text:
3.65 Billion BBLs, That's How Much
The USGS has estimated mean recoverable reserves of 3.65 billion bbls, and the estimate does not cover the Canadian portion of the Bakken. The assessment was based on geological elements that include: "(1) source rock distribution, thickness, organic richness, maturation petroleum generation, and migration; (2) reservoir rock type (conventional or continuous), distribution and quality; and (3) character of types and time of formation with respect to petroleum generation and migration. Detailed framework studies in stratigraphy and structural and the modeling of petroleum geochemistry, combined with historical exploration and production analyses" were also used.
The most important elements used in their geologic model were "(1) the geographic extent of the Bakken Formation oil generation window; (2) the occurrence and distribution of vertical and horizontal fractures; and (3) the matrix porosity within the middle sandstone member." Thus, it appears that the area where the Bakken has generated oil was divided into five separate assessment areas based on what appears to be somewhat comparable geologic characteristics of mainly the middle Bakken member. That consideration appears to be based on the fracturing and porosity present in those areas.
After challenging someone to show where there were more than one billion of recoverables in ND for months and getting no response, I feel pretty foolish for throwing out a 20 billion bbl number last night for the entire Bakken.
From the Dickinson Press:
Mike Armstrong, president of Dickinson-based Armstrong Corp., an oil and gas prospecting firm, said he was excited to hear the news but gave a skeptical reaction to the report. "How about this: Don't over react," Armstrong said. "A study is just that, it's a study. There's no guarantees." Armstrong, who's been in the oil business since 1975, said he thinks the report's figure is an over-estimate. "I think they're stretching it – a lot," Armstrong said.
USGS Press Release
USGS Fact Sheet
USGS Interview (Audio)
USGS Slides
Dickinson Press Article
New York Times Article
But, those numbers are based on recoverable oil using current technology. I'm sure more will be recoverable with time.
The Bakken is the largest accumulation of oil in the lower 48, according to the USGS report today. That's a big deal.
(As far as the assessment #s, they always seem low, and ten years from now it will probably be revised upward by a factor of 25 to 50 again after big oil gains their foothold...the geographic limits should also expand as new wells are drilled in those areas.)
stvrob_63 said...
I was hoping that this long awaited report was to be a thorough discussion of Dr. Price's methodology, why his work was or was not used to develop estimates of oil in place volumes, and a description of the process that was used to develop estimates of the fraction recoverable.
I have little confidance that the USGS did any kind of rigourous analysis of the fraction which might be recoverable, methods used to make these estimates for conventional (ie permeable sands, aquifer-bounded etc) are not valid for unconventional systems such as Bakken.
On the other hand, USGS probably has pretty thorough estimates of oil in place...This is the information that I was looking forward to.
I see this little fact sheet as the combination of good (probably) estimate of oil-in place multiplied by (what I suspect is) an arbitrary and poorly supported fraction. Since neither the fraction recoverable, nor the total in place is presented, I see no value at all to the "fact sheet"
Of course, its possible that this little fact sheet is just a prelude to a more comprehensive report. if thats the case, I'll apologize to anyone I've offended
They currently seem to be using a recovery factor of around 1%, according to NDIC.
Teegue said...
At the end of the fact sheet it states that supporting studies including its methodology used in this study are in progress.
(Correction above: "1%" recovery factor attributable to NDPC, not NDIC - See for example Kansas City Star article yesterday quoting Ron Ness.)
Why wouldn't they say this was a 1%estimate in the report??
And if its there could you point it out to me.
Couldnt get link to work but here is searchable name.
DakotaOilPersiaOnThePlains
Recovery factor means something quite different for a continous system such as bakken. Its not going to be a question of how much oil can we get before our water cut brings the party to an end. It will be more a question of how much borehole can we expose to productive bakken rock before the whole excercise becomes just plain silly. You could always increase your recovery with more laterals, you could swiss cheese the whole bakken like a giant drainfield and theoretically approach 100% Its an entirely different concept
The fact that the study area is divided into six separate assessment areas necessarily implies that there is no blanket percentage factor in play here. This assessment supposedly was based on input from industry out there in the field and what results they were achieving in these different areas. Therefore, it seems likely that there were a number of percentage factors in play here, even within the six areas.
There has been only one well (non-economic) drilled so far in Stark Co., so I assume that portion of the assessment areas of which that county is part was heavily discounted in comparison to the recoverables from the Dunn and Mountrail Co portion of those areas.
So my point is that although a blanket oil in place figure may have been used for the entire assessment, (we don't know that from the data here) there were obviously different recovery percentages used in the entire study, and very likely also within the six different areas.
NDPC/industry-at-large will work to bias recovery factors lower, even in discussions with USGS, until they have the resource tied up tighter through leases and production. Call it conservative if you want - just one more reason recovery rates will continue to increase over time...
http://www.kevn.com/NewsStories.aspx?StoryID=9131
It looks as if they did use a 1% factor as this report backs it up.
https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/Bakken/workshop/Horizontal%20Drilling%20Potential%20of%20the%20Middle%20Member%20Bakken.ppt#256,1,Horizontal Drilling Potential of the Middle Member Bakken Formation, North Dakota
the last few paragraphs are very interesting in this article.. http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/570866.html
It looks like a lot of people have blinders on. Outside of a few townships in Mountrail Co., how is the other 99% of the Bakken paying out? According to Bob Harms, of an industry group, only about half of the wells outside of the Mountrail sweet spot are going to pay out even with hundred dollar oil. Go out in Mckenzie, Williams and Billings Co and outside of Elm Coulee in Mt and see what you are going to find. This report is based on current reality, not some possible, unquantifiable future change in technology.
For those who think the estimate is too low, step up and tell everyone with specifics where you are going to get more. Is it all going to come from a few townships in Mountrail?
Time will tell, especially when some of the tight holes loosen up a bit...
No, not all in Mountrail.
(See the original Price Study maps/depth figures #13,38,40-43).
For example, moving eastward of the rich "Eastern Expulsion Threshold" and South of Parshall Field: across Dunn and Mercer County, and across Burke to the North...well into the USGS theoretical "Middle Sandstone Member" AU not currently being counted as continuous, even though it likely will be once bitmapped...
I find it interesting that the amount note is big enough to attract the national press yet not so large as to be challenged. Since most of the production information needed to put this report together actually came from the oil companies you must consider what is in their best interests.
Below is an article in todays MSN Money section.
Dakota oil: Persia on the Plains?
Energy finds in North Dakota and Pennsylvania, as well as Canada, could give investors cheap, low-risk -- albeit unconventional -- entries into oil and gas now, and handsome profits later.
By Jon Markman
Western North Dakota and western Pennsylvania, by which I mean the middle of nowhere, are on track to become the center of the universe for energy companies over the next few years as geologists, speculators and attorneys battle for control of two of the most important and unusual oil and gas finds of the past three decades.
Before the battle is fully defined and winners are awarded the spoils, there's plenty of time for investors to make low-risk bets that could generate great returns over the next few years. There are even cheaper opportunities north of these two hot spots, in the Canadian tundra of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, which share the same rich rock formations but have yet to attract as much interest.
It may be a little hard to believe that these forlorn areas -- far from the glamorously derrick-dotted plains of Texas, Oklahoma and California -- could yield the sort of riches that attract the diamond-studded-cowboy-hat crowd, but energy exploration has never exactly gone hand in hand with the tourist trade. So put on your mukluks and parka, get out your atlas and prepare for a visit to the Bakken and Marcellus shales.
Let's start with western North Dakota, which some in the energy business are now calling Persia on the Plains.
Ramshackle wheat and alfalfa farms up there happen to lie atop the juiciest zone of the underground Bakken Formation, which stretches across 200,000 square miles of Montana and Saskatchewan as well. The heart of the Bakken, which contains three layers of shale that formed when the area was covered with relatively deep ocean, is about 2 miles down.
The rock was initially discovered as an oil source in the mid-1950s, but with extremely low porosity and permeability, it was impossible to exploit fully with conventional drilling techniques when oil was going for less than $50 a barrel.
In recent years however, horizontal drilling and "fractionation" extraction techniques -- invented in U.S. labs and developed in fields from Russia to Argentina -- have opened the formation, and its output is expected to expand exponentially so long as oil prices remain above $60 a barrel. Experts figure it will yield 270 million to 500 billion barrels of oil over its lifetime, which could make the roughly 60 billion barrels of oil of the famed North Slope of Alaska look like a child's mud puddle.
The interest has grown only recently as major producers such as EOG Resources (EOG, news, msgs) of Houston have announced major finds, making the folks who finance these sorts of high-risk ventures think they've got another huge winner on their hands.
It wasn't long ago that so-called unconventional fields were considered uneconomic. Now these underdogs are the center of the show, as the unconventional Barnett Shale in Texas has unleashed gushers of cash for early developers, as has the Pinedale Anticline area of Wyoming, developed by Ultra Petroleum (UPL, news, msgs).
Just to give you an idea of how this can affect a stock, back in 2001-03, one of my energy-biz sources, David Anderson of Palo Alto Investors, was regularly talking about Ultra's potential. At the time, it was just another $2-a-share energy stock that had a hard time convincing investors it could make much of its large stake in unconventional acreage. Now that it's up something like 4,000%, nobody's skeptical anymore. All an exploration company has to do now to demand multibillion-dollar valuation is announce a legitimate claim to 20,000 acres in the Barnett, Fayetteville and now Bakken shales.
Video: Can the US kick its oil habit?
That's essentially what Continental Resources (CLR, news, msgs), has done: The Bakken player went public at $14 a share last May and has more than doubled, putting its market capitalization more than $5 billion. Showing its marketing savvy, it has the words "unconventional exploration" as a big headline right on its Web home page. And like most energy companies of its type, it's probably still dirt cheap, pardon the expression, trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 10 on 2009 estimates despite income growth that's likely to top 22%.
Other major drillers in the Bakken are Brigham Exploration (BEXP, news, msgs), Whiting Petroleum (WLL, news, msgs), St. Mary Land & Exploration (SM, news, msgs) and tiny Northern Oil and Gas (NOG, news, msgs). Earlier this week, Northern Oil saw its shares shoot up 6% in a day after announcing its fifth discovery as a minority partner on a Bakken project -- in this case a well in the remote badlands of Dunn County, N.D., population 3,000. In a sure sign of boom times, that news was worth $15 million to shareholders before the well has produced any oil.
Interesting that MSN Money mentions every driller except the one who is really producing a bunch of oil right now. Namely, EOG!!!!
This is my fault. I did not post the full article
Actually they do mention EOG as the single key player later in the article which goes on to discuss the Marchelles shale in PA. Also make a point of mentioning that they were formerly Enron
Before you guys drown in pessimism over this report, how many oil wells have actually been drilled outside of Mountrail and now Dunn counties that use the latest technologies that involve laterals a mile or more long and fracing using sand under pressure. How can anyone possibly conclude that the technologies being employed in current Mountrail and Dunn County wells to bring in strong production will not ultimately work in all sorts of other places in the Bakken?
We should get our first clues as some of the spacings in the old Stanley vertical well field is redrilled using laterals and fracing.
Exactly. There were plenty of "dry holes" in Parshall before the Bakken horizontals came along.
desertlightningprose said...
So where does the figure that there may be upwards of 500 billion barrels in this area come from? I just read that in another article.
i am still waiting for a reply to the post that said BEHM/EDWARDS, 154-88-33 was a dry hole. if true i would like to know , because i own mineral rights in that area. please reply.
the rumor around the area is that the behm/edwards well is a dry hole. but I'm not the one who mentioned it earlier, so some else might have more info.
THE STAR ONLINE ???
BISMARCK, North Dakota (AP) - The U.S. government estimated Thursday that up to 4.3 billion barrels of oil can be recovered from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota and Montana, using current technology.
The U.S. Geological Survey called it the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.
The Bakken Formation encompasses some 25,000 square miles (64,750 sq. kilometers) in North Dakota, Montana, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, in three layers. About two-thirds of the acreage is in western North Dakota, where the oil is trapped in a thin layer of dense rock nearly two miles (3 kilometers) beneath the surface. Companies use pressurized fluid and sand to break pores in the rock and prop them open to recover the oil.
North Dakota's entire oil production hit 137,000 barrels a day in January, the latest figures available. Industry officials believe the state's record production of 148,500 barrels a day, set in 1984, will be surpassed this year.
Donald Kessel, vice president of Houston-based Murex Petroleum Corp., said he believes the Geological Survey's assessment of how much oil can be recovered in the Bakken may be a little on the high side.
"That's a lot of zeros,'' Kessel said Thursday.
Kessel said his company was the first to get a producing well in the Bakken in North Dakota three years ago. The company now has about 20 producing wells.
The report released Thursday by USGS was done at the request of Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan over the past 18 months.
A 1995 study by the USGS found 151 million barrels of oil could be recovered from the Bakken using technology at that time. "This is great news,'' Dorgan said of the new report. "This is 25 times the amount of the previous assessment.''
Oilmen have known for more than 50 years that the Bakken holds vast oil reserves, Kessel said. But the price has never pushed demand high enough to develop technology to capture the oil, he said.
According to Jim Ehrets, a Denver-based geologist with Headington Oil Co., of Dallas, it costs about $5 million (euro3.15 million) to drill a well tapping the middle Bakken, and companies need crude prices of at least $50 a barrel to make it economical. Even with crude prices now double that, "there still is a ton of risk,'' he said.
Oil companies began sharing technology about two years ago on how to recover the oil. The technology involves drilling vertically to about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), then "kicking out'' for as many feet horizontally, while fracturing the rock to release the oil trapped in microscopic pores in the area known as the "middle'' Bakken.
Initially, companies had kept their technology secret, said Ehrets.
"Everybody was protecting their results while the lease play was still going on,'' he said. "Once it had been pretty well saturated and not much left to lease, there was cooperation in sharing information.
"I can't remember in my entire career that kind of cooperation,'' said Ehrets, an oil man for nearly 30 years.
Headington, which is based in Dallas, has about 150 wells working in the Bakken - about 100 of them in Montana - with plans to drill at least 100 more, Ehrets said.
The Geological Survey said about 105 million barrels of oil have been produced from the Bakken through last year. The Elm Coulee oil field in eastern Montana, near the North Dakota border, has produced about 65 million barrels of the total, said Rich Pollastro, a USGS geologist.
The Elm Coulee field was discovered in 2000, he said.
The study released Thursday by USGS does not estimate how much oil may be in the Bakken - only what the agency believes can be recovered using current technology.
Thursday's report did not cover the Canadian portion of the Bakken. Pollastro said a 2000 assessment found only about 15 million barrels of recoverable oil in that area using traditional vertical drilling.
Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said the number of wells in the Bakken in North Dakota increased from about 300 in 2006 to 457 at the end of last year.-AP
Has anyone found data on the number of square miles the USGS is
including in each of the Bakken Formation Assessment Units??
Five continuous assessment units (AU) were identified and assessed in
the Bakken Formation of North Dakota and Montana - the Elm Coulee-
Billings Nose AU, the Central Basin-Poplar Dome AU, the Nesson-Little
Knife Structural AU, the Eastern Expulsion Threshold AU, and the
Northwest Expulsion Threshold AU.
http://www.packersplus.com/
www.petrobank.com
http://www.crescentpointenergy.com/
http://www.tristaroilandgas.com/main/index.php
Interesting players in South Saskatchewan
Does anyone anticipate any oil play in Mercer County or areas east of the identified current eastern boundry? If so, when and who would likily be the major players?
It will be a long time before the eastern fringes such as Mercer County will be explored.
Mountrail County is the known hot spot for the Bakken. Mountrail County has 1,824 sections of land.
As of the end of March 2008 there have been 113 Bakken wells drilled in Mountrail County covering 140 sections.
That leaves 1,684 sections in the known hot spot that are still undrilled. If half of the future wells are on one section spacing and the other half are on two section spacing, the oil companies will need to put 1,263 more holes in the ground in Mountrail County before the currently known hot spot is fully explored.
The drillers have until 2012 to complete the wells in Mountrail County otherwise they start forfeiting their leases.
(Mercer is already being explored/leased, and there is talk that drilling could begin this year).
See recent ND State lease auction for starters http://www.land.nd.gov/minerals.htm
I noticed that Brigham Exploration Company was actively gathering leases in Mercer county during the last mineral auction in February. Given this was an oil & gas company rather than just some speculator would seem encouraging.
Mercer county also had some reasonably impressive results (around a $100 bonus on average). This would suggest (at least to me) there will be some activity in the next 5 years.
What is the 'layman' geological explanation for an area, such as western Mercer County, to be outside the eastern assessmetnt area? Do you anticipate these boundary outlines to change in the near future as drilling intensfies in the eastern Dunn county area?
I checked the GIS map on the ND oil & gas site and it shows one drilling rig on the far east side of Dunn county. If I remember correctly, it was located in T145 R91.
It looks like there have been several holes drilled in that particualr area recently.
It will be interesting to see how these perform.
It turns out that of 14 counties in the Feb. State lease auction, more than half (55%) of the total proceeds went for Mercer County acreage. Also third parties bidding on behalf of some of the larger oil co's.
My wife has an oil lease in T.153 R.91 in Montrail County. The lease is set to expire in August 2010. I am curious about Larry's comments concerning leases being forfeted in 2012. Also am curious where the data comes from to determine that there will be 113 wells in the county on 140 sections by year end.
If a oil company does not permit to drill on a proposed tract in the leases life, The minerals are once again freed up to be leased again to whomever. (They have options as well that could tie up your lease for another 2 to 3 years past your 2010 date) And if you read his comment again youll see that there are 113 wells on 140 sections as of now.
Most of the acreage in Mountrail County was leased in 2005,2006, and 2007 under five year terms. If drillers have not found oil on a lease within the five year term, the lease expires and the mineral rights owner can lease it again at perhaps a much higher price. Thus, the drillers have a big incentive to explore all of their leases, particularly in a hot spot area like Mountrail County.
New well annoucements???
Its been awhile now since we have had anything come out on new well results. Looking forward to seeing something to spark things now that the market seems to be paying very close attention to the players in the Bakken
In looking at the production of many of the Bakken wells in Dunn County it looks like quite a few have settled into the 100 to 150 barrels per day on single laterals. Is this economical and will the oil companies continue to drill? This really goes to the whole how much oil is commercially available in the Bakken debate.
I think 4.5 mill a year is economical.
some one posted that the Behm/Edwards was a dry hole. they started spudding Feb,11. drilling and completion would take about 80 days. it's been 64 days since spudding. so how could some say it was a dry hole. when there not even completed it yet. Larry or David any thoughts on this. thanks...
If it's a dry hole, there is no time needed for "completion" since it would be plugged, which is a few hours of rig time. The drilling of the well alone is only about a month, which is the only relevant time if it's a dry hole.
I see Whitings proposal in there new presentation, and am glad to see at last whos going to drill some of my interests. Any inside info. about the pipeline there building along #8 and the Robinson Lake Gasplant.
Its surely needed.
Since 1984, geologists and engineers have estimated the generated oil in the Bakken from
32 to 92 to 132 to 200 to 300 billion barrels. Dr. Leigh Price
of the USGS placed the average at
413 BBbls. All of these mean a huge amount of original oil in place in the Bakken. The "trillion dollar question" is how much of this oil is economically recoverable?
The recent USGS estimate of
3.65 BBbls is only 1.2% of the
300 BBbl 2006 computer model (Flannery & Kraus). Even the lower
estimates mean only 3 to 4% the oil will likely be recovered; i.e. 96% plus will be left in zone.
My point is, these are only
estimates and if they vary only by
1 or 2% the quanity of oil ultimately recovered will change
by BILLIONS of barrels!
The USGS is wisely taking a
conservative approach by starting
low and then let technolgoy push
the totals higher. It is always easier to advance than retreat!
The potential is huge. If oil prices stay above $50 and technology and understanding of
the basin conintues to improve, the 3.6 to 4.3 BBbls is likey go
higher. Also, we need to remember,
there are about ten other oil producing formations which will continue to add to the value of
the Williston Basin. The drill bit will give us the answers.
Teegue, David Larry etal
What are your thoughts will the oil compaines will continue to drill in Dunn Co ? It appears in the production reports that quite a few of the wells are running around 100 to 150 barrels per day. Are they drilling these to hold the minerals with the hope of recovering more with improved technologies ? If so is this a big bet ?
Even though many of the wells have been coming in higher in Mountrail, a well that settles in at 100 barrels/day represents a pretty good payback for the working interests....say 3000 bbls per month times say $85.00/bbl times 80% (assuming a 20% royalty burden---Hess,for example, must have a lot of 12.5% royalty burden)..that's a net of $204,000 per month...back off some production taxes and several thousand per month for well operating costs...the working interests are getting their investment back in two years...still not bad...a 100 bbl well is a keeper....overall they need to do better on average, due to other corporate costs and overhead...even so, that 100 bbl. well represents a lot of revenue for the working interests and for the royalty owners. The state of ND will do just fine also, considering the income taxes paid by the workers and by the operators and the royalty interests.....and the production taxes...5%...later 11.5% maybe...after the initial holiday on Bakken horizontals...In any event, a string of 100 bbl wells in any county would be a terrific economic boost.
http://blog.nam.org/archives/2008/04/bakken_dont_let.php
Link to todays Brigham presentation
http://www.bexp3d.com/analyst.pdf
A fairly reliable source tells me that Behm is going to take the Edwards Well vertical now and plans to test the lower Bakken 3-Forks and all formations down to the Granite Wash...
thanks very much for the Behm update..have a good weekend...
sweet n sour said...
Behm hole was dry. I heard that lenny sold his remaining acreage to hess i believe at a discount compared to what he could have gotten had he not drilled the dry hole first.
Speaking of discounts, it's interesting how the risk-free discount rate being used in DCF break-even analysis models is around 10%, when it should be 4% or less right now.
(Take BEXP for example, showing their latest break-evens at 158M BBLs for wells being drilled in the Bakken. Change the discount rate to what it should be, and the break even is only about half that...)
Robin Datta said...
3.65 billion barrels not inclucing the Canadian side. At 83 million barrels a day world wide comsumption, that is 45 days' supply from the U.S. part. Or if we just save it for the U.S, it is 182 days' supply.
Even if the Canadian section is twice as large, and we grab it all, using it all just for ourselves, it will last 1.5 years.
For help in locating mineral owners or their heirs contact datatracsearchandlocate.com for reliable, fast skiptracing. Western States a specialty, exclusive to the Petroleum Oil and Gas industry
having spoken with some professional oil men from Canada. they stated, the setback is rather a joke, as they can drill on all four sides of your land, setback in force, and fracture all about. and then, pull all the oil out from under your land, and suck all the oil out of your mineral claim. when I said, isnt that like robbing the mineral holder in the center of this development ? they answered, "YES", it will pull almost the entire claims oil out. thus, you lose, and get paid, NOTHING !
Marathon Quickly Getting To The Bottom Of Things
USGS Bakken Study Slides
Time For Some TV
So. . . How Much??
The Complex Quagmirey Predicament In T145N, R96W, ...
Larry's March Scorecard for Mountrail County


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text:
Moving mountains with Rockford bands
Alex Schaaf
People don't usually think of Rockford, Ill. when they are talking about the hot music scenes of the Midwest, thinking instead of places like Eau Claire, Minneapolis or Chicago. But unbeknownst to many, Rockford is turning into a hotbed of quality music. Last Saturday night saw two bands from that area perform in Riverview Lounge to an enthusiastic crowd.
The night started off with a set from Imaginary Heroes. Lawrence's own Tom Pilcher handled the drums behind a very impressive group, a self-proclaimed "ska" band, but with leanings that go beyond most people's less-than-flattering ideas of the genre. Inventive rhythms and song structures led to a very impressive set, especially as they ended with their best song of the night.
Kid You'll Move Mountains took the stage next, and the band did not disappoint. The band has been growing in momentum lately, with a positive review from Chicago Sun-Times' critic Jim DeRogatis capping off a stream of good press from their latest release, "Loomings." Like with any good band, the music is not easily categorized by one or two words, but it is undeniably energetic.
Corey Wills, the lead singer of Inspector Owl – who will be returning to Lawrence next Friday for LU-aroo – steps back from the microphone in KYMM, instead creating walls of dense, unpredictable sound. This sound is created with multiple effects pedals, forming a textured layer that surrounds and envelops the rest of the band. Lead singer Jim Hanke sings every word like it's his last, and the rest of the band matches his intensity, including Nate Lanthrum and his powerful, unorthodox drumming.
The song structures that KYMM comes up with are the most interesting aspect of the group. The group uses dynamics to a large degree, forming multiple peaks and valleys within each song, shying away from the "quiet verse-loud chorus" cliché that so many songs fall into. The group also excels at the slow-building groove song, dropping out almost everything only to bring it all back in one by one to a most satisfying climax.
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KYMM has several shows over the next few weeks, bringing new tunes to as many people as possible before playing at Summerfest June 28, which will be a must-see set. The new album "Loomings" is available from the KYMM official Web site.
Alex Schaaf People don't usually think of Rockford, Ill. when they are talking about the hot music scenes of the Midwest, thinking instead of places like Eau Claire, Minneapolis or Chicago. But unbeknownst to many, Rockford is turning into a hotbed of quality music. Last Saturday night saw two bands from that area perform in…

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text:
Roland Young Titles, Movies and Posters
CAST: George Cukor, Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey, Roland Young, John Howard, John Halliday, Virginia Weidler, Henry Daniell, Hillary Brooke,
Ruggles of Red Gap
CAST: Leo McCarey, Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, ZaSu Pitts, Roland Young, Leila Hyams, James Burke,
CAST: Albert Parker, John Barrymore, Roland Young, Carol Dempster, Gustav von Seyffertitz,
CAST: McLeod, Norman Z., Cary Grant, Roland Young, Constance Bennett, Billie Burke, Eugene Pallette,
CAST: Terence Young, Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, John Justin, Roland Culver, Liam Redmond,
Topper Returns
CAST: Roy Del Ruth, Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke,
CAST: George Cukor, Lionel Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Freddie Bartholomew, Maureen O'Sullivan, Basil Rathbone, Lewis Stone, Frank Lawton, Madge Evans, Roland Young, Edna May Oliver, Lennox Pawle, Elsa Lanchester, Una O'Connor,
The Black Camel
CAST: Hamilton MacFadden, Warner Oland, Bela Lugosi, Robert Young,
Flame of New Orleans
CAST: Rene Clair, Marlene Dietrich, Bruce Cabot, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, Andy Devine, Frank Jenks, Franklin Pangborn,
Johnny English
CAST: Howitt, Peter, Rowan Atkinson, Tasha de Vasconcelos, Ben Miller, Greg Wise, Douglas McFerran, Steve Nicolson, Terence Harvey, Kevin McNally, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nina Young, Rowland Davies, Natalie Imbruglia, Philippa Fordham, John Malkovich,
A Woman Commands
CAST: Paul L. Stein, Pola Negri, Roland Young, Basil Rathbone, H.B. Warner,
St. Benny the Dip
CAST: Ulmer, Edgar G., Dick Haymes, Nina Foch, Roland Young, Lionel Stander,
You Gotta Stay Happy
CAST: H.C. Potter, Joan Fontaine, James Stewart, Eddie Albert, Roland Young, Willard Parker,
CAST: Sidney Franklin, Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch, Charley Grapewin, Jessie Ralph, Soo Yong, Keye Luke, Roland Lui, Suzanna Kim, Ching Wah Lee, Harold Huber, Olaf Hytten, William Law,
Zoo in Budapest
CAST: Rowland V. Lee, Loretta Young, Gene Raymond, O.P. Heggie, Wally Albright,
CAST: Stevenson, Robert, Paul Robeson, Cedric Hardwicke, Roland Young, Anna Lee, John Loder DIRECTED BY: Stevenson,
They All Kissed the Bride
CAST: Alexander Hall, Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas, Roland Young, Billie Burke,
Star Dust
CAST: Walter Lang, Linda Darnell, John Payne, Roland Young, Charlotte Greenwood,
The Young in Heart
CAST: Richard Wallace, Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Paulette Goddard, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Minnie Dupree, Henry Stephenson, Richard Carlson, Lawrence Grant, Walter Kingsford, Eily Malyon, Tom Ricketts, Irvin S. Cobb, Lucile Watson,
Man Who Could Work Miracles
CAST: Lothar Mendes, Roland Young, Ralph Richardson, Edward Chapman, Ernest Thesiger, Joan Gardner, Sophie Stewart, Robert Cochran, Lady Tree, Laurence Hanray, George Zucco, Wallace Lupino, Joan Hickson, Wally Patch, Mark Daly,
Topper Takes a Trip
CAST: Norman Z. McLeod, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Franklin Pangborn,
Sweet Aloes
CAST: Archie Mayo, Kay Francis, George Brent, Roland Young, Patric Knowles, Henry Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, Helen Flint, Halliwell Hobbes, Zeffie Tilbury,
The Feathered Serpent
CAST: William Beaudine, Roland Winters, Keye Luke, Mantan Moreland, Victor Sen Yung, Carol Forman, Robert Livingston, Nils Asther, Beverly Jons, Martin Garralaga, George J. Lewis,
The Shanghai Chest
CAST: William Beaudine, Roland Winters, Mantan Moreland, Tim Ryan, Victor Sen Yung, Deannie Best, Tristram Coffin, John Alvin, Russell Hicks, Pierre Watkin, Philip Van Zandt, Milton Parsons, Olaf Hytten, Erville Alderson,
CAST: Terence Young, Olivia De Havilland, Gilbert Roland, Paul Scofield, Francoise Rosay,
His Double Life
CAST: Arthur Hopkins, Roland Young, Lillian Gish, Montagu Love, Lumsden Hare, Lucy Beaumont, Charles Richman, Oliver Smith, Philip Tonge, Audrey Ridgewell,
Secret of the Wastelands
CAST: Derwin Abrahams, William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Brad King, Soo Yong, Barbara Britton, Douglas Fowley, Keith Richards, Richard Loo, Lee Tung Foo, Gordon Hart, Earl Gunn, Ian MacDonald, John Rawlins, Roland Got,
See Arnold Run
CAST: James B. Rogers, Cody Brink, David Burke, Brian Cleaver, Doug Crane, Nicole DeHuff, Nora Dunn, Mike Ergas, Mariel Hemingway, Alex Hyde-White, Leonard Kelly-Young, Roland Kickinger, Morten Kublick, David Kyl-Brown, Bob Morrisey,
The Great Lover
CAST: Alexander Hall, Bob Hope, Rhonda Fleming, Roland Young, Roland Culver, Richard Lyon, Gary Gray, Jerry Hunter, Jackie Jackson, Wright Esser, Orley Lindgren, Curtis Loys Jackson Jr., George Reeves, Jim Backus,
CAST: Harry A. Pollard, Lawrence Tibbett, Esther Ralston, Roland Young, Cliff Edwards, Purnell Pratt, Hedda Hopper, Emma Dunn, Stepin Fetchit, Louis John Bartels, Theodore von Eltz, Wally Albright, Susanne Ransom, Gertrude Howard,
He Married His Wife
CAST: Roy Del Ruth, Joel McCrea, Nancy Kelly, Roland Young, Mary Boland,
The Chinese Ring
CAST: William Beaudine, Roland Winters, Warren Douglas, Mantan Moreland, Louise Currie, Victor Sen Yung, Philip Ahn, Byron Foulger, Thayer Roberts, Barbara Jean Wong, Chabing,
The Rise of Susan
CAST: Stanner E.V. Taylor, Clara Kimball Young, Jennie Dickerson, Warner Oland,
Pleasure Cruise
CAST: Frank Tuttle, Genevieve Tobin, Roland Young, Ralph Forbes,
Here Is My Heart
CAST: Frank Tuttle, Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Alison Skipworth, Reginald Owen, William Frawley, Marian Mansfield, Cecilia Parker, Akim Tamiroff, Arthur Housman,
The Poppy is Also a Flower
CAST: Terence Young, E.G. Marshall, Trevor Howard, Gilbert Roland, Eli Wallach, Marcello Mastroianni, Angie Dickinson, Rita Hayworth, Yul Brynner, Trini Lopez,


text:
Hello, greetings, and welcome to this, the writeup for the eleventh episode of Vividred Operation! I'm Wonderduck, your host and tour guide through this example of the art of anime. I have a feeling that this will be an important and exciting adventure in episodic recapping, so please grab a beverage of your choice, settle into a comfy chair, relax and enjoy, won't you? As you may remember, in the last episode the antagonist, known to us as Hot Dark Girl Rei, had been caught in her attempt to super-dooper-power-up an attacking Alone. When she realized that those opposing her were people she thought were friends, namely the RHF and the rest of Team Aquos, she kinda went a little bugnutty. The episode ended with the screen going black and the sound of a gunshot, leading us to believe that the marines had just shot her in the head. Quite the conundrum! So where does Episode 11 begin?
From pretty much the same place, except the rest of Team Aquos has joined the party, and they're just as mind-blown as RHF. Hot Dark Captive Girl Rei has it allllllllll worked out: they really were just playing her for a fool. Actually, I'm fairly sure it was the Production Staff doing that, but that's just me.
Anyway, she's bundled onto a waiting tiltrotor and taken away, and while I've been kinda hard on this show in a lot of ways, the one aspect that has rarely disappointed has been the animation quality. Even on this little throwaway shot of the plane taking off and flying away, they made sure to have heat distortion from the engine exhausts. I mean, they're no Production I.G. or anything, but A-1 Pictures has absolutely nothing to be ashamed about with this show.
I mean, other than camera angles that would make pedobear blush. At least we haven't had a "sunrise between the legs" shot in a while. Thankfully.
But then, it wouldn't be Vividred Operation without them, would it? I leave it as a study for the viewer to decide if that's a good thing or not.
I have my own opinion, though. The Phlebotinum Engine Defense Forces take Hot Dark Captive Girl Rei and put her in a high-tech cell, but not before giving her a thorough examination.
The test results are... unexpected. Every one of those green/red arrows reads "Unexpected Value" (in English!), meaning that nothing is as it seems. Or they're using Apple products, one of the two. She's human... but not exactly. She's an anomaly... kinda like an Alone, actually. Huh, funny how that works. Still, she's got a kickarse scarf, and that makes up for a lot. Meanwhile, in some other part of the detention center...
...Team Aquos is being told that they can't see their friend until interrogation is over, and maybe not even afterwards. After all, she tried to destroy the Phlebotinum Engine, a crime against all of Humanity. As a result, she's likely to be punished to the full extent of the law and then some, even though she's just 14 years old. And an alien. And she doesn't exist... all of her data was faked. The question on everybody's mind is "why?" To which I answer, "watch your damn show sometime," but that's not possible, is it? It's amazing how many plot problems in anime would be solved if the cast of a series could watch their own show. Not all of them, but most. Some time later...
...Our *ahem* Heroes visit Hot Dark Prisoner Girl Rei's barren apartment and wonder at her motives. Then, being 14 year old girls, they put it out of their minds and go shopping. No, no, they're actually serious... they each had individual contact with She of the kickarse scarf, where they all learned she had something to do, for reasons of her own. They all realize that it was important to her, but why? That's what they want to know. They need to know. They MUST know.
Oh. So then they go for a latte. Rei is put to death, the threat to the world is ended, and Team Aquos disbands, no longer needed in this time of peace. For the rest of their lives, they will remember the good times they had, but the memory of the Dark Girl with the nice scarf will fade until they don't even remember her at all. Like she never existed. The end.
As it turns out, that's exactly the scenario the military and political leaders want to have happen. Her very existence draws Alones to her, according to Gendo Plushyferret. So, get rid of her say the people in charge... and Gendo doesn't really have an answer to that. Except for one thing: while she's a normal human girl (other than being from a parallel world), she does have abilities beyond those of normal humans. Look at her athletic exploits, like when she climbed the Phlebotinum Engine while fighting off flying robots. Though this isn't mentioned in the episode... yet... it may be that they literally CAN'T kill her. Actually, her physical abilities seem... familiar. RHF, anybody? Oh, did I say that? Meanwhile, back at the empty apartment...
...Team Aquos, after some more angsting, decides that they want to see their friend again, and they have the ability to do it whenever they want. And therein lies the problem with giving superpowers to emotionally unstable teenagers. They suit up, zip off to Defense HQ, and are immediately branded as intruders... and the guards ain't holding back.
The Other Three play rear-guard to stop the flying robots while RHF gets to fly on to see Rei. I would think Himawari and her Naked Collider power would be enough, but hey, whatever... wouldn't want to make any one of them more powerful than than the others, would we? Except for RHF... she's the featured attraction of this little party, so she flies on alone.
To find Hot Dark Prisoner Girl Rei in what looks like for all the world as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Hulk Containment Unit. I kept expecting them to drop it out of the Helicarrier at 35000 feet or something. Why, yes, yes, I did just watch The Avengers a couple of nights ago, why do you ask? If you haven't seen it, do so immediately. It's a fun, fun flick. Directed by Joss Whedon, who also did the screenplay, which means you know it's going to be clever, and the action scenes (their name is Legion) are top-notch. The Hulk in particular steals the show, though the best line belongs to the Black Widow, in my opinion. I seem to have gone astray. Like the Hulk Containment Unit, Rei's little home away from home is also pretty much impenetrable...
...but The Power Of Friendship conquers all. Well, that and Hitting It Really Hard conquers all. There are tears of joy, friends are reunited, the warm and fuzzy is palpable. Then Gendo Plushyferret shows up, as does the rest of Team Aquos, and just as he asks Hot Dark Escapee Rei if she has any ties to the events of seven years ago, when RHF's mom was injured and the first Alone appeared...
...Croooow! shows up. There is much palaver, but it all comes down to one thing: the bird never meant to return Rei's world to her, it was all a test for our world, and when they didn't kill her, we failed. But then, the test was rigged, because if they had killed her, we failed too. So, the world is going to end no matter what, because The Powers Beyond don't want humans to have the Power of the Phlebotinum. Does that sound convoluted to you? It does to me, and I watched the entire scene... and I'm still confused by it. The one thing I did get out of it, however, is that Croooow! blames it all on Rei for not destroying the Phlebotinum Engine. She must be punished. And, after dealing with Team Aquos...
...I haven't laughed so hard in weeks. I suspect that wasn't what the Production Staff was going for, but it's what they got outta me. As I giggled myself into state of hypoxia, suddenly Croooow!'s power level goes over 9000, and everybody heads for the hills.
Oh dear. But there's no similarity to Evangelion's Angels at all, no indeed. Cold cut to black, roll credits. If they get Rei back, will she be covered in bird vomit?
One more to go!
Next episode: more zombies!
1 I didn't laugh at that bit, instead I said to myself, "Well THAT was a little bit dark, wasn't it?"
I don't regret watching this series, but it's not going into permanent storage for later re-viewing, either. Sigh.
2 I VERY briefly thought of Tony Millionaire's Drinky Crow. Musta been the big head.
I can't think of Black Widow's line, but to me the most hilarious bit was Hulk vs. Loki.
Posted by: Mauser at April 09, 2013 04:04 AM (cZPoz)
3 Tony Stark: "I'm bringing the party to you."
(flies around corner, followed by a flying leviathan)
Black Widow: "I... I don't see how that's a party."
Posted by: Wonderduck at April 09, 2013 06:37 AM (9jITs)
4 Shortly after that scene, where they circle the camera around the crew, Black Widow's little pistol looks especially small....
5 How Joss scaled the movie to encompass "skilled normals" and "physical gods" without completely writing the weak ones out of the action was one of its strong points.
I'm gonna have to side with Mauser, though. "Puny" was the best line. And the sideways punch was the best bit of physical comedy. Hulk won the movie.
I watched Buffy back in the day, too... "Puny" totally reminded me of the end of the "Fear, Itself" episode:
Giles: "I should have translated the Gaelic inscription under the illustration of Gachnar."
Buffy: "What's it say?"
Giles: "'Actual size.'"
Posted by: Mikeski at April 10, 2013 03:54 PM (DU6Ja)
6 "Puny" wasn't even the best line in that scene! It all falls apart without Loki's soliloquy after "Puny."
Posted by: Wonderduck at April 10, 2013 08:43 PM (9jITs)


text:
Челсі () — місто () в США, в окрузі Фок штату Південна Дакота. Населення — 27 осіб (2010).

Географія
Челсі розташоване за координатами  (45.167557, -98.743376).  За даними Бюро перепису населення США в 2010 році місто мало площу 0,82 км², уся площа — суходіл.

Демографія

Згідно з переписом 2010 року, у місті мешкало 27 осіб у 13 домогосподарствах у складі 8 родин. Густота населення становила 33 особи/км².  Було 15 помешкань (18/км²).

Расовий склад населення:

До двох чи більше рас належало 0,0 %. Частка іспаномовних становила 0,0 % від усіх жителів.

За віковим діапазоном населення розподілялося таким чином: 22,2 % — особи молодші 18 років, 48,2 % — особи у віці 18—64 років, 29,6 % — особи у віці 65 років та старші. Медіана віку мешканця становила 53,5 року. На 100 осіб жіночої статі у місті припадало 107,7 чоловіків;  на 100 жінок у віці від 18 років та старших — 110,0 чоловіків також старших 18 років.

Цивільне працевлаштоване населення становило 26 осіб. Основні галузі зайнятості: освіта, охорона здоров'я та соціальна допомога — 34,6 %, роздрібна торгівля — 23,1 %, виробництво — 15,4 %, мистецтво, розваги та відпочинок — 11,5 %.

Джерела

Містечка Південної Дакоти
Населені пункти округу Фок (Південна Дакота)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Classical music: Madison Opera's "A Little Night Music" proved totally satisfying as both music and theater
Larry Wells – The Opera Guy for The Well-Tempered Ear – went to both performances in the Capitol Theater of the Overture Center last weekend by the Madison Opera of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" and filed the following review. Photos are by James Gill.
Although I was familiar with the recording, my first experience seeing "A Little Night Music" by Stephen Sondheim (below) was in London 25 years ago. I remember it as a theatrical experience – it featured Judi Dench and was performed at the National Theatre – more than as a musical event.
Two years ago, I saw it performed by Des Moines Metro Opera, and although it was "operatic" it was also sabotaged by a confusing, even chaotic, production designed by Isaac Mizrahi.
I finally experienced the complete package with the recent performances by the Madison Opera. It was a totally satisfying combination of acting, music and theatrical design.
Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's film "Smiles of a Summer Night," which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "A Little Night Music" concerns itself with mismatched lovers who are eventually properly paired or else reconciled.
Without going into detail, suffice it to say that the carryings-on are amusing, the dialogue is witty, and the lyrics are sophisticated.
One of the earliest numbers in the show — the trio of songs "Later," "Now" and "Soon" — set the tone for the evening musically. Each was performed individually by three fine singers – Quinn Bernegger, Jeni Houser (below left) and Daniel Belcher (below right).
In a musical tour-de-force, the three songs ultimately combined into one. Houser's clear tone, Benegger's intense passion, and Belcher's suave lyricism promised an outstanding musical experience to come. Special praise must go to Bernegger (below) who sang while comically, but skillfully, miming playing a cello.
One show-stopper was Sarah Day's "Liaisons" which was really perfect in its world-weariness. Day (below) — from American Players Theatre in Spring Green — half-declaimed and half-sang such memorable lines of regret as, "What once was a sumptuous feast is now figs. No, not even figs. Raisins." Or amusing internal rhymes like "…indiscriminate women it…". (I am completely taken by Sondheim's clever use of language.)
Likewise, the singing of "Miller's Son" by Emily Glick (below) was a good old Broadway rendition – no operatic pretense – and the audience, and I, loved it.
Charles Eaton (below left) as a puffed-up dragoon and Katherine Pracht (below right) as his long-suffering wife were both outstanding vocally and deftly comic.
The center of most of the activity was the character Desirée Armfeldt portrayed by Emily Pulley (below). At first I thought she was overacting, but then I realized that, of course, she was portraying a veteran stage actress – a matinee idol type – who had internalized theatrical gestures into her own character. Her "Send in the Clowns" stopped the show, and the lyrics finally made sense to me. (You can hear the familiar Judy Collins interpretation in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
But I would have to say that the star of the show was the chorus, a quintet of excellent voices – Stephen Hobe, Kirsten Larson, Benjamin Liupaogo, Emily Secor and Cassandra Vasta. They waltzed through the action while sliding the panels and frames that comprised the set, moving props, and commenting on the action.
Never obtrusive but always necessary, I thought they were a delight. The three women got to sing a brief round "Perpetual Anticipation" that is another wonder of Sondheim's musical imagination.
As mentioned, sliding panels, along with dropping frames and panels, comprised the set. The continuous changing of the panels, the blocking and the movements of the quintet were the creative product of stage director Doug Schulz-Carlson (below). There was often a whirlwind of activity, but I was never distracted.
The costumes by Karen Brown-Larimore seemed straight out of Edward Gorey – which is a good thing. And altogether I felt it was the best production of the musical I've seen.
The orchestra was situated on stage behind the set, which made additional seats available close to the stage. People seated in those rows had to bend their necks to read the supertitles, but the diction was so consistently excellent that I rarely needed to even glance at the supertitles.
Praise is due for members of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and particularly conductor John DeMain (below, in a photo by Prasad). I heard subtleties in the music that had heretofore eluded me, and that is always a reward for attending a live performance and is a tribute to the maestro.
I was happy to see a younger audience, particularly Friday night. Let us hope that they were enchanted enough to attend the upcoming production on April 26 and 28 of Antonin Dvorak's "Rusalka."
This is an opera I have never seen; and until recently, I was familiar only with one of its arias, the so-called "Song to the Moon."
But now that I have a recording, I realize that it is a musical treasure that should not be missed. I suppose the reasons it is not so frequently performed are that it is in Czech and its plot involves water sprites. But don't let that stop you. The music is wonderful.
Tags: #ALittleNightMusic, #AmericanPlayersTheatre, #AMIdsummerNight'sDream, #AntoninDvorak, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BroadwayMusical, #CapitolTheater, #CzechLanguage, #DesMoines, #DesMoinesMetroOpera, #DougSchulz-Carlson, #EdwardGorey, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GoodThing, #GreatBritain, #husband-and-wife, #IngmarBergman, #IsaacMizrahi, #JamesGill, #JohnDeMain, #JudiDench, #JudyCollins, #KarenBrown-Larimore, #LarryWells, #LivePerformance, #LondonEngland, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MatineeIdol, #Miller'sSon, #MusicReview, #OperaReview, #OvertureCenter, #SarahDay, #SendintheClowns, #Show-stopper, #SmilesofaSummerNight, #SongtotheMoon, #SpringGreen, #StageActress, #StageDirector, #StephenSondheim, #TheWell-TemperedEar, #WaterSprite, #WilliamShakespeare, #World-Weariness, A Little Night Music, A Midsummer Night's Dream, acting, action, activity, actress, American Players Theatre, amusing, Antonín Dvořák, Arts, audience, blog, Broadway, Capitol, Capitol Theater, Cello, chaotic, character, choral music, chorus, Classical music, clear, clever, comic, Compact Disc, complete, composer, conductor, confusing, costumes, Czech, declaim, delight, Des Moines Metro Opera, design, details, dialogue, diction, distraction, Doug Schulz-Carlson, Edward Gorey, enchant, event, experience, Facebook, film, forward, frame, gesture, good, Great Britain, husband, idol, imagination, Ingmar Bergman, intense, internal, Iowa, Isaac Mizrahi, Jacob Stockinger, James Gill, John DeMain, Judi Dench, Judy Collins, Karen Brown-Larimore, language, Larry Wells, liaison, like, lines, link, live, London, Love, lover, lyricism, lyrics, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, matinee, memorable, Miller's Son, movie, Music, music review, musical, National Theatre, opera, operatic, Orchestra, outstanding, Overture Center, Overture Center for the Arts, package, pair, panel, Passion, performance, performer, photo, post, posting, praise, pretense, props, reconcile, recording, regret, review, rhyme, Rusalka, Sarah Day, seats, Send in the Clowns, set, Shakespeare, share, sing, Singing, skillful, Smiles of a Summer Night, song, Song to the Moon, sophisticated, Spring Green, stage, stage director, star, Stephen Sondheim, suave, suffering, supertitles, symphony, tag, The Well-Tempered Ear, theater, theatre, theatrical, thing, tone, trio, type, UK, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, use, Veteran, vocal music, vocally, Waltz, water sprite, weariness, weary, whirlwind, wife, Wisconsin, wit, witty, wonderful, world, young, YouTube
Classical music: The Madison Savoyards marks its 55th anniversary with six performances of "Die Fledermaus" starting this Friday night
ALERT: Tomorrow, on Wednesday night, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Avenue near Camp Randall Stadium, the Madison Summer Choir will mark its 10th anniversary with a performance of the choral and orchestral Mass in D Minor by Anton Bruckner and other works including one by Johannes Brahms. For more information, go to:
http://www.madisonsummerchoir.org
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/?s=Madison+summer+choir
Starting this weekend, the Madison Savoyards presents Die Fledermaus, or The Bat, by Johann Strauss Jr. — sung in English with supertitles — at UW Music Hall at the base of Bascom Hill.
Evening performances are on Friday, July 20; Friday, July 27; and Saturday, July 28; matinees are at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 21; Sunday, July 22; and Sunday, July 29.
Ticket prices are $30 for the public; $28 for seniors; $15 for students and youth under 17; and $5 for children under 5. Tickets can be purchased through UW Box Office at (608) 265-2787, www.arts.wisc.edu, or in person at the door. Group sales of 10 or more available by telephone only.
For more information, go to the website: www.madisonsavoyards.org
The production marks the 55th anniversary of the Madison Savoyards, best known for presenting the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan.
For this production, board director J. Adam Shelton makes his debut as stage director and Kyle Knox (below), a UW-Madison graduate, returns as music director and conductor. He is also the music director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the new associate conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. (You can hear the popular Overture to Die Fledermaus in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Die Fledermaus is the story of a romantically stale couple that learns to love again all the while playing the fools in this comedy of errors.
Eisenstein and his wife Rosalinda, fall prey to a cruel joke by their old pal Falke involving their chambermaid, a Russian prince, a prison warden and a tenor who can't get the girl. Everyone works his or her way up and down the social ladder in this futuristic production set in 2021.
The famous second act masquerade ball is a menagerie theme featuring a ballet performance by Central Midwest Ballet Academy of Middleton.
The choreographer is Kristin Roling, with costumes by Rebecca Stanley and set design by Corey Helser.
The cast includes Tim Rebers (below top) as Eisenstein and Erica K. Bryan (below bottom) as Rosalinda.
Also featured are Michelle Buck (below top) as Adele; Ben Swanson (below second) as Falke; Kirsten Larson (below third) as Prince Orlofsky; and Tom Kastle (below bottom) as Frosch.
Grant funding supports the artists and underwrites the Children's Pre-Show (1 p.m. on July 22 at UW-Madison's Music Hall) where children will meet members of the cast and crew, and learn about the show and its music, tour the theater, and create a show-centric craft for free.
American Sign Language service is available, by request, for the July 21 performance.
ABOUT THE SAVOYARDS
It is the mission of the Madison Savoyards "to preserve the works of Gilbert and Sullivan (below) and other light opera by producing and promoting live performances; to develop the skills and talent of cast, crew and musicians of all ages; and to inspire, entertain, and educate the community through performances and other initiatives."
More information can be found on the company's Facebook page along with behind-the-scenes insights to the production.
J. ADAM SHELDON (below) ANSWERS TWO QUESTIONS FROM THE EAR:
Why does the anniversary production feature Johann Strauss Jr. rather than Gilbert and Sullivan?
"We decided to celebrate our 55th anniversary with Die Fledermaus to try something new as a company. Strauss Jr.'s Fledermaus is always a party and will elevate our audiences in the same ways as they have come to expect with G&S.
"We have actually continued our tie to G&S by choosing a libretto that is based upon Gilbert's translation of the original Meilhac and Halevy play, Le Réveillon. Gilbert's On Bail brandishes the same humor, socio-political commentary, and alliterative patters we expect from his pen. It only seemed logical to use a translation steeped in Gilbert's.
"Additionally, our company has performed nearly every work in the G&S collaborative canon — the only exceptions being the reconstructed Thespis & Pineapple Poll — and we want to see how the community embraces us peppering in other light opera and operettas into our repertoire. Some celebrate 55 years with emeralds; we're celebrating with love… and a twist!
"The story of Fledermaus really did not need a ton of punching up to meet the year. For fun we have included Wisconsin references like Spotted Cow beer, cheese curds (my personal favorite), and Old Fashioneds, which enliven the second act even more, but the core of the story is timeless.
"Whether told with Viennese costumes, or modern attire and cell phones, this story could happen anytime, anywhere. People still play practical jokes on one another, people escape to costume parties for fun, and lovers still fall in, and maybe out, of love.
"Furthermore, Rebecca Stanley (our costume designer) and I imagined a grand masquerade ball in the second act where high fashion meets "cosplay." (EDITOR'S NOTE: For a definition of "cosplay," here is a link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay)
Why did you choose to do it in English?
"The Madison Savoyards is dedicated to continuing the tradition of performing in English. It offers accessibility to our audiences that larger operatic works sometimes cannot. Plus, light opera historically is offered in the vernacular of wherever it's performed.
"Likewise, we are continuing to offer comedic works as the core of our repertoire.
"We recognize we have a powerful place in the community offering comedic works exclusively in English. But we will offer supertitles this summer for those who might not be familiar with the story."
Tags: #AntonBruckner, #BascomHill, #BoxOffice, #BrassMusic, #CampRandallStadium, #CentralMidwestBalletAcademy, #CheeseCurds, #ChoralMusic, #ChristianChurch, #ChristianReligion, #DieFledermaus, #EnglishTranslation, #FirstCongregationalUnitedChurchofChrist, #GilbertandSullivan, #JesusChrist, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannStrauss, #KyleKnox, #LightOpera, #LoveStory, #MadisonSavoyards, #MadisonSummerChoir, #MaskedBall, #MasqueradeBall, #MiddletonWisconsin, #MusicDirector, #MusicHall, #OperaComposer, #OperaMusic, #OperaOverture, #OperaSinger, #OrchestralMusic, #PercussionMusic, #PoliticalCommentary, #SocialCommentary, #SocialLadder, #StageDirector, #UniversityofWisconsin, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #WindMusic, #WisconsinYouthSymphonyOrchestras, #YoungChildren, #YoungPeople, #YouTubevideo, anniversary, Arts, ballet, Beer, Bruckner, Camp Randall Stadium, cast, Cello, Central Midwest Ballet Academy, children, choral music, choreography, Classical music, comedy, commentary, composer, conductor, costume, crew, design, evening, Friday, futuristic, girl, grant, Humor, Jacob Stockinger, Johannes Brahms, live, Love, love story, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, masked ball, matinee, Music, opera, Operetta, Orchestra, orchestral, Overture, patter, performance, popular, prince, production, Romantic, Russian, Saturday, senior, sets, sing, singer, socio-political, Student, Sunday, supertitle, support, symphony, telephone, theater, ticket, translation, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Vienna, Viennese, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Website, Wisconsin, WYSO, Youth, YouTube
Classical music: Live radio broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera start their 87th season with the Verdi Requiem at NOON this Saturday on Wisconsin Public Radio.
What is the longest-running classical music broadcast on American radio?
If you said the live Saturday matinee broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera (below) in New York City, you got it right.
So, does that qualify the Met, and opera in general, as pop culture?
Does it do anything to reassure those who worry about the future of opera and classical music?
Anyway, the 87th broadcast season starts again on Wisconsin Public Radio this Saturday morning and runs through May 5.
Of course, not there are also the popular and more cinematic broadcasts of "Live From the Met in HD." But many listeners still prefer the radio — which is FREE — to help them focus on the music, not the visual and theatrical aspects, and to use their imagination more.
On Saturday at the usual time of NOON — not 11:05 a.m. as was mistakenly first published here — the Met features a performance of the dramatic Requiem by opera great Giuseppe Verdi (below). (You can hear the operatic Dies Irae, or Day of Wrath, section in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The Requiem will be conducted by James Levine (below), the now retired longtime artistic director of the Met.
The 90-minute performance will dedicated to the famed Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky (below bottom), who died two weeks ago from a brain tumor at age 55. For more information about the late singer, go to:
https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/classical-music-charismatic-russian-baritone-dmitri-horostovsky-is-dead-at-55/
For as complete schedule of the works to be performed, which include well-known standards by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner and Richard Strauss as well as a contemporary work by Thomas Adès, go to the WPR website:
https://www.wpr.org/metropolitan-opera-begins-its-87th-broadcast-season
Tags: Adès, Arts, Bellini, Brain, brain tumor, Broadcast, cancer, choral music, cinema, Classical music, composer, day, dedicated, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Donizetti, drama, dramatic, future, Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi, imagination, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, James Levine, listener, Live From The Met in HD, matinee, Metropolitan Opera, Mozart, Music, New York City, opera, Orchestra, performance, pop, pop culture, Puccini, Radio, Requiem, Rossini, Saturday, schedule, Season, standard, Strauss, theater, theatre, theatrical, tumor, United States, visual, Wagner, Website, Wisconsin, wisconsin public radio, work, WPR, wrath, YouTube
Classical music: Tonight is the opening of the Madison Savoyards' production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operatic satire "H.M.S. Pinafore." Seven performances will run through Aug. 6
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. in UW Music Hall, on Bascom Hill, the Madison Savoyards will give the opening performance of their latest production of the popular operetta "H.M.S. Pinafore" by Gilbert and Sullivan (below).
The production, including two Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., will be performed on July 28, 29, 30 and August 3, 4, 5 and 6.
According to a press release, the production promises to be "visually stunning."
Audrey Wax (below top), of Edgewood College, is the stage director, and Kyle Knox (below bottom), who studied at UW-Madison and has conducted for the Madison Opera, the University Opera and the Middleton Community Orchestra, is the music director.
The orchestra and cast are local.
"Pinafore is the story of a lowly sailor in love with his Captain's daughter, but she is betrothed to a wealthy officer of her own social class.
"Political satire of the time (and today) permeates the story, making light-hearted fun of patriotism, party politics, and unqualified people reaching positions of power.
"Even though Pinafore premiered in 1878 skewering the "one percent" of its day, the class conflicts and romantic rivalry resonate with audiences of any generation. Rich orchestration and challenging vocal work make the music a joy to perform and to hear." (You can hear the funny and popular song "I Am the Monarch of the Sea" in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Grant funding supports the artists and underwrites the Children's Pre-Show (1 p.m. on this Sunday, July 30, at UW Music Hall).
Children will meet members of the cast and crew, and learn about the show and its music, tour the theater, and create a show-centric craft for free.
Tickets cost $40 for premium seats; $30 for general admission; $28 for seniors; $15 for students and young people under 18; and $5 for children 6 and under. Tickets can be purchased through UW Box Office at (608) 265-2787, www.arts.wisc.edu, or in person at the door. Group sales of 10 or more available by telephone only. Some disocunts are available.
ABOUT MADISON SAVOYARDS LTD.
Since 1963, it has been the mission of the Madison Savoyards, Ltd. to preserve the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and other light opera by producing and promoting live performances; to develop the skills and talent of cast, crew and musicians of all ages; and to inspire, entertain, and educate the community through performances and other initiatives.
"More information can be found on our Facebook page along with behind the scenes insights to the production."
For full information about the production and the cast, and for clips from other Savoyard productions, go to: http://madisonsavoyards.org
Tags: 1 percent, American Sign Language, artist, Arts, Audrey Wax, Bascom Hill, captain, cast, children, choral music, class, Classical music, clip, conflict, daughter, Edgewood College, Facebook, G&S, generation, Gilbert and Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore, income, income inequality, inequality, Jacob Stockinger, Kyle Knox, lyrics, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Savoyards, Madison Symphony Orchestra, matinee, Middleton Community Orchestra, Music, Music director, officer, one percent, opera, operette, Orchestra, orchestration, party politics, patriotism, Pinafore, political, Politics, power, preview, rivlary, Romance, Romantic, sailor, satire, sea, sign language, social class, stage director, theater, ticket, today, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University Opera, Viola, Violin, vocal music, wealth, Wealth Gap, Wisconsin, YouTube


A new GARG committee was formed which will meet for a handover of administration rights over the next week. Full details will be available here and on the website once the new committee has convened and roles agreed. Approximately two weeks from now.
Of course the Ferry project was discussed at length and a new impetus is now in full force to strive ahead with the Keep it Green Campaign see link below. The next steps will be outlined in the minutes to follow.
The new Committee is made up of new and long-standing residents of the Greencastle Area but it is important to note that they will be representing those from the Cranfield, Millbay and Dunavil and Grange areas.
If you want to become a member please send a private message on greencastlecodown facebook page. £5 pa for individual and £10 pa for family membership. Membership will allow your issues to be brought to the table and discussed for action and you will also receive a card and newsletters. Monies raised go towards the running costs of the Committee.
To protect the residents and assets of the wider Greencastle area and enhance its potential for future generations.


The ground outside is covered with a blanket of freshly-fallen snow. I'm sitting cozily near my space heater and winter-scented candles, listening to Christmas music, and with Christmas just about two weeks away, I've got visions of holiday cookies dancing in my head.
I know I'm not alone in my love of baking treats during the holidays. It's a special, fun, and absolutely delicious tradition for many. So many of my favorite holiday memories are centered in the kitchen and dusted with powdered sugar. The past couple of years our holiday baking time has been full of adventure as I, along with Kim and our mom, have experimented with vegan versions of old favorites and tried many new vegan treat recipes as well.
And lastly, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows, a recipe from Post Punk Kitchen. Loved these.
Phew, that's seven fabulous homemade vegan holiday treats. It was a wonderful, though very labor-intensive, array of goodies. In the spirit of keeping things simple this year, I'm trying to keep the visions of holiday cookies dancing in my head in check. Trying is the key word. Just a little earlier I spent only A FEW minutes checking my favorite sites for new winter cookie recipes and already have way too many to choose from. Part of me wants to give in and make them all, but remembering last year's cookie craze and the leftovers we had for weeks and weeks, I really don't want to go overboard. The season is about so much more than sweets, after all.
So here are some of my choices, for review: Snowy Spelt Sugar Cookies — there's something special about decorating cookies with icing and sprinkles during the holidays, isn't there? Mint Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats — shaped into snowmen, of course, Pecan Pie Truffles — fancy! and even though they're not especially seasonally appropriate, Banana Bread Cookies. The Walnutcracker Spice Cookies were a huge hit last year (I LOVED the interesting spicy-sweet combo and the hearty/healthy-ness of the walnut meal and spelt flour) and I'm pretty sure our traditional Russian Tea Cakes can't be skipped.
Now I've got to decide which recipes to make, and somehow keep myself from adding more yummy choices to the mix by peaking in my cookbooks or poking around online.
Any thoughts, please share! I'd be more than happy to share the results of my holiday baking adventures with YOU!
I vote for the Snowy Spelt Sugar Cookies. Looks like fun!


Old school robots don't particularly like unstructured environments such as the homes of us messy humans. Objects are moved, task descriptions change and there is just no way to structure responsibilities into repetitive automated processes. Which is why they've mostly kept to ordered, predictable places like factories.
But a new generation of robots ventures into the disorderly world of humans. In order to cope, a stand-alone robot needs a wide array of sensors to map out its changing surroundings and a lot of computing power to process the sensor data. But a heavy workload means a lot of power consumption, chaining the bots to wall sockets or restricting their operational time due to battery limitations.
To overcome these restrictions European scientists built Rapyuta, a framework that harnesses the power of the Internet to enable individual robots to offload their computations to the collective. Rapyuta -named after the 1986 Japanese movie Tenkû No Shiro Rapyuta about a castle in the sky inhabited by robots- is a cloud-based environment running customizable robotics applications on secured servers.
In a scientific paper [PDF] roboticist Dominique Hunziker and his co-authors explain that the engine is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). 'In PaaS the cloud computing platform typically includes an operating system, an execution environment, a database, and a communication server.' These kind of platforms already exist for web applications but because robotics has different requirements, the team built this new open source framework.
Rapyuta is part of the open source RoboEarth project which works on the development of cloud robotics. To that end the project has produced several frameworks for networked robots. In 2011 the RoboEarth database was launched in an effort to create a world wide web for robots. The database enables robots with different hard- and software specifications to create and maintain collective knowledge repositories. If robot X figures out how to refill a Nespresso coffeemaker it can upload the action recipe to the database making it available to robot Y.
The RoboEarth database makes it possible to build economically efficient robots. With access to the collective memory, robot Y doesn't need the expensive sensor array and complex learning capabilities robot X needed to solve the Nespresso problem. And with the emergence of the Internet of Things, networked robots can function as the arms and legs of the Internet.
Now, with the launch of Rapyuta the bots do not only have a collective memory but they can also draw on external processing power. The cloud engine can easily interact with the RoboEarth database, creating a collective brain in the cloud.Paving the way for the emergence of an army of lean, low-cost, mobile robots which can solve problems in a team effort.
RoboEarth a multinational collaborative project of universities and corporations funded by the European Union.


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Insulin (in-suh-lin): A hormone made by the cells in your pancreas. Insulin helps your body store the glucose (sugar) from your meals. If you have diabetes and your pancreas is unable to make enough of this hormone, you may be prescribed medicines to help your liver make more or make your muscles more sensitive to the available insulin. If these medicines are not enough, you may be prescribed insulin shots.
Sure, you can lose weight quickly. There are plenty of fad diets that work to shed pounds rapidly -- while leaving you feeling hungry and deprived. But what good is losing weight only to regain it? To keep pounds off permanently, it's best to lose weight slowly. And many experts say you can do that without going on a "diet." Instead, the key is making simple tweaks to your lifestyle.
Those trans fats on your menu are hiding out in plain sight and sabotaging your lean belly plans every time you eat them. If a food product says it contains partially hydrogenated oils, you're eating trans fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity with every bite. In fact, research conducted at Wake Forest University reveals that monkeys whose diets contained eight percent trans fat upped their body fat by 7.2 percent over a six-year study, while those who ate monounsaturated fat gained just a fraction of that amount. Instead of letting harmful trans fat take up space on your menu, fill up with these healthy fats.
Eat Breakfast Every Day. One habit that's common to many people who have lost weight and kept it off is eating breakfast every day. "Many people think skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories, but they usually end up eating more throughout the day, says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. "Studies show people who eat breakfast have lower BMIs than breakfast-skippers and perform better, whether at school or in the boardroom." Try a bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and low-fat dairy for a quick and nutritious start to your day.
"Getting deep down to the root of why you want to lose weight is a very powerful and eye-opening experience," she says. "I do this exercise with my clients. I give them a piece of paper and they start at the top with the initial reason they want to lose weight. Often, it starts with reasons like 'I will look better.' Under that, I ask them why that is important. Sometimes there are some very deep and powerful reasons that are incredibly motivating like 'I want to lose weight to travel on an airplane with my husband on our second honeymoon' or 'to be able to really play with my kids.'"
In the process, our generous guests have helped us raise more than $99,500 and have donated more than 62,600 pounds of food for our food bank partners, which are equivalent to providing more than 346,000 meals for our hungry neighbors. Once again, we're proud to continue our strong and meaningful partnerships with KDFW FOX 4, our official media sponsor, and the North Texas Food Bank, our official event beneficiary.
You may have an apple-shaped or a pear-shaped body structure. Accumulation of fat occurs differently for different people, it actually depends on the body structure. For those whose bodies are pear-shaped, the fat tends to accumulate in the lower part of the body, like the buttocks. But for those whose bodies are apple-shaped, your body tends to store fat around the middle section, thus resulting in fat accumulation around the belly. You must know that there are two types of belly fat – visceral, which accumulates around the abdominal organs, and subcutaneous, which occurs between the skin and abdominal wall.
If you want to lose weight you should start by avoiding sugar and starch (like bread, pasta and potatoes). This is an old idea: For 150 years or more there have been a huge number of weight-loss diets based on eating fewer carbs. What's new is that dozens of modern scientific studies have proven that, yes, low carb is the most effective way to lose weight.
"It's easy to become impatient and frustrated when you're trying to lose weight and haven't seen the results yet. But be realistic – you won't see the affect overnight. Your brain's wiring plays a huge part in resisting changes in lifestyle, and it takes time to establish new habits – up to 12 weeks. Stick with it for at least eight weeks and you should notice a change."


There is strong alchemy at work in the quiet corner of Brittany occupied by Yann Jallu, although it takes a different form to the dabblings of his fifteenth-century compat-riots. Yann and his wife Sandy are not concerned with the transmutation of base metals into gold, but they are masters of an age-old technique that changes a material as humble as straw into luxurious objects that arouse desire in the eye of the beholder. 'Anyone can learn straw marquetry,' explains Sandy, with a shrug. 'But not everyone is good at it.' I later decide that this is her typically understated way of saying that Jallu Ebénistes, the French company she runs with Yann, is rather good at straw marquetry. She would not be wrong.
Similar to its craft cousin wood marquetry, straw marquetry involves applying pieces of straw onto a substrate to create a decorative surface. The practice is thought to have originated in the Far East, not arriving in Europe until some time in the seventeenth century. It reached its creative peak during the art deco period, thanks to the likes of Jean-Michel Frank, whose starburst-effect cabinets and screens are now among the most sought after furniture items at auctions.
Yann and Sandy met 16 years ago in New York while working for a furniture maker. Yann was the workshop foreman and Sandy the office manager. Love, marriage and a child soon followed, and when the couple's son turned two, they decided it was time to leave behind the fast pace of Brooklyn and return to Yann's native France to start their own business. For the past 10 years, home has been in Bazouges-la-Pérouse, a quiet, mostly rural area not far from where Yann grew up. Although pre-recession 2006 turned out to be not an ideal time to launch a luxury-craft business, today Jallu Ebénistes is a thriving workshop producing furniture and interior surfaces made from unusual materials, including gypsum and mica, parchment, shagreen and straw. The vast majority of the output is bespoke for an international roster of interior designers and architects - many of whom are British. Douglas Mackie, Tim Gosling, David Collins Studio and Todhunter Earle have all called upon its expertise for their clients' projects.
Simon Stewart, co-founder of the London furniture shop Charles Burnand, encountered Jallu Ebénistes at the ICFF design show in New York in 2013 and, for him, it was love at first sight. 'I'd never seen anything like it before,' he recalls. 'It was the quality of the craftsmanship and depth of colour that really stood out.' After a brief courting period, their relationship was consummated when Simon invited Jallu Ebénistes to exhibit on the Charles Burnand stand at Decorex in 2015. 'We had designed a collection to show what we were capable of, rather than to sell,' explains Sandy. Such was the response, however, that she and Yann struck a deal with Simon to produce the lamps, tables and screen as an 'off the peg' collection in the UK, sold exclusively through Charles Burnand. The moment the first pieces went into the shop window, customers began to file in.
In the recently expanded workshops of Jallu Ebénistes, long strips of vibrantly coloured rye straw are piled like birds' nests on work benches, where five artisans are deep in concentration. Gradually, poplar surfaces are covered in motifs ranging from starbursts and fans to labyrinths, lozenges and Greek keys, through a process that requires surprisingly few tools. Scalpels are used to split the hollow straw, which is then opened up and ironed flat. Each strip of straw is selected based on its hue; there is no perfection or uniformity in the hand-dyeing process of their supplier, which is based near Dijon, and this is what gives the depth of colour to the finished pieces. White glue is applied to the surface, onto which a pattern has been drawn, and the straw is carefully placed and nudged into position. More than anything, success requires focus, patience and the willingness to rethink and start again when necessary.
The makers are young, highly trained in the craft of fine furniture making and drawn from all over the country. Clément Barberon, from Orléans, is building up a herringbone pattern in jade green on panels for a Tim Gosling project. He may finish one square metre in two days. Augustin Pouzoulet, from Bordeaux, is adding petrol-blue straw to a lamp base, which is part of the 'off the peg' collection. It will take about 24 hours to complete, which goes some way to explaining why this 'entry level' design costs about £2,675. Commissions for rooms clad in straw marquetry can easily exceed £100,000.
Jallu Ebénistes is by no means the only company that is producing outstanding work in straw marquetry. In fact, the skill has recently benefited from something of a resurgence and, in 2008, was included for the first time in the prestigious Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France competition for French craftsmen, which takes place every four years. The company has, however, climbed high in the ranks of straw marquetry specialists who are pushing the boundaries of the craft. 'I'm proud we are helping to keep one of the great French decorative arts alive,' Yann says. According to Sandy, their artistic goals are just as important as their financial ones. 'It does happen that we pass on money-making projects in favour of working with a designer to create something more challenging. We work with brilliant designers and architects who appreciate the level of skill and craftsmanship that we have to offer, and we often find that our craft has been elevated to a higher level because of it'.


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The name John has been used for eight tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and two tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the Eastern Pacific
 Hurricane John (1978), a Category 2 hurricane, did not affect land.
 Hurricane John (1982), a Category 3 hurricane, which never made landfall.
 Tropical Storm John (1988), affected the southern tip of Baja California.
 Hurricane John (1994) (T9420, 10E), a powerful Category 5 hurricane, formed near Mexico, crossed the international date line becoming Typhoon John, then crossed back. Second longest lasting tropical cyclone in recorded history.
 Tropical Storm John (2000), did not affect land.
 Hurricane John (2006), a large Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Baja California.
 Tropical Storm John (2012), a short-lived tropical storm, did not affect land.
 Hurricane John (2018), a Category 2 hurricane that brushed Baja California without making landfall.

In the Southern Hemisphere
 Cyclone John (1989), affected Cocos Island as it was developing
 Cyclone John (1999), made landfall between Port Hedland and Karratha in Western Australia

Pacific hurricane set index articles
Pacific typhoon set index articles
Australian region cyclone set index articles