GST, the ToR of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, and the obstacles in the decentralisation process, the hypothesis cannot be rebutted.
As revealed by many studies, the performance of tax revenue in India is below its potential. This limits not only the spending capacity of the centre, but also the amount of taxes devolved to the states. Besides, what is constitutionally sought to be devolved to the states is not being done in its spirit by the centre, which imposes surcharges and cesses as a means of raising revenue, without the same being part of the divisible pool of taxes shareable with the states. There also exists non-transparency in the computation of net proceeds.
The FRBM acts have imposed an asymmetric burden on the state governments in the face of non-compliance to the targets by the central government. This is sought to be accentuated by the recommendations of the FRBM Review Committee, 2017. The rate apportionment and voting rights in the GST Council are not in accordance with the principles of cooperative federalism, in which decisions are to be taken by a consensus among equal stakeholders. The decentralisation of the LGs is impeded by the asymmetry in centre–state relations.
The ToR of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, which is the last in the chain of events, hastens the process of centralisation and if implemented, cooperative federalism would only exist in name, devoid of any content whatsoever. Fundamental changes are needed to make cooperative federalism a meaningful and functioning one.
The authors point to some interesting fiscal trends.
The conference on women in macroeconomics was organised last year.
Twenty-five women economists met May 17-18 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for the First Women in Macroeconomics Conference. Alessandra Fogli, senior research economist at the Minneapolis Fed, was a conference co-organizer. Doireann Fitzgerald, also a Minneapolis Fed senior research economist, presented her research on “How Exporters Grow.” And Minneapolis Fed monetary advisor Cristina Arellano was a discussant on international macro. We sat down with these three Minneapolis Fed economists to learn more about this groundbreaking meeting. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
Male economists rarely walk into the room and think, “Oh, I’m in a minority here.” Most of us have that experience every single time we go to a conference, and other sorts of minorities have that experience too. Maybe it doesn’t stop you from doing your job, but it’s kind of an eye-opening moment to walk into the room and see and feel that you are actually in the majority. This looks different. I was involved in organizing a conference several years ago, and when we realized it was 50/50, that was also sort of an eye-opening moment because it is not the norm.
Drawing on a discussion of five infrastructure projects in Mumbai, the lack of comprehensive focus in policy on environmental issues is highlighted. A project-wise focus and an unsustainable pattern of urbanisation have distanced the city development plans of Mumbai from achieving essential, interdependent goals of ecological health, environmental justice, and well-being.
Applies to most cities in India.
Prof Sacchidananda Mukherjee of NIPFP writes a useful paper on GST.
a) Upto June 2022, revenues of states under GST are protected. So far there will be no impact on State Finances on account of Own Tax Revenue collection. However, if the GST revenue shortfall continues, Union Government will face fiscal stress and it will spillover to state finances in terms of lower tax devolution and grantsin-aid transfers.
b) The estimated shortfall in GST collection is Rs. 197,210 crore or 8.77 percent of Gross Tax revenue in 2018-19. If the share of states in central transfers (on account of tax devolution and grants-in-aids) remains unchanged at 55.4 percent of GTR, the expected fall in central transfers would be Rs. 109,254 Crore in 2018-19.
If states do not increase their revenue mobilization, they may require containing their expenditures to meet the FRBM targets. There may be demands from States to give relief from the FRBM targets, so that they could continue with present level of expenditures. It may build up public debt and may cause stress on state finances in future.
It also discusses the impact on State Finance after GST Compensation Period is over.. | 2019-04-21T14:04:07Z | https://mostlyeconomics.wordpress.com/category/academic-research-research-papers/ |
This article is about the friar and patron saint. For other uses, see Francis of Assisi (disambiguation).
Saint Francis of Assisi, O.F.M.
Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi; born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco (a tribute to France) by his father; 1181/1182Template:Spaced ndash October 3, 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis for men and women not able to live the lives of itinerant preachers, followed by the early members of the Order of Friars Minor, or the monastic lives of the Poor Clares. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.
Francis' father was Pietro di Bernardone, a prosperous silk merchant. Francis lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi. While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life. On a pilgrimage to Rome, he joined the poor in begging at St. Peter's Basilica. The experience moved him to live in poverty. Francis returned home, began preaching on the streets, and soon gathered followers. His Order was authorized by Pope Innocent III in 1210. He then founded the Order of Poor Clares, which became an enclosed religious order for women, as well as the Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance (commonly called the Third Order).
In 1219, he went to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Sultan to put an end to the conflict of the Crusades. By this point, the Franciscan Order had grown to such an extent that its primitive organizational structure was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the Order. Once his community was authorized by the Pope, he withdrew increasingly from external affairs. In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas nativity scene. In 1224, he received the stigmata, making him the first recorded person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. He died during the evening hours of October 3, 1226, while listening to a reading he had requested of Psalm 142(141).
On July 16, 1228, he was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory IX. He is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, and is one of the two patron saints of Italy (with Catherine of Siena). It is customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of October 4. He is also known for his love of the Eucharist, his sorrow during the Stations of the Cross, and for the creation of the Christmas crèche or Nativity Scene.
Francis of Assisi was one of seven children born in late 1181 or early 1182 to Pietro and his wife Pica de Bourlemont, about whom little is known except that she was a noblewoman originally from Provence. Pietro was in France on business when Francis was born in Assisi, and Pica had him baptized as Giovanni. When his father returned to Assisi, he took to calling him Francesco ("the Frenchman"), possibly in honor of his commercial success and enthusiasm for all things French. Since the child was renamed in infancy, the change can hardly have had anything to do with his aptitude for learning French, as some have thought. As a youth, Francesco became a devotee of troubadours and was fascinated with all things Transalpine. Although many hagiographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, and love of pleasures, his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar." In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms. At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of charity. When he got home, his father scolded him in rage.
In 1201, he joined a military expedition against Perugia and was taken as a prisoner at Collestrada, spending a year as a captive. It is possible that his spiritual conversion was a gradual process rooted in this experience. Upon his return to Assisi in 1203, Francis returned to his carefree life. In 1204, a serious illness led him to a spiritual crisis. In 1205, Francis left for Apulia to enlist in the army of Walter III, Count of Brienne. A strange vision made him return to Assisi, deepening his ecclesiastical awakening.
According to the hagiographic legend, thereafter he began to avoid the sports and the feasts of his former companions. In response, they asked him laughingly whether he was thinking of marrying, to which he answered, "yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen," meaning his "Lady Poverty". He spent much time in lonely places, asking God for enlightenment. By degrees he took to nursing lepers, the most repulsive victims in the lazar houses near Assisi. After a pilgrimage to Rome, where he joined the poor in begging at the doors of the churches, he said he had a mystical vision of Jesus Christ in the country chapel of San Damiano, just outside of Assisi, in which the Icon of Christ Crucified said to him, "Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins." He took this to mean the ruined church in which he was presently praying, and so he sold some cloth from his father's store to assist the priest there for this purpose.
His father, Pietro, highly indignant, attempted to change his mind, first with threats and then with beatings. In the midst of legal proceedings before the Bishop of Assisi, Francis renounced his father and his patrimony, laying aside even the garments he had received from him in front of the public. For the next couple of months he lived as a beggar in the region of Assisi. Returning to the countryside around the town for two years, he embraced the life of a penitent, during which he restored several ruined chapels in the countryside around Assisi, among them the Porziuncola, the little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels just outside the town, which later became his favorite abode.
At the end of this period (on February 24, 1209, according to Jordan of Giano), Francis heard a sermon that changed his life forever. The sermon was about Matthew 10:9, in which Christ tells his followers they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty.
Clad in a rough garment, barefoot, and, after the Gospel precept, without staff or scrip, he began to preach repentance. He was soon joined by his first follower, a prominent fellow townsman, the jurist Bernardo di Quintavalle, who contributed all that he had to the work. Within a year Francis had eleven followers. Francis chose never to be ordained a priest, and the community lived as "lesser brothers," fratres minores in Latin. The brothers lived a simple life in the deserted lazar house of Rivo Torto near Assisi; but they spent much of their time wandering through the mountainous districts of Umbria, always cheerful and full of songs, yet making a deep impression upon their hearers by their earnest exhortations.
Francis' preaching to ordinary people was unusual since he had no license to do so. In 1209 he composed a simple rule for his followers ("friars"), the Regula primitiva or “Primitive Rule”, which came from verses in the Bible.
The rule was “To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.” In 1209, Francis led his first eleven followers to Rome to seek permission from Pope Innocent III to found a new religious Order. Upon entry to Rome, the brothers encountered Bishop Guido of Assisi, who had in his company Giovanni di San Paolo, the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina. The Cardinal, who was the confessor of Pope Innocent III, was immediately sympathetic to Francis and agreed to represent Francis to the pope. Reluctantly, Pope Innocent agreed to meet with Francis and the brothers the next day. After several days, the pope agreed to admit the group informally, adding that when God increased the group in grace and number, they could return for an official admittance. The group was tonsured. This was important in part because it recognized Church authority and prevented his following from possible accusations of heresy, as had happened to the Waldensians decades earlier. Though Pope Innocent initially had his doubts, following a dream in which he saw Francis holding up the Basilica of St. John Lateran (the cathedral of Rome, thus the 'home church' of all Christendom), he decided to endorse Francis' Order. This occurred, according to tradition, on April 16, 1210, and constituted the official founding of the Franciscan Order. The group, then the "Lesser Brothers" (Order of Friars Minor also known as the Franciscan Order), preached on the streets and had no possessions. They were centered in the Porziuncola and preached first in Umbria, before expanding throughout Italy.
From then on, the new Order grew quickly with new vocations. Hearing Francis preaching in the church of San Rufino in Assisi in 1211, the young noblewoman Clare of Assisi became deeply touched by his message and realized her calling. Her cousin Rufino, the only male member of the family in their generation, was also attracted to the new Order (which he joined). On the night of Palm Sunday, March 28, 1212, Clare clandestinely left her family's palace. Francis received her at the Porziuncola and thereby established the Order of Poor Ladies, later called Poor Clares. This was an Order for women, and he gave Clare a religious habit, or garment, similar to his own, before lodging her and a few female companions in a nearby monastery of Benedictine nuns. Later he transferred them to San Damiano. There they were joined by many other women of Assisi. For those who could not leave their homes, he later formed the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance, a fraternity composed of either laity or clergy whose members neither withdrew from the world nor took religious vows. Instead, they observed the principles of Franciscan life in their daily lives. Before long, this Third Order grew beyond Italy.
Determined to bring the Gospel to all God's creatures, Francis sought on several occasions to take his message out of Italy. In the late spring of 1212, he set out for Jerusalem, but he was shipwrecked by a storm on the Dalmatian coast, forcing him to return to Italy. On May 8, 1213, he was given the use of the mountain of La Verna (Alverna) as a gift from Count Orlando di Chiusi, who described it as “eminently suitable for whoever wishes to do penance in a place remote from mankind.” The mountain would become one of his favourite retreats for prayer.
Saint Francis Abandons His Father. Francis of Assisi breaking off his relationship with his father and renouncing his patrimony, laying aside publicly even the garments he had received from him.
In the same year, Francis sailed for Morocco, but this time an illness forced him to break off his journey in Spain. Back in Assisi, several noblemen (among them Tommaso da Celano, who would later write the biography of St. Francis) and some well-educated men joined his Order. In 1215, Francis went again to Rome for the Fourth Lateran Council. During this time, he probably met a canon, Dominic de Guzman (later to be Saint Dominic, the founder of the Friars Preachers, another Catholic religious order). In 1217, he offered to go to France. Cardinal Ugolino of Segni (the future Pope Gregory IX), an early and important supporter of Francis, advised him against this and said that he was still needed in Italy.
In 1219, accompanied by another friar and hoping to convert the Sultan of Egypt or win martyrdom in the attempt, Francis went to Egypt where a Crusader army had been encamped for over a year besieging the walled city of Damietta two miles (Script error: No such module "convert".) upstream from the mouth of one of the main channels of the Nile. The Sultan, al-Kamil, a nephew of Saladin, had succeeded his father as Sultan of Egypt in 1218 and was encamped upstream of Damietta, unable to relieve it. A bloody and futile attack on the city was launched by the Christians on August 29, 1219, following which both sides agreed to a ceasefire which lasted four weeks. It was most probably during this interlude that Francis and his companion crossed the Saracen lines and were brought before the Sultan, remaining in his camp for a few days. The visit is reported in contemporary Crusader sources and in the earliest biographies of Francis, but they give no information about what transpired during the encounter beyond noting that the Sultan received Francis graciously and that Francis preached to the Saracens without effect, returning unharmed to the Crusader camp. No contemporary Arab source mentions the visit. One detail, added by Bonaventure in the official life of Francis (written forty years after the event), has Francis offering to challenge the Sultan's "priests" to trial-by-fire in order to prove the veracity of the Christian Gospel.
Such an incident is alluded to in a scene in the late 13th-century fresco cycle, attributed to Giotto, in the upper basilica at Assisi (see accompanying illustration). It has been suggested that the winged figures atop the columns piercing the roof of the building on the left of the scene are not idols (as Erwin Panofsky had proposed) but are part of the secular iconography of the sultan, affirming his worldly power which, as the scene demonstrates, is limited even as regards his own "priests" who shun the challenge. Although Bonaventure asserts that the sultan refused to permit the challenge, subsequent biographies went further, claiming that a fire was actually kindled which Francis unhesitatingly entered without suffering burns. The scene in the fresco adopts a position mid-way between the two extremes.
According to some late sources, the Sultan gave Francis permission to visit the sacred places in the Holy Land and even to preach there. All that can safely be asserted is that Francis and his companion left the Crusader camp for Acre, from where they embarked for Italy in the latter half of 1220. Drawing on a 1267 sermon by Bonaventure, later sources report that the Sultan secretly converted or accepted a death-bed baptism as a result of the encounter with Francis. The Franciscan Order has been present in the Holy Land almost uninterruptedly since 1217 when Brother Elias arrived at Acre. It received concessions from the Mameluke Sultan in 1333 with regard to certain Holy Places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and (so far as concerns the Catholic Church) jurisdictional privileges from Pope Clement VI in 1342.
Oldest known portrait in existence of the saint, dating back to St. Francis' retreat to Subiaco (1223–1224): depicted without the stigmata.
By this time, the growing Order of friars was divided into provinces and groups were sent to France, Germany, Hungary, and Spain and to the East. Upon receiving a report of the martyrdom of five brothers in Morocco, Francis returned to Italy via Venice. Cardinal Ugolino di Conti was then nominated by the Pope as the protector of the Order. Another reason for Francis' return to Italy was that the friars in Italy were causing problems. The Franciscan Order had grown at an unprecedented rate compared to prior religious orders, but its organizational sophistication had not kept up with this growth and had little more to govern it than Francis' example and simple rule. To address this problem, Francis prepared a new and more detailed Rule, the "First Rule" or "Rule Without a Papal Bull" (Regula prima, Regula non bullata), which again asserted devotion to poverty and the apostolic life. However, it also introduced greater institutional structure though this was never officially endorsed by the pope.
On September 29, 1220, Francis handed over the governance of the Order to Brother Peter Catani at the Porziuncola, but Brother Peter died only five months later, on March 10, 1221, and was buried there. When numerous miracles were attributed to the deceased brother, people started to flock to the Porziuncola, disturbing the daily life of the Franciscans. Francis then prayed, asking Peter to stop the miracles and to obey in death as he had obeyed during his life.
The reports of miracles ceased. Brother Peter was succeeded by Brother Elias as Vicar of Francis. Two years later, Francis modified the "First Rule", creating the "Second Rule" or "Rule With a Bull", which was approved by Pope Honorius III on November 29, 1223. As the official Rule of the Order, it called on the friars "to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience without anything of our own and in chastity". In addition, it set regulations for discipline, preaching, and entry into the Order. Once the Rule was endorsed by the Pope, Francis withdrew increasingly from external affairs. During 1221 and 1222, Francis crossed Italy, first as far south as Catania in Sicily and afterwards as far north as Bologna.
While he was praying on the mountain of Verna, during a forty-day fast in preparation for Michaelmas (September 29), Francis is said to have had a vision on or about September 14, 1224, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, as a result of which he received the stigmata. Brother Leo, who had been with Francis at the time, left a clear and simple account of the event, the first definite account of the phenomenon of stigmata. "Suddenly he saw a vision of a seraph, a six-winged angel on a cross. This angel gave him the gift of the five wounds of Christ." Suffering from these stigmata and from trachoma, Francis received care in several cities (Siena, Cortona, Nocera) to no avail. In the end, he was brought back to a hut next to the Porziuncola. Here, in the place where it all began, feeling the end approaching, he spent the last days of his life dictating his spiritual Testament. He died on the evening of Saturday, October 3, 1226, singing Psalm 142 (141), "Voce mea ad Dominum". On July 16, 1228, he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX (the former cardinal Ugolino di Conti, friend of St. Francis and Cardinal Protector of the Order). The next day, the Pope laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi. Francis was buried on May 25, 1230, under the Lower Basilica, but his tomb was soon hidden on orders of Brother Elias to protect it from Saracen invaders. His exact burial place remained unknown until it was re-discovered in 1818. Pasquale Belli then constructed for the remains a crypt in neo-classical style in the Lower Basilica. It was refashioned between 1927 and 1930 into its present form by Ugo Tarchi, stripping the wall of its marble decorations. In 1978, the remains of St. Francis were examined and confirmed by a commission of scholars appointed by Pope Paul VI, and put into a glass urn in the ancient stone tomb.
It has been argued that no one else in history was as dedicated as Francis to imitate the life, and carry out the work of Christ, in Christ’s own way. This is important in understanding Francis' character and his affinity for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament.
He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty. Poverty was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty was the essential lifestyle for the members of his Order.
Francis' visit to Egypt and attempted rapprochement with the Muslim world had far-reaching consequences, long past his own death, since after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom, it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay on in the Holy Land and be recognized as "Custodians of the Holy Land" on behalf of the Catholic Church.
At Greccio near Assisi, around 1220, Francis celebrated Christmas by setting up the first known presepio or crèche (Nativity scene). His nativity imagery reflected the scene in traditional paintings. He used real animals to create a living scene so that the worshipers could contemplate the birth of the child Jesus in a direct way, making use of the senses, especially sight. Thomas of Celano, a biographer of Francis and Saint Bonaventure both, tell how he used only a straw-filled manger (feeding trough) set between a real ox and donkey. According to Thomas, it was beautiful in its simplicity, with the manger acting as the altar for the Christmas Mass.
Francis preached the teaching of the Catholic Church, that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of the primordial sin of man. He preached to man and beast the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God (a common theme in the Psalms) and the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of God's creation and as creatures ourselves. On November 29, 1979, Pope John Paul II declared St. Francis the Patron Saint of Ecology. Many of the stories that surround the life of St. Francis say that he had a great love for animals and the environment.
Perhaps the most famous incident that illustrates the Saint's humility towards nature is recounted in the "Fioretti" ("Little Flowers"), a collection of legends and folklore that sprang up after the Saint's death. It is said that, one day, while Francis was travelling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds." The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. He is often portrayed with a bird, typically in his hand.
Another legend from the Fioretti tells that in the city of Gubbio, where Francis lived for some time, was a wolf "terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals." Francis had compassion upon the townsfolk, and so he went up into the hills to find the wolf. Soon, fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, though the saint pressed on. When he found the wolf, he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one. Miraculously the wolf closed his jaws and lay down at the feet of St. Francis.
"Brother Wolf, you do much harm in these parts and you have done great evil," said Francis. "All these people accuse you and curse you...But brother wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people." Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had “done evil out of hunger, the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly. In return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis even made a pact on behalf of the town dogs, that they would not bother the wolf again. Finally, to show the townspeople that they would not be harmed, Francis blessed the wolf.
Then during the World Environment Day 1982, John Paul II said that St. Francis' love and care for creation was a challenge for contemporary Catholics and a reminder "not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us." The same Pope wrote on the occasion of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 1990, the saint of Assisi "offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation..." He went on to make the point that: "As a friend of the poor who was loved by God's creatures, Saint Francis invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples."
Pope John Paul II concluded that section of the document with these words, "It is my hope that the inspiration of Saint Francis will help us to keep ever alive a sense of 'fraternity' with all those good and beautiful things which Almighty God has created."
Francis of Assisi Francisco de Zurbarán. Saint Francis' feast day is observed on October 4. The Evangelical Church in Germany, however, commemorates St. Francis' feast day on his death day, October 3.
Saint Francis' feast day is observed on October 4. A secondary feast in honor of the stigmata received by St. Francis, celebrated on September 17, was inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1585 (later than the Tridentine Calendar) and suppressed in 1604, but was restored in 1615. In the New Roman Missal of 1969, it was removed again from the General Calendar, as something of a duplication of the main feast on October 4, and left to the calendars of certain localities and of the Franciscan Order. Wherever the traditional Roman Missal is used, however, the feast of the Stigmata remains in the General Calendar.
On June 18, 1939, Pope Pius XII named Francis a joint Patron Saint of Italy along with Saint Catherine of Siena with the apostolic letter "Licet Commissa". Pope Pius also mentioned the two saints in the laudative discourse he pronounced on May 5, 1949, in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
St. Francis is honored in the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church USA, the Old Catholic Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and other churches and religious communities on October 4. The Evangelical Church in Germany, however, commemorates St. Francis' feast day on his death day, October 3.
On 13 March 2013, upon his election as Pope, Archbishop and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, becoming Pope Francis.
Canticum Fratris Solis or Laudes Creaturarum; Canticle of the Sun.
For a complete list, see The Franciscan Experience.
Saint Francis is considered the first Italian poet by literary critics. He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and he wrote often in the dialect of Umbria instead of Latin. His writings are considered to have great literary and religious value.
The anonymous 20th-century prayer "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace" is widely but erroneously attributed to St. Francis.
The Franciscan Order promoted devotion to the life of Saint Francis from his canonization onwards, and commissioned large numbers of works for Franciscan churches, either showing St Francis with sacred figures, or episodes from his life. There are large early fresco cycles in the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, parts of which are shown above.
Statue of St. Francis in front of the Catholic church of Chania.
Sant Francesc (Saint Francis, 1895), a book of forty-three Saint Francis poems by Catalan poet-priest Jacint Verdaguer, three of which are included in English translation in Selected Poems of Jacint Verdaguer: A Bilingual Edition, edited and translated by Ronald Puppo, with an introduction by Ramon Pinyol i Torrents (University of Chicago, 2007). The three poems are "The Turtledoves", "Preaching to Birds" and "The Pilgrim".
Saint Francis of Assisi a Doubleday Image Book translated by T. O'Conor Sloane, Ph.D., LL.D. in 1955 from the Danish original researched and written by Johannes Jorgensen and published in 1912 by Longmans, Green and Company, Inc.
John Tolan, St. Francis and the Sultan: The Curious History of a Christian-Muslim Encounter. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Vita di un uomo: Francesco d'Assisi (1995) a book by Chiara Frugoni, preface by Jacques Le Goff, Torino: Einaudi.
Francis, Brother of the Universe (1982), a 48-page comic book by Marvel Comics on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi written by Father Roy Gasnik O.F.M. and Mary Jo Duffy, artwork by John Buscema and Marie Severin, lettering by Jim Novak and edited by Jim Shooter.
"Universal Man", an illumination from a 13th-century copy of Hildegard von Bingen's Liber Divinorum Operum ("Book of Divine Works", c. 1165).
In Rubén Darío's poem Los Motivos Del Lobo (The Reasons Of The Wolf) St. Francis tames a terrible wolf only to discover that the human heart harbors darker desires than those of the beast.
In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan Karamazov invokes the name of 'Pater Seraphicus,' an epithet applied to St. Francis, to describe Alyosha's spiritual guide Zosima. The reference is found in Goethe's "Faust," Part 2, Act 5, lines 11918–25.
Rich Mullins co-wrote Canticle of the Plains, a musical, with Mitch McVicker. Released in 1997, it was based on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, but told as a western story.
Bernard Malamud's novel The Assistant (1957) features a protagonist, Frank Alpine, who exemplifies the life of St. Francis in mid-20th-century Brooklyn, New York City.
Canticle of the Sun is a prayer by St. Francis.
Prayer of Saint Francis is not a prayer by St. Francis.
^ On the day of his election, the Vatican clarified that his official papal name was "Francis", not "Francis I". A Vatican spokesman said that the name would become Francis I if and when there is a Francis II.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Brady, Ignatius Charles. "Saint Francis of Assisi." Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
^ a b c d e f g h i j 12px Paschal Robinson (1913). "St. Francis of Assisi". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^ a b c d e f Cross, F. L., ed. (2005). "Francis of Assisi". The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199566712.
^ Tolan, John (2009). St. Francis and the Sultan: The Curious History of a Christian-Muslim Encounter. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199239726.
^ Cross, F. L., ed. (2005). "Stigmatization". The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199566712.
^ a b "Blessing All Creatures, Great and Small". Duke Magazine. November 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
^ "St. Francis of Assisi – Franciscan Friars of the Renewal". Franciscanfriars.com. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
^ under subheading "The Crib (Creche) or Nativity Scene"
^ a b Englebert, Omer (1951). The Lives of the Saints. New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 529. ISBN 978-1-56619-516-4.
^ Robinson, P. (2009). St. Francis of Assisi. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 2011-10-17 from New Advent.
^ a b Chesterton, Gilbert Keith (1924). "St. Francis of Assisi" (14 ed.). Garden City, New York: Image Books. p. 158.
^ Bonaventure; Cardinal Manning (1867). The Life of St. Francis of Assisi (from the Legenda Sancti Francisci) (1988 ed.). Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books & Publishers. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-89555-343-0.
^ Fioretti quoted in: St. Francis, The Little Flowers, Legends, and Lauds, trans. N. Wydenbruck, ed. Otto Karrer (London: Sheed and Ward, 1979) 244.
^ Steven Runciman, History of the Crusades, vol. 3: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades, Cambridge University Press (1951, paperback 1987), pp. 151–161.
^ e.g., Jacques de Vitry, Letter 6 of February or March 1220 and Historia orientalis (c. 1223–1225) cap. XXII; Tommaso da Celano, Vita prima (1228), §57: the relevant passages are quoted in an English translation in Tolan, pp. 19f. and 54 respectively.
^ e.g., Chesterton, Saint Francis, Hodder & Stoughton (1924) chapter 8. Tolan (p.126) discusses the incident as recounted by Bonaventure which does not extend to a fire actually being lit.
^ Péter Bokody, "Idolatry or Power: St. Francis in Front of the Sultan," in: Promoting the Saints: Cults and Their Contexts from Late Antiquity until the Early Modern Period, ed. Ottó Gecser and others (Budapest: CEU Press, 2010), 69-81, esp. at pp. 74 and 76-78. The views of Panofsky (idols: see Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art, New York 1972, p.148, n.3) and Tolan (undecided: p.143) are cited at p.73.
^ Ugolino Brunforte (Brother Ugolino). The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi. Calvin College: CCEL. ISBN 1-61025212-8. ISBN 978-1-61025212-6. Quote.
^ Pope John Paul II (November 29, 1979). "Inter Sanctos (Apostolic Letter AAS 71)" (PDF). Retrieved August 7, 2014.
^ Pope John Paul II (December 8, 1989). "World Day of Peace 1990". Retrieved October 24, 2012.
^ Pope Francis (March 16, 2013). "Audience to Representatives of the Communications Media". Retrieved August 9, 2014.
^ "Pope Francis explains decision to take St Francis of Assisi's name". London: The Guardian. 16 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013.
^ a b "New Pope Fra[n]cis visits St. Mary Major, collects suitcases and pays bill at hotel". NEWS.VA. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013.
^ Michael Martinez, CNN Vatican analyst: Pope Francis' name choice 'precedent shattering', CNN (13 March 2013). Retrieved 13 March 2013.
^ "Pope Francis wants 'poor Church for the poor'". BBC News (BBC). 16 March 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
^ Alpert, Emily (13 March 2013). "Vatican: It's Pope Francis, not Pope Francis I". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013.
^ Brand, Peter; Pertile, Lino, eds. (1999). "2 - Poetry. Francis of Assisi (pp. 5ff.)". The Cambridge History of Italian Literature. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-52166622-8. ISBN 978-0-52166622-0.
^ Chesterton, G.K. (1987). St. Francis. Image. pp. 160 p. ISBN 0-385-02900-4.
^ Renoux, Christian (2001). La prière pour la paix attribuée à saint François: une énigme à résoudre. Paris: Editions franciscaines. ISBN 2-85020-096-4.
^ Renoux, Christian. "The Origin of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis". Retrieved August 9, 2014.
Englebert, Omer (1951). The Lives of the Saints. New York: Barnes & Noble.
Robinson, Paschal (1913). "St. Francis of Assisi". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 12px "St._Francis_of_Assisi". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
Tolan, John (2009). Saint Francis and the Sultan. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Friar Elias, Epistola Encyclica de Transitu Sancti Francisci, 1226.
Pope Gregory IX, Bulla "Mira circa nos" for the canonization of St. Francis, July 19, 1228.
Friar Tommaso da Celano: Vita Prima Sancti Francisci, 1228; Vita Secunda Sancti Francisci, 1246–1247; Tractatus de Miraculis Sancti Francisci, 1252–1253.
Friar Julian of Speyer, Vita Sancti Francisci, 1232–1239.
St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, Legenda Maior Sancti Francisci, 1260–1263.
Ugolino da Montegiorgio, Actus Beati Francisci et sociorum eius, 1327–1342.
Fioretti di San Francesco, the "Little Flowers of St. Francis", end of the 14th century: an anonymous Italian version of the Actus; the most popular of the sources, but very late and therefore not the best authority by any means.
Acocella, Joan, "Rich Man, Poor Man: The Radical Visions of St. Francis", The Critics: Books, The New Yorker 88, no. 43 (January 14, 2013): 72-77 (accessed January 23, 2015).
St. Francis of Assisi at the Christian Iconography web site.
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
"Légende No. 1: St François d'Assise" | 2019-04-20T20:22:17Z | http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Francis_of_Assisi |
Every March, top lawmakers and political advisors gather in the capital from all over the country to attend the "lianghui," or "two meetings" where they review the performance of the government over the past year and hear new policies and major economic targets.
The two parts of the "lianghui" are the National People's Congress (NPC), which is the country's top legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a body that advises the government on a range of issues. The meetings typically last about 10 days.
Premier Li Keqiang delivers a report on the government's work to the 3,000 delegates on the first day of the NPC conclave, which this year begins March 5. His press conference on the final day (March 15) is also closely watched because he fields questions from foreign journalists. The report Li delivers will announce China's targeted GDP growth for the year and other key figures, such as the national defense budget.
Compared to the Communist Party's big meetings, the "lianghui" is more visible, perhaps intended to provide the public with a bit of political theater.
Technically it is the highest organ of state power. Its roughly 3,000 delegates meet once a year to ratify or approve policies, laws, the budget and top government personnel changes, which are mostly placed before it by other official organs. A 175-member NPC Standing Committee runs the legislature and passes laws between the annual meetings. It is chaired by Zhang Dejiang, No. 3 in the Communist Party after Xi Jinping and Li.
Has the NPC ever rejected legislation?
It has never voted down a proposed law, which has raised questions as to its function. However, since the legislature held its first meeting in 1954, there have been increasing instances of a lack of consensus. In 1982, three delegates abstained from a vote for the first time. The first "no" vote was cast six year later when Taiwan delegate Huang Shunxing voted against a nomination for chairman of the NPC's Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee. Then in 1992, only two-thirds of the legislature voted for the Three Gorges Dam project. More recently, hundreds of delegates have voted against or abstained from voting on the work reports given by the head of top prosecutor's office and the chief judge of the Supreme People's Court.
Who can be an NPC member?
Delegates are elected to five-year terms mostly by provincial people's congresses, who themselves are elected by lower-level assemblies. Only delegates at the lowest level – the county level or equivalent – are directly elected by the public. The People's Liberation Army also picks some members. The NPC has 2,943 members this year, meaning each one represents about 670,000 people. Some 406 delegates represent China's 55 ethnic minorities.
Then what does the CPPCC do?
The CPPCC is a collection of advisors that give party and government bodies suggestions on economic, political, cultural and societal issues. The membership is more varied than the NPC, and not everyone is a party member. Many CPPCC members are leading figures in fields such as academics, the legal profession and the business world. The body also has some star power, with luminaries like former NBA star Yao Ming and Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan holding posts.
China’s cold chain logistics industry, which now enjoys special status under the Chinese government’s macro economic control policy, will continue to strengthen and improve, while maintaining rapid operational growth. The industry was chosen as a favored industry because of its importance in maintaining public health and food security. At the same time, disposable incomes in China are rising, and food safety is becoming more of a concern for individual consumers.
According to recent studies conducted by the International Cold Storage Association, only 15% of products requiring temperature control were handled correctly in China, and only 10% of vehicles that are used for perishable products are equipped with cold storage equipment, not just ice cubes or ice bricks. Most of the logistics systems do not have any temperature control at all. As a result, more than 30% of the agricultural products produced in China are wasted during transportation. Due to lack of proper handling, product quality of the remaining 70% is in question. Food safety is becoming more of a concern for consumers and a complete system for cold chain logistics is in demand.
In 2015, meat production in China exceeded 80 million tons, vegetable 700 million tons, fruit 260 million tons, dairy products 27 million tons and seafood 60 million tons. Besides, large amounts of meat and frozen food are produced every year in China too. Temperature fluctuation in cold storage and transport is one of the main reasons for food quality decline. To ensure those perishable foods' freshness and quality, cold chain logistics is needed.
At the end of 2014, China had a freezer capacity of about 120 million cubic meters and less than 60, 00 refrigerator vehicles, lagging far behind developed countries in per capital terms.
As a high-end sub-industry of logistics, cold chain logistics will become the focus of many investors in the next few years. As e-business develops in China, e-business enterprises operating fresh food are springing up and the supporting cold chain infrastructure. Many e-business companies in China have got into the field of fresh food, for example, large e-business enterprises like Tmall and JD have published their own fresh food strategy. Besides, logistics enterprises like SF Best of SF Express are conducting e-business and a bunch of professional fresh food e-business enterprises like Too Too Organic Farm are developing fast too. According to CRI's estimation, the market size of fresh food e-business was about CNY 100-120 billion and CAGR during the period of 2016-2020 will exceed 50%.
Currently fresh food e-busines companies hardly invest in cold chain equipment but they indirectly force the construction of cold chain distribution networks. Enterprises such as JD and Tmall are still weak in cold chain warehouse, logistics delivery system and door to door delivery where they mainly cooperate with a third party cold chain logistics companies.
The cold chain logistics network can be divided into two parts: cold chain home delivery and cold chain artery, the former belonging to express and less-than-carload logistics while the latter involving supply chain management and third party logistics. Cold chain logistics is a sub-industry of logistics, with the largest potential market despite its complex operation and high barrier to entry. Cold chain logistics will be one of the fastes growing sub-industries of logistics in China in the next few years.
With sustained consumer growth, a fast increase in demand for food, drugs and cosmetics: the cold chain logistics industry in China will undergo a transformation enableling investment opportunities in China for cold chain equipment manufacturers and cold chain logistics enterprises.
47 qualified companies currently vie in the competition for refrigerated trucks. Among the top players including CIMC (Shandong), Zhengzhou Hongyu, Henan Bingxiong, Henan Frestec, Zhenjiang Speed Auto and KF Mobile, CIMC (Shandong) occupies the Shandong market, and seizes market share in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hubei and other places; Henan Bingxiong performs outstandingly in Northeast China, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia; Zhenjiang Speed Auto and KF Mobile focus on East China and dominate the East refrigerated truck market. Zhengzhou Hongyu not only takes a favorable position via giants such as Shuanghui, Yurun, Topin, Sanquan and Synear in Henan, but also makes some achievements in Beijing, Hebei, Ningxia, Jiangsu and other markets.
CPC Central Committee's Proposal on Formulating the Thirteenth Five-year Plan on National Economic and Social Development - sets out the goals, principles and targets for China’s development in the next five years, and will have significant business implications, not only for China, but also for the world, given the size and global influence of China’s economy.
Becoming the world’s second largest economy, the largest trading nation, the largest destination for foreign direct investment and the third largest global investor, together with the largest foreign exchange reserves.
Achieving average GDP growth of 7.8% over the past five years, 48.1% of which was contributed by the services sector of the GDP, exceeding manufacturing and construction.
Reaching an urbanisation rate of 55%, lifting over 100 million people have out of poverty in the past five years.
government over-regulation and poor quality services.
China’s economic growth has slowed down to 6.9% in the first three quarters of 2015.
In the words of CPC leadership, China’s economic growth model is “unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable”, and must be changed.
The 13th FYP is the first five-year plan formulated under President Xi Jinping's leadership and considered strategically important as the year 2020 will be the centennial anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the deadline for realising China's goal of becoming "a moderately prosperous society in all respects". In other words, China needs to double its 2010 GDP and per capita income of both urban and rural residents by 2020 – an enormous task given the current economic uncertainties.
strenuously promote environmental protection and low carbon growth.
President Xi Jinping later elaborated that, to achieve the goal, China would need to maintain an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.5% until 2020. This growth rate, coupled with a smooth transition to a growth model primarily driven by consumption and services, will hopefully guide the economy into its “new normal” period and help China avoid the “middle-income trap”.
The CPC proposed the following specific action points and targets for each aspect of the 13th FYP.
In declaring China’s future development “must rest on the basis of innovation”, the CPC has made clear the strategic importance of innovation in the 13th FYP.
Build a ubiquitous and fast mobile information network to balance improvements to the transportation and mail delivery networks.
Manufacturing remains the keystone of China’s economic growth and the basis for building an innovation-driven nation as well as for overseas expansion.
Establish a green development fund to promote clean production through clean energy, green transportation, control of carbon emissions in major industries and a circular economy.
Push for pilot projects on Near Zero Emission Zones.
Control and reduce agricultural pollution.
Ban commercial logging of natural forest and improve forest growing stock. The country will also strengthen protection of endangered species through breeding centres and gene banks, while improving management and control of wildlife imports and exports including ivory.
As stipulated in the new environmental law, the 13th FYP reconfirms that government officials will be audited upon leaving their posts on the balance sheets of natural resources.
Construct energy storage and smart grid and develop distributed power.
Raise the energy conservation standards for buildings and promote green building and green building materials.
Boost low-carbon public transportation with an improved rail transport system.
Promote cycling and new energy vehicles to encourage a "green" and sustainable lifestyle.
In line with its international commitments; According to official statistics, China is planning to invest US$6.6 trillion in the coming decade on low carbon technology, renewables, energy efficiency and emission reduction products, generating huge business opportunities for Chinese and foreign companies along the way.
Improve SOE vitality, controlling power, influence and resilience.
Strengthen its supervision over state assets by shifting its focus to capital management.
Encourage more state capital to be invested into the sectors and industries that are of significance to national security and the national economy.
Reduce government intervention in the operation of enterprises, reduce administrative approvals, break regional market segmentation and sectoral monopolies and create a fair competitive environment for all enterprises.
China is still at the early stage of urbanisation. The CPC anticipates over 100 million of farmers will become city dwellers, generating a market of US$6 trillion relating to their settlements and employment in the next five years.
Coordinate regional development to achieve balanced growth, by improving infrastructure development in the western region while rejuvenating the north-eastern industrial hub and facilitating the rise of the central region.
Enhance support to less developed regions, such as ethnic minority communities and border areas as well as resource-strained and ecologically degraded regions, and help shift excess industrial capacity from the affluent coastal cities to developing western regions.
Support the development of a series of city clusters across the country.
Call for proper and green city planning and industrial layout designs, and integrated growth of urban and rural areas.
Support the enhanced connectivity of inter-city transport and communications as well as the development of green cities, smart cities and forest cities.
Further reform the household registration systems (hukou system) to enable rural families to settle in cities and enjoy equal rights and the same treatment as city dwellers.
Draw up plans to open up the competitive businesses of power, banking, transport, telecommunications, oil and gas and public utilities.
Adopt a two-child policy so as to promote the balanced development of the Chinese population. It is estimated that under this new policy, 6 million more babies will be born each year, generating an infant-related goods and services consumption market worth US$16 billion.
Gradually postpone the statutory retirement age.
Make elderly care services a fully open market.
Encourage the private sector to invest and provide diversified education services.
Adjust the country’s income distribution system and narrow the income gap so as to "significantly" increase the wages of the low-income population, and increase the proportion of middle-income group.
Promote the mechanism of collective negotiations for wages and further increase the minimum wage levels.
Take a more positive approach by launching a free professional skills enhancement programme for the peasant workers and people from unprivileged backgrounds.
Remove barriers and restrictions for employment, and encourage more people to start their own businesses.
China has made remarkable progress in poverty relief. It was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reducing the population living in poverty by half ahead of the 2015 deadline. Despite this, China still has 70 million people in the countryside living below the country's poverty line of 2,300 yuan (US$376) annual income by 2010 price standards.
A distinctive feature of the 13th FYP is that it’s the first five-year plan that shifts from the traditionally domestic focus to a much wider international perspectives by including more cross-border issues, in line with China’s rising position in today’s global economy.
Promote the development of local industrial capabilities.
Collaborate with international financial institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank, together with China’s Silk Road Fund, to attract worldwide financial support.
Actively participate in the UN climate change negotiations and cut its emissions.
Expand the scale of foreign aid to developing countries and contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
These statements and plans, while demonstrating China’s commitments as a responsible player of the international community, reflect China’s confidence as a world power and its rising global perspectives and aspirations.
Fully implement a pre-establishment national treatment to foreign investors.
Support will be given to coastal areas to participate in global economic cooperation.
Establish advanced manufacturing bases and economic zones, and continue to improve border and cross-border economic cooperation zones.
Encourage Chinese companies to invest overseas and sell more Chinese equipment, technology, standards and services to foreign countries.
Encourage Chinese companies to further their cooperation with foreign peers to improve their equipment manufacturing capabilities, added value and technological competitiveness.
Further integrate into the world’s supply chains and value chains through establishing overseas production bases and financial services platforms.
Transform the banking system into a multi-level and diverse system, and provide more financial support to small and micro-sized businesses and rural regions and impoverished areas.
Relax restrictions and allow more private entities to establish banks.
Provide strong support to green finance, including the issuance of green bonds.
In October, the Agricultural Bank of China issued its landmark listing of Renminbi and dollar-denominated green bonds with a total value of $1billion at the London Stock Exchange. The issue was four times oversubscribed.
Establish a standard financing mechanism for local governments.
Continue to press ahead with capital account liberalisation and the internationalisation of the Renminbi, which is already the world’s second currency for global trade finance and became the fourth most-used world payment currency in August 2015.
Actively push for wider international support for the inclusion of the Renminbi in the IMF Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket.
Increase the exposure and wide usage of the currency in international markets.
The government has vowed to promote the administration of rule of law, innovate its ways of macroeconomic control and social governance, and continue to fight corruption.
Cement achievements made in the anti-corruption campaign and tighten supervision and checks over power, in addition to working out an effective mechanism to stem corruption.
According to China’s political process, the CPC is responsible for formulating a proposal document that maps out the goals, principle and targets for the next five-year plan. The State Council will then add flesh to the bones and work out a more detailed outline, which will then be submitted to the top legislature – the National People’s Congress - for review and ratification in March 2016.
Following that, each province and central government ministry will accordingly formulate its own five year plan and be responsible for implementations.
The Johannesburg Summit and the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) were held in Johannesburg from 3 to 5 December 2015. Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers in charge of economic cooperation from China and 50 African countries (hereafter referred to as "the two sides") attended the Summit and Ministerial Conference respectively.
The two sides reviewed with satisfaction the development of relations between China and Africa and applauded the positive contribution FOCAC had made over the past 15 years since its inception in advancing the comprehensive and in-depth development of China-Africa relations, and agreed that FOCAC had become both a key platform for collective dialogue between China and African countries, and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation.
The two sides share the view that, as China works for the Two Centenary Goals and as Africa implements Agenda 2063 and its First 10-Year Implementation Plan, the current development strategies of China and Africa are highly compatible. The two sides shall make full use of their comparative advantages to transform and upgrade mutually beneficial cooperation focusing on better quality and higher efficiency to ensure the common prosperity of our peoples.
The two sides are satisfied with the effective implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2013-2015) adopted at the 5th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, and decide, in the spirit of the Johannesburg Declaration of the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to jointly establish and develop comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Africa featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic cooperation for win-win results, exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and African civilizations, mutual assistance in security affairs, as well as solidarity and cooperation in international affairs.
In order to implement the outcomes of the Summit and the Conference, and chart the course of China-Africa friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields in the next three years under the theme of "China-Africa Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development", the two sides jointly formulate and adopt with consensus this Action Plan.
The two sides will continue to encourage high-level mutual visits and dialogue in order to consolidate traditional friendship, enhance political mutual trust and deepen strategic consensus and coordination.
2.2.1 So as to enhance the planning and implementation of relations and cooperation between China and African countries, the two sides agree to improve and encourage mechanisms such as bilateral joint commissions, strategic dialogues, foreign ministries' political consultations, and joint/mixed commissions on economic and trade cooperation.
2.3.1 The two sides will enhance exchanges and cooperation between the National People's Congress of China and African national parliaments, regional parliaments, the Pan-African Parliament and the African Parliamentary Union, to consolidate the traditional China-Africa friendship and promote mutually beneficial cooperation.
2.3.2 The two sides will expand and enhance exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and African national parliaments, regional parliaments, the Pan-African Parliament and the African Parliamentary Union.
2.3.3 The two sides will deepen exchanges between the China Economic and Social Council, the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Committee, and the economic and social councils and other relevant institutions in African countries.
2.3.4 The two sides will increase the frequency of high-level contacts between political parties, enhance cooperation on personnel training, deepen bilateral and multilateral political dialogues, and increase experience sharing on governance and national development.
2.3.5 The two sides will promote exchanges and cooperation between local governments, and support the establishment of more sister provinces/cities relationships, as well as the institutionalization of the China-Africa Forum on Cooperation between Local Governments.
2.4.1 The two sides recognize the important role of the African Union in safeguarding peace and stability in Africa, promoting the development of Africa, and advancing the integration process of Africa. The two sides, furthermore, acknowledge with appreciation the efforts and contributions made by China to support Africa's peaceful and stable development and integration.
2.4.2 The two sides appreciate the comprehensive development of relations between China, sub-regional and pan-african organizations and the African Union, agree to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, continue to improve the strategic dialogue mechanism, and enhance strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation.
2.4.3 China appreciates the adoption of Agenda 2063 and its First 10-Year Implementation Plan by the African Union, and will continue to support the African Union in its efforts to build a united, integrated and prosperous Africa that is at peace with itself and the world.
2.4.4 The Chinese side appreciates the positive role of the African Union Commission since it became a member of the FOCAC, and will also continue to strengthen cooperation with and support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
2.4.5 The two sides agree to actively implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the Promotion of China-Africa Cooperation in the Fields of Railway, Highway, Regional Aviation Networks and Industrialization, making good use of existing cooperation mechanisms such as the Joint Working Group of Transnational and Trans-regional Infrastructure Cooperation in Africa, and to promote practical cooperation between China and the African Union in priority fields.
2.4.6 The African Union appreciates the establishment of the Mission of China to the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. China invites the African Union to establish a representative office in Beijing at an early date.
2.4.7 The Chinese side will further support the capacity building of the African Union and sub-regional organizations in Africa in various forms, such as through human resources development.
2.4.8 The Chinese side will establish and improve mechanisms of economic and trade cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations in Africa, enhance economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa at regional and multilateral levels. The Chinese side welcomes and supports African initiatives regarding the creation of free trade zones and will study the possibility of establishing free trade zone cooperation.
3.1.1 The two sides agree that realizing agriculture modernization in Africa by strengthening China-Africa agricultural cooperation is an important way to contribute to food security in Africa, and should be given priority in the context of China-Africa cooperation projects. The cooperation will enhance agricultural transformation and upgrading, increase agricultural production, processing and income, and safeguard food security in Africa bearing in mind the prevailing regulatory requirements.
3.1.2 The two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation in the fields of agricultural policy consultation, planning and design, and support the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) through assisting to build agriculture technology demonstration centres, sending professionals for technical cooperation, and training agricultural technicians. In this regard, the African side appreciates the support already rendered by the Chinese government for African countries to implement the CAADP.
3.1.3 The Chinese side will carry out agricultural demonstration projects in Africa, build or upgrade agricultural technology demonstration centres, make effective use of such centres focusing on agricultural research, demonstration and training, expanding training, transferring breeding and plantation technologies and cooperate with African countries to increase agricultural unit productivity.
3.1.4 The Chinese side will continue to send 30 teams of senior agriculture experts and teachers to provide vocational education to African countries, as well as to increase the number of African personnel trained in agro-technology and administration in China, in order to improve overall agricultural technology and management.
3.1.5. The Chinese side will help African countries develop water conservancy and irrigation projects, implement the project of "Agriculture Leads to Prosperity" in 100 African villages, provide African countries with emergency food assistance.
3.1.6 The two sides will actively cooperate in agricultural project designing, financing and management under the framework of the CAADP, as implemented through the AU and NEPAD, and offer support to feasibility studies on agricultural infrastructure construction.
3.1.7 The Chinese side will continue to work with African countries to jointly implement high quality and high yield agricultural demonstration projects, encourage and guide China's agro-science research organizations and enterprises to work with their African counterparts to carry out experimental demonstrations for high-quality and high-yield agriculture, establish "10+10" cooperative mechanism among China-Africa agro-science research institutions, focus on facilitating joint research on breeding and the production of seeds as well as plant protection, specifically focusing on increasing outputs of grain, cotton and other key crops in African countries.
3.1.8 The Chinese side will encourage and support Chinese enterprises to invest in agriculture in Africa; implement cooperation projects focusing on technical support in grain planting, storage, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, animal husbandry, agro-processing capacity, forestry, and fisheries to create a favourable environment for African countries to realize long-term food security supported by national agricultural production and processing.
3.1.9 The two sides will encourage the trade of agricultural products, improve trade policies, assess methods to promote agricultural trade, and continuously scale up the trade of agricultural products between China and Africa.
3.1.10 The Chinese side will continue to strengthen agricultural cooperation with Africa under the framework of the UNFAO "Special Programme for Food Security", and explore prospects of working with other institutions and countries to realise further agricultural cooperation with Africa.
3.1.11 The African side pledges to cooperate with the Chinese side in key fields such as exchanges on agricultural policies, agricultural infrastructure improvement, development of systems of agricultural support services, modern agricultural development capacity building, and investment in the complete value chain of agriculture to improve Africa's agricultural production and strengthen its capability to ensure food security. It will create an enabling environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and trade in agriculture in Africa, and offer support that includes preferential policies in agriculture, land, agricultural infrastructure, fiscal financing and insurance service, in accordance with local laws.
3.2.1 The two sides believe that industrialization is an imperative to ensure Africa's independent and sustainable development. There are mutual needs for industry partnering and industrial capacity cooperation between China and Africa. Both sides enjoy respective advantages and will bring opportunities to each other. The two sides are ready to combine China's competitive industries and high-quality industrial capacity with Africa's industrialization and economy diversification to promote bilateral cooperation aimed at comprehensive transformation and upgrading.
3.2.2 The two sides commit to following a balanced approach to interests and principles, win-win cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, market-based cooperation, and will actively carry out industry partnering and industrial capacity cooperation, while never pursuing development at the cost of the long-term interests and environments of their host countries.
3.2.3 The two sides will make full use of the existing multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, enhance planning, policy coordination and industry partnering, and promote the mutually beneficial development of industrial capacity.
3.2.4 The Chinese side is willing to give priority to Africa in industrial partnering and industrial capacity cooperation. The African side welcomes the transfer of labour-intensive competitive industrial capacities of China to Africa in an orderly way, assisting Africa to increase employment, taxation and foreign exchange, and achieving technology transfer and common development. The two sides agree to select several African countries to set up pilot and demonstration programmes, jointly establish or upgrade a number of industrial parks and support the development of infrastructure and public services facilities to accumulate experience, explore effective methods and offer a cooperation model for driving forward China-Africa industrial partnering and industrial capacity cooperation in a comprehensive and orderly fashion.
3.2.5 The Chinese side will set up a China-Africa production capacity cooperation fund, with an initial pledge of US$10 billion, to support China-Africa industry partnering and industrial capacity cooperation.
3.2.6 The Chinese side will send senior government experts and consultants to Africa countries to offer advice and assistance on industrialization layout, policy planning, operation and management.
3.2.7 African countries will continue to improve laws, regulations and infrastructure, introduce preferential policies and improve government services wherever possible, so as to create enabling conditions and an environment to attract investment by Chinese companies and support industries and industrial capacity from China, where mutually beneficial.
3.3.1 The two sides agree that underdeveloped infrastructure is one of the bottlenecks hindering independent and sustainable development of Africa. The two sides will take concrete measures and give priority to encourage Chinese businesses and financial institutions to expand investment through various means, such as Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), to support African countries and the African flagship projects, in particular the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and the Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative, in their efforts to build railroad, highway, regional aviation, ports, electricity, water supply, information and communication and other infrastructure projects, support African countries in establishing 5 transportation universities and facilitate infrastructure connectivity and economic integration in Africa.
3.3.2 According to the plan of building transnational and trans-regional infrastructure in Africa, the two sides will explore and cooperate on the planning and construction of projects to achieve sub-regional connectivity and integration. The two sides will combine the national development demands and the projects' economic benefits, and drive Africa's infrastructure construction in a balanced and orderly way.
3.3.3 The two sides will enhance planning and coordination on the construction and renovation of highway networks in Africa, in particular promoting construction of transnational highway networks in Africa.
3.3.4 The two sides will jointly formulate the China-Africa Railway Cooperation Action Plan (2016-2020), promoting the construction of railway networks in Africa.
3.3.5 The two sides will implement the China-Africa regional aviation cooperation programme, actively supporting the establishment of transnational regional aviation networks linking African countries, and enhancing coordination and cooperation in standards, planning consultation, special training, improving aviation infrastructure, operating joint venture airlines, and offering regional civil airlines, taking into consideration local employment, sourcing, human capacity building and the transfer of technology.
3.3.6 The two sides will support each other on aviation market access, encourage and support more flights and shipping links between China and Africa by their airlines and shipping companies. The two sides encourage and support investment by competitive Chinese enterprises in ports, airports, and airline companies in Africa.
3.3.7 The Chinese side will explore the possibility of establishing a China-Africa civil aviation school in Africa, build infrastructure for aviation ground services, and enhance training of African civil aviation professionals, including technology transfer.
3.3.8 The two sides encourage and support the participation of Chinese businesses in investment, construction and operation of power projects in Africa through multiple means, including expanded cooperation in water resources, coal-fired power, solar energy, nuclear energy, wind power, biomass power generation, power transmission and transformation, and grid construction and maintenance.
3.3.9 The two sides will enhance exchanges and cooperation between departments in charge of information, communications, radio and television, and will increase personnel training in the information field, share experiences of development in information and communication, and work together to safeguard information security.
3.3.10 The two sides encourage Chinese enterprises to assist African countries' efforts to put in place digital radio and TV broadcasting systems, to promote digitalization of radio and TV services, and to benefit more people in the rural areas in Africa.
3.3.11 The two sides encourage and support the participation of competitive Chinese enterprises of information, communication, radio and TV in building information infrastructure in Africa, such as cable networks and interconnection networks, and their involvement in mutually beneficial construction, operation and offering of services with African businesses in order to assist Africa to build information networks covering the whole continent.
3.3.12 The two sides will actively explore and push forward cooperation in information and communication technology, help African countries to build "Smart Cities", and enhance the roles of information and communication technology in safeguarding social security, and fighting against terrorism and crime.
3.3.13 The two sides will cooperate with international organizations such as International Telecommunication Union, narrow the digital divide in Africa, and promote the building of an information society in Africa.
3.4.1 In view of the strong complementarity and cooperation potential between China and Africa in energy and natural resources, the two sides will encourage cooperation in the exploitation of resources, and support joint development and proper use of the energy and natural resources of the two sides, including beneficiation at the source.
3.4.2 The two sides will enhance African countries' capacity for intensive processing of energy and natural resource products during their cooperation, ensuring increased local employment and value addition of primary products, while protecting the local eco-environment.
3.4.3 The two sides will encourage energy and resources cooperation, support Chinese and African enterprises and financial institutions to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation, in particular encouraging these enterprises to assist the African side with beneficiation technologies through technology transfer and capacity building, thus helping African countries to translate their energy and natural resources potential into real socio-economic development.
3.4.4 The two sides agree to establish a training programme for the capacitation of African energy practitioners through research and development exchanges.
3.4.5 The two sides will encourage the establishment of a forum on energy and natural resources under the framework of FOCAC.
3.5.1 The African side welcomes the Chinese side's championing "the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road", which includes the African continent, and the two sides will promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the blue economy.
3.5.2 The two sides will enhance experience sharing in offshore aquaculture, marine transportation, shipbuilding, construction of ports and port industrial parks, the surveying and exploitation of offshore oil and gas resources, marine environment management, marine disaster prevention and reduction, marine scientific research, blue economy development, and support mutually beneficial cooperation between Chinese and African enterprises, in order to assist Africa to cultivate new economic growth drivers.
3.5.3 The Chinese side will enhance marine exchanges and technology cooperation with African countries, launch capacity building, and actively explore the possibility of jointly building marine observation stations, laboratories, and cooperation centres.
3.5.4 The two sides will encourage the establishment of a Ministerial Forum on marine economy under the framework of FOCAC.
3.6.1 The two sides will expand cooperation in tourism to encourage opening more direct air routes and tourism investment, increase tourism safety and quality, expand personnel exchanges aimed at skills training, and cultivate new economic growth drivers for Africa.
3.6.2 The two sides will continue to facilitate travels by their nationals between China and Africa and support tourism promotion activities in each other's countries and regions.
3.6.3 The Chinese side welcomes more eligible African countries to apply for the Approved Destination Status for Chinese tourists.
3.6.4 The two sides encourage and support the establishment of tourist offices in China and Africa, encourage and support investment by Chinese enterprises in tourism infrastructure in Africa, such as hotels and construction of tourist attractions.
3.7.1 The Chinese side will scale up its investment in Africa, and plan to increase China's stock of direct investment in Africa to US$100 billion in 2020 from US$32.4 billion in 2014.
3.7.2 The two sides will continue to encourage and support mutual investment, urge for negotiations and implementation of measures on the Promotion and Protection of Investment, ensure a conducive environment for mutual investment, promote investment cooperation, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of investors.
3.7.3 The two sides will actively carry out tax cooperation, negotiate and implement agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, and agree to resolve cross-border tax disputes to promote a favourable tax environment for China-Africa investment, economic exchanges and trade. The Chinese side will actively advocate signing the memorandum of bilateral tax cooperation with African national tax authorities, and support African countries to improve tax collection and administration capacities through technology assistance and transfer, and human capacity development.
3.7.4 The Chinese side will continue to support the development and operation of overseas business cooperation zones, special economic zones and industrial parks by competitive Chinese enterprises, while respecting the host countries' market rules and industrialization processes. The two sides will continue to give support and offer necessary facilitation and services to those overseas business cooperation zones that are already built or operated, taking into consideration local procurement and employment, as well as technology transfer in the countries in which they invest.
3.7.5 The two sides agree to ensure a conducive environment for increased mutual investment and to foster enterprise cooperation. The Chinese side will support the African side in its efforts to build industrial park zones and special economic zones, help African countries to attract investment, encourage and support the involvement of Chinese enterprises in the planning, designing, construction, operation and management of such zones. Local procurement and employment as well as technology transfer in the countries of investment will be taken into consideration.
3.7.6 The two sides will encourage industrial partnering and industrial capacity building to assist Africa to industrialize. The two sides will also encourage and support China's labour-intensive industries to move to Africa, cooperate on import-substitution and export-orientation, increase local employment, technology transfer, human capacity development and enhance export earning capacity.
3.7.7 The two sides will cooperate with international financial institutions and support the holding of Investing in Africa Forum and the establishment of Investing in Africa Think Tank Union, to share China's development experience, promote investment cooperation in Africa, and realize common development.
3.8.1 The two sides will scale up trade and try to elevate the China-Africa trade volume to US$400 billion in 2020 from US$220 billion in 2014 ensuring that the rate of growth is maintained in overall trade figures and that balance in trade is the desired outcome.
3.8.2 The two sides encourage and support the establishment of logistics centres by Chinese enterprises in Africa, standardize and improve quality of commodities exported from China to Africa, promote China's trade with Africa and encourage Chinese enterprises to engage in processing and manufacturing in Africa, ensuring local employment, technology transfers and human capacity development.
3.8.3 The two sides will enhance cooperation in entry-and-exit inspections and quarantine of animals and plants, and food safety and phytosanitary supervision, and promote the entry of food and agricultural products into each other's markets.
3.8.4 The Chinese side will implement 50 trade-promotion assistant programmes, supports the trade liberalization process in Africa and will continue to help African countries to improve facilities for trade and transport, for the beneficiation of African countries' products at the source, and to promote exports of products from Africa to China.
3.8.5 The Chinese side will continue to help African countries to strengthen capacity building in the trade in services, cultivate more professionals in various sectors of the service outsourcing industry, and expand exchanges, cooperation and training in the service outsourcing industry.
3.8.6 The Chinese side will continue to actively fulfil its pledge of giving zero-tariff treatment to the least developed African countries for most of their commodities exported to China, and gradually give zero-tariff treatment to products under 97% of all tariff items from the Least Developing Countries in Africa having diplomatic relations with China, according to the respective bilateral exchanges of letters.
3.8.7 The Chinese side will establish with African countries cooperation mechanisms on customs, inspection and quarantine standards, as well as the verification, certification and administration of imports and exports, in order to promote bilateral trade facilitation, and enhance law-enforcement cooperation to combat smuggling and fraud and to improve the quality of goods exported from China to Africa.
3.8.8 The Chinese side will conduct e-commerce cooperation with Africa, continue to help improve the local management capability and capacity of exporting African countries, develop and construct an internet visa system, introduce electronic certificates of origin, and promote paperless customs clearance of certificates of origin.
3.9.1 The Chinese side will offer African countries US$35 billion of loans of concessional nature on more favorable terms and export credit line, create new financing models, optimize favorable credit terms and conditions, expand credit scales, and support China-Africa industrial capacity cooperation, infrastructure building, and development of energy resources, agriculture, and manufacturing in Africa.
3.9.2 The Chinese side will encourage Chinese financial institutions to provide financing and insurance support for China-Africa cooperation in energy, mining, agriculture, processing manufacturing, shipping, metallurgy, construction materials, information and communication technology, electricity, railways, highways, ports and airports.
3.9.3 The Chinese side will enhance cooperation in currency exchanges and financial services, and encourage both Chinese and African enterprises to invest and trade in local currencies. The Chinese side welcomes central banks of African countries to invest in China's inter-bank bond market and include RMB into their foreign exchange reserves.
3.9.4 The Chinese side will encourage and support Chinese and African financial institutions to strengthen cooperation, including opening more branches in respective countries and enhancing exchanges and cooperation ensuring mutual benefit, as well as encouraging and supporting cooperation among financial institutions primarily supporting development to further enhance China-Africa financial cooperation.
3.9.5 The Chinese side will gradually expand the China-Africa Development Fund from US$5 billion to US$10 billion.
3.9.6 The Chinese side will gradually expand the Special Loans to Support Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Africa from US$1 billion to US$6 billion.
3.9.7 The Chinese side will enhance cooperation with the African Development Bank and the sub-regional financial institutions, utilizing optimally the China-Africa Development Fund, Africa Growing Together Fund, and Special Loans to Support Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Africa, also exploring and innovating cooperation mechanisms, supporting the development of infrastructure, agriculture and industrialization processes in Africa.
4.1.1 The African side highly appreciates China's longstanding assistance for social development and humanitarian assistance, without any political conditions, in diverse forms that help Africa to eradicate poverty and improve people's livelihood under the framework of South-South cooperation. The African side applauds the establishment of the Assistance Fund for South-South Cooperation by China to support African countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
4.1.2 The Chinese side will continue to gradually scale up its assistance to African countries within its capacity, giving priority to enhanced cooperation with African countries in areas pertaining to people's livelihoods such as agriculture, health, infrastructure, education and human resources development, wildlife and environmental protection, while increasing the effectiveness of assistance, and supporting economic and social development of African countries.
4.1.3 The Chinese side will exempt the outstanding intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2015 owed by the least developed countries, land-locked countries and small island developing countries in Africa.
4.2.1 The African side expresses its appreciation for China's continued assistance to countries in need. In particular, the African side expresses its deep appreciation for China's rapid response to the Ebola Virus Disease crisis in West Africa and commends the latter for its selfless service and deployment of its expertise and resources to arrest and reverse the spread of this disease. The African side further appreciates China's continued support to reconstruct public health, economic and societal systems of affected countries during the Post-Ebola period.
4.2.2 The Chinese side will assist Africa to develop public health systems and policies, help African countries to improve the public health, surveillance, epidemiological and prevention systems, strengthen prevention and treatment of malaria and other common infectious and communicable diseases in Africa, enhance the assistance in maternal and child health, reproductive health and other major public health fields in Africa, support cooperation between 20 hospitals of China and Africa from each side on demonstration projects, upgrade hospital departments, and will continue to train doctors, nurses, public health workers and administrative personnel for African countries.
4.2.3 The Chinese side will support the building of an African Union Disease Control Centre and regional medical research centres, reinforce laboratory and diagnostic capacities and encourage the African Union Commission to play a leading role as the custodian of Africa's continental initiatives in the health sector.
4.2.4 The Chinese side will continue to send medical teams to Africa, including short-term medical teams consisted of clinical experts to African countries, and conduct the "Brightness Action" surgeries and other short-term free medical services in Africa, and provide Africa with doses of anti-malaria compound artemisinin.
4.2.5 The Chinese side will support the investment by Chinese medical and health care enterprises in Africa, encourage Chinese medical institutions and enterprises to jointly operate hospitals and produce medicines in Africa, improve health information systems, help Africa to improve the availability of health and diagnostic services and commodities, and improve Africa's capacity for independent and sustainable development in the field of medical care and health, support Africa's continental health initiatives.
4.2.6 The Chinese side will improve health infrastructure in Africa through the construction, renovation and equipping of medical facilities.
4.2.7 The Chinese side will continue to strengthen high-level exchanges in health, build an institutionalized high-level dialogue between China and Africa and agree to incorporate the Ministerial Forum on China-Africa Health Cooperation as an official sub-forum under the framework of FOCAC.
4.3.1 The two sides agree that the shortage of professional and skilled persons is another major bottleneck constraining Africa's independent and sustainable development. Both sides will further strengthen cooperation in education and human resources development.
4.3.2 The Chinese side will offer 2,000 degree education opportunities in China and 30,000 government scholarships to African countries, welcome more African youths to study in China, innovate and expand more ways for training, and train more African professionals on economic development and technical management.
4.3.3 The Chinese side will train for Africa senior professionals on government administration for national development through the South-South Cooperation and Development Institute.
4.3.4 The two sides will continue to implement the 20+20 Cooperation Plan for Chinese and African Institutions of Higher Education, improve the cooperation mechanism between Chinese and African institutions of higher education, encourage Chinese and African universities to carry out cooperation in regional and country studies, and support African universities in establishing China research centres and vice versa.
4.3.5 The Chinese side welcomes the inclusion by African countries of Chinese language teaching as part of their national education systems and will support more African countries in their efforts to establish Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms.
4.3.6 The Chinese side will assist African countries to renovate existing as well as build more vocational and technical training facilities, establish a number of regional vocational education centres and colleges for capacity building in Africa, train 200,000 local African vocational and technical personnel and provide Africa with 40,000 training opportunities in China; help the youth and women improve their employment skills to enhance the self-development ability of Africa.
4.3.7 Having noted the successful UNESCO-China Funds-In-Trust established in UNESCO by the Chinese side, the two sides support the continued implementation of funds-in-trust and its extension by two years (2016-2017).
4.4.1 The two sides will use the "Programme for Strengthening Cooperation on Poverty Reduction between the People's Republic of China and the African Union" jointly published in 2014, as a guide to further strengthen experience sharing in poverty eradication and practical cooperation.
4.4.2 The two-sides agree to continue to jointly organize the China-Africa Poverty Eradication and Development Conference and to endorse it as an official sub-forum under the framework of FOCAC, in order to explore in-depth poverty eradication strategies and policies, and to gradually establish a multi-level inter-governmental and inter-society dialogue mechanism for poverty eradication.
4.4.3 The Chinese side will continue to host the workshop on poverty eradication policies and practice tailored to the needs of African countries, offer educational programmes with degrees on poverty eradication and development for African countries, and help Africa to train specialized personnel in the field of poverty eradication and development.
4.4.4 The Chinese side will, in conjunction with African countries carry out village-community-level small-scale demonstration projects on poverty eradication and cooperate to implement village-community-level comprehensive development projects, help implement Satellite TV projects in 10,000 villages in Africa.
4.4.5 The Chinese side will work with African countries and relevant institutions to launch joint research projects, offer consultancy services on poverty eradication policies for African countries, and send experts and/or volunteers for technical support.
4.4.6 The two sides will mobilize resources including non-governmental organizations to implement in Africa 200 "Happy Life" projects and poverty reduction programmes focusing on women and children.
4.5.1 The two sides will continue to promote the implementation of the "China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Plan", build joint laboratories / joint research centres in the priority fields of common interest, jointly build agriculture science and technology demonstration parks and assist outstanding African youths and technical personnel to participate in exchanges to and training in China.
4.5.2 The two sides attach importance to knowledge sharing and technology transfer, and will carry out exchanges in technological innovation policies and the building of science and technology parks and encourage research institutions and enterprises to have intensive cooperation.
4.5.3 The two sides will actively launch cooperation in the field of space sciences, and the Chinese side will train professional personnel and share development experience with African countries.
4.5.4 The parties will continue to implement joint research and technology demonstration projects. The two sides will also step-up cooperation in research exchanges through their institutions of higher learning.
4.5.5 China will continue its support of the Square Kilometre Array project, which is a flagship science and technology project of the African continent. The two sides will design joint research projects around the SKA and facilitate the participation of their scientists in the project.
4.6.1 The two sides are satisfied with the progress of cooperation in environmental protection and addressing climate change and will continue to strengthen dialogue on these areas of interest, as well as work closely together on the management of border facilities, search, seizure, and destruction of poached resources, and intelligence gathering to undermine the responsible syndicates, acknowledging their linkages to international organized crime.
4.6.2 To enhance China-Africa environmental cooperation and promote African countries' green development, the Chinese side will introduce the "China-Africa Green Envoys Programme", set up the China-Africa Environment Cooperation Centre, and launch the China-Africa Green Innovation Project under the framework of "China South-South Environmental Cooperation-Green Envoys Programme". China will cooperate with the African side to launch environmental friendly technology cooperation, redouble its efforts to provide training for Africa in the fields of eco-environment protection, environment management and pollution prevention and treatment, push forward dialogue and cooperation on China-Africa green finance, and explore a model of environmental cooperation between Chinese and African governments and non-governmental capital.
4.6.3 The two sides will work together to promote the development of the "China-Africa Joint Research Centre" project and cooperate in biodiversity protection, prevention and treatment of desertification, sustainable forest management and modern agriculture demonstration. The Chinese side will support Africa in implementing 100 clean energy and wild life protection projects, environment friendly agricultural projects and smart city construction projects.
4.6.4 The African side highly appreciates that the Chinese government supports Africa in its efforts to protect wildlife resources. The two sides will strengthen cooperation in the area of wildlife protection, help African countries to improve the protection capabilities, build the capacity of environmental rangers, provide African countries with training opportunities on environmental and ecological conservation, explore the possibility of cooperating on wildlife protection demonstration projects and jointly fight against the illegal trade of fauna and flora products, especially addressing endangered species poaching on the African continent, in particular elephants and rhinos.
4.6.5 The two sides agree to work together to improve management of water resources, and rehabilitate disused mines.
4.6.6 China will advance cooperation with African countries in environmental surveillance, continue to share with African countries the data from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite and promote the application of the data in land use, weather monitoring and environmental protection in Africa, discuss the establishment of meteorological satellite data receiving and processing application system.
4.6.7 The two sides will strengthen the policy dialogue on climate change, deepen China-Africa cooperation in tackling climate change, in particular climate change monitoring, risk and vulnerabilities reduction, strengthening resilience, promoting adaptation, support for mitigation in terms of capacity building, technology transfer as well as financing for monitoring and implementation and improve the China-Africa consultation and collaboration mechanism on climate change.
4.6.8 The African side welcomes the announcement by the Chinese side that it will make available 20 billion Renminbi Yuan for setting up the China South-South Cooperation Fund to support other developing countries to combat climate change, including to enhance their capacity to access Green Climate Fund funds. The two sides agree to enhance China-Africa South-South cooperation on climate change, in order to strengthen and add greater content to the cooperation with African countries to enhance their capacity to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
4.6.9 The two sides will set up a multi-level disaster reduction and relief cooperation and dialogue mechanism, expand exchanges in post-disaster response and recovery, risk assessment, disaster preparedness and recovery education programmes.
4.6.10 In times of emergency disaster responses, the Chinese side will provide rapid mapping service for disaster emergencies based on space technology at African countries' request.
5.1.1 The two sides will promote dialogue between the Chinese and African civilizations and mutual learning between the cultures of the two sides, while respecting the cultural uniqueness of each, work together to uphold the diversity and progress of human civilization and contribute to the development and prosperity of world culture.
5.1.2 The two sides appreciate that events such as the China-Africa Forum on Cultural Heritage Protection and China-Africa Cultural Industry Round-table provide an effective platform for bilateral exchanges in cultural policies, and will continue to hold similar dialogues.
5.1.3 The two sides agree to maintain the momentum of high-level inter-governmental mutual visits and dialogue in the cultural field and will continue to follow through on the implementation plan of the China-Africa bilateral government cultural agreements.
5.1.4 The two sides will continue to build brand activities such as "Happy Spring Festival", "Chinese and African Cultures in Focus", "Experience China" and hold large-scale cultural exchange activities such as "Africa Arts Festival" at an appropriate time.
5.1.5 The two sides appreciate the hosting of a "Country Year" in their respective countries and encourage more eligible African countries to hold "Country Year" activities with China to deepen understanding of and exchanges between each other.
5.1.6 The two sides will continue to implement "the Programme of China-Africa Mutual Visits between Cultural Personnel" and "China-Africa Cultural Partnership Programme" and support the exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African culture and art managers, artists and cultural institutions.
5.1.7 The two sides will encourage and support the participation by Chinese and African art and culture groups and artists in international culture and art activities.
5.1.8 The two sides will continue to advocate for the establishment of cultural centres in China and Africa. The Chinese side will help build 5 cultural centres for Africa, and to establish more permanent platforms for cultural exchanges and cultural cooperation.
5.1.9 The two sides will strengthen human resources training in the cultural field. The Chinese side will establish ten major "Culture Training Bases for Africa" and execute the "One Thousand People Programme" for culture training in Africa.
5.2.1 The Chinese side will continue to implement the China-Africa Press Exchange Centre programme, continue to hold training and capacity building seminars for African countries' news officials and reporters, promote more exchanges and mutual visits between Chinese and African journalists and press professionals, train 1,000 African media professionals each year and support exchanges of reporters by more media organizations.
5.2.2 The Chinese side will actively provide technology support and personnel training for the digitalization of radio and TV services and industrial development in Africa. The African side welcomes the involvement of Chinese enterprises in investment and cooperation in building and operating radio and TV transmission broadcasting networks and the marketing of programmes, while ensuring local human capacity building and employment.
5.2.3 The two sides will provide films and TV programmes to each other's respective national broadcasting agencies, explore a long-term cooperative model, continue to participate in film and TV festivals and exhibitions held in their countries, encourage activities of holding film and TV programme exhibitions, and actively launch joint production of documentaries, films and TV programmes. The Chinese side further encourages African countries to produce programmes, conduct exchanges and promote African films and programmes in China.
5.2.4 The Chinese side will continue to take an active part in international book fairs in Africa and carry out cooperation in English book publishing. The Chinese side will encourage Chinese publishing enterprises to donate books on Chinese language learning and other Chinese publications to prestigious African public libraries and the libraries of higher and secondary learning institutes that address fields such as health, agricultural technology, culture and education. The two sides will hold a Forum on China-Africa Publishing Cooperation at an appropriate time.
5.2.5 The Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation serves as an important platform for China-Africa media cooperation and cultural exchanges. The two sides agree to institutionalize the Forum as an official sub-forum of FOCAC.
5.3.1 The two sides note with satisfaction that the "China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Plan" has been successfully implemented, which has effectively strengthened cooperation and exchanges between scholars and think tanks of the two sides and provides strong academic support to China-Africa cooperation.
5.3.2 The two sides will continue to hold "FOCAC-Think Tank Forum" and support the building of long-term and stable cooperation between the Chinese and African academia. The two sides further encourage the Forum and research institutions to conduct joint research on themes such as China-Africa industry partnering and industrial capacity cooperation and African industrialization and agricultural modernization to provide strong intellectual support and innovation to China-Africa's win-win cooperation and common development.
5.3.3 The two sides will continue to implement the "China-Africa Think Tank 10+10 Partnership Plan" and encourage think tanks from both sides to expand cooperation, and invite 200 African scholars to visit China each year.
5.3.4 The two sides welcome and encourage support by Chinese and African enterprises, financial institutions and academic institutions for academic interactions and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Africa.
5.4.1 The two sides take note of the successful holding of the 3rd and 4th China-Africa People's Forum, and believe that the institutionalization of the Forum has played an active part in boosting friendship between the Chinese and African peoples.
5.4.2 The two sides appreciate that the "China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action" and the "China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Partnership Plan" have yielded positive results. The two sides agree to continue small and micro social livelihood projects, promote mutual visits by non-governmental organizations, and encourage and support extensive people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between these organizations.
5.4.3 The two sides appreciate the institutionalization of the China-Africa Young Leaders Forum, which serves as an important platform for China-Africa youth dialogue and cooperation.
6.1.1 The Chinese side continues to support the African Union, its Regional Economic Communities and other African sub-regional institutions that play a leading role in coordinating and solving issues of peace and security in Africa and further continues to support and advocate for African solutions to African challenges without interference from outside the continent.
6.1.2 The Chinese side will provide the AU with US$60 million of free military assistance over the next three years, support the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture, including the operationalization of the African Capacity for the Immediate Response to Crisis and the African Standby Force.
6.1.3 The two sides will maintain the momentum of mutual visits by defence and military leaders, continue to deepen exchanges on technologies and expand personnel training and joint trainings and exercises.
6.1.4 The two sides will strengthen information and intelligence exchanges and experience sharing on security, and will share this information timeously to support mutual efforts in the prevention and fight against terrorism, in particular its symptoms and underlying causes.
6.1.5 The two sides will enhance cooperation in preventing and combatting the illegal trafficking of humans, fauna and flora products, marine products, narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals.
6.1.6 The two sides will continue to support the United Nations (UN) in its efforts to play a constructive role in helping resolve regional conflicts in Africa and will intensify communication and coordination with the UN Security Council. The Chinese side will continue to take an active part in UN peacekeeping missions in Africa, offer the African side support on peacekeeping training and intensify communication and coordination with Africa in the UN Security Council, in adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 2033 that recognizes the importance of an enhanced relationship between the United Nations and the African Union, as well as a strengthened capacity of regional and sub-regional organizations, in particular the African Union, in conflict prevention and crisis management, and in post-conflict stabilization.
6.1.7 The African side appreciates the efforts of the Chinese government's Special Representative for African Affairs to actively engage in mediation efforts in Africa, and welcomes his continued constructive role in Africa's peace and security endeavours.
6.1.8 The African side appreciates China's counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Guinea and in waters off the coast of Somalia in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. The two sides will strengthen cooperation on safeguarding the security of shipping routes in the waters concerned and peace and stability in the region. In this regard, the two sides agree that emphasis should also be placed by the international community on addressing the root causes of piracy, namely poverty, underdevelopment and illegal fishing.
6.2.1 The two sides will strengthen consular cooperation and actively carry out consultations on consular matters.
6.2.2 The two sides will strengthen cooperation between immigration departments and jointly fight against illegal immigration and to protect environmental resources from illegal exploitation. The Chinese side will support African countries in enhancing anti-riot capacity.
6.2.3 The two sides will explore the signing of Criminal Judicial Assistance and Extradition Treaties and strengthen cooperation in the fields of combatting and preventing transnational crimes, human trafficking, corruption and the illegal trade in fauna, flora and associated products, while strengthening narcotics control, fugitive extradition, repatriation of illicit funds and asset recovery, cyber security, and law enforcement capacity building.
6.2.4 The two sides will promote exchanges and cooperation in the judicial, law enforcement and legislative fields, including preventing and fighting transnational organized crimes in accordance with bilateral treaties and multilateral conventions.
6.2.5 The two sides will improve exchanges and cooperation on the judiciary, obtain in-depth understanding of respective legal systems, and promote mutual recognition and application of laws and regulations, so as to provide legal support and a law-based environment for personnel exchanges and the protection of legitimate rights and interests.
6.2.6 The two sides will improve the institutionalization of the "FOCAC-Legal Forum", continue exchanges and training of legal professionals, work together to establish a "China-Africa Joint Arbitration Centre", develop the Professionals Legal Training Base and China-Africa Legal Research Sub-Centre in Africa, and facilitate lectures by law experts from China and Africa. The two sides will actively support the implementation of "China-AALCO Research and Exchange Programme on International Law".
At present, international relations and the global landscape are undergoing and will continue to undergo profound and complex changes, including in terms of globalization and the spread of information. It serves the common interests of China and Africa to strengthen international coordination and to establish a new model of global development that is based on equality, accountability, mutual respect and that is more balanced, stable, inclusive and harmonious.
The two sides are committed to supporting each other in international fora and further strengthen cooperation in areas of trade, finance, environmental protection, peace and security, cultural exchanges, economic and social development and the advancement of human rights, while maintaining the sovereignty to choose their developmental paths.
8.1 The two sides are satisfied that, since the 5th FOCAC Ministerial Conference, the political consultation between Chinese and African Foreign Ministers on the side-lines of the UNGA, the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), and consultations between the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee and African diplomatic missions in China have continued to operate in an efficient and smooth manner.
8.2 The two sides agree that the Co-chairs, in cooperation with the Chinese FOCAC Follow-up Mechanism and the Group of African Ambassadors in Beijing, should conduct a review of FOCAC and develop recommendations to further strengthen FOCAC, drawing on the experience of the last 15 years, including relating to the optimal follow-up mechanism, the functioning of the various agreed FOCAC Sub-Forums including the establishment of certain new sub-forums, and the promotion of the institutionalization of existing sub-forums.
8.3 Following the FOCAC follow-up mechanism procedures, the two sides decided to hold the 7th Ministerial Conference in Beijing in 2018 and, before that, the 12th and 13th SOMs in Beijing in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The 4th political consultations between Chinese and African Foreign Ministers on the side-lines of the UNGA will be held in New York in September 2016.
The slow down of Chinese economy has been making headlines around the world, however there are a number of Chinese emerging cities where the economy is not only growing, but by double digits and accelerating.
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province in Southwest China. Guizhou has traditionally been a poor province with an economy heavily relying on state owned enterprises. With the population of 2.8 million, it is now fast becoming a hub of operations for Chinese telecom companies and “Big Data”. Private companies are also following the lead with Alibaba setting up cloud-computing facilities in the city.
Guiyang also serves as an important transportation hub for South Western China: the Guiyang–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway began operations in December 2014. Three more high-speed rail lines to Chongqing, Kunming, and Changsha will commence operations within the next few years. Whilst disposable income per person is currently around USD 5,100/year, almost half of China’s average of USD 9,800/year, this is quickly rising..
The city of Guiyang is one of China's three largest phosphate ore bases, with phosphate ore reserves of 428 million tons and more than 70 percent of the country's phosphate ore. The ore reserves in Kaiyang county alone amount to 390 million tons, or a third of the nation’s high-grade ore. The high-grade phosphorus pentoxide ore accounts for 78 percent of China's total. It also has three chemical industry bases -- the Kaiyang Phosphorus and Coal Chemical Ecological Industrial Demonstration Base, Xifeng Phosphorus and Coal Chemical Ecological Industrial Demonstration Base, and Qingzhen Coal Chemical Base. Total output value of the phosphorus-coal-based chemical sectors in Guiyang, in 2011, was 26.3 billion yuan ($4.29 billion).
The phosphorus-coal-based chemical industry is focused on improving output and efficiency, combining its phosphorus, coal, water, and electricity resources.
With proven reserves of 424 million tons of bauxite resources the province is a major Aluminum producer. Leading enterprises and producers are: Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco), Guizhou Aluminum Industrial Base, Galuminium Group and R&D institutes such as the Guiyang Aluminum Magnesium Design and Research Institute and the Chalco Guizhou Branch. The industry can produce 3 million tons of bauxite annually, as well as 1.2 million tons of alumina, 450,000 tons of electrolytic aluminum, 300,000 tons of carbon for aluminum use, 50 million tons of refined aluminum, and 200,000 tons of high purity aluminum.
Developing the downstream aluminum industry is a current focus in the province. The start of the Chalco aluminium strips project in 2010, with total amount of 150,000 tons and a total investment of 700 million yuan, marked a significant breakthrough in the aluminum deep processing industry in Guiyang.
In 2015 Geely Holding Group Co began construction of its new-energy car manufacturing base in Guiyang. The 0.6-square-kilometer factory consists of a modernized production line of punching press, welding, painting and assembly, and will make methanol-powered automobiles. Geely has made a total investment of around 10.2 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) and expects the first car off the production line in 2017.
Guiyang's Cigarette Factory, a subsidiary of the China Tobacco Guizhou Industrial Co, is a leading provincial enterprise. In the food sector, Guiyang has 47 food companies, covering poultry, chili peppers, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, peanuts, ginger, onions, and garlic, and 10 other product categories, with hundreds of types of food.
The Nanming Food Industry Park and Wudang Food Industry Park are leaders in the food sector in Guiyang. Work on the Longdongbao Food and Light Industry Park, on a 903 hectare space, began in September 2010 and will be completed in 2017. It is expected to pull in 13.6 billion yuan in investment. Work continues on the Wudang Food Industry Park and is expected to bring in nine enterprises during Phase I, and have 1 billion yuan in output value.
Guiyang's equipment manufacturing sector is rapidly and becoming a pillar of industry. Guiyang has a comprehensive array of mid-sized to large equipment manufacturers. The Guizhou Jonyang Kinetics Co is a domestic leader in hydraulic excavators, Guizhou Xianfeng Industrial Co is one of the Top 10 producers of large slide grinders and forging equipment and the Guiyang Xintian Oetech Co. focuses on the production of high-tech optical instruments. With its abundance of skilled workforce R&D capacity and production strengths, Guiyang has been able to build an industrial capacity that covers seven equipment manufacturing industries. It has industrial clusters in construction machinery, automobiles and automobile parts and electronic components.
With the support of the municipal government, Guiyang's logistics sector has grown and is playing an important role in the local economy. Guiyang is headed to become a regional logistics center with it`s two logistics hubs -- the Guizhou Mengguan International Logistics Center and Longdongbao International Aviation Logistics Park (and three regional logistics parks: Zhazuo Logistics, Qingzhen Logistics, and Jinhua Logistics). It further expects to build: cargo logistics, more distribution centers, dry ports and a bonded zone.
Guizhou province is known for its herbal medicines and has turned its pharmaceutical sector into a pillar of industry over the past decade It now has 74 pharmaceutical companies and an industrial structure that covers a diverse range of biological products, Chinese patent medicines, pharmaceutical chemicals, medical consumables, and Chinese medicinal decoctions.
China Telecom will invest 4-billion yuan ($469 million) in optical network construction, cloud computing, and big data development over the next three years. The aim being to turn Guiyang into a major data center for China: the municipal government sees the big data industry as key to its future economic development and has already established preferential policies for big data entrepreneurs.
The China Telecom Cloud Computing Guizhou Information Park covers an area of (33.3 hectares) in the Gui'an near the city. The first phase of the park , already completed, comprises eight datacentres, one power centre and two support centres. It is expected to accommodate one million servers.
By the end of 2017, cities and towns in the province are expected to have 100-megabyte broadband coverage and a fourth generation network in rural and urban areas and, at the same time, the two will cooperate in a Guiyang cloud computing platform, a municipal data sharing platform, and a Guizhou Internet exchange center.
1. Encouraged industries located in West China are levied corporate income taxes at a discount of 15 percent. Resource taxes for those enterprises are levied via ad valorem instead of specific duties.
2. Qualified high-tech enterprises located in the high-tech industrial development zone approved by the State Council are levied corporate income taxes at a discount of 15 percent.
3. Enterprises established in the different districts and industrial development zones within Guiyang can enjoy local preferential policies.
As of last year, the Shanghai municipal government has revised its restricted industries list for foreign investors and updated it for the Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Amendments made to current list are not considered a major change but a revision to the 2014 initiatives. The list below outlines industries where foreign investors are treated differently to domestic companies. There are number of changes where we believe there are various opportunities for new investors in the three FTZs.
- Agriculture, crop seeds, fishery and animal husbandry is a critical subject and remains sensitive to Chinese citizens. Fishing in certain waters is due to approval from Chinese government.
-All initiatives needs to be approved by concerned government bodies.
-rare earths, radioactive materials, tungsten, molybdenum, tin, antimony and fluorite is prohibited. It is restricted for lithium, precious metals and graphite.
- Multiple restrictions in manufacturing industry is now lifted. These includes, the processing of rice, corn, edible oils, tea, alcohol, tobacco and chemicals, anesthesia and blood products are now allowed.
- Construction vehicles, motorcycles and new energy vehicle batteries is lifted.
- It is still prohibited to operate news websites, online publications, online audiovisual programs or broadcasting of information on the internet. Except for music and those sectors that have been lifted as China’s membership of the World Trade Organization.
- If a domestic enterprise cooperates with a foreign enterprise to create official online content and news, needs prior approval from National Security Review.
- Foreign investors can now set up e-commerce companies in Fujian, Guangdong, Tianjin as well as Shanghai.
- Foreign banks may not conduct the following activities, also included in the Commercial Banking Law: acting as an agent to issue, honor and underwrite government bonds, issuance of bank cards and the acting as an agent for receipt and payments of funds. Apart from taking time deposits for Chinese nationals of less than 1 million RMB, foreign banks in China may not engage in RMB activities for Chinese nationals.
- The parent company of a foreign invested bank in China must provide its operational funds free of charge. The foreign invested bank must operate with an eight percent RMB capital reserve. Banks providing RMB services must follow the minimum required business hours.
- Foreign law firms may only be present in China through a representative office, which is subject to approval. Foreign nationals may not advice on Chinese law or become partners of a Chinese law firm. Representative offices of foreign law firms may not hire Chinese legal professionals, and its support staff may not provide legal advice.
- Market research is restricted to contractual or joint ventures with Chinese controlling interest.
- Foreign entities may not independently establish schools and educational institutions mainly enrolling Chinese nationals. This does not include "non-academic vocational training"
- Medical institutions can be set up as an equity or contractual joint venture.
- Sino-foreign productions of television and film series are subject to a licensing.
- Foreign news agencies may set up a representative office in China and employ foreign reporters upon approval of the Chinese government.
- Foreign press agencies may provide news services in China upon approval of the Chinese government.
- The establishment of performing arts groups in China is prohibited, and performance agencies must have Chinese controlling.
Beijing`s satellite townships are now in the spotlight in view of the Governments aim for the integrated development of Beijing, Tianjing and Hebei provinces, know as Jing-Jin-Ji. Over the next 15 years it is planed to transfer non-essential functions out of Beijing to the new townships.
A 40 minute metro ride east of Beijing`s CBD area is Tongzhou (pop.1.3 million est.), where construction of a new CBD area and Universal studios theme park are well under way: built at the intersection of the Beijing & Hangzhou Grand Canals, the new town is expected to cover over 80 square kilometers. Tongzhou will also be home to the new Beijing city Municipal Governmental Offices at Lucheng town: some 6km east of the new CBD. Also expected to relocate are state-owned-enterprises, hospitals and universities. Planners hope the area will draw in a further million people, the first phase of the project due to be opened in 2017.
The local government has agreed to fund 86 key projects in the area, setting aside over 160 Billon RMB. Currently housing prices run in the 30,000-40,000 rmb/sqm range.
As part of a move to connect and integrate transport, Beijing is to build its third civil airport, Daxing International Airport, located adjacent to Daxing district in Beijing and Langfang in Hebei province. It is due to be completed by the end of 2017 and operational in 2018 it is expected to carry 120 million passengers by 2050.
The Biomedical base is 60 minutes, via metro, from Bejing`s CBD area with numerous office and residential complexes already completed. As part of the district's growth, a new 391,000 sq m above- and belowground mixed-use development—dubbed the Vanke-Shoukai Mixed-Use Development Daxing—is also under way, scheduled to be completed in 2017.
Beijing will remain the national center of political, cultural, and international exchange activities as well as a technological innovation center.
Tianjin municipality will be a national research and development base for advanced manufacturing industry, a shipping hub for north China, a demonstration area for financial innovation, and an experimental area for further reform and opening up.
Hebei province will be an important national base for trade and logistics, an experimental area for industrial transition and upgrading, a demonstration area of modern urbanization and coordinated development of urban and rural areas, and an ecological buffer zone.
A medium-term aim of the strategy is to control the permanent population of Beijing within 23 million and to relieve air pollution and congestion. Long term, the strategy aims to form an integrated region of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, with a better economic structure, a cleaner environment and improved public services.
Industrial Parks in the Jing-Jin-Ji area.
Established in 2006, Tongzhou Industrial Park covers two industrial bases: Opto-Mechatronics Industrial Park and Jinqiao Science and Technology Industrial Base. The park has a total planned area of 14.5 square kilometers of which 11.41 square kilometers have already been developed. 360 enterprises have accessed the park, including 30 high and new-tech enterprises at national level and 76 at Zhongguancun park level.
Tongzhou Park prioritizes world-class industries of optic-mechanical integration, environmental protection and new energy, high-end equipment manufacturing. The park features microelectronics, optoelectronics, automotive electronics, avionics, advanced equipment manufacturing, intellectual instruments, laser technology, numerical control machine, printing machinery, medical equipment, semiconductor material, environmental protection equipment and auto parts.
The park project has so far invested 2.2 billion yuan ($346.28 million) to construct essential infrastructure and thus creates a favorable environment for production and R&D,.
Daxing Biomedicine Industrial Base is a biotechnology industrialization base built by the Beijing Municipal Government to revitalize its modern manufacturing industry. Being a bio-industry cluster area for the Bohai Economic Zone and the entire northern region, the base holds industrial functions such as biotechnology indigenous innovation, product R&D, industrialization of technical achievements, R&D and producer services in Beijing.
Situated in Daxing New Town in Beijing, 20 kilometers away from the urban area, 50 minutes' drive to Beijing Capital International Airport. The base is not far from Subway Line No.4 and the new international second capital airport.
The base has four development and support priorities – biopharmaceutical projects centering on vaccine and protein drugs; the import of modernized and internationalized TCM enterprises to drive the growth of medicine, health care products; the introduction of medical instrument programs to consolidate the leading position of Beijing in the field of instrument and diagnosis; and last but not least is to bring in innovative drugs and high-end generic drug industrialization projects to form preparation products that meet international certification standards.
Fengtai Science and Technology Park was established in 1991. It was listed as a national high and new-tech zone in April 1994 and was one of the earliest three sub-parks of the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park.
Fengtai S&T Park realized a total revenue of 195 billion yuan ($30.69) in 2010, and has obtained strong industrial agglomeration effects. The major industries in the park include: electronic information, biomedicine, new materials, new energy, as well as engineering services, rail transit, military aerospace, cultural and creative industries and producer service industry. With more than ten years of development, the park has gradually formed the headquarters of an economic zone and is playing an increasingly important role in the development of southern Beijing.
The Beijing Economic Technological Development Area (Yizhuang) is the only state-level economic and technological development zone in the city, a core region for high-tech and modern manufacturing industries. It will become a cluster for the high-tech manufacturing and strategic-emerging industries in southern Beijing.
In 2010, the administrative resources of Daxing District and the BDA were integrated to form an industrial development pattern of "one base and six parks" with the BDA as an industrial development main platform to stimulate the planning and construction of six special parks: Daxing Biological Medicine Base, New Media Industrial Park, New-Energy-Vehicle Industrial Park, Military-Civilian Combination Industrial Park, Manufacturing Services Industrial Park and New Airport Industrial Park.
By the end of 2011, more than 4,800 enterprises from more than 30 countries and regions had come to the BDA, along with more than 100 projects invested in by 77 of the global top 500 corporations, along with high quality, domestically funded projects.
The leading industries are electronic information, bio-medicine, equipment manufacturing and automobile production industries; a communications industry cluster led by Nokia, a display industry cluster led by BOE, a microelectronics industry cluster led by SMIC, a medical equipment industry cluster led by GE, a bio-pharmaceutical industry cluster led by Bayer and an automobile industry cluster led by Beijing Mercedes have also been established.
Yanqing Park, a sub-organization of Zhongguancun Science Park, was founded in October 2010. Located in the northwest of Beijing the park covers an area of 4.91 square kilometers.
Part of the Beijing new energy base, the park has founded a high-end service industry area with the development of high-end equipment manufacturing, general aviation and modern service industries, finance and insurance background services, and research and development training.
Fangshan Park is composed of Beijing Petrochemical New Materials High-Tech Industry Base, Beijing High-end Manufactureing Industry Base, Liangxiang Economic Development Area, Beijing Haiju Foundation and Higher Education Park. It has an area of 15.73 square kilometers.
(1) Beijing Petrochemical New Materials High-tech Tech Industry Base.
It is one of the first 62 new industrialization demonstration bases in China. It is an important carrier of strategic cooperation between the Beijing municipal government and Sinopec and one of five industry bases under planned construction in Fangshan district.
The East District focuses on fine chemistry, petrochemical new materials and crucial projects. The West District is the core area of Yanshan Petrochemical.
(2) Beijing High-End Manufacturing Industry Base.
Changan Automobile, BWI Group, China CNR Corporation Limited, National Energy and Jinpengpa Unmanned Aerial Vehicle have settled here.
Haiju Base is a new effort to adjust the industry structure in the district. It complies with the National Thousands of Talents Plan and Beijing Haiju Project and is a focal point for leaders in the city and district.
Currently, there are eight projects in the base, including Beijing Feihang Jida Aviation Technology, the Environmental Protection of Xishan district project, Ntong Technology Co, Beijing Grish Co and Beijing Dongfang Xupu Technology Co.
It is one of the two higher education parks approved by the Beijing municipal government. The park is divided into the college park, central landscape area, central device area and allocation area.
There are six colleges and universities in the park. The construction of the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Capital Normal University, and Beijing Technology and Business University in the first stage has been completed with over 27,000 students and teachers. Plans are underway to construct Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Beijing Vocational College of Transportation.
Supply Chain Leaders: YTO Express.
Founded in 2000, China`s largest and fastest growing express delivery company, YTO now employs more than 180,000 workers in 20,000 delivery centers across China. YTO delivered 14 billion packages last year. It`s services cover warehousing, distribution and special transport. In 2014 it launched it`s 90% owned subsidiary YTO Cargo Airlines which initially began operations, out of its Hangzhou hub.
Shanghai Yuan Tong Express Co., Ltd. (YTO Express) is now the largest express delivery business, by market share, in China after taking advantage of the booming domestic e-commerce industry. Yu Weijiao, YTO chairman, has turned the company into a market leader in China. With 84 centers in Beijing alone and 20,000 country-wide, the group is taking advantage of the government's decision to realign the economy from cheap, mass-produced exports toward more sustainable consumer-fuelled domestic growth.
In 2015 the company's revenue reached 204 billion yuan ($37.79 billion), up 42% compared to the same period in 2013, during a time of slowing economic activity, up to 19 billion yuan of which was indirectly generated by express delivery services, and that figure is expected to reach 60 billion yuan by 2020.
During the 2015 Singles' Day on Nov. 11th, the company received a record-breaking 53.28 million orders across China. The group handled more than 30.59 million packages, or roughly 21 percent of the industry's total.
Key to YTO's success has been expansion: from YTO's humble beginnings in 2000 when it started with a meager investment of 50,000 yuan and employed 17 staff the group now employs 180,000 staff and operates a network that covers about 93 percent of the counties across the country. In 2014, YTO delivered 2.1 billion packages, generating revenue of 24.6 billion yuan. The maximum number of parcels handled in a single day last year hit 25 million.
With huge growth potential in the Express delivery sector amid strong competition from competing companies only the strongest companies are expected to survive, while smaller players are likely to link up with the leading companies such as YTO.
As the State Council approved a proposal to promote the development of the express delivery sector, which will be worth 800 billion yuan by 2020, the key is to increase international competitiveness and expanded air delivery capacity facilitating the rapid rise of cross boarder e-commerce.
YTO also plans to expand its air cargo operations as the company completed the maiden flight of its first aircraft in September 2014. It hopes to have a cargo fleet of 50 aircraft by 2020 and 100 in 2025.
Although YTO has plans to take the company public, a timetable has yet to be announced, as the company is aiming at building a highly competitive international network first: last year, the group set up an overseas business department and the company has registered its trademark in more than 100 countries.
They plan to establish about 20 overseas branches in countries including South Korea, Australia, the United States, Thailand, India, Russia and France.
Designed to provide financial support for infrastructure development and regional connectivity in Asia the bank is headquartered in Beijing, China. Its first President, Mr Jin Liqun was elected in January 2016. The purpose of the Bank is twofold: to foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; and secondly promote regional cooperation and partnership in addressing development challenges by working in close collaboration with other multilateral and bilateral development institutions.
Under its Articles of Agreement, the AIIB's functions include: (i) promoting public and private investment in the Asia region for development, in particular for infrastructure and other productive sectors; (ii) utilizing the resources at its disposal for financing such development in the region; and (iii) encouraging private investment that contributes to economic development in the Asia region, in particular in infrastructure and other productive sectors, and supplementing private investment when private capital is not available on reasonable terms and conditions.
As of January 2016 the founding members are: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
The authorized capital stock of the AIIB will be US$100 billion, divided into 1 million shares having a par value of US$100,000 each. The original authorized capital stock will be divided into 20% paid-in shares and 80% callable shares.
The basic parameter for allocation of capital stock to members is the relative share of the global economy of members (based on GDP) within the regional and non-regional groupings, with the understanding that the GDP share is indicative only for non-regional members.
What are AIIB's key financial instruments?
The AIIB will focus principally on financing specific projects or specific investment programs, equity investments; and guarantees. It may: (i) make, co-finance or participate in direct loans; (ii) invest in the equity capital of an institution or enterprise; (iii) guarantee loans for economic development; (iv) deploy Special Funds resources in accordance with the agreements determining their use; or (vi) provide other types of financing as may be determined by the Board of Governors. Special Funds would be donor funds that are given to the Bank for use consistent with its purpose and functions.
In addition to the capital subscribed by members, the AIIB will raise funds primarily through the issuance of bonds in financial markets as well as through the inter-bank market transactions and other financial instruments. The AIIB may raise funds, through borrowing or other means, in member countries or elsewhere, in accordance with relevant legal provisions.
Hainan Airlines is the fourth largest carrier in China in terms of fleet size. However, it is the only airline based in the People’s Republic to earn a five star rating from Skytrax (not counting Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific).
Much of Hainan’s service is focused on its namesake island, which is becoming a major tourist destination for both domestic and international travelers. In addition to its main base in Hainan’s provincial capital, Haikou, the carrier has a hub in Beijing and a number of focus cities around China (including in economic hotspots like Chongqing and Shanghai).
Now, the upstart airline is trying to take its five-star reputation to the bank by continuing to expand its international route offerings. The carrier plans to launch service to both Tel Aviv and Manchester, England starting next year.
Hainan has adopted a strategy that has become rather popular amongst up-and-coming airlines. In Manchester, they have found a market that has yet to be tapped. London residents already have nonstop connections to Beijing, but Manchester does not yet have such a service. Hainan’s goal is to create a new “air bridge” between Northern England and China. This kind of service is often appreciated by people in “secondary” cities because it means they do not have to travel to another hub in order to fly overseas.
This is not the first long-haul route that the airline has added to Hainan’s map. In fact, the Manchester service, slated for takeoff in June of 2016, will be the sixth major transcontinental route launched in recent times. The airline’s Beijing-San Jose flight is another example of trying to develop service in a new, underserved marketplace. Today, most transpacific flights take off from SFO, requiring a train or taxi trip north for travelers from San Jose and other parts of the Southern Bay Area.
Hainan Airline’s other new long-haul routes are Chongqing-Rome, Shanghai-Boston, Shanghai-Seattle and Beijing-Prague.
According to the carrier, more intercontinental flights are in the works. Hainan is banking on its image as a premium airline to differentiate itself from others in the crowded Chinese marketplace. They claim to have better food, better service and more spacious seating than the competition. These claims are backed up to a certain extent by the Skytrax rating, which is based on flier survey results. Billing itself as a premium airline has always worked quite well for one of Hainan’s main competitors, Cathay Pacific.
Hainan has also become a major player on the domestic front. It has snapped up or launched a number of regional carriers including business-oriented Beijing Capital Airlines, Fuzhou Airlines and Kunming-based Lucky Air. They are also a minority stakeholder in Hong Kong Airlines.
Hainan Airlines is obviously focused on leaving its niche behind and becoming one of the major players in China’s long-haul and domestic marketplaces. The strategy of expanding into underserved destinations like Manchester could work in the airline’s favor. At the very least, it is a welcome trend both for Chinese travelers (and East Asian fans of Manchester’s two popular soccer franchises) and for English fliers who are heading to China and don’t want to have to connect through London or another European hub.
The business of selling airline tickets and resort vacations to China's holiday-happy middle class is now a battleground for Internet giants, following a deal that brings Ctrip.com International Ltd. to the fore.
Ctrip was already the country's biggest online travel agency before announcing a share-swap agreement on October 27th that gave it virtual control of traveler services provider Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd., a subsidiary of the Internet search giant Baidu Inc.
In the deal, Baidu transferred 45 percent of its stake in Qunar to Ctrip. In turn, Baidu got a 25 percent stake in Ctrip. The swap strengthened Ctrip's grip on what market research institution iResearch says is China's 270 billion yuan online travel agency market. Ctrip already owns 37 percent of eLong Inc. and 6 percent of Tuniu Corp.
The tie-up of the two Nasdaq-listed companies with a combined market value of US$ 18 billion set the stage for a three-way travel market battle pitting Baidu and its new partner Ctrip against the nation's dominant social media company Tencent Holdings Ltd. as well as e-commerce leader Alibaba Group.
Tencent has an online travel information section on its qq.com platform, an instant messenger. The company has also invested US$ 84 million in travel service provider eLong in 2011 and US$ 78 million in LY.com in 2014.
Alibaba, meanwhile, has had one foot in the travel agency door since 2010 by selling ticket and hotel booking services through its Tmall and Taobao websites. It's also invested millions of U.S. dollars in several online travel sites including qyer.com and baicheng.com. And in October 2014, Alibaba formally launched its own travel service division called Alitrip.
But through their new partnership, Ctrip and Qunar now account for nearly 70 percent of all revenues generated through the country's online travel market.
Alitrip's is pitching it`s service as an open platform through which travelers and qualified service providers can find each other. Future plans call for offering various traveler conveniences, such as hotel room deposit waivers based on a client's credit record with Alibaba. In its first year of operations the company signed up more than 100 million members and averaged more than 10 million daily webpage views. But it's still lags behind Ctrip and Qunar.
And although big brands rule the market, a number of new players have recently joined the online travel services game. One is the group-buying website company Meituan.com, which for the second half of this year reported 5.3 billion yuan worth of hotel bookings as well as 1.8 billion yuan worth of other travel-related deals. Meituan established a new division in July aimed at expanding its services.
China is also seeing traditional, storefront-based travel agencies increasing their online exposure opportunities through a growing number of new websites.
Nevertheless, the country's online travel giants have fortified their market positions in ways that should keep their new rivals at bay for a long time. For several years the market had anticipated a Ctrip-Qunar merger.
The main focus of the merger is as a way to streamline business and counteract competitive pressure since many domestic companies in this industry are running in the red.
For the second quarter, Qunar reported an 816 million yuan loss. Elong.com registered a 356 million yuan loss and Tuniu said it lost 292 million yuan in the same period.
Ctrip outperformed its rivals by posting a 143 million yuan net profit for the second quarter, a 5.9 percent increase from the same period last year.
Baidu, meanwhile, has been singled out by market analysts as the biggest winner in the deal between Ctrip and Qunar. The search engine had controlled Qunar since buying a 62 percent stake for US$ 306 million in July 2011, just a few months after expanding into what was then a fledgling market for online travel services.
Ctrip and Qunar will likely continue to operate separately yet complement one another. Ctrip will focus on the business traveler, hotel and ticketing operations, while Qunar will function mainly as a platform for a variety of travel services based on packages, search and price comparisons.
But the merger also presents challenges for the companies involved. Baidu, for example, must figure out how to integrate and distribute traffic and resources between Ctrip and Qunar. In the short term Ctrip and other travel booking sites are expected to continue relying on investments to keep their businesses growing whilst being forced by the competitive environment to offer services at discounted rates. | 2019-04-22T20:33:35Z | http://www.china-brain.com/resources.php?page=4 |
You are confronted at the threshold of your legislative duties with a condition of the national finances which imperatively demands immediate and careful consideration.
The amount of money annually exacted, through the operation of present laws, from the industries and necessities of the people largely exceeds the sum necessary to meet the expenses of the Government.
When we consider that the theory of our institutions guarantees to every citizen the full enjoyment of all the fruits of his industry and enterprise, with only such deduction as may be his share toward the careful and economical maintenance of the Government which protects him, it is plain that the exaction of more than this is indefensible extortion and a culpable betrayal of American fairness and justice. This wrong inflicted upon those who bear the burden of national taxation, like other wrongs, multiplies a brood of evil consequences. The public Treasury, which should only exist as a conduit conveying the people's tribute to its legitimate objects of expenditure, becomes a hoarding place for money needlessly withdrawn from trade and the people's use, thus crippling our national energies, suspending our country's development, preventing investment in productive enterprise, threatening financial disturbance, and inviting schemes of public plunder.
This condition of our Treasury is not altogether new, and it has more than once of late been submitted to the people's representatives in the Congress, who alone can apply a remedy. And yet the situation still continues, with aggravated incidents, more than ever presaging financial convulsion and widespread disaster.
It will not do to neglect this situation because its dangers are not now palpably imminent and apparent. They exist none the less certainly, and await the unforeseen and unexpected occasion when suddenly they will be precipitated upon us.
On the 30th day of June, 1885, the excess of revenues over public expenditures, after complying with the annual requirement of the sinking-fund act, was $17,859,735.84; during the year ended June 30, 1886, such excess amounted to $49,405,545.20, and during the year ended June 30, 1887, it reached the sum of $55,567,849.54.
The annual contributions to the sinking fund during the three years above specified, amounting in the aggregate to $138,058,320.94, and deducted from the surplus as stated, were made by calling in for that purpose outstanding 3 per cent bonds of the Government. During the six months prior to June 30, 1887, the surplus revenue had grown so large by repeated accumulations, and it was feared the withdrawal of this great sum of money needed by the people would so affect the business of the country, that the sum of $79,864,100 of such surplus was applied to the payment of the principal and interest of the 3 per cent bonds still outstanding, and which were then payable at the option of the Government. The precarious condition of financial affairs among the people still needing relief, immediately after the 30th day of June, 1887, the remainder of the 3 per cent bonds then outstanding, amounting with principal and interest to the sum of $18,877,500, were called in and applied to the sinking-fund contribution for the current fiscal year. Notwithstanding these operations of the Treasury Department, representations of distress in business circles not only continued, but increased, and absolute peril seemed at hand. In these circumstances the contribution to the sinking fund for the current fiscal year was at once completed by the expenditure of $27,684,283.55 in the purchase of Government bonds not yet due bearing 4 and 41/2 per cent interest, the premium paid thereon averaging about 24 per cent for the former and 8 per cent for the latter. In addition to this, the interest accruing during the current year upon the outstanding bonded indebtedness of the Government was to some extent anticipated, and banks selected as depositories of public money were permitted to somewhat increase their deposits.
While the expedients thus employed to release to the people the money lying idle in the Treasury served to avert immediate danger, our surplus revenues have continued to accumulate, the excess for the present year amounting on the 1st day of December to $55,258,701.19, and estimated to reach the sum of $113,000,000 on the 30th of June next, at which date it is expected that this sum, added to prior accumulations, will swell the surplus in the Treasury to $140,000,000.
There seems to be no assurance that, with such a withdrawal from use of the people's circulating medium, our business community may not in the near future be subjected to the same distress which was quite lately produced from the same cause. And while the functions of our National Treasury should be few and simple, and while its best condition would be reached, I believe, by its entire disconnection with private business interests, yet when, by a perversion of its purposes, it idly holds money uselessly subtracted from the channels of trade, there seems to be reason for the claim that some legitimate means should be devised by the Government to restore in an emergency, without waste or extravagance, such money to its place among the people.
If such an emergency arises, there now exists no clear and undoubted executive power of relief. Heretofore the redemption of 3 per cent bonds, which were payable at the option of the Government, has afforded a means for the disbursement of the excess of our revenues; but these bonds have all been retired, and there are no bonds outstanding the payment of which we have a right to insist upon. The contribution to the sinking fund which furnishes the occasion for expenditure in the purchase of bonds has been already made for the current year, so that there is no outlet in that direction.
In the present state of legislation the only pretense of any existing executive power to restore at this time any part of our surplus revenues to the people by its expenditure consists in the supposition that the Secretary of the Treasury may enter the market and purchase the bonds of the Government not yet due, at a rate of premium to be agreed upon. The only provision of law from which such a power could be derived is found in an appropriation bill passed a number of years ago, and it is subject to the suspicion that it was intended as temporary and limited in its application, instead of conferring a continuing discretion and authority. No condition ought to exist which would justify the grant of power to a single official, upon his judgment of its necessity, to withhold from or release to the business of the people, in an unusual manner, money held in the Treasury, and thus affect at his will the financial situation of the country; and if it is deemed wise to lodge in the Secretary of the Treasury the authority in the present juncture to purchase bonds, it should be plainly vested, and provided, as far as possible, with such checks and limitations as will define this official's right and discretion and at the same time relieve him from undue responsibility.
In considering the question of purchasing bonds as a means of restoring to circulation the surplus money accumulating in the Treasury, it should be borne in mind that premiums must of course be paid upon such purchase, that there may be a large part of these bonds held as investments which can not be purchased at any price, and that combinations among holders who are willing to sell may unreasonably enhance the cost of such bonds to the Government.
It has been suggested that the present bonded debt might be refunded at a less rate of interest and the difference between the old and new security paid in cash, thus finding use for the surplus in the Treasury. The success of this plan, it is apparent, must depend upon the volition of the holders of the present bonds; and it is not entirely certain that the inducement which must be offered them would result in more financial benefit to the Government than the purchase of bonds, while the latter proposition would reduce the principal of the debt by actual payment instead of extending it.
The proposition to deposit the money held by the Government in banks throughout the country for use by the people is, it seems to me, exceedingly objectionable in principle, as establishing too close a relationship between the operations of the Government Treasury and the business of the country and too extensive a commingling of their money, thus fostering an unnatural reliance in private business upon public funds. If this scheme should be adopted, it should only be done as a temporary expedient to meet an urgent necessity. Legislative and executive effort should generally be in the opposite direction, and should have a tendency to divorce, as much and as fast as can be safely done, the Treasury Department from private enterprise.
Of course it is not expected that unnecessary and extravagant appropriations will be made for the purpose of avoiding the accumulation of an excess of revenue. Such expenditure, besides the demoralization of all just conceptions of public duty which it entails, stimulates a habit of reckless improvidence not in the least consistent with the mission of our people or the high and beneficent purposes of our Government.
I have deemed it my duty to thus bring to the knowledge of my countrymen, as well as to the attention of their representatives charged with the responsibility of legislative relief, the gravity of our financial situation. The failure of the Congress heretofore to provide against the dangers which it was quite evident the very nature of the difficulty must necessarily produce caused a condition of financial distress and apprehension since your last adjournment which taxed to the utmost all the authority and expedients within executive control; and these appear now to be exhausted. If disaster results from the continued inaction of Congress, the responsibility must rest where it belongs.
Though the situation thus far considered is fraught with danger which should be fully realized, and though it presents features of wrong to the people as well as peril to the country, it is but a result growing out of a perfectly palpable and apparent cause, constantly reproducing the same alarming circumstances--a congested National Treasury and a depleted monetary condition in the business of the country. It need hardly be stated that while the present situation demands a remedy, we can only be saved from a like predicament in the future by the removal of its cause.
Our scheme of taxation, by means of which this needless surplus is taken from the people and put into the public Treasury, consists of a tariff or duty levied upon importations from abroad and internal-revenue taxes levied upon the consumption of tobacco and spirituous and malt liquors. It must be conceded that none of the things subjected to internal-revenue taxation are, strictly speaking, necessaries. There appears to be no just complaint of this taxation by the consumers of these articles, and there seems to be nothing so well able to bear the burden without hardship to any portion of the people.
But our present tariff laws, the vicious, inequitable, and illogical source of unnecessary taxation, ought to be at once revised and amended. These laws, as their primary and plain effect, raise the price to consumers of all articles imported and subject to duty by precisely the sum paid for such duties. Thus the amount of the duty measures the tax paid by those who purchase for use these imported articles. Many of these things, however, are raised or manufactured in our own country, and the duties now levied upon foreign goods and products are called protection to these home manufactures, because they render it possible for those of our people who are manufacturers to make these taxed articles and sell them for a price equal to that demanded for the imported goods that have paid customs duty. So it happens that while comparatively a few use the imported articles, millions of our people, who never used and never saw any of the foreign products, purchase and use things of the same kind made in this country, and pay therefor nearly or quite the same enhanced price which the duty adds to the imported articles. Those who buy imports pay the duty charged thereon into the public Treasury, but the great majority of our citizens, who buy domestic articles of the same class, pay a sum at least approximately equal to this duty to the home manufacturer. This reference to the operation of our tariff laws is not made by way of instruction, but in order that we may be constantly reminded of the manner in which they impose a burden upon those who consume domestic products as well as those who consume imported articles, and thus create a tax upon all our people.
It is not proposed to entirely relieve the country of this taxation. It must be extensively continued as the source of the Government's income; and in a readjustment of our tariff the interests of American labor engaged in manufacture should be carefully considered, as well as the preservation of our manufacturers. It may be called protection or by any other name, but relief from the hardships and dangers of our present tariff laws should be devised with especial precaution against imperiling the existence of our manufacturing interests. But this existence should not mean a condition which, without regard to the public welfare or a national exigency, must always insure the realization of immense profits instead of moderately profitable returns. As the volume and diversity of our national activities increase, new recruits are added to those who desire a continuation of the advantages which they conceive the present system of tariff taxation directly affords them. So stubbornly have all efforts to reform the present condition been resisted by those of our fellow-citizens thus engaged that they can hardly complain of the suspicion, entertained to a certain extent, that there exists an organized combination all along the line to maintain their advantage.
We are in the midst of centennial celebrations, and with becoming pride we rejoice in American skill and ingenuity, in American energy and enterprise, and in the wonderful natural advantages and resources developed by a century's national growth. Yet when an attempt is made to justify a scheme which permits a tax to be laid upon every consumer in the land for the benefit of our manufacturers, quite beyond a reasonable demand for governmental regard, it suits the purposes of advocacy to call our manufactures infant industries still needing the highest and greatest degree of favor and fostering care that can be wrung from Federal legislation.
It is also said that the increase in the price of domestic manufactures resulting from the present tariff is necessary in order that higher wages may be paid to our workingmen employed in manufactories than are paid for what is called the pauper labor of Europe. All will acknowledge the force of an argument which involves the welfare and liberal compensation of our laboring people. Our labor is honorable in the eyes of every American citizen; and as it lies at the foundation of our development and progress, it is entitled, without affectation or hypocrisy, to the utmost regard. The standard of our laborers' life should not be measured by that of any other country less favored, and they are entitled to their full share of all our advantages.
By the last census it is made to appear that of the 17,392,099 of our population engaged in all kinds of industries 7,670,493 are employed in agriculture, 4,074,238 in professional and personal service (2,934,876 of whom are domestic servants and laborers), while 1,810,256 are employed in trade and transportation and 3,837,112 are classed as employed in manufacturing and mining.
For present purposes, however, the last number given should be considerably reduced. Without attempting to enumerate all, it will be conceded that there should be deducted from those which it includes 375,143 carpenters and joiners, 285,401 milliners, dressmakers, and seamstresses, 172,726 blacksmiths, 133,756 tailors and tailoresses, 102,473 masons, 76,241 butchers, 41,309 bakers, 22,083 plasterers, and 4,891 engaged in manufacturing agricultural implements, amounting in the aggregate to 1,214,023, leaving 2,623,089 persons employed in such manufacturing industries as are claimed to be benefited by a high tariff.
To these the appeal is made to save their employment and maintain their wages by resisting a change. There should be no disposition to answer such suggestions by the allegation that they are in a minority among those who labor, and therefore should forego an advantage in the interest of low prices for the majority. Their compensation, as it may be affected by the operation of tariff laws, should at all times be scrupulously kept in view; and yet with slight reflection they will not overlook the fact that they are consumers with the rest; that they too have their own wants and those of their families to supply from their earnings, and that the price of the necessaries of life, as well as the amount of their wages, will regulate the measure of their welfare and comfort.
But the reduction of taxation demanded should be so measured as not to necessitate or justify either the loss of employment by the workingman or the lessening of his wages; and the profits still remaining to the manufacturer after a necessary readjustment should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice of the interests of his employees, either in their opportunity to work or in the diminution of their compensation. Nor can the worker in manufactures fail to understand that while a high tariff is claimed to be necessary to allow the payment of remunerative wages, it certainly results in a very large increase in the price of nearly all sorts of manufactures, which, in almost countless forms, he needs for the use of himself and his family. He receives at the desk of his employer his wages, and perhaps before he reaches his home is obliged, in a purchase for family use of an article which embraces his own labor, to return in the payment of the increase in price which the tariff permits the hard-earned compensation of many days of toil.
The farmer and the agriculturist, who manufacture nothing, but who pay the increased price which the tariff imposes upon every agricultural implement, upon all he wears, and upon all he uses and owns, except the increase of his flocks and herds and such things as his husbandry produces from the soil, is invited to aid in maintaining the present situation; and he is told that a high duty on imported wool is necessary for the benefit of those who have sheep to shear, in order that the price of their wool may be increased. They, of course, are not reminded that the farmer who has no sheep is by this scheme obliged, in his purchases of clothing and woolen goods, to pay a tribute to his fellow-farmer as well as to the manufacturer and merchant, nor is any mention made of the fact that the sheep owners themselves and their households must wear clothing and use other articles manufactured from the wool they sell at tariff prices, and thus as consumers must return their share of this increased price to the tradesman.
I think it may be fairly assumed that a large proportion of the sheep owned by the farmers throughout the country are found in small flocks, numbering from twenty-five to fifty. The duty on the grade of imported wool which these sheep yield is 10 cents each pound if of the value of 30 cents or less and 12 cents if of the value of more than 30 cents. If the liberal estimate of 6 pounds be allowed for each fleece, the duty thereon would be 60 or 72 cents; and this may be taken as the utmost enhancement of its price to the farmer by reason of this duty. Eighteen dollars would thus represent the increased price of the wool from twenty-five sheep and $36 that from the wool of fifty sheep; and at present values this addition would amount to about one-third of its price. If upon its sale the farmer receives this or a less tariff profit, the wool leaves his hands charged with precisely that sum, which in all its changes will adhere to it until it reaches the consumer. When manufactured into cloth and other goods and material for use, its cost is not only increased to the extent of the farmer's tariff profit, but a further sum has been added for the benefit of the manufacturer under the operation of other tariff laws. In the meantime the day arrives when the farmer finds it necessary to purchase woolen goods and material to clothe himself and family for the winter. When he faces the tradesman for that purpose, he discovers that he is obliged not only to return in the way of increased prices his tariff profit on the wool he sold, and which then perhaps lies before him in manufactured form, but that he must add a considerable sum thereto to meet a further increase in cost caused by a tariff duty on the manufacture. Thus in the end he is aroused to the fact that he has paid upon a moderate purchase, as a result of the tariff scheme, which when he sold his wool seemed so profitable, an increase in price more than sufficient to sweep away all the tariff profit he received upon the wool he produced and sold.
When the number of farmers engaged in wool raising is compared with all the farmers in the country and the small proportion they bear to our population is considered; when it is made apparent that in the case of a large part of those who own sheep the benefit of the present tariff on wool is illusory; and, above all, when it must be conceded that the increase of the cost of living caused by such tariff becomes a burden upon those with moderate means and the poor, the employed and unemployed, the sick and well, and the young and old, and that it constitutes a tax which with relentless grasp is fastened upon the clothing of every man, woman, and child in the land, reasons are suggested why the removal or reduction of this duty should be included in a revision of our tariff laws.
In speaking of the increased cost to the consumer of our home manufactures resulting from a duty laid upon imported articles of the same description, the fact is not ever looked that competition among our domestic producers sometimes has the effect of keeping the price of their products below the highest limit allowed by such duty. But it is notorious that this competition is too often strangled by combinations quite prevalent at this time, and frequently called trusts, which have for their object the regulation of the supply and price of commodities made and sold by members of the combination. The people can hardly hope for any consideration in the operation of these selfish schemes.
If, however, in the absence of such combination, a healthy and free competition reduces the price of any particular dutiable article of home production below the limit which it might otherwise reach under our tariff laws, and if with such reduced price its manufacture continues to thrive, it is entirely evident that one thing has been discovered which should be carefully scrutinized in an effort to reduce taxation.
The necessity of combination to maintain the price of any commodity to the tariff point furnishes proof that someone is willing to accept lower prices for such commodity and that such prices are remunerative; and lower prices produced by competition prove the same thing. Thus where either of these conditions exists a case would seem to be presented for an easy reduction of taxation.
The considerations which have been presented touching our tariff laws are intended only to enforce an earnest recommendation that the surplus revenues of the Government be prevented by the reduction of our customs duties, and at the same time to emphasize a suggestion that in accomplishing this purpose we may discharge a double duty to our people by granting to them a measure of relief from tariff taxation in quarters where it is most needed and from sources where it can be most fairly and justly accorded.
Nor can the presentation made of such considerations be with any degree of fairness regarded as evidence of unfriendliness toward our manufacturing interests or of any lack of appreciation of their value and importance.
These interests constitute a leading and most substantial element of our national greatness and furnish the proud proof of our country's progress. But if in the emergency that presses upon us our manufacturers are asked to surrender something for the public good and to avert disaster, their patriotism, as well as a grateful recognition of advantages already afforded, should lead them to willing cooperation. No demand is made that they shall forego all the benefits of governmental regard; but they can not fail to be admonished of their duty, as well as their enlightened self-interest and safety, when they are reminded of the fact that financial panic and collapse, to which the present condition tends, afford no greater shelter or protection to our manufactures than to other important enterprises. Opportunity for safe, careful, and deliberate reform is now offered; and none of us should be unmindful of a time when an abused and irritated people, heedless of those who have resisted timely and reasonable relief, may insist upon a radical and sweeping rectification of their wrongs.
The difficulty attending a wise and fair revision of our tariff laws is not underestimated. It will require on the part of the Congress great labor and care, and especially a broad and national contemplation of the subject and a patriotic disregard of such local and selfish claims as are unreasonable and reckless of the welfare of the entire country.
Under our present laws more than 4,000 articles are subject to duty. Many of these do not in any way compete with our own manufactures, and many are hardly worth attention as subjects of revenue. A considerable reduction can be made in the aggregate by adding them to the free list. The taxation of luxuries presents no features of hardship; but the necessaries of life used and consumed by all the people, the duty upon which adds to the cost of living in every home, should be greatly cheapened.
The radical reduction of the duties imposed upon raw material used in manufactures, or its free importation, is of course an important factor in any effort to reduce the price of these necessaries. It would not only relieve them from the increased cost caused by the tariff on such material, but the manufactured product being thus cheapened that part of the tariff now laid upon such product, as a compensation to our manufacturers for the present price of raw material, could be accordingly modified. Such reduction or free importation would serve besides to largely reduce the revenue. It is not apparent how such a change can have any injurious effect upon our manufacturers. On the contrary, it would appear to give them a better chance in foreign markets with the manufacturers of other countries, who cheapen their wares by free material. Thus our people might have the opportunity of extending their sales beyond the limits of home consumption, saving them from the depression, interruption in business, and loss caused by a glutted domestic market and affording their employees more certain and steady labor, with its resulting quiet and contentment.
The question thus imperatively presented for solution should be approached in a spirit higher than partisanship and considered in the light of that regard for patriotic duty which should characterize the action of those intrusted with the weal of a confiding people. But the obligation to declared party policy and principle is not wanting to urge prompt and effective action. Both of the great political parties now represented in the Government have by repeated and authoritative declarations condemned the condition of our laws which permit the collection from the people of unnecessary revenue, and have in the most solemn manner promised its correction; and neither as citizens nor partisans are our countrymen in a mood to condone the deliberate violation of these pledges.
Our progress toward a wise conclusion will not be improved by dwelling upon the theories of protection and free trade. This savors too much of bandying epithets. It is a condition which confronts us, not a theory. Relief from this condition may involve a slight reduction of the advantages which we award our home productions, but the entire withdrawal of such advantages should not be contemplated. The question of free trade is absolutely irrelevant, and the persistent claim made in certain quarters that all the efforts to relieve the people from unjust and unnecessary taxation are schemes of so-called free traders is mischievous and far removed from any consideration for the public good.
The simple and plain duty which we owe the people is to reduce taxation to the necessary expenses of an economical operation of the Government and to restore to the business of the country the money which we hold in the Treasury through the perversion of governmental powers. These things can and should be done with safety to all our industries, without danger to the opportunity for remunerative labor which our workingmen need, and with benefit to them and all our people by cheapening their means of subsistence and increasing the measure of their comforts.
The Constitution provides that the President "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union." It has been the custom of the Executive, in compliance with this provision, to annually exhibit to the Congress, at the opening of its session, the general condition of the country, and to detail with some particularity the operations of the different Executive Departments. It would be especially agreeable to follow this course at the present time and to call attention to the valuable accomplishments of these Departments during the last fiscal year; but I am so much impressed with the paramount importance of the subject to which this communication has thus far been devoted that I shall forego the addition of any other topic, and only urge upon your immediate consideration the "state of the Union" as shown in the present condition of our Treasury and our general fiscal situation, upon which every element of our safety and prosperity depends.
The reports of the heads of Departments, which will be submitted, contain full and explicit information touching the transaction of the business intrusted to them and such recommendations relating to legislation in the public interest as they deem advisable. I ask for these reports and recommendations the deliberate examination and action of the legislative branch of the Government.
There are other subjects not embraced in the departmental reports demanding legislative consideration, and which I should be glad to submit. Some of them, however, have been earnestly presented in previous messages, and as to them I beg leave to repeat prior recommendations.
As the law makes no provision for any report from the Department of State, a brief history of the transactions of that important Department, together with other matters which it may hereafter be deemed essential to commend to the attention of the Congress, may furnish the occasion for a future communication. | 2019-04-20T06:19:06Z | https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-6-1887-third-annual-message |
It is important to understand that a Divorce Settlement is not a Parenting Plan. We find daily that most disagreements between parents are directly related to grey areas or impractical arrangements regarding children or joint decision making. We can assist you with the creation of a new Plan or the maintenance of an existing plan.
to ensure the continued involvement of both parents or other person with the minor child(ren) after the parents’ divorce or after the separation of unmarried parents.
These aims are reached by both parents following a mediation process with a qualified mediator (in terms of the Act) who facilitates the process and draws up the parenting plan. This person may be a mediator, family advocate, psychologist, social worker or other suitably qualified person.
In July 2007, sections of the Children’s Act came into effect, and certain articles in the Act, such as those regarding the drawing up of a parenting plan, were promulgated on 1 April 2010.
In addition to the protection provided under the Bill of Human Rights, as described in Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, the best interests of the child are also paramount under the Children’s Act.
The Children’s Act stipulates that “if the co-holders of parental responsibilities and rights in respect of a child are experiencing difficulties in exercising their responsibilities and rights, those persons, before seeking the intervention of a court, must first seek to agree on a parenting plan determining the exercise of their respective responsibilities and rights in respect of the child”.
The parents may also, in the absence of a dispute, voluntarily decide to have a parenting plan drawn up in which both parents’ parental responsibilities and rights as well as the exercising of these responsibilities and rights are prescribed. With such a plan, possible future problems could be identified, discussed and resolved timeously.
In the event of divorce, the parenting plan could be attached as an addendum to the settlement agreement between the parties. The plan would first be registered with the Office of the Family Advocate, after which it would be made an order of court together with the settlement agreement. If the court has already granted a divorce, a parenting plan could still be compiled and the court requested to attach the plan as an addendum to the existing settlement agreement between the parties thus making it an order of court.
If parents who are not legally married decide to separate, and a settlement agreement is not applicable, they can still decide to have a parenting plan drawn up. In this plan both parents can feature as guardians as well as holders of full responsibilities and rights with regard to their minor child(ren). The responsibilities and rights and the exercising thereof are also described.
Where a parenting plan does not form part of a divorce process, it is registered with the Family Advocate’s Office and/or made an order of court. It is strongly advised that both steps should be taken. The same process is followed with regard to the drawing up and registration of the parenting plan as described in paragraph 2.1.
If an unmarried parent experiences difficulty with the description or exercising of his or her responsibilities and/or rights, and the other parent is requested to participate in the mediation in order to draw up a parenting plan, but refuses, such parent can approach the court. The court can then order both parents to participate in a mediation process so that a parenting plan can be drawn up. Such a parent should first contact the Family Advocate’s Office* for details regarding the correct procedure. It is, however, always in the best interests of the child(ren), as well as of the parents themselves, to voluntarily have a parenting plan compiled rather than for one of the parents to have no other option but to follow the court route.
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Momentum Oscillators. 1 Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) Source: DealBook® 360 screen capture printed by permission.
FX Empire One of the most common ways to trade the forex markets is to follow momentum. Previous All Episodes19.
Forex macd crossover strategy. Once you understand how they work they can be a valuable tool to back up your trading strategies.
AtoZForex Download Forex MACD trading strategy EA for free, It s a powerful MT4 expert advisor which trades for you based on MACD indicator. Currency Trading Module Module 12: Technical Indicators Explained.
Futures Magazine MACD means Moving Average Convergence Divergence and it is a trend following momentum indicator. MACD Indicator Divergence Trading Strategy That Works Video.
Hello guys, today we re going to talk about one of the most popular Indicators the Moving Average Convergence Divergence or MACD. Com MACD can be used to trade trends and reversals.
Taking into account the histogram, to trade the MACD instead of the price presents a new opportunity to trade an already familiar idea, the divergence. MACD, RSI SMA Trading.
How to use MACD to trade forex TerraSeeds Look at what is Moving Average Convergence Divergence or MACD Indicator by Gerard Appel, 2 types of trading signals and how to put together a trading plan. As with the Stochastic indicator, I want to specify that I am not covering the functionality of this indicator for you to immediately start using MACD.
Right from the start I used it as a technical analysis tool, applied the macd indicator to the daily chart and used it to measure an increase in momentum, the overall strength of the market as well as trend direction. Goofs Crazy Credits Quotes Alternate Versions Connections Soundtracks Learn to Trade Forex with cTrader. This post will teach the basics of using the Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) to analysis and trade Forex. RISING BULL MARKET.
Forex macd crossover strategy GO TO PAGE. The MACD is one of the most popular and broadly used indicators for Forex trading.
The MACD is a Momentum Oscillator that also provides trading signals but however it doesn t. The system is traded on 30 minute time frames, and it is suitable for trading major Forex pairsEUR USD, GBP USD, USD JPY, USD CHF,.
Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) Learn to Trade. Please email us if you would like us to cover specific topics that are not already listed.
We show you the MACD 3 Trade setups that are qualified. Automated Forex Trading System 80% Accurate Forex Scalping System Strategy With MACD And Stochastic Indicator.
MACD Indicator and Forex Trading Forex Carry Trade Jan 8, Indicators Required. As a professional trader spending hours on hours per week looking at charts, you start to develop a technical vision which unconsciously lets you see cardinal points in the market, overlooked by the.
Histogram is the difference between the MACD and Signal line. Above is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute trading advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any stock, option, future, commodity, or forex product.
The MACD indicator offers huge versatility in trading Admiral Markets The intraday trading system uses the following indicators: Smoothed Moving Average365 close ; MACD24 52 9 ; Williams Percent Range28 ; Admiral Pivot Point IndicatorD1. When done correct.
Fxpro Help Centre Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) A library of educational articles that cover the basics of forex and more advanced trading topics. Learn the buy, sell, stop and take profit rules.
The software package will automatically display the MACD along with your price indicator, such as candlesticks. MACD buy sell signals Moving Average.
The default MACD settings are used: Fast EMA: 12; Slow EMA: 26; MACD SMA: 9. MACD Divergence Strategy Forex Trading Strategy EarnForex Macd e Trading.
Moving Average Convergence Divergence XM. And how to trade forex with it.
Com Learn how forex traders use MACD to indicate new trends. MACD Indicator Trading Strategy.
When the shorter term 12 period EMA crosses above the longer term 26 period EMA, the MACD line crosses above the Zero line. Most technical traders have experience using the more popular oscillators,. MACD Indicator Explained What is the MACD Indicator. Feb 28, Trading with MACD indicator is widely used by Forex traders. We break them down for you according to the rules and give you the exact entry,. The first is the number of periods that is used to calculate.
Find the technical indicator list and click on MACD to add it to your chart. 21 EMA MACD Scalping Forex Trading Strategy Forexfunction.
It was developed by Gerald Appel in the late 70s. Back to complete forex trading video course. Take note that events in the economic calendar may be labeled with the. Forex Strategies.
This article will delve deeper. Trading Strategy with MACD and ADX Forex Factory Dec 25, Why Trading With Indicators Inhibits Forex Trading Success This article is going to explain exactly why trading with indicators is detrimental to your success.
C by Global Forex. Trade forex macd.
2) MACDwith default setting. JKonFX This Forex guide is under development. Aug 31, Lacking experience in technical analysis. The MACD indicator, which requires Moving Averages as its input, falls into the group of the lagging indicators.
Com Jan 2, I have been trading forex MACD divergence with ease and I have dedicated this post to showing you how you can also trade the divergence and profit from it. The webinar will help you to find out the key challenges and the best practices related to identifying entry and exit signals and.
How to Use the MACD Indicator BabyPips. All you need to know in an easy to learn guide.
Is abbreviation for Moving Average Convergence Divergence. Forex trading strategy7Simple MACD crossover.
Trading The MACD Indicator Like A Pro Netpicks The MACD histogram was added in 1986. Double Bollinger Band, MACD, Stochastic Crossover Forex Strategy.
However, be aware that MACD is often misused. MACD Forex strategies Once you have accurate entry signal, you can further increase its accuracy by researching the possibility of improving the entry price.
This article will give you an in depth review of the Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator. To find out more or purchase the course, click here–.
In the case of the MACD indicator, the most widely used. Divergence on the MACD is one of the ways the indicator is used, and takes two forms.
This utterly simple strategy will help you to trade with the short term trend. OpenLIVE" Trading Webinar Daily 5 45am9 00am PT1 45 pm GMT) In this webinar, You get to sit down and trade with us live every day during the New York Trading Session.
Forex Trading One very important forex trading indicator that is based on moving averages is called the Moving Average Convergence Divergence, or theMACD. MACDMoving Average Convergence Divergence) ForexAbode.
A Quicker Trade Signal Using MACD s Histogram Yahoo Finance May 14, Talking Points: The MACD and Signal line crossover gives traditional buy sell signals. Why Trading With Indicators Inhibits Forex Trading Success Learn.
Take advantage of this strategy because with this strategy, the larger the position, the larger the potential gains once the price reverses; in ForexFX,. MACD strategy Description and Screenshotsdownload) ProfitF Home Forex Strategies MACD strategy Trend Line and MACD.
As an oscillator, the MACD is commonly used to pick turning points in the markets or used to time the entries into a trade. Apr 15, MACD WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT MEANS, HOW TO TRADE WITH IT.
Trade forex macd. Each opened at slightly better price.
In this strategy, you will learn how can you find trading signals using 21 EMA exponential moving. Using this method in Forex trading, which allows scaling in and out of trades with little to no effort, makes the idea more tempting to those engaged with day trading and.
Automated Forex Trading System 80% Accurate Forex Scalping. Oscillators work under the premise that as momentum begins to slow, fewer active buyers and sellers are willing to trade at the current price.
Ultimate Guide to the MACD Indicator TraderHQ. Com Insight of MACDMoving Average Convergence Divergence) indicator and in depth understanding of MACD trading strategies in technical analysis for Forex trading.
RobotFX MACD RobotFX The Daily Chart MACD forex trading strategy is a swing mechanical trading system that delivers unique signals. When the price of an asset is moving one direction and the MACD in the other, that s.
How to Trade Using the MACD Indicator. To see a full list of our technical indicator posts, please visit our Forex 101: Technical Indicator Basics page.
MACD Explained: How to Use MACD Indicator in Trading Forexology 4 Types Of Indicators FX Traders Must Know As the chart shows, Macd Technical Analysis How To Trade Forex Deviation Levels combination does a good job of identifying the major trend of the market at least most of the time. Orbex presents a FREE webinar that will introduce you to the most popular and easy to use technical indicators Stochastics MACD.
Watch our video tutorial and learn how to trade MACD in Forex. You can do so by simply dividing the trade into a few smaller partial trades.
This strategy is applied using solely the Moving average convergence divergenceMACD. 200 EMA is very profitable mt4 indicator.
Online Trading Concepts The MACD indicator stands for Moving Average Convergence Divergence and can be used to signal when a trend has been formed. MACD Trend Following Strategy Trading Strategy Guides May 10, This is an unorthodox approach to technical analysis, but we at Trading Strategy Guides.
Many traders use this indicator to decide entry- and exit points from trades. Now that we know how to plot trend lines using the MACD oscillator, the next step is to define the trading rules.
Crash Course: Trading with Stochastics MACD Orbex Forex. This strategy is designed to give all of this precise information based on which any trader can.
As such, many traders wanting to enter a trade sooner dismiss it as alagging” indicator. Точные торговые сигналы бесплатно.
Try MACD Histogram Bars. Daily Chart MACD Forex Trading Strategy FXTSP.
Lets cut the crap and talk about what matters. MACD Swing Trading Strategy Forex Experts INDICATORS SETUP.
Apr 13, One of the most popular tools for technical analysis in Forex is the MACD indicator. Com Feb 14, Moving average is very effective in Forex market and in this strategy we have used 21 moving average with MACD.
The basic function of the MACD Forex. 5 Profitable Trading Strategies Using the MACD Tradingsim Jan 1, Learn 5 simple MACD trading strategies you can implement in under 1 hour.
MACD- How to Use It and More. We can enter when Histogram begins to get smaller rather than wait for a cross.
1Hr Forex Trading Strategy With MACD Learn to trade the 1Hr Forex Trading Strategy With MACD here. Below is the EURUSD daily chart with some of the more popular indicators; stochastic, MACD, Parabolic SAR, and a few moving averages.
Then you will be able to apply it raw on your charts or to assist your current Forex trading Forex Trading with the MACD INO.
The purpose of this article is purely educational, so you can. Technical Tools for Traders.
Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) Learn To Trade Forex with cTrader. With an MACD chart, you will usually see three numbers that are used for its settings.
RobotFX MACD The RobotFX MACD expert advisor ideology is meant for the traders that are familiar and use the moving average convergence divergenceMACD) indicator in their trading decisions. MACD: The trader s indicator.
Autochartist Nov 16, Traders who use the MACD indicator often are critical of the fact that it will signal an entry after the initial move has begun and, therefore, pips are left on the table. The histogram is often displayed beneath the chart.
Entry rules: When the MACD lines'. Com are different and we don t mind doing uncomfortable things if that s what it takes to succeed in this business.
Technical Indicators. How to use MACD Chart.
First, let s visualize how an authentic swing point really looks on the MACD indicator: trend indicator forex. Il Macd è uno dei più conosciuti strumenti di analisi tecnica ed è da molti considerato un vero e proprio trading system. First Some History. The FX Bootcamp Guide to Strategic and Tactical Forex Trading Feb 23, MACD Stochastic, Double Strategyby ChartArt) trading strategy by ChartArt.
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The MACD is appreciated by traders. Understand Analysis.
MACD Divergence Strategy a reliable Forex trading strategy based on divergenceor convergence) of the price and MACD trends. Experience on your own behalf will enable.
La costruzione di questo indicatore è invero piuttosto semplice dal momento che è basato su due medie mobili che sono certamente lo strumento grafico più utilizzato dagli analisti tecnici. See a summary of OANDA s Clients' positions in the forex market.
The thin dividing line between the bullish market trading zone and the bearish zone when one is. How to Use MACD Indicator Strategy in Forex Explained ForexBoat.
After all, our top priority in trading is being able to find a trend, because that is where the most money is made. Simple MACD Forex Strategy Free Forex Trading Strategies and.
Com Jun 26, A nine day EMA of the MACD, called thesignal line, is then plotted on top of the MACD, functioning as a trigger for buy and sell signals when trading the forex market. One of the most efficient ways to trade the currency markets using momentum is to employ a momentum indicator such as.
Finance Zacks Go to your Forex trading account and pull up a currency pair chart. Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD. MACD Forex Trading. 4 Hour MACD Forex Trading Strategy Trading Setups Review Jan 21, Learn how to trade forex pairs in the 4 hour time frame with this MACD forex trading strategy.
How to Use Just the MACD FOREX Chart. This is so due to the success.
Learn Forex: Trading with MACD DailyFX Nov 27, While often one of the first indicators learned by new traders, MACD is often overlooked amongst the numerous oscillators available. The strategy is a mix of 200 EMA and MACD.
CMC Markets May 12, Learn some of the more popular indicators used by traders, including MACDmoving average convergence divergence, RSIrelative strength index, SMAssimple moving averages) and slow stochastics. Com Traders Blog Jun 14, There are many technical indicators that can be used when trading Forex.
Download Forex MACD trading strategy EA. Learn to Trade Forex with cTrader" Moving Average Convergence.
Trading The MACD Divergence Investopedia Jan 16, Moving average convergence divergenceMACD, invented in 1979 by Gerald Appeal, is one of the most popular technical indicators in trading. We will need only MACD indicator with standard settings: 12, 26, 9.
MACD: What you NEED to know. Trading with MACD Simple Effective Strategies Explained Forex. The unique use of MACD helps to pinpoint trade entries. Indicators are applied to the price charts of forex pairs and can provide a trader with an additional understanding of the market and offer the all importantedge' to being successful.
Developed by Gerald Appel, Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD) is one of the simplest and most. Lesson 5: Trading With Moving Average Convergence DivergenceMACD.
MACD is one of the most commonly used trading indicators in forex. Forex Trading Coaches U.
Some, on the other hand, say that it lags trends too far. TradingView best trading algos and expert opinions on a financial platform. This is a preview of just a portion of the content included in our new Forex Trading Course. If you get any signal in daily time frame from this strategy, then you can get minimum 100 pips and.
Moving Average Conversion DivergenceMACD. Momentum occurs when an exchange rate or the price of a security starts to accelerate as prices move higher or lower.
Learn which strategy works best for you. Apr 17, For any forex trader actively trading the markets, it s always critical to know what the ongoing trend is, and at least equally so importantif not more) is whether or not a trend exists at all or not at a particular time.
Like any other technical indicator, you cannot rely on it for trades. Indicators are used by forex traders to assist with trading decisions and can be a powerful addition to many trading strategies.
This indicator can give about the idea of a true trend. I used it for Forex and Futures trading but everything you are about to.
Because of that, news trading is one of the quick ways you can apply fundamental analysis in forex trading. Note: You can alternatively combine MACD with RSI or Stochastic in order to confirm further your trading.
Let s take a glance at the very basis of currencies trading with MACD indicator. That can help your bottom line.
Com Mar 14, Several market participants watch out for the release of these figures since it may trigger huge moves in the forex market. Both indicators indicate about market trend and help to identify trend direction easily.
Indicators: MACD, RSI and ADX made simple Online Forex Trading. It should be part of your entire trading planning process. Sureshot Profit Making forex strategy with EMA MACD Trading. Trading With MACD Littlefish FX Mar 2, Trading with MACDMoving Average Convergence Divergence) is a strategy which utilises moving average lines, which are created by previous price trends.
Want A Fast Entry Signal. Trade forex macd.
A Momentum Oscillator can help you distinguish between reversals and fluctuations. Any time frame as well as any currency pair can be used.
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There is an area of assistive technology that has recently been gaining momentum, and I would like to explore what that means for us as blind people. We are seeing an emergence of platforms that allow individuals to virtually connect with sighted assistants. Users refer to this category of technology by different terms such as visual interpreting services, or remote assistance services. The two most common varieties of this tech are apps like Aira or Be My Eyes, but less formal mainstream options such as recruiting assistance via Facetime, Skype, or a screen-sharing program like Zoom are also available. My aim here is not to focus on any one or two apps specifically, rather, I prefer to explore the general category of access technology that these programs represent. New companies providing versions of such technology may come and go in our lifetimes, and the specifics of each service are less important to my purpose here than exploring the overall category that they fall into. In this article, I will use the term remote sighted assistance technologies, or remote assistance, to refer to this general group of tech. Since there doesn’t seem to be a consensus about what these technologies are actually called as a group, I’ll use this term for clarity.
As I see it, the key question related to remote assistance apps is: What role do we, as blind people, want this sort of technology to play in our lives? Regardless of one’s individual political views, employment status, amount of tech expertise, level of education, degree of vision loss, etc., I think most would agree that we, as blind people, are best suited to decide how our community can nmost effectively utilize any new technology. I think it is important for us to consider this question, because if we do not, it is likely that other entities will rush to define the role of these technology’s for us. Disability-related agencies, federal legeslators, private businesses, medical professionals, educators, app-developers, blindness organizations, and others may jump in and try to tell us how we should use this technology. Thus it becomes important for us to decide what we, as blind and low vision individuals, do and do not want from the technology.
What, specifically, do we want though? I do not think that we have had a sufficient number of dialogues about this issue to decide. I think this is due in part to the seeming newness of this technology as it relates to blind people. It seems that many folks are yet unfamiliar with the existence of such programs, or if they are aware, they have not yet realized the possible implications of their use. Still others focus on one or two well-known products, and assume that their popularity may be a passing fad. It is true that we have seen many supposed revolutionary technologies come and go over the years. It is fair for us to be cautious before making any sweeping pronouncements about any one tech. My opinion however is that, no matter if any one company, app, or service comes or goes, we are entering a new realm of assistive technology here with the growing availability of these remote assistance type programs. No matter which companies or groups ultimately provide the services, this category of tech will remain, and its impact on our lives as blind people will become more and more apparent. The point being, even if you yourself do not use any remote assistance technologies, you may benefit from taking part in dialogues relating to their use, because the results of such dialogues could prove far-reaching for blind people as a community.
What, then, specifically, might be the issues we consider? I do not pretend to know all the possible ramifications of these technologies, but two large considerations come to mind, and these two will be my focus for the remainder of this article. Some areas I would like us to think about as a community relate to the impact of remote assistance technologies on accessibility advocacy, and their effects on education/training.
I have spent a good portion of my adult life advocating for accessibility. I have written dozens of letters, negotiated with business owners, filed bug reports, talked to developers, provided public education, and done countless hours of both paid and unpaid testing. When I advocate for a company or organization to make its tools accessible, I like to think that I am not just working to improve my own experience as a disabled person, but hopefully to improve the experiences of other users as well. However, the results of such efforts are often quite mixed. For every accessibility victory that I have, I encounter dozens more that do not yield any real improvements. Often companies seem unwilling or unable to make any genuine accessibility changes. Other times, changes are made, but when the site/app/product is updated, or the company switches ownership, then accessibility is harmed. And these barriers are frustrating! Not just frustrating, but such barriers often prevent us from getting important work done. As a result, the availability of remote sighted assistance technologies can make a good deal of difference in our lives. For example, if a website is not accessible, we can still utilize it. If a screen does not have a nonvisual interface, we can accomplish the related task. If a printed document is not available in an alternate format, we can read the info it contains. And the positive outcomes of such increased access can be extraordinary! I am excited about that level of access as I am sure many blind people are.
Yet, over time, with consistent use of remote sighted assistant technologies, might we enter a future where we, as individuals and as a community, are no longer advocating as readily for accessibility? If we enter that future, what might the consequences be? For example, I recently had to make a reservation at a hotel I would be staying at for a business trip out of state. I found that the hotel’s online reservation platform was not accessible with my screen reader. Since that hotel was a good fit for my trip, and because the rates were lower on the website than they would be if I called the hotel directly, I fired up my favorite remote assistance app to have a sighted person navigate to the hotel’s website and make the reservation for me. I felt good about my choice because I got the job done. I reserved my hotel room quickly and efficiently, and did so with little inconvenience to anyone else. And after all, is that not the main point? Was I independent? Yes and no. I did not physically make the reservation by myself on my own computer, but I did get the room booked and did not have to ask a coworker to do it or call the hotel directly. And I was able to get the room reserved during the time in my schedule that was most convenient for me. So I would call that an independence win.
However, here is the part that leaves me with some concern. After getting my room reserved, I did not then contact the hotel to explain the accessibility issue I discovered on the booking part of their website. Could I have? Absolutely, but alas, I did not. And if I had, would my advocacy efforts have been weakened by the fact that, one way or another, I had gotten my reservation booked? Although, in an alternate scenario, one where I did not have remote assistance technology available, I might have spent a good deal of effort contacting the company, explaining the issue, and still not gotten it resolved. In the end I may have had to choose a different hotel, book the reservation over the phone but paid more money, or had a colleague reserve the room for me. And I personally like none of those scenarios as well as the one I have now, where the remote assistance app helped me get my room booked. Yet, by doing this, I am insuring that the inaccessible website remains. If I had contacted the company to advocate for accessibility changes, I may not have gotten the needed accessibility, but by not contacting the company, I definitely did not get improved accessibility. Realistically, those of us who use remote assistance technologies are not likely to do both things – use the assistance while also advocating for accessibility. Some of us may, or we may do so in a few cases, but overall there are not enough hours in a day for us to put as much effort into accessibility advocacy when we have gotten the associated tasks done. Even if we do choose to advocate, might our cases be taken less seriously than before because we ultimately got the task done? In a world where businesses do not often understand the need to make their products and services accessible, will we find it even harder to make our cases if we manage to use the products and services? At the very least, there could be implications if we ever wanted to take legal action, because so much of the legal system focuses upon damages and denials of service. Even if we are not the sort of person to pursue an issue through legal channels though, might we find it harder to educate individual companies about the need for accessibility? Because from a business-owner’s perspective, a blind person was still able to use their service, and the subtleties of how or why we were able to do so would likely be lost in the explanation process.
Yet, even if any one, two, or one million websites are never made accessible, how important is that fact if blind people can still do what they need to do? Maybe we will agree that it is not important. That might not be the worst thing, but I am not sure we have decided this as a community yet because, for the most part, such dialogues have not taken place in any large-scale way. My guess is that opinions on this issue will vary widely, and that sort of healthy debate could be a great thing. It is that variance that makes the issue such a crucial one to discuss.
In the case of my hotel website, I may have been able to get my room reserved, but I did nothing to help insure that the next blind person would be able to reserve her room. I have solved my own problem, but in the process, I have bumped the issue along for the next blind person to encounter. True, that next person may also be able to use her own remote sighted assistance app, and the next person and then the next person, but ultimately the issue of the inaccessible website remains. Have we decided, as blind individuals, that this solution is enough? Because there are complexities to consider. Right now, not all the remote sighted assistance technologies are available to every blind person. Sometimes this unavailability is due to financial constraints I e some of the remote assistance tools are quite expensive. Some remote assistance apps are not available in certain geographic regions. Occasionally the technology is not usable due to the blind person having additional disabilities like deaf-blindness. Some of the assistance programs have age requirements. Other times these technologies are not practical due to the lack of availability or usability of the platforms needed to run them. In any case, it is true that such remote assistance solutions are not currently available to everyone who might benefit from them. Even in an ideal future where every single person on earth had unlimited access to an effective remote assistant technology solution at any time of day, would we still consider that our ultimate resolution to the problem? Might we still want the website to be traditionally accessible, meaning that the site be coded in such a way that most common forms of assistive technology could access it? Would we still prefer that the site follow disability best practices and content accessibility guidelines? Especially considering, in the case of my hotel’s website, that the work needed to make the site more traditionally accessible might be minimal. Do we decide that whether we make our hotel reservations via an accessible website or whether we make them via remote assistant technology, the process is irrelevant as long as we get the reservations made?
Taking this quandary one step further, consider that today there are a handful of organizations, schools, and cities who are paying remote assistance companies to provide nonvisual access to anyone who visits their site. Such services could be revolutionary in terms of offering blind people independence and flexibility unlike that which we have seen before. However, what might the possible drawbacks of this approach be? If I, for example, could talk my current town of Tempe Arizona into paying for a remote access subscription that would give me, and other folks in the city, nonvisual access to all that our town has to offer, wouldn’t that be an extraordinary development? Yes and no. I wonder if, after agreeing to spend a good deal of money on remote access subscriptions, would our city then be unwilling to address other accessibility concerns? Would they stop efforts to make their city websites accessible? Might they resist improvements to nonvisual intersection navigability? Might our local university stop scanning textbooks for students because our city offers remote access for all? When our daughter starts preschool in our local district, might they tell us to use remote assistance, rather than provide us with parent materials in alternative formats? Since our daughter too has vision loss, might her school be reluctant to braille her classroom materials because they know our city provides alternatives for accessing print? On the surface, such scenarios may seem unlikely, but are they really so impossible? After all, if the city is paying for a remote assistance service, would they still feel compelled to use resources on other access improvements? Might residents find that it became harder, not easier, to advocate for changes? What happens to other groups who cannot typically access remote assistance technologies, such as those who are deaf-blind, seniors who may not have the needed tech skills, or children who do not meet the companies’ minimum age requirements for service? If a local group of blind people wants to increase access in their town, and their city only has a set amount of money they are willing to spend on improvements, which items should we be asking for? Remote access subscriptions, increased accessibility, or a combination of these? Such questions are not implying that cities/organizations that purchase subscriptions are making poor choices or that they should not obtain these subscriptions. I am simply asking these questions to get folks thinking about possible implications of widespread remote access use. It is possible that none of my proposed scenarios will come true. It is more likely that other scenarios and potential issues will arise that I have not yet thought up. The point here is not to criticize the groups that employ these services, rather to get us all asking questions, starting dialogues, and considering possible outcomes.
I think it is especially important to think about the implications of such technologies on the world of education. Whether we are talking about the education of young blind children in schools, blind students pursuing degrees at universities, or adults new to vision loss who are going through our vocational rehabilitation system, what becomes most important for us to teach to these individuals? How much time and energy aught we put into basic blindness skills, alternative techniques, and independent problem solving? When a student enters Kindergarten, how many resources do we put into adding braille to objects in their classroom, brailing each book they come across, installing access software on their computers and tablets, insisting that the apps/programs their class uses work with this software, adding braille signage to the school building doors, and making sure the child learns to locate parts of their school using their canes? If the answers to those questions seem obvious, then do those answers change if the age of the student changes? Do we feel the same way about using resources if the student is in third grade? Seventh grade, tenth grade, or a college student? Do the answers change if the student is new to vision loss, has multiple disabilities, is a non-native English speaker, or has other unique circumstances? Do the high school and university science labs of the future equip their blind students with braille, large print, and talking measuring tools, or hardware and software to connect them with remoted sighted assistance? Do we do a combination of these things? And if so, when would we expect a student to use which technique, and how might we explain that choice to the student? Moreover, how might we explain the need for that choice to a classroom teacher, a parent, an IEP team, a disabled student service office, a vocational rehabilitation councelor, or an administrator in charge of allocating funding? In our rehab centers and adjustment to blindness training programs, , what skills do we now prioritize teaching? In our Orientation and Mobility or cane travel classes, do we still spend time teaching folks how to observe their surroundings nonvisually, assess where they are, and develop their own set of techniques for deciding how to get where they want to go? Or is the need for problem-solving less important if one learns how to effectively interact with a remote sighted assistant who can provide visual info like reading street signs, describing neighborhood layouts, relaying the color of traffic lights, and warning of potential obstacles ahead? While most folks would agree that a level of basic orientation and mobility skills are essential for staying safe, which skills, specifically, do we see as being the most crucial given the other info now available to us via remote assistance? In our technology classes, which skills would we spend more time on, how to explore and navigate cluttered interfaces, understanding the various features and settings available in our access software programs, or developing a system of interacting effectively with a sighted assistant whom we reach through an app? Again, if the answer is that we do all those things, how much time do we spend on any one and in which contexts? How much of any certain type of training might our rehab and other funding systems actually support? If agencies, schools, and organizations agree to fund remote access subscriptions might they then choose not to fund other types of training or equipment? Does this funding level change if the person resides in a town or region that has its own subscription to a remote access service? What if the school that a student attends has its own subscription, so the student primarily learns using those techniques, but then the student moves to an area without such access? I have my own thoughts about the answers to these questions, but rather than me devising my own responses, I’d like us, as a community, to consider these questions because their answers have the potential to affect us all.
Employment is often the end-goal of most training and education programs. It is true that blind people have an abysmally high unemployment rate, so almost anything we could do to lower that would be worthwhile, right? Does an increase in remoted sighted assistant technology use actually result in an increase in employment for blind people? Maybe. Maybe not. I suspect we do not have enough data to make a call about that yet. On one hand, remote assistance technologies could enable us to do certain employment tasks more independently and efficiently than ever before. On the other hand, we may find that there are still some technologies that we will need to use autonomously in order to be workforce competitive. Even with remote assistant technologies, we may find that some inaccessible workplace technologies create show-stopping employment barriers for us. When that occurs, we find ourselves back in the realm of needing accessibility advocacy. If we create an education and rehabilitation system that relies heavily upon learning to use remote assistance tech, might we build a future workforce of blind people who are more equipped, or less equip for the world of employment? Only history can tell us for sure one day, but in the meantime, we have to consider what impact our choices about the tools we teach, and the types of access we advocate for, may have on future job seekers.
How much impact has our accessibility advocacy really had on employment rates though? Just a few decades ago, many people believed that assistive technologies would finally level the playing field and revolutionize access to education and employment for people with disabilities. While we have made some strides, we as blind people have not seen much in the way of greater levels of employment. Despite advocacy done by some of the brightest and best minds our community has to offer, we do not yet have nearly the level of universal accessibility that we need to participate as effectively in society as we might like.
Here in the US, recent legislation has weakened the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that fact, combined with a history of lost discrimination and accessibility related cases, may not give us as much hope for the future of accessibility advocacy as we might like. We may wish for apps and websites to be accessible, our classrooms to have braille, our books to be available in alternate formats, our intersections to be navigable, our screens to have nonvisual interfaces, our transit information to be readable, and our products to have instructions that we can access, but the reality is that most often this is not the case. Are we making progress? Absolutely. And arguably, the only way we can attempt to insure future progress is not to abandone our advocacy attempts.
Yet, how much effort have we, as disabled people, put into accessibility, non-discrimination, and inclusion already? With the millions of websites, apps, products, documents, and software programs that still remain inaccessible to blind people despite our combined best efforts, might shifting our focus to increased usage of remote sighted assistance technologies be the most practical next step? Maybe it is and maybe it is not. I think we as blind individuals may want to take a hard look at that question. There are a variety of angles to consider and possible outcomes to explore. Ultimately, we may find that the answer is not a binary one. Perhaps we will find that we want a balanced approach, one that includes accessibility advocacy and remote assistance both. That solution might be a wise one. However, the implementation of that balanced approach will take some careful thought and discussion. There are many competing interests at play here, and reasons for promoting any one solution at any one time may vary depending upon the interests of the persons or group promoting them. Additionally, when questions of funding arise, different groups may insist upon different levels of compromise. Before those tough decisions get made, I’d like us to have had a few more dialogues about the above scenarios so that we can be clear about what we want and why we want it.
Moreover, there is a difference between access and accessibility. Access may mean that a person with a disability can ultimately get a thing done. Accessibility, on the other hand, generally means that the object was designed in such a way that a person with a disability can utilize it with little extra help. This is not to say that accessibility inherently makes a person more independent than access does, or that either is superior, it is just to say that the two things are quite different. Remote assistance technologies do get us access to things, but they do not necessarily make those things more accessible. However, in the sense that we are able to participate effectively in the world and do the things that we want to do, both access and accessibility are quite valuable. Even so, when resources are limited, we may find that we as blind people may have to decide which we most prefer, access or accessibility. Then we may need to decide in which circumstances we might prefer one to the other, and how far we might be willing to go to obtain them. When do we stand our ground and insist upon accessibility, and when do we feel confident that access is an acceptable solution?
I think this issue is a crucial one for us to consider from various angles. Personally, I have thought about the above issues a lot as a blind woman and as the parent of a low vision child. I have thought it through from the perspective of an employed college-educated person who has had the benefit of some excellent blindness skill training. I like to think of myself as someone who has a healthy balance of technology and basic technique mastery in my life. In short, I love technology, I love braille, I also love the feeling I get from independently walking out in the world with my cane. I am an early adopter of new technologies, and yet I have spent much of my life hiring human readers, drivers, and sighted assistants to get certain jobs done. My life experiences have helped me to understand that not always is the highest-tech solution the best one, nor should it be viewed as a last resort. I say this to give context to my views, not as a way of insisting that my own perspective is the best or most correct. There are doubtless many other perspectives from individuals with other very valid points, and that is why I believe further dialogue is necessary.
Remote assistance technologies are here to stay, and it is up to us as blind people to define what role we want them to play in our lives. These technologies are not the solution to all our problems nor are they the cause of them. They are new tools, and like any tools, they are only as good or bad as the hands that use them. Yet there will be many hands and minds who will want to shape the future of these tools for us. Before a private company, a government agency, a tech developer, a federal legislator, or a field of professionals try to define their role for us, we must come together to ask the hard questions, share our perspectives, and make the tough, but important, decisions about what we want for ourselves, our children, and for our futures.
Finally, if you prefer Facebook, feel free to connect with Allison there. | 2019-04-19T10:44:11Z | http://blindaccessjournal.com/2018/03/ |
Artlyst Profile Page at artlyst.com and Deviantart for Jenny Meehan plus Painting Tuition for Women Individual/Small Groups (Max 4) in Surrey/South West London.
All this internet stuff takes time, but it is good for filling up the occasional moment here and there and sometimes reaps a reward.
I did a little bit of a one-to-one teaching painting session with a neighbour recently which I enjoyed and it makes me think I should use my teaching experience alongside the painting. Though I don’t have a Fine Art degree, which is the case with many painting tutors, I have accumulated a fair body of knowledge over the last seven years with respect to art history and theory, and I have a sound knowledge of painting in oils and acrylics, which while this wouldn’t be mind-blowing for an experienced painter, would give a great foundation to a relative beginner. Because I have been fortunate enough to be able to participate in various painting courses as part of the Short Course Programme at West Dean, I also have seen some excellent examples of art/craft tuition, and know that its something which I have the motivation to develop myself. Apart from one final weekend course at West Dean next year, I now reluctantly have to accept that financially this option for continuing development from other practitioners is now beyond my reach. Such are the rising costs of living, and the demands of an ever-growing family.
However, maybe if I did a little bit of tuition from time to time, I could help myself in this respect? Maybe try out a workshop style type painting session and see what happens? Draw out some focused teaching points from issues which arise naturally form a small group or alternatively maybe try out something with a scheme of work? I do need to generate some money, and I have teaching experience I can draw on. I have also learnt a lot over the last few years through the experimental approach I have taken with my own painting. So my lack of Fine Art degree need not be a hindrance. Teaching people to paint and/or draw, (and it is a skill, a craft) in my opinion, is giving them the tools to say what they want in a way which is not only meaningful to them, but which actually conveys a shared experience which the viewer can access in a very precise and clearly defined way. It is a spiritual and emotional thing, but with a physical reality which takes time and effort to establish. The painting/drawing becomes an avenue, an entrance, into an experience, and as the guide, the artist needs to know how to direct the eye and heart of the viewer in a certain way. There is nothing “arty” about this. It is nuts and bolts. You don’t doubt that the person who makes your front door will know the technical skills of his trade, and yet with painting, (maybe because emotion and thought are personal), people can get so bound up in the personal that the exercise of critical judgement and evaluating if something is working or not easily gets lost.
I find I am constantly having to distance myself from my painting. It is a very peculiar thing, but the more I distance myself the more I learn, the more analytical I can be, and yet, the more intimate I feel with my paintings. The more they emotionally resound, the more necessary it is for me to take a step back. The more I allow myself to become lost in the process, the more necessary it is to seek a distant view, a kind of map; an imaginative assessment maybe, of what is actually formally and physically going on.
Alongside the actual analytical/practical skills development, it is always important to also hold onto a person centred approach, as is very much as is the case in ANY teaching. It is useful having a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in this respect. I haven’t forgotten Vygotsky’s theory of proximal development (How COULD you forget a theory like that!) This cannot always be taken for granted…Not all painters who teach have a person centred approach, as countless people who have shared their own (rather traumatic!) experience with me could tell you, and I include myself in that, (though thankfully I can say that 95% of my experience of painters/artists who teach has been excellent). Painting is a creative and constructive action. A vulnerable process. A means of empowerment and a force of expression which can bring a lot of good to a person, and a lot of pleasure, as well as the pain of struggle, which is part of all life. So, as I hold these beliefs, (must be strongly, because I keep going on about them all the time!) then I hope that maybe by branching out in the direction of combining teaching skills with creativity, particularly in the form of painting, I can open some doors, at least, to other people who might like to experiment in this way themselves. I quite like the idea of doing some women only painting/drawing tuition. Most of the courses I have participated in have consisted mainly of women anyway, apart from the blacksmithing and woodcarving. So, when I do start this initiative up, it will be women/female small group or individual painting/drawing tuition.
Very pleased to find out that one of my paintings has been selected for the Three Rivers/Artistsmeet Open Art Exhibition at Artistsmeet in Rickmansworth. We took a trip to see the new Oxhey Woods Sculpture Trail today when we dropped off the painting, and walked through the woods in the pouring rain. There are some lovely carved sculptures, my favourite being the tv and chair, complete with remote control, which no one can hog, because it is part of the armchair.
Another nice part of the day was seeing the Folk Art Papercuts by Suzy Taylor at Artistsmeet and also “The Bog Standard Gallery” created by Melanie Boda. The smallest gallery ever, with some interesting examples of toilet signs! The irony being that after a look within (you cannot say “around” because there is nowhere to walk!) fifteen minutes later (during our wanderings around Rickmansworth), myself, husband and children hunted in vain for a toilet we could do some serious business in, without success. We could have walked back to Artistsmeet I guess, and used the loos there, but we were hunting for some public toilets in Rickmansworth, and saw no toilet signs anywhere, (even though there were the icons marked on my Streetmap print out). So it seems that Rickmansworth is a place with many many toilet signs but not many toilets!
The painting selected for the Three Rivers/Artistsmeet Exhibition is “Whatever the Weather” which is very apt for the current time.
The Tanks: Art in Action…15 week festival 18th July – 28th October – The Tate Modern and The Tate Modern’s Appearance in “London Down Pour” Painting. Plus Being Very Silly with “F” words.
Well, “Art in Action”. That always sounds good, doesn’t it.
Our own contribution to the board with stickers on in The Tanks. I changed “art” to “fart” by tearing a label into an “F” shape, which is always silly, but appealing to an infantile mind, like mine. Even more appealing was the general effect, as it was part of a sentence saying something deep like “How does art influence culture” or something like that. “How does Fart influence culture” is also a very important consideration. I can assure you, this is a VERY pervasive matter. Never underestimate the difference to quality of life that freedom of expression and mutual understanding have on our society. I suspect our valuable contributions will be removed, but if people are going to make boards and ask questions, and provide stickers and pencils, then this is what happens. I had a journey on the board with torn stickers and arrows, my friend made a Matissey type torn sticker face, and we did a few other bits.
On a more serious note, we saw the Munch Exhibition and had many interesting and serious discussions about the paintings.
I’m busy making some frames for the Alliance Healthcare paintings and looking around for some affordable open art exhibitions to enter. There are quite a few where you don’t have to pay until you get to the point where they have chosen your work, which is much, much better. And fairer. It’s important to put work into open submission art exhibitions, but I don’t have much money available to throw it around regardless of the fact my kids need feeding and broken things need to be mended, and so it just gets crazy when organisers start asking for £20 entrance fees. If the entrance fee is low, at least it is possible to be able to afford to enter a few each year. (Maybe £20 is considered little for some people, but for most people, we have to think for some time and weigh it up before popping those two ten pound notes into the wind).
I’m getting lots of emails from Vanity galleries at the mo. Right pain. Nothing worse than being told how someone who wants to exploit you, and hopes you have lots of money to throw away in an unwise manner, really likes your work! Yeah, fine. Let me give you my cash (Er, what cash?) Well, imagine. Let me give you my cash. Yeah, I’ll have that bit of your wall. Yeah. Don’t worry, you just take my money, sit down, have a cup of tea, and I will jot your gallery name on my CV. You’re paid. I’m not. Oh, Oh dear. Well, if someone has thousands, it might be useful for them.
Just occurred to me regarding the tower, that it might be the Tate Modern! I painted the painting in a process led way from my imagination and memories slipped their way in as they do, but though I felt very strongly about having the tower shape in there, it has taken until now for it to slot into place in a logical way! It probably is that. The Thames was always the Thames, and the amount of water and the title was so apt for the weather we have been having. Painting this painting felt like making my way through London, as I have been exploring and visiting parts of London, and places in London, which are not familiar to me. So it’s got a kind of navigational feel to it. Nearly time to find a boat, navigational feel. With the amount of water. It’s very Claude Venard – ish.
Responses so far have made reference to traffic lights, concrete, smog and grime, a feeling of attempting to find ones way through the cityscape, awareness of water and reflections, all of which I am pleased to hear about, because all were in the intention, as it emerged over the course of painting. It is very interesting and helpful to know what the response is to painting, and for this reason I hope that during the Alliance Healthcare Exhibition people will make comments in the contact book with respect to what the paintings communicate to them.
Ah! Great! Integrity. My favourite word. I have just read through the article Sol-Space and the Question of Integrity in Abstract Painting once but will revisit it several times, as it looks rich (in a good sense!). I have a collection of various articles on abstract painting waiting to be read, which I found on JSTOR but they are always waiting, very patiently. I sometimes wish I did my degree in Painting rather than Literature, because of where I am now, but on the other hand I can, and have, learnt a tremendous amount through contact with other painters, short courses in Adult Education settings, and of course, the West Dean Short Course Programme. Plus three very large books on Theory. I’d like more formal education in painting and fine and applied art, but it has been seven years since I started on my current path, and my walk is just starting to take off; the direction is setting in there and I am finally managing to make myself focus in more. In the end, words are words and painting is painting. The relationship between logical thinking and painting is an interesting one, but I find I learn more from focusing on the painting itself rather than anything else. I learn most of my worthwhile lessons that way. Instinct leads the way when painting. Practical skills pave it. Logic wanders around on the path, trying to make sense of it, and hoping to put up signs that other people might follow if they want to.
Or maybe not return? I think now, I may have changed my view, for this abstraction is not apart from nature, it is simply a sharing in the processes of creation. But people do like to look at objects. So do I sometimes. But I love the freedom to do whatever, regardless. And the subjects do tend to push through by the end of the painting, emotive and buried, as they are at first. They want a body, a material, a place in the outside world. It maybe is just a matter of order. I can start to paint with no conscious thought of a subject, but I always arrive at one by the end of the painting. Or I could start knowing, and have more drawn out at the start. I plan to do some of that next, and see how it feels.
I’m feeling rather happy with the freedom of starting from nothing though, and increasingly more content to surrender the need to depict from the outset of a painting, in a pre determined way. I like the uncertainty, and its nice to get a surprise at the end of it. I also recognise drawing and painting are quite different practices, and it is quite good to develop them apart for a while. No harm done I don’t think. Looking at the paintings of Claude Venard (1913-1999) has been immensely helpful to me because I can see that there is plenty of potential for the direction I am going in right now, and also I don’t need to be “clever” about my painting, intellectually. If a painting is good, it can stand on its own two feet (or four corners) and instead of needing to explain itself to its viewer, it will be simply seen. Anything else is interesting, maybe, might help make a sale (or not) might provide some food for thought, but however, is an added bonus, and nothing more than that. If the painting has to clutch onto words around it to work, then something is not right.
What I do value, and wish I had more of, is constructive critique and I was so grateful recently to have a dear painter friend view my Alliance Healthcare work and offer her insights and observations, ALL without fail, were helpful and incisive in a way which helped me over a few hurdles I was encountering. The rather Claude Venard style painting below (I mean, because of the chunky areas of paint) I am happy with right now, but there is a need for linear elements to come into such a piece of painting to increase the interest. I want to leave this one as it is, because I think for this one, its state is right for it, but looking at “Trees with Sacre Coeur in the Distance” oil on canvas by Claude Venard I rather like the way that he has used lines to build the area in the top left corner and I love his post cubist composition which however holds a very interesting and strong tension between flatness and form, definition and lack of clarity.
Making a big impact, and adding a comforting reassurance to me in terms of my own painting direction, the paintings of Claude Venard are an inspiration. Claude Venard, Matisse, Ivon Hitchens and Turner, all influential.
What seems to be happening now in some of the Allied Healthcare paintings I am still working on, is that FORM is emerging as a natural urge, even though I like working on one plane there seems to be something which pushes against this for me. I see the painting process very much like sculpture and maybe it is this feeling which tends to bend the singular plane into an illusion of three-dimensional space. I’ve taken a couple of paintings too far in this directon, and had to flatten them and block them down. Cylinders and cubes have appeared, but I don’t like them just appearing with no job to do! I think if I am going to have more form in the work I would prefer it to relate to objects rather than just appear! Maybe next after this Alliance Healthcare project I will indulge myself in some paintings with a more definate starting point and clearly defined subject matter and see if what I have been doing lately has proved to be useful for that approach.
More paintings are just reaching that point where they are resolved, or certainly resolved enough to be able to show them. However, I don’t line working to a deadline, not with this type of painting work, because I don’t know the target I am trying to hit until very near the end, and, if the end is actually coming towards you, rather than you towards it, there is a certain pressure. In a painting I think the way forward must always come from your centre and outward, yes, with limitations and constraints, maybe from subject matter or a known idea, and subject to constant reappraisal. There needs to be willingness to be flexible, but TIME is just deathly.
Above some details from some of the Alliance Healthcare paintings. “Sorrow for Myself” “Deluge” and “Cove” (Though I have just added a very important mark to “Cove” so it looks a little more resolved right now).
I love taking these images of the paintings after painting as looking through the camera lens is an excellent way of isolating areas of a painting and looking at the relationships between different marks, colours and textures.
“Deluge/House Flood” Acrylic painting. It was cathartic, but not in a “let it rip” kind of way, because I work very firmly within formal considerations as well as following my own instincts with respect to what I should paint next. It started with no obvious subject matter but through the painting process, water came in and what for me is a house form. I related this to a past dream referring back to my childhood home environment, hence the title.
The other paintings in the slide show are “Sorrow for Myself” (and Cove I will post later once I have retaken a full size image with the additional mark. ) “Sorrow for Myself” ended up showing a figure watching broken pieces being pulled downstream by a small stream of water. More water! More rocks! You cannot see the textures too well, or the pearlescent quality of the stream. Also the way that the cobalt blue (always resonates of the spirit, for me) is changed in intensity, not by a change of shade, but by the application of varnish. The pigment load was so high because I made my own paint, (for that part of the painting) and this is very, very useful. I focused on texture and marks mainly, wanting to explore the relationships between texture, mark and emotion. The setting sun colours have been used in past work, I realise. The landscape is quite bright, though the figure subdued. The iron oxide red, I love. There is bleeding, there is pain. But also water flowing (many glass beads used here, with the white). Interested, as I am, in psychoanalytical theory I think there is some emotional freezing going on, and maybe this is something I like in using the glass beads, because they are very ice like, and yet, beautiful too. So reflective and, as I found out with the black area of “The Upper Room” it is very possible for them to convey warmth too, not only coldness. I hope I haven’t ruined my painting too much by writing about it, however, it is helpful to be able to look at it in this analytical way, because there is something interesting going on. | 2019-04-19T01:19:09Z | https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/2012/08/ |
Finally, there is clarity. The Holy See has cleared things up and made the document accessible to all: a handout on checking whether apparitions of the Virgin Mary are authentic.
Everything will be much easier from now on. The Roman Catholic Church has taken a step forward.
This “breaking news” from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) reveals the kinds of issues the Vatican is concerned with — and the kind of world in which some there live. It’s a world in which the official Church investigation of Virgin Mary sightings is carefully regulated while cardinals in the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s administrative and judicial apparatus, wield power with absolutely no checks and the pope’s private correspondence turns up in the desk drawers of a butler.
Since the end of May, the pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, has been detained in a 35-square-meter (377-square-foot) cell at the Vatican, with a window but no TV. Using the code name “Maria,” he allegedly smuggled faxes and letters out of the pope’s private quarters. But it remains unclear who was directing him to do so.
Fear is running rampant in the Curia, where the mood has rarely been this miserable. It’s as if someone had poked a stick into a beehive. Men wearing purple robes are rushing around, hectically monitoring correspondence. No one trusts anyone anymore, and some even hesitate to communicate by phone.
It all began in the accursed seventh year of the papacy of Benedict XVI, with striking parallels to the latter part of Pope John Paul II’s papacy. The same complaints about poor leadership and internal divisions are being aired outside the Vatican’s walls, while the pope himself seems exhausted and no longer able to exert his power.
Joseph Ratzinger turned 85 in April. This makes him the oldest pope in 109 years, and one of the few popes who have exercised what Benedict has called this “enormous” office at such an advanced age.
Of course, he is still enviably fit, both mentally and physically, especially compared to his predecessor in his later years. But speaking has become unmistakably more difficult for Benedict than at the beginning of his papacy, and it’s hard to miss that his movements have become stiff and cautious.
He recently told a visitor that his old piano hardly gets any use anymore. Playing it requires practice, he added, but he doesn’t have any time for that. He prefers to continue working on the last part of his series on Jesus, which he wants to finish before dying.
These days, it isn’t difficult to find clerics at the Vatican who are willing to talk, provided their identities remain anonymous.
The monsignor who finds his way to a restaurant near Piazza Santa Maria in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood one evening worked closely with Ratzinger in the CDF for years. But even before the waiter arrives with water and wine, the monsignor delivers his verdict on Ratzinger’s papacy: “The pope doesn’t fully exercise his office!” In his view, instead of having things under control, they control him.
The pope isn’t interested in daily affairs at the Vatican, says the anonymous monsignor. Still, this is not exactly unprecedented, as his predecessor also neglected the Curia. While the Polish pope spent a lot of time traveling, his German successor is apparently happiest while poring over books and writing speeches. “He simply isn’t taking matters into his own hands,” the monsignor says. In essence, he adds, the pope faces a different power in Rome — and one he hasn’t take command of.
When John Paul II died in April 2005, the Curia was in terrible shape. Events and personnel decisions had been postponed during his last few years, in which he was often ill. The new pope was expected to finally clear off the desks and give the Curia a fresh start.
But, for the most part, such reforms haven’t materialized. Priests still hold all key positions, including those on the Council for the Laity and the Council for the Family. The only woman in a senior position, Briton Lesley-Anne Knight, was driven out of office as secretary-general of the Catholic development agency Caritas Internationalis in 2011 for having openly opposed the Church’s male-dominated hierarchy.
A “reform of the Curia” is probably a contradiction in terms. Its hierarchical, essentially medieval organizational model is incompatible with modern management. The Vatican is an anachronistic, albeit surprisingly tenacious system, in which pecking orders and an absurd penchant for secrecy and intrigue prevail. “The only important thing is proximity to the monarch,” says a member of a cardinal’s staff. Rome works like an absolutist court, one in which decisions are made by people whispering things into the others’ ears rather than by committees. “There are many vain people here, people in sharp competition with one another,” the staff member adds.
Who spoke with whom, and for how long? What did they talk about? Who attends early Mass with whom, and who invites whom to dinner? Who’s in and who’s out? Who belongs and who doesn’t, and who’s coming into favor and who’s falling out of it? “This mood fosters feelings of exclusion, discrimination, envy, revenge and resentment,” the monsignor says. And all things have now appeared in the so-called Vatileaks documents.
Papal secretary Gänswein, in particular, has made many enemies. As the pope’s gatekeeper, he has influence over who is granted or denied the pontiff’s favor as well as over which events and issues might command his attention. This power can trigger fear, jealousy and derision in the corridors of the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence. For Gänswein, it seemed almost miraculous that he was able to spend an entire evening relaxing and conversing with German clerics at the Vatican’s embassy in Berlin last September. It was an experience he couldn’t have had in Rome.
The Vatican is disintegrating into dozens of competing interest groups. In the past, it was the Jesuits, the Benedictines, the Franciscans and other orders that competed for respect and sway within the Vatican court. But their influence has waned, and they have now been replaced primarily by the so-called “new clerical communities” that bring the large, cheering crowds to Masses celebrated by the pope: the Neocatechumenate, the Legionaries of Christ and the traditionalists of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter — not to mention the worldwide “santa mafia” of Opus Dei.
They all have their open and clandestine agents in and around the Vatican, and they all own real estate and run universities, institutes and other educational facilities in Rome. Various cardinals and bishops champion their interests at the Vatican, often without an official or recognizable mandate. At the Vatican, everyone is against everyone, and everyone feels they have God on their side.
Perhaps Benedict XVI simply knows the Vatican too well to seriously attempt to reform it. “As pope, this veteran curial insider has turned out to have virtually zero interest in actually running the Roman Curia,” writes John L. Allen, a biographer of the pope.
The current scandal unfolded against this backdrop. The revelations about the secret Vatican documents — dubbed “Vatileaks” by none other than papal spokesman Padre Federico Lombardi — first emerged more than four months ago. They suggest a Vatican mired in corruption and character-assassination campaigns, a plot that seems hardly limited to a butler’s alleged act of theft.
The central figure is Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, whom the pope instructed in July 2009 to clean up at the Vatican administration. The overzealous lawyer imposed cutbacks in various areas, including construction contracts, real estate and management of the Vatican Gardens. In a letter to Bertone, he wrote that he had turned a Vatican budget deficit of €7.8 million ($9.8 million) into a surplus of €34.5 million within a year by putting an end to old boys’ networks that “always awarded contracts to the same companies” — at double the prices customarily paid outside the Vatican. Viganò made himself unpopular with his fight against waste and abuse of office.
He was maneuvered out of his position after only 27 months and, since October, he has been the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States in Washington, far away from the Vatican. He has perceived his transfer as a punishment. In a letter of protest to the pope, he painted a blunt picture of the Curia: “The realm is fragmented into many small feudal states, with everyone fighting against everyone else.” The conditions, he wrote, are “disastrous” and, even worse, are “well-known” to the entire Curia.
The Vatileaks scandal has also brought to light the reasons behind the sacking of another senior official. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, head of the Vatican bank until shortly before Pentecost, was apparently shown the door because he was trying to bring more transparency to the scandal-ridden institution. His goal was to make the bank — where Mafia godfathers once deposited their money for safekeeping — eligible for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) “white list” of supposedly clean organizations. Tedeschi wanted the Vatican to finally disclose transactions that satisfied international standards on combating money laundering. He failed.
Observers believe that the banker’s case is the real core of the scandal, a power struggle over control of the Vatican’s finances. This most likely explains why Tedeschi was so vigorously ousted. The bank’s board of directors issued absurd justifications for his expulsion, saying that Tedeschi, a professor of business ethics, was unpredictable and had drawn attention to himself through his absences.
In any case, it’s clear that Tedeschi has lost out in a struggle against Bertone. It apparently displeased the pope’s second-in-command that new guidelines could make a cut in the Vatican’s assets.
It would be overly simplistic to interpret all of this as merely a conflict between reformers and traditionalists. In reality, it’s about the Church’s sclerosis, and a problem that has a name: Benedict XVI.
The Vatican’s old guard, made up of Italian cardinals and their backers, believed that they had found a transitional pope in Ratzinger. But now the transition is in its eighth year, and the Curia is roughly where it was near the end of the previous pope’s life: There’s no one in sight to firmly assume the helm.
Cardinals from Italy’s provinces have noticed that their access to the Holy See is slipping away. Although Bertone is Italian, he prefers his fellow members of the Salesian order, elevating them to key positions and nominating them as cardinals. In addition, the 77-year-old Bertone is seen as a poor manager and awkward diplomat. In the summer of 2009, a delegation of cardinals reportedly asked the pope to replace him.
But the head of the Vatican administration can hardly be the only target of the “Maria” attacks. The reason for this is that it’s highly likely that he would only have remained in office for another six months in any case so as to clear the position for a successor. No, “Maria” is aiming higher than Bertone.
The Catholic Church has a leadership problem at the center of its baroque court. The leaked documents ultimately harm Benedict himself, and the scandal is also fundamentally detrimental to the papacy itself. With each additional day of speculation over the true masterminds behind the plot, there is a growing impression of a difficult papacy and a weakened pope who is no longer calling the shots.
For a long time, Ratzinger himself could hardly believe he was suddenly the leader of all Catholics. More than a month after his election, on May 24, 2005, he paid another visit to the place in the Vatican where so many things had begun for him: the seminary in the Campo Santo Teutonico, a green island in the cramped papal state, directly adjacent to the sacristy of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Ratzinger remained loyal to the seminary community until he was elected pope. For decades, he celebrated Mass at 7 a.m. there every Thursday, and he often ate with students in the dining room, had discussions with them and attended the Christmas party in the fireplace room. It was a place to which he could seek refuge from his duties as head of the CDF, a kind of adopted family.
He hasn’t been to the seminary since his last visit, in late May 2005, which lasted over an hour. In parting, Ratzinger signed the guestbook. He wrote “Benedict XVI” and then, leaving a small space, scribbled “pope.” At first he wrote it with a lower-case p, but then he changed it to an upper-case one.
None of his predecessors had ever signed anything like that — and Benedict himself would never do it again. It was almost as if he had to tell himself: My God, I’m the pope!
Ratzinger felt uncomfortable with the power he had assumed, which is one reason he has declined to comprehensively reform the system. He has preferred to place his trust in his underlings.
Ratzinger has repeatedly tried to foster this “environment of trust,” but it has repeatedly been damaged. When Ratzinger moved into the papal apartments in 2005, he suddenly had to go without a longtime confidante. Ingrid Stampa, the housekeeper who had succeeded his sister, was not permitted to join Ratzinger in his new quarters. She had been disgraced in the Vatican for having once pointed at St. Peter’s Square from the window of the pope’s apartment and waved to the crowd — an unforgivable faux pas.
Instead, four lay sisters with the Memores Domini association — Loredana, Cristina, Manuela and Carmela — became his new housekeepers. They looked after him for five years, attended his prayers every morning, celebrated Christmas and saints’ days with him, and ate their meals with him.
Then one of them, Manuela Camagni, was killed in a traffic accident in 2010. The pope was shaken. He knelt before her coffin, delivered a eulogy and spoke of the “unforgettable family-like moments” he had enjoyed with her.
With the betrayal of his butler, who had been at his side around the clock, the small world of Joseph Ratzinger has once again been thrown out of joint.
When compared with expectations, the results of Benedict XVI’s seven years as pope have been rather modest. The German pope will not be remembered much for his avowed fight to preserve the unity of the Church. Instead, he will be remembered as a victim of circumstances and of fragmented, competing factions, as a pontiff plagued by scandals, mistakes and gaffes. He even built walls back up that seemed to have been worn down long ago. His papacy has consisted of years of ongoing apologies and alleged or actual misunderstandings.
He has annoyed the Protestants by declaring that denominations other than his own are not true churches. He has alienated Muslims with an inept speech in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. And he has insulted Jews by reinserting a prayer for the conversion of the Jews into the Good Friday liturgy.
He has also snubbed the Church by currying favor with the traditionalists of the Society of St. Pius X, which rejects the Vatican II reforms. The current backlog of Church reforms, which had already started piling up under his conservative predecessor, John Paul II, has only gotten bigger under Benedict. The Catholics’ Day held in May in the southwestern German city of Mannheim, with its 80,000 attendees, was a last cry for change in the Church.
The fact that the pope is German has not had a lasting effect on Germans. When he was newly elected, the German media spoke of a “Benedict effect,” of how having a German pope would positively influence conversion and retention rates in Germany. But, if it ever really existed, this effect quickly dissipated. Since Benedict’s election in 2005, the number of people leaving the Catholic Church in Germany has more than doubled, and it’s been the highest most recently in Ratzinger’s former Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Only 30 percent of Germans are still Catholic today.
The claim, often made by enthusiastic Catholics on German talk shows — that all of this is a German or European problem and nothing but sour grapes, and that the Church is more successful elsewhere — isn’t even true in deeply Catholic Latin America, where the number of Catholics has been sharply declining. Evangelical Christians, on the other hand, are multiplying there like the loaves and fishes in Canaan.
Ratzinger has only been able to make it through those seven years by making sure he has small escapes. In addition to his everyday duties, he has written books and encyclicals on Christian love (“Deus Caritas Est”) and on hope (“Spe Salvi”).
Some of his writings have become best-sellers, even in hopelessly secularized Germany. Indeed, this pope has managed to put the Vatican back on the secular world’s radar. His encyclicals, his thoughts on reason and faith, and his criticism of the relativism of all values have been closely followed in the press. He has been seen as a pope who understands the zeitgeist.
In fact, the pope’s failure to live up to many expectations has actually often benefited the Church. “Christianity, Catholicism, is not a collection of prohibitions; it’s a positive option,” Benedict said before his trip to Bavaria in 2006. Although he stands behind dogma and pure doctrine, he tries not to alienate anyone, even if he admittedly hasn’t always been successful at it. By now, the pope seems about as mild as the Queen of England during his appearances. He knows how to captivate a crowd without spectacular gestures. He has met with Holocaust survivors in Auschwitz, abuse victims in the United States and people with AIDS in Cameroon.
Benedict has understood better than others what the Church’s real condition is — and how far removed it is from his ideal. His stumbling block has always been the Curia. Perhaps the real thing learned over the last seven years is just how powerlessness a pope can be.
The pope only wanted to be a “simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord,” a “servant of the truth.” Now he stands before the reality of his own mortality. For some time, he has been overcome by periods of “deep sadness,” says a source close to Benedict, though he notes that it is unclear whether this is merely sadness or genuine depression.
Ratzinger survived two mild strokes in the early 1990s. Both his father and sister died of strokes. The pope takes aspirin as a preventive medicine. He is plagued by osteoarthritis in his knees, especially the right one. Walking is getting more difficult for him, and he now uses a rolling platform, which he mounts upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica, such as when he is wearing heavy garments.
He hasn’t gone on vacation in the mountains since 2010. Sometimes he takes short walks with his secretary in the Vatican Gardens, where he says the rosary.
In the Curia and the backrooms of the Vatican’s palaces, efforts are already underway to search for a successor. The possible outcomes of a conclave are analyzed and candidates are discussed, as was done seven years ago. Some say the next pope should be someone like Pius XII, the pope between 1939 and 1958 who was a calculating and predictable power player and Vatican insider. Or someone like Paul VI, the pope from 1963 to 1978, who paid attention to the Curia’s interests. The name of Cardinal Angelo Scola, the archbishop of Milan, has been mentioned, as has that of Leonardo Sandri, an Argentine cardinal with Italian roots. Another possible candidate is Curia Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and one of the few Vatican insiders who is adept at handling the media, politics and the public.
Benedict himself knows that he doesn’t have much time left. “The last segment of my life is now beginning,” he told birthday guests in April.
In fact, his planning hardly goes past next July, when he will attend the Catholic “World Youth Day” in Rio de Janeiro. Healing the rift with the SSPX will be at the top of his agenda in the coming weeks, in addition to admonishing feuding groups to exercise mutual respect.
With the dispute that has erupted over the assessment of the reforms of Vatican II, which began 50 years, the pope is now experiencing a return to his own past. Will the once liberal-minded and now conservative pastor find the strength to foster reconciliation at the end of his life? To blaze some middle path between tradition and modernity for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics?
Benedict has always seen himself as a teaching rather than a governing pontiff. The professor-pope from the small Bavarian village of Marktl am Inn will undoubtedly not go down in the annals of Church history as Benedict the Great.
But he will be remembered as a church leader with a human face, as someone who has remained true to himself as a theologian, and as someone who turned his back on the power within his own four walls. In other words, as a pope with a lower-case p. | 2019-04-19T22:40:11Z | http://www.churchauthority.org/the-final-battles-of-pope-benedict-xvi/ |
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Usually, your law office’s internet site will certainly be the first impression that you make on your customers. It should discuss in addition to not eliminate from your company’s specialist appearance. Media modern innovation has actually proceeded; along with it is essential that your website reflects that. Law office is known for their boring, boring ad campaign. The internet makes it practical to produce extremely high quality as well as striking ads. This must be utilized. In order to take this opportunity for your web site making an outstanding understanding, your law office need to take into account collaborating with a web developer. Countless firms choose to generate their websites themselves, however a great deal of times these sites are boring along with average as well as could injure, as opposed to help, your firm’s picture.
If you do figure out to employ an internet programmer for your internet site, think about whether you wish to deal with a theme based or a tailored web designer. Normally, the price of a personalized design is above that of a style layout design. The advantages of having a website customized are that it will absolutely be special, customized to your requirements, expert premium quality and error cost free. If the developer you use has experience with internet search engine, your site will certainly come currently maximized to acquire excellent online search engine results, which is important for obtaining web website traffic to your site.
If you do not have a huge budget strategy or the time to have someone customized generates a design for you, potentially a style based style would certainly be the best alternative. A number of them are truly comfortably personalized and also might be gotten for a degree cost for a set selection of websites for attorneys. This website design law firm allows your internet site to be built quickly in addition to for a low cost. A failure of this kind of developing is that, in a great deal of instances, you will definitely not have the ability to include brand new web material, or might should pay much more finance if you intend to alter designs or include website.
Whether your company chooses a tailored design, or a design template based website, you and the various other participants of your firm should think about exactly what message you desire conveyed by your site. These points can and also should, influence your website design, so ensure you recognize just what you will certainly be looking for. When you have really determined just what look you would such as for your site, you have another choice making, which is which product areas you want your web site to have. Or will certainly you make a decision to utilize a portal site according to your strategy areas, along with provide your firm’s details from there.
Web strategy that is open has changed into the go to respond in due order pertaining to companies who may want a lot more notable customer upkeep as well as a straightforward to make use of shows. On the occasion that your association has come this essentially without profiting from the majority of the centerpieces it is to offer, you could have as of now chosen a baffling improvement price together with reduced client numbers. Like a business owner that is sensible, you will probably need prior to investing to update your online account to 1 which incorporates open compelling design. In any case, by picking in you will quickly check out a return on investment that will certainly ensure it is useful. The primary worry is style that is open is just much above what is disregarded in the past and also furthermore into maintains using the limitation; you will certainly need it too.
Responsive web arrangement is an outright requirement in the most widely acknowledged of organizations considering that it empowers your customers to accomplish their locations effortlessly as well as efficiently. Your site’s basic viewpoints could be made use of a decent telephone and also look like a completely practical variation of the underlying, packed with the majority of the pressure you had offer to clients on the desktop computer or Tablet. Should you neglect to give a cell charming experience, for example, this for the site visitors they will certainly not resist, they will simply click away and also complete buy or the activity on the contending site. Consumers that are disappointed are awful for organization nor is positively going challenging a notable SE. Google have accumulated what a few companions have actually believed for a long time – websites that are not enhanced for various customers may move their web index positions along.
Austin Web Development might get a completely not as long as great analysis and also reach be situated lower inside the indexed lists when site visitors could not get to this substance swiftly over numerous products. On the occasion that your organization is lessened to some next or second web page openness you will drop a lot of task, as individuals usually choose links in the main website. Google similarly have seen that companies that have only one receptive website one cell launch as well as in the place of one general are a lot less requiring due to their robotics to discover, subsequent to there is one and only LINK. On the off opportunity that your site prepares and also receptive to bolster customers that are cell, you could take practical applications, as an example, the press and beneficial position of a couple of properties to telephone button, this allows a voice-call to be made by a web-client for your association in an instant. Possible leads extremely remarkably essential to the needs of cell clients could likewise check out studies concerning your organization and every now and then considerably discover you in a furious location utilizing Google Maps, similarly.
From being primarily a blogging platform, WordPress has advanced and today it is among the most preferred open resource web site advancement systems. It powers numerous web sites on the internet and searching for WordPress designers is not a difficult task. WordPress developers are plenty. This is precisely why finding the appropriate one is very tough. So, do not hurry right into the hiring procedure and select the very first one that goes along. You will have to check out a couple of and ensure that you choose the one that specifically suits your demands. That stated you should first complete upon what your requirements are. This will certainly equip you to be in charge of your website and exactly how it is being developed. Right here are a few pointers on how you can choose WordPress Developers.
Inspect the proficiency of the designer in WordPress this is a very vital step. There are some developers who master some locations yet drop short in others. You need to be really clear about just what WordPress features you are anticipating and then examine whether the programmer will have the ability to provide them. So, before you begin, take a seat and evaluate your requirements and do your homework – recognize the fundamentals of WordPress.
Ask the programmer concerning his experience with wordpress help. This does not mean that a programmer with lesser experience is obviously poor, yet it will certainly assure you of the top quality of job. Do not examine the overall experience. That will certainly include all various other modern technologies that the programmer has actually dealt with. See to it that you request particularly WordPress related experience.
Make sure that you ask the developer for a profile. You will get an idea concerning the kind of websites that the developer has experience with. You could after that map your needs and inspect whether the designer will be able to provide your type of work. Make sure that you ask for more than one example to make sure that you can judge much better.
Also if you have chosen a budget plan, make sure that you match the top quality of deal with the amount that you are paying. This is precisely why having a look at the portfolio helps. You also should go over the timelines within which the task needs to be delivered. The launch of your business website ought to go as each your organization plan. So ensure that the designer could supply as per your timelines. On the whole, select the appropriate WordPress developer after meticulously inspecting all the requirements and mapping them to the abilities of the developers. Meeting greater than one firm or designers and afterwards take a choice after cautious factor to consider. WordPress developers can offer your site a fresh and attractive appearance precisely according to your demands, provided you pick the right programmer after thinking about all the factors pointed out. | 2019-04-22T21:00:17Z | http://www.bankgalerie.com/category/web-design |
Game mechanics are methods invoked by agents designed for interaction with the game state, thus providing gameplay. All games use mechanics; however, theories and styles differ as to their ultimate importance to the game. In general, the process and study of game design, or ludology, are efforts to come up with game mechanics that allow for people playing a game to have an engaging, but not necessarily fun, experience.
Complexity in game mechanics should not be confused with depth or even realism. Go is perhaps one of the simplest of all games, yet exhibits an extraordinary depth of play. Most computer or video games feature mechanics that are technically complex (in terms of making a human do all the calculations involved) even in relatively simple designs.
Gameplay could be defined as the combination and interaction of many elements of a game. However, there is some confusion as to the difference between game mechanics and gameplay. For some, gameplay is nothing more than a set of game mechanics. For others, gameplay—especially when referenced in the term of "basic gameplay"—refers to certain core game mechanics which determine the overall characteristics of the game itself.
For example, the basic gameplay of a shooting or fighting video game is to hit while not being hit. In a graphic adventure game, the basic gameplay is usually to solve puzzles related to the context. The basic gameplay of poker is to produce certain numerical or categorical combinations. Golf's basic gameplay is to hit a ball and reach a designated spot.
The goal of these games is slightly different from the gameplay itself. For example, while reaching the end of a stage (in platform games), defeating the boss, advancing your characters' progress through the story (RPGs) or sinking the ball into a hole (golf) may be the purpose of playing a game, the fun is derived primarily by the means and the process in which such a goal is achieved. Basic gameplay defines what a game is, to the player, while game mechanics determine the parts of which the entire game consists of.
What a player and other entities can do within a game would also fall under the mechanics of a game.
However, from a programming or overall design perspective, basic gameplay can be deconstructed further to reveal constituent game mechanics. For example, the basic gameplay of fighting game can be deconstructed to attack and defense, or punch, kick, block, dodge and throw; which can be further deconstructed to strong/weak punch/kick. For this reason, game mechanics is more of an engineering concept while gameplay is more of a design concept.
Some games are 'abstract'—that is, the action is not intended to represent anything; Go is one famous example. Other games have a 'theme'—some element of representation. Monopoly is a famous example where the events of the game are intended to represent another activity, in this case, the buying and selling of properties.
Games that are mechanically similar can vary widely in theme. Eurogames often feature relatively simple systems, and stress the mechanics, with the theme merely being a context to place the mechanics in.
Some wargames, at the other extreme, are known for complex rules and for attempts at detailed simulation.
Game mechanics fall into several more or less well-defined categories, which (along with basic gameplay and theme) are sometimes used as a basis to classify games.
A game turn is an important fundamental concept to almost all non-computer games, and many video games as well (although in video games, various real-time genres have become much more popular). In general, a turn is a segment of the game set aside for certain actions to happen before moving on to the next turn, where the sequence of events can largely repeat. In a truly abstract game (backgammon) turns are nothing more than a means to regulate play. In less abstract games (Risk), turns obviously denote the passage of time, but the amount of time is not clear, nor important. In simulation games, time is generally more concrete. Wargames usually specify the amount of time each turn represents, and in sports games a turn is usually distinctly one 'play', although the amount of time a play or turn takes can vary.
Some games use player turns where one player gets to perform his actions before another player can perform any on his turn (Monopoly and chess would be classic examples). Some use game turns, where all players contribute to the actions of a single turn (board-game simulations of American football tend to have both players pick plays and then determine the outcome; each 'play' or 'down' can be considered a turn). Some games have 'game turns' that consist of a round of player turns, possibly with other actions added in (Civilization plays with a series of player turns followed by a trading round in which all players participate).
In games that are meant to be some sort of simulation, the on/off nature of player turns can cause problems and has led to a few extra variations on the theme. The semi-simultaneous turn allows for some reactions to be done during the other player's turn. The impulse-based turn divides the turn into smaller segments or impulses where everyone does some of their actions at one time, and then reacts to the current situation before moving on to the next impulse (as seen in Star Fleet Battles or Car Wars).
In some games, not all turns are alike. Usually, this is a difference in what phases (or different portions of the turn) happen. Imperium Romanum II for instance, features a "Taxation and Mobilization Phase" in every third turn (month), which does not occur in the other turns. Napoleon has an unusual variation on the idea, where every third player turn is 'night turn' where combat is not allowed.
Even in real-time computer games, there are often certain periodic effects. For instance, a wounded character in World of Warcraft will gradually recover health while out of combat. The rate of recovery is calculated from the character's statistics and applied per "tick" as a lump sum, so a character would gain ten health per tick, instead of one every tenth of a tick. These periodic effects can be considered the vestigial remnants of the concept of turns.
These control what players may do on their turns in the game by allocating each player a budget of "action points" each turn. These points may be spent on various actions according to the game rules, such as moving pieces, drawing cards, collecting money, etc. This type of mechanism is common in many "German-style board games".
The winning bidder must pay for the won privilege with some form of game resource (game money, points, etc.) (e.g.: Ra).
The winning bidder does not pay upon winning the auction, but an auction is a form of a promise that the winner will achieve some outcome in the near future. If this outcome is not achieved, the bidder pays some form of penalty. Such a system is used in many trick-taking games, such as contract bridge.
In some games the auction determines a unique player who gains the privilege; in others, the auction orders all players into a sequence, often the sequence in which they take turns during the current round of gameplay.
These involve the use of cards similar to playing cards to act as a randomizer and/or to act as tokens to keep track of states in the game.
A common use is for a deck of cards to be shuffled and placed face down on or near the game playing area. When a random result is called for, a player draws a card and what is printed on the card determines the outcome of the result.
Another use of cards occurs when players draw cards and retain them for later use in the game, without revealing them to other players. When used in this fashion, cards form a game resource.
In some games, the number of tokens a player has on the playing surface is related to his current strength in the game. In such games, it can be an important goal to capture opponent's tokens, meaning to remove them from the playing surface.
Moving one of one's own tokens into a space occupied by an opposing token (e.g. chess, parchisi).
Jumping a token over the space occupied by an opposing token (e.g. draughts).
Declaring an "attack" on an opposing token, and then determining the outcome of the attack, either in a deterministic way by the game rules (e.g. Stratego, Illuminati), or by using a randomising method (e.g. Illuminati: New World Order).
Surrounding a token or region with one's own tokens in some manner (e.g. go).
Playing cards or other resources that the game allows to be used to capture tokens.
In some games, captured tokens are simply removed and play no further part in the game (e.g. chess). In others, captured tokens are removed but can return to play later in the game under various rules (e.g. backgammon, pachisi). Less common is the case in which the capturing player takes possession of the captured tokens and can use them himself later in the game (e.g. shogi, Reversi, Illuminati).
Many video games express the capture mechanism in the form of a kill count, (sometimes referred to as "frags"), reflecting the number of opposing pawns eliminated during the game.
Some games include a mechanism designed to make progress towards victory more difficult the closer a player gets to it. The idea behind this is to allow trailing players a chance to catch up and potentially still win the game, rather than suffer an inevitable loss once they fall behind. This may be desirable in games such as racing games that have a fixed finish line.
An example is from The Settlers of Catan. This game contains a neutral piece (the robber), which debilitates the resource generation of players whose territories it is near. Players occasionally get to move the robber, and frequently choose to position it where it will cause maximal disruption to the player currently winning the game.
Another example, often seen in racing games, such as Chutes and Ladders is by requiring rolling or spinning the exact number needed to reach the finish line; e.g., if a player is only four spaces from the finish line then he must roll a four on the die or land on the four with the spinner. If more than four is rolled, then the turn is forfeited to the next player.
Other games do the reverse, making the player in the lead more capable of winning, such as in Monopoly, and thus the game is drawn to an end sooner. This may be desirable in zero-sum games.
These involve the use of dice, usually as randomisers. Most dice used in games are the standard cubical dice numbered from 1 to 6, though games with polyhedral dice or those marked with symbols other than numbers exist.
The most common use of dice is to randomly determine the outcome of an interaction in a game. An example is a player rolling a die or dice to determine how many board spaces to move a game token.
Dice often determine the outcomes of in-game conflict between players, with different outcomes of the die/dice roll of different benefit (or adverse effect) to each player involved. This is useful in games that simulate direct conflicts of interest.
Many board games involve the movement of playing tokens. How these tokens are allowed to move, and when, is governed by movement mechanics.
Some game boards are divided into more or less equally-sized areas, each of which can be occupied by one or more game tokens. (Often such areas are called squares, even if not strictly square in shape.) Movement rules will specify how and when a token can be moved to another area. For example, a player may be allowed to move a token to an adjacent area, but not one further away. Dice are sometimes used to randomize the allowable movements.
Other games, particularly miniatures games are played on surfaces with no marked areas. A common movement mechanism, in this case, is to measure the distance which the miniatures are allowed to move with a ruler. Sometimes, generally in naval wargames, the direction of movement is restricted by use of a turning key.
Many games involve the management of resources. Examples of game resources include tokens, money, land, natural resources, human resources and game points. Resource management involves the players establishing relative values for various types of available resources, in the context of the current state of the game and the desired outcome (i.e. winning the game). The game will have rules that determine how players can increase, spend, or exchange their various resources. The skillful management of resources under such rules allows players to influence the outcome of the game.
Some games include situations where players can "press their luck" in optional actions where the danger of a risk must be weighed against the chance of reward. For example, in Beowulf: The Legend, players may elect to take a "Risk", with success yielding cards and failure weakening the player's ultimate chance of victory.
Role-playing games often rely on mechanics that determine the effectiveness of in-game actions by how well the player acts out the role of a fictional character. While early role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons relied heavily on either group consensus or the judgement of a single player (deemed the Dungeon Master or Game Master) or on randomizers such as dice, later generations of narrativist games use more structured and integrated systems to allow role-playing to influence the creative input and output of the players, so both acting out roles and employing rules take part in shaping the gameplay.
Many games use tiles - flat, rigid pieces of a regular shape - that can be laid down on a flat surface to form a tessellation. Usually, such tiles have patterns or symbols on their surfaces, that combine when tessellated to form game-mechanically significant combinations.
The tiles themselves are often drawn at random by the players, either immediately before placing them on the playing surface, or in groups to form a pool or hand of tiles from which the player may select one to play.
The playing of a tile itself is directly significant to the outcome of the game, in that where and when it is played contributes points or resources to the player.
Tiles are used to build a board upon which other game tokens are placed, and the interaction of those tokens with the tiles provides game points or resources.
Examples of tile mechanics include: Scrabble, in which tiles are letters and players lay them down to form words and score points; and Tikal, in which players lay tiles representing newly explored areas of jungle, through which archaeologists (represented by tokens) must move to score game points.
Worker placement is a game mechanism where players allocate a limited number of tokens ("workers") to multiple stations that provide various defined actions. The worker placement mechanism originates with board games. Stewart Woods identifies Keydom (1998; later remade and updated as Aladdin's Dragons) as the first game to implement the mechanic. Worker placement was popularized by Caylus (2005) and became a staple of the Eurogame genre in the wake of the game's success. Other popular board games that use this mechanism include Stone Age and Agricola. Although the mechanism is chiefly associated with board games, the worker placement concept has been used in analysis of other game types. For instance, Adams and Dormans describe the assigning of tasks to SCV units in the real-time strategy game StarCraft as an example of the worker placement mechanic.
A game mode is a distinct configuration that varies gameplay and affects how other game mechanics behave. A game with several modes will present different settings in each one, changing how a particular element of the game is played. One of the most common examples of game mode is the single-player versus multiplayer choice in video games, where multiplayer can further be cooperative or competitive.
Changing modes while the game is ongoing can be used as a means to increase difficulty and provide additional challenge, or as a reward for player success. Power-ups are modes that last for a few moments or that change only one or a few game rules; for example power pellets in Pac-Man give the temporary ability to eat the enemies for a few seconds.
Other examples include the availability of a sandbox mode without predefined goals or progression. The division of game content in stages or chapters, where each stage expands the rules that a player can use with respect to the previous stage, increases game complexity, and variety. If the game advances through these stages by moving through different areas, these areas are called levels or maps; if the character unlocks new abilities through activities or rewards, they receive a currency called experience points. These points can be used to upgrade or augment various pre-determined abilities.
A game mode may restrict or change the behavior of the available tools ( e.g. play with limited/unlimited ammo, new weapons, obstacles or enemies, a timer, etc.), establish different rules and game mechanics (e.g. altered gravity; win at first touch in a fighting game; play with some cards face-up in a poker game) or even change the overall game goals (following a campaign, story or character's career vs. playing a limited deathmatch or capture the flag set).
These mechanics control how a player wins the game.
This is the most general sort of victory condition, which can be broad enough to encompass any method of winning, but here refers to game-specific goals that are usually not duplicated in other games. An example is the checkmate of a king in chess.
A quest in role-playing video games—including massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and their predecessors, MUDs—is a task that a player-controlled character, "party" or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward.
Some games feature a losing condition, such as being checkmated (chess), running out of cards first (War), running out of hitpoints (Quake), or being tagged (tag). In such a game, the winner is the only remaining player to have avoided loss.
Some games with capture mechanics are won by the player who removes all, or a given number of, the opponents' playing pieces.
Some games end when a player wins by solving a puzzle or riddle posed by the game. Examples include Cluedo, hangman and zendo.
Many simple games (and some complex ones) are effectively races. The first player to advance one or more tokens to or beyond a certain point on the board wins. Examples: backgammon, ludo, chutes & ladders.
The goal of a structure building game is to acquire and assemble a set of game resources into either a defined winning structure or into a structure that is somehow better than those of other players. In some games, the acquisition is of primary importance (e.g. concentration), while in others the resources are readily available and the interactions between them form more or less useful structures (e.g. poker).
A winner may be decided by which player controls the most "territory" on the playing surface, or a specific piece of territory. This is common in wargames but is also used in more abstract games such as go.
A player's progress is often measured by an abstract quantity of victory points or simply known as VP, which accumulate as the game develops. Victory points or similar quantities need not be restricted to development games, but are most common in that type as they ensure sufficient reward for all aspects of development. For example, in a game involving the development of civilizations, there is usually no need to reward investments such as trade and military expenditures, which yield their own strategic benefits. However, a victory point system may be used to reward more subjective aspects of civilization-building, such as the arts.
The first player to reach a set number of points.
The player with the most points at a predetermined finishing time or state of the game.
This mechanism is often used explicitly in German-style board games, but many other games are played for points that form a winning condition. The electoral college of the United States political system is also a well-publicized example of this type of victory condition. Victory points may be partially disguised in the role of game resources, with play money being a common example.
When one player has run out of cards in his Deck and is unable to draw at the beginning of his turn.
The first condition is a goal measured by victory points, while the other two are loss conditions.
^ Sicart, Miguel (1 December 2008). "Defining Game Mechanics". Game Studies. 8 (2). ISSN 1604-7982. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
^ Adams, Ernest; Rollings, Andrew (2003). Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on game design. New Riders Publishing. ISBN 1-59273-001-9. One or more causally linked series of challenges in a simulated environment"; "Gameplay is the result of a large number of contributing elements. .. gameplay is not a singular entity. It is a combination of many elements, a synergy that emerges from the inclusion of certain factors. .. The gameplay emerges from the interaction among these elements, ..
^ "Beowulf: The Legend DESCRIPTION". Fantasy Flight Games. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2010. "the player who took the risk instead takes a "scratch," a minor wound that has the strong potential to ultimately undermine the player's chances of success. These frequent risks are remarkably nerve-racking"
^ a b Woods, Stewart (2012). Eurogames: The Design, Culture and Play of Modern European Board Games. North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-6797-6.
^ a b Adams, Ernest; Dormans, Joris (2012). Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design. California: New Riders Games, an imprint of Peachpit. ISBN 978-0-321-82027-3.
^ "May Mud of the Month". The MUD Connector. 1999. Archived from the original on 2007-11-20. Our areas also include the ability to track a player's progress in a task, and allows for incredibly detailed quests.
^ "Pokemon Trading Card Game Rulebook 2012" (PDF). p. 8. Retrieved 22 June 2016. | 2019-04-24T06:50:44Z | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_mechanics |
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