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Musicals with Cheese
#118 Aida Transcript
The original post for this episode can now be found here.
Transcriptions by: Masha Latvinava
Peter Pan – Episode #118 – December 2, 2020
JESS: Hello, I'm Jesse McAnally.
ANDREW: And I am Andrew DeWolf.
BRIANNA: And I'm Brianna Jones.
JESS: And welcome to Musicals with Cheese, a podcast where I try to get Andrew to like musical theater. And today, Andrew, we have a super special guest.
ANDREW: A very special guest.
JESS: A very special guest. A first timer. It's been a while since we had a brand new guest. Today we have the ultra-talented, wonderful James from Schaffrillas.
JAMES: Hey everyone. It's me, James from Schaffrillas.
JESS: Now, Bree, put applause. But a bunch of applause right here. Everyone's cheering, oh my god.
(Wave of applause)
JAMES: Oh, thank you everyone that I can hear right now. Oh my god, amazing.
JESS: Yeah standing ovation.
JAMES: Wow, thank you, all. Wow, amazing.
JESS: All right. And you chose what we're talking about today. So James, I'm making –
ANDREW: This is your fault!
JESS: This is your fault we had to talk about this.
JAMES: Oh no, my bad.
JESS: And if anyone doesn't like this episode, just blame James.
ANDREW: Yeah that's true.
JAMES: I'm sorry, I'll take all the blame, it's all on me.
ANDREW: Send all hate to his comment section.
JAMES: You can bury me alive if you need to for this.
JESS: I see what you did there.
JAMES: Yep. So, today's episode's about Aida.
JESS: Cue the music.
(My Strongest Suit Plays)
JESS: Aida is a musical with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on Giuseppe Verdi's Italian-language opera the same name. But this musical is actually based on a children's storybook version of Verdi's opera written by Leontyne Price. It premiered on Broadway on March 23, 2000. It ran for 1,852 performances, making it the 39th longest running Broadway show of all time, which it still holds. It closed on September 4, 2004. It was nominated for five Tony Awards and won four, including Best Original Score, named by Time as one of the 10 theatre performances of the year, and the cast recording won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. The plot is about an enslaved Nubian princess, Aida, who finds her heart entangled with Radames. Did I say that right? Radames?
JAMES: Radames, I think.
JESS: Radames? Adam Pascal, an Egyptian soldier who is betrothed to the Pharaoh's daughter, Amneris. As their forbidden love blossoms, Aida is forced to weigh her heart against the responsibility that she faces as the leader of her people.
JAMES: All right.
JESS: So, James, why did you make us talk about this? I'm curious. This was the first show you thought of and I was a little surprised, I'm not gonna lie.
JAMES: Yeah. So, this show, it's pretty nostalgic because I actually did it back in high school in my junior year. I played the Pharaoh. So, it has that nostalgic connection to me. But also, my opinion on this show has shifted over time. I first saw it in freshman year. I wasn't a big fan of it. And then two years later, it turns out, "Oh, we're doing it in our show." And I was like, "Oh no". But then honestly, getting a part of it, being a part of the show, not just watching it, we really started to appreciate it a lot more and just really enjoy it. And to this day, I feel like not a lot of people really talk about this musical. So, it's one I really wanted to talk about. And the one thing... I just really want to rant about this real quick. I do not understand how this musical was nominated for five Tonys. It won four, including Best Score and Best Actress, did not get a nomination for Best Musical. Like, I'm just so baffled by that and I never understood it. So, I want to give it the recognition it deserves 20 years later on this podcast and that will make up for the Tonys.
ANDREW: I mean, we're basically as prestigious as the Tonys.
JESS: I mean, it reminds me of this Tony season, you know, as much of a Tony season you can have in 2020. But you know, the Lightning Thief, right?
JAMES: Yeah.
JESS: That is technically the only original musical that premiered on Broadway in the timeline. And literally, it was not nominated despite being the only musical with an original score. They literally nominated plays so that they didn't have to fucking nominate that.
JAMES: Yep, I feel so bad. I wonder if Aaron Tveit's gonna win Best Actor. Like, oh no. Oh, my God.
JESS: He's literally the only one nominated, Andrew.
JAMES: No one else was able to be nominated. No one for any other shows was a lead actor. So, oh well.
ANDREW: So, what happened? Did The Lightning Thief just get premiered in January or something? And then they just shut everything down?
JESS: It was December. It was December and then closed in January. It was a limited run. It was always supposed to be a limited run. But it was technically the only original musical that premiered within the guidelines.
JAMES: Yeah, I heard it was a pretty bad production on Broadway. I actually saw it - the tour in Philadelphia. And I really enjoyed it there. But I've heard that it just was not well-suited for Broadway stage, so –
JESS: I mean, it kind of isn't. A limited run is kind of what that was meant for as far as anything. I saw the tour when it was in Detroit. And I enjoyed it. It's a fun little show. I don't think it's Broadway ready. But it's fun show for kids to do. Just like Aida, back to the topic. I want Andrew to try to describe what this plot is because he literally probably didn't know anything about the show beforehand.
ANDREW: No, I mean, I was talking with Jess as I was kind of watching it, and he was explaining some of what this actually is. I mean, the plot isn't that complicated. It's a love story between a slave and a slaver, essentially. Or a soldier. They call him a soldier, he's more of a general in the army, it seems? And the slave, we find out, is actually the princess of the opposing faction - The two factions being Egypt, where the general's from, and they're enslaving the Nubians, which is the other faction. I assume this was an actual war that happened. I don't know anything about Egyptian history.
JESS: I'm gonna bet that Disney doesn't, either. Considering the cast of people.
ANDREW: Oh, yeah.
ANDREW: So, the princess is kind of like, almost trying to lead some sort of uprising for her people in a way. But like, not really. And then they both end up getting buried alive. But after they fall in love and the king of Egypt is like, "No, that's not allowed." And then they get buried alive as an act of mercy. There's one other character I didn't mention - the Princess of Egypt, who the Egyptian general is betrothed to, I suppose? And she's, like, kind of blown off by him after he falls for the slave woman, Aida, so oops.
JESS: This is a messed up plot. Like, it's about a slaver that falls in love with his slave, which in and of itself is weird, but the specific casting decision to make all the Nubians black and all the Egyptians white –
ANDREW: It's like they wanted to tie it into -
JESS: American history.
ANDREW: Which makes it more uncomfortable. Not that slavery is ever good, because slavery is never good, of course. But adding the racialized element to it kind of makes it hit closer to home in a way. It's like, "Ooh, I don't know about that."
JESS: Why I find it interesting - James, you said that this isn't getting love - but if the world had gone as normally as it should have, without, you know, the world shutting down, in 2021, in mere weeks even, there would have been a new production of Aida on Broadway. They were gonna do a revival in early 2021.
JAMES: Oh, wow. I didn't even hear about that.
JESS: We'll see if that happens.
ANDREW: I don't think that's gonna happen.
JESS: I mean, Disney does have unlimited money, but they made less money this year than they did last year. So...
JAMES: What a tragedy.
JESS: But I'm curious. We brought up that slight, like, "Oh that rings weird to me". How do we do this in modern times? Like, what would be the way to do this specific story in a way where it might ring a little bit more true, especially in these tumultuous times for everyone? What do you think, James?
JAMES: I just think, well, it would definitely be a good start to cast it correctly, ethnicity-wise. The casting for the original production was a little questionable. And yeah, I kind of agree there's definitely stuff that needs to be reworked. I think while it is, you know, obviously, gotta keep the love story between Aida and Radames, I feel like making him a little bit less mean to her early on, and maybe changing his motivations, maybe having him be against slavery. It's definitely a very tricky needle to thread. Um, but yeah, I feel like, I definitely got a sense rewatching it recently that maybe he's not really a character we should be rooting for especially early on, but I feel like there's a way to kind of rework that early on part to make him a better character. One that you actually want to see, these two fall in love with -
ANDREW: I think you need to do - And this is obviously by Disney - you could take elements – Like, you know how in Pocahontas, the guy character is kind of not in favor of all the bad stuff that the nobleman is trying to do? You could just kind of do that here.
JESS: Okay. Okay. I wanna write this pitch to you. Um, I think that we should actively make Aida a little bit more deceptive because she is fairly deceptive in this. She kind of uses this guy to meet her own needs.
ANDREW: She doesn't tell him that she's the princess. At least not for a long time.
JAMES: Yeah, she keeps that hidden from everyone so she can survive.
JESS: Yeah, but I think that might be an interesting way of being, like, she's trying to get this upper crust and fool him into thinking that she's in love with him. For maybe a sneak in the army, like she tried to do, or get her people out. Use the wedding as a distraction. Those types of things, I think, show a little bit more of an active protagonist in Aida. And I feel like if we leaned into that more and more, that she is using Radames as a means to an end as opposed to the love to end all loves, I feel like that might be an interesting way -
ANDREW: Well, that's how they portray it.
JESS: It is.
ANDREW: Even the ending, oh my goodness. The ending, when they die, it's like the seed that gives birth to peace across the world.
JAMES: Yeah, that's very questionable. And I don't get how that worked.
JESS: And no one was ever racist again.
ANDREW: We did it, we solved racism.
JAMES: Oh man, we did it. Yeah, it's like they're leaning too heavily into the Romeo and Juliet kind of mold in the end there when it doesn't really apply. So it's like, yeah, I don't know where they got that from. But yeah, I feel like definitely early on, I feel like the romance between them sprouts up a little too quickly and unnatural. Like, I'm not sure what exactly they see in each other aside from the physical attraction. It definitely would need to be altered a little bit so that they actually –
ANDREW: it almost feels like a power struggle. Like Radames just kind of likes Aida because she's feisty. It's like, "Ooh, a slave that doesn't like being a slave. Ooh."
JAMES: Yeah. They use actually a line where Radames is like, "No woman has ever gotten the better of me". Clearly, he's... I don't know.
ANDREW: Yeah, maybe cus you have chains.
JESS: No, it was like, "No man has ever gotten the better of me. And one woman almost did."
JAMES: Ooh.
JESS: Ooh, cringe. But the thing is, I love the idea of a princess, someone of her own nobility, being forced again to chains and having to play that part and use it to her advantage. That was what I thought was the most important aspect of this. And yeah, there's some good Elton John love songs in here, but I like the political, like, terrorism side of it.
JAMES: Yeah. For me, I really like – Once we get past the setup for the romance, once it actually gets going, I just really connect with the songs and I really get emotionally invested in what's going on with the plot and everything, the romance they have, the betrayal and all that. It starts off a little bit weak in my opinion but then by the middle of the show, I really enjoy it and I'm invested and then the end is questionable. It's a quality roller coaster. Like, it starts off at the bottom, it goes up in the middle, end of Act One, and then kinda drops back by the end.
ANDREW: I can definitely see that.
JAMES: The ending is a little weird for me. But yeah.
ANDREW: We gotta talk about the other princess character because that's kind of important.
JESS: Sherie Rene Scott.
ANDREW: What is this character's name?
JAMES: Amneris.
ANDREW: Amneris, okay. She's kind of the villain, but not quite.
JESS: The villain is racism.
ANDREW: No, no, the villain is slavery.
JESS: The villain is Walt Disney.
JAMES: Exactly.
ANDREW: There needed to be a stronger villain I think in this.
JAMES: Oh, yeah. I was thinking that on my most recent rewatch. I don't really like the villain in this at all. Like Radames' father. You don't really need him, almost. Like –
ANDREW: He doesn't do anything.
JAMES: Yeah, the Pharaoh could just be dying of natural causes, and the plot could be the same. I'm conflicted though, because I actually like his second villain song a lot in Act Two, but the first one is one of my least favorites in the show. I just, it's so weird tonally. And it's like, I don't really know about it, but- -
JESS: And that's coming from a man who played the Pharaoh himself.
JAMES: Yeah, true. But yeah, I just wasn't feeling Zoser as a character. He's not even in it that much. He just shows up a couple times in like Act One and then out of nowhere, he's back in Act Two. It's like, "Oh, yeah, he exists."
ANDREW: He's there to scare the kids, like, "There's a threat in the show."
JAMES: "Oh no, there's a scary guy, everybody run."
ANDREW: And then he doesn't do anything.
JAMES: Yeah, basically.
JESS: Okay, pitch. Giant crab. Giant Egypt crab.
JAMES: I think, yes, the show would be much better if Radames' father was literally just a giant crab. That totally makes sense. It completely pans out.
ANDREW: Honestly, I'm kind of feeling that.
JAMES: Yes, it would all add up perfectly.
JESS: Scare the kids, you know.
ANDREW: What if we had the ending climax - instead of they get buried in a tomb, a giant crab and Sobek fight to the death?
JAMES: Yeah, I would honestly really enjoy that. They should definitely just remake Aida with all these changes.
JESS: Well, the revival's put on hold for this. For us to have this discussion.
ANDREW: They're waiting for our feedback.
JAMES: They have all these free ideas. They can just take them right now and just make something out of them.
ANDREW: They were looking for Tony acclaim, but then we kind of started existing and now they're like, "How do we how do we appease the cheese?"
JESS: Yeah. "How do we get a perfect cheese rating out of these guys?"
JAMES: Yes. They're gonna get it. Don't worry. Just use all these ideas. They're free for the taking.
ANDREW: We want more giant monster fighting. I want it to be, uh, that's cool. More like –
JESS: There's not a Nazi hyena number. I thought you brought Elton John onto this for specific reasons.
ANDREW: Elton John is known for the Nazi hyenas.
JAMES: If there's no Nazi hyenas, then what's the point?
JESS: I got a question. Who is the main character of this musical? I know the musical is called Aida, so you're thinking it's Aida. But kind of our point of view central character is Radames.
JAMES: That's true. Yeah. Radames is definitely the one who changes the most over the course of the story. Like, Aida is mostly the same. So, I guess that is a good point. I think it's kind of focused on both of them, since this is a romance story. But it is called Aida, so I definitely feel like making her a stronger character and giving her more clear motivations would have been a good choice.
ANDREW: It's difficult to give a character choice when they're a slave.
JAMES: True.
JESS: The trick is, I think she does have very clear motivations, which is her people come first in all forms. Like, that is a motivation that is very clear and that her actions support. It's just that you don't quite understand that's what she's doing until a little too late in the show.
JAMES: Yeah. That makes sense. It's like, there's that one number where she's overwhelmed by all her people surrounding her. And she can't take the pressure of being the ruler while they're all enslaved. And that's a good -
JESS: That's a great moment.
JAMES: Yeah, it's great. I feel like they don't go far enough with that idea. That she's just overwhelmed by all this responsibility, but she's also enslaved, she wants to hide. That's something I really wish they would have developed more over the course of the show.
JESS: Mmhmm. I mean, this is one of those musicals where I see the greatness in it, it just involves some very bone structural working around. And in the original drafts, this - because they basically did three productions of this before they got the creative team involved (the current creative team) - and then that one was leaning more comedy and more like an actual Disney movie. And this one, they were like, "Well, let's lean into the more darker stuff, lean into the romance and all that." And I feel like we need to meet in the middle somewhere because right now this is just a little too dour. A little bit too much. And it makes the scenes where there are some stylized things like the princess' number about the way that she dresses - which I think is a lot of fun - and maybe if we had a moment or two more like that, it wouldn't stand out as such a weird moment the way it does in the current production.
JAMES: Yeah, that makes sense. I personally think Amneris' song is good as it is because it shows the contrast. How she's living this lavish lifestyle despite the fact that Aida and all her people are enslaved. I think it is a good contrast, showing how she's so ignorant to these people who are in chains and everything. And I think she has a lot of really funny moments, like that whole moment where she wants Radames to come into her bedchamber. Like, honestly, that was just hysterical, in my opinion. I really enjoyed that. The comic relief that didn't really work for me was Mereb. He felt too much like a traditional Disney sidekick, where he's just saying all these goofy things. And I don't know, I felt like the scenes where he just says goofy things weren't really the right time for them, personally. I don't know. He, to me, felt a bit out of place. And I just wasn't that into his character.
JESS: They went full firefly from fucking Princess and the Frog with him.
JESS: I feel like whoever directed that movie just sat down, watched this, like, "Kill the comic relief. That'll really, really do it."
JAMES: Yeah. The thing though is, in this, it's like they don't even have a moment to mourn him. He's just dead and –
JESS: Gotta kill the other main characters, what are you talking about?
JAMES: Exactly. It's weird. I feel like they should have maybe killed him sooner somehow.
ANDREW: Maybe, like, the first time we see him. Maybe we could, before he says any lines, just have him die. You know?
JAMES: Yeah. I feel bad because one of my best friends played Mereb in the production in high school. So, Wyatt, if you're listening, I'm sorry. I wanted you to die earlier. So, I'm so sorry about that. But yeah, I wasn't a fan of Mereb.
JESS: I don't blame you. This show is a weird anomaly where it simultaneously feels very long, but also feels underdeveloped.
JAMES: Yeah, I can see that.
JESS: I just want to take scissors to it and then paste in other shit.
ANDREW: There's a lot in here that can work. And I feel like I don't dislike this show necessarily. I was a little bit bored by it, though. Which isn't good. I don't know. It was difficult for me to get into the romance because I kind of felt like... it felt a little creepy with the way they set it up. And I feel like if they didn't set it up in the way that they did, the whole thing might feel stronger. Like, as a whole, essentially.
JAMES: Yeah, no, I definitely understand that, yeah. It's quite similar to how I felt when I first saw the show. I did not get invested in the romance. I was bored by a lot of it. But at the same time, over time, it just... When I watch something, I generally see a lot more stuff to like in the stuff I watch once I get past the way it was set up. And I feel like this musical is one of those cases where I'm really into just the romance - mostly because of the music, I think. It just really hooks me into it. But yeah, the setup is very important. Especially if you're watching it for the first time. You're being introduced to the story and it just doesn't work for you because of the way it's set up. I totally understand that.
JESS: You know what the romance reminds me of? And this is the dark place my mind went to when I was watching it. It's Ralph Fiennes' relationship to his servant girl in Schindler's List. The Jewish servant girl that he, like, owns. And he has a romantic infatuation, despite the fact that he owns her as a human being and it just makes you sick, makes you real sick.
ANDREW: I haven't actually seen Schindler's List, so I would know the comparison.
JESS: Oh, hilarious comedy, laugh a minute.
JAMES: Yep, iconic.
ANDREW: That's what I've heard, but -
JESS: Um, but no, it's real fucked up. And that's all I kept thinking about is like, when Ralph Fiennes is like "You know, you know, we could we could be in a relationship," and then he just starts beating her because he owns her. Like, "If she's not reciprocal, I can do whatever I want."
ANDREW: Well, thankfully, this doesn't go there, so –
JESS: It doesn't, because of the Disney of it all.
JAMES: Yeah. Like, at least they knew to soften the character once the two were actually in love. Like, he didn't do anything awful to her at that point, which, you know, it's a start.
JESS: I mean, this thinks it's more like a regency romance because... I feel like it feels more in line with something like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice. Like, they want him to be Mr. Darcy, but Mr. Darcy never owned a human being.
ANDREW: Yeah, I think if it was set up the way I think they in their minds thought it was set up, where it's like, "Hey, you have this noble person who falls in love with a noble from a warring country." But when you add in the slavery element to it, it kind of falls apart.
JAMES: Yeah, exactly. That's the key thing there. Because, yeah, otherwise, I can definitely see the story kind of clicking like you said, but yeah, it's uncomfortable the way it's set up right now.
JESS: And maybe we just didn't care about slavery in 2000, I don't know.
ANDREW: There's a lot of people today that I'm not sure care about slavery.
JAMES: I was two years old in 2000. So, I had no idea what was going on and if anyone heard about slavery, so I don't know.
JESS: We we're too busy worried about 9/11 that hadn't happened yet.
JESS: So this is the third ever Disney Broadway production. The first two were the Beauty and the Beast and Lion King. And this is their follow up to Lion King. How does this sit? I wish Disney would do more of these on one hand, but also it's so strange that they pick this to follow up what is the biggest moneymaker on Broadway ever, as in the Lion King. How does this sit among that?
JAMES: Yeah, I don't know. It's so weird. When I first found out Aida was a Disney musical, I was like, "Wait, what?" It's, like, not connected to any other thing that they've done? It deals with some heavy stuff. The ending is super depressing. Yeah, I was just kind of surprised by that. And surprised that it did as well as it did on Broadway. Because yeah, obviously Lion King, that's still running - well, not right now because COVID. But yeah, I don't know. It's so outside the Disney brands at first glance, but at the same time, I think I prefer that over constant adaptations of –
JESS: Frozen the musical.
JAMES: Yeah. Movies which I do not want to see.
ANDREW: Was this the last original product that Disney put out? Like ever?
JAMES: On Broadway, I think so. Yeah.
JESS: Let me look up Disney Theatricals real quick.
JAMES: I think everything else is an adaptation which, honestly, I would much prefer original stuff coming out on Broadway.
ANDREW: It's really a shame because it's like Disney, who's hoarding all this money and creative resource, and they just pump it into the same projects over and over again. And like, well, I don't think this is amazing. It is nice that they did something original, you know? Well, not fully original. It's an adaptation of something else, but still something new that hasn't been seen in the last 10 years.
JESS: Would we count Peter and the Starcatcher as an original? Because apparently Disney Theatrical ran that.
JAMES: Oh, really?
JESS: I did not know that until I looked this up right here.
JAMES: Hmm yeah, I don't know. I don't know much about that one. So I'm not sure.
JESS: I mean, it's not a direct adaptation. It's its own thing. So, I'd count it. Same with the Mary Poppins musical adaptation since they had to work with the Cameron Mackintosh and P.L. Travers' estate, so they had to adapt the books where they just used the Disney songs. And I hope to do that on the show one day because that is an interesting adaptation because it's not at all the film.
ANDREW: Disney Theatrics actually doing work. Look at that.
JESS: I mean, that's because legally they had to. But now we gotta go on to our favorite segment of this entire podcast - everyone's favorite time where we compare our opinions to those of the New York theater critics. It's time for Breeviews.
ANDREW: Am I correct here? We only have one review and it's Ben Brantley?
JESS: Yes, we have one review, but I think Ben Brantley had a lot of interesting things to say.
BRIANNA: He sure did. Sure did. Andrew, I want to thank you so much for not forgetting about the segment this week. I really appreciate it, thank you.
ANDREW: I just feel like I should be doing my Ben Shapiro for Ben Brantley here. I'm just -
BRIANNA: You're more than welcome. Take it away.
JESS: Andrew, do you want to try it as Ben Shapiro?
BRIANNA: Please.
JESS: Ben's views.
BRIANNA: Can we please try Ben's views this week?
JAMES: I need to hear the facts and logic, please.
ANDREW: (as Ben Shapiro) Facts and logic. "Pretty much everything that's right about Aida, the new Disney cartoon pretending to be a Broadway musical, can be summed up in two words. Heather Headley. Without Miss Headley, there would be nothing for grownups to focus on. Once they get past the visual jolt of Las Vegas arcade that is passing for ancient Egypt, the work of the eminent set designer Bob Crowley." My goodness, sorry, trying to read while doing the voices is a little bit more difficult than I anticipated.
JESS: You're almost there. You're halfway through.
ANDREW: Yeah. "Like many Broadway megamusicals today, it has the disconnected sterile feeling that suggests it has been assembled piecemeal by committee. Although it is the first Disney Broadway production not to be inspired by an animated film, it appears to be waiting for the greater destiny of translation into a cartoon. Although trimmed to 80 minutes and re-envisioned by Disney's crack team of animators, it could be a perfectly respectable children's movie -- not like The Little Mermaid or the Lion King, but as good at least as Aladdin or Tarzan."
JESS: That's some Tarzan erasure.
BRIANNA: I think I just lost my spot here.
ANDREW: That's uh, that's Ben's views.
BRIANNA: I bet Ben's views will have music.
JESS: No, it'd be that news bullshit he plays before his stupid ass podcast.
ANDREW: Does The Daily Wire put out reviews?
JESS: Yeah, why else do you think he was talking about WAP?
ANDREW: (As Ben Shapiro) Wet ass p-word.
JESS: Do we agree with Ben Brantley on that? Because I feel like that's a really diminutive opinion of this musical.
ANDREW: Honestly, that was very negative. I don't know, maybe it's just cus I read it in that voice, but I felt like I was spitting fire here.
BRIANNA: Is Miss Headley, is she hot? Is that why he says there wouldn't be anything for adults to focus on?
JESS: Ben Brantley's very gay.
BRIANNA: I'm curious. He said grownups.
ANDREW: Bro, but is she hot?
BRIANNA: Is she hot?
JESS: She is a beautiful woman. Yes, she is. And she does kind of rise above everyone else in this musical, as much as I love everyone else in the show. Like, I like Adam Pascal. I like Sherie Rene Scott but Heather Headley is on a different level.
JAMES: Oh yeah, definitely. I only watched the Broadway recording for the first time recently. And it's like, I had no idea she was that good in the role. I was like, "Oh my god. Yeah, she totally deserved the Tony." It's like, every line delivery just feels so important coming from her. It's just like she has this gravitas to the way she delivers everything. She's just so talented in this.
JESS: Then you got Pascal coming in like "blehhbleeebleeeergh, im a rockstar lesgo"
JAMES: Oh man. I like his singing at least and it's nice to see him in something that isn't Rent because Rent is terrible.
JESS: Hey! We got one!
ANDREW: Is he the first one to agree with us on that?
JESS: Yes, he is.
JAMES: Yeah, I hate Rent.
JESS: Most people like Rent. I feel like I am now discovering we are in a minority.
JAMES: Oh really? I don't know, most people I talk to don't like Rent, so –
ANDREW: It's really just - it's not great. I don't know. There's better musicals that cover the same topics better.
JESS: Like Falsettos.
ANDREW: Yeah. I mean, you're not wrong.
JESS: All right, guys. Are we ready to go into a mid-show and then talk about the songs?
ANDREW: Yeah.
JAMES: Yeah, sounds good.
(Mid-show)
JESS: I... I don't know about these songs. Honestly, like, that opening scene. Every Story is a Love Story from Amneris. That's a weird prologue. It is an off-putting opening.
(Every Story is a Love Story plays)
ANDREW: Well, we got that framing device to it, with the people in a museum which is weird.
JESS: Yeah.
ANDREW: They bring it back at the end. It doesn't really do much.
JESS: It reminds me of Phantom of the Opera, where you have the Raoul old man going and finding the monkey? And then we just go back in time and we stay back in time?
ANDREW: Yeah, it's like why is this even really here? But I mean, I guess it's kind of there to make the ending happier in a way. It's like, "Oh well, they reincarnated found each other," I guess?
JAMES: Yeah, I don't know. That really - That does it for me personally. Like, I get it's schmaltzy, but it really works for me. Like, just the, "Aww, they're in a museum now."
ANDREW: I think... it's fine. It's fine.
JAMES: Yeah, I like the opening song too. I like the elegance leading up to it then the sudden shift to rock. Like, it is a bit jarring I suppose. Definitely. But I don't know, I think for a musical with a lot of rock music and it's... it is a jarring segue. Yes. But I just enjoy how the stage changes into the ancient Egypt and then going over to Radames and these guys singing a rock song.
ANDREW: I don't really mind any of the music in this. Like, I think yeah, it's an Elton John show and it kind of feels that way and that's fine with me.
JAMES: Yeah, I think it works for me cus I'm just a big Elton John fan. I just love most of his music and it definitely sounds very distinctly like him. Like, more so than Lion King does, I feel like.
JESS: It's right in between Lion King and El Dorado, where El Dorado is just literally Elton John songs and Lion King is narrative. This is almost both.
JAMES: Yeah, I think that's a big reason why I just really get into the songs. I'm just a big fan of his musical style.
JESS: I think this is a great album. Like, in and of itself, the cast album is just a good lot of fun to listen to and you can turn it on, there's like a fucking bop every track. But I'm not sure a musical makes from all those specific songs.
JAMES: Right, yeah, that's totally fair. I feel like they really just hooked me emotionally and they're a huge part of what makes the romance later on work. I don't know, I get invested in this sort of rock version of ancient Egypt, which sounds stupid when I'm saying it out loud.
JESS: No, no, no, not at all.
JAMES: In the context of the show, yeah, I think it really works.
ANDREW: Technicolor Dreamcoat –
JESS: You beat me there.
ANDREW: My favorite musical of all time, of course.
JESS: The sad part is he's only kind of joking.
ANDREW: There's a commentary of us watching that and I don't say anything, I'm laughing the entire –
JESS: Andrew is just too much enjoying himself to say anything about it.
JAMES: Oh my god. You know, actually, I remembered something. I was thinking that earlier. Why is there always a Calypso song in every ancient Egypt musical? Because that had the Benjamin Calypso, and then this has Another Pyramid, which kind of has that vibe. It's like, I don't know what the connection is.
JESS: Racism.
JAMES: I guess. Oh, no.
ANDREW: Is it though? Maybe it's just a coincidence.
JESS: Maybe.
ANDREW: Maybe it's an actual coincidence.
JESS: Was there one in Prince of Egypt? Is there a Calypso song in that?
JAMES: No. So, I think we're safe. Okay.
ANDREW: We're safe. It isn't racist.
JAMES: Racism is stopped. Hooray.
ANDREW: We solved racism.
JAMES: It's like the second time this podcast we've solved racism.
JESS: Man, we're going full Hairspray. We solved racism.
ANDREW: Racism solved.
JESS: I want to talk about My Strongest Suit because I love the song. This is the one I've been listening to. It's the one that feels the goofiest of this show.
ANDREW: This is the most fun that the show has and I feel like I wish there was at least a few more like this.
JAMES: I remember my director told the girls in Strongest Suit, "Have fun with this number because it's the only time in this show that you're allowed to have fun."
ANDREW: Which is sad, though.
JAMES: Yeah, it's true, though.
ANDREW: I get it that the other - the main characters - are in a really bad situation. But this character keeps showing back up. Why not have them have some more fun songs? I don't know.
JAMES: Yeah, I mean, I like what they do with her reprise later on where it's Strongest Suit reprise and she's kind of sad on the inside. And she's not surrounded by her dresses or all the people and she's venting to Aida. I like that. But yeah, I feel like later on, it would have been nice to have her have another sort of peppy song. Maybe where she's putting on another face for other people, maybe at the Pharaoh's banquet. That would be nice, because yeah, Strongest Suit is such a bop -
JESS: It introduces a promise that it doesn't keep, which is, "This character is gonna be the most fun you're gonna have. You're with her the entire time." And she's not that. And that's fine.
JAMES: Yeah, I guess. I mean, I feel like she has her like funny moments throughout the show. Less so in Act Two, but I feel like there's still some good funny moments in Act One. Like, what I mentioned earlier with the scene where she wants Radames to come in to her bedchamber, the rant she goes on. I just really enjoyed that. That's just Sherie – Sherie Rene Scott I think her name is?
JESS: Yes.
JAMES: Yeah, I always get it wrong. Yeah, she really sold the character and I really enjoyed her in that role. Just acting- and singing-wise.
JESS: And this is one of those - it feels like a song written especially to be performed on the David Letterman show or at the Tonys, so they were like, "We're fun. Promise. Come see it, bring your kids."
JAMES: Yeah, bring your kids to watch everyone die.
ANDREW: Just the trailer showing all the funny jokes in the movie and then you go watch it and it's like, "Oh."
JESS: "Oh no, this isn't funny at all. They're suffocating, mommy."
JAMES: "Why did he get stabbed, mommy?"
JESS: All right, I want to talk about Enchantment Passing Through because, I don't know, this is the first Aida/Radames moment and it's really cute. In a way.
(Enchantment Passing Through plays)
JAMES: I like it. It's probably my least favorite of their duets, cus I really like the other ones a lot more. But it's a nice little introduction, how they're kind of lost in their own thoughts and dreaming about going sailing and then they come back to reality. Yeah, it's a pretty nice moment I think.
JESS: Yeah, now that you mention it, they do have a lot of duets in the show. Most of the show is power ballads between those two.
ANDREW: Well that's kind of all this show is - is really just a love story.
JESS: But there's no change between the songs, I don't think. I don't think any song is saying different things than the last song is.
JAMES: Yeah, I can see that. Which is why I'm not that into this one, because I feel like Elaborate Lives later on just kind of does with the song goes but better.
ANDREW: Elaborates on it.
JAMES: And we're invested in it. And then Written in the Stars is kind of their big breakup emotional thing where they have to go their separate ways. So, it's like those two on their own I feel are distinct enough but this one - I think this one being here kind of makes it feel like it's too oversaturated with their love duets.
JESS: But also, let's not forget this is the one they sing as they suffocate to death in in the tomb.
ANDREW: Another reason not to like this one that much.
JAMES: Yeah, or wait no I think, yeah, Elaborate Lives is the one they're singing in the tomb. That's the one that gets reprised.
JESS: Do they sing both of them?
JAMES: Oh, wait no, you're right. They sing a little bit of this one. But the most of it was Elaborate Lives. I don't know. It is pretty weird the way that worked. I get these songs confused all the time because they both like begin with the letter E, so it's just like - I can't keep track.
JESS: (as Elton) My name is Elton, all the songs start with E. Easy as Life, Elaborate Lives, Enchantment Passing Through, Every Story is a Love Story. Every one's an E song. I'm Elton John.
JAMES: He just had to do it.
JESS: Let's talk about Elaborate Lives, then.
(Elaborate Lives plays)
JAMES: I like this one, the back and forth especially part is really nice. Like, the "I don't want to live like that." They both don't want to live the way that they're living right now. And they just want to start this romance and be free of all their problems. Like, I don't know, the back and forth in the song just really works for me because of that. And it's like, I don't know, I just find this one a lot more beautiful and a lot more emotionally powerful than Enchantment Passing Through, I guess.
JESS: No, I understand that. I feel like all these songs want to be the coolest song in the show, which I appreciate on one level, but it also leads to there not being much diversity of sound.
JAMES: Yeah, that makes sense. I feel like the love duets are kind of in their own category where they sound similar. The songs in the Nubian camp definitely sound similar. Strongest Suit is just in its own category, its own special bubble, completely apart from the rest of the show. And then there's the Zoser songs, which are hit or miss. Like, I don't like the first one, I love the second one. So, it's like, I feel like there's enough of a distinction depending on which characters are singing. But yeah, I definitely see what you're saying as well. There's not much distinction - when there's so many similar songs to any given song, apart from Strongest Suit.
ANDREW: We gotta do one of the villain songs and so we're gonna do Like Father, Like Son?
JESS: Let's go.
(Like Father, Like Son plays)
JAMES: Yeah, this one's a bop. I love this one so much. I will fully admit that it's really not necessary for the plot. Like, because Zoser isn't really necessary. But at the same time, it's just so - it just sounds so cool. Just this back and forth between the two of them. This battle of ideologies. Like, Radames rejecting him, sort of rejecting the whole Egyptian way in a sense. I just really got into this one. Which I was surprised by, because I have no investment in the Zoser character whatsoever.
ANDREW: You have to have a bad guy. It's a Disney show.
JAMES: It's Disney, you gotta.
JESS: You gotta have either dead parents or evil parents. Those are your only choices.
JAMES: Good thing there's no twist villain. I'm happy about that.
JESS: "Oh, Aida If only there was someone who loved you." Then he pushes the thing –
ANDREW: He pushes the tomb shut on her.
JAMES: Oh no.
JESS: The end. We fixed Aida, guys.
ANDREW: We did it. It's a modern Disney show, now.
JAMES: Disney, call us. So many great ideas.
ANDREW: "If only there was someone who loved you." It's such a bad line. I can't believe they did that.
JAMES: Oh god, yeah.
JESS: James, are you a Frozen defender?
JAMES: No, not at all. It's fine. It's okay.
ANDREW: The fact that they don't redeem Hans in Frozen 2 pissed me off.
JAMES: Yeah. They should have just brought him back. It'd be weird to just bring it back out of nowhere. But like, honestly, why not?
JESS: He was in the Frozen spring [Frozen Fever] one where he was shoveling shit and –
JAMES: He did get a cameo in that.
JESS: He also got a cameo on Frozen 2.
ANDREW: He did.
JAMES: Oh, yeah. As like an ice sculpture guy.
ANDREW: It was more just to remind everyone that, "Oh, remember him? He sucked right?"
JAMES: I honestly forgot like 90% of what happened in Frozen 2.
JESS: Dude. I remember watching Frozen 2 and being like, "Shit, I'm an adult and I didn't understand what the hell I just watched. How are kids gonna react to this?"
ANDREW: Now, the plot of Frozen 2 - that's just like, "Oh, right. That's the plot."
JESS: The plot is she goes to follow a voice? She ends up in a voice hole? She sees her mom?
JAMES: And then she gets frozen.
JESS: That she also rides a water horse? That she just knew would be – That movie's fucking confusing.
JAMES: There's a magic gust of wind.
ANDREW: There's a fire salamander. I'm into that.
JESS: There's a lot of ideas. Have either of you watched the Frozen 2 nine-hour making of series on Disney plus?
JAMES: Yes, I actually made a video about that. It's just baffling to me that they managed to go that far without thinking of the plot. Like, what would happen in the movie?
JESS: I'm not gonna lie, the tweet I wrote out right after I finished was, "That felt like a nine-hour apology for the movie."
ANDREW: "Guys we're really really sorry that Frozen 2 didn't make any sense."
JESS: "This is why it happened, though. We had good ideas, but here's what happened. Our director was also the head of the entire animation department of Disney and then still tried to direct the film, so she was strung too thin and no one was doing their jobs."
JAMES: Yeah. Oh, man. I feel bad for them. Like, they clearly wanted to make it good. But then, no. They just didn't have enough time.
JESS: I love Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez, every time they're called up, and they're like, "Yeah, what is she... What is Elsa's goal? Like, what is she going after?" And then she's just like, "Well, just the metaphorical idea of like, you know, this voice and it's calling - " "No, we need a concrete goal for this character."
JAMES: "What are we writing songs about?"
JESS: "Is it literally her mother or something else?"
ANDREW: Into the unknown, that's what she wants.
JESS: Frozen 2 is bad.
ANDREW: Frozen 2 should have been Hans' redemption. That's all it should have been.
JESS: It should have just been all about Hans, killing every – he killed the 11 brothers in front of him and him doing so. I'd watch that movie.
ANDREW: No, Hans comes back. And it's like, "Magic made me be evil. I was actually good the whole time."
JAMES: Yeah, it was the rock trolls. They were hypnotizing him.
ANDREW: The fucking rock trolls.
JAMES: It all makes sense.
ANDREW: I truly buy that theory. 100%.
JAMES: Yes. Please believe me, Disney. Please use that in Frozen 3.
ANDREW: Yes.
JAMES: Oh man.
JESS: So, Written in the Stars –
(Written in the Stars plays)
JAMES: All right, this one I really like. I think there's a reason it became its own popular single. It's just really pretty. I think it's the best duet between the two of them. I just, I don't know. It's very poetry-esque in the lyrics, so maybe not the best fit for their situation. But it's just such good poetry that it really hooks me regardless. And plus, I think that's a lot of the reason why it works as its own single. But obviously, in the context of the musical, I think it still works - surprisingly. I wasn't expecting it to work for me as well as it does given how kind of vague the lyrics are. But I just think there's such good strong lyrics that it hooks me anyway. Plus the music as well.
JESS: Can I say a hashtag controversial opinion?
JAMES: Oh, no.
ANDREW: Oh, no.
JESS: This song reminds me of Frank Wildhorn. Meaning that it's just a pop song thrown in as an 11 o'clock number. And it could be literally about anything.
ANDREW: I mean, as a love song, though. I mean, most pop songs are just love songs, essentially. So -
JESS: Yes, but the thing that makes – Like, my favorite love song in all Broadway theater is The Proposal from the Jane Eyre musical, which is uber specific in everything it's trying to do. And I think specificity is what makes things really work in a storytelling context. And if you're just like, "General, I love you because the world says we should love each other." Like, I love Miss Saigon. Every love song in that musical is very generic and same-y.
JAMES: Yeah, I could definitely see that. I can totally see this song not working for everyone because, yeah, the fact that it is this huge pop single on the side should show you that might have been where some of Elton John's priorities were when he and, I believe, Tim Rice were writing it. But yeah, it still really works for me. Just the idea of this cosmic fate. This God's experiment. Totally, I think the lyrics fit with the show and what it was going for, so I think that's why it works for me.
ANDREW: You know, Jess, sometimes the people in the audience just want to hear a big pop number. Okay? Can you let them have it? Can you let them have it?
JESS: Did I say this was a bad song? I just said it reminded me a little bit of Frank Wildhorn.
ANDREW: Well, you know, we have a Frank Wildhorn stan, lobbying for him at all times towards us, giving us money.
JESS: Giving us money so we can talk about him, because God knows we wouldn't talk about him if they didn't.
ANDREW: So that's all I can say. Frank Wildhorn, we have to say nice things about him. The lobbyists have won.
JESS: I mean, I like Written in the Stars. And I also want to backtrack a little bit to something I didn't bring up. Tim Rice is a controversial figure in Broadway, meaning that people often love him and often hate him and they're often the same people. Meaning I love a lot of his lyrics and a lot of shows he does and then in other ones, he is not even trying. This one I think he does very good in. I think he ends up looking pretty good in, because I think after working with him on Lion King and seeing the big push to that is. And I think a lot of the lyrics in Lion King are pretty bad. I think he really brought his A-game here and sadly it just gets drowned out in all the rest of the things. But when there's good lyrics, you don't really notice them. But if there's bad lyrics, oh you notice them. So, credit to you, Tim Rice. Good job.
JAMES: Nice.
JESS: Um, is there any other big numbers we want to talk about? There's I Know the Truth from Amneris, but that's just kind of a downer.
JAMES: I want to talk about The Gods Love Nubia because that's one of my favorites –
JESS: Let's go –
(The Gods Love Nubia plays)
JAMES: It really has this nice uplifting hopeful sound to it, this like almost gospel-like vibe.
ANDREW: Yeah, yeah.
JAMES: I think it's amazing as an Act One ender, especially the part where the music just cuts out and it's just them singing. It honestly makes me tear up almost every time I listen to it. I'm just so invested in that song.
JESS: And it gives you a nice little bit of a "To be continued for Act Two" because they're like, "Here's our plan, this is what we're gonna do, this is what's gonna happen," and, "Oh shit, I'm ready. Let's go, Act Two, bring it on." In the best sort of way.
JAMES: Yeah, for sure.
JESS: It's the peak of the rollercoaster, as you said in your metaphor earlier.
JAMES: Yeah, basically, the very peak is the Act One finale. And then the beginning of Act Two, I also really like. It's the dip. And then like the part where everyone dies, that's just the bottom. The whole roller coaster was just one incline and then decline –
ANDREW: A pretty lame rollercoaster.
JAMES: True, yeah.
JESS: That's the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Just one big hill.
ANDREW: No, no. Cus that has the boosts at the bottom though. Like, that's kinda neat.
JESS: You're still at the bottom, though. Whether you're going up high or low. You're still at the bottom.
ANDREW: But nobody rides Top Thrill Dragster for the hill. They ride it for the –
JESS: That's literally all it is!
ANDREW: No, no, no, it has the really fast acceleration thing. I don't know.
JESS: But you know what else, folks? What is our overall thoughts on Aida and our cheese rating? I'm gonna make James go first.
JAMES: Um, let me think. Okay, let me just look something up.
JESS: I'm gonna make Andrew go first.
ANDREW: What? This is unfair.
JAMES: All right. Sorry, I just have to make sure I got the right cheese.
JESS: No, no.
JAMES: Okay, um, all right, I got this. So, I'm going to give it a Rumi, which is a cheese from Egypt. It has a sharp, salty flavor and a pungent aroma - which you know, sometimes this show is very sharp in terms of the deaths and stuff. It's kind of pungent and some of the stuff that doesn't work. But you know what? At the end of the day, it's a good cheese that matures for a while, and I think it's got a lot of maturity to it. And yeah, I have no idea how it tastes. But I'm gonna assume it's a pretty good cheese and I like it because I like this show, even though it has its fair share of problems. And yep, that's my rating, I guess.
JESS: Hey, it can only get better is the thing. Like, that's the thing about Broadway that not a lot of other media - Like a film, when it's done, it's done. You can't like fuckin Francis Ford Coppola make The Godfather 3 again and say it's a new film. But Broadway, anytime you revive it, it's a living object that will change and adapt and get better with every year. Like, every production of a new Broadway show is usually better than the last one. Because time, effort, different opinions and all that. So, that's why it's great. Broadway is great. Andrew, your thoughts and your cheese rating?
ANDREW: Um, you know, I didn't dislike or really like this show. I kind of just don't have very strong opinions about it. It's kind of a boring thing to say, but I kind of felt like the show was a little bit boring for me. I wasn't able to get fully invested in the romance, which is kind of the entire show, but I feel like a lot of that is the setup. I don't think the music is bad, which is why I'm not saying this is a bad show. And I think the music is kind of holding up everything else and kind of raising it up to a level where it's like, "Well, it's not bad. I just don't like love it." I'm gonna give it a Shanklish cheese because I think that that sounds funny and it's also from Egypt. And Shanklish is just a funny word.
JESS: You know what? You've sold me. Bree, how was our discussion? Like, what's your cheese rating for what we talked about?
BRIANNA: Well, as always, it was a wonderful discussion. I am going to give you not just a cheese, but a raisin bread grilled cheese that is Elton John's favorite comfort food. And your conversation was a little savory and a little sweet at times. So that is what I will give you.
ANDREW: I kind of want a grilled cheese now.
JAMES: Yeah, I'm honestly hungry.
JESS: Thanks, Bree. You might have just stole my cheese rating. So now I gotta think for a second. So, I thought Aida was pretty good? I think it's gonna age very well. I think this new production coming in 2021 - if Broadway opens in –
ANDREW: 2022 –
JESS: 2023 maybe? You never know.
ANDREW: I'm sure it will come out eventually.
JAMES: Sometime.
JESS: But I really enjoyed the cast album a lot. I think that's a great listening experience. Every song on here, though they are not all created equal, you enjoy listening to every one of them. I like the specific framing of Heather Headley and Adam Pascal, their voices do not sound like they should go so well together, and yet they really, really do. They are great. There's some great performances here. And really, it's a lot of fun, so maybe should check out the album. And if you like that, maybe see the 2029 production whenever it comes out.
ANDREW: I think the show will only go uphill. I think Jess is right. It's gonna get better.
JESS: So, my cheese rating is parmesan risotto, another part of Elton John's cheesy recipe collection, which apparently he has a lot of.
JAMES: Oh, wow.
ANDREW: I mean, Elton John is kind of a physical embodiment of cheese, so -
JESS: The cheesiest man alive. But you know who is not the cheesiest man alive?
ANDREW: Sadly, not me.
JESS: Yeah, not you. It is James. James, thank you for joining us. I want you to promote all your stuff out there. Tell everyone where they can find your stuff.
JAMES: All right. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. So, you can find me on Youtube at Schaffrillas productions. I talk about a lot of stuff, like movies and video games and sometimes musicals. I want to make more musical videos in the future. So, check me out there. Also, go to Twitter @schaffrillas. And yeah, I mean, that's about it. So yep. Thank you so much, again, for having me.
JESS: I want to personally recommend his Hadestown video, which is very, very, very good. And personally, I want to recommend the Hunchback of Notre Dame video, which was my first video of my, like, jump into that world and like, "Someone else is talking about this damn musical, thank God."
JAMES: Yeah, thank you so much. Those are my only two musical-related videos so far, but I promise I will make more.
JESS: I wanna recommend his Megamind content because Megamind is phenomenal. Maybe the greatest movie of all time.
JAMES: Yes. Cannot argue with you.
JESS: I wanna recommend his Shrek the fourth content, because defends how good Shrek 4 is.
JAMES: Yes, indeed. All right. I'm gonna go ahead and recommend every other video I've ever made in alphabetical order. So, let's just start –
ANDREW: Just start listing them off, let's go -
JESS: All right. All right. We've got another three hours here. But no, no. Sadly, sadly, we just want to thank all the people out there for listening. You guys are wonderful and our patrons especially. You guys are keeping Bree employed, it's great. We love you all so much.
(Credits)
JESS: Thank you to the Broadway Podcast Network for having us on the platform and for not kicking us off for talking about suffocating slaves.
ANDREW: I mean, that's a Broadway show. They can't kick us off for that.
JESS: If Disney approves it, I guess they have to.
ANDREW: It's not my slave.
JESS: It's Disney, they're the white slavers. George Lucas told me.
ANDREW: George Lucas, the white slavers.
JESS: James, is there anything you want to say before we call it a day?
JAMES: No, I think that's good. So yep, thank you again for having me.
JESS: Let's end enslaved people. We gotta get 'em out.
ANDREW: All right, James. Now get back in the dungeon and start working on the next video I'm not gonna pay for.
JAMES: Alright, sounds good.
JESS: We'll see you guys next time on Musicals with Cheese.
Ben Brantley's review of Aida: https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/24/movies/theater-review-destiny-and-duty-nile-style.html
Wikipedia page on Aida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aida_(musical)
#124 Fame: The Musical (feat. Brendon Henderson)
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Impact of LDD Moth outbreak on trees in the Beach has resident worried
July 28, 2021July 27, 2021
Beach resident Valerie Edwards in Glen Stewart Ravine with some oak trees that have been impacted by this summer's outbreak of LDD Moths. Photo by Alexandros Varoutas.
Editor's Note: Many organizations are transitioning away from the outdated term "Gypsy Moths" and instead referring to the species as LDD (Lymantria dispar dispar) Moths, and for the purposes of this article, we will follow suit.
By ALEXANDROS VAROUTAS
The City of Toronto is seeing an influx of LDD Moths (formerly known as European Gypsy Moths), which has left some residents in the Beach concerned for the foliage in the area.
Resident Valerie Edwards has had her eye on the ongoing destruction wrought by the little caterpillars and is worried that, without the proper steps taken by the city, there could be irreversible damage to the area's oak tree population.
This year's moth problem is considerably worse than most years, and Edwards worries that not enough people are acknowledging the severity of the problem.
"The thing that has got me bothered about this is that nobody is talking about it," Edwards told Beach Metro News recently.
"It just stuns me that I don't see anything in the papers about it or hear the city saying anything about it."
The LDD Moth is a non-native species that can wreak havoc on foliage as populations spike every few years.
There are four phases to the moth's life cycle: egg, caterpillar, cocoon and moth.
The egg phase is when we see clumps of eggs, hundreds or even thousands at a time, stuck to surfaces around the city. Usually, these are on tree trunks but they're also commonly found around the outside of a house, on patio furniture, etc…
The cycle begins around late fall with the eggs dormant until the spring. During this time, the eggs can be manually removed if spotted either by members of the community or city workers.
Once spring rolls around and the weather gets warmer, the eggs hatch and the caterpillars begin their journey up the tree trunks to the canopy to feast. Alternatively, should they want to relocate, they can hang from a thread and get blown to another tree nearby.
As they eat and grow, they begin to moult until they develop the distinctive red and blue dots. On average, one caterpillar can consume roughly one square metre of foliage.
Once they've grown to their full size of about six centimetres, they find somewhere safe to cocoon for about two weeks before they're ready to reveal themselves again.
Once fully transformed, the moths enter their last stage in life. Unlike many other similar species, LDD moths are only interested in reproducing in this phase and thus don't bother to eat anything for the remainder of their life.
Female moths can be identified by their larger size and white wing, compared to the male's brown wings.
This cycle repeats yearly and, as the population grows, natural inhibitors typically step in to keep the population in check.
The main three controls on the species are a fungus, a virus, and a specific breed of wasp that feeds on the eggs. The fungus and virus are the most effective of these but rely on damp, cool conditions to thrive.
Karen McDonald is the Senior Manager of Ecosystem Management with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. She said that this summer is considered by the Invasive Species Centre to be the worst outbreak of the moths in the history of Ontario.
But it's not all bad news, she said.
"We have been noticing pretty widespread mortality of the caterpillars due to the NPV virus as well as the fungus," said McDonald.
"When caterpillars become infected with NPV, they hang in a really characteristic, upside down V shape and we're seeing that, really, everywhere right now. And given the recent moist weather we're also seeing the fungus do quite a number on the caterpillars."
For those wondering if birds or other predators can help, McDonald pointed out that they can only do so much, and only up to a certain point in the caterpillars life cycle.
"When infestations are as high as they have been this year, bird predation is probably inconsequential, there's just more caterpillars than they can eat," she said.
"The other complicating factor is that they have these hairs on them that make it really challenging for birds to eat the caterpillars, especially when the caterpillars get older and bigger."
Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford is aware of the problem. In a statement from his office he said he's working closely with city forestry staff to stay on top of hot spots in the community.
"The city has done aerial spraying in some areas, and stepped up as much as possible early in the spring season to tackle the issue," the statement said. "They are also monitoring defoliation levels closely right now. This will help give us a read of how many eggs are being laid this season and what we need to do to get further ahead of the curve next season."
But, Bradford noted, city staff can only do so much. Community members also have a role to play in controlling the outbreak of LDD Moths.
On a local level, residents can take steps to help prevent the spread on their own property. Earlier in the season, caterpillars can be hand picked from small trees or shaken out to help protect young trees with less foliage. If residents notice egg masses, usually an amber colour, on trees, they can scrape them off.
McDonald pointed out, though, that it's not enough to remove them. They have to be disposed of properly, in the garbage.
"If you just scrape them off onto the ground, they'll still manage to survive," she said.
Once the caterpillars grow to about an inch in length, they might start moving back down the tree to find somewhere to cocoon. This is where burlap banding comes into play.
Banding involves wrapping the tree trunk with a wide piece of burlap and then tying a string around the middle. The burlap is then draped over the string creating a lip where the caterpillars will take shelter.
The caterpillars can then be collected every day from this lip and disposed of. The city has more detailed instructions on how to do this here.
However, Edwards said the business as usual approach is not good enough.
"We could pay a really big price for complacency," she said.
The most common trees in the Beach are oak trees, and oak trees happen to be the most susceptible to these moths.
Most trees can recover from having their leaves eaten but oak trees can be killed in just one season from the moths. And the ones that don't die are left barren and vulnerable to disease.
As Edwards drives by stretches of defoliated trees along the highway, she can't help but consider what the city would look like with a huge percentage of trees missing.
"It's a pretty depressing thought," she said.
More information on the moths can be found at the following websites:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/gypsy-moth
https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/trees/forest-management/threats-to-trees-insects/european-gypsy-moth/
Did you enjoy this article? Become a Beach Metro Community News Supporter today! For 50 years, we have worked hard to be the eyes and ears in your community, inform you of upcoming events, and let you know what and who is making a difference. We cover the big stories as well as the little things that often matter the most. CLICK HERE to support your Beach Metro Community News!
Beach swimmer Penny Oleksiak makes Canadian Olympic history with sixth medal win
Police seek public's help finding dog reported stolen in the Beach

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Capture incoming traffic in tcpdump In tcpdump, how can I capture all incoming IP traffic destined to my machine? I don't care about my local traffic.
Should I just say:
tcpdump ip dst $MyIpAddress and not src net $myIpAddress/$myNetworkBytes

... or am I missing something?

A: In Bash shell try this:
tcpdump -i eth0 tcp and dst host $MyIpAddress and not src net $MyNetworkAddress/$myNetworkBytes

or this equivalent formulation:
tcpdump -i eth0 ip proto \\tcp and dst host $MyIpAddress and not src net $MyNetworkAddress/$myNetworkBytes

On my system this resolves to something like:
tcpdump -i eth0 tcp and dst host 10.0.0.35 and not src net 10.0.0.0/24

If you want to see all of the traffic to your destination host, not just TCP protocol traffic you could do:
tcpdump -i eth0 dst host $MyIpAddress and not src net $MyNetworkAddress/$myNetworkBytes

Some notes:

*

*I changed $myIpAddress/$myNetworkBytes to $MyNetworkAddress/$myNetworkBytes. This is because the apparent intent of your rule is to exclude traffic from your local network, and the correct way to specify a network address is to specify the network's lowest IP address (which is called the network address) / netmask. If you specify any address other than the lowest address in the range for a network with a netmask of $myNetworkBytes, then you will get the error message:
tcpdump: non-network bits set in "10.0.0.3/24"

*In the first example 'tcp' is a keyword in the libpcap expression language (man pcap-filter) , whereas in the second example, 'tcp' is used as a value of ip proto. In order to indicate that the 'tcp' in the second instance is a value and not another 'tcp' keyword, I need to escape the 'tcp' with a double backslash. It has to be a double backslash so that the Bash interpreter will pass a single backslash on to the libpcap interpreter (Bash eats the first backslash, libpcap gets the second.) To reduce the double escape confusion, it might be good to get into the habit of double quoting the entire expression part of the command:
tcpdump -i eth0 "ip proto \tcp and dst host $MyIpAddress and not src net $MyNetworkAddress/$myNetworkBytes"

*To avoid warnings and surprises, it is better to use the interface specifier -i eth0 or whatever interface you wish. Not all interfaces necessarily have an IP address assigned and without being specific, you might see traffic that you hadn't intended to see. This is especially true on systems that have the network-manager running, which seems to have its own mind about what interfaces to add and when.

A: None of the above works very well for a box with multiple ips.
This worked very well for me on a DNS server with many ips bound to it:
tcpdump -l -n -i pub dst port 53 and inbound
Might not work on all versions of tcpdump though.
# tcpdump -V
tcpdump version 4.1-PRE-CVS_2012_03_26
libpcap version 1.4.0

A: -Q direction
       --direction=direction
              Choose send/receive direction direction for which packets should
              be  captured.  Possible  values are in',out' and `inout'. Not
              available on all platforms.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


sba loan service east hartford connecticut"
Sba Loan Service service available for Connecticut and throughout the East Hartford area contact us now (954) 861-0444 To get our next article the reason for writing this is to speak about Just how to get SBA Lending options. Several of our clients purchase SBA ready business plans and are not 100% sure how a process work. We though we should help shed some light on what they are, how they work and the steps in getting the loan.
These lender programs were designed to provide better response to borrowers; they make this happen goal by inserting additional tasks on the lenders for analysis, building, approval, servicing and liquidation of loans, within The Small Business Administration's suggestions. About 850 lenders are eligible for the SBA's Certified Loan provider Program, having met certain criteria, the main of which, from the borrower's point of view, is comprehensive experience in SBA loan-guarantee processing. Authorized lenders account for about 4 percent of all SBA business-loan guarantees. Seeing that the certified bank will much of the SBA's work, the agency offers turnaround times during the three business days for processing the application.
These lender programs were created to provide better response to debtors; they accomplish this goal by inserting additional tasks on the lenders for analysis, structuring, approval, providing and liquidation of lending options, within The Small company Administration's guidelines. About 850 lenders qualify for the SBA's Certified Lender Program, having met certain criteria, the main of which, from the borrower's perspective, is comprehensive experience in SBA loan-guarantee processing. Certified lenders consideration for about 4 percent of all SBA business-loan guarantees. Since the accredited bank does much of the SBA's work, the agency offers turnaround times of three business times for processing the applying.
Ahead of the hard strike of the fantastic Recession, it was a lot simpler to get business loans. You must meet certain requirements prior to the lender can grant the loan. Offered below are 7 steps that you may want to follow along with when apply for business loans. Continue reading.
You may want to make a decision on the cause you applied for the money for. Make sure you are going to get a loan for a good purpose. Pertaining to instance, you can get a loan to buy equipment, property or software. However, it's not a good idea to get a loan to financing losses in order to get insignificant business assets.
You may want to make an assessment of how much money your business needs. If you have a little business, you might not want to obtain a big loan. However, ensure you don't underestimate the money you will need to keep your business running. Both underestimating and overestimating can cause problems down the highway.
You may want to review the kind of lender that will best suit your business needs. For conventional loans, you can go to commercial banks. However, their variables are strict. Non-bank lenders is another option that you may consider. Then simply there are region specific lenders that include financial institutions and other institutes that are considering monetary development in those areas. Last but not least, you can check out crowdfunding websites particularly if your capital needs are not over $10, 000. Pertaining to personals, you can also check out peer-to-peer websites, such as The Loaning Club and Prosper.
Lending options like the short term and the permanent have a league of advantages and disadvantages, and the majority of these rely upon certain requirements of individual borrowers. Both types of loans provide reputable access to financial course, but each one has their respective alcove and function. Knowledge on these loans will make a notable difference as the borrowers can associated with right decision at right point of time. Furthermore, it will be useful to save capital for personal purpose and help in the financial expansion.
Very long term loans are paid back in small amounts, with time extending to long periods. In most situations, on this occasion period can range from a few several weeks to more than two decades. These loans are processed by traditional consumer banking sectors, financial institutions as well as credit financing agencies, with an essentiality of full financial backdrop analysis. In addition, this financing offer has a very cumbersome process, and this is time-consuming. Below again, you need to check with the credible broker.
Extended term loans comprise home loan payments, school loans, and vehicle loans, providing a very long money that is easily repaid over a period of time. Besides, the eye rate and fees associated with such loans, which is directly proportional to credit approval, work history, possessions and several inter-connected factors. Affordable rates of interest are only possible in the event that the credit background of the possible lender is impressive and this individual or she has the stable employment.
One of the main drawbacks associated with long lasting financing is that the application processing is labor intensive, and most frequently, should be supported with comprehensive documents and paperwork. There is need for the guarantor in the time applying, especially since there is certainly an unstable economical environment.
Short term loans, also known as payday advances aim at providing quick cash to the borrowers. These loans are functionally opposite of the long-term loans. The process of filing an program is straightforward, lucid and less time consuming. The lending company offering this type of loan product is thinking about knowing with regards to your income, the nature of job, and the loan company account. This type of financing is for the limited period, and therefore quickly repaid.
The publisher, Sarah Maggie, has several years of experience in the finance industry as adviser and lead complex consultant technical role. The lady has also countless one of the leading initial loan brokers to build up their loan software process.


Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes learning issues and developmental delays, breathing problems, chronic seizures (epilepsy), and unique facial features. Children with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome have delays in meeting milestones, including walking, talking, and using their fingers to pick up small objects (fine motor skills). Most affected individuals do not develop speech. Breathing problems include periods of rapid breathing (hyperventilation) followed by breathing that is slowed or completely stopped (apnea). Seizures can either be present at birth or develop during childhood. Facial features in individuals with Pitt-Hopkins include thin eyebrows, sunken eyes, a large nose, noticeable curve of the upper lip (Cupid's bow), and a wide mouth with full lips. Other features may include small head size (microcephaly), nearsightedness, and height that is less than average (short stature).
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is caused by a change (mutation) in the TCF4 gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, which means a mutation in only one of the two TCF4 gene copies a person has is enough to cause the condition. Most cases of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome are not inherited and are instead due to a new (de novo) mutation that is only present in the affected person and not in either of the parents.
Pitt-Hopkins is considered in a child who has delays in development, episodes of abnormal breathing, and unique facial features. The diagnosis is confirmed with genetic testing. Treatment options may include therapies to improve development. Medications may be used to help control seizures. If your child has been diagnosed with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, talk with their doctor about all current treatment options. Support groups are a good source for additional information and to connect with other families affected by Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.


text:
Family's loving tribute to mum who died of cancer on Christmas Day who told story of her battle to inspire others
'She was the nicest, most caring woman I met'
Nick Dawson
Debbie Platts alongside her beloved husband Sam.
The family of a woman who died of cancer on Christmas Day has paid tribute to her inspirational life.
Mum-of-three Debbie Platts died at home in Sapcote at the age of 45 on Christmas morning, after a two year battle with lung cancer.
The selfless former nurse shared her story through a popular blog and Facebook page , as she wanted to comfort and support others living with the illness.
She is survived by her husband Sam and her three daughters, Chanel, Taylor and Paris.
Sam said she remained positive right until the end despite becoming almost unable to walk.
"It's been a rough couple of years but the last few months have been really rough. Her illness took over quite a lot towards the end", he said.
Debbie Platts with her husband Sam (right) three days before her death.
"She was beautiful, she was amazing, she was the nicest, most caring woman I met. She was brilliant, always smiling, even at the end."
Debbie started showing symptoms in February 2018, waking up one morning with excruciating back pain and a chest infection.
As her pain persisted, she decided to get checked out to see what was wrong, and a CT scan and biopsy revealed she had a mass on her left lung.
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Doctors told them the devastating news that she had terminal cancer which could only be managed by treatment.
Debbie was determined to carry on with life as normal and created a Facebook page, Nurse with the big "C"urse, where she regularly posted photos and updates about her treatment and future plans.
Debbie Platts on her wedding day with husband Sam and her three daughters.
She told LeicestershireLive last year : "I didn't want sympathy or pity, I just wanted my story to be heard, because when you are given a diagnosis like this, you can have all your close family and friends with you but still feel so isolated, scared and alone."
She spoke of the challenge of living with cancer, saying: "It's one of the last things I think of at night and within minutes of being awake, it's there at the forefront of my mind.
"I try to distract myself thinking of all the wonderful things I am yet to experience and places I need to visit. It helps me to cope.
"I need those goals to aim towards so that on the bad days, it's my loved ones, goals and memories that get me through."
Debbie and Sam got married in summer 2018 at Sketchley Grange Hotel and they spent time in Ibiza and Rhodes, despite her illness.
Debbie gets a visit from her baby niece.
The family announced her death on Christmas Day with a post on the Facebook page.
It urged people to "hold on to everyone you love a little tighter and a little longer tonight and never take the good times for granted because life can be so cruel and snatch those precious moments away."
Sam said: "We still did Christmas dinner and everyone came round. In fact, more people came round than we expected.
"We had about 25 to 35 people. It's what she would have wanted."
Her funeral at South Leicestershire crematorium was attended by some 300 people, with Chanel reading out a poem that was written especially for the occasion.
The poem read out at Debbie's funeral
My heart is heavy
You're our star in the sky
It's so hard for us all
I'm lost without you
How much I've cried
My nights are long
My days are dark
I've lost my spark
You are my world
You shine so bright
I'm so proud of you
For fighting the good fight
You're always here
Every breath I take
You're always near
Every step I take
I'll make you proud
I'll pass the test
I'll show you that
You raised the best
Sam and your girls
Mean the world to you
And this I promise
I swear I'll do
I'll always make sure
That they'll be alright
I'll try my best
To make the future bright
I'll live for us both
Sam, 37, said he is determined to keep raising awareness of lung cancer, as people misconceive that it's a smoker's illness, whereas Debbie never smoked.
He and around 30 family friends are taking part in a charity bike ride from Leicester to Skegness in aid of Loros Hospice, who provided care for Debbie in her final weeks.
They also plan to keep the blog and Facebook page going.
Debbie Platts.
Asked what advice he would give to a family whose loved one had just been given a terminal cancer diagnosis, Sam said: "Everyone takes things differently, it's such a hard thing to deal with.
"You have to try and be as positive as possible. Look into all the options you have got.
"Hope is a wonderful thing, keep it with you all the way.
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"If you let things get on top of you, things can deteriorate more quickly.
"We had bad news and bad news, but Debbie always stayed positive."
For the latest updates from the family, visit the Nurse with the big "C"urse Facebook page.
Visit the Loros Hospice website for more information about the charity bike ride.
CrimeMen armed with bottles and pieces of wood clash in town centre streetCCTV pictures have been released
In the NewsBody of woman found in house in city's Northfields areaCircumstances 'not suspicious' say police
In the NewsCouncil to sell off more than 400 car parking spaces near Belvoir Centre in CoalvilleIt could lead to redevelopment
Leicester City FCBadge of shame - This is how confident Leicester City fans were of beating Aston VillaAston Villa 2-1 Leicester City reaction – The Foxes were denied a place at Wembley as they suffered late heartbreak in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Villa Park
UK & World NewsCyber fraudster and drug dealer who 'never worked a day in his life' filmed flaunting and kissing cash online"He stole people's hard-earned cash and then flaunted it all over social media to boost his ego"
CrimeBlackmailer demanded £20k saying he would break legs of victim and his family
The victim fled in fear, after his house windows were smashed and he was told the place would be bombed
CrimeTeenagers arrested after alleged attack on police officer conducting stop-and-search near Curve in city centre3 suspects - all under 18 - are in custody


Get those ugly dangerous cables off the floor and clear of the trip zone and ensure cables can move freely when using a Sit/Stand desk.
We all know the hazards for employees created by untidy dangerous cables strewn on the floor and the inconvenience of inadvertently disconnecting your computer cables and/or power supply. Ritehite cable tray is a very simple solution to tidy up and store computer and telephone cables and electrical multi-boxes.
A real must with Sit/stand desks as it allows the cables to be layered thus providing a clear extension as the desk is raised.
Easy to install. Just clip onto the 25mm Ritehite electric desk cross bar (as pictured) or any bar up to 25mm or screw to the underside of the desk. Pictures show the Ritehite electric desk frame with 3 stage 650mm stroke frame.
Ritehite cable tray is constructed from black 3mm lightweight, strong ABS.in three standard lengths (see codes below) at 55mm wide. Choose the size to suit the gap between the legs. Also available in lengths as below.


- Relocate the app to the inner storage space totally.
- After investing time, Close the app.
- If you open up the Facebook or Facebook Carrier Android App this moment after that you will certainly have the ability to login immediately without entering that as long email ID and password combination.
You could aim to Clear Now the Cache, Cookies, as well as Site Preferences with Time variety to clear set to Everything via Devices (Alt + T) > Clear Recent Background and check.
If the problem persists, you can Reset Firefox.
The Reset Firefox attribute can take care of numerous problems by recovering Firefox to its factory default state while conserving your vital information. Note: This will trigger you to shed any kind of Extensions, Open up sites, and some Preferences.
-Firefox will certainly close as well as reset. After Firefox is done, it will reveal a home window with the info that is imported. Click Finish.
-Firefox will certainly open up with all factory defaults used.
More info can be discovered in the Refresh Firefox - reset attachments and also setups article.
Did this solution your problems? Please report back to us!


text:
Куатро де Октубре има више значења:

 Куатро де Октубре (Артеага), насеље у савезној држави Коавила у Мексику
 Куатро де Октубре (Лас Маргаритас), насеље у савезној држави Чијапас у Мексику
 Куатро де Октубре (Хуарез), насеље у савезној држави Нови Леон у Мексику
 Куатро де Октубре, Километро Веинтидос (Салинас Викторија), насеље у савезној држави Нови Леон у Мексику
 Куатро де Октубре (Ермосиљо), насеље у савезној држави Сонора у Мексику

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We invest in our systems, brand and people as a fundamental priority. As such, we are now in the market looking for an enthusiastic recruiter who is able to work in a fast paced and lucrative environment. Any sector background will be considered.
We currently have a fantastic opportunity for a talented permanent recruiter to join our Building Materials team at our HQ in Altrincham– this is a fantastic opportunity to build and grow your desk and work with our enviable list of PSL clients. Of course we don't just want you to sit at a desk filling vacancies that are handed to you – we want someone who loves getting out and meeting new clients – someone who really wants to develop their desk and progress their career.


text:
Q: Is it smart to keep static files in memory in node js? When serving static files in Node I am simply using fs.readFile and then throwing the data onto the response content.
I am tempted to store the results of fs.readFile in a variable and then skip using fs.readFile when the file is requested a second time and just write the content out from the variable in memory.
My questions:

*

*Are there any issues I could run into with this approach? Is there a better way?

*(a high level overview) How do servers like nginx and Apache cache files to serve to users?

A:
Are there any issues I could run into with this approach? Is there a better way?

Yep, you can run out of memory. You can keep in cache only what is hot.

How do servers like nginx and Apache cache files to serve to users?

They keep it in memory indeed but additionally they implement some LRU (or LRU-alike) strategy to invalidate caches.
References:

*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache_algorithms#Examples


The Vertex IV - our number one best seller for the accurate height, distance and horizontal distance measuring you need in the field! With its ultra sonic measuring system and cross hair sight, the Vertex hands you proven accurate readings also in thick undergrowth. This new and improved Vertex IV has both beep signal and built-in Bluetooth®!
Ultrasound technology is perfect to use in the forest, always seeking the shortest way around obstacles such as branches and tree stems. The Vertex instrument operates with the Transponder T3 placed beside the tree, on the stem, or in the center of a sample plot for circular sample plot measuring work. Improved firmware, large graphical display, audible sound signal and Bluetooth for easy transfer of results makes the Vertex the perfect choice for foresters around the work.
Vertex– fasten the T3 transponder to the tree at any height, walk a distance of your choice and measure as many heights for each object as you wish, with the four last measured heights shown in the display.
BAF With the Reverse Prism" function, the Vertex IV can be used on prism cruises. By selecting one of the built in BAF's you are able to be at the tree and determine its minimum diameter to be included in the point. This function allows you the ability to Prism cruise on tracks with thick underbrush that you could not do with a standard prism.
80 x 50 x 30mm / 3.2 x 2 x 1.2"


Sims Metal WASTE TO ART & DESIGN 2019 is a community art exhibition and competition showcasing imaginative works made from reused and recyclable waste materials. The aim is to challenge people's perception about 'rubbish', celebrate reuse, minimise waste generation and increase recycling, through arts and crafts.
Within these categories there are sections for pre-school, primary school, secondary, community, open (professional artist) and Building or Element or Building/Large Sculpture. Prizes will be given to the most inspiring artwork in each section/category.
A specific waste item is featured as part of Waste to Art each round in an attempt to highlight problem issues and this year is the year of bailing twine and strapping. Artworks do not have to use the theme waste, but an additional prize will be given to an artwork featuring this material.
Entry Forms are available at Lachlan Shire Council, or can be download below.
Further inquiries please contact Council's Environment and Waste Officer on (02) 6895 1950.


What is the difference between them. I was reading but have some confusion. Anybody can define it in simple words.
How to find out competitor's bounce rate?
what is the best way to clean up my email list from bounce?
is there a way to clean up email lists without using services that make you upload your list and then selling it to others or even using it for themselves?
High email bounce rate in Asian countries?
Hello guys, I want to know how much bounce rate is good for website ? my site bounce rate is 74% so it is good or not ?
What can be done to reduce the bounce rate for a website?
How to fix this error with bounce email settings in Gmail?
How can I reduce the bounce rate of mine website? Can I Use "Remind Me Later" Plugin for this problem?
How to reduce bounce rate for a website?
When I want to check bounce rate for organic or other traffic then analytics showing me 0% bounce rate. What is this how I can resolve it please help.
What are factors that affect the Bounce rate of your website?
Hello All, Suggest some of the factors that affect the Bounce Rate of your website?
Sudden jump in bounce rate for no apparent reason?
how to Remove Hard bounce?
What could be the reason for high bounce rates on Landing Page?
Selling out soon. Bounce rate, Stickiness, Loyalty, Repeat Visits. What do they have in common?


Initial consult and business eval is FREE!!
Aiding in the design, branding and growth of your boutique fitness studio!
Our number one mission is to help strengthen and grow new and existing studios in the fitness space. We have 10 plus years experience in the boutique fitness studio industry and a passion for growing community. Our consultants promise to deliver ideas which will aid in the successful growth of your business. We understand that each individual brand requires its own unique ideas and strategy for how it can grow. We make it our mission to provide these services.
JAL Fitness Consulting is a full service agency. We believe in educating our clientele and providing them with a variety of tools to find success. Whether you are in the planning process of your startup or need assistance growing your established studio, we are here to help. Please click the link below to find out more.
We celebrate all fitness formats within a givien community and fully intend to highlight each one at these events. Our goal is to encourage participants to enjoy sweating while trying something new.
We embrace community coming together to support one another and enjoy the SWEAT!
Copyright © 2018 JAL Fitness Consulting - All Rights Reserved.


Bridge Investment Group paid $18.85 mil for Cornerstone Plaza, a two-building multi-tenant office campus totaling 97.3k sf ($194/sf) in the heart of the Sorrento Mesa submarket of San Diego. The property was sold by Omninet.
Built in 1996 and situated on just over five acres at 6160 and 6170 Cornerstone Court East, the asset is 67% occupied by a number of tenants including Broadcast Company of the Americas, Robbins Research International and Bentley Systems. The buildings are joined by a unique, furnished outdoor gathering space activated by an inviting water feature and bordered by lush landscaping and collaborative spaces.
Cornerstone Plaza is just minutes from the I-5/I-805 interchange - two of San Diego's main arterial freeways, providing tenants with easy access to all of San Diego county. Additionally, the I-805 HOV/Carroll Canyon project offers a direct access alternative to Cornerstone Plaza via Carrol Canyon to Pacific Heights Blvd.
NKF's Co-Head of US Capital Markets Kevin Shannon, Executive Managing Directors Brunson Howard, Paul Jones and Ken White, Senior Managing Director Rick Stumm, and Andrew Pascale represented Omninet in the deal. Bridge Investment Group was self-represented. This acquisition marks Bridge's entrance into the San Diego office market.
According to Howard, Cornerstone Plaza offers the buyer immediate value-add potential. The property provides an opportunity to unlock additional value both in leasing up the existing vacancy and upgrading its multiple indoor and outdoor common areas.


Great summary of the process!
Was scrambling at the time of original passport request step with the fee.
Currently my status is "Application Processing Completed - In Transit to the VAC"- Hopefully I get back my passport!
How much longer did it take you from that step to having your stamped passport in hand? I need to travel on the 25th of June.
Hi when did you get your passport?


Large flat stones with rich texture define this American classic. Rich grey tones with an assortment of browns give this stone a balanced natural look.
From the rolling wine country to the quiet valleys of the frontier, field stone has been an architectural benchmark. Large flat stones with rich texture define this American classic. Rich grey tones with an assortment of browns to give it a balanced natural look.
Dimensions: Long side 4″-12″, short side 3″-6″, height 4″-16″ and length 6″-18″ approx. 2″thick.
A 2" x 20" trim piece that can be used in many different ways, depending on your project. Available in brown and grey. Dimensions: 2" x 2" x 20"


What's Happening in our Pool?
Here at Southwestern Elementary School, we provide a safe and inviting environment for all students. PE skills are taught for all learning abilities. During the school year, our Physical Education program offers many different activities including fitness awareness, pool skills, personal safety, nutrition and exercise based lessons. We also emphasize character development - proper manners, being a good friend and partner, good sportsmanship, and respecting the skills and attributes of all students, faculty, and staff.
SANDLES - Please make sure your child has sneakers for gym class. Students wearing sandles will not be allowed to participate in PE class. This is a safety issue. Make sure your child has sneakers either in their school locker or in their backpack. THANK YOU!
HEALTH CHALLENGE - Formerly Jump Rope for Heart, our students gather donations from family members and friends that go towards helping the American Heart Association in their battle against heart disease. Students win prizes by reaching specific levels of donations, either online or monetary. This program ends on April 15. Our goal this year is reaching $10,000 in donations for the AHA. Thank you for helping out for this worthy cause!


There are 6 top-rated naturopathic doctors in your area and 35 to avoid.
Business Description: Angie Sullivan and Dulcie Trefz are professional therapists licensed by the Ohio State Medical Board and provide therapeutic and relaxation massage modalities. We are available seven days a week by appointment. We strive to provide quality therapy to our clients in a serene environment.
There are actually three chiropractors there. I have been going to this office for 20 years. He always fixes me. They are closed on Thursday afternoons, which can be difficult sometimes.
Everybody likes him. He is good. He gives back a lot of time.
We drive all the way from Ravenswood to see this Chiropractor Not only does he have the ability to really help he cares about his patients.


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Q: Get a single piece of data from a SOAP C# Webservice in Java I'm starting to deal with SOAP messages and I need to get this response's string to then convert it into a picture but the problem is to get the string to begin with.
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
   <soap:Body>
      <ObtenerImagenResponse xmlns="http://localhost/WebService">
         <ObtenerImagenResult>This is a picture</ObtenerImagenResult>
      </ObtenerImagenResponse>
   </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

How do I extract "This is a picture" from Java.
(I'm familiar with sending SOAP messages and I can get some messages too thanks to some C&P but I don't know how to work with all of them).
Thank you in advance. I can provide more information if needed but this is just an example of lots of similar SOAP responses I can't read and which carry one single element.

A: You could use jSoup and just do something like:
doc.select("ObtenerImagenResult");

Basically jSoup is a library for java which allows you to use a jquery-like selector syntax in order to query through big chunks of html/xml.
Here is a more in-detail piece of code and description: jSoup.

A: Well, the answer for this wasn't very complicated.
After we get the response of the SOAP request all we have to do is to extract the body as Document and then get the first child's value as a String.
SOAPBody sb = soapResponse.getSOAPBody();
Document XMLDoc = sb.extractContentAsDocument();
NodeList nl = XMLDoc.getElementsByTagName("ObtenerImagenResult");
String response = nl.item(0).getFirstChild().getNodeValue();
return response;

That's the best way to get that only item. I hope it's helpful for you.