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February 26, 2015 August 4, 2015 dervswerve Factual Music
"This Eagerness to Change" …with a roll of the dice … "Such a Shame"
"The dice decide my fate, that's a shame"
In 1984, UK pop band Talk Talk released their second album – "It's my Life"- from which three songs were taken as singles. The first was the well known title track, the third, "Dum Dum Girl". The second, released in March '84, was "Such a Shame", a song based on the subversive George Cockroft novel "The Diceman", which he wrote under the pen name Luke Reinhart.
The book tells the story of a psychiatrist who through sheer boredom starts to use the roll of a dice to make life decisions. Cockroft based the plot on his own real-life experiences as a psychology student (Hollis also studied child psychology in Sussex Uni) during which he based his actions/decisions on the cast of a dice. The book contains some pretty explosive material relating to experimental sex, rape and murder. It also touches on the world of governance and commerce in a non too respectful manner. "The Diceman" has ultimately become a cult-classic, and is now in it's 7th edition. I for one, (as well as Mark Hollis) can highly recommend it, though it is not for the faint hearted!
Of "Such a Shame" Hollis said:-
"it's inspired by the book 'The Dice Man' which is about decision making through dice throwing. Although they didn't actually refer to it in the book, there's a scene when he's in party for an hour undergoing about ten different personality changes and that idea seemed quite appropriate in terms of what we're doing. It's a fabulous book, the idea is so appealing. I've just written ten times as many lyrics as I needed and thrown the dice on which ones go in. It's ultimately wrong though, definitely immoral!"
The video for "Such a Shame" was directed by the award winning Tim Pope and, the basis for the film was, to quote Hollis, "to try to sum the book up in 4 minutes". What was interesting was that they decided to use the premiss of the book to decide on how the video should be made. Genius!
See from 2.45 of the video to hear Tim and Mark discuss the method behind the making of the video, including the usage of random personalities (Hollis portrays 6, randomly chosen from numbered pieces of paper) and prominent objects to convey the numbers of the dice (see photo the scene for which represented number 3).
"A good book, not a lifestyle I'd recommend!"
"Such a Shame" became one of Talk Talk's best selling singles – however, whilst peaking in the Top 10 across several Continental charts (#2 Germany, #3 Italy) it failed to break the UK Top 40. It did however, help to propel them into the US mainstream market with a US Billboard high of 12.
The song is conceptually and lyrically unique, testament to Hollis' highly acclaimed writing skills. Musically it is punchy, rhythmic, piano and percussive driven, and, a sign that Talk Talk were moving away from the synth pop of their early days (the writing was on the wall when keyboard player Simon Brenner was coolly dismissed for being surplus to requirements).
And with the story told, that is how I now find myself…#str …so, I'll sign off with two videos and the lyrics. The first is the official Tim pope vid, the second is a 9 min clip of the band playing this song Live in Salamanca, which is a wickedly indulgent rendition of this Hollis classic. (Video 1 – Lyrics – Video 2).
Official Tim Pope/Talk Talk video
"Such a Shame" (1984)
Such a shame to believe in escape
'A life on every face', but that's a change
Until I'm finally left with an '8'
Tell me to relax, I just stare
Maybe I don't know if I should change
A feeling that we share, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Number me with rage, it's a shame
Number me in haste
This eagerness to change
It's a shame
In these trembling hands my faith
Tells me to react, I don't care
Maybe it's unkind if I should change
Maybe I don't know
If I should change
A feeling that we share
Number me in haste, it's a shame
Write across my name, it's a shame
HOLLIS, MARK DAVID
Live in Salamanca
February 25, 2015 dervswerve Factual, Food
Wine and Sugar…or… A Night of Nutrition the not so Healthy Way.
Oh..and a lot of coconut!
I recently attended an healthy eating gig, primarily to get an insight into what purported to be a more natural eating philosophy. A three course meal would accompany a live demo and ad hoc talk about natural ingredients and the whys and wherefores of using one ingredient over another. So far, so healthy.
Once established at my table, the first thing I was asked was if I'd like a glass of wine – #upselling. I found this quite odd given that the theme of the evening was "positive eating"! Mind you, I've always had a very positive attitude towards a nice glass of wine, so going with the flow (#ifnotwhynot) and, seeing as we were now running 15 minutes late, and, not looking like kicking off any time soon, I opted for a nice glass of chilled white.
Half a glass and a further 15 minutes later, the gig began.
A very enthusiastic American lady started taking us through the philosophy of the foodie company she was representing, followed by the method for making "energy balls", with the stark warning, Do Not Eat At Night (unless, of course, you'd like some very active sex!). Dates, coconut crème, cranberries and more, were whizzed around in a bullet shaped blender and, with a light dusting of shredded coconut, hey presto and voila, turbo-charged "energy balls". Woo!
At this point the first course of the dinner arrived in the form of Root Vegetable and Rocket Soup. It was served piping hot and was very palatable, but, the overriding taste was of celeriac; it completely overpowered all other flavours including the coconut crème which failed to come through. However, as I happen to like celeriac, this for me at least, wasn't really an issue. What was bizarre though, was the inclusion of some pomegranate seeds, the colour, taste and texture of which had nothing positive to contribute to the soup. Marks 8/10, lose the seeds please.
Next on the agenda was a chat about coconut oil and it's benefits! Did you know, a swish of coconut oil around the mouth can allegedly ease the symptoms of gingivitis? No? Me neither. Could I be induced to swirl oil around my mouth at a/m cleaning time…..erm!
So, main course was Cajun Coconut Crusted Chicken Goujons, with a Roasted Pepper Salad, with (cough) Coconut Dressing, served with Black Rice Pilaff. I'm guessing we're liking coconut in this establishment then! The dressing was pretty oily, fairly tasteless and notwithstanding those facts, was insufficient in quantity to moisten what can only be described as sawdust chicken. Stick to the mouth Goujons, with all of the natural succulence of the chicken countered by the Saharan dryness of the shredded coconut crust. The salad was reasonable, but salad is salad at the end of the day. The pilaff was tasteless (they had used a vegetable bouillon, which I presume was additive free but that is no excuse for lack of any identifiable taste) and there was far too much of it. The only positive here was the texture of the rice which was silky soft. 4/10 and that's being generous.
I chatted with the ladies beside me and we all agreed that what could have been an interesting and different meal needed a lot of adjusting to get it to "good food review" stage. Work in progress.
Finally, we were presented with dessert amidst a chat about Stevia and how this the sugar replacement of choice. Sugar Free Coconut (yawn) Lime Meringue Pie. To reference a diner on the TV prog "The Restaurant" what is the point of healthy dessert, it defeats the purpose? Sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, satisfaction free…..It was a dreadful concoction. The base was dry and again, tasteless, the meringue had a metallic tang, and the "custard" just didn't cut it (though of the three elements it worked and tasted the best). One spoonful and I gave up.
The gig was wrapped up with an "about us" by one of the company founders whilst fully caffeinated teas and coffees were served, with regular cow's milk and yes, you wouldn't believe it, sugar! #Splutter! This to me beggared belief. They had just spent the evening extoling the virtues of Stevia and healthy eating and now here they were serving the after dinner hot drinks with that arch enemy of mankind, sugar!
To be fair to the owners, they did do a bit of a roving reporter job around the audience, doing some market research and, getting some valuable feedback , in real time, on, the presentation, the menu, ingredients, dishes and, fielding questions. One of them had the misfortunate to come over to myself; and me being the straightforward type, gave them 100% honest feedback. I wasn't unduly harsh, just truthful. If you are trying to build a brand and market product you need to understand your customer and cater for their tastes. If there is no demand, there can be no supply.
Whilst I wouldn't say the evening was by any means a disaster, it most certainly was not a success. However, we can only learn from our mistakes: the key is to take the feedback on board and act on it in an expeditious and positive manner.
The "healthy eating" industry is fast becoming more competitive, and is overflowing with "guilt-free food" experts, so called celebrity chefs and and self appointed nutritionists-lifestyle changers. You need an edge, appealing high quality product and an enlightened social /digital/media marketing plan to take a new brand from nought to household name. Hopefully, there has already been a round table on recipes and ingredients, some experimentation in the kitchen, and a seriously innovative review of the product placement plan and future marketing strategy. When it comes to food, sense is everything, so if they can appeal to a multitude, they're halfway there.
I wish them luck, and if they are still trading in a year's time and decide to host more healthy eating events, I may just pop along to see how they and their range have progressed in the intervening period! For now though, I might just stick with my unnaturally, unhealthy way of eating whilst taking two of the nights ingredients on board. Wine and sugar.
Coconut I hear you ask: hmmm, no, methinks the only coconut I'll be eating will be in a Bounty Bar. Well, for now at least.
February 24, 2015 February 25, 2015 dervswerve Factual Music
"Tomorrow Started" but sadly Yesterday has Ended
Those of you who know me, are aware that I have recently started a large, retrospective project on the works of UK 80's band Talk Talk (sadly long since disbanded), and their former lead singer, Mark Hollis.
For anyone who has never listened to their music, I would heartily recommend you do so, but THAT is for another blog.
Far removed from the synth pumping "Today" and "Talk Talk" tracks from the first 1982 album, "The Party's Over" lies the powerfully evocative "Tomorrow Started", from their 1984 album "It's my Life".
As I sat listening to this song, a surge of emotion swept over me. Maybe it's the week I'm having, or the way that I'm feeling: or, maybe it's just the way the music resonates with me, speaks to me. Every element of this song is a musical tear, and, the whole, is a seven minute long lament.
I could say a lot, but I'm not going to. I'm just going to give you the lyrics and a video from their 1986 tour. I'll let the song do the rest.
Performed live in 1986 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, this is a perfect piece of musical melancholia.
"Tomorrow Started"
Don't look back until you try
A line so openly alive
Outside of you
It's just tomorrow starting
I've said I'm wrong when I've been right
I've seen times when I've been sure
But still I find, I'm just the first that you take
Are there reasons everybody pays?
They never seem to be any use
Don't look back until you've tried
With time you'll endlessly arrive
Outside of use
With just tomorrow starting
See my eyes
Tell me I'm not lying
I'm just the first that you take
February 17, 2015 September 9, 2017 dervswerve Factual Music, Music Review
Susanne Sundfor: Ten 'Triumphant' Love Songs (Album Review)
"Ten Love Songs" is Susanne Sundfor's 5th album and, her best. By far.
The first track "Darlings", is short and doleful; opening with a strong, accordionised synth, it is the perfect vocal stepping stone from her last production, "The Silicone Veil".
Things quickly ramp up an electronic notch with the dark, sombre, heavy sound of "Accelerate"
"Bear the cross, Die for Love, Crucify them, Kill for Love"
"Beautiful Dreamer" it ain't. After 3.30 minutes it sweeps into an organ blast that wouldn't be out of place in "The Phantom of the Opera". The song lives up to it's title, sonically and volume wise, accelerating to a crescendo of screaming synths, pulsating electronics and, throbbing guitar, which move seamlessly into next track, "Fade Away". Released back in December as the first single from the album, it has an altogether lighter tone and vocal.
The pace then slows right down with the acoustic openings of the angelic "Silencer" which has an almost dreamlike quality. Packed with strikingly expressive strings, it finales with a pitch-perfect crystalline falsetto. "Kamikaze" is a captivating tune of disco beats sweeping the vocal amongst twinkling musical stars.
"Higher and higher, Tonight is the night that we might fall together".
The quiet bang of a gong at the end, is briefly followed by what sounds, for all intents and purposes like a JS Bach composition for the cembalo (#harpsichord). Quaint. The mournful "Memorial", opens up with a celestial choral. Awash with funereal organ music and harmonious voice crossing, it transcends into a sublime mini sinfonia after four or so minutes.
With it's magnificent sonic upwards trajectory, this enthralling movement of classical lightness, almost pastoral in quality, contains sparkling piano playing and an enchanting string sequence. It is musical deliciousness and an amazing and brave inclusion in what would be categorised by most as an electro-pop album. Ten minutes of Sundfor orchestral manoeuvres, this is the sonic and lyrical highlight of the album.
We're back to basics with "Delirious" which kicks off with an electronic vortex and more punchy vocals; the end result is text book Depeche Mode, sampling snappy electronic snares, sweeping chord progressions, heavy synth layering and texturing, all the hallmarks of their darker more luscious productions.
The mood lifts a little with "Slowly" – light, airy, poppy, it has a pleasing vocal, with mellow harmonies and an easy beat. It's probably one of the more mainstream true "pop songs" of the track-list.
"I can feel it In the way you hold me And in your heartbeat I know you're lonely"
We are pulled down into the abyss with "Trust Me" a song which would make a great film soundtrack – melodramatic, slow, it is quietly anthemic, a bit one woman and her harmonium, with a clear statement to make.
"You cannot erase me, You cannot replace me"
The album ends with "Insects" is electro-psychedelia gone viral. "We're having fun" and it sounds like Sundfor indeed had a lot of fun putting this pulsating trance menagerie together. It's a strong ending to a musically diverse and well articulated album.
"Ten Love Songs" took the themes of violence and love (in it's various forms and guises) and, speaking of the record's intentions, Sundfør has said:
"To me, love isn't always what it seems. When I first started to work on the album, I wanted to make an album about violence, and then, as I was writing the songs, there were violent aspects, but they were usually about love or relationships, how you connect with other people.
And in the end, that turned out to be 10 love songs… people try to describe their emotions with numbers today, and in terms of science, which I feel is like the religion of today. It is very taboo to be a vulnerable person. It's almost like the biggest weakness today is to be a human being, because everything around us is about perfection, as if we're trying to be like robots."
"Ten Loves Songs" runs the gamut of "the emotions of love" – despair, torture, frustration, bliss and elation; powered by a wide as it's deep sonic diversity. Unique, quirky, both understanding and in your face, it is architecturally superb. Technically brilliant, it is a masterpiece created by an uninhibited imagination, and, untamed talent.
Ten Love Songs is out now and available on all digital platforms incl iTunes
Follow Susanne Sundfor on Facebook, Twitter or her Website
February 11, 2015 February 11, 2015 dervswerve Factual Music, Music Review
Irish Anthems….The Songs of Three Generations……70's, 80's, and 90's (Part 2)
So 🙂
We finished off Anthems P1 with the wonderful Dubliners "collabing" with The Pogues: so for the sake of continuity, we are kicking off P2 with the Pogue-ish scoundrels duetting with yet another big name from the 80's; the late, great, Kirsty McColl (yep, Kirsty "There's a guy works down the chipshop swears he's Elvis" McColl).
If lilting balladesque soft pop is what conjures up images of Ireland, then musically, the next offering will be right up your street. The vocals & lyrics, however, might be a tad different to what you're expecting!
Behold, the Irish number one Christmas song, of all time, A song tinged with sadness, (even moreso since McColl's untimely death) it is held with fond affection by both the Irish and home and the diaspora in America.
A tale of love and disappointment, of faded dreams and jaded hopes, the fag-hag Mc Gowan vocal compliments the richness of Kirsty McColl's warm yet edgy tone. Both give the song the emotional quality it deserves without falling into soppy sentimentalism.
"Fairytale in New York" is the musical signal that our festive period has begun. It's only Christmas, when this has started to get airplay on national radio.
The Pogues 1982
FairyTale in New York – Released 1987
http://youtu.be/j9jbdgZidu8
Nearing the end of the 80's now, we have two of the most of the enduring rock / indie songs. First up is a particular favourite of mine, from a band that came on the scene in the Mid-80's – The Fat Lady Sings.
Lead vocals by Nick Kelly, you'll probably pick up a touch of Ricky Ross and the Deacon Blue's here – the two have often been compared. A softly sung, gentle rock tune, it combines light piano chords with a stronger guitar sound for some punch, but the overall effect is an easy pleasant sound, and, a very memorable song that ticks all the right boxes.
The Fat Lady Sings 1985
Arclight – Released 1989
http://youtu.be/hlcSZotpAhE
Wrapping up the 80's for us are a band from Northern Ireland who set the charts alight with this corker in 1989. From the Double Platinum selling album "Songs for the Tempted", the Top 10 hit single "Mary" became one of the most played songs on national radio. Musically it stood apart from everything else in the charts that year – the distinct vocals & overlapping harmonies, the melancholic strings, the looped 4-chord acoustic guitar riff and the bombastic bass drum.
But it was the lyrics that struck a chord with the listeners with their sorry tale of Mary, her abusive boyfriend and wasted life. You wanted her to have a happy ending….but will she bury the past??
The 4 of Us 1988
Mary – Released 1989
http://youtu.be/kJV7ACsBVDw
Kicking off the 90's, we have a very different type of band, and, a very electrifying song! The Stunning, an Irish rock band formed in 1987, have split many times over the years to work on other projects such as, The Saw Doctors, The Walls, even Riverdance, but, happily they are back touring again. One of the most successful live acts of the 90's, it's only fitting that the video I've selected, is of a live performance from Electric Picnic '08. This song has everything thrown in, it's a right rakish musical hotch-potch: not strictly rock, not totally agit, a bit right of alternative, a bit punky for indie, and all that with a touch of brass shoved in for luck. This is one of the big songs of my gen, and is always sure to get a crowd to it's feet. Ladies and gentleman, may I present,
The Stunning 1987
Brewing up a Storm –
Never released as a single – track 6 of the 1990 album Paradise in the Picturehouse
http://youtu.be/CzYl4z3k7fI
***THE ANTHEM***
Next up is the big one – my Anthem of Anthems. An Emotional Fish, a radically alternative rock band signed to U2's Mother Records in 1989, and lead by the avant-garde Gerard Whelan (aka Jerry Fish of Mudbug Club fame), exploded onto the charts scene in spectacular fashion in June 1990, with this next song. I don't need to say a lot about this song – it does the talking, and then some, VERY LOUDLY! THIS IS THE STUFF OF WHICH ANTHEMS ARE MADE…
(be warned the pace quickens with each verse!)
An Emotional Fish 1988
Celebrate – Released 1990
http://youtu.be/Jeg4mQMVGNg
Now that the pulse is racing, let's take things down a notch with a little less shouty, a lot less pumped up, and a bit of a more poppy tune, by the wonderful Something Happens, the lead singer of which, Tom Dunne, has since become a well established DJ with Newstalk radio.
"Parachute" was one of the two big singles (the other was "Hello Hello..") from their album "Stuck together with God's Glue" which was recorded in LA. Feted by NME, supporting Simple Minds, and, courting the title of "Ireland's Next Biggest Thing…" they had huge success in the early 90's until it suddenly fizzled out a few years later, partly as a result of the collapse of the record label to which they were signed, and partly due to a less enthusiastically received "Planet Fabulous" in 1994. They subsequently released the hilariously titled "The Beatings will Continue until Morale Improves" aka their Greatest Hits. They still play on/off gigs, but sadly no longer record material.
I always really liked this song – I think it's 100% Feel-Good in a Musical Bottle of Happiness.
Something Happens 1987
Parachute – Released 1990
http://youtu.be/cuLcCmj4v
***FAVOURITE SONG TIME***
In 1991, U2 released what undoubtedly remains, one of their best albums – "Achtung Baby". My all time favourite U2 production, it contains three of my best loved songs: "Mysterious Ways", "Even Better than the Real Thing" and this, all time classic.
One – Released 1991
http://youtu.be/ftjEcrrf7r0
"One" may not be my all time Irish Anthem, that prize went to AEF "Celebrate"; it is however, my favourite U2 song EVER.
It is for me "THE ONE". Lyrically, it has a stark, morbid beauty. Musically it is majesty deconstructed, sonic melancholia. It has a hugely powerful melody, reinforced by the Edge's unique layering of (two separate) guitar sections.
One of their more pared back arrangements, it remains one of their most powerful songs, and ranks as one of thes greatest songs, ever recorded.
Funnily, despite the fractious background to the recording, many fans cite it as a favourite love song: to clarify, here is what both Bono and Edge have had to say about it….
Bono "It is a song about coming together… It's saying, We are one, but we're not the same. It's not saying we even want to get along, but that we have to get along together in this world if it is to survive. It's a reminder that we have no choice".
The Edge (it is a ) " … bitter, twisted, vitriolic conversation between two people who've been through some nasty, heavy stuff".
Love song, maybe not; song of a reunification leading to a togetherness, uneasy or otherwise, more likely…
Our penultimate anthem, is a song close to many a Dub's heart. "Crazy World" by the Dublin band Aslan, is anthemic for many Ath Cliath natives. Wracked by drug addiction, the lead singer Christy Dignam split with the band in 1988; however, following successful rehabilitation, Dignam made a full recovery and re-joined the band in 1992. Aslan have released several hit singles/albums over the decades, and despite Dignam's current battle with cancer, are still a working band, and tour de force on the Irish music scene.
"Crazy World" is a reflective rocky ballad, recorded when Dignam's vocals were at their best. It is sung with a raw, honest, sincerity, and it is this heartfelt emotion that resonates even moreso with fans, in light of all the personal tribulations the band have faced and overcome.
"…When the talking is over All the crowd has gone Nothing left I can do Am I ever gonna get through to you.."
Aslan 1982
Crazy World – Released 1993
http://youtu.be/QHeiVDSdoCM
Last but not least, we have The Frames, founded in Dublin in 1990 by the wonderful Glen Hansard. Still going strong today, albeit after a few tweaks and reincarnations, they have come along way from busking on Grafton St in the late 80s. "Revelate" one of their biggest hits, released from the 1995 number one album "Fitzcarraldo" (produced by ex-Boomtown Rat, Pete Briquette), is full of snarling guitars and lung busting vocals. A blistering song of dejection; or rejected, misguided, useless love; a love that needs a "revelation", a light, some guidance to steer it to redemption.
"redeem yourself, redeem yourself"
I leave you with, my final anthem of three generations, the wonderful, passionate, "Revelate" and hope, that you have enjoyed my choices of personal anthems over three decades, three generations, three phases of the Irish music scene.
The Frames 1990
Revelate – Released 1995
http://youtu.be/rlheXYqwavM
Slan libh go leir.
February 10, 2015 February 10, 2015 dervswerve Music Review
"Coming up for Air" with Kodaline…
Kodaline – "Coming up for Air" 7/10.
Kodaline confuse me. That being said, I can be easily confused.
On first hearing "All I want", I thought I was listening to a previously unreleased Coldplay track; on hearing the opening guitar chords of "Brand New Day" I auto-assumed that I was listening to Snow Patrol. That was 2013 – this is now.
Let's presume Kodaline are fans of the afore-mentioned CP and SP: isn't it therefore understandable that their music would be in some way influenced by their sounds? Unlike some, I'm happy to park that there!!
"Coming up for Air" is Kodaline's second album from which the hit single "Honest" was released earlier this month, entering both UK and Irish singles charts in the Top 20. Produced by Garrett "Jacknife" Lee (The Cars, REM, Snow Patrol (them again!), U2 – get the picture?) it is sonically big: bombastic stadium sound versus rock anthem; ballads with big choruses versus soft piano-led emos.
As THE second album, "Coming up for Air"is a more mature offering, which opens with the afore-mentioned pulsing "Honest" oozing with the confidence that comes from experience, before slowing into it's first, slightly saccharine, love song, "The One", which for me, is one of the weaker tracks on here.
"Autopilot" however, has an interesting mellow quasi-Indian opening riff. The slow pace unfolds into a melodic chant layered over some soft soothing harmonies which soon pick up pace, and grow into the full "gospel-monty" backed up with strong methodical percussion. It's "kinda-Koda" predictable but it's highly likeable and definitely a grower.
"Human Again" is an upper; a gritty rock-pop song, plenty of whining, sliding guitar grinding and squealing synths. "Unclear" brings us back down with it's lullabyesque sensibilities. Similarly, "Better" is gentle acoustic guitar driven song in the ahem, Chris Martin sense.
"Play the Game" is all about 80's rock: first it gave me the guitar n snare beat of Joan Jett's "I love Rock n Roll" and then it unleashed Jon Bon Jovi with his own big haired big voiced backing choir! And I loved it.
"Lost" is a rather lovely echoey electro-pop track, the vocal of which has a hint of a tint of Thom Yorke a la "No Surprises" – give them both a listen!! It's one of the strongest tracks on the album. Unfortunately, the strength of this track greatly overshadows the next in list, more run of the mill "Ready", a fairly standard pop tune – plenty of piano pumping and strumming strings.
"Love Will Set you Free" is another slow-paced love song in the mould of Kodaline 1.0 – very "High Hopes" in tone and vocal.
Without doubt the most "sonically beautiful" song on the album is the emotionally charged "Everything Works Out in the End" – soulful vocals play over light piano chords and flowing strings. This is one of those light the lighter/phone, wavey hands at the festival feel-good songs, that puts Kodaline up there with the best of their peers in this genre.
"Coming up for Air" isn't faultless, but it's a confident, strong production, in which the band have upped their game, and into which they have tried to incorporate the funk of a hugely talented and experienced producer, with the tricks they themselves have picked up along the way.
As usual, I have included vids from YouTube for you to sample, but, as I always say, if you enjoy, please support music by downloading from iTunes or buying the real deal in your local record shop.
http://www.Kodaline.com
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/coming-up-for-air-deluxe-album/id945240218?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
"Coming up for Air" Tracklist
1. "Honest" 3:38
2. "The One" 3:52
3. "Autopilot" 4:18
4. "Human Again" 3:47
5. "Unclear" 4:25
6. "Coming Alive" 4:16
7. "Lost" 3:35
8. "Ready" 3:53
9. "Better" 3:34
10. "Everything Works Out in the End" 3:37
11. "Play The Game" 3:54
12. "Love Will Set You Free" 4:20
13. "Caught In The Middle" 4:36
14. "War" 3:31
15. "Moving On" 4:25
16. "Honest" (Acoustic)
February 8, 2015 February 8, 2015 dervswerve Music Review
The Charlatans – Modern Musical Magnificence – "Modern Nature" Reviewed
After a bit of a clingfilmic struggle to get liberate the contents of the too well packaged new offering from The Charlatans, I neglected to read the "instructions", and pulled a CD from the sleeve, slipped it into player and sat down with the enclosed lyrics sheet. There was just one teeny problem; I couldn't find any trace of the song! "We sleep on borrowed time…" sings lead singer Tim Burgess behind a thin layer of digital overlay on the first track of what it transpired was a CD of bonus tracks. Wow!!
The second bonus track opened and I was teleported back to mid-90s Madchester. "Walk with me" is a stunner, but what is even more amazing about this track is that it was written by their late drummer Jon Brookes from his hospital bed. Brookes succumbed to a brain tumour in 2013 and the album is naturally dedicated his memory. Incidentally Brookes played the drums on this track (it's the only track he played on) giving it his trademark percussive sound.
"It's the start of a journey , not the end of the road
Cause life is the enigma, only love can be cold,
… Walk with me, love walks by my side"
The bonus CD is quite simply wonderful and as great a warm up for the main event, as ever I've heard.
So to "Modern Nature" proper.
"Talking in Tones" is the opener and arguably one of the strongest songs on the album. The harmonies bring Simon & Garfunkel to mind there being something S&G about the soft synchronicity of the crossing vocals. It's thoughtful and meditative in lyric and tone, attributes which can also be found in "Keep Enough" and the beautifully contemplative but up-tempo "Emilie".
Musically, this album is heavy on the keyboards, which in the main have a 60's retro feel with a slight hint of Manzarek; this nostalgic nod is bolstered by the addition of some gospel vocal, sexy brass sections (courtesy of Big Jim Paterson of Dexys fame), and some very 70s funky on down Collins guitar solos – "Let the Good Times be Never Ending" is a classic 60s/70s mash up with a distinct disco-vibe.
If "I need you to know" were a novel, it'd be a thriller; full of intrigue. It opens with a musical sense of foreboding, ramping up with "Bondesque" strings adding to the sense of mystery and intensity. "Trouble Understanding" is Tim Burgess' favourite track and is piano driven, percussive toe-tapper, again with Gospel-like backing vocals giving it a very chilled vibe, which melds perfectly seamlessly into the final track, "Lot to Say", a light, jaunty melody, with more airily blended harmonies, rounding off the album in wound down mode.
'Modern Nature' is by far one of the most stunning albums I have heard in a very long time. It took me by surprise, not having been a dedicated Charlies fan back in the 90s. It is a masterclass in musical resurrection and undoubtedly a shoe-in for every best album award for 2015. 10/10. Magnificent.
And as they say – "Let the good times be never ending"….
February 3, 2015 February 3, 2015 dervswerve Uncategorized
Musical Mini Blog – A "Golden Brown" Sweetness of Youth
For some weirdy reason, one of my favourite ever songs (to which my long suffering mother will attest), "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers, came into my head this afternoon…..and refused to budge.
So, I had to play it.
But it still wouldn't budge.
So then I had to relate this "probleme ancien" which I'd had back in the day, to our receptionist, in a bid to finally offload, all these years later.
You see when "Golden Brown" was released, fado fado, on 10th January 1982, I was still very young and well, a bit wet behind the ears (actually I was so wet I was soaking!). I wasn't very good at, well, lyrical interpretation!
1982 was not only pre-internet, it was also pre-computer! These were the glory days of ye olde black "let your fingers do the talking" phone, ye "fuzzy come snow or sunshine" pipe TV, and, ye radio a la batteries. Communication was via pen and paper. To get stuff, you had to move…to find out something, you had to go through pages and pages of information, like telephone and reference books. There was no google to instantaneously answer my questions. The only means I had of figuring stuff out, was through magazines, and my pocket money only stretched so far.
Anyway, after joyously discovering the romantic middle-eastern sub-tones of "Golden Brown" via the radio, I promptly despatched my trusty vinyl dealer to procure me the single from Golden Discs asap, chop-chop. This dealer took the form of Mammy Mc Cloat, always good for a trip to town on a Monday and therefore always on hand to buy the latest release hot off the shelves (singles back then were normally released on a Sunday – which worked out perfectly for the Monday city centre run!).
Woo – there it was all shiny and unmarked, sitting on my turntable; around and, around and, around, and on, and on. You get the picture. This was de rigueur with every new single that came into my possession – for the first 48 hours, it was nothing but. So, there I was, myself and Jean-Jacques (Burnel – Bass player – mini-crush) in a reverie of Harpsichord 3/4 then 6/8 time, all Egyptian mystique, pyramids and eastern promise (yes, I'm going all Fry's Turkish Delight for a moment, but you get the gist).
But there were two weeny problems:-
First up, the meaning of the song – who or what was Golden Brown, "the ..temptress"! Was she some magical Delilah type, wooing The Stranglers across the Egyptian desert sands? I just had to find out. I asked in my class, no-one knew. Quelle surprise. I asked the lads down the road, who just looked blankly at me with "WHA'?" written upon their faces. No point in asking my mother. Damn. So I asked the one last person on my go-to list who I thought might help. I asked my teacher. She was young(ish), she'd know.
"Miss, do you know what "Golden Brown" is about? She looked at me very calmly, and said, "Whiskey". Huh? Whiskey??. And then when I thought about it, well it made sense. Whiskey is warm, it's a golden brown colour, it makes people happy, "never a frown, with Golden Brown". Okay then, first problem sorted.
The second problem was a little more difficult, in that I had no means available to me of checking my facts. You see, I was very unsure about the second line of the song, it just didn't seem to fit into the context:
"Golden Brown texture like sun
Lays me down with my, um, Rancheros"?
You see I knew it couldn't be Rancheros, cos' they were, well, bacon flavoured crispy snacky things!!
Why would the Stranglers be singing about Rancheros? And yet, I couldn't get anything else to fit. it would just have to do. I had no way of verifying the lyrics. And it rhymed. So that was okay then, once it rhymed, it was sort of, well, okay-ish!
And so that was the "Golden Brown" of Derval's world for many years. A song about Whiskey and Rancheros! Oh my innocent heart.
It wasn't for a very long time, that I finally found out the true meaning of the song, from an interview with lead singer Hugh Cornwell, and just in case, there is any doubt, here you go:-
There has been much controversy surrounding the lyrics. In his 2001 book The Stranglers Song By Song, Hugh Cornwell clearly states "'Golden Brown' works on two levels. It's about heroin and also about a girl". Essentially the lyrics describe how "both provided me with pleasurable times".
To end my ranchero-rambling, I leave you with, the full lyrics of "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers, together with the official video. "… with my mind she runs…never a frown with golden brown"
Lays me down with my mind she runs
Throughout the night
No need to fight
Never a frown with golden brown
Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast
To distant lands
Takes both my hands
Golden brown finer temptress
Through the ages she's heading
From far away
Stays for a day
With golden brown
February 2, 2015 February 2, 2015 dervswerve Factual Music
*The year beside each act is the year they formed
I know what THE anthem of my gen is, but it's not my favourite song……out of this list, there will always and only ever be THE "ONE".
That was the song of my "never-stop-all-energy -isn't-life-the-biz-where-are-we-goin'-next?" period; it came from THE ALBUM of my early adulthood, of my isn't life wonderful period, and THEY were THE BAND of my "youth culture".
"…..we're one, but we're not the same….."
The anthem was what I wanted to hear when I walked into a house party, the latter was what I was listening to on my Walkman – er, remember them?
There are anthems for each generation of Irish youth – and today I'd like to focus on those of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Pick and choose what you'd like to listen to out of my anthemic pick n mix. Please explore and hopefully enjoy, what I consider to be, some of the best songs of our modern musical heritage!
Now, I'm too young for the 70's anthems to really mean anything to me, in a, "I was there" kind-of way. "Thin Lizzy" the first big Irish band to make it outside of these shores, were "before my time" as they say. Before my time, and, far too hard a sound for this Abba loving child. Phil Lynott (RIP) was a musical icon of his day. A Dub of mixed race, adored and scorned in equal measure, a talent equal to that of his peers, guitarist, vocalist, lyricist – he had it in spades. Who will forget that sublime collab with Gary Moore – "Parisienne Walkways", or, the musical poem for Lynott's first born daughter, "Sarah", both beautiful, soft, romantic, wonderful songs. Or indeed, the heartfelt poppy "Old Town" with it's sweeping piano bridge and heraldic trumpet backdrop.
But it will be for this huge anthemic Irish rock song, that the Lizzy and Philo will always be remembered. The guitar says it all! A vibe for Philo.
Thin Lizzy 1969
Whiskey in the Jar – Released 1972
For any of you who haven't heard any Thin Lizzy or Phil Lynott I would heartily recommend you hit iTunes for some best of material.
Next up, one of Ireland's greatest trad-rock groups, Horslips, led by the supremely talented Barry Devlin. There isn't anyone in Ireland that doesn't know of "Dearg Doom" and when it's played at parties, festivities and festivals, the floor and the air fill in unison with the sounds of feet and voices, dancing, clapping and singing to what many would call, one of the biggest celt-rock anthems of our time. Here you go………..(Just don't look at the clothes!)
Horslips 1970
Dearg Doom – Released 1973
And now we move into the 80's, though the next band has it's roots firmly in the 70's.
Arguably one of the greatest bands in the world, U2 were formed in the kitchen of a north Dublin suburb in 1976. I won't bore you. There's too much to say.
U2 feature three times (ish) in this Celtic musical menagerie. They are my band, my youth and rock legends of my lifetime. The first of three kicks off here with a song written and released at a time when we (Irish) thought we'd never see an end to the "Troubles". This song, musically powerful and lyrically incendiary, brought raw heightened emotion to every Irish gig at which it was played.
Thankfully, those days are behind us now. But for many of us, this song will always remind us of what was for this island, a very black period in our modern history. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was our anthem, our call to all sides in this nonsensical war to stop the bloodshed, cease the violence. It was hair-standing-on-back-of-neck-stuff!
This clip is from their 2001 headline at Slane Castle, for which I was lucky enough to have a backstage pass, and the memory of which will stay will me forever! #NOMORE
*The black and white clips in this video are actual footage from the Derry "Bloody Sunday" 30/1/1972. Some might find these scenes upsetting.
U2 1976
Sunday Bloody Sunday – Released 1983
And now back to more traditional, lighter and fleet footed entertainment.
On 30th April 1994 Ireland hosted the 39th International Eurovision song contest, and, for it's main interval act, RTE commissioned Bill Whelan, Anuna, the RTE Concert Orchestra and an Irish dance troupe led by the internationally renowned Michael Flatley and Jean Butler (Production by Moya Doherty & John Mc Colgan) to produce a traditional euro-friendly offering. The result was the phenomenon that was Riverdance, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Though not exactly an anthem, it has become without exception our cultural international calling card. Sit back and enjoy…
Bill Whelan with Anuna
Riverdance – Released 1984
Goosebumps eh? What a roar…what an ovation!!! #ProudMoment
Oddly enough, in contrast, our next anthem was produced by a band who were not in fact, wholly Irish. Founded by the Scotsman Mike Scott in 1983, it comprised of what I call the Paddy Joke men. In my childhood, the big jokes doing the classroom rounds were based on the mythical foursome of "Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman, Paddy Scotsman and Paddy Welshman". These "Paddies" were in essence, what made up, The Waterboys. Living in Ireland, adopted and loved by the Irish, they released "The Whole of the Moon" to huge critical acclaim, receiving non-stop airplay on radio and in discos alike.
It's a classic, which won Scott an Ivor Novello, and which to this day remains their greatest hit and biggest crowd pleaser at live gigs.
"I pictured a rainbow,
You held it in your hands…"
The Waterboys 1983
The Whole of the Moon – Released 1985
Very 80s!
Next up our second entry featuring U2 frontman Bono, in a hauntingly beautiful duet with the wonderful Clannad. Clannad, from Donegal, are made up of the hugely talented Ni Bhraonain& Duggan families. Gaeilgeori, they originally specialised in trad-folk, moving over time, into a more ballady-soft-celtic rock pop which has won them several international awards including a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello.
Again, it's not an anthem as such, but I think it exemplifies soft-Celt-Rock at it's best and if you like what you hear, invest some time in their legendary UK hit, the "Theme from Harry's Game", sung entirely in Irish. It is fair to say, that Clannad hold a very special place in traditional Irish hearts!
Clannad 1970 (with Bono)
In a Lifetime – Released 1986
I fell in love with that song the first time I heard it. I hope that you enjoyed its melodic sound, the wonderful voice of Maire Ni Bhraonain, and, the beautiful scenic shots in the video.
On 6th March, 1987, the homes of Ireland were tuned into the longest running chat show of all time, "The Late Late Show", which was holding a tribute night in honour of Irish trad/rebel band, "The Dubliners". With an interesting mix of eclectic music types making up the audience, it featured interviews, reminiscences, old footage, tribute covers etc., and THEN this happened…
The Dubliners 1962 (with the Pogues)
The Irish Rover – Released 1987
The Pogues had taken a traditional Irish Folk song and "punked" it up. Collaborating with the inspirational Dubliners was a masterstroke and the result was a feast of rebel-rock at it's best. The musicianship on this track is outstanding, and the vocals ragged, rough, and rasping, give the lyrics a sense of urgency in this tale of wild exaggeration of the plight of the stricken vessel "The Irish Rover". This song will bring any room to it's feet, just watch your ankles, as legs tend to fly. An anthem for "the craic", it remains one of the most popular Irish songs in the traditional mould of the 80's, still enjoying frequent airplay today.
We're now half way through our list of 70's, 80's and 90's anthems…..take the time go back to listen to any you may have skipped over. It will give you a sense of our youthful progress through the decades.


text:
2.19.08 | In Memoriam, Sports Mouth of the South Called Them As Only He Could See Them
Tar Heel basketball and football fans are used to getting their radio play-by-play straight up and by the book. It may be as exciting as the game itself, but one never wonders whether there's going to be an off-color slip of the tongue. It's… read more
2.19.08 | Structures Law School Plans Move to Carolina North
Calling it "a momentous day in the life of this School of Law," Dean Jack Boger '74 (JD) has told faculty, students, staff and alumni of UNC's law school that he has accepted an offer from Chancellor James Moeser and Provost Bernadette Gray-Little… read more
2.14.08 | Faculty, Issues Former Law School Dean Nichol Resigns From William & Mary
Gene Nichol, former dean of the law school who left two and a half years ago to take the presidency of the College of William & Mary, resigned from that position with little warning this week after he was notified his contract would not be… read more
2.11.08 | Sports Squeeze the Charmin: Hatchell Wins No. 500
Carolina's latest basketball milestone made all the papers. But there was one paper Sylvia Hatchell probably didn't want to hear anything about. On Monday, Feb. 4, Hatchell's team drove to Durham and took care of the usually tough Blue Devils,… read more
2.11.08 | Students Wesley Foundation Proposes Large-Scale Student Housing
For almost 50 years, the UNC Wesley Foundation has served as the University's Methodist campus ministry. Its building is beginning to show its age, prompting plans for a renovation that includes a residence hall designed to house more than 100… read more
2.8.08 | In Class, Students On Downplaying Differences: Freshmen to Read 'Covering'
Freshmen entering UNC next fall will be asked to read Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights before they arrive. read more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Full horizontal page carousel bootstrap I try to build a responsive one page using bootstrap that scrolls horizontally and every mouse scroll will switch to next page, best way i found so far to achieve this is to use carousel. The problem is that my carousel skips "pages". is there any way to restrict mouse scroll event to move only 100vw per scroll? or any other creative ideas how to approach this kind of build?
Any help will be much appreciated.Thanks in advance
This what i have so far:
https://codepen.io/xxannxx/pen/mxJWae
Html:

                      CAPTION - information about the image

                      CAPTION - information about the image

                      CAPTION - information about the image

              Previous

              Next

Css:

.aquamarine {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color: aquamarine;
}

.blue {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color:skyblue;
}

.pink {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color:lightpink;
}

.purple {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color:plum;
}

.yellow {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color:yellow;
}

.orange {
    width: 50vw;
    height: 100vh;
    background-color:orange;
}
.right.carousel-control, .left.carousel-control {
    display: none;
}

.carousel-indicators li {
    visibility: hidden;
}

JS:

          $('#myCarousel').carousel({
              interval: false
          });

          $('#myCarousel').bind('mousewheel', function(e)
    {
        if(event.wheelDelta>0) {
            $(this).carousel('next');
        }else if(event.wheelDelta<0){
            $(this).carousel('prev');
        }
    }
);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Dow index traded 0.58% higher on Wednesday despite pressure on Boeing shares. Moreover, markets were relieved after having voted out the prospect of a chaotic no-deal Brexit on Wednesday however UK Lawmakers are set to vote today on whether they will extend the date of UK's withdrawal from the EU. On the data front, Durable goods orders rose in January and PPI data showed subdued inflation, thereby supporting the Fed's patient approach on tightening monetary policy. There are no major headlines on the trade front to move markets in a confident direction and lack of clarity on Brexit further highlights the uncertainty of geopolitical risks.
The Dow Index managed to recover losses incurred by this week's plunge in Boeing shares and closed higher at 25702. Price respected the resistance level around 25762 for a second time this week and must overcome this level to claw further gains and target the next resistance at 25880. Moreover, the shorter 20-period MA is looking to cross the longer 50-period MA thereby indicating a potential reversal of the short-term downtrend. Should price hold above the Bollinger mid-line, it may act as support on pullbacks as the Index rises. Alternately, a trade through the midline around 25590 would suggest a move back down.


The article reviews the exhibition "Skyscraper - Art and architecture against gravity" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois, from June 30 to September 23, 2012.
The article reviews the exhibition "Skyscraper: Art and Architecture Against Gravity," featuring artworks by Monika Sosnowska and Vito Acconci, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois ending September 23, 2012.
The article reviews the art exhibition "The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now," presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois from July 11 to November 22, 2015.
The article reviews the 2012 visual arts exhibition "This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s," at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois.
A preview of the exhibition "Pandora's Box" is presented, to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois through October 16, 2013, featuring the works of various artists including Joseph Cornell.
The article reports that the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago and Equality Illinois are inviting couples who are planning to get married to have their wedding at the MCA.


Crypto Harbor Exchange volume of trade today and historical data of Crypto Harbor Exchange capitalization since start date of trade on the cryptocurrency exchange market.
Today's market capitalization for Crypto Harbor Exchange is 0 US dollars.
Today's Crypto Harbor Exchange volume of trade is 3 072 US dollars.
Capitalization of Crypto Harbor Exchange - total sum of all mined Crypto Harbor Exchange cryptocoins.
Volume of trade of Crypto Harbor Exchange - total sum in US dollars for all deals with Crypto Harbor Exchange cryptocoins bought and sold during selected date.


Robert Lee Purcell, 63, of Lancaster Road was charged with possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of drug paraphernalia, they reported. He was being held in the Orange County Jail under a $5000 secured bond.
Also arrested were Ruby Jana Hitefield, 41, and Kelli Talbert Isley, 35.
Hitefield was charged with an order for arrest out of Alamance County for failure to appear in court on trespassing and misdemeanor larceny charges. Isley was charged with misdemeanor possession of schedule II controlled substances and an order for arrest out of Alamance County for failure to appear in court on driving while license revoked and no insurance charges, officials said.
Isley and Hitefield were taken to the Orange County Jail. Each was given a $350 secured bond and has since been released.


text:
Prosecuting Kim Jong Il
Posted August. 31, 2010 13:10,
Prosecuting Kim Jong Il. August. 31, 2010 13:10. .
Kim Jong Il's crimes committed against the people of both Koreas are incomparable to those by any other dictator or heinous criminal in the world. If prosecutors charge him, his arraignment notice would span tens of thousands of pages. It is even harder to imagine how long it would take for an investigation and trial, including the time needed for witness testimony. Despite this, a movement to bring Kim to justice has begun in South Korea. The Gathering of Families of People Abducted by North Korea and former torture victims of the North's gulags will soon push for Kim`s prosecution for crimes against humanity with the help of a lawyers' group. The group is also considering filing a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC is different from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a U.N. organization making rulings on disputes between countries. Established in 2002, the ICC has 110 member countries and handles individual cases such as massacres, crimes against humanity, war crimes and invasions. An ICJ trial can be set up only after obtaining the agreement of the parties to the dispute while members and even the U.N. Security Council can be prosecuted by the ICC. Unlike the U.N., however, the ICC is limited in its role to a degree because the U.S., China and the majority of Arab countries are not members.
The ICC handed out a life sentence to Tharcisse Renzaho, the former mayor of the Rwandan capital of Kigali who led the genocide of about 800,000 people. The trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic for "ethnic cleansing" stopped after his death. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant against incumbent Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir on the charge of killing 35,000 civilians in the war in Darfur in 2003. Bashir is laughing at the ICC, but since the world has criticized his crimes in watching the ICC`s activities, the arrest warrant is far from meaningless.
In 2007, ICC member South Korea legislated a law on punishing crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC. The purpose is to provide active cooperation in punishing criminals under trial by the ICC. Allowing the death penalty and life sentences, this law is binding and can serve as grounds for punishing Kim Jong Il. It remains to be seen how prosecutors and the ICC will respond to the prosecution request by the families of abductees. There is no way to bring Kim to justice or arrest him, but making his heinous crimes known to the world will have great significance.
Editorial Writer Yook Jeong-soo (sooya@donga.com)


Dale McFee is Edmonton's new police chief, an "internationally recognized innovator and executive leader with a solid background in the fields of policing, community safety and public service." He served as the chief of police in Prince Albert and as the deputy minister of Corrections and Policing in Saskatchewan. He digs deeper with Blue Line on how his past experiences will help shape the years ahead.
Growing up playing hockey on a team was always something that interested me. So was being able to do something different every day and help people. That led to me applying at the Prince Albert Police Service, and I was successful in my application. It's been one of those careers that is really rewarding. Every day is different. Giving back to the community and working with the community are things that obviously interest me.
Q: How has policing changed since you first started as an officer?
Q: What are some achievements you're particularly proud of?
There are lots. Even now coming into the Edmonton Police Service is pretty humbling — to be able to lead such a great organization. My fondest memories were my times as a police officer and chief at Prince Albert, and as the deputy minister of corrections and policing for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, but what I remember most are the people. My greatest achievements are building relationships with people and building leadership in my teams. I've been fortunate to have a lot of positive moments throughout my career. If you are in a situation and you surround yourself with good people and enable them to do the job, then everybody wins.
Q: How do you think your past jobs have prepared you for your new position?
I think of Prince Albert as a smaller place where you could be innovative and try some new things. Then I went on to government, dealing with corrections and policing. You can learn how to reverse engineer people that have gone to jail, and you can see those potential moments where you can intervene in their lives to help keep them out of jail. And then you come to the police service in Edmonton, which has the size and scale, and you can actually implement a lot of the things you learned along the way. You still have the ability to make decisions and act reasonably quickly, and you can impact the community a lot more than you can in government. I think it's a natural evolution to use all those experiences.
Q: What did you learn from being on the other side of policing, in the government part of the job?
You understand your partner agencies differently, like health, social services and education. You understand how money flows. You understand how everyone feels that they are doing the best in their own environment. But what you really learn in government is that we have to do this collectively or we are not going to be successful. You can't solve social issues with just one piece of the puzzle. The reality is that working across systems is the only way you can get value and impact.
Q: What do you think is needed in police leadership?
If you know what drives your work, then you need to know what work you can do to actually fix it, and when I mean fix it, I mean reduce it.
We've had this idea in policing that the solution is more supply. More supply looks like, "We need more officers. We have marijuana coming our way, so we need more officers to deal with that. We've got to do such-and-such so we need more officers." And we do need those things; it's important to have the tools to do the job. But equally important is: how do you reduce the demand for the services?
If the job of the police is not to get themselves out of work, then we are not focusing on the right things. We all know that policing will never be out of work. It's a necessary thing to protect society, but at the same time there is a balance we need to bring to policing. Otherwise there are never going to be enough resources and you are never going to slow down your intake. We need our organizations to have the ability to think differently.
Q: What are some of the biggest issues you see for policing right now?
If you are talking about drivers of crime, then you are talking about meth, drugs, mental health and addictions, domestic violence and child trauma. I also think the other part to that is, how do you connect to those services and get behind them, so you collectively own the problem? The biggest thing is going to be getting everyone in the same direction.
It's like the game of Risk; if you put an army on every country, then you are first out of the game. I think we have armies all over the place, and I would almost say that we don't have a collective fighting response to deal with the multiple issues we are facing.
Q: What do you hope to achieve over the long-term?
I want to focus on reducing the demand for services. I want to make sure we are diligent in protecting those services that are critical to our citizens, like air patrol, investigative services — things that we are good at. And improving those things that reduce the demand. We have the people and we have money, and we just need to make sure that we are using both to make the community a safer place.
A part of that is making sure we have partners at the table. We need to do whatever is in our power to make sure they are there, but also make sure they are getting some wins out of it, too. We need to set joint goals and priorities. I think that anytime you are going to do something that will reduce crime and make communities safer, it needs to be led locally. Community safety is a lot bigger than just policing and enforcement.
Watch McFee's swearing in ceremony at youtu.be/LkiJDy9IzjQ.


text:
Cardinals Win City Tourney and Connie Mack World Series Hosting Rights
July 23, 2010 | Posted by Daniel "Dee" Clark
Monday evening, fans at Ricketts Park saw the final two rounds of the Farmington Connie Mack City Tournament, a night closing out the most grueling and exciting week of New Mexican baseball each year (in this writer's opinion). Still left on the final evening were the Strike Zone Cardinals of Farmington, the Four Corners Thunder of Durango, CO, and Naataanii, an academy located in Gallup, NM. These were the three teams most local baseball fans including myself anticipated being alive on the final night of the tournament.
Sunday night saw Naataanii knock off the Four Corners Nutz, a very respectable organization (despite their name) rostering numerous standout players, in thrilling fashion and the Cards dishing a mercy-rule victory to the then undefeated Thunder, 14-2, in the nightcap. The Cardinals' victory came on the back of a dominant mound performance by the heir apparent to the coveted ace role for the reigning state champion Piedra Vista Panthers, Dominic Moreno. Moreno battled a doughnut hole zone and one of the best lineups in Colorado to come away with the most notable victory of his young career. The Thunder was fresh off of a run to the title game of the High Desert Classic the previous weekend and also played in the title game of the annual Andenucio Classic in Pueblo earlier in the summer. The Thunder won last year's city tournament and ended up 1-2 in the CMWS, their lone victory on the back of ace Jake McCasland, one of the finer players the Four Corners has produced in decades. The Thunder lineup consisted of numerous D1 signees as well as a handful of players returning from their first year of collegiate ball. Many folks believed they were the most talented group in town.
However, Naataanii carried the top seed into the tourney and defeated the Cardinals by way of a Josh Walker (Rio Rancho High) one-hitter in the 3rd Round Friday night. Walker struck out 10, and the Howard County JC signee appeared as advertised given his extensive resume as a 1st Team All-State performer and North-South All-Star. He was able to outlast UNM signee, Eli Freese, who was respectable but not as spectacular as usual. As the week lasted, pairings were determined for the quarterfinals, and the Thunder/ Cards matchup appeared the most intriguing. The matchup was set for Nick Clayton, returning from Midland/Odessa after his first year of the Thunder and Moreno of the Cards. Both pitchers have boasted high 80's heat with devastating secondary offerings. Moreno has run fastballs upwards of 90 before but tends to sit a tad lower. Clayton did not make it out of the first as Freese cleared the bases with a triple and the offense hit around. Freese and Andrew Castillo (Carlsbad High/ Eastern AZ signee) both homered in the contest as the Cards cruised.
Following the Cardinal win, the three teams met to draw for the bye into the title game. Calling upon numerous deities for assistance, Griffin Phelps snatched the bye, and the team piled around him as though he had actually won something. Everyone understands how meaningful that bye is and what a huge relief it is on pitching staffs. Knowing that the Thunder and Naataanii would have to battle each other for 7 innings before the title matchup was further reassurance to the Cardinals that they were indeed now in the driver's seat. Naataanii won a close battle, but had to use Walker to close the game out.
So, with the Thunder eliminated and Walker a little tired, Naataanii manager, Tim Campos, had a tough decision to make: start Walker or not? He elected to start him despite the enormous toll on the kid's arm, and the decision seemed wise through the middle innings. Then, however, in the sixth inning some timely hitting and luck paved the way for the Cards to take the lead. After Seward County signee, Steven Polito, and Freese both reached base without a hit, Castillo skied a fly ball to NM State signee Joe Sena (Rio Rancho High). The ball soared above the lights, and it was lost in the darkness. The ball fell, loading the bases for UNM-bound Damion Lovato. Lovato doubled, bringing in two runners. The following hitter, 3rd baseman Joe Cervantes, also doubled bringing in another two. 2B and Frank-Phillips signee Alex Scanlan capped the scoring with an RBI single. By the end of the sixth, the Cards were up 5-1, and that was all lefty Robbie Ingram would need. Ingram led Arizona AAAA in K's in 2010 and is headed to Yavapai in the fall. Ingram is regarded as easily the top southpaw in Farmington this summer, and he finished the game allowing just 2 runs.
As the celebratory dog-pile ensued on the mound and head coach, Griffin Phelps, was doused with Gatorade during his postgame interview with the Daily Times, the Cardinals assumed a role that every league champion has assumed since 1965. Immediately the coaches began discussing what players to add to the roster before the Series, which does not begin until August 6th and what events to attend in the meantime. Most of this remains somewhat undecided but should be clarified within the next few days. The Cardinals opening round matchup is against one of the DBAT Mustangs groups of Dallas, and there exists a very realistic chance that the first arm they face will be that of Archie Bradley of Broken Arrow High. Bradley is generally regarded as a potential 1st Round arm and will easily be the toughest arm most of the Cardinals have ever faced. That truly is what the CMWS represents, though, long-shot odds for the host team in front of thousands of fans on the surface they have grown up treating like holy ground.
I want to spend the last paragraph paying homage to what I view as the most talented summer league Farmington has seen in over a decade. The fact that the top three teams all were comprised of draft picks, entire lineups of collegiate-bound players, and all-staters says a lot about where the league is headed in the future. It is rare for metro players to leave Albuquerque for the summer, but numerous high profile guys did. It is also rare to see such strong representation from the southern part of the state. Hopefully next year's league can continue to bring in the state's top talent.
In other news around town, Eddie Carl signed his first professional contract with the Royals yesterday. Carl had a very successful collegiate career with Eastern Arizona and later as a Lobo and continues a long line of pitching excellence at Piedra Vista. From Jason Ray to Mike Dunn to Eddie Carl to McCasland and hopefully to Moreno, Panther arms tend to have a great deal of success in the game. Good luck, Eddie.
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2011 Connie Mack World Series Preview
Carlsbad High Grad Cody Ross Earns NLCS MVP Honors
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Connie Mack World Series: The Best Baseball Tournament You've Never Heard Of
The Final Chapter of the Ricketts Park Series: Connie Mack World Series Time
Previewing the 2010 Farmington Connie Mack City Tournament
Ricketts Park, Part II: The High School Years
Piedra Vista Wins First District Title Despite Loss; Farmington Baseball Prepares for State
Ricketts Park: A True Diamond in the Rough (Part I)
Daniel Clark says:
there is an error in this piece. the cards' opening round matchup is against the florida legends, a powerhouse organization based in coconut grove (miami) boasting 14 drafted players including manny machado (3rd overall). while playing the mustangs would have been an honor, the legends are easily the most talented collection of amateur talent in the states aside from the 18U national team.
speaking of the national team, blake swihart of cleveland high in rio rancho is the lone new mexican on their roster and is currently leading the team in hitting with slashes of .464/.467/.789 as the squad opens play today at the junior worlds. the switch-hitting catcher will likely be the first new mexican selected in the first round since shane andrews (carlsbad) was taken by the expos with the 11th overall pick in 1990. andrews played his club ball in farmington and went on to have a 7-year big league career. hopefully swihart can stay healthy and follow in those footsteps. swihart was also selected to the aflac game held august 15th and televised nationally on fox sports. other notable invites are legend andrew suarez and mustang archie bradley.
just wanted to give a few updates on the cmws field. besides the cards, the legends, and the mustangs, there have been a few other teams to clinch. The ontario bluejays, who will be canada's lone representative, has not appeared in farmington in a decade, but they were able to knock off the highly reputable south troy dodgers in come-from-behind fashion. check out this link for video: http://www.troyrecord.com/video/sports/recent/1/16/. pay special attention at 48 seconds to see what it really means to earn the trip to farmington. Also qualifying are the east cobb yankees. no surprise here, but the yanks actually dropped the first game of the southeast regional to the homestead storm, a south florida organization. the yankees won it all in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2008 and are generally regarded as one of the top two amateur organizations in the world aside the midland redskins. no word yet on the results from the east central regional, but if midland does not make it out, then there will be a lot of broken hearts in farmington as the redskins are always a crowd favorite. the longshots of downers grove, illinois, made it out of the north central region after eliminating numerous organizations including perennial power top tier of chicago. more updates will be provided as i get them, but the field is beginning to take shape.
Eat-a says:
Look at Steve, updating while in the great country of Australia. I have to say I have become a fan of Connie Mack, I know we have a few scouts going down there. There's some great baseball down in the Nuevo.
For what its worth, I would like to add that I intend to post some info. on my experience working with baseball on a daily basis, just real busy with the trade deadline and such. Have no idea what I will post yet, but I'm a fan of the Sombrero, been meaning to post. Beauty is, if you don't wanna read, don't. Who's winning fantasy?
dude, we would love to have you write anything you want any time you want. arlo is creaming everybody in fantasy. i think it might be the year of the joo in our league. you might want to check out brett's piece from about a week ago to get a better understanding of the way things have gone in the league recently. i think we are back on track, though.
australia has been terrific, dude. we were down at a place called noosa the last few days. it's a beach next to a national park. lots of cool forest and wildlife and stuff. got to hold a koala and feed a kangaroo at the koala sanctuary too about a week ago. it has just been really sweet.
there are usually a couple of guys from every team at the cmws. i can't wait. thanks to griff and these kids i get to suit up for it again…and then clap my hands and attempt to say clever and insightful things for a couple of hours. any chance you might be making it up to farmington during the series?
great job with haren too by the way.
« Classic Sports Illustrated Covers: Ryne Sandberg
A Preliminary Look at Some of the 2011 MLB Draft Class »


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On track for success
A service shutdown of Manchester's tram line one week into operations showed the important role Keolife plays in resolving issues. A lasting impression!
Statement from KeolisAmey
05-23-2018 KeolisAmey is pleased that the Welsh Government has today (Wednesday, May 23) announced its intention to award the contract to operate the Wales and Borders rail service and the South Wales Metro to KeolisAmey.
Keolis Canada offers a large range of transport services in Quebec, distinguishing itself through its comprehensive management of the Orléans Express intercity transport network. It is the only Keolis subsidiary to be responsible for services covering the full length of its passenger offer and to have complete responsibility for any associated risks.
Keolife was designed and implemented to structure the Group's strategy of continuous improvement. Based on proven fundamentals, Keolife provides a shared framework for all Keolis' subsidiaries to improve their performance for the benefit of passengers and public transport authorities alike.
Keolife: our continuous improvement approach
Deployed in each of Keolis' 300 subsidiaries – irrespective of transport mode, size or country of implementation – the KeoLife continuous improvement programme is built around seven workstreams. Each workstream is divided into several focus areas, with a set of shared standards and KPIs defined by the Group's business areas. Self-assessment tools enable each subsidiary to gauge how well it's doing and identify its strengths and avenues for improvement, in line with its performance and the local business environment. KeoLife provides the framework for each subsidiary to structure its approach, build specific action plans and track its own progress.
The Konformité programme
In 2013, we added a business ethics component to KeoLife. Known as Konformité, this programme covers three fields of action: strict adherence to free and fair competition, prevention of corruption and fraud and protection of personal data. Whether dealing with customers, suppliers and service providers or all stakeholders, the programme uses simple and practical terms to describe right and wrong types of behaviour, both according to the law and by the Group's ethical business standards.
In 2017, we reinforced our system to fight corruption with a dedicated code of conduct and a professional whistleblowing system.
A collaborative approach that reflects our 'One Keolis' vision
Reflecting our One Keolis vision, KeoLife builds on a collaborative approach that encourages all subsidiaries to share best practices and draw inspiration from each other's successful experiences to develop their own action plans. For example, the visualisation room, initially created by Yarra Trams in Australia, was adopted in 2015 by our Nottingham subsidiary (UK) and has since been duplicated by several subsidiaries, such as in Angers, Valence and Boston.
As proof of its success, the KeoLife programme, launched in 2013, is now an integral part of how we operate. Keolis UK uses the seven Keolife workstreams to structure its reporting, and many other subsidiaries use it as a performance tool which they share with their public transport authority.


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Happy One Year Anniversary to the "Support Local – Bethel, CT" Facebook Group!
Michaela Lawlor
Genée West promotes Portofino Restaurant with another local celebrity, Nicky Zooks.
March 21 st, 2021 will mark one year since Bethelite Genée West created the Support Local – Bethel, CT Facebook group. The group's purpose is to support our community by encouraging people in town to share positive comments about local businesses. In just a year, the group has accumulated almost 3,600 members, with new content being added in the group every single day since its inception.
Genée West is a local hero who has selflessly supported many of our town's businesses by way of her "Support Local-Bethel, CT" facebook group that she started a year ago.
West says her motivation behind creating this group was multi-faceted. First, she remembered how communities across the country were affected by the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Small businesses struggled as a result of the economic turmoil. She recalls some Bethel businesses closing, but slowly, things started to rebuild and there was a returning sense of hope. When the news of the pandemic hit and we were told we would be on lockdown, West wondered, "What is going to happen if we are all stuck inside? What is going to happen to our small businesses? If our small businesses fail, families will suffer. Their business is their livelihood."
This thought scared West, but it did not discourage her. She used it as an opportunity to give back to the community that she loves. Thus, "Support Local – Bethel, CT" was born. On its first day, West gathered fifty members in the group and in the days following, it reached around two-hundred members. West said, "We help them [small businesses] today, so they are here tomorrow." Her favorite feature of the group is the "Show Us What You Got!" portion, where members post a photo of a meal or an item they bought from a small business in Bethel. It helps to get the word out about what our wonderful town has to offer. Additionally, West is comforted by seeing photos of the meals people enjoy in their own homes. "It's almost like we are virtually enjoying a meal together by seeing the pictures of local food on our plates in our homes."
A snapshot of the "Support Local - Bethel, CT'' group page, a year apart. Photo credit: Genée West
Sharing posts about small businesses can help others discover new places. Unfortunately, a beloved restaurant for several years–O'Neil's–closed last year. West recalls seeing a comment on Facebook in which someone said, "I forgot they were there!" One of the goals of "Support Local – Bethel, CT" is to help people remember what great shops and restaurants are in this town. There may be a place someone hasn't heard of, so sharing information can help others make new discoveries or renew old ones.
West feels proud of her town; the kindness and generosity continually amazes her. "During the pandemic, our restaurants stepped up to the plate to prepare meals for frontline workers and those in the community who were struggling to make ends meet." There is no doubt there is a true sense of neighborly connection in Bethel. It seems we all look out for one another, and the way we came together during COVID is a testament to that notion.
West concludes, "I want people to realize they are the catalysts for change. Sometimes, people wonder, 'How can one person make a difference?' But they can if that one person can get other people involved with a good cause." She continued, "We live in such a cool, vibrant community – we are a destination. When people ask me about where I live, I tell them I live inside of a Norman Rockwell painting. We truly are the quintessential New England town."
Below are some testimonials from local small business owners reflecting on how the "Support Local – Bethel, CT" Facebook group has helped their businesses during these trying times:
"As if it weren't enough that Genée's first thought was to go all in to support our business community in the worst circumstances any of us have seen, she also created a space for [a] community of people who will support small businesses beyond "COVID times". Her support and dedication have been so uplifting for the baristas and I at Molten. Beyond just sales, she helped introduce a whole new community to our crazy little shop! I'm beyond grateful." – Wendy Cahill, Owner of Molten Java
"Genée's support during this pandemic has been amazing. Her commitment to this town and the businesses has not gone unnoticed. I'm positive many of us business owners would have suffered greatly if not for her support." – Lou Selmanti, Owner of Portofino Restaurant
"I love the way Genée's page brought the community together and really brought into focus the 'Shop Local' movement. As a business owner in town, it always puts a smile on my face and gives me the 'warm fuzzies' when I see my business tagged in a post on the 'Support Local – Bethel, CT' page. The way the page has grown over the past year is amazing. I am so very thankful for Genée and all of her work in keeping it current, active and wonderful. To all of my customers who have been kind enough to post photos and share their shopping experiences at The Toy Room - Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am far more grateful than words can ever express, and I love you all!" – Kim Ramsey, Owner of The Toy Room
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Mass Communication Research Quarterly
MCR Special Issue for the 80th anniversary celebration of the Department
From the time of its founding, Mass Communication Research has always been Taiwan's most esteemed communication studies journal and is included in Taiwan Social Sciences Citation Index (TSSCI). Starting from 2004, it also became an indexed periodical in the internationally known Communication Institute for Online Scholarship (CIOS) communication periodical archives.
In March 2016, Mass Communication Research was ranked the most influential humanistic & social sciences journal (1st place in communication category) based on the impact factor (IF) evaluated by the National Library of Taiwan.
Mass Communication Research began publication on May 20, 1967 as Taiwan's first academic journal for journalism and communication. Since 1999, Mass Communication Research switched from biannual to quarterly publication. It also expanded the diversity of the editorial board and made every effort to collaborate with researchers from a wide range of academic institutes.
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